Leaving Duobao Pavilion, Lin Zhou's expression remained calm.
He never expected fair trade from a large store that so obviously judged customers by their appearance. His visit was merely to experience it firsthand, confirm his memories, and see if there were any other opportunities.
The outcome was not surprising.
"Large stores bullying customers is a constant throughout history. Cultivation level, financial resources, and background are the most straightforward thresholds in this Immortal Realm. The world of cultivation also values influence and connections!"
Lin Zhou understood this perfectly, his feet never stopping as he walked towards another street from his memory.
He did not feel aggrieved by this. Anger stems from the inability to change things, and he possessed the Foundation to change everything; he just needed time.
The forbearance and caution of the present moment were merely a necessary period of dormancy on the path of growth.
Before long, he stopped in front of a shop named 'Fu Yuan Hall.'
The storefront was not large, decorated in a simple, antique style. The wooden plaque, smoothed by the passage of time, appeared warm and polished.
The interior was brightly lit, with neat shelves. The variety of goods seemed less comprehensive than Duobao Pavilion's, but it had the advantage of being quiet and peaceful.
Behind the counter, an old man with a goatee and a lean face was fiddling with a brass abacus, his cultivation level around the Sixth Level of Qi Refining.
Lin Zhou stepped inside, softening his footsteps.
Hearing the sound, the old man lifted his eyelids slightly. Seeing a young Loose Cultivator, his gaze was placid, neither enthusiastic nor contemptuous. He simply stopped moving the abacus beads.
"Shopkeeper, do you purchase Talismans?" Lin Zhou walked up to the counter, his voice even.
"I do," the old man replied succinctly, his gaze settling on Lin Zhou.
"First-grade Low Grade Cleaning Talisman, half a Spirit Stone; Medium Grade, one. First-grade Low Grade fireball talisman, two Spirit Stones; Medium Grade, four. First-grade Low Grade golden body talisman, two and a half Spirit Stones; Medium Grade, five. Unstable spiritual power or flawed runes will result in a discounted price."
The quote was clear and direct, completely different from the spiel of the Duobao Pavilion assistant.
Lin Zhou nodded. Although this price was slightly lower than the rumors in the miscellaneous market, it was a normal shop purchase price and still relatively fair.
He once again took out those seven Talismans and gently placed them on the counter.
The old man picked up the Talismans, examining each one carefully.
His method differed from the assistant's. It wasn't for show. He concentrated a trace of barely perceptible spiritual power at his fingertip, lightly brushing it over the key nodes of the runes, sensing their spiritual power flow and stability. He also held them up to the light to observe the continuity of the rune outlines and the uniformity of the cinnabar penetration.
A moment later, he put down the Talismans and looked at Lin Zhou:
"Two Medium Grade fireball talismans, two Low Grade; one Medium Grade golden body talisman, two Low Grade. Medium Grade fireball talismans are four Spirit Stones each, Low Grade are two; Medium Grade golden body talismans are five Spirit Stones each, Low Grade are three. Total... twenty-six Low-Grade Spirit Stones. Correct?"
"The shopkeeper's Wisdom Eye is sharp; that is indeed the number," Lin Zhou said.
Without another word, the old man took twenty-six standard-format Spirit Stones emitting faint spiritual light from his Storage Pouch and pushed them in front of Lin Zhou.
"Take care of the Spirit Stones. Young friend, your Talisman-making skill is quite good. The spiritual power is stable, the runes are proper. If you have more, you can come again."
"Thank you, Shopkeeper," Lin Zhou said, putting away the Spirit Stones.
He didn't leave immediately. Instead, after a brief moment of contemplation, he looked at the old man again, his tone frank:
"The shopkeeper is fair and discerning. This Junior indeed has some more Talismans, of slightly better quality than those just now. I wonder if the shopkeeper can still take them?"
Hearing this, the old man lifted his eyelids again, a glint of interest appearing in his gaze. "Oh? Let's see."
Only then did Lin Zhou take out two other small cloth bundles from his robe. Unwrapping them revealed neatly stacked Talismans inside.
One stack was fireball talismans, the other golden body talismans. The quantity was noticeably larger than before, and the spiritual light shimmering on them was significantly fuller and more restrained.
The old man's expression became somewhat more solemn. He reached out and took them, examining them even more meticulously this time.
He first picked up a fireball talisman, his fingertip's spiritual light lightly touching the core of the runes. He closed his eyes to sense for a moment, a flicker of surprise passing through his eyes.
Then he checked several more in succession. Putting down the fireball talismans, he picked up the golden body talismans and repeated the process.
After a long while, he put down the last Talisman. The look in his eyes when he regarded Lin Zhou was now different, containing more scrutiny and regard.
"Nine Medium Grade fireball talismans, ten Medium Grade golden body talismans."
