Qinghe Market is located at the confluence of several rivers in western Qinghe County, nestled on a second-grade, mid-grade spiritual vein. It is the only market in Qinghe County, established a thousand years ago by a Jindan cultivator from the Xiaoyao Sect, in conjunction with several major foundation-building clans in the county.
There are more than one hundred shops of various sizes in Qinghefang, most of which are rented to local immortal cultivation families of all sizes in Qinghe County, and some are rented to independent cultivators who have been doing business in Qinghe County for many years.
Most of the shops sell first-level monsters, spiritual herbs, talismans, magic tools, elixirs and other raw materials and supplies. There are also a small number of bookstores and grocery stores that sell various low- and medium-level skills, as well as restaurants and inns that provide convenience for visitors to the market to eat and live.
The Xiaoyao Sect occupies 40% of the Qinghefang market share, and the remaining 60% of the market share is jointly owned by other foundation-building families in Qinghe County.
For this reason, Xiaoyao Sect also has to appoint a foundation-building cultivator to guard this market all year round, and the four major foundation-building families in Qinghe County that have obtained shares of the remaining market also need to appoint cultivators to help guard and manage this place.
According to the rules set by the Xiaoyao Sect when the market was first established, any immortal cultivation family in Qinghe County, as long as there is a foundation-building cultivator in the family, will automatically be promoted to a foundation-building immortal clan and can share the shares of Qinghefang with other foundation-building families. However, they must also appoint foundation-building cultivators to take turns to help guard the market.
If the Foundation Establishment Immortal Clan loses all of its Foundation Establishment cultivators, it will also be downgraded to the Qi Refining Immortal Clan. It will then be unable to send out Foundation Establishment combat forces to guard the market town, and will also automatically lose its share in Qinghe Market.
Among the four major foundation-building families in Qinghe County today, the Huang family is the strongest and occupies the largest share of Qinghe Market. The Qian family, which has just become a foundation-building family, naturally gets the smallest share now.
In order to maintain order in Qinghe Market and prevent people from causing trouble, Xiaoyao Sect specially relied on this second-level medium-grade spiritual vein to set up a second-level defense formation in the market. In addition, there are two foundation-building cultivators guarding here all year round. Even if three or five foundation-building masters come at the same time, it is impossible to break through the defense formation of Qinghe Market in a short time.
Once a large number of foreign enemies come to attack the market town, the Huang family and the major immortal cultivation families nearby will quickly come to the rescue. After all, the major immortal cultivation families in the current Qinghe market town have more or less rented shops, and the rise and fall of the market town is also related to the direct interests of the major families in Qinghe County.
After advancing to the fifth level of Qi Refining, Song Qingming came to Qinghefang for the first time. This time he came here to purchase some mid-level talisman-making materials and elixirs to increase the speed of cultivation.
Although he obtained a source of talisman-making materials from Taoist Pinglu in Caolu Mountain, the number of independent cultivators coming to Caolu Mountain was limited after all. Except for the large amount of talisman-making materials collected by Taoist Pinglu in the first few times, the amount of talisman-making materials sent to Song Qingming later became less and less, and now it is completely insufficient for Song Qingming to use.
For this reason, Song Qingming had no choice but to come to Qinghefang. Fortunately, his cultivation had improved now, and Uncle Jiu was much more relieved about him going on a long journey. Lingyuan Mountain was hundreds of miles away from Qinghefang. Song Qingming set out early in the morning and did not arrive at Qinghefang until the afternoon of the next day.
Although he had been here several times before, he mostly came with the elders of his clan to transport or purchase supplies needed by the family. He did not stay in the market for too long, and he was actually not that familiar with Qinghefang.
When he arrived at the gate of Qinghe Market, he saw several cultivators in the Qi Refining stage guarding the door. The leader was a cultivator in the late Qi Refining stage. Judging from his clothes, Song Qingming knew that he was a Qi Refining disciple of the Xiaoyao Sect.
Disciples from large sects are naturally arrogant when facing low-level cultivators or independent cultivators from small families like them. Song Qingming also felt this in Guiyunfang a few months ago.
After carefully registering his identity at the door, Song Qingming received a token proving his identity and successfully entered Qinghefang Market.
