Zhi Xuan stepped into the White Cloud Inn; the inn was indeed very well-maintained. There were beautiful cloud carvings and patterns on its walls. It was comfortable enough for a stay. Zhi Xuan approached the innkeeper standing behind the counter.

  "Greetings, sir. I would like to book a room," Zhi Xuan greeted, his aura now perfectly concealed, only emanating the impression of a polite Divine Wheel youth.

  The innkeeper was a calm, middle-aged man, cultivated to the Golden Core Zenith level. He wore a smooth silk robe. His sharp eyes swept over Zhi Xuan, pausing slightly at his pale left eye, but his expression remained professional.

  "Welcome, Young Master," the man replied with a friendly voice. "We have rooms in three tiers: Mortal Rooms, Spiritual Rooms, and Cloud Jade Rooms. The Cloud Jade Room offers the best isolation formation and gathered Spiritual Essence. The price is one hundred silver coins per night."

  Zhi Xuan did not want to be stingy. Cultivation stability and safety were paramount. "I will take the Cloud Jade Room," he decided.

  He pulled out one hundred glittering silver coins from his robe pocket, a quite substantial stack.

  The innkeeper took them, counted quickly, and handed over a glowing Jade key.

  "Cloud Jade Room, Young Master. The entrance is on the fourth floor. The Cloud Jade Room has complete privacy. Have a good rest."

  Zhi Xuan bowed briefly, taking the Jade key.

  'One hundred silver coins for one night. This mortal world is expensive, monkey,' Ruo Xianxue grumbled. 'You need to start thinking about how to earn money, or you will be bankrupt before the auction starts.'

  'Money can be earned, Ruo. My life is more valuable,' Zhi Xuan replied internally.

  Zhi Xuan immediately headed to his room. Room 401 was spacious and elegant, with a bed filled with cool silk and a large window overlooking the city's main street. The isolation formation in the room immediately activated as Zhi Xuan closed the door, cutting off the noise from outside.

  After looking around and activating a small protection formation from the Heart-Guarding Jade, Zhi Xuan sat on the bed.

  "Alright, Ruo. We have three days. I need an Identity Jade and I need information that terrified people won't give me," Zhi Xuan whispered. "Where is the Shadow Market in Shoutuo?"

  Ruo Xianxue snorted. 'Every major city has a secret dumping ground, Zhi Xuan. You need to look for a place where wanted cultivators and forbidden goods gather. Listen for the dirtiest whispers, not the loudest ones.'

  Zhi Xuan thought for a moment, his brow furrowing sharply as he pondered something. After a moment of contemplation, Zhi Xuan sighed softly and began to speak.

  "Perhaps, we should go out tonight. Go to a wine tavern," Zhi Xuan finally decided. "I am quite exhausted, I will rest."

  "Wine tavern? Not a bad idea," Ruo Xianxue commented. "Drunk cultivators are the best source of information. They lose their restraint and spout all their hidden nonsense."

  "That is exactly what I want," Zhi Xuan replied. "I am not looking for an Identity Jade seller directly. I am looking for clues about who would forge documents for the Silver Moon Auction, and who is bold enough to sell information about the Poison Sect."

  Zhi Xuan lay down, raising his hands, looking at his own palms. A calm and slightly uneasy sigh escaped, but he quickly masked it. Zhi Xuan closed his eyes, and the exhaustion from the journey made him fall asleep.

  When Zhi Xuan woke up, the sun had long set behind Shoutuo's stone walls. His room was shrouded in darkness, only illuminated by a small spiritual lamp in the corner. The gathered spiritual essence in the Cloud Jade Room felt very refreshing, and a few hours of sleep had completely removed his physical fatigue, although the mental tension still lingered.

  'It is time, monkey. Your stomach is rumbling. Time to feed your ears and your stomach,' Ruo Xianxue hissed. Zhi Xuan got up, straightening his black-and-red robe. He touched his spiritual pouch, ensuring the silver coins and the Heart-Guarding Jade were safe. Before leaving, he deliberately dimmed his aura to be equivalent only to the Divine Wheel dawn stage—an ordinary youth who would not attract too much attention, but strong enough to avoid being swindled by petty criminals.

