Chapter 828 The Market Inside the Secret Realm
Ye Xuanyue walked forward a few steps. The inside was even larger than she had imagined.
It was different from the scale of the previous Yin’an Market. This place vaguely gave the feeling of a small city, with many carefully constructed buildings, clearly intended for long-term operation.
However, these buildings were not in the style commonly seen in the Imperial Dynasty. Instead... Ye Xuanyue felt they looked somewhat familiar. Somewhat like the architectural style she had seen on the Spirit Martial Continent?
She was slightly stunned but then saw a fluttering banner ahead. Several people were gathered in front, talking in very loud voices. She could hear them clearly even before getting close.
"I heard they’re setting up another Spirit Beast Gambling Event in the Third District this time!"
"It’s a shame the passage tokens for the Third District are just too hard to get. Otherwise, it would be great if we could go see the excitement!"
The person next to him chuckled, his voice carrying a touch of melancholy.
"A Spirit Beast Gambling Event... it would be good if you could actually win a spirit beast. A real shame. But I heard they’ve issued quite a few passage tokens for the Third District this time. If you’re determined, you might have a chance to get one. Brother Li, why lose heart?"
The man opposite just shook his head. He hesitated for a good while before speaking.
"I’ll be perfectly satisfied if I can just enter the Second District."
A glint of light appeared in Ye Xuanyue’s eyes.
Leng Moran looked up at the people in front of him, his voice very low.
"We are here at this market for the first time. Could we ask what this business about numbered districts is all about?"
Although Leng Moran’s voice was low, it was clear enough for the men opposite to hear. They were slightly taken aback. Looking up and seeing that the speaker was a very young man, they burst into laughter.
"First time here? What’s there to ask? Stay long enough, and you’ll naturally find out."
They did not seem to want to explain further. Leng Moran’s eyebrows furrowed slightly.
The men took another look at him and at Ye Xuanyue beside him. Ye Xuanyue’s head was slightly lowered. They only gave her a brief glance before speaking with a mocking tone.
"Two youngsters who still have their baby fuzz, what are you doing here?"
However, when their gazes fell on Hou Xiaoyong, they showed a bit more wariness. They thought Hou Xiaoyong was the leader of the three, since on the surface, his cultivation strength was indeed the highest.
The man at the very front lazily yawned and then spoke.
"If you want to know something, you have to offer something in exchange. There aren’t any kind-hearted souls here who’ll explain things for free."
Ye Xuanyue’s gaze rested on them—her voice was very low.
"Oh? Is that so?"
She nodded and then spoke.
"What do we need to offer in exchange?"
The young woman’s composure somewhat surprised the men opposite. Ye Xuanyue stood there. Her appearance was not fully revealed, and at that moment, she looked like a somewhat delicate young girl, but her eyes were exceptionally lively. Somehow, it made people want to keep looking at them.
The man opposite smiled and then said,
"What? Something valuable, of course. Whatever is valuable, that’s what you need to offer for the exchange."
Their eyes were fixed on the young girl, clearly wanting to see what she would do. Ye Xuanyue looked at these men for a moment.
Hou Xiaoyong was a rather smooth talker; otherwise, he could not have set up a stall in the market before. He smiled and moved a bit closer, speaking directly.
"Do us a favor. We’re all just trying to make a living here. We’ll likely run into each other again. Who knows, we might need to lend a hand if we’re surrounded by spirit beasts outside. Why be so particular?"
Seeing Hou Xiaoyong trying to get friendly with these men, Ye Xuanyue and Leng Moran exchanged a glance and walked into a nearby building that looked like a shop.
It was a bit dark inside.
Ye Xuanyue took two steps in and then heard someone speak.
"Buying something? Spirit beast materials are on the left. Medicinal herbs are on the right. There are weapons on the rack behind you. Elixirs have signs hanging on the wall."
The person’s speech was very fluent. Ye Xuanyue found it interesting. Then she heard the person continue.
"Our elixir business is a well-known brand in the Imperial Dynasty. We wouldn’t ruin our reputation. Our goods are genuine—we guarantee it."
Hearing this, Ye Xuanyue gently raised her head and spoke.
"A well-known brand in the Imperial Dynasty?"
The middle-aged man opposite had a quite earnest smile on his face.
"Naturally. But this place is special, so we can’t very well display our own sign here. But the goods are as real as they come. Clearly marked prices, fair to all."
Ye Xuanyue looked around. Her gaze first went to the elixirs on the wall—many of them were for healing wounds, and there were also many for cultivation. Ye Xuanyue casually picked a few common ones to ask about; the prices were shockingly high, especially those few that could increase cultivation strength. Even Ye Xuanyue felt they were excessively expensive.
She looked to the left and then scanned the spirit beast materials and medicinal herbs beside her. These materials were quite astonishing, uncommon even in the Imperial Dynasty. But the prices were much lower.
Ye Xuanyue was genuinely interested in some of the items. She looked them all over, picked a serpent core and a few medicinal herbs, paid with spirit stones, and walked out. These were things often needed for concoctions, so buying them was fine.
When Ye Xuanyue walked out, she saw Hou Xiaoyong approaching, looking quite pleased with himself, a hint of showing off in his tone.
"I’ve found out all about it. What the situation is like here. So, do you want to hear it or not?"
Ye Xuanyue raised an eyebrow, her expression hinting at a smile.
"Oh? Go on, tell me."
Hou Xiaoyong cleared his throat and then began to explain.
"It’s said this place is divided into three districts. To go to a corresponding district, you must obtain a pass card. The Third District is the main event. Because only in the Third District do they dare hold large spirit beast auctions! And it’s said some of the spirit beasts inside have quite impressive backgrounds! Only in the Wish-Granting Market would they dare do something like this."
Ye Xuanyue frowned again. She lowered her head, thought for a moment, and then spoke.
"Won’t the spirit beasts cause trouble here? Things like this..."
Hou Xiaoyong’s expression changed slightly. He hesitated for a moment before speaking in a low voice.
"Spirit beasts aren’t a unified block. Some spirit beasts are simply the losers in conflicts among their own kind. Sometimes they are used to exchange for things like elixir resources from humans."
The light in Ye Xuanyue’s eyes grew somewhat profound.
If that was the case, this market was not as simple as she had thought.
Behind it, perhaps spirit beast forces were stirring trouble.
Ye Xuanyue’s expression remained calm. She had another very important question to ask.
“So, how can one enter the Third District?”