Entering Lingyun Market was like stepping into an entirely different world. Here, it finally felt a little like the world of cultivation.
On both sides of the road were all kinds of stalls selling pills, talismans, spiritual materials, and more.
But none of it was anything Cheng Qian, a lowly farmer, could afford.
These stalls weren't meant for people like him who toiled in the fields. Their real customers were the young heirs of the families living in the market, the stationed disciples of Lingyun Sect, their relatives, and the native residents of the town.
These people could freely come and go from Lingyun Market.
People like him, loose cultivators and spiritual farmers, lived in an entirely separate world.
Ignoring the hustle and bustle around him, Cheng Qian walked toward the Lingyun Sect's local headquarters.
Preparations for the upcoming Ascension Ceremony, just a few days away, were already underway.
A massive spirit-testing stone stood tall in the center of the courtyard.
Staring at it for a moment, Cheng Qian clenched his fist, then headed toward the guard hall.
"Senior Brother Feng, how have you been?" He cupped his fists and greeted one of the Sect disciples.
Feng Sen was an outer disciple, fifth layer of Qi Refining. Three years ago, he took up a guard assignment and was placed here.
Cheng Qian had met him during a spiritual rice transaction. Back then, Feng Sen had just arrived and wasn't familiar with the tricks and shady dealings in the market.
He had helped the man out in passing. Afterward, Cheng Qian would chat with him now and then, trying to stay on his good side. But over the last two years, it seemed Feng Sen had either matured or been assimilated.
He started distancing himself from people like him, those who only tried to get close with flattery.
"Oh? What brings you here, Daoist Cheng? Things have been really busy these past few days. I don't have time to catch up."
As soon as he said that, he turned to leave without even pretending to hide his disinterest.
This "Daoist Cheng" was just another freeloader in his eyes. Tight-fisted and annoying. Feng Sen had no interest in small talk.
"Senior Brother, I came to ask for a favor. A small request."
"You should've said so earlier." Feng Sen looked around at the passing cultivators.
"Alright. Come with me outside. For the sake of our old friendship, if I can help, I will."
The two of them stepped outside the hall.
"Go on then. What is it? Don't try to trick me," Feng Sen said with a bit of stiffness in his tone.
"My aunt wants to come here with her child and live with me. I was hoping you could help get them two identity cards."
"Aunt? Coming to stay with you?"
"Yeah. My uncle died recently. Now my aunt's all alone. I'm by myself too, so we figured it's better to stick together and look out for each other."
Cheng Qian's expression showed a bit of embarrassment and anticipation, purposely steering Feng Sen's thoughts in the wrong direction.
People are naturally curious. The more dramatic the story, the more it distracts from the details. Once someone's focused on the gossip, they don't ask too many questions about the actual request. That's how you get things done.
Throwing a little dirt on yourself and giving them something to imagine means they won't dig too deep into what doesn't add up. Instead, they'll fixate on the juicy bits.
"You sly bastard..." Feng Sen smirked, clearly more interested in the story between Cheng Qian and his 'aunt.'
"Us farmers don't have rules about this stuff. Besides, it's better than letting some outsider take advantage."
"Hahaha, impressive. I'll be sure to have a drink at your wedding feast."
"Hehehe." Cheng Qian scratched his head with a sheepish grin, then pulled out a pouch he'd prepared in advance. Inside were eighty spirit stones.
"I'd really appreciate it if you could take care of this."
Feng Sen opened the pouch and glanced inside. Eighty stones.
That was a lot. Normally, one identity card cost only about twenty.
"This is too much. Come on, with our relationship, why are you doing all this?"
Though he said that, Feng Sen's hand had already slapped the storage bag at his waist. The spirit stones, along with the cloth pouch, vanished.
Once Cheng Qian saw him accept the bribe, he finally felt safe enough to bring up the real matter—something even more important.
"Senior Brother Feng, thank you so much. By the way, my aunt's child is also old enough for a spiritual roots test. I was hoping you could help with that too."
Feng Sen's face twitched a little. As expected, every spirit stone had its price.
They were already in his bag. Giving them back? He'd rather die.
"Daoist Cheng, the inner disciples will be present at the Immortal Ascension Ceremony. New arrivals aren't supposed to participate. It's sect policy."
The sect was wary of infiltration by demon cultivators, so they had strict rules. Newly admitted people weren't allowed to take part in the ceremony. Only after living in the market for a while could their descendants get a chance at spiritual root testing.
"Senior Brother, she's under my name. It's like she's family to me. Doesn't it all depend on what you say? At least let me save a little face in front of them." Cheng Qian sounded sincere as he pulled out another small pouch from his robe.
"You... just for that, you're going all out..." Feng Sen sighed. "Alright, for the sake of our years of friendship, I'll help you with this." He gripped the pouch tightly as he spoke.
"I've got no choice. If I want to build status in the family, I have to do something. Spending everything I have to raise my standing at home is worth it in the long run, don't you think?"
"Hah! You sly dog. Getting the deal and still acting humble."
The two of them chatted for a bit longer, then went back to the guard hall. Cheng Qian got two identity cards for spiritual farmers.
Feng Sen, all smiles now, even walked him to the gate. All it took was a few words, a little acting, and he'd earned a hundred spirit stones. Deals like this didn't come often.
With the identity cards in hand, Cheng Qian went to the market's internal affairs office. He rented a small courtyard for two spirit stones a day.
This time, he went all in.
To avoid any surprises, he planned to stay inside the market until the Ascension Ceremony.
Tonight, he would rest and recover. Tomorrow, he'd create his clone.
******
Sitting on the bed, Cheng Qian began thinking. If the clone could enter the sect, what should he make it do?
Milk the sect for all it's worth? But was there a chance that joining the sect just meant being a more elite servant? Could he somehow use the clone to get his real body out of Lingyun Market?
He'd never been inside the sect. He had no clue what it was really like. But judging by how these outer disciples acted—bossing people around, exploiting everything they could—the sect probably wasn't all that different.
So how could he earn spirit stones? Draw talismans? Refine pills? Forge tools? Set up formations?
All of those would take time. Too much time. His real body might not be able to wait. And even if he had the spirit stones, it might be better to invest them all into the clone anyway.
Cheng Qian scratched his head.
'I rushed it. I should've created the clone first before going to Feng Sen. If it turns out as trashy as me, I could've saved a lot.'
He had a low-grade, four-element spiritual root. Missing water. Each element only rated a thirty. Average to the point of uselessness.
Suddenly, a thought hit him. Why did the clone have to be a man? What if he created a female one?
That split-second idea cracked open a whole new world for him.
A woman... that could work. If she got into the sect, she could just play the tea-serving beauty role.
He didn't know tea ceremony techniques, but he had plenty of life experience.
The more he thought about it, the more he felt this crazy idea had real potential.
Even if the clone couldn't get into the sect, a girl with spiritual roots would still be in high demand in the market. She could be like a seductress or a clever fox spirit in some play.
As for whether he could accept it mentally?
If it meant getting spirit stones and pulling himself out of this pit, he could accept anything. He'd even be a dog.
The only thing he couldn't accept was being poor and useless.
Cheng Qian felt this idea was worth pursuing. He wasn't a good person to begin with. If the clone was a woman, he could use her identity to pull off all sorts of tricks.
Names like Daji and Bao Si flashed through his mind.
He jolted a little.
'No, better stop right there.'
He'd think everything through carefully once the clone was created tomorrow.