Seeing the downcast look on the face of the youth guiding them, Teng Qingshan said, "After we hire a driver, we still need to purchase top-grade riding beasts. There will certainly be a good share for you."

"Yes, sir!" The youth chirped, instantly regaining his enthusiasm.

Li Jun glanced at Teng Qingshan and chuckled softly, "Big Brother Teng, this fellow just wants you to buy more slaves! I think Brother Teng, you should buy a few. Some beautiful young maidens to serve you personally—wouldn't life be as blissful as an immortal's?" The youth beside them exclaimed excitedly, "The lady speaks correctly!"

"You brat, shut up," Teng Qingshan snapped.

The guide chuckled sheepishly, not daring to say more.

"Xiao Jun, you’re teasing me too," Teng Qingshan looked helplessly at Li Jun, who couldn't suppress a smile, her face alight with amusement. Even Xiao Ping was stifling giggles on the side.

"Women, ah."

Teng Qingshan sighed deeply.

"Three, we've arrived," the guide announced. "That bustling mass ahead, those are all people available for hire. Not slaves!"

Teng Qingshan glanced over.

On a wide-open space, people sat clustered together—at least a thousand individuals at first glance. Just then, a portly old man cheerfully greeted them, chuckling, "Three esteemed guests, I am the manager for this section. What manner of person are you looking to hire? Feel free to state any requirements regarding appearance, build, or strength."

With a thousand people, finding one oneself would truly be difficult.

Teng Qingshan nodded. "I need to hire a... carriage driver! No specific requirements on appearance."

"A carriage driver?" The fat old man frowned slightly, a hint of disappointment clouding his face.

The hiring rate for drivers was generally low, after all... many people could manage horses. Lower hiring prices meant fewer benefits for the market district.

"Very well, I shall make arrangements," the fat old man said, "Please wait a moment."

Saying that, the fat old man bustled into the crowd and began instructing a few of his subordinates. The subordinates quickly fanned out into the crowd to start recruiting. Sparsely at first, several people stood up from their spots, and in a moment, twenty to thirty people had gathered around the fat old man.

In just the time it takes to steep a cup of tea, these twenty or thirty individuals had assembled before Teng Qingshan.

"Three esteemed guests, these twenty-six people can all handle horses," the fat old man beamed. "How many do you require? Feel free to choose."

Teng Qingshan's gaze swept across the group.

Surprisingly, there were five women among them, though they were all quite plain. Among the remaining men, some were quite handsome.

"I only need one driver!" Teng Qingshan announced, looking at the assembly. "And... this driver must travel all across the world with me. So, it would be best if he knows a bit of Neijin (Internal Energy) for self-protection." As soon as these words left his mouth, the crowd waiting to be hired as drivers erupted into noise.

"Travel all across the world? Isn't that suicide?"

"I wouldn't do it for any amount of money."

"I still have a wife and children to support back home; how can I be running around the entire world?"

Instantly, over ten people turned and walked away. Only nine remained standing before Teng Qingshan.

"How many times a year would I be able to return to Dan Yang City?" one of the remaining nine inquired.

"Not even once," Teng Qingshan replied with a smile.

Four more immediately withdrew from the nine, leaving only five. These five were all men—some skinny as a monkey, others quite robust. There was even one who was disabled. This disabled middle-aged man had hair like straw, a broadsword strapped to his back, a pronounced limp in his right leg, and was blind in one eye.

"It will be you," Teng Qingshan pointed at the lame man.

"Greetings, Master," the lame man said, bowing slightly, a flicker of surprise in his single visible eye.

The other four showed clear dissatisfaction.

"Alright, alright, disperse now," the fat old man waved his hand immediately. The other four understood the etiquette, though they still grumbled under their breath, "Choosing a cripple, and one-eyed to boot—he must have a problem with his head." Muttering quietly, the four returned to the crowd.

"How much silver?" Teng Qingshan turned to the fat old man.

"Half a month's wages," the fat old man stated cheerfully.

"How much monthly salary are you asking for?" Teng Qingshan asked the lame man. The lame man’s single eye rolled once: "Thirty taels of silver!" At this declaration, the fat old man stared, aghast. Thirty taels to hire a driver to travel the world wasn't excessive, but... to hire a cripple for that price was certainly steep.

Teng Qingshan nodded, retrieving some silver fragments from his robes. "Mmm, this should be about ten-plus taels." Teng Qingshan handed it over, and the fat old man eagerly took it with a smile. "Wait a moment, we'll draw up a contract immediately. Both parties, including me as the intermediary, will affix our handprints, and the transaction will be complete."

After the hiring contract was finalized and handprints were affixed, Teng Qingshan still needed to buy top-grade riding beasts. After all, an ordinary beast couldn't manage to pull a carriage loaded with ten thousand catties. The guide led the way, excitement bubbling over... Top-grade riding beasts commanded exorbitant prices, and the commission fee would naturally be substantial.

En route.

Teng Qingshan, Li Jun, and Xiao Ping walked side-by-side, while the newly hired driver, the 'Lame Man,' followed behind.

"Big Brother Teng, why did you choose him?" Li Jun asked, puzzled. Though she was curious about his choice, she offered no objection.

"Because his strength is decent," Teng Qingshan replied with a smile.

