Chapter 31: Buying Spiritual Talismans

“Brother Lu, you must be joking. Our hands are not that deep; we are in a rush to gather spirit stones to buy cultivation techniques, so how could we have any surplus to waste on consumable talismans? Those are luxuries only the children of powerful, wealthy clans can afford,” Luo Yuan said, shaking his head with a bitter smile.

Lu Xiaotian also wanted that alchemy furnace; it could be used all the way until he became a high-level alchemist, meaning he wouldn't have to worry about furnaces for a long time. Furthermore, immediately after defeating the black-robed elder, he had begun refining Qi Gathering Pills.

However, he was also worried that if he didn't have enough talismans and failed to eliminate the black-robed elder in one go, he would have already sold off almost everything he owned just to scrape together the hundred-plus spirit stones. If he failed, he wouldn't get a second chance.

He was only at the second level of Qi Refinement and had no way of knowing the true strength of a Great Perfection Qi Refinement cultivator, but Luo Yuan was a sixth-level expert and certainly knew more than him.

Thus, Lu Xiaotian asked, “To be honest with you, Brother Luo, I have an enemy at the Great Perfection of Qi Refinement, likely at the eleventh level. Although he doesn't know my whereabouts, I must buy extra talismans for self-defense just in case. In your opinion, how many talismans would be needed to deal with a Great Perfection expert?”

“A Great Perfection expert?” The color drained from the faces of the siblings upon hearing this.

“Indeed. My master was harmed by him, and the items I hold now are what my master left behind. I didn't originally want to sell them, but I can find no other way to protect myself.”

Lu Xiaotian spoke with a bitter smile. He was not one to lie lightly, but seeing how many people around him had already begun eyeing him like a prize after he sold the cultivation technique and even the mid-grade Essence Pills, he had to find a suitable reason to discourage their ill intentions. Firstly, he wanted to signal to the outside world that these were the only valuables he possessed; secondly, once he exchanged for talismans, he would no longer be an easy target.

Sure enough, hearing Lu Xiaotian's words, a flicker of wariness passed through the eyes of several bystanders. It was unclear whether they feared the Great Perfection expert behind Lu Xiaotian or the massive amount of talismans he intended to acquire.

Luo Yuan thought for a moment and said, “That is hard to say. I am currently at the sixth level of Qi Refinement, so I wouldn't be bothered by three or four ordinary early-stage cultivators. However, if there were one or two more, it would become quite troublesome. It could easily result in mutual destruction; if the opponent has better spiritual tools, I would likely have no choice but to flee in disgrace.”

“By extension, an expert at the eighth or ninth level of the late stage should be able to hold off five or six people like me. A Great Perfection expert might require seven or eight. However, they would likely struggle. As for talismans, although their power is slightly inferior to a cultivator's direct spellcasting, they have the advantage of speed. I estimate it would take one or two hundred low-tier talismans to truly threaten the life of a Great Perfection cultivator.”

“If the opponent possesses powerful defensive spiritual tools, it might be even more difficult.”

“What if the opponent has neither offensive nor defensive spiritual tools?” Lu Xiaotian asked, narrowing his eyes. When he fought Situ Jing, he had been thrown into chaos by just a few low-tier talismans. To think a Great Perfection expert could be so formidable.

“No spiritual tools? How is that possible? If they have none, then it is easier; I estimate about a hundred talismans would be enough to take their life. After all, a cultivator's body is still mortal flesh; even being hit by the lowest-grade Fireball Talisman can cause severe injury,” Luo Yuan said, momentarily stunned.

Hearing this, Lu Xiaotian made his calculations. If he were to face the black-robed elder himself, he had no desire to engage in combat; the man could take his life with a single strike of that golden flying sword. Even with these talismans, they might not be truly effective, at most only wounding the elder. However, since the opponent was currently in a primordial spirit state, he would be easier to deal with than if he were in a physical body. In that case, selling his Earth-element cultivation technique, combined with his current spirit stones, would be sufficient.

“Thank you for clearing my doubts, Brother Luo. Let's do this: I will take this alchemy furnace, but not in exchange for this Earth-element technique. Instead, I will use this Water-element technique.”

“A Water-element technique? We have no need for that,” Luo Yuan said, shaking his head regretfully.

Lu Xiaotian explained, “Hear me out. I mean, you use the spirit stones you have to buy the *True Scripture of Earthly Grace*, and for the remaining balance, you can compensate with other items of equal value. Then, I will use this Water-element technique to trade for your alchemy furnace. Since Miss Luo Qing is also running a stall, if you can't use the Water-element technique, you can sell it; it might actually be easier to sell than an alchemy furnace.”

“So that's how it is. Very well,” Luo Qing agreed quickly. Just as Lu Xiaotian said, a cultivation technique would be easier to sell than her furnace.

Luo Qing spread out her wares on the ground. “You can pick whatever you have your eye on from here.”

“What I want most is naturally spirit stones. I'll keep the Earth-element technique for now. Since there is still some time this afternoon, let's keep the stall open a bit longer. Brother Luo, you should also try to find friends to help gather funds. Regardless of the outcome, I will sell the technique to you by evening,” Lu Xiaotian said.

“That sounds excellent. I shall go gather the spirit stones immediately.”

