Volume One: First Steps on the Path Chapter Forty-One: The Mysterious Little Cauldron

After leaving Yao Zhi's shop, Ye Junze couldn't stop fiddling with the magic artifacts he had just acquired, clearly quite enamored with them. Seeing how delighted Ye Junze was, Lin Xin smiled broadly and said, “Alright then, since you like them so much, why not put them on and see how they feel?”

“Okay,” Ye Junze responded at once, fastening both Luanque and the watch artifact onto his wrist. Once he had finished, he raised his hand to examine the two artifacts. In the gradually dimming light, Luanque emitted a soft, gentle glow, and paired with the black watch, it created a unique style that combined the classical with modern technology—an unusual but striking aesthetic.

Noting Ye Junze’s satisfied expression, Lin Xin also examined the effect and nodded in approval. She exclaimed, “Not bad, Junior! You look much more distinguished now. I must say, you really pull off this look.”

“That won’t do—I want to try it on too,” Lin Xin said with a gleam in her eye, unable to resist any longer. She eagerly slipped her own watch onto her wrist, and just like Ye Junze, the previous Phoenix Feather artifact complemented the new watch perfectly. Delighted, she asked, “Junior, what do you think? Looks good, doesn’t it?” She raised her wrist for Ye Junze to see.

After a moment’s consideration, Ye Junze sincerely praised her, “It looks great. It really brings out your beauty, Senior.”

Lin Xin couldn’t help but smile at his words. “I just love how you always know what to say, and you’ve got a good eye too.”

Being showered with compliments, even Ye Junze felt a little embarrassed. “You flatter me, Senior. It’s just the truth—they really do look good.”

“Alright, why don’t you test out the functions of these two artifacts? Once you’re done, we can go check out other places,” Lin Xin suggested.

Ye Junze agreed and began channeling spiritual energy into both artifacts. The watch artifact worked just as it had during the in-store demonstration, with nothing new to note. But Luanque revealed a space inside that was even larger than the one in the watch. As Ye Junze’s consciousness entered, he faintly heard the sound of birdsong—yet it was not the ordinary chirping of birds. The melody was more lilting and continuous, like someone playing a musical instrument, unexpectedly pleasant to the ear. Remembering the artifact’s name, Ye Junze mused, “It really is just like a luan bird singing.” Immersing himself in the sound, he felt as if his spirit was being nourished.

Examining the space further, Ye Junze noticed another difference from the watch artifact. If the watch’s space was like a lifeless cabinet for storing things—where a living creature would suffocate for lack of air—then Luanque’s space brimmed with vitality, as if living beings could be kept there and would even flourish, nourished by the luan bird’s song. Contemplating this, Ye Junze thought, “I should find time to test whether my guess is correct.” With this in mind, he withdrew his consciousness from the space.

Seeing Lin Xin waiting for him nearby, Ye Junze scratched his head apologetically. “Sorry to keep you waiting, Senior.”

Lin Xin waved it off. “No worries. So? Are the artifacts working fine?”

“Yes, no problem at all. Thank you for your trouble, Senior,” Ye Junze replied.

“That’s good to hear. Shall we keep browsing?” Lin Xin asked.

“Of course,” Ye Junze agreed without hesitation.

With that, the two continued on, wandering aimlessly.

Halfway down the street, Lin Xin suddenly brightened as if she had remembered something. “Oh, Junior, let’s check out those little street vendors. Some of the things they sell are salvaged from abandoned ruins or cave dwellings—maybe we’ll get lucky and find a hidden gem.”

“Sure! I’m curious to see what treasures they might have,” Ye Junze replied enthusiastically.

After all, ever since they’d entered the market, the air had been filled with a constant barrage of hawkers’ cries: “A sword once wielded by an ancient Sword Immortal—guaranteed ascension if you get it!” “Fragment of Pangu’s Heaven-Opening Axe—buy it and you too can split the heavens!” “Cultivation techniques from a Nascent Soul grandmaster—guaranteed to make you immortal!” “Talismans forged by a great cultivator—unmatched for subjugating demons!” “Ancient formation diagrams—unrivaled power, a must-buy for every array master!” “The complete collection of my coming-of-age tales with a Nascent Soul female cultivator, preorder now!”... There were so many wild claims that Ye Junze couldn’t help but feel the vendors’ wares were nothing but empty boasts, with no real treasures to be found.

