Chapter 52: Everything is Left Unsaid

"Brother Luo Chen, this is the wooden board I prepared for you. If you attach it to the stall, no one will bother you about it."

Chen Shuyi carried out a large wooden board from behind and set it steadily against one side of the bluestone slab.

"Thanks, little Shuyi! Here, have this."

Luo Chen grabbed a handful of roasted immortal beans from his storage bag and stuffed them into the girl's hands.

Chen Shuyi's eyes lit up. She popped one into her mouth, chewing it with a loud, rhythmic crunch.

"Mmm, as expected, Brother Luo Chen's snacks are the best!"

In the past, most of the snacks Luo Chen gave to Old Taoist Chen were actually taken home for his granddaughter to eat. Otherwise, why would a man in his sixties constantly be thinking about Luo Chen's spicy beef jerky?

Seeing the girl looking so satisfied and blissful, Luo Chen smiled.

While arranging the jade bottles of pills, he asked curiously, "Has business been good lately? I see you've set out so many talisman skins. How many can you sell in a day?"

At the mention of business, Old Taoist Chen instantly perked up.

"You brat, you haven't been going out much lately, have you?"

"What do you mean?"

"The foot traffic in the Dahe Market has at least doubled compared to before!" Old Taoist Chen pointed toward the bustling market. "There are simply too many visiting cultivators. The Yuding Sword Pavilion has even specially opened several trading points in the inner and outer cities. In their words, this is a grand trading fair facing the five major markets."

Under his explanation, Luo Chen finally understood the changes in Dahe Market during this period and the impact it had on local cultivators.

Business was incredibly easy to do!

Perhaps because it was close to the Million Mountains, the various cultivation resources here in the Dahe Market were distinctly different from those in the mainland. When visiting cultivators arrived, they often felt a sense of excitement and bought large quantities. Similarly, those visitors would also set up stalls to sell things they had brought with them.

Old Taoist Chen's business had been exceptionally booming lately!

It wasn't the talisman business, but his other specialty—talisman skins!

Talisman making involves many aspects: talisman pens, cinnabar, beast blood, and talisman skins. Talisman skins are further divided into paper skins, wood skins, beast skins, and so on. Among them, skins made from beast hides are prized for their massive capacity to hold spiritual energy; talismans drawn on such skins often possess immense power.

Coincidentally, Old Taoist Chen specialized in making talisman skins from beast hides. The reason was simply that being close to the Million Mountains made various demon beast hides very easy to purchase. When visiting cultivators saw the high-quality skins he produced, they either wouldn't buy at all, or they would buy in massive bulk.

Looking at Old Taoist Chen's bloodshot eyes, his calloused hands, and even the lingering, unshakeable stench of raw meat on his body, Luo Chen knew that the old man had likely been working frantically to produce skins lately.

To the point where their previously shared stall was now completely filled with talisman skins. Even his granddaughter, who usually stayed at home, had been brought out to help sell things.

With Luo Chen's instinct for spirit stones and business, he instantly realized that this was also a golden opportunity for him. If he missed this window, such a chance might not come again for a long time!

"A pity I was too much of a homebody before and found out too late. Otherwise, I would have stayed up late to refine a few more batches of pills."

"Fortunately, my Proficient-level Zhongmiao Pill alchemy allowed me to succeed nine times in the last half month. I have as many as ninety Zhongmiao Pills on hand!"

Luo Chen was not the type to complain about fate; even if he did occasionally, he would quickly adjust his mindset. At this moment, he adjusted his attitude and laid out all his Inedia Pills and Zhongmiao Pills.

It must be said that the wooden board prepared by little Shuyi was large enough. It had more than enough space for him to display nearly two hundred jade bottles.

However, this was only due to the current relaxed market management; the Yuding Sword Pavilion wouldn't bother them. Under normal circumstances, Luo Chen would have had to pay another spirit stone for the stall fee.

After arranging the pills, Luo Chen felt it wasn't enough. After a moment's thought, he took out a brush and briskly wrote several large characters on a piece of white cloth.

As he hung it in front of the stall, Chen Shuyi read it out loud, word for word

"Zhongmiao Divine Pills: Manifesting a Man's Virility!"

"Go away, go away! You shameless girl!"

Chen Xiuping hurriedly pulled the little girl aside, his eyes red as he glared fiercely at Luo Chen.

Luo Chen didn't care. In fact, as the sun rose and more people arrived, he even began to shout his wares loudly.

"Look over here! Look over here! Cultivation life is truly brilliant!"

It had to be said that a cultivator as shameless as him, shouting loudly like that, was very rare in today's relatively conservative social atmosphere. But precisely because of this, he quickly attracted a crowd of cultivators, mostly outsiders.

"What kind of pill is this?"

"Manifesting a man's virility? Hmph, we cultivators, why would we... why would we need such a thing!"

"Is it really as good as you say?"

"Ahem, it's not that I want to buy it, it's just that I have a friend... he was in a battle and suffered some... ahem, you understand. Give me five bottles!"

"I'll take one. I want to see what the 'specialty' of Dahe Market pills actually is."

After one group finished buying, Luo Chen didn't even take a sip of water before shouting loudly again.

"Come walk by, come take a look! The Zhongmiao Pills that used to cost eight or nine pieces are now on sale!"

"To give back to our loyal customers and to welcome fellow Daoists from afar, we are introducing Mid-grade Zhongmiao Pills for only five spirit stones!"

"That's right, you heard me correctly. Our Zhongmiao Pills: upgraded quality, no price increase! Five spirit stones—you won't lose out, and you won't be cheated!"

A crowd swarmed around again!

Pushed into the corner, the young girl Chen Shuyi watched, dumbfounded. In the past, when she heard her grandfather say how shameless his fellow stallholders were, she thought he was just being judgmental and looking down on everyone. Now, seeing this, was her prejudice against her stingy grandfather too deep?

She wanted to apologize to him. But when she looked back, she saw her grandfather's old face flushed red, his lips trembling as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.

Chen Shuyi had been clever and sensible since childhood, and was even quite empathetic. Seeing this, she immediately comforted him, "Grandpa, don't be angry. That's just how business is. It's not disgraceful."

Old Taoist Chen's eyes lit up, and he gently rubbed the little girl's head.

"Yes, my little Shuyi is right. Doing business is about earning cultivation resources. It's not disgraceful!"

Then, under Chen Shuyi's shocked gaze, Old Taoist Chen gathered his qi in his dantian and roared out

"Passing by? Don't miss out!"

"High-quality talisman skins here!"

"Talisman skins tanned from fresh beast hides! They can withstand at least three failed attempts by any beginner! Only ten spirit stones per bundle!"

"Absolutely fresh! Still dripping with blood and covered in demon beast meat!"

Before long, a crowd also gathered in front of the bluestone stall. Within these two small stalls, there was suddenly a scene of bustling crowds.

Amidst the excitement, Luo Chen turned his head, and as if sharing a telepathic connection, Old Taoist Chen turned his head as well.

The two looked at each other and smiled; everything was understood without a word.

(End of Chapter)