With an anxious expression, Luo Yuan hurried away like the wind to find acquaintances to help raise the funds.

Taking advantage of the time, Lu Xiaotian helped Luo Qing with the stall, while also asking about matters regarding Moon-Gazing City.

By evening, Luo Yuan returned with a look of joy, having raised another seven spirit stones. However, the stall's performance had not been great; they had only sold one Green Wolf-Hair Brush all afternoon. The siblings counted their earnings and found they only had thirty spirit stones, leaving them three short.

“Should we set up the stall for a bit longer? The night market in Moon-Gazing City is very prosperous; perhaps there are still people looking to buy,” Luo Qing said, somewhat unwilling to give up.

On the stall, there were only a few Green Wolf-Hair Brushes used for drawing talismans and two pieces of Snow Spirit Wood used for talisman ink. Taking one item was worth less than three spirit stones, but taking two would leave her at a loss. Normally, the siblings wouldn't care, but now that they were buying a cultivation technique, they were essentially spending everything they had and were even in debt. In her helplessness, Luo Qing could only be extremely frugal.

“No need. How about this: I'll add one more Green Wolf-Hair Brush, and then we are even,” Lu Xiaotian said with a calm smile, sensing the siblings' awkwardness.

“Then we truly thank you, Brother Lu! We shall surely repay you when the opportunity arises!” Luo Yuan exclaimed with great joy.

Lu Xiaotian returned the gesture with a cupped hand, completed the transaction, and satisfiedly tucked the alchemy furnace into his bag. Combined with his previous savings, he now had a total of one hundred and eight spirit stones, which was enough to buy over a hundred low-tier talismans.

“Sister, if not for your full support, I don't know when I would have been able to buy a suitable technique. Now that we are both penniless, you will likely have to endure some hard days with me.”

After Lu Xiaotian left, Luo Yuan held the *True Scripture of Earthly Grace* to his chest as if it were a precious treasure, though he looked at Luo Qing with a face full of guilt.

Luo Qing, however, smiled with a sense of relief. “We are siblings; why say such things? The path of cultivation is difficult. If it weren't for the coincidence that this Lu Xiaotian had a late-stage Qi Refinement technique, we wouldn't know when we would have gathered enough spirit stones if we had gone to a shop.”

“Besides, I still have one more here that can be sold for dozens of spirit stones. As soon as we sell it, we'll have stones to use,” Luo Qing said, waving the Water-element technique in her hand.

***

“Oh, you've returned, Immortal! How is it? The power of our shop's talismans is quite decent, isn't it?”

The manager of the talisman shop was a plump middle-aged man and a secular martial artist. He had been busy calculating accounts, but his eyes lit up when he saw Lu Xiaotian. To do business, one needed sharp eyes, a good memory, and quick reactions. He remembered Lu Xiaotian had visited in the morning; this was a returning customer.

Lu Xiaotian finally understood why Moon-Gazing City, as a city for rogue cultivators, had so many secular mortals.

One part was indeed the families and relatives of the rogue cultivators in the city. Another group, like the middle-aged manager, performed menial, low-level tasks. Hiring such a manager only required common gold and silver, whereas hiring a cultivator required spirit stones. The difference in cost was incomparable; it was truly a profitable arrangement.

“Mhm. If I buy in bulk, is there a discount?” Lu Xiaotian asked.

“Well, as you know, Immortal, our talismans are clearly priced to ensure fairness to all. There are no discounts,” the middle-aged manager said with a cautious, conciliatory smile. Although cultivators in Moon-Gazing City were forbidden from harming mortals, the manager still held a deep-seated awe for them.

“Other rogue cultivators at the stalls also sell talismans, and their prices are lower, but their quantities are small. I find it too much trouble, which is why I came to your shop. I want to buy nearly a hundred talismans. If your shop doesn't have enough, I'll have to look elsewhere,” Lu Xiaotian said with a frown. When he was stalling with Luo Qing earlier, she had specifically warned him that even in a shop, one could negotiate if buying in large quantities. Lu Xiaotian naturally did not want to be an easy target who spent spirit stones without a fight.

“Nearly a hundred talismans?” The manager was startled and hurriedly said, “Please wait a moment, Immortal. I will go notify the owner of the shop. You can speak directly with the owner then.”

“Fine, I will wait a moment,” Lu Xiaotian nodded.

“Young brother, I am Tian, the owner of this shop. I heard from my manager that you wish to buy nearly a hundred talismans? Is that true?”

Soon, an elderly man with white hair and a kind, benevolent expression emerged from the door behind the shop, asking with a warm smile.

“It is true. Which type of talisman do you have that is most effective against a primordial spirit?” Lu Xiaotian asked.

“The most powerful against a primordial spirit is naturally the Lightning Talisman. Lightning methods dispel evil and have a restraining effect on spirits and ghosts. However, the difficulty of making a Lightning Talisman is much higher than a basic Fireball or Earth Shield talisman, so the price is several times higher. A common low-tier Fireball or Earth Shield talisman costs one low-grade spirit stone, but a low-tier Lightning Talisman costs five.”

The white-haired elder felt a chill in his heart. It was common for cultivators to fight over treasures, and many were killed in the process. However, to specifically buy Lightning Talismans to deal with a fleeing primordial spirit, as this youth intended, was a sign of a truly ruthless temperament.