The patrol squad of the Outer Ward was a unit formed from cultivators at the fifth layer of Qi Refining and above. The leading captain had even reached the seventh layer of Qi Refining.

This force was practically the ceiling of the Outer Ward, sufficient to suppress all chaos in the city. Any petty troublemaker who thought of causing trouble had to weigh their own capability before the patrol squad.

As for the Inner Market and Outer Market, the core areas of the market, security was managed by two elite patrol squads under the Market Master’s mansion. Their captains had both reached Foundation Establishment cultivation, specifically Late Spiritual Rotation Stage and Mid Spiritual Rotation Stage respectively.

These were all things Bai Sui found out later.

As for now, she had just formally entered the Outer Market after paying an entry fee of ten wen together with Uncle Tian and Tian Dong.

“Little Bai girl, Xiaodong and I need to go deal with the rare goods we’ve hunted these days. Do you want to come with us, or would you prefer to wander around alone for a bit first?”

Once inside the city, Uncle Tian stopped the ox cart at an open space and said to Bai Sui.

“I’ll have a look around on my own first. Shall we meet up again at noon?” Bai Sui considered and made her decision.

It was a rare trip to Jade Pool Market, and she had some personal matters to attend to. Going along with the Tian father and son would make her feel constrained and less free.

“In that case.” Uncle Tian thought for a moment and nodded. “Alright, then we’ll meet back here at noon!”

“Little Bai girl, this is your first time at Jade Pool Market. When you’re wandering alone later, you must be careful. Remember, don’t go wandering recklessly in certain places!”

Uncle Tian reminded her.

He wasn’t worried about Bai Sui’s safety. Firstly, this was already inside the market proper, where the safety level couldn’t be compared to the Outer Ward. Secondly, in his eyes, Bai Sui had always been a child with her own ideas and sense of measure; she absolutely could not be treated as an ordinary ten-year-old girl.

“Alright, I understand.”

After parting with Uncle Tian and the others, Bai Sui thought for a moment, then began to explore the Outer Market.

The Outer Market, like the Inner Market, housed fifty thousand people. In terms of the number of households, it was probably less than ten thousand. And not all who lived there were cultivators; there were also many servants, laborers, and so on who served them.

These servants were mostly ordinary mortals who, for various reasons, had sold themselves into the service of cultivators. They became the cultivators’ property but also gained their protection. Their daily tasks were simple, like purchasing supplies, washing clothes, cooking, and cleaning.

As Bai Sui walked and browsed, she saw many servants along the way.

These people were in a hurry, clearly ordinary folk without cultivation. Some, though dressed as servants, walked with their heads high and expressions calm and composed. Obviously, either they themselves were cultivators too, or the cultivators they served were very strong, giving even them, as servants, a measure of confidence and courage.

Of course, the interior of Jade Pool Market was indeed much more peaceful than the Outer Ward, and overall, it looked very orderly.

On both sides of the streets, shops selling all sorts of spirit plants, spirit tools, spirit talismans, and other cultivation items were everywhere. The sounds of soliciting customers, hawking wares, and bargaining were endless, creating a scene somewhat akin to a hundred flowers blooming in a noisy, bustling atmosphere.

Bai Sui stopped in front of a shop called “Hundred Treasures Hall.” She looked up at the lofty shop door, but before she could decide whether to enter, a tall, alluringly dressed female cultivator in red walked past her. The woman’s pert rear gave a twist, and by sheer coincidence, it bumped right into Bai Sui’s shoulder and arm. With a slight bounce, Bai Sui immediately stumbled, her whole body swept into the “Hundred Treasures Hall.”

“Little girl, watch where you’re walking so you don’t block the way…”

Before Bai Sui could speak, the alluring red-clad female cultivator first glanced back at her, then said in an indifferent tone.

“What the…” Who’s the one not watching where they’re walking!

Bai Sui was about to let out a string of curses, but the moment she thought of the other’s height and unfathomable cultivation, she immediately swallowed them back.

A great man knows when to bend and when to stretch. Even if, in this life, she could only be a little woman, she still had to endure when necessary!

She merely furrowed her brows slightly and didn’t talk back. Since she had already entered the Hundred Treasures Hall, she simply pretended nothing had happened and started looking around.

That alluring female cultivator just glanced at Bai Sui, saw she was just a little girl, probably not even fully grown yet, couldn’t help but smirk, and didn’t bother with her.

She went straight to the counter selling talismans and pointed at the talismans inside. “Missy, give me a set of Fire Gathering Talismans and three Golden Armor Talismans. Make it cheaper; I’m an old regular, don’t try to fool me.”

“Alright, Miss Lingwei. One set of Fire Gathering Talismans, ten sheets in total, only costs one spirit stone. Three Golden Armor Talismans, one spirit stone each. Together with the Fire Gathering Talismans, that’s four spirit stones.”

The female shop assistant selling talismans looked about eighteen or nineteen, and standing beside the counter, she appeared quite tall. Her voice was also clear and lively. Her words gave Bai Sui a rough understanding of the talisman market.

Things in the market were indeed not cheap. Prices were often denominated in “spirit stones,” and the “patterned coins” used by mortals had no place here.

At the same time, from their conversation, Bai Sui learned that the alluring female cultivator’s name was “Lingwei.” Bai Sui silently noted the name and couldn’t help grumbling inwardly: such a good name, wasted!

“Fine, four spirit stones, here!” The alluring female cultivator also knew the prices were fair and immediately took out her storage pouch, ready to pay.

She seemed to notice there was still a “little tagalong” beside her. That female cultivator called Lingwei turned her head to look at Bai Sui and frowned. “Little girl, what are you following me for?”

