The market in Yellow Maple Valley looked very much like the Green Ox Town from Han Li's hometown. The entire market consisted of only one street, running north-south. At the southern end stood dozens of buildings, large and small, some multi-story, others mere shacks, quite uneven in appearance.
These were all properties of the Yellow Maple Valley, but only a small portion was still managed directly by the sect's disciples. The rest were rented out to immortal cultivation families and independent cultivators who did business here year-round. Most were shops trading materials, talismans, and magical artifacts. There was also a Five Elements Bookstore selling basic cultivation techniques, and two restaurants and inns to cater to people's food and lodging needs.
Furthermore, apart from the low-ranking steward disciples, a certain number of Foundation Establishment experts were stationed here year-round to maintain order and prevent disturbances.
The northern section of the street, however, was largely empty. It was reserved specifically for cultivators who spontaneously wanted to set up stalls. As long as an outsider paid one low-grade spirit stone to the Yellow Maple Valley disciples managing the area, they could set up a stall in the vacant lots on either side for an entire day without interference. During that time, they would even receive protection from these disciples, so there was no need to fear enemies taking advantage of the opportunity for revenge.
These measures, designed to encourage outside cultivators to do business, combined with the market's unique geographical location, had made Yellow Maple Valley's market prosperous year after year. Occasionally, rare treasures would emerge from the market, attracting even more cultivators to come and seek their fortunes.
However, to avoid suspicion, Han Li did not enter from the most convenient southern entrance. Instead, after taking a wide detour, he entered from the north. Before stepping onto the street, he pulled a green cloak over his head to conceal his face, just in case anyone there might recognize him.
It was already afternoon. The main street of the market, when glanced at, seemed sparsely populated. But this was quite normal. After all, this wasn't a bustling secular marketplace that would be busy and noisy all day long. Those who could come here were the one-in-ten-thousand cultivators! Having this many people was already quite good.
Realizing this, Han Li chuckled at himself before walking towards the small stalls on either side of the street. He planned to first see if there was anything noteworthy on these stalls, and then visit the larger shops.
After looking around, Han Li felt somewhat disappointed. Apart from three or four items that were barely passable, the other magical artifacts and talismans on these small stalls were of no use to him at all. Buying them would just be a waste of spirit stones, so he stopped wasting time and turned directly towards the larger shops.
"Qiqiao Pavilion"
"Yinfeng Studio"
"Tiangong Tower"
...
This time, Han Li did not rashly choose just any shop to enter. Instead, he strolled slowly along the street, carefully noting the names and scale of these shops. Only then did he pick a building that appeared the most imposing and had a steady stream of other cultivators entering and leaving—Myriad Treasures Tower—and walked in.
Just hearing the name of the shop showed that the owner was very confident in their goods. Han Li also hoped there would be some truly rare treasures here that wouldn't make his trip empty-handed.
The moment he entered, Han Li was slightly taken aback.
The brightly lit hall was spacious enough to accommodate dozens of people without feeling crowded. The ultra-long counters were made of precious red paulownia wood, and seven or eight attendants dressed in uniform green robes were present. Everything gave an impression of absolute grandeur and scale.
Two of the green-robed attendants in the hall were separately explaining something to what appeared to be several cultivator customers.
The counters displayed a wide variety of items. Judging by their appearance, they were things only cultivators could use, ranging from the lowest-grade raw materials to commonly used talismans and magical artifacts, with everything available.
Han Li smiled slightly. It seemed he had truly found the right place.
Just then, an attendant in green robes approached with a broad, welcoming smile. "What would the customer like to see? Would you like some assistance from me? The items in our shop will definitely leave every customer satisfied!"
"I want to look at some magical artifacts and talismans, but I only want the best. Don't bother showing me any inferior goods!" Han Li said calmly through his cloak.
The green-robed attendant was slightly stunned at these words, but after carefully assessing Han Li's bearing and confirming the customer wasn't joking, his smile became even more genuine. He knew he had encountered a big spender, so he quickly ushered Han Li into the inner rooms and personally led him to a VIP room on the second floor.
The furnishings on the second floor were different from the hall downstairs. Not only was the area much smaller, but it was also decorated with antique-style tables, chairs, and furniture, arranged elegantly and comfortably. Most surprising of all, in the corner of the room stood a valuable incense burner, with a stick of incense slowly burning inside, filling the room with a faint, pleasant sandalwood fragrance.