Chapter 249: Chang'an morning market

The moon wheel spits out the city walls, the night is clear and serene.

Chang'an's night scenery is captivating, from east to west, it's all beautiful.

Late-night Chang'an was also a city that never slept, and before he knew it, morning arrived.

When the first ray of sunlight hit Li Qi's face, he had just finished his work and looked up to see that the sun had already risen.

Looking further back, Shen Shuibi was meditating behind him.

Though she was meditating, she was actually sleeping.

However, for her, there was no difference between the two.

“Has it been a day?” Li Qi looked at the dense words he had written on the paper, all of which were his整理 and conjectures about Tang Nation's information.

“Hmm… let’s go out for a walk and get something to eat.” Li Qi got up, not disturbing Shen Shuibi, but left the room and walked outside.

Although he had no money, he could exchange things; he still had quite a few Qi Beads, which should be exchangeable for silver with goods.

However…

Just like that, back and forth, genuine Qi Beads, which could be used in many ways and truly had their value, turned into worthless silver.

He was unknowingly exploited by Tang Nation, and it was even voluntary.

There was really no other way. With Tang Nation’s vast economic system and production base, plus its trading rules that spanned countless worlds, you had no choice but to accept their rules.

Wait a minute…

Accepting the rules.

That’s right, these… are probably also part of the ‘Human Dao’, right?

The Dao is outside the body, it is the rule of operation for all things in the world…

Why do many animals without spiritual intelligence naturally form organized groups like wolf packs, lion prides, or even ant colonies? That’s because they implicitly conform to certain rules, which is the ‘Dao’.

It was mentioned before that even exotic beasts without spiritual intelligence can possess cultivation because they are inherently closer to a certain ‘Dao’. If they continue to progress, they might even directly become the Incarnation of that Dao.

Then… so many races and worlds have begun to actively or passively utilize the rules of Human Dao…

I dare not think about it; the more I think, the more terrifying it becomes.

It’s better to honestly exchange for some silver and go buy something to eat on the street.

Exchanging Qi Beads didn't take much time, and there wasn't even a need to queue. The automated Spiritual Artifact was like an ATM, automatically counting and exchanging, and you could even choose physical silver or virtual silver in the terminal.

This is truly absurd… it feels like I’ve come to the future. Aside from the ancient-style decorations everywhere, in terms of convenience and functionality, it has basically completely surpassed Earth.

There's truly a strange sense of disconnect.

On the streets were pavilions and towers, people wore long robes and wide sleeves, while those who needed to be active wore tight, short clothing. It looked ancient in every way, yet it achieved automation and standardization in a peculiar manner.

He exchanged three thousand Qi Beads for one hundred and fifty taels of silver.

This exchange rate is truly incredible…

Li Qi chose to take one tael of physical silver for observation, and converted the rest into virtual currency so it wouldn't get lost.

Once he had that one tael of silver in hand, he examined it carefully.

It was very ordinary silver.

However… it had a special aura, very distinct, yet upon closer inspection, it was extremely complex and constantly changing, as if deliberately made for people to see.

Is this… an anti-counterfeiting mark?

How meticulous.

Weighing that one tael of silver, Li Qi made his way to the market here.

It was called a market, but it wasn't a sprawling, flat market like in Qingwu City.

In reality, these were three colossal buildings, two or three li tall, serving as the commercial hub for several nearby streets, similar to large comprehensive shopping malls. The three tall buildings were interconnected by corridors resembling silk threads, and walking within them, clouds and mist would even surround you.

At first glance, only four words could describe it.

Pavilions in the clouds.

It was beautiful, with flying eaves and painted walls, all floating with immortal clouds and Qi, overlooking the river and extending the view.

Stepping inside, one could see many goods, whether miscellaneous items, clothing, or food. From a distance, they were neatly arranged, lively and orderly.

Clothing, jades, caps, robes, skirts, brand-new terminals, and many, many other strange objects that Li Qi couldn't understand.

Cast by the Dao of Reason, with the ingenious craftsmanship of countless artisans, and a dazzling array of miscellaneous artifacts and playthings, it was overwhelming to the eyes.

He couldn't tell what any of it was for; it was just a flashy pile of things.

And, it was very cheap.

It was truly cheap; most items could be bought with ‘Deyuan Tongbao’, which means counted in copper coins.

One tael of silver was a thousand coins.

Li Qi saw that a brand-new terminal cost less than a hundred copper coins.

A Ninth-Grade Spiritual Artifact cost only two or three taels.

Holy cow, the prices are so different from Baiyue!

This purchasing power is completely off the charts. Li Qi remembered that he used to be able to exchange Tang Nation currency in Baiyue, but now that he thinks about it, it was probably all fake currency, right?

Truly…

Li Qi walked through the mall, preparing to buy some food and drinks.