  Following Ruo Xianxue's faint whispers, which guided his instinct, Zhi Xuan left the White Cloud Inn. He headed towards a denser and older part of the city, where the lantern light was not as bright as on the main street.

  The streets here were narrow and smelled of a mix of fermented wine, stale cooking oil, and spiritual sweat. This was the place for working-class cultivators and wanderers who wanted to forget their troubles. Among the lined buildings, Zhi Xuan finally saw it: a rickety wine tavern with a sign that was just a roughly carved black dragon on wood.

  The Black Dragon Wine Tavern.

  The tavern was packed. The sound of loud laughter, porcelain cups slamming, and crude chatter filled the air. There was a strange mixture of drunken mortals and cautious-eyed cultivators.

  "I told you, the Snow Star Pill from last year's Silver Moon Auction was fake! I almost exploded from the poison!" one old man shouted, slamming his cup.

  "Shut up, Old Wei! That was a genuine Snow Star Pill! The problem is, you bought it with a fake Identity Jade! You should be grateful you were not hanged at the city gate!" his friend retorted, his face red from the wine.

  Fake Identity Jade. A keyword.

  "Old Wei," his friend hissed again, his voice now a whisper due to the effects of the wine. "I heard only 'The Stamper,' who is under the Shadow Temple in the east alley, dares to forge jades for an auction that big. You need to give him spiritual jade and dragon blood to make the seal look genuine."

  Zhi Xuan stepped inside and immediately found a secluded corner at the bar, where a bleary-eyed waiter, who was only a Human Wheel, was lazily wiping the counter.

  "One bowl of Dragon Spirit meat noodles," Zhi Xuan requested, his voice calm. "And one cup of the strongest wheat wine you have."

  The waiter raised an eyebrow, surprised. "Dragon meat noodles are expensive, Young Master. And wheat wine? It can knock out a Divine Wheel."

  "I will pay double," Zhi Xuan said, placing two shiny silver coins on the counter. "And I want to know. Where is the place in Shoutuo where 'dirty whispers' are gathered? A place where people dare to discuss taboo names."

  The waiter's eyes gleamed at the silver coins. He glanced around quickly, ensuring no one was paying attention. He tucked the coins into his pocket with a swift movement.

  "You look like a knowledgeable cultivator, Young Master," the waiter whispered, now with a conspiratorial tone. "If you are looking for 'scum,' do not look at the sky. Look down."

  The waiter pointed to the dirty wooden floor with his fingertip. "Two blocks east from here. Look for an old incense shop. Say the password 'Blood Flower Falls in the Snow'. Do not ask for names. Do not stare too long. That will lead you to the place you are looking for."

  Stolen novel; please report.

  "Thank you for the information," Zhi Xuan said, a small smile forming on his face. This was the perfect clue.

  The Dragon Spirit meat noodles were served. Although the name was exaggerated, the noodles were rich in flavor and provided a slight spiritual boost to Zhi Xuan's meridians. The wheat wine was indeed strong, but Zhi Xuan only sipped it slightly, relying on the Heavenly Samsara Wheel to maintain his mental clarity.

  After finishing the noodles, Zhi Xuan quietly left the Black Dragon Wine Tavern, heading towards the east alley mentioned by the waiter.

  The east alley was a narrow, even darker labyrinth. The air felt heavy with dampness and the smell of earth. Zhi Xuan followed his instinct, reinforced by Ruo Xianxue's guidance.

  'Be careful, monkey. Places like this are snake nests. Your cold aura will attract the wrong kind of attention,' Ruo Xianxue's warning hissed.

  Zhi Xuan arrived in front of a dilapidated-looking shop. The wooden sign was worn out, but a strong incense odor—sweet, stale, and poisonous—wafted from the cracks in the door. This was the place.

  Zhi Xuan knocked on the door three times with a slow rhythm. Moments later, the door creaked open, revealing a very thin middle-aged man with bloodshot eyes. He had no cultivation aura, but his gaze was sharp and calculating.

  "Looking for what?" he asked in a hoarse voice.

  "Blood Flower Falls in the Snow," Zhi Xuan said, his voice calm and steady.

  The thin man grinned, showing yellow teeth. He stepped back, opening the door wider. "Come in. The street outside is too windy tonight."

