Chapter 37: The rules of the market

“Actually, it’s very simple. This market is not the market you think it is. In fact, it has an owner.” The old man said the key to the matter in one sentence.

“What?” I was originally going to take a fruit from the table, but when I heard the old man say this, I couldn’t help but raise my head and shouted in shock, forgetting to take the fruit.

“Yes, the Great Market is a mysterious place. It is merely a trading location decided by the top echelons of the cultivators. This is the Great Market for ten days every five years. At other times, this place belongs to a group of the most mysterious cultivators. This group of cultivators are the most resourceful cultivators in the world today, and their top echelons are rumored to be the most likely to attain immortality and become metaphysical beings in the world. Even these horses were raised by the top echelons of these cultivators. Do you understand now?” The old man is not a person who likes to talk nonsense. He is similar to Mr. Zheng from Hucun, who spoke about the origin of the Great Market in one breath.

“This…” I didn’t know how to describe the feeling in my heart. A group of cultivators who have always lived in a no-man’s land? This is something I can’t imagine. This alone is enough to shock me, and I don’t really care about the adjectives that have been applied to them.

“This old man is telling the truth, not exaggerating at all. There are even more exaggerated claims in the outside world, such as the horses pulling the carriage are actually becoming demons, and the group of cultivators are actually all immortals, just waiting for the last opportunity to become immortal.” As if he was not shocked enough, the monk added a few more words.

This made the apple in my hand fall to the ground. Thinking about the emotions I felt from the horses, I really felt that the rumors the monk said were not groundless. Of course, I also knew that my spiritual awareness was outstanding and that I should be able to feel subtle emotions more easily than ordinary cultivators.

“So, people are rushing to the market because, with a bit of luck, they can trade with the mysterious cultivators who originally came to the market. Fortunately, we only missed two days, and the real climax of the various trading activities in the market will not begin until at least five days later. I was really lucky. I was originally delayed on the road, but I didn’t expect to be able to arrive at the market tonight.” The old man laughed and changed the subject, completely ignoring my dumbfounded shock.

At this time, the carriage had already started moving. The road in this uninhabited area felt unusually smooth, but judging from the scenery constantly flying back out of the window, the speed was not slow, although it was not as exaggerated as a car.

I can’t imagine how horses can pull a cart over mountains on such roads. I can only say that the people of Dashi are too powerful to be able to raise such mysterious horses.

After the initial shock, my mood gradually returned to normal. After all, I am not like other people. This time I went to Dashi to find people, not to trade. No matter how mysterious and desirable Dashi is, it has nothing to do with me.

In a calm mood, I started chatting with the old man and the monk again, and learned a lot about Dashi. For example, in order to prevent ordinary people from accidentally entering, the layout of the formation is arranged. For example, the cars parked in the valley will definitely be covered with oil cloth, and then some snow and mud will be added on top. This is also to avoid certain ears and eyes. For example, if you accidentally shoot a large number of cars parked there from a high altitude, how do you explain it…

Listening to their stories, Dashi is like a heavily guarded iron pass, only showing its ‘tempting’ mask to cultivators, while strictly excluding ordinary people, and even legends are not left to ordinary people.

This is good. After all, if a person comes into contact with a world that is completely outside their own sphere of life, it is not necessarily a good thing. Knowing but not being able to integrate is a painful thing.

During this idle chat, the carriage sped forward, and even when we were all feeling sleepy, the carriage didn’t slow down at all.

I was really impressed. At night, the horses were able to run so well in the no-man’s-land. Could it be that old horses know the way? I fell asleep with this thought in mind.

I don’t know how long it was before I was woken up by the old man next to me, who said to me, “We’ve arrived. The last part of the journey is on foot for everyone.”

I rubbed my eyes, which were still a little sore, opened the curtains of the carriage, and found that it was so bright outside. I got up and looked out, and realized that it was the morning light reflecting off the snow-covered mountains that was causing the scene.

“Get off the carriage,” came a cold knock on the carriage door. When the monk opened the door, it was the cold man who had said he would take us to the big city.

