West District. Shopping District.

Joining the bustling crowds, Bubai wandered forward, his gaze sweeping over the shops selling cultivation tools. He had expected to be able to easily spot the food vendor, but after wandering past most of the shop, he realized… it seemed he was not in the right place?

Determined to not waste more time, Bubai spotted a passing man with an ordinary, masculine face carrying a small package and reached out to stop him.

"Excuse me-" Bubai began, only to be met with the passerby's annoyed response, "The heck are you stopping me for?! I’m really busy-"

The passerby's eyes abruptly dilated as he noticed the token on Bubai's waist. His attitude swiftly shifted, his tone softened, "Yes, how may I help you, senior?"

“Uh, do you happen to know where I can buy more food?”

The man had a forced smile on his face as he dully stared at Bubai’s face. His lips twitched slightly, but he retained his composure as he responded, “Yes, senior, you can get more at the Hunger Market. Just head straight past the Twin Towers of Desires. A couple of big food suppliers are located there.”

“Thanks.” Bubai nodded appreciatively and began to walk away.

As he walked away, despite the crowd's mixed noise, Bubai's sensitive ears picked up the man's grumbling behind him. “Gah! Even such an ugly man is living such a good life, while I can barely afford to feed one…”

Bubai’s lips twitched slightly, but he didn’t get angry over such trivial issues. Oh, the woes of the poor. He deeply understands.

Entering the large plaza, as he circled around the twin towers, Bubai's gaze swept over the various stalls he passed by, his eyes showing interest in the array of goods, listening to the sect members hawking their goods.

"Step right up and feast your eyes on these rare artifacts from the ancient desert ruins! Definitely worth a look for those who don’t want sand mixed in there!”

"Revitalize your cultivation tool with my specially concocted Little Brother Refinement Elixirs! Boost your core strength and expedite your journey to the next realm!”

"Spirit herbs, right from the recent skirmish at Moonlit Valley! Enhance your Qi circulation and nightly battle prowess with these premium herbs. Only the best for the discerning cultivator!"

"Inscribed talismans for sale! Need to paralyze a disobedient cultivator or to experience a little extra oomph in your attacks? Look no further! Handcrafted talismans for all your spiritual needs!"

“Looking for a handsome man with good endurance! Big sister will pay well!”

Despite the "tempting" goods, Bubai didn't halt his steps, as most of these merchandise were sold in exchange for spirit stones, and no stalls sold the food he sought.

Stepping out from the plaza and continuing along the paved road, Bubai soon entered a small district with multiple large pavilion-like stores laid out in a roundabout fashion.

Each of these establishments specialized in selling a completely different set of food, ranging from mortal dried rations to Bigu pills to spirit rice.

Clearly, there was an absence of competition as these were official sect-owned stores, each catering to a specific need.

Entering the store that specialized in mortal food, Bubai was greeted by the sight of a pot-bellied man with a mustache seated behind a counter.

As Bubai approached, the man looked up and scanned him, a smile appearing on his face upon noticing the inner disciple token. “Welcome. Welcome. Are you here to purchase monthly rations for your women?”

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“Yes, I wonder what the prices are…” Bubai's words trailed off as he glanced down at the counter with a strange expression, his sensitive ears picking up a very soft yet familiar squelching sound emanating from underneath.

Noticing Bubai's gaze, the pot-bellied shopkeeper glared down and cleared his throat, “Ahem.” The peculiar sound halted.

He then looked back at Bubai, stroking his mustache with an air of nonchalance. “Apologies, don’t mind it. It’s just my hungry pet begging to be fed again. So, where were we… oh right, the prices!”

Reaching under the counter, the shopkeeper pulled out a slate engraved with prices, placing it on the counter for Bubai to see. “Recently, due to the limited supplies, the prices has increased slightly. I hope you understand.”

As Bubai scanned the slate, his lips twitched at the sight of the rather exorbitant prices compared to their equivalents back in the Cloud Sword Sect territory.

Limited supply? It was probably just the sect engaging in hunger marketing. After all, the sect has a monopoly and can say whatever they want.

“So what types are you interested in? Normal? Or special?” The shopkeeper inquired as he unfurled an empty scroll.

