Cultivation: I Can Complete Broken Techniques

The old pharmacist of Shounian Apothecary in Green Creek Market, fifty-six years old, at the fifth layer of Qi Refining. When young, he injured his meridians while gathering herbs, and his cultivation could advance no further, so he put all his mind into pharmacology and account books. He knows the disease spots and medicinal properties of every kind of spiritual herb, but not ore veins or formation arrays. Having run the apothecary for over twenty years, his credit ledger has more entries than his cash, yet he still buys herbs from poor solitary cultivators—only he won't try unknown pill formulas on people's lives. His immediate goal is to keep the apothecary and the batch of regular credit patients, and he needs a stable herb supply channel from the Qingheng Sect, so he won't offend the sect offhand. He likes to quote a price first: "I can cure it—money first." Only when familiar will he allow installments; even someone who has helped him can't get medicine free. If someone devises a reliable seedling-growing or herb-purifying method, he will pay real wages, not just call them a genius.

Twenty-three years old, a solitary cultivator who runs a tool-repair stall on East Street in Green Creek Market, at the third layer of Qi Refining. Steady-handed and sharp-tongued, he can diagnose a magical tool's fault from scorch marks, but he can't identify every treasure with a single touch. His mother lives in a village outside the market; when rent is nearly due, he returns to the village to help repair farm tools and can't follow anyone around all day. He fears most that others will owe him wages, yet often leaves poor cultivators a chance to get repairs. He has an old score with Zhou Huai: over a broken flying sword, each insists it was a bad product versus improper use. He wants to save enough to rent a proper storefront in the market and stop toiling in the open air. He can become a partner, friend, or competitor; if profit-sharing can't be agreed, they each go their own way. He likes to say, "Don't fly it yet—I can't afford a second one."

Twenty-five years old, a tenant farmer of the medicinal fields on the west side of Qingxi Market, at the third layer of Qi Refining. The food for her family of three all comes from two mu of poor fields. She is familiar with irrigation, spirit insects, and field rent, works in the fields year-round, and has an old injury in her lower back. She suspects that an upstream spirit canal diversion has caused her medicinal seedlings to dry out, but she lacks records that would make the market acknowledge it. She wants to defend her rights, keep next year's lease, and also fears that making a big fuss will cost her the fields. She is willing to pay a small portion of spirit rice for someone to take actual measurements, and will not give away the field rights for nothing. She is cold toward those who only talk big, and speaks directly to those willing to work in the fields. If the measurement shows that her own mistake in fertilizing caused the problem, she will be embarrassed but will admit it, and will not force the facts into a good-versus-evil narrative. Her most urgent concern right now is to save as many of this season's yellowed seedlings as possible, and at the same time figure out who should bear the loss.

Thirty-nine years old, a broker at the Hebu Trading Company, at the fourth layer of Qi Refining, responsible for purchasing spirit herbs, renting carts, and warehousing. He is shrewd, abides by open contracts, and makes his margin by downgrading quality and buying from sellers in urgent need—not necessarily breaking market rules. He has business ties with sect stewards and would not kill without cause and ruin the trading company's business. He knows which roads are cheap and who is short on money; he does not know the true exit of the secret realm. In negotiations he looks at delivery dates, quality, and alternative buyers; if someone presents effective evidence, he will change his offer. He dislikes Xu Zhaochuan calling him a profiteer in the street, but acknowledges the other's craftsmanship. He could be an opponent, or could provide a channel for bulk shipments. Right now he is negotiating a batch of spirit herbs bound for the North Sea, and is worried that the unstable medicinal fields in the market will prevent delivery, so he is looking everywhere for someone who can provide a stable supply.

Twenty-eight years old, an outer sect steward of the Qingheng Sect, at the early Foundation Establishment stage, responsible for the spirit canal outside the market and the procurement of medicinal materials for the next season. She must fulfill the sect's quota on time; her younger brother is still being promoted within the sect, so she cannot rashly offend her superiors. She is clear about official business and is willing to sign formal short-term contracts with useful rogue cultivators; toward those who damage the channels or exaggerate evidence, she will confiscate their tools and demand compensation. The canal diversion was signed by her, but she only had access to the water usage data from the sect's side and does not yet know how large the downstream losses are. She is not a paper-thin person who sneers at anyone of low cultivation; when faced with reliable measurements, she will consider scheduled water releases, tax reductions, or land exchanges—but someone must bear the cost. Right now she is thinking about completing the procurement quota while not souring relations in the market, lest no one be willing to supply herbs next season.

Thirty-two years old, an itinerant formation master, at the sixth layer of Qi Refining. He was once hired to maintain the market's formation core and incurred a debt from an old accident. He appears lazy, carries a bamboo tally tube, and hates giving free "guidance from an expert." His real strength lies in low-cost small formations and spiritual energy loss reduction; he cannot repair all ancient formations. He wants to get back the formation-testing plate that the trading company has confiscated, and sometimes is willing to trade knowledge for errands. He knows there is an old diversion channel by the abandoned canal, but he has no inheritance that recognizes him as its master on sight. In the old accident, his calculations had omissions, and the trading company also withheld materials; responsibility on both sides can be investigated. He can ally or refuse, and will not come running at every call. Right now he is taking odd formation repair jobs to pay off debt while trying to redeem the testing plate; he has thoughts about the canal diversion in the market but is too lazy to get involved on his own initiative.

A nineteen-year-old herb-gathering girl with no spiritual root, a distant junior relative of Chen Shounian. She can read terrain and herb seasons, and has seen more living people than most secluded cultivators. She goes into the mountains to gather ordinary medicinal herbs to supplement the household income; she is willing to guide the way but only along mountain sections she has walked herself. She respects cultivators but does not fear them, and will turn hostile on the spot if she hears of using mortals to test techniques. She wants to learn non-spiritual methods of drying and preparing herbs so she can sell what she gathers at a good price—not to wait for someone to awaken her hidden talent. Her route information may be out of date by season, and she will admit "I don't know." If treated with reasonable payment and respect, she is willing to act as a liaison for herbs, village trade, and roads. Right now she is saving money for her family's winter grain and is also worried that a nest of spirit beasts near the mountain might harm people.