  Zhi Xuan stepped inside. The shop's interior was as dirty as the outside, filled with piles of incense and unknown herbal powders. However, behind a large bookshelf, there was a spiral stone staircase leading downwards, into the darkness.

  The thin man gestured toward the stairs. "Downstairs is where the 'dirty whispers' meet. This incense suppresses overly curious spiritual senses. Remember, down there, prices are paid with goods or secrets, not just silver."

  Zhi Xuan nodded, then began descending the stairs. As he stepped deeper, the loud noises from the surface disappeared, replaced by faint murmurs and the quieter clinking of spiritual coins.

  When his feet touched the stone floor below, a man-made cave unfolded before him. This was the Shadow Market.

  It was a completely different world. The cave was lit by spiritual fungi that glowed blue and purple, creating a gloomy yet enchanting atmosphere.

  Dozens of cultivators and merchants gathered at stalls made of stone. Most people here wore hoods or masks to conceal their identities.

  Zhi Xuan sensed various cultivation fluctuations—ranging from fearful Divine Wheels to some more concealed First Ember auras. There might even be auras of Transformation cultivators hiding.

  'Alright, monkey. The real stench is here. Find 'The Stamper' and do not attract attention,' Ruo Xianxue instructed.

  Zhi Xuan walked slowly, tracing the line of stalls. He saw many forbidden items: pills emitting a poisonous aura, bound Devil cultivation techniques, even preserved limbs of spiritual beasts.

  In the darkest corner, a stall caught his eye. It was only illuminated by a dim oil lamp, and there sat a hunched-back old man in a robe covering his face. Before him lay carving tools, various types of jade, and seals emitting complex formation energy. The hunchback was carving something onto a piece of black jade. The formation aura from his tools was very strong. The Stamper.

  Zhi Xuan approached the stall, his aura still suppressed. "Greetings, Senior," Zhi Xuan greeted, his voice low.

  The hunchback did not lift his head. "I do not sell pills for impotence, boy. Go."

  "I am looking for an entry ticket to the Silver Moon Auction," Zhi Xuan said. "I do not possess a sect Identity Jade."

  The hunchback finally raised his head, revealing wrinkled, calculating eyes. "Silver Moon Auction? That is expensive, and dangerous. That seal will at least attract the attention of a Consciousness Transformation cultivator if not made perfectly. What do you have for trade?"

  "I have silver coins and... information," Zhi Xuan replied, trying to weigh his offer.

  The hunchback snorted. "Silver coins are trash. Information? What information could a Divine Wheel boy like you possess?"

  Zhi Xuan lowered his voice, allowing a touch of the cold aura from the Taiyin Essence to graze the Jade the hunchback was working on. "Information about an enemy who is targeting the Five-Element Scroll. Someone protected by the Jade Star Sword Sect."

  Hearing those words, the hunchback's hand stopped carving. His eyes narrowed into sharp slits.

  "You are talking about Young Master Gu?" the hunchback whispered, the aura around the stall immediately becoming colder. "Everyone here is afraid to utter that name, let alone target him."

  "Precisely because of that, my information is valuable," Zhi Xuan calmly countered, maintaining eye contact. "I need an Identity Jade that can deceive a Consciousness Transformation cultivator, and I will give you information about Young Master Gu's whereabouts in this city, and the weakness of the defense formation in his residence. I would also like to ask if you have a storage box that can contain extremely cold Yin energy?"

  The hunchback paused for a moment, observing Zhi Xuan from head to toe. "Interesting. You do not look stupid. The Identity Jade you request requires a fake blood seal from a Consciousness Transformation cultivator to be entirely convincing. That is worth a thousand spiritual jade coins. For the Yin container... I have it, the Swan Essence Jade, it is worth three hundred spiritual jade coins. A total of one thousand three hundred spiritual jade coins."

  Zhi Xuan flinched internally. He only had a few spiritual jade coins from Uncle Chen; the rest was just pure silver. Zhi Xuan reached for the spiritual pouch given by Uncle Chen tied around his waist. Zhi Xuan placed the spiritual pouch on the table.

