Chapter 3: Market District

After her soul completely merged with this body, the original owner’s lingering trace of consciousness, even after learning about her own pitiful life, held no hatred. That simple, ordinary little girl only harbored a tiny bit of longing for Feng Luo.

Outside the window, the grass rustled in the wind.

Several sword lights streaked across the sky again.

It was currently the time for the Sect Grand Competition. The original Shen Qingyi, upon learning that Feng Luo had returned from his journey and would also participate in this contest, became excited and wanted to go watch.

But she bumped into people from the Lin Family, was humiliated, and then ran back to her dwelling in sadness, crying herself to sleep on the bed.

According to the current storyline, the female lead was still in the backyard of her mortal family, fighting against some wolves and tigers.

When the Zedi Sect’s three-year disciple selection assembly began, the female lead would appear before everyone with astonishing posture and heaven-defying talent.

From then on, the female lead’s cultivation mode would begin.

After several days without returning to her original world, Shen Qingyi put aside feelings of frustration and loss. She tried her best to adapt to her current identity as quickly as possible.

Since she had come to this Cultivation World and had no power to change it now, she might as well go with the flow.

She was already here, so of course she wanted to take a look. Besides, the Cultivation World was so vast. She would walk her own cultivation path; as long as she avoided the male and female leads, weren’t there plenty of places for her to see?

Shen Qingyi returned to her simple thatched hut.

Right now, she was just a nine-year-old girl. She hadn’t learned any magic, and she didn’t even know if this body had a Spiritual Root.

If she had no Spiritual Root, how could she hope to practice Cultivation, travel the Cultivation World, or even escape that cannon-fodder fate?

So, the most important thing right now was to test for a Spiritual Root, to find out if this body had any cultivation talent.

But within the Zedi Sect…

The Zedi Sect’s disciple selection assembly was held once every three years, and they had just selected disciples last year.

If she wanted to enter the Zedi Sect again and become a real disciple, she would have to wait two more years for a chance.

Moreover, in the Cultivation World, once you were past ten years old and hadn’t tested for a Spiritual Root, you needed to pay one Low-Grade Spirit Stone as the fee for the test.

Mortals still used silver coins. Those with ability used Spirit Pearls, and those from well-connected families had Spirit Stones.

But someone like the original owner, even if she searched her whole body, probably didn’t have ten taels of silver.

And most of that silver was actually welfare distributed annually by the Zedi Sect during its grand recruitment assembly to all mortals under the Zedi Sect’s jurisdiction.

She had only a few pieces of silver.

Let alone one Low-Grade Spirit Stone.

The original owner’s life was miserable and sorrowful, and now she had inherited this legacy.

In the distance, the melodious bell still rang from time to time.

Shen Qingyi had lost interest in watching that Grand Competition.

She took out a few taels of silver from her room and walked along the winding path toward the Market District nearest to the Zedi Sect.

If she wanted to change, she had to find a way.

Even though the Zedi Sect wasn’t a wonderful place for the original Shen Qingyi, it had to be said that for most people, it was a good place.

Just the few Market Districts under the Zedi Sect’s jurisdiction alone had a pretty good safety record.

For a Cultivator, this road to the Market District was short, taking only a quarter of an hour. But for the mortal Shen Qingyi, it was long and distant, taking her a full two and a half hours.

By the time she reached the Market District, Shen Qingyi was panting heavily from exhaustion.

The moment she entered the Market District, Shen Qingyi let out a sigh. She had finally arrived.

The Market District was filled with many Cultivators. Aside from most of the merchants, the largest group of Cultivators was probably Zedi Sect disciples. Of course, there were other Cultivators too, mixed in with quite a few mortals.

Inside the Market District, there were discipline hall disciples from the Zedi Sect who managed the general rules.

“Fine talismans! Fine talismans! Only three Low-Grade Spirit Stones! Three Low-Grade Spirit Stones!”

“Kuze Bird feathers! Great treasure for artifact refining!”

“Defensive magic robes! Can withstand one strike from the Mid Qi Refining Stage!”

The surrounding cries made Shen Qingyi feel dazed for a moment.

The beautiful scenery of the Zedi Sect, even from her dwelling on the Barren Mountain, she could glimpse a bit of its beauty through the swirling clouds and mist.

Apart from some things unique to the Cultivation World, this Market District was somewhat similar to the ancient town streets she had seen before.