Clad in a yellow robe, Lin Chuan awoke.
"This dream, it felt like over twenty years passed within it."
Time in the dream skipped, many details were blurry and hard to recall.
The supporting characters in this dream gave him a very good impression.
It was a hundred times more enjoyable than being savagely tormented by the female Demon Venerable.
Especially Yun Zhiyi, she deeply resonated with Lin Chuan.
In contrast, the Lin Chuan in the dream was rather unmotivated; if not for the subconscious influence, he might not have even married Yun Zhiyi, the princess.
"Ding! The host experienced an incomplete dream Reincarnation, gaining 1000 points this time."
The dream of the wanderer's journey was not yet over, so the rewards Lin Chuan could obtain were limited.
Stepping out of the room, he saw the maid Lü Ya pacing back and forth in the courtyard.
"Young Master, you're finally out. You scared this servant half to death."
"What's wrong?"
Lin Chuan was startled.
"Young Master, you haven't left your room for three days, and you wouldn't let this servant call you, nor did you ask this servant to bring you food. Of course, it was scary," Lü Ya said, feeling wronged.
"Three days? I slept for three days?!"
Lin Chuan was surprised.
Previously, he would wake up automatically after at most a dozen hours, never sleeping continuously day and night.
"Could it be due to Cultivation?"
The biggest thing that had happened to him recently was the dream Reincarnation mirroring reality, which allowed him to obtain the Burning Silence Sword Art created in the dream and embark on the path of Cultivation.
Lin Chuan had heard legends of Cultivators dreaming for a hundred years.
Compared to that, sleeping for only three days was not surprising.
"I'm fine. Go to the back kitchen and get me something nourishing."
"Yes, Young Master."
Seeing Lin Chuan's rosy complexion and that he was fine, Lü Ya stopped worrying and hurried to the back kitchen, telling the cooks to prepare a hearty meal for the Young Master.
After eating, Lin Chuan began practicing the Burning Silence Sword Art again.
Three days without practice had not made him rusty in the slightest.
As soon as he gripped the sword and circulated the sword art, he felt as relaxed as a fish in water, and his cultivation rapidly increased.
There was even a strange pleasure, like cultivating on autopilot and collecting rewards when online.
"I need to get a book describing the Cultivation Realms as soon as possible."
If there truly were demons causing chaos, Lin Chuan should at least know the difference between himself and the demons; otherwise, he wouldn't even know how he died.
"In four more days, older sister will be taking the caravan out. I need to hurry."
To access Cultivation scriptures through regular channels was impossible; he could only go through irregular means, such as finding a seller in the black market.
Being from a merchant family, Lin Chuan was naturally not ignorant of business matters.
Many things strictly controlled or monopolized by the government, or even strictly prohibited, could only be bought in the black market.
The black market had another name—the Ghost Market.
Most people had never even heard of the Ghost Market, let alone accessed it.
Lin, the largest merchant firm in You Shui County, possessed a vast amount of information. As long as Lin Chuan put his mind to it, he could find the Ghost Market.
He remembered someone, known as Bao Da Ting.
Lin Chuan often heard his older sister mention this person. Bao Da Ting was well-informed, and all of the firm's external intelligence was provided by Bao Da Ting.
Thinking of this, Lin Chuan put down his Burning Silence Sword Art Cultivation and left the Lin residence.
In a dilapidated alley, he found Bao Da Ting.
This person was short, only as tall as a seven or eight-year-old child.
"Young Master Lin?"
Seeing Lin Chuan, Bao Da Ting was quite surprised.
Lin was well-known throughout You Shui County, and the firm's manager, Lin Yangyang, was even more famous, hailed as a heroine.
In contrast, Lin Chuan, the nominal young master, was unremarkable.
He ate, slept, and slept, and ate every day.
In the eyes of most people, he was just a good-for-nothing second-generation heir living off his family's wealth.
"Bao Da Ting, I want to ask you something."
"Please speak, Young Master Lin."
"Do you know where the Ghost Market is?"
"I do."
"Tell me."
Lin Chuan took out a money pouch and tossed it to Bao Da Ting.
Bao Da Ting took the money pouch, weighed it in his hand, and smiled brightly, "Young Master Lin is generous. The location of the Ghost Market changes daily."
"I can only get one entry slot for the Ghost Market each day."
"Today's and tomorrow's slots are already booked. If Young Master Lin wishes to enter the Ghost Market, you'll have to come the day after tomorrow morning."
"This young master can't wait that long," Lin Chuan threw out another money pouch.
His older sister was leading the caravan out in four days. Going to the Ghost Market the day after tomorrow would be too rushed; he had to prepare beforehand.
Bao Da Ting looked troubled, "The Ghost Market has its rules, Young Master Lin, this..."
Slap.
Another money pouch was thrown out.
Lin Chuan mocked, "Money makes the world go 'round. The Ghost Market was created to make money, so why would it turn away customers?"
"Young Master Lin, please wait a moment. I'll be right back."
Bao Da Ting took the money and was quite efficient.
An hour later, Bao Da Ting rushed back, holding a wooden token carved with a ghost face, which also had the route to enter the Ghost Market attached.
"Young Master Lin, if you follow the directions on this, you can enter the Ghost Market of You Shui County."
"The Ghost Market is a mixed bag; it's hard to tell what's real and what's fake. When you go, be careful to discern, and it's best to wear a mask so you don't get taken for a fool and ripped off."
Bao Da Ting gave two pieces of advice.
"Thank you."
Lin Chuan left with the wooden token.
Following the directions on the token, he bypassed many dilapidated roads, and there was even a section shrouded in mist, like an illusion.
It took him a full two hours to reach the Ghost Market of You Shui County.
The overall color scheme of the Ghost Market was extremely dim, most people wore masks, and those who didn't mostly had fierce, menacing appearances to begin with.
This didn't look like a place for business; it looked more like a bandit's den.
Lin Chuan had heard some legends about the Ghost Market; many nobles and high officials came here to purchase things, which was why the Ghost Market could stand firm.
Certain things that couldn't be openly displayed were more needed by nobles and high officials than by ordinary people.
Lin Chuan didn't think much and headed straight for his goal.
After wandering around, he found two incomplete Cultivation scriptures in the Ghost Market. The price was ridiculously high, requiring three thousand taels of silver.
This showed how precious true Cultivation scriptures were.
They were all monopolized by the upper echelons, completely inaccessible to ordinary people.
Lin Chuan did not buy the Cultivation scriptures. Regardless of whether the scriptures were real or fake, they couldn't compare to the Burning Silence Sword Art.
If converted into money, two random pages torn from the Burning Silence Sword Art could sell for ten thousand taels of gold.
After searching further, just as the Ghost Market was about to close, Lin Chuan finally found a scripture titled "Detailed Explanation of Cultivation Realms."
He spent one thousand taels of silver and successfully purchased it.
It was very late when he returned to the Lin residence.
On a large tree outside the Lin residence, two black crows perched on the branches, watching Lin Chuan enter his bedroom.
"Another Lin Chuan. Note it down, note it down."
"He seems to have a Cultivator's Qi about him. Could he be the person our master is looking for?"
The two crows spoke in human words, conversing with each other.
"Big Crow, are you stupid? Someone with a Cultivator's Qi is precisely *not* the person our master is looking for."
"Why?"
"The Golden Winged Tiger King said that Lin Chuan is our master's husband, and his strength won't be weaker than our master's. If he intentionally hides it, how could we small fries sense his Cultivation Qi?"
"As expected of Little Crow, truly wise."
"But we still need to guard him, just in case something goes wrong. The task of protecting this Lin Chuan is entrusted to you, Big Crow."