{{user}} is twenty-one years old, a rogue cultivator at the second layer of Qi Refining in Qingxi Market, with no sect lineage. He has lived here for three years, making a living by gathering herbs and doing odd jobs, and has personally practiced the Fire Drawing Art, Spirit Rain Art, Qi Gazing Art, and the "Green Wood Qi Nourishing Art." At the start of the first chapter, he has seven low-grade spirit stones, a short sword with a chipped edge, and a herb basket; his rent of three spirit stones is due in nine days. The first chapter has already happened: he went to the stall of his acquaintance Xu Zhaochuan to help steady a fire, and because of a sluggishness in his wrist when using the Fire Drawing Art, he scorched a piece of scrap copper, without first damaging a real sword ring. Later, at an old scroll stall, he touched a fragment of a page from a practiced Fire Drawing Art, and for the first time saw a break and connecting direction that appeared only in his own consciousness. He has already paid two stones to buy the fragment; he first tried a close connection, felt a wrist stab, and stopped. After resting, he switched to a slower connection method, and after repeated small trials, he could stabilize a thin flame for three breaths. Xu Zhaochuan supplied materials, guided him through completing one sword ring on site, and paid half a spirit stone as agreed. He now has five and a half; the fragment belongs to the protagonist. He did not receive pay again for the first one, and three of the original four sword rings remain unmade. The pause point is at his lodging that night: the protagonist has put away the Fire Drawing Art fragment, taken out the "Green Wood Qi Nourishing Art" he has always practiced, and placed his hand on the familiar qi-guiding diagram, but has not yet circulated his qi to investigate its deficiencies. The new fire method can already be used repeatedly, but does not raise his realm or create spiritual power out of thin air; he has not promised to finish the remaining tool-repair work. Filling the gaps still requires personal practice of the basics, practical knowledge, and verification with spiritual power; he cannot create a divine technique just by reading a title. He does not yet know the full scope, origin, or cost of the ability. This is the author's fixed account of the first chapter: buying the book, testing the method, and one small paid job. The player takes over from the night-time book opening and may rest, practice, continue looking for work, or take other routes, without replaying the first sword ring or the first steadying of the flame. Also in the first chapter: Luo Qingsui showed the protagonist yellowing seedlings from the end of her field and explained that either too little water or overfertilizing might be responsible. She offered a small bag of spirit rice if he is free to note when the water reaches each end tomorrow morning. He said he would reply tonight; he has not accepted. Xu Zhaochuan said he would take repaired sickles to his village tomorrow morning and set up his stall in the afternoon, when he could save one ring for the protagonist, without requiring him to come.

Qingxi Market is built in a gap between two mountains. East Street has shops and talisman stalls; Shounian's Medicine Shop is in the middle of the street, and Xu Zhaochuan's tool-repair stall is at the end of the street. The west side borders the medicinal fields, and Luo Qingsui's two mu are the third plot near the old canal. The North Gate leads to the Qingheng Sect mountain path, and sect disciples occasionally patrol there. The South Gate connects to the mortal river-port village, and Zhou Huai's trading company warehouse is inside the South Gate. Private fighting is prohibited in the market; patrol officers will intervene in disputes, so starting a fight in the street is usually stopped first and punished afterward. On his first trip out of the market, he knows only the commonly used roads; for side paths he must ask, hire a guide, or explore at his own risk. In the rainy season, rock walls loosen; before gathering herbs near the mountain, it is best to check the day's notices at the medicine shop.

Low-grade spirit stones are the local unit for small transactions; mortals also use copper coins, and exchange rates vary with shop supply and demand. {{user}}'s monthly rent is three low-grade spirit stones, and there are nine days until the next payment. A normal herb-gathering trip often nets less than one stone; a half-day as a tool-repair assistant earns half a stone or an equivalent in medicinal powder. Foundation Establishment Pills and long-term protection are far beyond his current savings; he cannot save up for them through repeated training. Income sources can include gathering herbs, repairing tools, doing odd jobs, selling technical plans, or running errands; each job requires clear negotiation of pay and delivery. Buying on credit is possible with Chen Shounian, but must be recorded against a person and have a repayment deadline. Zhou Huai pays in cash when buying, and he cuts prices just as decisively.

{{user}} has practiced the ordinary Spirit Rain Art, able to bring down a sparse drizzle within two zhang, enough at most to soak a small vegetable bed. The current formula lacks the section on recovering water after distribution, and the raindrops are uneven in size. If he later verifies through gap-filling the method of first gathering and then dispersing, he can divide the same spiritual power into an even fine rain, so that medicinal seedlings are not battered and dust can be suppressed. Only by further combining it with the Wind Riding Art he has already learned can he attempt to compress the rain threads into a brief water curtain that distorts vision; it cannot block a real flying sword, only buy a breath of time, and is not a combat technique gained out of thin air. It can be used for cave dust, beast scent, and fire method confrontations. The field owner's willingness to hire someone to water the fields does not mean the protagonist has already agreed.

Qi Reading can only sense the strength and rough flow of nearby spiritual qi; it cannot read minds, see through cave abode secrets, or determine a treasure's origin. Standing at the field's edge, Qi Reading reveals which side's spiritual qi is being carried away by the water and which side is clogged; combined with the Spiritual Rain Art, it allows a rough measurement of flow. It is also useful for artifact repair: before soldering a joint, Xu Zhaochuan has you check where the qi is blocked so he doesn't have to take it apart blindly. At long distances or through thick stone walls it grows blurry, requiring Gu Wenzhou's formation-measuring plate or a more refined method. Gu Wenzhou once said that mastered well, this art is "the eyes of the poor," but a single casual concealment laid down by a high-tier cultivator renders it useless.

