Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 292

About a hundred cultivators were trading various materials in their respective stone chambers. Hwang Myeong-rye pointed to a subterranean staircase beneath a stone pillar and informed him,

“This is the general trading area. If you wish to purchase rare materials, you must go down another level.”

Han Li glanced at the staircase but didn’t move, asking instead,

“Where should I go to obtain information about high-grade demonic beasts?”

“That depends on the grade of the demonic beast. If it’s a fifth or sixth-grade beast, you can go to the Listening Wind Pavilion, where they specialize in trading treasures and the locations of high-grade demonic beasts. However, if you’re looking for even higher-grade beasts, you’ll have to exchange information with fellow Core Formation seniors. In any case, such high-level information is usually kept secret, so how about participating in an exchange meeting prepared exclusively for Core Formation cultivators?”

“An exchange meeting?”

Han Li showed interest, and Hwang Myeong-rye explained in detail.

“Usually, the items that Core Formation seniors desire are often in the possession of other Core Formation seniors, wouldn’t you agree? So, every time the market opens, the market’s owner gathers the seniors for a private, small-scale exchange meeting. Core Formation cultivators can trade with each other, and the market owner also gets a chance to purchase rare materials.”

Han Li slightly raised the corner of his mouth and slowly asked,

“So, when will the exchange meeting be held?”

“You’ll probably have to wait a few days. I’ve heard that someone will come to invite you to participate around the middle of the market’s opening.”

Han Li pondered for a moment, then looked at Hwang Myeong-rye and said,

“Fellow cultivator Hwang, I wish to look around on my own from now on, so you don’t need to accompany me any further.”

He didn’t want anyone to know that he was looking for the Thousand Leaves Dew. The old man didn’t seem surprised and immediately replied with a smile,

“I was also about to go purchase some other materials. Then, I shall take my leave. Please find me if you need anything.”

Hwang Myeong-rye bowed and walked towards one of the material shops. It seemed he was going to sell the demonic beast corpse that had been chasing him. Han Li was pleased with the other’s quick-witted actions.

He also put his hands behind his back and looked around several shops before heading towards a spot where various materials were piled up.

* * *

Three days later, Han Li was circulating his Qi in a quiet room. However, he couldn’t hide his frustrated feelings.

On his first day here, he had visited all the shops on the first and second underground floors, but while there were many Demonic Spirit Grasses, none had grown near eighth-grade or higher demonic beasts. There was also no information about seventh-grade or higher demonic beasts. Thus, he had no choice but to wait for the exchange meeting.

So, for the past two days, he had rented a quiet room and tried to overcome his cultivation stagnation through training. Of course, there were no gains.

Knock knock.

Someone knocked on the door. Although he had expected it, Han Li asked coldly,

“What is it?”

A sweet female voice replied,

“I have been ordered to escort Senior Li to the exchange meeting. Do you wish to attend?”

“Understood. I will attend.”

Han Li got up and immediately left the room. Outside the door, a woman in white was waiting for him, bowing her head demurely. When she saw Han Li come out, she immediately raised her head and looked at him.

However, Han Li’s expression as he looked at her was strange.

‘How is this child here?’

The woman’s neck flushed slightly as he stared at her intently, and she asked anxiously,

“Is something the matter?”

Han Li quickly returned to a neutral expression and said calmly,

“It’s nothing. Lead the way.”

The woman in white was relieved and led him away. Han Li’s suspicion grew as he scanned the woman’s voluptuous and alluring figure.

After descending to the second underground floor, the woman led Han Li to a corner wall. She placed her hand on the rock wall, and a white light erupted, revealing a stone door covered in magical inscriptions.

The woman opened the door and said respectfully to Han Li,

“Senior Li, please enter.”

He nodded and silently followed the woman. The stone door closed immediately, returning to its normal wall appearance. As he walked forward silently, he turned a corner and another round door appeared.

Outside the door stood a gloomy middle-aged cultivator in a blue scholar’s robe, with a mid-Core Formation cultivation. As soon as he saw Han Li, he greeted him with a broad smile.

“So, you are Senior Li. I am Yun Cheon-so, the owner of this place. Welcome to this exchange meeting. Most of the others have already arrived. Miss Moon, please take good care of Senior Li.”

Cultivator Yun spoke to Han Li with utmost courtesy, then gave instructions to the woman.

‘Miss Moon.’

The identity of the woman in white was revealed. She was Moon Sa-wol, the daughter of Moon Jang, whom Han Li had encountered before, and was affiliated with the Myo-eum Sect [a sect focused on music and sound].

He didn’t know why she was here. Thanks to the Transformation Technique, he recognized Moon Sa-wol, but it was natural that she didn’t recognize Han Li.

Moon Sa-wol’s expression changed when she heard the middle-aged cultivator’s words, and she hurriedly replied.

Han Li couldn’t see her expression as she stood behind him, but he could tell from her voice that she was extremely afraid of the man named Yun Cheon-so.

A strange light flickered in his eyes, but he didn’t show it outwardly. After exchanging a few polite words, he entered the door.

Inside was a square hall with a round table in the middle, surrounded by about a dozen large armchairs. Most of them were already occupied.

However, Han Li found the chairs strange.

