Ren Qing approached the illusory figure of Great Dream True Person and said, "Senior Great Dream, do you have forging materials?"
With a wave of Great Dream True Person's hand, the shop transformed again, the counter now displayed various ores.
Among them were jade, mercury-like substances, and surprisingly few ordinary iron ores.
Ren Qing's face lit up with joy as he immediately touched a gold-and-red stone.
[Fifty-three Dou]
[The Taotie Method: Inscribed within the stomach of the mythical beast Taotie, obtained by the Meat and Wine Taoist. Cultivation requires excessive eating until the stomach expands over sixfold to master.]
Unexpectedly, this was an ore formed by the Taotie Method, likely related to Food Eaters, perhaps excavated from a Mountain Spirit.
But the price was exorbitant. A fist-sized chunk cost five Shi, and forging an entire weapon would require at least a hundred.
Ren Qing hurriedly checked other materials, only to find most priced around one Shi, with some even reaching over ten.
He realized ore production might be low, while demand among Restraint Officers was high, inflating prices.
Cheaper options existed, refined ordinary iron ores, but they fell far short of his requirements, producing artifacts only slightly better than the Great Miao Blade.
Rubbing his temples in frustration, Ren Qing considered consulting Song Zongwu later when a thought struck him.
Why obsess over ores? Obscure materials might suit him better.
"Senior Great Dream, spinal bones."
In a daze, the counter rearranged itself.
Rows of beast and cultivator spines appeared neatly arranged, some still dripping blood from who knows who.
In Ren Qing's vision, his lifebound artifact should resemble something like chains and complementing his Prison Within the Abdomen.
Conceptually, the two weren't so different.
He carefully inspected the spines, prioritizing the highly mutated ones, since they indicated stronger original owners.
Flawless condition was essential; any damage would compromise the artifact's quality after all.
To his surprise, he actually found something.
[Dragon-Snake Spine: Created by Dragon-Snake Daoist. Cultivation requires extracting one's spine and implanting it into a dragon-snake beast for three years before retrieval.]
The Dragon-Snake Spine had a silvery-white hue, slender and serpentine, clearly stored here for ages.
Other spines fell short, either mismatched or unsuitable for chains.
Priced at ten Shi, it perfectly suited Spine Bearer.
Unfortunately, his funds fell short.
"I need to make money, fast."
Stroking his chin, Ren Qing tentatively asked, "Senior Great Dream, how does one sell materials?"
Upon hearing this, the light and shadow of the Great Dream True Person distorted even more, as if scrutinizing Ren Qing.
"Three zhang of human skin... seven Dou..."
"One sheng of beast blood... two Dou..."
Ren Qing sighed. Even selling himself whole wouldn't suffice. Resigned, he abandoned the idea.
Instead, he spent six Dou on twenty stone eyes, nearly halving his fifteen-Dou reward.
Another sigh escaped him.
The Ghost Market lasted only twelve hours, with single-entry rules, otherwise, borrowing ten Shi from Song Zongwu would've been easy.
As for Huang Ziwang? Their friendship wasn't deep enough to risk souring over such a request.
Just as Ren Qing was about to leave the shop, the Great Dream True Person's voice suddenly rang out, laced with a hint of laziness, as if just waking from a long sleep.
"One eyeball... one hundred Shi..."
Ren Qing froze. Why such interest in his Double-Pupiled eyes? The Blindless Method was merely Half-Corpse Realm, after all.
Could it relate to Twin Nightmare Ghosts?
He'd long speculated about the Ghost Envoy Realm abilities of his eyes.
Legends said nightmares were dream-dwelling demons. Perhaps Twin Nightmare Ghosts involved dreams, catching Great Dream True Person's attention.
Ren Qing really wanted to agree, but the problem was that double-eyed cultivators were not like Hundred-Eyed ones, once the eyes were dug out, they couldn't regenerate.
Great Dream True Person added indifferently, "Technique... ten Shi..."
Ren Qing's expression grew complicated upon hearing this.
Ten Shi, that was cutting it impossibly close. Almost like reclaiming blood crystals spent on the Dragon-Snake Spine.
Yet he had no reason to refuse. Many in Sanxiang City likely possessed The Blindless Method.
Retrieving the manual from his abnormal Mouth, it vanished instantly, the Dragon-Snake Spine materializing before him.
Seriously? Not even letting me handle the blood crystals?
Fearing a sudden change of heart, Ren Qing hastily stored the spine.
Now, back to Corpse Burners' Hall for Spine Bearer's advancement.
"Senior Great Dream, about Double-Pupiled-"
Mid-sentence, he found himself outside Great Dream Pavilion, already back on the bustling streets.
"Who am I to catch Great Dream True Person's eye?"
A self-deprecating laugh escaped him but instead of leaving, he wandered the market.
Shops here mirrored Sanxiang City's, though only Great Dream Pavilion and the tavern drew crowds.
A dozen Restraint Officers lay drunk, including Huang Ziwang, slumped over a wine jar while snoring.
Approaching, Ren Qing found Huang Ziwang's eyes snapping open instantly.
Relaxing instantly, Huang Ziwang offered the jar. "Try some, Brother Ren."
Ren Qing was suspicious. After all, once one reached the Half-Corpse realm, it was very difficult to get drunk, not to mention the Ghost Envoy realm.
Why was the Ghost Market wine different?
Moreover, the drinkers retained mental clarity despite their drunkenness.
A small sip sent his consciousness reeling.
Resisting slightly, the effect vanished within minutes, leaving only an addictive aftertaste.
"What's this wine called?"
"Drunken Life, Dreaming Death."
"Never mind. Give it back. Waking too fast ruins it."
Huang Ziwan snatched back the wine jar and downed several gulps, then immediately fell back into drunken stupor.
Ren Qing instinctively summoned the information stream and instantly noticed something odd, his lifespan had been reduced ever so slightly.
This wine stole lifespan during intoxication..
"Butterfly Dream Technique..."
Ren Qing murmured. If this technique existed within the Restraint Officers' Hall, he had to obtain it for his lifespan extension.
But did Great Dream True Person pay no price for this at all?
Or was he nearing lifespan's end, pinning some Yang God Realm hopes on the Twin Nightmare Ghosts?
A bitter laugh escaped Ren Qing. A Yin Runner Realm cultivator's "dwindling" lifespan likely dwarfed his thirty-nine years.
Why worry over this?
Entering the tavern, he found another illusory figure behind the counter.
The prices horrified him, Drunken Life, Dreaming Death cost one Shi per jar. This was absurdly expensive!
But Ren Qing quickly let it go. Among the Restraint Officers, there was no shortage of those driven mad by techniques. If one could be drunk and enjoy even a moment of peace, it was worth it.
What easy money...