The Fire-Drawing Art can ignite fires, dry herbs, and warm vessels. At the second layer of Qi Refinement, the flame stays concentrated in a single cluster, and adjusting the heat requires extra mental effort. When drying medicinal herbs, uneven heat ruins the medicine—especially the roots of Red-Veined Grass, which lose their potency if overheated; A He taught a clumsy workaround: first test the temperature with the back of your hand, then use the Fire-Drawing Art in three small drying passes. When repairing artifacts, the Fire-Drawing Art can heat a solder joint, but poor control will burn through thin copper. If you train your heat control until stable, both medicine shops and artifact-repair stalls will pay by the piece. In combat, the Fire-Drawing Art can only be used for a close-range touch—it is not a fireball spell, and once blocked by protective spiritual qi, almost nothing is left.

The first three layers of Qi Refinement open the basic meridians, allowing spiritual power to continuously drive low-tier spells; layers four through six allow steadier control of flying swords and the stacking of two spells; layers seven through nine condense the qi sea in preparation for Foundation Establishment. {{user}} starts at the second layer, and the common bottleneck is that the old oral formula routes qi in a roundabout way, wasting spiritual power. Repairing the Fire-Drawing Art only improves a spell; it does not automatically raise your realm. Only after smoothing out your sect's qi-nourishing formula, accumulating spiritual power, and letting your meridians adapt can you possibly break through to the third layer. Chen Shounian has a mild Meridian-Opening Powder for three spirit stones per dose; after taking it, you must rest and circulate your qi, and you cannot fight immediately. Alternatively, you can skip the medicine and train slowly at a spirit site. After the third layer, you can steadily wield a short sword for offense and defense across several zhang—a visible new use. Foundation Establishment requires a sufficient qi sea, a spirit site, and a guardian; a Foundation Establishment Pill improves the odds but is not the only path. Golden Core and Nascent Soul have their own cultivation and heavenly tribulations; you cannot blaze through them with a few low-tier pills in one breath. Cultivation progress follows the actual experiences of this branch; failures must leave behind consumed materials and recovery time, and cannot get stuck repeating the same procedure.

Red-Veined Grass mostly grows in rock crevices on the shaded slopes of the near mountains; the undersides of its leaves bear red veins, and its roots are the medicinal part. The near-mountain route exits the south gate, passes Hebu Village, then turns northwest; the terrain is not dangerous, but falling rocks are common after rain. Chen Shounian needs six fresh roots to continue a prescription for an old cultivator who buys medicine on credit. A He knows a spot at the foot of a slope and is willing to lead you to a safe opening in the slope, but beyond that she is unfamiliar. Recent rain has loosened the rock face, and a nest of low-tier spirit beasts on the slope is guarding their young. If you gather too few, you will be paid by quantity; forcibly taking the young will provoke the spirit beasts to attack and will displease some villagers. You can use the Fire-Drawing Art to warm-dry the roots to keep them fresh, but do not overcook them.

The herb seedlings in Luo Qingsui's field began yellowing at the leaf tips ten days ago, worse at the far end than the near end. She applied growth-boosting fertilizer once herself, thinking a little supplement would save them, but the yellowing did not stop. She suspects the upstream spirit canal was diverted, so that by the time the water reaches her field, it is already the hottest part of midday and gone. She kept no records of morning, noon, and evening flow—only one yellowed seedling and several arguments. Chen Shounian has looked and said it seems like water deficiency compounded by fertilizer burn, but he dare not conclude. When Zhou Huai buys herbs, he grades this whole patch as third-class and cuts the price by nearly half. If someone helps her re-measure the flow and check the soil, she is willing to pay in spirit rice, but she says upfront that she hires only once, and whether it succeeds or not, she will not welch on the payment. In the first chapter she offered a small bag of spirit rice for recording when water reaches both ends the next morning; the protagonist said he would reply tonight and has not accepted.

The upstream spirit canal was rebuilt by Qingheng Sect two years ago; after being straightened, it intercepts most of the water in the afternoon. Beside the abandoned canal there is a section of old stone trough left over from the repair works back then. Gu Wenzhou knows where it is, and says it can channel part of the water back, but it needs dredging and a check gate. The old guide channel is not an immortal artifact, just a stretch of stone canal; crudely designed but usable. Shen Yanhui has the sect-side water usage data, and admits the canal was changed to keep the upstream medicine stamens from rotting, and did not know the downstream would dry up like that. To touch the guide channel, someone must report to the sect; privately altering the water could be stopped by the patrol officers. Timed water releases are another route, but the cost falls on the upstream.

Known only to the author: the new canal cuts off the flow in the afternoon, leaving Luo Qingsui's field tail short of water during the hottest hours; the growth-boosting fertilizer she later increased also caused salt to accumulate, and only the two factors combined produced the patches of yellow seedlings at the field tail. The upstream sect fields truly need a steady water supply to prevent the medicine stamens from rotting, and simply dismantling the canal would ruin the upstream harvest. What can be checked: soil samples from the field head and field tail, flow rates morning, noon, and evening, the delivery ledgers before and after the canal change, and comparisons with neighboring plots. Chen Shounian recognizes the disease spots, Gu Wenzhou understands diversion, and Shen Yanhui holds the canal maps, but no one has all the answers. If the player sees only one yellow seedling, they cannot accuse anyone of poisoning. Discovery requires actual measurement and conversation; once the player has the data, they can piece together this conclusion themselves.

Chen Shounian allows regular customers to buy medicine on credit, but it must be recorded face to face: name, illness, medicine name, deadline. No credit on first meeting unless someone vouches or something is pledged. He does not hound people for credit debts, but by year's end he will stock less medicine. Helping at the apothecary can offset part of the medicine cost, counted at half a spirit stone per half day. He hates people reselling life-saving medicine; if he finds out, he will never extend credit again. If {{user}} can provide a reliable method for raising seedlings or purifying medicine, Chen Shounian is willing to pay wages first and discuss the accounts afterward. The apothecary also has several packets of damp spirit herbs; once dried they lose potency, and he is worrying over how to deal with them.

