But what kind of person was considered “special” enough to enter the Six Livestocks Market? It meant people who practiced the Livestock Creation Spell.
The Livestock Creation Spell was an incredible, profound and magical art that could transform a human into livestock. Only the spellcaster could resolve the spell.
Unfortunately, the Livestock Creation Spell was a spell that only few could practice. Only those of the Dark Ways could practice it, and only those who were extraordinarily talented could hope to practice it. That was why the number of people who knew the Livestock Creation Spell were few and far between, but every single one of them was a stunning genius.
Legend had it that the Livestock Creation Spell had originated from the Six Livestocks Market. Anyone who knew the Livestock Creation Spell was someone who was chosen by the Six Livestocks Market. That was why they were able to enter the place.
However, just because you knew the Livestock Creation Spell did not mean that you could enter the Six Livestocks Market anytime you wanted. So, when could one enter the place?
Unfortunately, the appearance time of the Six Livestocks Market followed no rhyme or reason whatsoever. Sometimes, it appeared just three years after its previous appearance. Sometimes, it was five. Sometimes, it was a decade or even decades.
It was said that someone who knew the Livestock Creation Spell would automatically feel it when the Six Livestocks Market was about to appear. That was the one and only guidance they had.
Just like the time, the appearance location of the Six Livestocks Market was equally uncertain. In fact, no one knew exactly where it would appear. They could only rely on the inexplicable feeling one gained after grasping the Livestock Creation Spell and walk in whatever direction it led them until they somehow someway entered the Six Livestocks Market.
Even stranger, the location and time a chosen one entered the Six Livestocks Market were different. No one knew how or why this was the case. If someone knew the answer, they hadn’t deigned to share it with the world.
In any case, these three requirements were why very few people were able to enter the Six Livestocks Market despite its popularity. However, these were just the requirements one must meet to enter the martial sanctuary. If someone wished to linger in the Six Livestocks Market long enough to achieve actual progress, well, that required a sufficient amount of wealth.
But wealth in the Six Livestocks Market did not refer to money or treasure. No, it referred to the six livestocks.
What were the six livestocks? They were pigs, horses, cattles, goats, chickens and dogs. However, one could not linger in the Six Livestocks Market using ordinary, mindless livestocks. Otherwise, one could theoretically stay in the Six Livestocks Market forever and ever, and it wouldn’t constitute a real requirement. No, these “livestocks” must be humans who were transformed using the Livestock Creation Spell.
The number of human-turned livestock directly affected the amount of time one could practice in the Six Livestocks Market. Not only that, the stronger and more talented a human-turned livestock was, the longer the warrior could linger in the sanctuary.
This was how the Six Livestocks Market came to earn its name.
But why did the Six Livestocks Market use living humans as currency, and what happened to those humans after they were “consumed”? No one knew the answer, and no one cared to find the answer. After all, anyone who desired to enter the Six Livestocks Market were also heretics who would happily sacrifice a bunch of lives just to extend their stay in the martial sanctuary a little longer, so why would they care about such things?
In any case, every time the Six Livestocks Market was soon to appear, all heretics who knew the Livestock Creation Spell would do everything in their power to kidnap as many people as possible. It was to turn them into livestocks and currency that would buy them more time in the Six Livestocks Market.
This was why the imperial court and orthodoxy of all countries denounced the Livestock Creation Spell as a taboo and slew anyone who practiced it, no questions asked.
Of course, everyone knew that the source of all these tragedies was the Six Livestocks Market, and many sects and clans had tried to destroy the place once and for all.
“I never said that you are timid. In fact, you are one of the boldest men I’ve ever met.”
Ye Qing taunted Tao Chong, “It takes a kind of balls to dare to practice the Livestock Creation Art and turn humans into livestocks!”
“Forgive me, senior. This junior understands his crimes and is willing to make up for it!”
At this point, Tao Chong realized that he was making a mistake. He hurriedly changed his tune and said, “If you are displeased, this junior will turn them back to human and set them free immediately. This junior also promises that he will never transform another human into livestock ever again.”
“Heh...”
Ye Qing let out an ominous chuckle. He was no saint who could not bear to see anyone bleed. Hell, he had probably killed several hundred people at least since arriving in this damned world, if not a thousand. Some of his victims were probably—not, most certainly—good people from another person’s perspective too. He never kidded himself and believed that his hands weren’t coated in thick, thick blood.
However, he dared to say that he had never killed an innocent. Innocents might have died because of him, but he had never perpetuated their tragedy with his own two hands, much less ordinary people who could do nothing but die in the face of power.
He could never view another person as worthless ants that he could humiliate, discard and kill as he pleased. He could never resort to unscrupulous means to achieve his own objectives. He wouldn’t.
He was a warrior, but he was a human before that.
A warrior went to war because he desired peace. Kindness was what separated humans from beasts. If he did not possess even the most basic level of benevolence and bottom line, then what was the difference between him and an animal?
An unprecedented chill turned Tao Chong’s inside into ice when he heard Ye Qing’s chuckle.
He was right about a human’s greed, but wrong about Ye Qing’s heart.
Tao Chong was shaking in his boots when Ye Qing asked another question, “How many times have you entered the Six Livestocks Market?”
“One time. I’ve only entered the Six Livestocks Market one time! This would have been my second time.”
Tao Chong hurriedly explained, “The first time this junior entered the Six Livestocks Market was three years ago. At the time, I had just grasped the Livestock Creation Art and so did not really understand the rules or intricacies involved. Like a dumb greenhorn, I somehow entered the Six Livestocks Market with two of my foes and left just three days later.”
“It was only after I came out that I realized just how valuable an experience it was. Those three days were enough for me to ascend from a late-stage Spirit Master to a Trueman.”
The reason he phrased his answer this way was one, to emphasize that the number of innocents on his hands was less than Ye Qing was probably expecting, and two, to inform him just how incredible the martial sanctuary was. He was hoping to draw out Ye Qing’s greed because it was the only way he might survive this predicament.