For Kefeng City's Marketplace, it felt like a playground, bustling, full of the unknown and novelties.
The key was that the city also sold quite a few so-called Immortal artifacts, some that could spew fire, others that could spout water, and even some astonishing Demonic Beasts for sale.
In the Kefeng City Marketplace, the shouts of the vendors rose and fell in waves, the air was thick with the smells of various foods and spices, and pedestrians jostled shoulder-to-shoulder in a dense crowd.
Li Jun never tired of such lively scenes; every glance filled him with excitement, a stark contrast to Song Village.
Following the list of Medicinal Materials given by the Steward, Huang Zidong led Li Jun through several shops, selecting the required herbs.
He pulled out a shiny stone from his robe and handed it to the shop owner.
Li Jun’s eyes widened, and he asked curiously, "Brother Huang, what is this?"
Huang Zidong smiled and put the stone back into his robe, "This? This is a Spirit Stone. Do you know that this is something even more precious than gold?"
"Spirit Stone? Spirit Stones can exchange for things, aren't Spirit Stones money?" Li Jun scratched his head and asked, seeming to understand but not quite.
Huang Zidong nodded, then shook his head, chuckling, "You could say it's money, but for us Mortals, Spirit Stones certainly function as currency. However, for Immortals, this is much more than just money."
"Immortals!" Li Jun's eyes immediately lit up, filled with wonder and excitement, "Brother Huang, have you ever seen an Immortal?"
Huang Zidong put on a smug expression and said casually, "Of course! When I was little, an Immortal even patted my head. A High Immortal also visited our Medicinal Cuisine Workshop; that was the most magical thing I've ever witnessed in my life."
"Really?" Li Jun looked delighted, as if he had heard an unbelievable story.
Huang Zidong smiled without speaking, just nodding gently, seemingly unwilling to elaborate further.
Li Jun, full of yearning, imagined a scene of Immortals soaring on the wind, Possessing Great Supernatural Powers.
"Brother Huang, tell me quickly, tell me quickly," Li Jun urged excitedly.
Huang Zidong flicked Li Jun’s forehead with a knuckle, "The matter of that High Immortal, our Workshop Master Yi Enguang has given orders not to speak of it. When you grow up, if you have the destiny, you will naturally encounter them."
Li Jun nodded dejectedly.
The two continued walking through the Marketplace. Li Jun’s eyes were full of curiosity, and he frequently paused in front of the dazzling stalls, letting out sounds of admiration.
Just moments ago, his mind was filled with longing and questions about Immortals; now, he was captivated by the novelties in the Marketplace.
"Brother Huang, this monkey is so fun!" Li Jun pointed excitedly at a monkey trainer ahead.
Huang Zidong, however, appeared much calmer, his gaze placid, as he was long accustomed to such sights. Having lived in Kefeng City since childhood, these bustling scenes were no longer surprising to him.
"These monkey trainers have quite some skill, but most of them come from a Hunter background," Huang Zidong remarked casually.
The monkey carried a shoulder pole, wore coarse cloth, and walked across a single-log bridge, looking quite comical. With a "clatter," the little monkey fell to the ground and transformed, becoming a large yellow dog.
"Bravo!" The crowd was truly amazed by this transformation trick.
Just as Li Jun was staring intently at the trick, Huang Zidong patted Li Jun's arm and said, "Let's go, Xiao Jun, we still have serious business to attend to."
Although reluctant, Li Jun obediently followed Huang Zidong out.
They hadn't walked far before Huang Zidong led Li Jun to the entrance of a Medicinal Materials shop.
"Xiao Jun, do you know what the selling price of this shop was ten years ago?"
"How much, Brother Huang?"
"Ten Spirit Stones! Do you know what its price is now?"
"Twenty?"
"No, no, no. Now it's already one hundred Spirit Stones! It has increased tenfold! I truly regret not borrowing money to buy it back then."