After we got off the carriage, we realized that everyone had already gotten off. The indifferent person told us to gather and wait, and then walked over to the carriages and did something. The horses pulling the carriages actually ran away on their own, running towards the distance…

After all this, the indifferent man walked towards us, not saying a word, just making a gesture to indicate that we should follow him, and then walked on alone.

I was walking in the last row of the group with the old man, and I felt uncomfortable with the indifferent attitude of the man. I didn’t think there was anything wrong with his indifference, but I felt that he had a sense of superiority and looked down on people.

“Old Su, who is this person who brought us into the big city? Does he seem unapproachable?” I asked the old man next to me in a low voice. After spending the night together, I already knew his name and called him Old Su.

“Shh… keep your voice down. His attitude is normal because he is a native of the big city, which means he is one of the mysterious cultivators. He is qualified to look down on us.” Old Su explained to me.

The big monk walking in front of us also heard our whispering and deliberately slowed down two steps, walking in parallel with us and saying to me, “You’d better get used to it, otherwise you’ll be looked down on every five years, and that’s not a good feeling, especially when others have the capital to look down on us.”

I nodded and said nothing. Su Lao probably feared that I was arrogant as a young man, and whispered to me, “In fact, compared to others, we are already lucky enough to have him take us to the big market. Otherwise, the entrance formation would be enough to suffer.”

“What do you mean?” At this moment, we had already walked under a snow-capped mountain and were walking around it. After turning a corner, we discovered that behind the snow-capped mountain there was a large open space where hundreds of people were gathered in small groups. They were looking at us with envy in their eyes.

“See? This is the reason! Every five years, the Great Market is held, and the outside formation will open, leaving only the most basic one. But ordinary participants must break through the formation themselves. If they can break through, they can enter the Great Market. If they can’t, they will be trapped on this continuous snow-capped mountain range, waiting for the Great Market to end and being rescued. Those of us who have invitations will be led to enter from another road. Isn’t this our good fortune?” The old man explained to me.

As he spoke, I took a look at the crowd gathered at the foot of the mountain, but the crowd was so dense that I only took a quick glance and passed by.

“Then don’t they know the so-called secret route that we’re following?” After surveying the crowd, I couldn’t help but ask. In fact, most cultivators have some basic knowledge of formations, and it’s not a problem to break through a mesmerizing formation (similar to the formation at the entrance of the Bamboo Grove) purely to conceal the target. However, this formation is so large that it is inevitable that there will be some small mistakes. Once there is a mistake… If that’s the case, isn’t it the best way to follow us?

“Who doesn’t know this? But the secret route, even I know it exists, I wouldn’t dare to go in there! That’s where the real killing formations are set up. If you don’t have a guide, who would dare to go in? And that’s the rule of the market, only those with an invitation can go on the secret route.” Su Lao explained again.

“I was lucky this time and got an invitation. In the past, I always had to go through the Snow Mountain Formation. Although it is simple, it is not easy to get through. One wrong step leads to another wrong step. It is a screening for the cultivators who want to participate in the Grand Market. It means that not just any cultivator can participate in this top-level market.” The monk also explained to me.

In the meantime, we had already been led by the indifferent guide to the opposite direction of the crowd, entering a path that was nestled between the snow-capped mountains. This should be the so-called secret route, right?

I looked up at the path, which was now between the snow-capped mountains, and further away, it continued around a snow-capped mountain, and there were also branches extending out.

“Oh, right, why are those people gathering there and not charging into the formation?” After setting foot on that path, I asked my last question. Although I knew that I was being very annoying, I couldn’t help but be curious.

“Only after noon every day can you enter the Snow Mountain Array. Even if a grand market is held, the Snow Mountain Array will not be fully opened until after noon every day. It will be closed again at night after several array points are removed. It’s still morning now. Isn’t it suicide to break in?” Su Lao explained to me.

But as soon as he finished speaking, the indifferent guide in front of us stopped, took off the pack he had been carrying on his back, took out a long rope and several black cloth strips from the pack, and then stopped and said to us, “I believe you all know the rules, so I won’t repeat them.”

Rules? What rules? While I was still wondering, someone had already stepped forward and taken a black cloth strip and tied it over his eyes…