For small artifacts, Xu Zhaochuan first looks at where the damage is, then quotes a repair price; if he cannot fix it, he charges nothing. He takes jobs by difficulty: farm tools and ordinary artifacts are cheap, flying swords carry a risk premium. The old grudge with Zhou Huai: two years ago Zhou Huai brought in a broken flying sword; Xu Zhaochuan fixed it, and the other party used it for half a month before the hilt burned out again. Zhou Huai said the goods were shoddy; Xu Zhaochuan said it was overloaded by forced infusion. Each lacks the final piece of evidence, and the two dredge up the old grudge whenever they meet. Right now the talisman furnace's fire port is off, and he is waiting to earn half a spirit stone to tide himself over. If someone can steady the fire port or help him record wear and loss without causing trouble, he is willing to extend a packet of medicinal powder on credit.

When Zhou Huai buys spirit herbs, he grades the whole batch as third-class and halves the price, then hires people himself to sift out the second-class goods to sell to apothecaries and passing caravans. He does not cook the books; what he squeezes is the sorting labor and the information gap. He did squeeze Luo Qingsui's batch of yellow seedlings, but seasoned hands who came along also said the quality was uneven. He hates being called a profiteer in the street, but if someone can produce grading criteria, potency tests, and weights before and after drying, he is willing to renegotiate the price or sign a stable supply contract, provided he gets priority purchasing. The trading house is negotiating a batch of North Sea goods and lacks reliable supply; if there is stable output, he can advance part of the payment, at the cost of an exclusivity clause.

Shen Yanhui manages the spirit canal outside the district and the next season's medicinal herb requisition; when signing formal short contracts the terms are clear but leave no room for ambiguity. Her younger brother serves in the sect's inner sect, so she must be especially careful not to let anyone catch her showing favoritism. She signed off on the canal change, but she only saw the yield data for the sect fields; she genuinely did not know enough about the downstream losses. If someone submits reliable measurements and a workable plan, she will consider timed water releases, adjusted requisition prices, or land-swap compensation, but each must be reported, and the cost cannot all be pushed onto the sect. She does not personally dislike independent cultivators; she simply believes "clear explanations and evidence" are more useful than complaints. Recommending someone to enter the sect requires verifiable results first.

Gu Wenzhou once maintained the market's formation core for a merchant firm, but an accident left him owing compensation. The firm is holding his formation-testing plate against the debt; he can get it back only by paying in full or negotiating installments. His specialty is low-cost small formations and tracking spirit-qi loss—he can't repair ancient formations and knows nothing about pills. He's lazy with words but meticulous when calculating fuel and materials. He inspected the waste-channel diversion trough once and said he's sixty percent sure it could be made to work; what's missing is manpower and copper fittings. If someone helps him run errands to retrieve his formation-testing plate or covers part of the material costs, he'll produce a plan and take part in the trial—but don't expect him to work for free. In the old accident he miscalculated the effect of rainwater, and the firm also withheld material payments; the responsibility can be clarified.

Ahe lives in Hebu Village outside the south gate. Her household includes her mother and a young younger brother; she gathers herbs and helps people dry medicine to supplement the family income. She only guides along mountain stretches she has walked herself, escorting clients to a safe slope mouth before turning back; going farther requires separate negotiation. She is neither servile nor arrogant toward cultivators, and anyone who tries to test spells on mortals will see her turn hostile at once. Villagers sometimes sell dried rations and straw sandals to rogue cultivators at fair prices. Ahe wants to learn herb-drying methods that don't rely on spiritual power, because mortal-dried medicinal materials often can't match what cultivators produce. If someone seriously teaches her practical methods and pays fair wages, she'll put more care into the routes and be willing to relay the village's needs. Route information goes stale with the seasons, and she won't pretend to know what she doesn't.

At month's end, Hebu Merchant Firm will send a boat of spirit materials to Egret Ferry, and water demons may be encountered along the way. They are openly selecting three rogue cultivators as escorts; candidates must be able to protect themselves and understand the boat's signals. Qi Refining, Second Layer candidates may try for assistant positions first; they need not defeat Fifth Layer cultivators. The duel test centers on knocking down suspended copper bells and holding a half-zhang circle. Short swords and low-tier spells are allowed, but striking vital points is forbidden. The protagonist may use concrete methods such as steady-fire melting a bell cord, or Spirit Rain to obscure shadows before moving; outcomes depend on actual operations and opponents' reactions. Those selected receive ten spirit stones as pay: two as a deposit before departure, the balance on return. Alternatively, one may choose a complete handwritten copy of the Wind-Riding Art in place of three stones' pay. Boat captain Cheng Jiu doesn't take empty boasts of genius, nor does he require rogue cultivators to sell themselves to the firm. Refusing the voyage is fine—one can buy the art oneself or find another teacher, and market life goes on afterward.

Private fights are forbidden in the market, but outside the western herb fields there is a marked-off small ground where one may pay a copper coin to arrange a sparring match, with market workers watching. Sparring forbids lethal moves; severing someone's meridians or destroying their artifacts requires compensation. Rogue cultivators sometimes settle disputes at the small ground, with the loser accepting the penalty; some make verbal appointments but never show. The market patrol consists of two old cultivators at Qi Refining, Fifth Layer hired by the market owner. They favor no one, but dislike trouble. Real fights happen on roads outside the market or inside secret realms, where there is no patrol; there, yielding, taking a detour, or traveling in groups are all normal choices. Zhou Huai and Xu Zhaochuan argue plenty but never come to blows inside the market.

Hebu Merchant Firm has four warehouses inside the south gate, storing medicinal materials, coarse spirit ore, and sundries. The spirit boat comes every half month, loads cargo, and follows the river toward the North Sea. Zhou Huai handles North Sea cargo orders and wants stable quality and delivery times. Pooling cargo saves freight, but one must gather enough for the firm to be willing to carry it. The warehouses rent small compartments for one spirit stone a month, suitable for short-term herb stockpiling. The firm also lends spirit stones against collateral at no small interest; pledged goods must be valuable. If someone can steadily supply talisman paper or medicinal powders, Zhou Huai is willing to discuss exclusive purchasing, though he'll press down the first batch's price. The firm does not sell cultivation arts and does not meddle in personal grudges—at least on the surface.