"Decent?" Li Jun was slightly astonished. How profound was Teng Qingshan's own strength? His definition of 'decent' must at least equate to the pinnacle of the Houtian (Post-Natal) realm.

The lame man had a smoking pipe hanging from his waist and wore a worn padded cotton coat, his hair disheveled. He now raised his head to glance at Teng Qingshan; a flash of surprise crossed his eyes, but it was immediately replaced by composure. This lame man carried himself just like an ordinary person.

"Am I wrong?" Teng Qingshan looked toward the driver.

Stared at by Teng Qingshan, the lame man felt a tremor in his heart, secretly alarmed by the other's power, yet he still managed a forced smile, cupping his hands. "Master, excellent eyesight."

"Hiring a Neijin expert would cost nearly a thousand taels a month. Paying thirty taels, I've made quite a bargain," Teng Qingshan chuckled.

"Neijin expert?"

The guide leading the way overheard this and laughed in astonishment. "You say this lame man is an expert? Haha, how could that be? How could an expert end up so destitute, hired for just thirty taels?"

"Just lead the way, stop talking nonsense," Li Jun chastised him.

"Yes, yes," the guide replied with a playful grin.

Teng Qingshan, however, conversed with the lame man. "What is your name?"

"Reporting to the Master, my name is Wang Yang. You may just call me Old Wang," the lame man clasped his hands. "I also know a couple of fighting stances, but my leg was ruined while I was in the army... so now I just work as a driver to earn a living."

"Mmm, my surname is Teng. Teng Qingshan." After saying this, Teng Qingshan said no more.

The lame man, Old Wang, looked closely at the youth who could see through his strength in a single glance. One had to know... Neijin resides within the body, and if it is not actively used, an outsider cannot judge a person's power. Yet, why could this mysterious youth instantly discern that he was a Neijin master?

This greatly puzzled Old Wang.

"Teng Qingshan," Old Wang silently repeated in his mind.

...

On a domed pavilion in the slave market district, Young Master Li, clad in white fox fur, stood by the window, observing the few figures walking below.

"Young Master, the people have been located."

With that announcement, the fat old manager arrived on the pavilion, bowing respectfully. "Your humble servant pays respects to the Young Master."

"Mmm, what were those three doing just now, and where are they headed now?" Young Master Li still faced the window, asking indifferently.

"Those three were hiring a carriage driver, and they even mentioned traveling across the entire world!" The fat old man, though unsure why the legendary Young Master Fang would concern himself with those three, dared not hesitate. "Listening to their conversation, they also mentioned heading toward the riding beast market; they plan to purchase several top-grade riding beasts."

"Top-grade riding beasts?" Young Master Li murmured under his breath.

"Yes, you may withdraw now," Young Master Li instructed.

"Yes." The fat old man dared not even wipe the cold sweat from his forehead as he retreated.

**

At this point, Teng Qingshan and his party arrived at a vast square filled with all manner of wild beasts and animals.

"Three esteemed guests, this is where they sell riding beasts," the guide chirped. "Not just riding beasts; there are big snakes, snow lions, and other fierce creatures here, as well as civet cats and snow-furred dogs that rich young ladies adore."

"Roar~~"

A massive black snake, as thick as a thigh, let out a sudden hiss. Its serpentine, writhing body slammed against the iron cage, the friction between its scales and the metal producing a clang like striking iron. Its cold, chilling eyes fixed on the people outside the cage.

"Ah!" Xiao Ping jumped back in fright.

"It's alright, don't be afraid," the guide walked on without a trace of fear, smiling.

Teng Qingshan looked around at the variety of peculiar beasts. If brought back to his previous life on Earth, most would be rare and unheard-of creatures—some ferocious and terrifying, others docile and cute, and still others that made one's skin crawl. The square teemed with countless beasts.

"This stall specializes in riding beasts; they are the best around here," the guide informed them.

"What kind of riding beast are you looking to buy?" A stout man with small eyes asked with a smile.

"Riding beasts, top-grade ones," Teng Qingshan said lightly. "They should be called Hou, right?"

"Hou?" The small-eyed man beamed with delight. "Please follow me inside." As he spoke, the small-eyed man exchanged a look with the guide, whose eyes also lit up excitedly. He knew clearly... he was about to earn a substantial commission.

They walked past rows of feeding troughs where beasts were tethered.

"We have two Chi Feng Zhan Hou (Red Wind War Hou) here!" The small-eyed man announced. "Each of these Chi Feng Zhan Hou can travel a thousand li in a day and carry loads weighing several thousand catties, even up to ten thousand. You are fortunate to have come now; otherwise, these two Chi Feng Zhan Hou would have already been sold."

Teng Qingshan understood as well.

Riding beasts had greater carrying capacity than horses in the Nine Provinces continent, but their speed was inferior.

Traveling a thousand li in a day—on the Nine Provinces continent, a horse like the Wu Wen Ma (Dark-Patterned Horse) could achieve that. However, a Wu Wen Ma certainly couldn't carry a ten-thousand-catty load.

"Of course, the price is higher. One Chi Feng Zhan Hou costs three thousand taels of white silver!" the small-eyed man stated, while the guide beside him was practically grinning from ear to ear.

"Eh, Mister is here too?" A voice filled with excitement rang out.