Two female cultivators with Core Formation cultivation each occupied a seat, but the other men were accompanied by beautiful female cultivators. Surprisingly, these women were either in the twelfth or thirteenth level of Qi Refining, or even in the early stages of Foundation Establishment.

None of them were lacking in appearance. While he was still dazed, someone leaned against him gently, as if a spring breeze had blown. When he slowly turned his head, he was surprised to see that Moon Sa-wol had willingly attached herself to him!

Han Li slightly narrowed his brow but didn’t push the woman away. He understood the situation after seeing what the others were doing.

He simply put his hand on the woman’s slender waist and strode to an empty seat. Moon Sa-wol sat with him, almost nestled in his arms.

The soft touch was not unpleasant.

Moon Sa-wol didn’t say anything, but just as she tensed up, the hand that had been around her waist unexpectedly disappeared.

“…?”

The woman looked up at Han Li, not knowing what was going on. At this time, he was quietly observing the others. The other seven or eight cultivators were also observing Han Li.

Although he was a stranger, no one found it strange. Most of them smiled at him with friendly gazes. Han Li also responded with a softer smile.

Another six or seven Core Formation cultivators entered, all with beautiful women by their sides. Han Li, who had been watching calmly, was a little surprised inside.

He thought that Yun Cheon-so’s power must be considerable, judging by how he commanded such young and beautiful female cultivators. Moreover, the women were not weak in magical power, so they seemed to have some status.

While he was thinking this, Yun Cheon-so appeared with an elegant and dignified middle-aged woman. The middle-aged woman seemed to have a late Foundation Establishment cultivation, but she was clinging to Yun Cheon-so’s arm, looking quite intimate.

‘Madam Beom!’

Han Li was surprised again when he saw her.

‘Beom Jwa-sa of the Myo-eum Sect is here. And it seems she has a special relationship with the owner of this place. Things are getting interesting.’

“Ah!”

At that moment, Moon Sa-wol, who was in his arms, trembled and made a sound between her small lips.

Han Li was puzzled and lowered his head. He realized that his hand had been on Moon Sa-wol’s ample chest since some time ago. He had even tightened his grip while being surprised by Madam Beom.

The soft touch tempted him, but he quickly withdrew his hand and turned his gaze away, hiding his awkward expression. Moon Sa-wol looked up at him, finding it strange.

Han Li seemed slightly uncomfortable, and he didn’t do anything to her, even loosening the hand around her waist as much as possible.

He wasn’t a saint, but he was embarrassed to have behaved indecently towards the daughter of an acquaintance. Only Moon Sa-wol noticed this, while the others did not.

This was because Yun Cheon-so and Madam Beom had taken their seats, and everyone’s attention was focused on them.

“It is an honor that thirteen of you have participated in this exchange meeting. Although two of you had to leave early, this is the largest gathering of cultivators we’ve had so far. Without further ado, please take out your items and give a brief introduction, along with the price or desired exchange items.”

After speaking, he smiled at the fat old man on his left. It was a signal for him to start first.

The old man, who had received Yun Cheon-so’s gaze, reluctantly released his hand from the woman’s waist and opened his mouth.

“Then, I shall start. I have brought many good items this time, and I will exchange them with anyone who can provide what I need.”

He untied a storage pouch from his thick waist and poured its contents onto the round table. The light disappeared, and several items appeared, radiating an unusual amount of spiritual energy.

“Three Heavenly Spirit Fruits, a Demonic Core of a Tiger Shark, the hide of a Sea Transformation Beast…”

The old man picked up each item and introduced them with a proud expression, drawing the attention of many cultivators. They were quite rare items.

However, they didn’t satisfy Han Li’s eyes.

The rarest item among the fat old man’s possessions was the Demonic Core of the Tiger Shark, which was only from a sixth-grade demonic beast, and Han Li had personally killed eight Tiger Sharks.

After finishing his introduction, the old man sat back in his chair and hugged the slender woman. The woman seemed somewhat reluctant, but her eyes softened after seeing the items. Next, a gaunt man with a red band around his head, who was sitting next to the old man, cleared his throat and stood up. He was so thin that he looked like a standing bamboo.

“The item I have brought is an egg of a fifth-grade demonic beast, the Pan-li Worm.”

He finished speaking without rushing and took out a yellow egg the size of a chicken egg from his chest.

“A Pan-li Worm!”

Many people’s eyes lit up at the gaunt man’s words, and they stared at the egg.

The items that the others took out one by one were also extraordinary, which made it clear why such an exchange meeting was held.

Han Li wasn’t particularly interested and was observing with a cool gaze, but the atmosphere was heating up whenever good items appeared.

When it was Han Li’s turn, a pile of rare sixth and seventh-grade demonic beast materials poured out of the storage pouch he had casually emptied, drawing everyone’s attention.

In an instant, it was the turn of the last cultivator, a middle-aged man with a dark face, who was one of the three with mid-Core Formation cultivation in this place. Everyone looked at him with reverence.

He expressionlessly rummaged through his chest and took out two items.

One was a palm-sized coin fragment, and the other was a grayish-white bone that looked like an animal’s spine. The other cultivators looked at the items with slightly puzzled expressions, unable to identify them.

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