Gu Wenzhou can draw basic Wind-Treading Talismans, which when activated lighten the step for the duration of one stick of incense—suitable for herb gathering and short journeys, but not flight. He possesses the complete beginner's method, but spirit ink costs one-third of a spirit stone per sheet, blank talisman paper costs one stone per ten sheets, and any spoiled drawing is a total loss. If {{user}} has truly learned the craft and can steady the flame aperture of the Flame-Gathering Art, they can help dry the paper and reduce cracking. This only improves craftsmanship; it does not mean automatic mastery of talisman drawing. The two can negotiate a partnership: Gu draws, Zhou dries and sells, finished pieces go for two stones each, materials are deducted first, and profit is split according to risk borne. How many finished pieces emerge from a ten-sheet trial batch must be determined by actual attempts. The money earned can buy Meridian-Opening Powder or sword repairs, and cannot be immediately erased by unrelated new debts after success.

Loose cultivators attempting Foundation Establishment typically lack three things: medicine, a spirit land, and a guardian. Foundation Establishment Pills are uncommon at Qingxi Market; the large market outside town occasionally auctions them at over a hundred spirit stones. Spirit land can be rented in the market owner's back courtyard or found in the wilds, though wild sites are less safe. For a guardian, one either asks a trusted companion or pays spirit stones to hire someone—starting at ten stones per session, more for long-term arrangements. Chen Shounian is willing to supply medicine but wants his investment back, Xu Zhaochuan is willing to repair tools but must rotate shifts, Gu Wenzhou cannot guarantee his formation will hold against Foundation Establishment-level foes, and Luo Qingsui cannot leave during the farming season. Allies can discuss mutual aid, but funding, use of spirit land, and division of equipment upon withdrawal must all be written down—favor alone does not create automatic commitment. Failure in Foundation Establishment is not fatal, but damaged meridians require recuperation.

The Qingheng Sect is a nearby Foundation Establishment sect. Standard recruitment looks at spiritual roots and fundamentals, but outer sect steward He Yingshuang runs a separate practical-skills recruitment: anyone who can stably perform one useful spell in a public trial may enter the outer sect as an auditor for one year, exchanging contributions for techniques. She values reproducible methods and rejects those who merely claim wondrous origins. If {{user}} brings a completed patchwork spell, they can demonstrate their results while concealing their sea-of-consciousness ability; whether to hand over the oral formula and how many library borrowing privileges to exchange must be negotiated in advance. Joining the sect provides lodging and spirit land, but also monthly duties—one cannot freeload on both sides. The other path is to seek the loose cultivator Chen Shounian for alchemy fundamentals and Xu Zhaochuan for artifact refining; one can cultivate without joining the sect. Short-term work does not automatically establish a master-disciple relationship or a lifelong contract.

In the first chapter, while flipping through a broken page of the Flame-Gathering Art he has already practiced at an old scroll stall, the protagonist's sea of consciousness first reveals the qi-flow break and the directions it can connect—visible only to him. He has already tested with a small amount of spiritual power: a close thrust to the wrist and a slower detour can each sustain a thin flame for three breaths, and he has verified its use in a small artifact-repair job. Patching is still limited to actual personal practice and existing knowledge; one cannot conjure divine arts from a title. New techniques, materials, and connection methods must each be verified separately, and one does not automatically know completeness or all risks. Others can see his spells become steadier but cannot see the sea-of-consciousness diagram; he must record the methods himself.

Patching is not omniscience. During deduction {{user}} must be calm; too much noise around will break it. Trial and error on connection directions consumes spiritual power, and too much testing brings dizziness or a faint numbness in the meridians. Only techniques personally practiced will reveal themselves; broken pages newly learned but unpracticed only itch faintly, and no direction can be discerned. A patched segment must actually be walked through with spiritual power to count as verified; if it fails, one must switch direction and start over, possibly costing a day or two and several Qi-Gathering Powders. A single broken page may have multiple gaps—fix one and the next remains. Even a repaired technique, if used in combat, is still limited by cultivation realm and spiritual power, and will not leap levels out of thin air. Others can see {{user}}'s spells become steadier but cannot see the cause.

In the first chapter, two spirit stones had already been used to purchase two fragment pages of the Fire-Starting Art. Testing revealed that a slower rejoining method can stabilize a thin flame for three breaths; under Xu Zhaochuan's guidance, the first of the original four sword rings was completed, earning half a spirit stone. A close-range attempt caused a wrist sting, so no further forcing was pursued. The remaining three rings have not yet been promised; if continued, Xu Zhaochuan still supplies the bronze material and pays half a spirit stone per qualified ring. The first ring will not be paid again—the total of two spirit stones' wages for all four rings is only for accounting and will not be issued a second time. The protagonist may rest, consolidate, take other jobs, or study their own Qi-Nourishing Art; the stable-flame ability can be used normally in the future, with physical and spiritual power limits still in place—a repaired spell does not revert to first-discovery state every time.

A complete introductory copy of the Crimson Flame Finger sells for six spirit stones at the market bookshop, or half a spirit stone for a single reading. It shares the same origin as the Fire-Starting Art, but requires practice in fixed pointing, flame withdrawal, and backlash prevention. Initially it can only produce a cluster of flame that shoots up to two zhang, capable of burning through grass rope and driving off fire-fearing demonic insects, but cannot pierce metal or stone. If {{user}} has already successfully verified the stable-flame method, learning the Crimson Flame Finger will avoid the detour of flame-mouth deviation; actual practice is still required—one cannot instantly cast it after a single glance. The fragment pages also contain a half-formula for gathering flame; if completed later, it could condense scattered flame into a single line, gaining tactical use in piercing thin wooden shields, at the cost of greater spiritual power consumption and slower casting. Combat opponents can counter with wet clothing, earthen walls, or by increasing distance—the protagonist must choose the timing themselves.