“What is special?” Bubai raised his brows, observing the price for the special rations that stood almost double the cost of the regular ones.

“Oh…? It seems you are unaware…” The shopkeeper grinned, leaning in towards Bubai as he spoke in a soft voice. “Our special food comes prepped with our special seasoning, guaranteed to let both you and your women experience heaven. I’m sure you understand…”

Aphrodisiac? Bubai's lips twitched, “I would like to purchase the normal type.”

“Oh, pity.” The shopkeeper shook his head slightly, reaching for one of the brushes on the desk. With skilled movements, he began to make records on the scroll, “So, what portion are you looking to buy? One? Two?”

Bubai counted in his mind: Xiao Lan, the twins, and himself. “Four.”

The shopkeeper looked up from the bamboo scroll, observing Bubai's face before he gave Bubai a thumbs up. “I expected nothing less from a young genius like yourself! As a man, I truly respect you!”

Bubai responded with a wry smile and a shake of his head. “Just more mouths to feed.”

“Hahaha, but you also get to enjoy a fresh rotations. No wonder you don’t need our special seasoning!” The shopkeeper chuckled as he made the record. “Four portions of mortal rations, enough for a month, but please note that it can be stored up to a year. So, how would you like to pay? Mortal money? Spirit stones?”

“Spirit rice.” Bubai took a small pouch of spirit rice hanging from his waist and placed it on the counter.

The shopkeeper's eyes lit up, and he sat up straight, eagerly opening the pouch and taking a couple of grains into his hand. Bringing them to his nose for a sniff, a smile arose on his face, “Not bad, not bad. It isn’t top quality, but it’s definitely still valuable.”

Placing the pouch back on the counter, he confirmed once more, “But are you sure you want to pay with this? You should also know that each person’s quota for purchasing spirit rice is restricted, and you might not be able to buy it back even if you have spirit stones…”

Well, he didn’t even get this purchase quota. But when Bubai sensed the kilograms of spirit rice still sitting in his spatial storage, Bubai felt no reluctance. “Yes, I am sure.”

“Haha, good, good. I like straightforward guys like you!” The shopkeeper, clearly pleased with the arrangement, picked up the pouch and promptly stashed it under the counter. “This should be enough for around three months of rations. Where would you like it delivered to?”

“East District. Tower 44.” Bubai reported his address.

“No problem. It will be there by afternoon. The servant will not leave until he hands it off to you personally… um, how should I call you?”

“Mo Bubai.”

“Noted. If we fail to hand-off the rations by tonight, you can come back here to schedule another delivery.” Completing the record, the shopkeeper efficiently rolled up the scroll, sliding it into a pneumatic tube under the counter. “Now, just wait a couple moments for the back to process your order…”

The shopkeeper’s eyes then rolled, offering, “Hey, while we wait, if young master Mo is interested, I can call for some customer service for you. Or if you prefer playing with my pet-”

“No thanks.”

The duo then fell into awkward silence.

After a couple moments, the shopkeeper flashed Bubai a smile as his hand reached down below the counter. In the midst of their silent waiting, Bubai couldn't help but hear strange sounds, but he did his best to ignore them, staring up at the plain ceiling.

The under-the-counter exchange continued for a while, followed by suppressed gasps for breath…

Not long after the heavy breathing have settled down, the shopkeeper raised his hand with a jade slip in it, as if this was the original purpose of his lowered hand.

Handing the jade slip to Bubai, he reminded him of the financial aspect of their transaction. “Just give this to the delivery servant to confirm your order. Don’t lose it because we don’t provide refunds.”

Slipping the jade slip into one of his pouches, Bubai nodded and turned to leave.

“Thank you for your patronage. You are welcome to return anytime! Oh- woman, why aren’t you continuing?”

As he left the building, Bubai shook his head slightly, wiping his hand with one of his small pouches. If this was his previous world, this man would’ve been fired.

Alas, this was a fantasy world, and he could only say: The members of this sect really knew how to enjoy life.

But Bubai doesn’t have leisure for that now. After a series of detours, the time had finally come to head to the Book Pavilion.