By the time Fang Qingyuan arrived at the Celestial Gate Mountain Pier, a few Cultivators were already waiting. Seeing him approach, one of the more impatient ones complained:
"Fellow Daoist Fang, why are you so late today? You usually arrive around a quarter past nine, but it's already past eleven."
Hearing the Cultivator's complaint, Fang Qingyuan flushed. His usual arrival time was a little after 9 AM, and it was now after 11 AM. He was over an hour late, mainly delayed by packing the Red Lotus Fruits.
Fang Qingyuan quickly tried to placate them:
"Something came up unexpectedly, so I was delayed. My apologies. Since everyone's here, let's depart."
Fang Qingyuan was currently the only person running the route from Celestial Gate Mountain to Black River Square. This was partly because the Cultivators of Celestial Gate Mountain showed some deference to Tianshan Villa, but the main reason was that Black River Square was simply too remote.
Black River Square had only been established for ten or twenty years and hadn't really developed yet. On a typical day, only a handful of Cultivators traveled from Celestial Gate Mountain to Black River Square.
Recently, however, it seemed Black River Square was hosting some kind of event, and the number of people heading there had increased significantly. This, in turn, had brought a considerable boost to Fang Qingyuan's ferry business.
After the four Cultivators paid their Spirit Stones, they boarded the back of the Flying Manta Ray one by one. With a call from Fang Qingyuan, the Flying Manta Ray's massive, bat-like wings began to beat, carrying them upward with a WHOOSH.
After flying for a short while, the sea of green trees around Celestial Gate Mountain began to thin out. The terrain started to drop, and a swamp with black, bitter water came into view.
The farther the Flying Manta Ray flew, the less green there was on the ground. The swamp gradually became shrouded in a thin black mist. What little vegetation grew there consisted of giant, grayish-black vines. Not a single living creature could be seen; even the birds flying overhead wouldn't linger for long.
A bit deeper in, the mist had grown so thick it completely obscured the ground, creating the wondrous spectacle of a black sea of clouds.
Just then, Fang Qingyuan heard a gasp of amazement. He turned to see a young Cultivator with wide eyes, staring at the distant black sea of clouds and murmuring in admiration.
The youth blushed when he noticed Fang Qingyuan looking at him, then quickly feigned indifference.
Fang Qingyuan's interest was piqued. The journey from Celestial Gate Mountain to Black River Square took three hours, and since he had nothing better to do, he decided to strike up a conversation.
"This must be your first time going to Black River Square, fellow Daoist. You won't find a view of misty clouds this spectacular anywhere else."
Fang Qingyuan smiled, trying to chat with the young man. To his surprise, however, the youth merely glanced at him, gave a slight nod, and then went back to ignoring him.
Fang Qingyuan's smile froze. 'This kid's so full of himself,' he thought. 'I wonder which wealthy family's young master he is, coming out all alone. Isn't he afraid of being kidnapped and sold?'
Having been snubbed, Fang Qingyuan gave up on the idea of conversation. He stamped his foot lightly, signaling his old partner to pick up the pace.
They were already running late. At this rate, he estimated they wouldn't reach Black River Square until around three in the afternoon.
'I still have to sell the fruits,' he thought. 'I can't afford to be late.'
At Fang Qingyuan's signal, the Flying Manta Ray gave a slight shudder. The beat of its bat-like wings quickened, and it shot toward the horizon like a sharp arrow.
.....
"We've arrived at Black River Square. Take care, everyone."
At the Black River Square pier, Fang Qingyuan cupped his hands to see them off. 'Passengers are my bread and butter; it pays to be polite.'
"Thank you, Fellow Daoist Fang. This Flying Manta Ray is so stable! A few days ago, I went to Spirit Wood City on a Sky-Turning Sparrowhawk, and the ride was so turbulent... don't even get me started."
A plump Cultivator grumbled to Fang Qingyuan, who listened with a slight smile, feeling a bit smug. 'The Flying Manta Ray is the luxury model of the Camel Beast Realm, after all,' he thought. 'Not just any trash Camel Beast can hope to compare.'
After seeing off the plump Cultivator, Fang Qingyuan noticed the youth from earlier standing there with a lost expression, as if he didn't know what to do next.