The entire Qinghefang is like Mujiao Town, with a street running through the middle and dozens of buildings and shops of varying heights scattered on both sides. There are also many houses inhabited by mortals on the north side of the street. In addition to cultivators, the entire market is also home to some ordinary mortals who live here all year round.
The mortals living here are all under the jurisdiction of Qinghefang by the Xiaoyao Sect. Once there is a family of immortal cultivators in Qinghe County that can no longer protect the mortals under its jurisdiction, or if a large number of mortals need to move away from here and cannot be taken with them, they will generally be uniformly assigned to Qinghefang by the Xiaoyao Sect and directly under the jurisdiction of the monks stationed by the Xiaoyao Sect. Once the mortals here are born with spiritual roots, except for those with outstanding spiritual roots, they will be sent directly to the Xiaoyao Sect for training. Most of them will become casual cultivators. Many of the casual cultivators in Qinghe County come from here.
There was a large, flat, open space on the south side of the street, reserved for casual cultivators who decided to set up stalls. By handing over a low-level spirit stone to the cultivator in charge, they could set up their stalls there for a whole day, protected by the market. They didn't have to worry about disruption or revenge. Even as night fell, many casual cultivators were still reluctant to leave.
Qinghe Market has always been relatively peaceful and friendly to all kinds of independent cultivators. It has a good reputation in the northeast of Wei State. Although most of the spiritual objects in the market are first-level spiritual objects, there are occasionally some second-level spiritual objects flowing out, which will also attract cultivators from nearby counties and prefectures to come.
The Song family also rents a shop in Qinghefang, which is currently managed by the fourth uncle Song Changqiu. Song Changqiu is the fourth child in the Song family and has been helping the family run the shop in Qinghefang for many years.
The Song family has only one shop in Qinghefang. They usually sell some talismans, elixirs, magic tools and other items. They also purchase monsters, spiritual herbs and other first-level materials from various casual cultivators. With this shop, the Song family can make a profit of about one hundred spirit stones every year. This is also one of the important sources of income for the Song family.
Song Qingming went directly to the Song family shop on the south side of the street. As soon as he entered, he saw several mortal employees of the Song family busy greeting a casual cultivator who was shopping in the store. Song Qingming was about to ask when he happened to see Song Changqiu walking out of the back hall, and hurriedly greeted him with a smile.
"Qingming, meet Fourth Uncle"
"Hey, Qingming is here. Last time I returned to Funiu Mountain, I heard that you had broken through the fifth level of Qi Refining. I didn't believe it. I didn't expect that you would catch up with me so quickly at such a young age. With you and Qingze among the younger generations of our family, the young generation is really formidable."
Song Changqiu was also a little surprised to see Song Qingming coming in. But when he saw that Song Qingming's cultivation had caught up with his, he was happy for him from the bottom of his heart.
Fourth uncle Song Changqiu is only a cultivator with five spiritual roots. He is not very interested in the way of cultivation. He gave up his own cultivation early and came out to manage the family's external industries. Now he is over seventy years old and his cultivation level is only the fifth level of Qi Refining.
However, after Song Changqiu took over the family shop in Qinghefang, he had quite a bit of experience in doing business and was very good at dealing with people in the market. The family shop's business was much better in his hands than before.
More than ten years ago, Song Changqiu met a female cultivator in the market town. The two of them became Taoist couples and now have several children. The family has been living in this market town and is very happy.
"Fourth uncle, stop teasing me. My talent is no match for my third brother's. I was able to break through my cultivation just because I was lucky enough to encounter some opportunities." Song Qingming shook his head and said modestly.
Song Changqiu smiled and continued, "Aren't you still stationed at Lingyuan Mountain? This time I came to the market because my family has something going on."
"I'm home and have nothing to do. I came here on my own. My nephew has been learning to make talismans recently and wanted to buy some materials in the market. I wonder which store in the market sells these materials? I'd like to buy more at once, so please give me some advice, uncle."
Song Changqiu frowned after hearing this and said, "Qingming, you are still young. You should put more effort into your cultivation. You must not neglect your own cultivation just to make talismans."
Song Qingming lowered his head and smiled bitterly, "Fourth Uncle, you also know that cultivation also requires spiritual stones. I am learning to make talismans so that I can have more room for cultivation in the future."