Dominating Martial King-Chapter 52 - 49 Flagpole

52: Chapter 49 Flagpole

52 -49 Flagpole

The Ancient Market, due to the convenience of river transport, not only boasted the largest weapons market in East State but was also a premier herbal distribution center along the Shenxiu River.

After Chu Xisheng left the Divine Weapon Hall, he was ready to move to the herbal market on the neighboring Yellow Wood Street to scour for goods.

However, as they crossed a narrow alley, heading towards Yellow Wood Street, Chu Yunyun’s footsteps suddenly stopped.

She glanced at the entrance of a nearby shop, her expression uncertain and full of doubt.

“What’s the matter?” Chu Xisheng, walking in front, turned his head, following Chu Yunyun’s gaze.

It was a pawn shop set up in the alley, mainly dealing with pawned weapons.

At first glance, Chu Xisheng noticed the shop’s doors and windows were aged and worn out.

The weapons displayed at the entrance were ordinary, nothing high-end.

Chu Xisheng was puzzled.

This pawn shop was not located on the main street, indicating limited power of the shop owner.

He wondered what had drawn Chu Yunyun’s attention.

Without a word, Chu Yunyun walked into the shop, carefully examining a wooden barrel near the door.

The barrel contained dozens of long-handled weapons like knives, guns, swords, and halberds.

After a moment’s inspection, she extracted a black iron spear about one zhang (approximately 18 feet) long.

To Chu Xisheng, it seemed like just an iron spear.

It had a metal shaft, long as one zhang and eight chi, with a sharp spearhead at the end.

Chu Xisheng scrutinized it closely but could not find anything peculiar about it.

The spear had a black body with serpentine patterns, indicating it was made of black iron using cold forging.

However, the spearbody was unusually thick, larger than a typical spear.

This would make the spear exceedingly heavy, placing a significant burden on the user.

It also bore some deep scratches, indicating the spearhead was possibly not very sturdy.

Still, the admirer of the spear was none other than the once-First Grade Divine General, Dominating Martial King, Qin Muge.

Chu Xisheng raised his eyebrows slightly, “Do you like this spear?

If you like it, buy it.”

Qin Muge was once renowned as the Gun and Halberd Master, but now Chu Yunyun only had a pair of Ninth Grade short halberds, lacking a suitable long spear.

To Chu Xisheng, there was no essential difference between a spear and a halberd.

Generally, a spear had a sharp head with blades on each side and barbs at the end, similar to an arrow, inflicting secondary damage when pulled out.

It did not have a tassel, making it suitable for throwing.

In contrast, the spear pointed sharply with blades on each side, featuring a prismatic design for armor-piercing, with a red tassel to prevent blood splatters from hitting the eyes.

“This isn’t a spear,” Lu Luanti glanced at him sideways, “This is clearly a flagpole for a military flag, just missing the flag and the red tassel.”

She was also puzzled, wondering why Chu Yunyun, a sorcerer, would need such a thing.

Chu Yunyun silently stroked the ‘flagpole,’ failing to grasp its mystical qualities.

But as she had passed by the pawn shop earlier, her heart had skipped a beat, sensing something inside was calling to her.

Unfortunately, she had lost her True Yuan.

Otherwise, she could have probed it with a trace of True Yuan to discern its nature.

Suddenly, Chu Yunyun noticed a faintly carved, mysterious character at the flagpole’s end.

Just as Chu Yunyun tried to decipher it, a middle-aged man from the shop approached with a smile, “Do you like this spear?

It’s a pity; this spear has been pawned by someone else and hasn’t expired yet.

We can’t sell it today.

But we have many excellent spears, Seventh and Eighth Ranks available, for you to choose from.”

Chu Yunyun frowned, placing the flagpole back, “Forget it, let’s go.”

The flagpole perhaps held some supernatural aspects, but Chu Yunyun did not wish to rob others of their possessions.

She wasn’t interested in the other spears in the shop.

Chu Xisheng signaled his curiosity, asking the middle-aged man, “Shopkeeper, when will the spear’s term expire?”

He actually wanted to ask about the original owner of the flagpole, trying to buy it directly from them, but that was against the rules.

The shopkeeper offered a bitter smile, “The owner pawned this spear half a month ago.

According to the rules, we must wait six months before we can sell it.”

