Chen Xu always believed that the top experts in Yunjiang City were only about twenty to thirty percent stronger than Feng Yuanbai.

Take, for example, Prefect Ding Qian and Education Commissioner Su Quan. Although their official ranks were higher than Feng Yuanbai, as Advanced Scholars, their cultivation levels were not significantly superior.

Sometimes even higher-ranking officials had cultivation levels lower than their subordinates, which was not unusual.

However, it is said that officials of the Imperial Court can, to some extent, rely on their official positions and seals to borrow the nation's fortune and enhance their combat capabilities within certain limits.

This would then be a different matter altogether.

But note, without consuming Spiritual Food, Feng Yuanbai's daily Praise Limit was 300 points.

Chen Xu referred to this as the "Basic Limit."

The Basic Limit for an Advanced Scholar was 300 points, yet some unknown master had a Basic Limit of 1000 points.

In the remote land of Yunjiang, could it be that a Great Scholar had arrived?

But all the Great Scholars were famous figures throughout the world; if one came to Yunjiang, how could there be no news?

If a Great Scholar secretly arrived, what kind of stir would that cause?

Could this be the reason the Spiritual Cicada Jade Robe hinted for him to travel alone as soon as possible?

Chen Xu stepped out of the courtyard gate, inspired by a hint from the Food Cauldron Celestial Book, he began to imagine infinitely.

He walked into the bustling market at sunset, listening to the clamor from both sides, watching clouds gather and disperse in the sky.

Imagining the winds of the world at this moment, some things seemed related to him, but most had nothing to do with him.

He came to Willow Street, the largest flower and bird market in the whole Yunjiang Prefecture.

Entering this place, the scene was different from elsewhere.

He heard the chirping of birds and the meowing of cats, chirp chirp chirp, meow meow meow...

These were pets like cats and birds raised by the merchants, available for customers to choose from.

There were also various breeds of dogs, but most were silent. Occasionally, a small dog would howl, its voice endearing.

Flowers bloomed on both sides of the street, often with wealthy idlers leisurely passing by with birdcages in hand.

But bird raising was still not mainstream; more common were cricket fights and raising crickets.

Chen Xu primarily looked at potted plants and flowers, picking a few pots of small Golden Oranges, purchasing them and asking the merchant to deliver them to the East Street courtyard.

Entry prompt: [Golden Oranges, spicy, bittersweet and sour, have slight effects of resolving phlegm, stopping coughs, promoting digestion, cooking enhances effects slightly...]

Interesting, the flower and bird market indeed offers gains.

Chen Xu also selected a few pots of Golden Bullet trees.

The so-called Golden Bullet is actually an ancient variety of persimmon.

Entry prompt: [Golden Bullet, slightly moistens lungs, relieves asthma, clears and purges real heat, honey-roasting may enhance effects slightly, has slight toxicity, avoid overconsumption...]

Chen Xu likewise paid for these and asked the merchant to deliver them.

Additionally, he purchased plants such as figs and raspberries, which have ornamental and certain edible values.

But among these, what surprised Chen Xu the most were the goji berry plants.

The merchants at the flower and bird market gave these goji berry plants a very nice name: "Red Vermilion Pill."

[Red Vermilion Pill: Nourishes blood, boosts Qi, strengthens the body, the calyx can improve vision, effects are mild, yet effective with long-term use...]

Finding goji berry plants at the flower and bird market was undoubtedly a worthy trip.

Chen Xu immediately purchased all the Red Vermilion Pill plants in that shop at the time, a total of ten pots.

The existence of the Red Vermilion Pill opened up new ideas for Chen Xu, and he subsequently purchased dozens of large flower pots, intending to store them in the Firewood House of the Fire and Smoke Kitchen.

In a few days, when traveling to Pingyang, these might come in handy along the way.

The pots now even had an entry: [Flower Pot, an item of clay soil, edible by soil-eating Demonic Beasts.]

