Set up a small street stall at thirty.

Inside the largest bookstore in Luofeng Town, known as “Universal Book House,” two strikingly handsome young men entered, instantly invigorating the atmosphere. Though their cultivation was low, one was tall and incomparably handsome, the other rather shorter but equally charming, especially his lively, expressive eyes that could easily win anyone’s favor. This delighted Madam Hu Xueling, the owner, immensely—people often said that young cultivators were always beautiful or elegant, but that was usually the result of post-cultivation refinement nourished by spiritual energy. These two, while not yet transformed and still bearing a somewhat mixed aura, had an innate foundation that promised, once they reached the Foundation Establishment stage, they would surely become renowned beauties of the cultivation world. Today, her humble establishment was truly graced with their presence!

Madam Hu hovered behind the counter, her gaze circling the two men. Meanwhile, the little fox sprawled on the desk watched this scene and curled its lip: these two looked to be partners, so no matter how excited Madam Hu became, she could only feast her eyes.

Luo Yu carefully studied the books on the shelves: “Hundred Appraisals of Spirit Herbs,” “Compendium of Wonders from the Immortal Realm,” “Manual of Strange Lives,” “Gathering of Fruits”—all focused on spiritual herbs and their origins. He picked up “Compendium of Wonders from the Immortal Realm,” flipping through to find not only spirit flowers and herbs but also items like “Spirit Marrow” and “Spirit Liquid.” Adjacent to the herb books were tomes on alchemy: “Pharmacist’s Alchemy Scripture,” “Pharmacist’s Appraisal,” “Treatise on Transforming All Spirits”—mostly theoretical works aimed at those who couldn’t refine pills, explaining which common medicines were made from which herbs and how, but rarely delving into the principles of pill refinement. They were suitable for those who just wanted to produce a few pills, but there was no description or sale of more advanced recipes. Luo Yu felt secretly pleased—he was already ahead of these books.

Beyond these, Luo Yu’s cherished array books were present as well: “Outline of Array Placement,” “Thousand Illusions and Changes,” “Essentials of Deadly Arrays in Eight Directions,” “Treatise on Stone and Jade Arrays,” “Compendium of Array Talismans,” “Origin of Ten Thousand Arrays”—an entire large bookshelf. Luo Yu grabbed “Compendium of Array Talismans” and was overjoyed: wasn’t this the programming language manual he’d been searching for? Wonderful! He looked through others: “Outline of Array Placement” was useful, teaching basic conditions and key points for array formation; “Thousand Illusions and Changes” specialized in illusion arrays; “Essentials of Deadly Arrays in Eight Directions” covered offensive array principles; “Treatise on Stone and Jade Arrays” discussed unusual materials and their properties needed for arrays; “Origin of Ten Thousand Arrays” was even better, explaining array theory and how to interact between array talismans and array devices—exactly what Luo Yu needed... All of them were useful! What to do? Where could he find enough spirit stones to bring them all home?

While Luo Yu was anxiously overwhelmed here, Qin Yue on the other side picked up a book called “Hundred Refineries of Divine Artifacts” and started reading. The shelf before him was equally vast, with books such as “Universe Within,” a guide on making spatial pouches; “Scripture of Seamless Heavenly Garments,” detailing materials for forging clothing-type defensive artifacts; “Record of a Thousand Treasures,” cataloguing materials and their origins for artifact forging; “Ingenious Techniques of Divine Mechanisms,” a collection of artifact crafting tips.

Luo Yu glanced at the book in Qin Yue’s hand and asked, “Are you interested in artifact forging?” Qin Yue looked up, his eyes glowing with fervor. “Who doesn’t dream of wielding peerless weapons? I have a fire spiritual root and can forge artifacts myself. But the arrays engraved on the artifacts will need your help.” It turned out that artifacts differed from magical treasures: magical treasures could be stored inside the body and merged with the owner’s spirit for complete control, but artifacts couldn’t, requiring arrays to assist. To draw an analogy, magical treasures were like the owner’s arm, while artifacts were tools held in hand, needing proper programming to operate.

Luo Yu’s blood surged. “Good! Then I’ll entrust you with my future magical treasure crafting!”

Qin Yue said, “I think artifact forging and pill refinement are essentially the same path, just that forging artifacts is more laborious.”

Looking through all the books, they were mostly basic introductions—no advanced pill recipes, no detailed explanations of powerful arrays, nor methods for forging peerless weapons, likely kept secret by their owners or beyond the authors’ skill. Besides those categories, Luo Yu found books on talismans, curses, spirit beasts, ghosts, spirit wood, spirit insects, Qi cultivation techniques, cultivation theory, and even some less appropriate for children... Each category boasted a full shelf—vast and comprehensive, but all fundamental.