Chu Xisheng shook his head, turning to continue towards Yellow Wood Street.

‘Yellow Wood Street’ was the largest herbal market in Xiushui County, housing over a hundred long-established herb shops and numerous scattered herbal merchants.

Chu Yunyun splurged there, gathering all the Magic materials needed.

They also prepared thirty bottles of “Yanghe Powder” at cost price, enough for the siblings to extend their lives by forty-five days each.

Chu Xisheng spent over four hundred taels of Demon Silver to buy thirty Essence Building Pills, also gathering all the auxiliary secret medicines for the third layer of Nourishing Essence Skill.

The main ingredient of the secret medicine was Ice Worm Fire Cocoon, a rare herb found at Volcanic Ice Lakes.

These peculiar entities, akin to Cordyceps, were only found in the high-altitude ice lakes of extinct volcanoes.

Chu Xisheng sighed at their unattainable price.

He had inquired at major herb shops about the Ice Worm Fire Cocoon’s price, and none offered it for below seven hundred taels of Demon Silver.

The bigger problem was finding a place to gather the herb.

The closest extinct volcano to Xiushui County was over three thousand six hundred li away.

Moreover, the ice lakes atop such peaks were monopolized by Martial Arts Families and powerful sects, barring outsiders.

When Chu Xisheng emerged from the largest herb shop on Yellow Wood Street, he clutched his purse, which contained less than seventy taels of Demon Silver, with a troubled look.

In a month, he could reach the Perfection of the second level of Nourishing Essence Skill, but where would he obtain the money?

Guarding a caravan?

Laboring?

Hunting in the wild?

Herbal gathering?

Or working as house security?

These methods were too slow.

Robbing would be fast, but Chu Xisheng couldn’t cross that psychological barrier.

Moreover, this world’s wealthy individuals and corrupt officials were formidable, with numerous guardians.

The government disregarded the lives of common folk, but if one dared to touch a rich family, they would deploy all their resources to capture you.

Without the prowess of the Blood Wind Thieves, he couldn’t handle such a task.

“We’ll slowly earn the money for the Ice Worm Fire Cocoon,” Chu Yunyun warned Chu Xisheng, “no compromises!”

She had noticed Chu Xisheng inquiring about the price of another herb, Red Blood Ice Vine.

It was a cheaper substitute for Ice Worm Fire Cocoon, costing only two hundred taels of Demon Silver.

However, the formula for Nourishing Essence Skill was an evolving recipe perfected by the Formless Divine Sect over ten thousand years.

It was said that every five years, the auxiliary ingredients changed, and the main ingredient changed every two hundred years, to adapt to human bloodlines and natural variations.

Currently, Ice Worm Fire Cocoon was the best ingredient.

This formula guaranteed no lingering issues post-bloodline awakening, representing a truly authentic Mystic Sect’s path to the supreme.

Many martial artists in the world achieved limited success not due to lack of talent but due to the scarcity and expense of secret medicines.

Many could toil for ten to twenty years and still not afford the seven hundred taels needed for Ice Worm Fire Cocoon, compelling them to opt for cheaper alternatives.

As a result, their future Martial Arts Primordial Skills could only reach Seventh or even Eighth Rank.

The toxic side effects and hidden dangers of cheap secret medicines would ruin their future.

Chu Xisheng’s future Martial Arts accomplishments would be affected by even a single misstep now.

Chu Xisheng smiled bitterly, “I truly do not intend to compromise; I just wanted to understand the market.”

He frowned in thought, “Yunyun, what work in this world is not only lucrative but also helps me gain fame?”

Chu Yunyun pondered, acknowledging such good fortune in the world was rare.

No, there was!

During her northern campaign, she not only earned a lot of money but also became renowned.

Those world-renowned martial heroes made “chivalry” their business and amassed wealth.

But clearly, these were not suitable for the two of them.

“There is one way!”

With this bell-like voice, Lu Luanti, carrying a large package, approached from afar.

She had parted from Chu Xisheng earlier and had also procured a lot of herbs on Yellow Wood Street.

She pointed south with a sneer, “At South Street Temple Market, there’s the black market arena.

Fight a few matches there; you’ll not only make money but also gain great fame.

If you enter the Life and Death Arena, the earnings will be higher, but so are the risks.”

Chu Xisheng was momentarily stunned, his interest piqued as his eyes lit up.