Of course, all the supplies purchased were sent to the courtyard by the merchants based on Chen Xu's orders.

On the street, he did not plan to use his Spatial Ability.

He walked and shopped from the flower and bird market to the West Street Market.

The evening market had a particularly lively atmosphere, with fresh vegetables hard to find, but grains and dried goods were no problem at all.

Chen Xu was now financially affluent; the twenty pounds of Cloud Frost he sold last time brought him twenty taels of gold.

Out of which, ten taels were exchanged by Chen Xu for one hundred taels of silver and twenty strings of copper coins.

In this era, both gold and silver had considerable purchasing power. Chen Xu's recent purchases amounted to only thirty some taels of silver.

Yet he spent fifty taels on buying a large amount of food supplies.

Due to the large purchase volume, he also had the merchant deliver these to the courtyard.

There was nothing to hide about these items, as Feng Yuanbai was aware of Chen Xu's ability to store things in space.

After returning, Chen Xu would store all of them in his Fire and Smoke Kitchen.

He was almost done shopping when he saw a store setting up a stove and roasting chickens by the street.

The greasy aroma of meat drifted with the wind, and occasionally, a "bloop" sound from the stove would send the smell of roasting chicken permeating through one's senses.

It made passersby exclaim, "So fragrant, it's tantalizing. Forget it, I'll buy one to satisfy my craving!"

Among them was an eight or nine-year-old child who stood by the stove with others, saying:

"Shopkeeper, let me tell your fortune. I see you have a disaster of blood in store today. I'll help you avert it, and I won't charge you. How about you give me a roasted chicken instead?"

Just as the words were spoken, the busy shopkeeper waved his big hands like fans, driving him away, saying:

"Go, go! Where did this little beggar come from with such nonsensical talk? Hurry and leave, you're blocking the way. Still in your mother's womb, you're already trying to swindle a chicken..."

The words were so crude yet amusing that those gathered around the roast stove immediately burst into laughter.

This infuriated the little Daoist child. Having cultivated through multiple lifetimes, he had never endured such an insult. His gaze hardened, ready to coldly warn the shopkeeper.

Unexpectedly, someone eager to buy chicken suddenly surged forward from behind, pushing the little Daoist child straight into the stove.

The shopkeeper at the stove panicked, "Move aside, this stove is extremely hot!"

In a flash, the roast master pushed with his hand.

Whoosh!

The little Daoist child's foot slipped, and he fell backwards.

The person pushing him from behind happened to slide to the side, and with a "thump," the child landed solidly on the ground.

He fell on his back, with the back of his head hitting the ground.

Once down, he lay there wordless.

An exclamation broke out from the crowd, with someone shouting, "Oh no, the kid was hurt!"

The shopkeeper, who had pushed him, hurriedly said, "I—I... didn't mean harm, I was originally trying to save him."

Someone bold stepped forward, leaned over, and reached out to feel under the child's nose.

Surprised, he exclaimed, "Oh my, no breath. Oh dear, did someone die right here on the street?"

The crowd instantly erupted. Nearby soldiers patrolling down the street heard the commotion and inquired from afar, "What happened here? How did someone end up dead? Make way, make way!"

The shopkeeper by the roast oven's knees turned weak, and the knife he used to carve chicken accidentally fell, slashing across his left thigh, leaving half his body drenched in blood.

The shopkeeper screamed in pain, collapsing to the ground, "Help! It wasn't me who did this..."

Though it wasn't clear whether it was his doing, his "disaster of blood" did indeed manifest at that moment.

The onlookers remained speechless. With the soldiers fast approaching, a scholar in a green robe, who had been standing by a stall not far away, pushed through the crowd, moving quickly despite appearing slow.

This young man was, naturally, Chen Xu.

Everything that happened at the roast stove transpired in a moment. Chen Xu hadn't paid particular attention before, but he suddenly realized that the child who fell seemed suspicious.

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