Cultivation through Skin Making novel Chapter 10

Chapter 10: 10. Opening the door to kill

The next day, Sheng Dazhu and Wen Erniu returned disheveled and distraught, saying as soon as they arrived, "The mountain path was long, and we couldn’t make it back last night. We stayed out overnight and encountered something sinister. All the brothers who went with us disappeared, only the two of us narrowly escaped back."

The disciple who came to collect the shadow puppet just nodded faintly upon hearing this and did not ask further or meddle.

The remaining servants witnessing this scene were suddenly somewhat terrified.

Once again, they realized the horrifying fact that "their lives were as insignificant as grass."

And at this moment, the new servants officially became old servants.

...

A few days later, when there were not many people descending the mountain, three to five old servants emerged from the Suspended Room early in the morning and hurried down the mountain.

These people rushed back hastily during the afternoon, feeling like they just narrowly escaped and heaved a sigh of relief. Their waists or bosoms seemed to bulge with something, presumably weapons.

Song Yan also took advantage of an early morning to quickly leave the Suspended Room and head to the market at the foot of the mountain.

Though the journey was somewhat long, it went smoothly.

According to the disciple who transmitted skills, this market was a low-level market.

However, despite being labeled low-level, it seemed quite well-organized.

Wooden high-footed structures, carts, and stalls made up a large trading market resembling a bustling town corner.

Many of the vendors were shouting, with weapons, concealed weapons, poisons, and Jianghu secrets being sold the most.

Several vendors were shouting, "If you can’t use the cultivating profound items, come here to exchange them for some interesting stuff, guaranteed to satisfy you."

Meanwhile, some other vendors sat quietly inside the building without yelling or speaking, seemingly closing their eyes to nap, while a small jade plate was placed on the table in front of them, alongside a sign saying: Brush with a Jade Token.

Song Yan headed straight for the pavilion, saw the sign, and took out his Jade Token to brush.

With this swipe, something wondrous happened.

Information lines floated into his mind.

Evidently, these silent individuals were indeed official disciples of the Demon Sect, seemingly with average wares, which is why they had come to this low-level market to set up stalls.

Even so, to Song Yan, it was somewhat like Grandma Liu’s first visit to the Grand View Garden—an intriguing experience.

Finished shadow puppets, paper figures, poison talismans, rare medicines, flying swords, and even magic spells were all up for trade.

The shadow puppets produced in the tannery were merely the initial "form."

These "forms" were taken by the official disciples and required time to refine before they could become usable shadow puppets.

The damage rate in this process was very high, even exceeding that of talismans, hence the high demand for shadow puppets, necessitating many servant disciples in the tannery.

Among the rare medicines, Song Yan indeed saw the "Fanatic Fans" that Qi Yao mentioned earlier.

[Fanatic Fans]: Burn hair or skin flakes into powder, mix with the powder, let the target smell it, it can make the target infatuated; the weaker the target’s power, the less powder needed, each bottle can be used up to five times; limited effect on cultivators of the Refining Profound level, priced at 5 Contribution Points.

Regarding magic spells, annotations followed each one.

Some carried one annotation, others two.

Those with one noted, "This spell is not exclusive to the Puppet Palace, acquired externally."

Those with two had additional comments such as "already practiced, usable," "never practiced, roughly read, should be usable," "cultivation entry-level, okay," "incomplete, uncertain if practiceable."

Song Yan swiftly scanned through the magic spell section of merchandise.

He needed to find spells that could hide auras or attack, otherwise, he would merely have the realm of Refining Profound level without being able to effectively exhibit it.

He searched store by store and quickly favored two spells.

[Qi Concealment Technique]: Refining Profound spell, popular spell, never practiced but definitely usable, priced at 49 Contribution Points.

[Qi Arrow Technique]: Refining Profound spell, popular spell, never practiced but definitely usable, priced at 39 Contribution Points.

Evidently, these two spells were very common, belonging to spells that weren’t secrets in the cultivation realm. However, practicing spells also requires time and energy, and no cultivator would spend time on practicing these two.

The former...

In the sect, there’s no time for you to perform, what would you conceal Qi for?

You’re not some extraordinary great cultivator, what’s the point of Qi concealment?

The latter...

It seems to be an extremely ordinary, extremely basic attacking spell.

This point can be imagined.

Profound Qi stored within the body, gathered, released from inside to outside, isn’t it similar to the "Six Meridian Divine Sword" and the like?

But the "Six Meridian Divine Sword" is just a martial arts exercise, belonging to the lowest form of power in the cultivation realm.

If you have other options, who would practice this?

However, even though these two spells were ubiquitous, Song Yan still couldn’t afford them.

Such spells were not something a servant could afford.

Song Yan cast a wistful glance at those two spells, then turned and left, going to the mortal vendors, where he spent 1 Contribution Point to get some items traded by bandits.

Three bottles of "Strengthening Ginseng Pill" to replenish Primordial Qi, a top-grade mind-confusing potion "Long Sleep and Clear Wind," and a sharp dagger that mortals would consider a Divine Weapon.

These three items were evidently uncommon in Jianghu, but here they could be exchanged for just 1 Contribution Point.

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