“I’m not…”

Bai Sui put on an innocent expression.

Then she pointed at the counter next to them, which was selling all sorts of books.

“I’m here to look for… if there’s a secret manual suitable for me.”

The alluring female cultivator: “…”

So this little girl was a “little” female cultivator too! Truly young enough.

Bai Sui didn’t pay her any more attention. She stood on her tiptoes and said to the other female shop assistant behind that counter:

“Big sister, could you get me that Compendium of Yiyue Techniques? I want to see if it’s suitable for me.”

The address “big sister” made the counter assistant feel extremely pleased. Seeing that Bai Sui was young, fair, tender, and pretty, she took an immediate liking to her.

“Alright, little sister, wait just a moment, I’ll get it for you right away.”

Saying this, she took out the Compendium of Yiyue Techniques that Bai Sui had set her eyes on.

“This Compendium of Techniques is the painstaking work of ‘Yiyue,’ a female cultivator at the Core Formation stage of a generation. The entire book has five chapters, covering a great number of techniques for all five elements and their different attributes, totaling over two hundred kinds. Sorted by use, it includes different categories like defense, offense, healing, and so on. It’s the most suitable for beginners like you to practice with.”

The female shop assistant introduced it enthusiastically as she spoke, taking out the Compendium of Techniques and handing it to Bai Sui.

Bai Sui flipped through it a little and found that the variety of techniques was indeed numerous, and the introductions were also very detailed, almost to the level of teaching step by step, very considerate.

Bai Sui knew that this was exactly what she lacked. Having this Compendium of Techniques would make up for her shortcoming of not knowing many techniques.

“Big sister, I’ll take this one. How much is it?”

Just as she was asking, that alluring female cultivator to the side couldn’t help but click her tongue. In her view, Bai Sui, that little female cultivator buying the Compendium of Techniques, was like a little kid playing house—utterly childish.

“Little girl, how come you’re buying techniques all by yourself? Doesn’t your master teach you?” She teased, and as she spoke, the proud capital on her chest rippled with waves.

“My master is too busy. She told me to just casually buy a book to familiarize myself first, and then later her old self will teach me step by step. By the way, little auntie, are you just buying talismans today? Do you want to buy a secret manual too…” As she spoke, she shook the book in her hand.

Bai Sui instinctively felt annoyed by the female cultivator’s meddling, but couldn’t afford to offend her, so she replied with a tone of childlike innocence, conveniently inventing a formidable “nonexistent” master for herself.

The female cultivator’s expression immediately turned green and white. This snot-nosed girl called the counter girl “big sister,” but when it came to her, she became “little auntie.” Truly measuring people by their status! And that tone just now, though seemingly innocent, felt somehow “bitchy.”

In ordinary times, the female cultivator would have long since taught her a lesson, but hearing that the other had an “old master,” and not knowing what origin, she immediately didn’t dare act rashly.

In the cultivation world, caution was always paramount. Without clarifying the other party’s background, one must never be presumptuous.

A step back, and the sea and sky are vast.

“Hohoho…” The female cultivator suddenly burst into laughter, a smile surfacing on her charming face. “Little girl, seeing you today, I suddenly thought of my former self. Hmm, straightforward and cute, consistent inside and out, quite carrying my style back in the day. Alright, I won’t disturb your shopping. This sister takes her leave now.”

Having said that, the alluring female cultivator shook the few talismans she had just bought, stuffed them into her flimsy upper garment, turned around with a twist of her pert rear, and left the Hundred Treasures Hall with a thousand charms.

Tch! Style back in the day my ass. And “consistent inside and out”—more like consistently bitchy.

Watching the other twist her rear, deliberately putting on an air of infinite allure, Bai Sui inexplicably shuddered.

One glance and she didn’t seem like a decent person! That twisting—wasn’t she afraid of spraining her waist!

This woman was definitely improper; that hip-swaying was utterly flirtatious and wanton! Totally against Bai Sui’s aesthetic standards!

Hah! She would take this as a cautionary tale. When she grew up in the future, she absolutely couldn’t walk like that!

If she truly became like her, she wouldn’t need anyone else to lift a finger; Bai Sui herself would find a block of tofu and ram her head into it, ending it all!

“Little sister, do you still want this Compendium of Yiyue Techniques?”

The counter girl’s voice pulled her back to reality. Lifting her head, she saw the other looking at her with expectation.

Bai Sui came back to her senses and nodded gently. “Yes, I want it. How much was it?”

“Not expensive, just three spirit stones!” The counter girl made a “three” gesture with her hand.

This price indeed wasn’t expensive, but for Bai Sui, who was used to shopping with “wen” as the unit, it was a huge hemorrhage.

One ordinary spirit stone could be exchanged for about one thousand patterned coins. Three spirit stones were three thousand wen! That meant a year and a half of chopping firewood!

After a brief silence, Bai Sui nodded with a wooden expression, 'Calm Amidst Collapse.'

Then, she pulled out the purse hanging from her neck by its cord, gave it a light scoop, and carefully took out three spirit stones from her “storage pouch.”

When handing over the money, Bai Sui’s heart ached terribly. In the storage pouch Aunt-Master Jiang left her, there were only eighteen spirit stones in total, three of which were mid-grade spirit stones—her greatest capital.

Now, suddenly spending three ordinary spirit stones, the little figure in her heart had already prostrated itself on the ground, its single hand continuously pounding the floor.

Yet in her expression, she remained as calm and composed as ever, the picture of someone who, though young, was never startled when things happened.