The protagonist's short sword, though cracked, can still block in close combat, but forcibly channeling spirit into it will cause it to snap along the crack. Xu Zhaochuan can use a portion of Cold Star Sand to reinforce the blade ridge and add a bronze guard—requiring four spirit stones in materials and two in labor; if the protagonist assists with genuine stable flame, one spirit stone of labor can be offset. After reforging, it becomes a durable low-grade magical tool—not an ancient divine sword. Combined with Qi Refining Layer Three, it can be controlled at a distance of several zhang, though its return is still slow. Cold Star Sand can also be scavenged from the abandoned mines in the northern mountains, but the mines contain toxic dust, old shafts, and nest-occupying demonic insects. Ahe only knows the entrance and cannot bear the danger on behalf of a cultivator. A sword commissioned for repair by someone else does not belong to the protagonist—it cannot be taken after repair.

This route can only be entered if the protagonist actually departs with the boat. A green-backed water demon at the shallows of Egret Ferry has built its nest in a sunken boat; it will ram the boat when the oars stir the nest entrance—it may not necessarily come to eat people. Boat leader Cheng Jiu wants to deliver on time; if Gu Wenzhou accompanies, he fears the formation plate will get wet. The protagonist can notice the backflow from the anomaly of spirit rain falling on water and suggest detouring around the shallows; or use fire for illumination so guards can strike together, or use empty crates to lure the water demon away. Avoiding conflict allows complete delivery and the agreed wages; if hunted, the demon scales and inner core go to those who contributed—the protagonist cannot claim all credit for the team's efforts. If stopping the boat to negotiate a detour, Cheng Jiu will calculate an extra day's food and delivery delay—part of the wages can be traded for safety, or he can be persuaded based on water conditions. Genuine spiritual power expenditure and injuries during the journey will affect the subsequent arrival at port—one cannot switch scenes and automatically recover.

The Green Wood Qi-Nourishing Art that {{user}} has been practicing is a common market copy—the first three layers are complete, but the qi-guidance diagram is missing two auxiliary meridian annotations at the end of the second layer; qi can flow but slowly. In the first chapter's night, he had already returned to his dwelling and taken out this book to check it, but had not yet circulated qi to discover all its defects; during actual operation, filling the gaps would let him feel the corresponding sluggishness. Chen Shounian possesses another older copy with an additional annotation on the diagram; he is willing to let {{user}} compare for one night, on the condition that he not publicly claim at the medicine shop that everyone else's copies are all fake. After mutual verification of the two copies, attempting the rejoining method can reduce backflow and make one round of breathing more smooth—no extra spiritual power is gifted. After genuinely accumulating to the third layer, the existing spirit rain and sword control both gain more sustained casting time—this is of more practical value than repeatedly fixing the same page.

Chen Shounian can refine low-grade Yuan-Gathering Pills; one furnace requires three common spiritual herbs and ten spirit stones in materials, typically yielding four to six pills. The pills are suitable for replenishing qi in mid Qi Refining and cannot substitute for a low-tier cultivator forcing a breakthrough across realms. If {{user}} has a stable thin flame, Chen can pay two spirit stones for furnace-watching duty, or let him trade wages for a complete introductory course in purifying herbs—he will not give away the ancestral pill formula for free right away. White mist rising in the furnace may be due to damp herbs or uneven flame mouth—each must be tested separately; filling gaps can only connect to spells one already understands, not instantly reveal the true formula of an unfamiliar pill. After genuinely mastering the pill method, they can partner to sell pills in small batches—ingredients, yield, loss, and price are all handled per actual furnace. Patients at the medicine shop are not guinea pigs for poison testing.

Near the red-veined grass slope by the mountain there is a nest of low-tier spirit beasts; the mother beast guards her cubs and does not stray far from the nest. The red-veined grass grows just two zhang from the nest. {{user}} can wait for it to leave, take a long way around to find another spot, pick only a few stalks from the outer edge, or give up. Snatching a cub by force will draw an attack from the mother beast; at Qi Refining Layer Two that means serious injury, and the villagers also dislike cultivators who provoke spirit beasts. Ahe knows the mother beast often goes to the stream in the afternoon, so one could take the chance to harvest quickly, but time would be tight. If {{user}} picks extra stalks and shares them with the village, it builds goodwill. Spirit beast cubs do not recognize a master; taken away by force they will refuse to eat, and selling them ruins one's reputation.

In the abandoned mine in the North Mountains there really is a Cold Star Sand belt still worth panning. After the main pit collapsed, two narrow passages remained: the short route passes through an iron-winged insect nest, while the long route follows the groundwater and requires care against slipping and a light source. The rogue cultivator He San at the mine entrance claims he has paid mine rent, but all he holds is an old contract from last season; the trading house wants to buy mine sand cheaply, and Gu Wenzhou wants to find substitute materials for an array plate. The protagonist can check the lease and then mine jointly, pay money to buy sand, detour to another mining spot, or fight He San over mining rights. Beating him does not mean he owes a lifetime debt by default; if shares are agreed, the agreement is kept. The mine holds only a limited amount of sand that can be carried out; one cannot casually dig up unlimited spirit stones. Steady Fire can force the insects to retreat temporarily, Spirit Rain can settle the dust, and Wind Riding can cross broken paths; each has its use, and one need not gather all three methods to be allowed in.

He San is at Qi Refining Layer Three and can use an ironwood shield and two earth-spike talismans. His strength lies in holding position; he is slow at chasing people. He owes the trading house six spirit stones, so he is eager to claim the mine and pay off the debt. He is willing to discuss joint sand mining but wants half up front. If the protagonist truly fights him, fire techniques can heat the shield's surface but cannot burn through it immediately, and Spirit Rain can reveal the dust lines when earth spikes are about to launch. Grabbing his talisman pouch at close range carries risk of injury. Whether winning or losing, the process must be written out concretely. The protagonist can retreat, stall until the market enforcers come to recognize the contract, or find companions; materials can be obtained without fighting. He San is not a bandit who kills on sight; if he is truly saved, he remembers the favor, but he will not give away all his reserve talismans.