  "I will trade it for this; inside it contains herbs and wild beast meat," Zhi Xuan said, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "I have not reached First Ember, and I cannot use this spiritual pouch. Isn't a spiritual pouch a vital artifact for every cultivator?"

  The hunchback grabbed the spiritual pouch with his nimble fingers, turning it between his digits. His wrinkled eyes flashed. Zhi Xuan was right. A spiritual pouch was an extremely important artifact for cultivators, but this one was made from high-level beast hide with a very complex spatial formation.

  "This storage pouch... is unique," The Stamper muttered. He sighed, realizing the true value of this artifact, which might require First Ember cultivation to open, making it a difficult item to sell but highly valuable to the right collector. "It might be worth around eight hundred spiritual jade coins on the black market. There is still a difference of five hundred spiritual jade coins."

  Zhi Xuan nodded. He knew he had to play his last card: information.

  "That difference of five hundred spiritual jade coins will be covered by information that will save you from Young Master Gu's wrath," Zhi Xuan countered. "The Jade Residence is protected by the Nine Jade Cloud Formation, a high-level defense formation. But that formation has a blind spot."

  Zhi Xuan had obtained information about the Nine Jade Cloud Formation from Ruo Xianxue, with Ruo Xianxue's threads of knowledge that transcended mortal limits, Zhi Xuan was able to know information as crucial as this with Ruo Xianxue's help.

  Zhi Xuan leaned closer, lowering his voice to a whisper in the dark Shadow Market. "At the West Gate, where the Jade Residence is located, the Nine Jade Cloud formation is powered by three Core Jade Stones. The blind spot is underneath the withered pine tree in the northwest corner of the garden. Every evening at six o'clock, during the changing of the guards, the spiritual energy at that point drops drastically for a quarter of an hour."

  Zhi Xuan paused for a moment, steadying his slightly trembling voice due to nervousness. "In addition, I heard from the Jade Star Sword Sect that Young Master Gu... is only pretending to be at ordinary Consciousness Transformation. He is at a level close to reaching the Five Elements, but hides his strength to trap enemies."

  The Stamper fell silent. Forging the jade was a risky business, but targeting Young Master Gu was suicide. However, the information about the formation's weakness and Gu's true power level was pure gold—potential life-saving information for himself and his customers.

  "You are right, boy," The Stamper finally agreed, his tone cold and serious. "Your information saves my life, and that is worth more than five hundred spiritual jade coins. I will accept your offer."

  He pushed the Spiritual Pouch aside, then grabbed a beautifully carved White Jade Box with a swan motif. The box emitted a calming cold aura.

  "This is the Swan Essence Jade Box. It can contain the coldest Yin energy without damage. It is yours," he said. "And for the Identity Jade. I need two days to perfectly embed the fake blood seal. Come back here two nights from now. You will get your ticket to the Silver Moon Auction."

  Zhi Xuan sighed in relief. His first task was successful.

  "Thank you, Senior. I will return," Zhi Xuan said, taking the Swan Essence Jade Box.

  "Remember, come and claim your jade if you are still alive. If you die, I will sell this jade to your murderer."

  The Stamper's last words made Zhi Xuan freeze, but he quickly neutralized his expression and only nodded faintly.

  He immediately walked away from The Stamper's stall, heading towards a dark corner. After activating a small formation on the box, he opened the Jade Bottle, allowing the Moth's Reincarnation Essence and the Taiyin Essence to be transferred.

  When the Taiyin Essence met the Swan Essence Jade Box, the cold energy immediately stabilized. A thin layer of frost coated the inside of the box, but the Taiyin Essence now seemed calm and peaceful, without any threatening fluctuations.

  'At least it will not explode in your room now, monkey,' Ruo Xianxue commented, her tone satisfied. 'You have completed two major tasks. Now, focus on cultivation and stability. Do not look for trouble for these two days.'

  Zhi Xuan closed the box, storing it under his robe. He knew he had traded an invaluable treasure for security and opportunity.

  "I understand, Ruo," Zhi Xuan replied. "Two days for stability. After the auction, we will cut that poison root."

  Zhi Xuan then climbed the spiral staircase back to the dark east alley, leaving the Shadow Market silently, his Identity Jade secured. Shoutuo City had shown its darkest side, but Zhi Xuan had successfully gained his first foothold.