Yet, Luo Yu was already satisfied. Glancing at the prices, most ranged from fifty to a hundred spirit stones. After discussion, just purchasing the array and artifact forging books they wanted would cost at least two thousand spirit stones, not to mention Luo Yu’s interest in a few herb and stone appraisals, detailed origin explanations, and wanting a talisman book for reference... The truth was, they wanted everything, but spirit stones were a major concern.

Madam Hu Xueling propped her delicate chin with her hand, admiring the two for a long while, showing none of her usual impatience in chasing customers out; instead, her infatuation was evident as she expressed concern, “Gentlemen, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask this humble lady~”

The little fox on the desk trembled at the sound, stood up, shook its fur, and slipped away.

Qin Yue approached, asking, “If we buy several books, is there any discount?”

Hu Xueling cast him a sidelong glance, fluttering her lashes, and coquettishly replied, “If gentlemen wish to purchase, perhaps a twenty or thirty percent discount could be arranged. Even if you don’t buy, you’re always welcome to visit this humble lady~”

Qin Yue felt awkward, and Luo Yu, who came over, was equally unsure whether to be jealous and felt a twinge of envy, pursing his lips.

Seeing Luo Yu’s reaction, Hu Xueling laughed softly, covering her face with a handkerchief, and whispered, “If you’re anxious about your beloved, we could all three together, retreat to this humble lady’s room and cultivate the Dao~”

Luo Yu was stunned for a moment, his face instantly flushed crimson. Qin Yue, exasperated, told the owner, “We haven’t brought many spirit stones this time. We’ll return in a few days.” With that, he hurriedly dragged Luo Yu out.

Out on the bustling street, Luo Yu took a deep breath and said, “That was intense! This woman is so uninhibited—perhaps she’s a demon cultivator?”

Qin Yue replied, “She’s likely a fox spirit. I saw a clever fox lying on the counter earlier—probably a relative of the owner.”

Seeing that night had grown deep, the two strolled home. The street was still crowded; Luo Yu saw many demon cultivators with thick, long tails, tall and burly with fierce faces—likely tigers or leopards transformed—and others wrapped tightly in cloaks, surrounded by eerie winds, which must be the legendary ‘ghosts.’ The entire street resembled a ‘hundred ghosts parade,’ completely different from daytime.

Luo Yu watched for a while, curiosity replacing his initial fear, and asked Qin Yue, “In ancient tales, Taoists and monks would always shout and attack upon seeing demons. Why are they living peacefully together now?”

Qin Yue explained, “All beings compete, but it’s all about ‘power.’ In ancient times, human cultivators were dominant and controlled the situation, so demon cultivators were naturally inferior. Newly transformed demons didn’t understand human ways, couldn’t follow rules, and were rejected, often causing trouble in the mortal world. But since the Heavenly Court’s decline and the disappearance of powerful human cultivators, demon cultivators gained some status, and humans had to yield territory for their use. That’s why in the last century, there’s been little news of demons causing chaos among mortals.”

Luo Yu said, “It seems the decline of the Heavenly Court isn’t entirely a bad thing. At least ordinary people have peace. What about the Underworld? Has anything changed there?”

Qin Yue replied, “No major changes... though the Heavenly Court’s decline influenced the Underworld—it was chaotic for a while, and many ghosts escaped. If those ghosts only absorb yin energy and don’t know how to channel it, they might become irrational and ferocious; if they develop corpse poison, humans worried about the 2012 apocalypse might finally see it happen—quite troublesome.”

The two discussed the profound topic of world peace and soon returned to Immortal Residence. The night passed without incident.

The next day, the “Gathering of Immortals” officially began.

Luo Yu and Qin Yue hurried to the street, already abuzz with people—cultivators from all over crowded the roads, with stalls everywhere selling a dazzling array of items. Luo Yu, sharp-eyed, spotted a sanctimonious fellow whose stall displayed a jade phallus. A demon cultivator approached to inquire about its origin, and Luo Yu pulled Qin Yue closer to listen. The man boasted, “This is a rare treasure, made from the juice of the Ten Thousand Year Jade Branch Fruit and the Three Thousand Year Milk Grass, soaked in mutton-fat jade for nine hundred years, finally refined into this ‘Jade Milk Root.’ For women, it nourishes internally; for men, it not only replenishes but over time can produce jade nectar, enjoying the heights of mortal pleasure. Truly a treasure rarely seen in a thousand years.” Seeing Qin Yue and Luo Yu watching, he addressed Qin Yue, “Young sir, don’t miss this opportunity! You two are clearly destined immortals—with this ‘Jade Milk Root,’ your bedroom arts will reach perfection! Gift it to your beloved—an unmatched token of affection! Don’t let the chance slip by!”

Luo Yu blushed and scowled, protesting, “Why tell him to gift it to me and not me to him?”