Still, Lin Xin’s suggestion piqued his curiosity. He wanted to see if any of the items actually lived up to their hype.

So, the two of them approached the stalls. After browsing a few, even the well-informed Lin Xin looked displeased, and Ye Junze, new as he was to the world of cultivation, could see that most of the items were shams—objects imbued with spiritual energy by artificial means, but dead and inert, textbook examples of fakes. Ye Junze couldn’t help thinking, “Who do they expect to fool, other than complete novices?”

Already annoyed, Lin Xin grumbled, “Unbelievable! I haven’t been here in a while, but the counterfeiting has gotten out of hand. I’ll have to report this to the school when I get back.”

Ye Junze tried to reassure her, “It’s alright, Senior. Let’s look around a bit more. If there’s really nothing worthwhile, we can just head back.”

“Alright, let’s take another look—no point wasting time,” Lin Xin agreed.

They moved on to the next stall. As they approached, the vendor greeted them with an eager smile. “Looking for something special? Everything here is genuine, top-quality goods! Take your time and see for yourselves.” The pair had heard this line far too many times already, so they merely nodded and began browsing at their own pace.

The vendor, undeterred, kept smiling. “Browse as you like. If you need anything, just let me know.”

Ye Junze, ever polite, replied, “Thank you.”

“Not at all,” the vendor responded.

As the two examined the items, they both noticed this stall seemed different from the previous ones. While nothing extraordinary, some of the goods did qualify as magic artifacts, rather than crude knockoffs. This small difference surprised and pleased them, so they perused the stall more carefully.

When Ye Junze’s gaze landed on an unremarkable little cauldron, a voice suddenly echoed in his mind—the long-silent Meng Yuan, sounding rather astonished. “Hmm? This little cauldron looks familiar, but it’s a bit different from what I remember.”

Ye Junze replied in his thoughts, “Meng Yuan, why are you suddenly speaking up? Were you spying on me all day again?”

Meng Yuan retorted, “I’m not that bored. It’s just that this little cauldron feels familiar, so I wanted you to take a closer look for me.”

Since Meng Yuan had said as much, Ye Junze figured there must be something unusual about the cauldron. Following Meng Yuan’s suggestion, he picked up the small cauldron and examined it closely. However, apart from a faint trace of spiritual energy, he sensed nothing unusual. With nothing more he could discern, he left the rest to Meng Yuan within his consciousness.

After a while, Meng Yuan spoke up again. “It does seem familiar, but I can’t be sure it’s what I think it is. The spiritual energy in this cauldron is too weak right now—I’ll need to examine it up close.”

“Alright, I’ll buy it then,” Ye Junze decided at once.

With his mind made up, Ye Junze asked, “Boss, how much for this little cauldron?”

The vendor glanced at the cauldron in Ye Junze’s hand, thought for a moment, and said, “With your keen eyes, you can see there’s not much spiritual energy in this cauldron, and I haven’t noticed any special function. If you want it, just give me one spirit stone—let’s call it a friendly exchange.”

Hearing this, Lin Xin put down what she was holding and said, “Junior, this really looks like an ordinary trinket—maybe a bit pretty, but otherwise useless. Are you sure you want it?”

Ye Junze nodded, answering affirmatively, though he didn’t explain his real reason.

Seeing his resolve, Lin Xin didn’t press further. “Alright, I’ll lend you a spirit stone. Pay me back later.”

“Thank you, Senior,” Ye Junze replied earnestly.

Lin Xin waved it off. “I found something I like too—let’s buy them together.”

She picked up a bronze mirror and asked, “Boss, how much for this mirror?”

The vendor’s eyes lit up. “Excellent taste, Miss! This mirror is one of my best items. Just look at the craftsmanship, the spiritual energy—no need for me to say more. Eight spirit stones.”

Lin Xin considered and found the price reasonable. Without hesitation, she handed over nine spirit stones and said, “Nine spirit stones—for the mirror and the little cauldron. We’ll take them both.”

“Thank you! Come again—next time, I’ll give you the best goods at the best prices,” the vendor said cheerfully as he took the stones.

After stowing their purchases in their storage artifacts, Lin Xin remarked with satisfaction, “At least this trip wasn’t in vain. It’s getting late, Junior—let’s head back.”

Eager to have Meng Yuan examine the cauldron as soon as possible, Ye Junze readily agreed, “Alright.”

With that, the two set off for home.