Seeing this, Fang Qingyuan pretended not to notice. 'The less trouble, the better. I've done my job getting him here. Even if he were to collapse on the ground right now, I'd pretend I didn't see a thing.'
After stabling the Flying Manta Ray in the pier's Beast Cage, Fang Qingyuan meandered through Black River Square before arriving at a shop tucked away inside.
Upon entering the shop, Fang Qingyuan called out:
"Old Fan, get out here! I've got big business for you."
The shop owner saw it was Fang Qingyuan and laughed teasingly:
"What's got you gracing my doorstep, kid? I usually don't see you more than once every ten days."
The speaker was a Fifth-Layer Qi Refining Cultivator who looked to be in his fifties, but his actual age was certainly much older.
This was because Cultivation Techniques had age-preserving effects; unless one practiced a special technique, a Cultivator generally looked younger than they really were.
Old Fan was a shop owner in Black River Square. When Fang Qingyuan had first started this route, Old Fan had hired him to deliver goods a few times. Over time, the two had developed a friendly acquaintance.
Later, however, Fang Qingyuan decided that Old Fan's jobs were too much hassle for too little pay, so he focused solely on his passenger ferry business, and they hadn't worked together since.
Fang Qingyuan was seeking him out now mainly because they had worked together in the past. He knew Old Fan's character and considered him relatively reliable.
Besides, Old Fan also dealt in Spirit Fruits, so selling the Red Lotus Fruits to him would save Fang Qingyuan the trouble of finding another buyer.
As for setting up his own stall and selling the fruits slowly? The thought had never even crossed Fang Qingyuan's mind.
If he sold them at a stall, he could probably get one Spirit Stone for every three Red Lotus Fruits. But Fang Qingyuan didn't have that kind of time to spare. He'd rather use that time to make a couple more trips.
"Old Fan, interested in some Red Lotus Fruits? They're from Celestial Gate Mountain, so you know the taste and quality are impeccable."
As he spoke, Fang Qingyuan took a fruit from his storage pouch and placed it in front of Old Fan.
He only had two in his storage pouch. 'It wouldn't be proper to pull them directly out of the Immortal Mansion,' he reasoned. Although Fang Qingyuan hadn't noticed any difference between retrieving items from the Immortal Mansion versus his storage pouch, he preferred to err on the side of caution.
The sight of the Red Lotus Fruit instantly energized Old Fan. His posture, previously slumped from a lack of business, immediately became upright.
"A fine specimen! The ones from Celestial Gate Mountain are so much tastier than what you find around Black River Square. Mind if I cut one open?"
Fang Qingyuan nodded. Inspecting the goods was a necessary step; he and Old Fan weren't that close.
Old Fan channeled his Magical Power, creating a Wind Blade which he then maneuvered to slice the Red Lotus Fruit. The moment the blade pierced the skin, a rich fragrance filled the small shop.
Old Fan broke off a piece to taste. He narrowed his eyes and said:
"The flesh is plump, and the aroma is intoxicating. Top-grade, without a doubt. So, Fang the Kid, what's your asking price?"
"How about three Spirit Crystals per fruit?"
"Too high! How am I supposed to make a profit with that? Two Spirit Crystals a piece!"
"Two is too low. That barely covers my transport costs. What's in it for me?"
"But three is still too high. Let's both compromise. One Spirit Stone for four fruits."
After a round of "friendly" negotiations, they finally reached a deal. At the price Old Fan had given, Fang Qingyuan stood to earn thirty Spirit Stones from this one trip.
This was the entire monthly stipend for an Outer Disciple, and he had earned it all in one easy trip!
Suppressing his glee, Fang Qingyuan went out to arrange for the delivery of the fruits to Old Fan.
He first moved the fruits to a warehouse at the pier and then hired someone to deliver them to Old Fan from there. He went through this roundabout process purely for the sake of caution.
When the cartloads of fruit arrived at Old Fan's shop, Old Fan promptly paid Fang Qingyuan thirty Spirit Stones. In an instant, Fang Qingyuan's net worth shot up to thirty-four Spirit Stones.