The man froze, stammered, and said, “So that’s how it is. Then why not buy it and gift it to your friend, as a sign of affection?”

Qin Yue was now used to being mistaken as Luo Yu’s partner; he grimly pulled Luo Yu from the crowd.

Luo Yu was still annoyed, and Qin Yue said coldly, “Gift it to me? What’s that supposed to mean? Do you think you can be above me?”

Luo Yu snapped, “I’m a man too—why can’t I be on top?”

Qin Yue retorted, “That depends on strength.”

Luo Yu was stunned, silent for a moment, then mumbled, “I’m not playing that game with you—I’m straight.”

Qin Yue snorted, “So am I.”

Hand in hand, the two walked a few steps in silence. Luo Yu suddenly asked, “Why do so many people think we’re partners? Are there a lot of gay cultivators?”

Qin Yue replied calmly, “There are many female demon cultivators, but few female human cultivators. Humans disdain relationships with demons, so they end up with each other. Besides, in ancient China, same-sex love wasn’t rare, so it’s become commonplace.”

Luo Yu said, “This really is a paradise for friends of that sort.”

Qin Yue asked, “Do you want to try?”

Luo Yu laughed, “If I ever want to, I’ll come to you, beautiful—don’t turn me down!”

Qin Yue matched his response, “Anytime.”

They continued to explore the market, finding many stalls selling books. They picked one and crouched to browse. The stall was small, with books and a pile of jade slips. Luo Yu flipped through some books and asked the stall owner, “Do you have any good basic books? We’re looking to learn arrays and artifact forging, and want to understand herbs and materials—any recommendations?”

The stall owner sorted through the jade slips, handed a few to Luo Yu. Luo Yu was surprised to see familiar titles like “Hundred Appraisals of Spirit Herbs” and “Origin of Ten Thousand Arrays”—the same as those in the bookstore. He tried channeling spiritual power into them; light flowed across the slips, activating arrays, but nothing else happened. He then immersed his consciousness, and sure enough, text appeared in his mind, perfectly matching the content seen in the bookstore.

Excited, Luo Yu rattled off more book names; the owner picked out more jade slips for him. Luo Yu asked, “How much?”

“Twenty spirit stones each, firm price,” the owner replied.

Luo Yu was about to buy two when Qin Yue pulled him away, saying, “Let’s look around first.”

Luo Yu agreed, noting the stall’s location. Later, they found several other book stalls, all selling similar jade slips. These books were essentially popular science, widely available—people bought them at bookstores, learned what they needed, then resold them. The slips were cheap, priced between ten and twenty spirit stones.

They moved on to stalls selling pills and herbs. Here, pills were cheaper than at the pill shops, but still cost more than what the pill shops paid for them. Seeing many sellers, the two decided to open a small herb stall, spreading a blanket and setting up shop. Qin Yue managed the stall, Luo Yu explained and collected spirit stones. They offered inconspicuous Clear Spirit Pills, Grass Inch Pills, and hundred-year ginseng, each priced differently: Clear Spirit Pills at ten spirit stones, Grass Inch Pills at five, and five pieces of hundred-year ginseng depending on age, from a hundred eighty to three hundred spirit stones.

By closing time, they had sold many Clear Spirit Pills, a Grass Inch Pill to a curious buyer, and the hundred-year ginseng was snapped up immediately, with buyers asking for more. Qin Yue replied with a straight face, “That was pure luck—no way to find more.” The buyer left, disappointed but unsurprised.

They made a tidy profit, joyfully buying useful books from the stalls. They also wanted to buy artifact forging materials for Qin Yue, but found these far more expensive than books—better ones surpassed even ginseng in price, beyond their means.

For the next two days, they scoured the market for cheap books, filling their bracelets to the brim. On the final day, they reluctantly sold a three-hundred-year-old spirit herb found in an ancient array—an herb that increased cultivation—which caused quite a stir. Eventually, a Foundation Establishment cultivator bought it for three thousand spirit stones, prompting the two to quickly pack up and disappear.

With their newfound wealth, they each bought a magical artifact. Both chose swords: Luo Yu’s was called “Gathering Clarity,” a water-attribute flying sword, affordable but lacking special abilities; Qin Yue’s was “Burning Heaven,” fire-attribute, similarly ordinary. Together, the swords cost nearly two thousand spirit stones.

At this point, the Gathering of Immortals was nearly over. They returned to the fox spirit’s bookstore to buy a few missed books, then stopped at a tavern for Golden Branch Silver Ginkgo wine. Once their spirit stones were nearly spent, they checked out of their lodging and left Luofeng Town.

Cultivators’ Friendship Chronicle 30_Complete Free Reading of Cultivators’ Friendship Chronicle_30 Small Stall Update Complete!