Ji Wuchang was unaware of this matter; he had just stepped out and missed Li Chongshan. At the moment, he was at a place called Fengbao Zhai in White Sheep City, a shop specializing in items for cultivators. Here, if you had extra items, you could also sell them to Fengbao Zhai! The shop offered a wide variety of goods, including elixirs, spiritual herbs, talismans, weapons, and more—almost anything you needed could be found here. Of course, the quality of items wasn't exceptionally high. Over the years, Ji Wuchang had killed quite a few people, so he indeed had a lot of items to sell. However, after some thought, he decided against it, adhering to the principle of not flaunting one's wealth. Being relatively isolated in White Sheep City, he knew that attracting unwanted attention could lead to trouble.
He spent a hundred low-grade spirit stones to purchase a detailed introduction to the major factions in the Tianxing Dynasty. Here, he found information about the Ying family, but according to the introduction, the Ying family was now just a minor, insignificant clan. He then spent another hundred low-grade spirit stones to buy a detailed introduction to the various factions in Tianxing State. After reading through these materials, he couldn't help but fall into deep thought. Tianxing State had hundreds of factions, far more than Ji Wuchang had anticipated. Honestly, seeing so many faction introductions made his head spin. These factions were intertwined, with many of them not getting along, making it difficult to clearly distinguish between them. However, with this information, he finally had a better understanding of Tianxing State.
Just as he was about to leave Fengbao Zhai, a commotion caught his attention. Ji Wuchang looked towards the source of the noise and saw a man arguing with an elderly man. He didn't recognize the man, but he knew the elderly man was a manager at Fengbao Zhai. Curious, he approached to see what the argument was about.
"Manager Zhou, this item was something I risked my life to obtain. How can it only be worth a hundred low-grade spirit stones?" The man's voice was filled with frustration and disappointment. In his hands, he held a box adorned with intricate patterns. Ji Wuchang took a closer look and saw a fearsome beast carved on the box, depicted in the act of hunting a tiger. The beast had a reddish coat, resembled a leopard, but had five tails and a single horn on its head. Its mouth was enormous, capable of swallowing half a tiger in one gulp. Ji Wuchang was lost in thought; he had heard of such a beast before but couldn't recall its name at the moment. However, after a brief moment, he was startled—it was a "Zheng"! This beast not only ate humans but was said to be able to swallow a person whole in one bite, and it preyed on the fierce beasts of the mountains.
Once Ji Wuchang realized this, he looked back at the box and noticed the tiger's eyes on the box were filled with despair. However, the Zheng beast had been extinct for many years, and no one had mentioned it for a long time. Seeing it again, especially engraved on a box, indicated that the original owner of the box was certainly not an ordinary person.
"Fellow Daoist, Fengbao Zhai has never cheated its customers, nor do we give unreasonable prices. We have been a century-old establishment in White Sheep City," the elderly man from Fengbao Zhai spoke with reason and evidence, and several onlookers nodded in agreement, showing their trust in Fengbao Zhai.
"That's right, even if the patterns on the box are exquisite, what use is it?" one onlooker commented.
"Moreover, the wood used for this box doesn't seem to be particularly rare. A hundred low-grade spirit stones is already a generous offer," another added.
"Fengbao Zhai has a good reputation; they wouldn't do anything to tarnish their name. If they've examined it, there shouldn't be any issues," a third person chimed in.
The onlookers' comments made the burly man's face turn grim. This box was something he had risked his life to obtain. The man showed a look of disappointment, then took back the box and clasped his hands in a polite gesture, saying, "Thank you, I'll keep it for now." With that, he turned and left Fengbao Zhai without looking back.
Ji Wuchang watched all of this unfold. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was something special about that box. He initially thought of asking Ji Yaoyao about it but decided against it, thinking it unnecessary to bother her with every little thing. Ji Wuchang then left Fengbao Zhai, determined to get his hands on that box from the burly man.
As the burly man left, the elderly manager of Fengbao Zhai furrowed his brow but ultimately shook his head, deciding not to dwell on the matter. When he had examined the box earlier, he too had felt that there was something unusual about it, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.
After leaving Fengbao Zhai, the burly man's brow remained furrowed. He and four others had explored an abandoned ancient tomb. Out of the five, four were injured, and all they had to show for it was this box. He had hoped to sell the box for a few thousand low-grade spirit stones, making their efforts worthwhile. But the offer of a hundred spirit stones was deeply disappointing. That amount wouldn't even cover the cost of their medicinal herbs. As a group of rogue cultivators with little savings, they were eager to sell quickly.