First, buy something to drink.

He bought some Stone Flower Spring Water, contained in a kettle. It was said to come from the Stone Flower Spring Eye, which had Spiritual Plants growing inside. Three drops of spiritual liquid were produced daily, falling into the water and transforming into water fish.

The water fish would be born and die within a day, then dissolve into liquid, merging with the mountain spring water.

However, the Spiritual Plants were protected by Spirit Beasts, making them difficult to pick, so some people collected the flowing spring water downstream. It was said that this spring water was warm and sweet like fine wine, fragrant and smooth, tasting better than a return, capable of detoxifying and sobering. If one's ears were hot and drunk, a mere gargle with the spring water would instantly fill the lungs with fragrance and dispel the hangover.

He bought a kettle, which cost only sixteen coins, but it seemed quite expensive already.

After buying drinks, there was a meat vendor nearby, but their sign was interesting, named Wind Meat.

Li Qi walked up to the stall and asked, “Shopkeeper, what does ‘Wind Meat’ on your sign mean?”

The shop assistant came forward, smiling at Li Qi, “Is the esteemed guest new to the area?”

“How do you know?” Li Qi retorted.

The assistant proudly lifted his head: “Our Wind Meat is famous in this area! Anyone who has lived around here for a while knows it! The esteemed guest not knowing its name shows that you are either passing by or have just arrived recently!”

Upon hearing this, Li Qi became interested and said, “Is that so? Then may I try some, and could you tell me more about it?”

The assistant replied, “This meat, due to its special preparation method, cannot be tasted plain, otherwise it will be salty and bitter, without flavor.”

Then he continued, “To make this Wind Meat, one needs to slaughter a pig, cut it into eight pieces, and rub four qian of fried salt meticulously into each piece, ensuring no spot is missed. Then, it is hung high in a windy, sunless place, and Annam spiritual seeds are placed within the meat to sprout and consume it. This tree is unique, with a special fragrance, and only roots within the meat. Once the root system forms, the texture of the meat changes. Then, it is completely coated with fragrant oil and cured for a year, becoming ready for consumption in the summer of the following year.”

“When the meat is ready, its fragrance permeates the wind, drifting for ten li. One knows the meat is ready by its scent, hence the name Wind Meat.”

“To eat it, you must first soak it in water overnight, then boil it. The water should not be too little. Stew it over a Great Fire, remove the salty water twice, then add rock sugar and stew until tender. By then, the aroma will fill your nostrils. Once sliced, whether stir-fried, boiled, stewed, or fried, it is delicious!”

Hearing how complicated it was, Li Qi immediately shook his head: “With so many steps, I’ll pass. I don’t know how to cook, and I just planned to buy something ready to eat.”

Li Qi didn't buy that item. He wouldn't know how to cook it anyway. Forget it, he just came out to buy some breakfast.

He walked a bit further and saw another stall selling cooked food, specifically stir-fried fish slices, which smelled delicious.

So he went up and asked, “Boss, what is this you’re selling?”

Seeing Li Qi approach, the shopkeeper quickly called out, “Esteemed guest, this is fresh Little Child Fish, more delicious than all other fish, truly the best.”

“Oh? What’s the story behind this creature?” Li Qi asked curiously.

“This Little Child Fish, shaped like a catfish, has four legs and a long tail. It can climb trees. During droughts, it carries water up the mountain, covers itself with grass leaves, and opens its mouth. When birds come to drink, it sucks them in. Its sound resembles a small child, hence its name. Its taste is extremely delicious, but it is highly poisonous and cannot be eaten without proper preparation. It must be handled by someone who has learned the method before it can be consumed, which is why we only sell it cooked.”

Li Qi nodded and said, “I see. Then give me a pound. But I have a question, shopkeeper. Since it’s entirely poisonous… how did you discover it was edible in the first place? And how is the poison removed?”

“How did we discover it was edible? I don’t know that, but there are countless gourmands in the world, many who go to great lengths for a taste of deliciousness. Someone always figures out a way. Here, esteemed guest, here’s your fish!” The shopkeeper packed a pound of fish slices and handed it to Li Qi.

Then, he explained, “As for removing the poison, you first need to tie this fish to a special tree and whip it with a secret herbal whip. Once the fish’s body secretes white sweat like sap, then it can be eaten; otherwise, it’s poisonous.”

“How truly extraordinary.” Li Qi marveled, then took the packed bag from the vendor, weighed it, and found it was indeed a pound of fish slices.

Not including the complimentary seasonings and fish soup, it was a solid pound of fish slices, with sauce, seasoning, and side dishes, it probably weighed three or four pounds, truly substantial.

He paid the bill, which was only fifteen copper coins.

But thinking about it, three thousand Qi Beads were exchanged for one hundred and fifty taels, which is one hundred and fifty thousand copper coins, meaning one Qi Bead is worth fifty coins.