"Ten years ago, Brother Huang was probably about my age; where would one get Spirit Stones?"
"Where to get Spirit Stones? Good question. The Residences in the south of the city have also increased in price. So, where did this Jiang Guda get the money? I’ve been at the Medicinal Cuisine Workshop for nearly twenty years, and my savings are only about ten Spirit Stones."
"Brother Huang, you have Spirit Stones? I only have some silver taels and Copper Coins, given to me by Uncle Zhao."
"Haha, you are young, so you haven't been calculated wages yet, and you are an Apprentice, so you haven't paid tuition either. Remember, Li Jun, the price of this shop will continue to rise. As long as the Medicine King Competition continues, the price of shops here won't drop."
"What if the price rises so high that everyone can't afford it?"
"Uh... we'll talk about that when it happens. If things really go south, just sell it off; don't let it get stuck in your hands. Anyway, remember, prime location—one shop supports three generations. Buy right, and you save decades of struggle!" Huang Zidong patted Li Jun's shoulder.
Li Jun nodded, appearing to understand somewhat.
"You wait here by the door, I'm going in to find some Medicinal Materials. Don't wander off." Huang Zidong went inside to discuss matters with the shop owner, leaving Li Jun outside the door.
Li Jun glanced into the shop. Huang Zidong had entered the Inner Hall of the pharmacy, likely to specify some important Medicinal Materials. Although this shop wasn't conspicuous, the interior was filled with various exotic herbs.
Although the Medicinal Cuisine Workshop would go out to gather herbs themselves, some foreign Medicinal Materials still had to be brought back by Traveling Merchants. Li Jun sat on the stone stool by the shop entrance, his gaze following the ceaseless flow of pedestrians on the street—laborers carrying shoulder poles, scholars holding scrolls, and Traveling Merchants riding Fierce beasts.
This was a busy street lined with all sorts of shops, and the Bookstore next door caught Li Jun's attention.
Several old Classics were displayed outside the Bookstore, exuding an air of antiquity.
Li Jun curiously walked inside; the Bookstore was not large.
The bookshelves were stacked high, almost completely filled with various books, covering a hundred schools of thought, encompassing everything. In a corner, a few readers were softly discussing books they held.
Li Jun’s gaze quickly settled on books describing the environment and customs of the Xia Kingdom; these books made his eyes light up.
He had been in Kefeng City for three years, and his knowledge of the world was limited to the city itself, the nearby mountains and wilderness, and what he heard from others.
His childhood in Song Village was an even more isolated world. Nowadays, what he was constantly exposed to concerned matters of the Medicinal Cuisine Workshop; he knew very little about the vast world outside the city.
His conversations with Pan Zhuanghe always revolved around Medicinal Materials, and the Apprentices at the Medicinal Cuisine Workshop generally didn't care much about the outside world—just working all day, eating, sleeping, and defecating, like oxen and horses.
Li Jun unhesitatingly picked up several thick books, thinking that reading them might stop his perception of the world from being so narrow.
The covers of several books bore the marks of time, and the pages were filled with descriptions of customs, local conditions, and some uncommon flora and fauna.
He flipped through a few pages enthusiastically, finding the content extremely rich and exactly what he wanted.
"Boss, please get me a map of the area around Kefeng City as well," Li Jun turned and said to the owner.
The Bookstore owner was an old man with white hair and beard, who became a bit warmer upon seeing Li Jun, a teenager.
As he handed over the map, he casually took out a small, ancient book from the counter drawer and said with a chuckle, "Young man, since you're buying these few books, I'll give you this Demonic Beast Catalog as a gift. It records many magical Demonic Beasts, which you might find interesting."
Li Jun was overjoyed upon hearing this and thanked him repeatedly.
Holding the heavy books in one arm, he walked out of the Bookstore with a face full of satisfaction.
The stone stool outside the Bookstore became his temporary reading corner.
He placed the stack of books on his lap and, opening one at random, became immersed in it.