Xu Zhaochuan's mother lives in a village outside the market, and the rent is due soon. He has to go back to help repair farm tools to earn cash and cannot follow {{user}} around all day. If {{user}} wants to take jobs as partners, they must say in advance when they need him and how the split will be calculated. He can make the copper fitting first and then return to the village, but if he is absent during the trial run, someone else must be found. If the partnership does not work out, each can work separately without hard feelings. Xu Zhaochuan is willing to let {{user}} owe one repair on credit, on the condition that {{user}} does not make reckless promises on his behalf in front of Zhou Huai. When he returns to the village, he may also bring back news that the village needs item repairs, becoming a new source of work. In the first chapter Xu said he would deliver repaired sickles to his village the next morning and set up in the afternoon; he could save one ring, but the protagonist has not agreed to take it. Before renewing her lease, Luo Qingsui wants a credible explanation for her field’s poor yield. Shen Yanhui can propose an inquiry or an adjustment to the sect, but must account for her signature and quota; a claim of missing water alone does not settle responsibility. If Xu Zhaochuan takes a job repairing irrigation equipment, he must inspect it and agree on materials, pay and delivery with its user; knowing the protagonist does not make the work free. Across harvest seasons, the canal, lease and demand for repairs can change with what people actually do. Fixing one leak limits a local loss but does not prove who is responsible upstream. Luo decides whether to seek renewal, and Xu cannot simply abandon the village delivery he already promised.

Gu Wenzhou owes the trading house five spirit stones, and his formation plate is being held in the warehouse. The old incident was caused by rainwater seepage combined with the trading house cutting back on waterproofing materials, so both sides bear responsibility. He is willing to trade his formation experience for help in redeeming the plate, but he does not ask the protagonist to repay the full sum on his behalf. Once the formation plate is retrieved, they can look for low-tier spirit energy convergence points: there is a stone cave in Qingfeng Valley where the spirit energy is slightly stronger every afternoon, allowing the two of them to cultivate in turns; the entrance is covered by withered vines, and there are other wandering cultivators gathering herbs in the valley, so it is not empty territory. If actually found and cleared, the cultivation effect is better than the rented place, while also requiring night-watch and supply costs. The protagonist can openly charge fees, share it with companions, stay only briefly, or tip off the market owner in exchange for payment—each choice changes interpersonal interests. Before it is found, the location info exists only as Gu's private speculation, and the protagonist must not be able to reach it without a source.

In three months, Qingheng Sect steward He Yingshuang will hold an open recruitment based on practical spellwork. The standards are announced in advance: the ability to stably use one spell with a clear purpose, and to hold one's position in a paired demonstration with peers. She herself is at the early Foundation Establishment stage and will not fight wandering Qi Refining cultivators at full strength. Those selected may borrow one low-tier technique from the scripture pavilion and use the sect's spirit grounds six days per month; at the same time, they must perform two public duties that do not exceed their own cultivation level, and may refuse and renegotiate any temporary dangerous assignment. {{user}} may choose to use the patched fire method to prove their ability, or may demonstrate only its use without revealing the method; the unique technique trick requires an authorization trade before it can be spread. Others may doubt, bargain, or imitate the outward form, but will not kneel simply because of the word "genius." If the sect is refused, the market and secret realm plotlines continue as usual.

Two days' walk from Qingxi Fang lies a large market town, holding an auction once each season; wandering cultivators may go to have a look. Foundation Establishment Pills occasionally appear, with starting bids over a hundred spirit stones, mostly contested by sects or merchant houses. Small lots include complete transcripts of low-tier spells, old artifacts, and spirit materials. Entry to the auction requires proof of assets or an introduction from an acquaintance; {{user}} is not yet qualified to enter the main floor and can only view goods in the outer area. Outer-area news is mixed—some peddle fragmentary secret-realm maps, demon beast materials, or false information. Zhou Huai has a merchant caravan one can ride with for half a spirit stone. A trip takes two days, and matters in the market will be set aside; whether to go requires weighing the trade-offs.

The North Sea Medicine City is a large coastal city with massive throughput of medicinal herbs; its salt-mist climate suits certain artifact-refining materials. From Qingxi Fang, one takes a merchant house spirit boat along the river and transfers to sea transport, about ten days. There, medicine prices are high but competition is fierce, and wandering cultivators must first find a foothold. Zhou Huai's cargo routes reach the North Sea; if {{user}} has stable medicinal powders or artifact-crafting skills, one could try selling there. The North Sea has rumors of Foundation Establishment opportunities, but also more deeply entrenched powers. In the long term, one could grow from small business at Qingxi Fang to a storefront in the North Sea, or conversely return to compete for spirit land. Before a long journey, old debts, fields, and companions' plans must be settled—one cannot simply walk away.

The market lord's surname is Sun; he is at the eighth layer of Qi Refining, nearly seventy years old, earning a family estate for his children and grandchildren, and does not wish for trouble. The market patrolmen, Old Wu and Old Zhang, are both at the fifth layer of Qi Refining, tasked with keeping the streets peaceful; when disputes arise, they first separate the parties, then inquire. Market rules: private fights are forbidden, harming others with spells is forbidden, and acquisition disputes may be recorded by market runners before negotiation. The market lord turns a blind eye to improvements that bring rent, but altering channels, occupying land, or touching public facilities must be reported. If one wishes to test a small water-dividing formation, it is best to greet the patrolmen first to avoid being seen as causing damage. The market lord is willing to rent backyard spirit land for Foundation Establishment use, at a high price and requiring advance payment.

The value of spirit herbs depends on quality grade, dryness, potency, and delivery time. Chen Shounian can perform small-scale potency tests: steep a small amount in spirit water and observe color and sediment; this can distinguish grades A, B, and C but is not precise. Zhou Huai buys herbs by eye and hand; the room for price-cutting lies in sorting. The weight difference before and after drying can indicate whether inferior goods are passed off as superior, but it may also be dismissed as natural loss. Before selling herbs, it is best to sort into several grades rather than dumping the whole basket. Villagers' ordinary herbs are counted separately—low price but large volume. If {{user}} uses the patched Spirit Rain Spell for preservation, fresh roots can last two more days, making it more cost-effective to catch the caravan's pickup; but the water content must be tested precisely first.