Calculated this way, the price is not cheap at all.

However, it shouldn't be this absurd. Li Qi only picked the expensive items. Normally, these would be used for grand meals and banquets. Ordinary chicken, duck, fish, and meat were also available.

But Li Qi just wanted to eat something good.

He strolled for another ten minutes and bought some Eight-Treasure Meatballs.

According to the shopkeeper, one must take good quality pork, half lean and half fatty, chop it into a fine paste. Then, chop pine nuts, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, melon ginger, and similar ingredients into a fine paste. Add starch and knead into balls, place on a plate, add sweet wine, autumn oil, and steam until done.

Li Qi tasted one; it was crispy, sweet, and quite good.

He bought two sea cucumbers, each rolled in meat broth three times, then stewed until extremely tender in a rich broth of chicken and meat, accompanied by wood ear mushrooms, fish maw, and pig trotters, all sticky and full of collagen.

He then bought a plate of shrimp oil tofu, made by slicing tender tofu, adding mushroom crumbs, pine nut crumbs, melon seed crumbs, chicken crumbs, and ham crumbs, all mixed into golden shrimp oil and stewed over a Great Fire. The tofu becomes soft and tender when stewed for a long time, until the inside of the tofu becomes honeycomb-like and the auxiliary ingredients soak into the honeycomb. Only then is it complete.

All of these combined cost only twenty-five coins.

A breakfast that would seem extremely luxurious to ordinary people was now ready. Li Qi bid farewell to the bustling market and prepared to go to another place.

At this moment, only half an hour had passed since he left the house.

He thought to himself, just one more purchase and then he'd leave.

He was going to buy a hairpin.

The jade hairpin in her hair was bought in Qingwu City, and it was time to replace it.

The jewelry sellers were upstairs, something the cooked food vendors couldn't compare to.

This building was a full two or three li high. It would be impossible to walk up on foot. Cultivators could, but Mortals would probably die of exhaustion.

In addition, most areas of Chang'an were restricted from flight, and only designated flight paths allowed flying Spiritual Tools for normal transportation.

Even if you could fly, flying in a forbidden area would likely lead to severe consequences.

Therefore, elevators were installed here.

No, not electric. They should be called 'Art Elevators,' driven by magical arts.

Li Qi didn't know their exact name. He walked and searched for related information on his terminal.

Incidentally, this thing could actually take pictures and search by image.

Although it looked like a wooden token inlaid with iron, it was actually incredibly advanced, completely AR, presenting an interactive interface before your eyes through illusions, which was extremely convenient.

It was still that initial description.

Beneath the ancient charm and style, a highly advanced and automated civilization was hidden.

It was completely a sci-fi society, but its essence was something else entirely.

But it didn't make much difference.

According to the terminal, this type of art elevator was called a ‘Self-Propelled Staircase,’ a rather peculiar name. Li Qi was still more accustomed to calling it an elevator.

Following the elevator, he quickly arrived at the six hundredth floor. According to the Spiritual Artifact road signs inside the market, this area was where jade articles were sold.

He was going to buy a jade hairpin.

Jade, in Tang Nation, was an extremely important and particularly special ornament.

Because a Confucian Sage of Human Dao once said: “Jade is warm and lustrous, which is benevolence. Dense and firm, which is wisdom. Sharp but not cutting, which is righteousness. Hanging down like a坠, which is propriety. When struck, its sound is clear and long, ending abruptly, which is music. Flaws do not hide its beauty, nor does its beauty hide its flaws, which is loyalty. Its luster reaches far, which is trustworthiness. Its scepter and tablet are unique, which is virtue. Therefore, there is nothing in the world that is not precious; thus, a gentleman is compared to jade, as in ‘When I think of a gentleman, he is as warm as jade.’”

Coupled with the fact that jade itself is the essence of stone, possessing various marvelous uses, almost everyone in Tang Nation wore jade.

The highest grade of jade Li Qi knew of, from what he read in books, was called Xuan Ji and Yu Heng.

Yes, they are three of the Big Dipper stars.

Xuan means beautiful jade.

Ji and Heng are instruments for the Emperor to rectify the heavens, capable of discerning the will of heaven.

In other words… the three stars in the Big Dipper… are actually the Human Emperor’s Spiritual Artifacts, and they are all jade articles.

With so many buffs, the status of jade was evident.

So Li Qi was prepared for a huge expenditure. However, there was no need for already processed Spiritual Tools or hairpin bodies; the markup would likely be delightful.

He planned to buy a piece of raw stone of excellent quality and then carve it himself.

Carving it would be fine; he didn't expect to make any particularly powerful Spiritual Artifact, just a simple decoration would suffice.

He made his way upstairs.

However… to Li Qi’s surprise, the price of jade was unexpectedly low.