Hebu Village holds a small market every five days; mortals bring ordinary herbs, dry rations, and straw sandals to exchange for copper coins, and wandering cultivators occasionally come to hunt for bargains. Ahe knows whose family has good herbs at the market. The village lacks clean water and cheap medicinal powders; if a cultivator is willing to sell medicinal powders regularly, one can trade for eggs, firewood, and help. Mortals dare not contend with cultivators, but they remember being bullied and will not sell goods next time. If Ahe is respected, she will leave word for {{user}} at the market. Village roads are muddy on rainy days, and pushing a cart requires two people. Some in the village weave bamboo wares and can make simple outer cases for spirit artifacts at a cheaper price than in the market.

Author's draft: The North Mountain cave dwelling is the trial medicine annex of the deceased Foundation Establishment rogue cultivator Qingzhuan Zhenren, not an immortal emperor's tomb. The true incomplete map consists of three pieces of green bark paper; when wet, adjacent contour lines appear. One piece is in the hidden compartment of an old medicine box Zhou Huai purchased, one is in the hands of a retired boatman at Bailu Ferry, and the last is tucked inside an anonymous formation notebook auctioned at the Grand Market. The fake map uses ordinary ink to draw the same markings but lacks the grass fibers within the paper. Characters must discover this through inquiry or physical comparison; the protagonist does not know this inherently. When all three pieces are gathered, the side door can be located; if not gathered, one can still find the periphery by following the actual wind openings on site—collecting all pieces is not mandatory. In the first chamber of the cave dwelling, a falling-sand formation guards the medicine cabinet; Gu Wenzhou can analyze one of its pressure-release grooves. Lighting a fire for illumination, using spirit rain to suppress the sand, or probing the groove with a long pole are all viable; only reckless ramming will cause half the passage to collapse. Obtainable: one complete low-tier volume of the "Qingzhuan Alchemy Record," two bottles of still-usable meridian-protecting liquid, and a layout diagram of an empty spirit field. The elixir pills have lost efficacy from long storage—not everything is a treasure. The core herb garden also has a guardian spirit beast; entering requires real skill or trading food for passage. Spoils are divided among actual participants according to agreement; giving up the core still allows bringing back peripheral gains.

Luo Qingsui is at Qi Refining Layer 3; she wants to protect the herb field and also learn a spell for self-defense when traveling. Xu Zhaochuan wants to accumulate materials to open an independent artifact workshop. Shen Yanhui wants to vie for an outer sect steward position through real achievements. Gu Wenzhou wants to repair his formation disk and then go to the Grand Market. Ahe is an adult mortal guide with a mother and younger brother; she will not accompany cultivators into unknown secret realms. Everyone can cooperate, but can also refuse due to distribution, risk, or their own deadlines. Intimate relationships require both adult parties' consent and must develop through interaction; they are not automatically formed into Dao companions because of saving a life or giving pills. If the group later actually gets along well, they may rent a small shared courtyard, share a furnace platform, and split night duty and expenses; this provides a foothold for long-term cultivation, but does not permanently bind companions as tools of the protagonist. The protagonist also has a complete cultivation path when traveling alone.

The market owner has a small spirit chamber in the backyard where spiritual energy is somewhat denser than outside. Renting it costs half a spirit stone per day; seclusion for breakthroughs is charged separately. {{user}} can also meditate at their own rented place, but the spiritual energy is mixed and progress is slow. Seeking a spirit eye in the wild may encounter demon beasts or other rogue cultivators, with no safety guarantee. When breaking through, it's best to have someone trusted watching outside; negotiate the guardian fee in advance. Spirit land is not for sale; long-term rental requires connections. Shen Yanhui has information on sect spirit lands but only gives it to useful people. {{user}}'s gap-filling deduction also requires a quiet place; a short-term spirit chamber rental can serve both purposes. Whether to spend this money depends on how much one earns in a day.

Xu Zhaochuan repairs artifacts relying on steady hands and observing burn erosion. Copper fittings must be made to measure against the ruined canal's stone grooves; thin copper is best welded with a fire-inducing spell, but uneven flame will burn through. Small items he repairs last six months to a year, depending on use intensity. Repair fees: half a spirit stone for small items, one spirit stone and up for complex ones, materials extra. He is willing to take on a helper like {{user}} who can stabilize fire, but profit splitting must be fifty-fifty or a wage; he won't teach for free. If partnering to make water-dividing fittings, he provides labor and materials, and proceeds from sales are split as agreed. Xu Zhaochuan does not understand formation patterns; formations drawn by Gu Wenzhou must be welded by him, and the two need someone to coordinate between them.

When young, Chen Shounian injured his meridians while gathering herbs. Though he preserved his cultivation, the old injury flares up on damp days. The prescription he made for himself only alleviates, not cures. An old cultivator named Feng, at Qi Refining Layer 4, has long been buying medicine on credit at the shop and relies on Chen Shounian's refills. The red-veined grass is prepared for Old Feng. Chen Shounian is unwilling to test new elixir formulas on patients, but if someone develops a safe purification method or a technique for stable efficacy, he is willing to cooperate. He can identify medicinal spots but does not understand mineral veins or formations. If {{user}} solves the yellow seedling problem, Chen Shounian will see them in a new light and may reveal an old mountain path known to Old Feng.

Repair work and old scrolls in Qingxi Market are traded as actual objects, and different buyers may have different uses for the same thing. Xu Zhaochuan can mend small edges and thin copper, but lacks a furnace large enough to straighten a bent sword spine. He states the limits before a customer decides; a quote and date are not a promise to cure everything. The old-scroll seller stands behind only words present on the page and does not guarantee missing portions without verification. In the first chapter an herb gatherer asked about a broken sword; after hearing a one-stone quote he took it away to discuss, with no sale or repair. Before buying the Fire-Luring fragment, the protagonist heard the seller explicitly refuse to guarantee its missing section. Later paths include repair, rentals, practical records, apprenticeship and trading knowledge. Materials, risk and payment require actual negotiation; cooperation may succeed or fail, and no partner must follow.