He paused, his tone carrying a trace of barely perceptible admiration,
"Nine high-grade fireball talisman, nine high-grade fireball talisman. Young friend... you are truly remarkable."
"High Grade Talismans are already rare among the first-grade. Especially this golden body talisman—the spiritual power infusion is uniform and sustained, the defensive activation swift, the rune outlines smooth and unimpeded, approaching perfection."
The old man commented, this time not simply giving a price but adopting a tone of appreciation.
"A high-grade fireball talisman can fetch a market price of ten to twelve Spirit Stones; a golden body talisman, twelve to fifteen. My shop is small, but in business, I believe in steady, long-term flow. For high-grade fireball talismans, I will purchase them at eleven Spirit Stones each; High Grade golden body talismans, at thirteen each. Medium and Low Grade prices as before. What does the young friend think?"
This price was already very generous among shop purchase prices. Clearly, the old man genuinely wished to befriend this young Talisman master with astonishing skill.
Lin Zhou calculated briefly and nodded. "The shopkeeper is generous. Let's go with that price."
"Nine Medium Grade fireball talismans, thirty-six Spirit Stones; ten Medium Grade golden body talismans, fifty Spirit Stones," the old man said, fiddling with his abacus while doing mental arithmetic. "Nine high-grade fireball talisman, ninety-nine Spirit Stones; nine high-grade fireball talisman, one hundred and seventeen Spirit Stones. Total..."
His fingers kept moving, quickly arriving at the result. "A total of three hundred and two Low-Grade Spirit Stones."
Over three hundred Spirit Stones was an absolute fortune for a Loose Cultivator at the Fourth Layer of Qi Refining.
Lin Zhou's heart also stirred. He cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for the shopkeeper's tally."
The old man counted out the Spirit Stones and handed them to Lin Zhou.
"Young friend, please count them."
Lin Zhou swept his Divine Sense over them. The number was correct.
He put away the Spirit Stones, feeling much more settled inside.
This sum of Spirit Stones was enough to support his cultivation and plans for the coming period.
"The number is correct. Thank you, Shopkeeper," Lin Zhou thanked him again, this time his tone carrying a bit more sincerity.
"You're too polite, young friend," the old man waved his hand, a slight smile appearing on his face. "This old man's surname is Chen; I am the shopkeeper here. If you ever have more Talismans to sell in the future, or need to purchase Materials, feel free to come find me. Price and credibility, I guarantee your satisfaction."
"Shopkeeper Chen," Lin Zhou readily adapted, changing his form of address. "This Junior is Lin Feiyu. I will likely have to trouble the shopkeeper in the future."
"Of course, of course," Shopkeeper Chen's smile broadened, clearly quite satisfied with this transaction and this young collaborator.
Lin Zhou said, "This Junior would also like to purchase some Talisman-making Materials. Does your esteemed shop have any?"
"We do," the old man replied, taking out several stacks of Talisman paper, several boxes of cinnabar, and several Talisman brushes from under the counter.
"Ordinary Green Mulberry Talisman Paper, one stack of two hundred sheets, two Spirit Stones. Bloodthread Cinnabar, one box usable for about two hundred applications, three Spirit Stones. Wolf Hair Talisman Brush, the most basic kind, five Spirit Stones each."
Not expensive. Lin Zhou decided to buy in bulk.
With his Golden Finger, the success rate was one hundred percent.
What he lacked most at the moment was means of self-preservation, and making Talismans was very suitable.
Hundreds of fireball talismans activated simultaneously, creating a Firepower Coverage (firepower coverage) — what Qi Refining Cultivator could withstand that?
When short on Spirit Stones, he could just keep selling Talismans.
They could be used for himself or sold.
The Dao of Talismans seemed tailor-made for him.
"Twenty stacks of Talisman paper, twenty boxes of Bloodthread Cinnabar, two Wolf Hair Talisman Brushes."
Having made his decision, he asked further,
"Shopkeeper Chen, does the shop have any Medicinal Pills suitable for Cultivators at the Middle Stage of Qi Refining to aid in Cultivation? Also, are there any methods for altering appearance and concealing aura for sale?"
Hearing this, Shopkeeper Chen looked at Lin Zhou strangely but didn't say much.
"For pills, there's 'qi gathering pill,' suitable for refining cultivation during the Middle Stage of Qi Refining, with mild medicinal properties. One bottle of ten pills, fifteen Spirit Stones. For methods to alter appearance and conceal aura, there are 'Illusionary Form Art' for seventy Spirit Stones and 'Breath Concealment Art' for thirty."
Lin Zhou calculated mentally. Buying the Talisman-making Materials and the two arts would only leave enough for one bottle of pills, with thirteen Spirit Stones remaining.
After a trip to the market, his Storage Pouch only had a dozen or so more Spirit Stones.
However, Lin Zhou wasn't annoyed. Converting Spirit Stones into cultivation resources was the way to rapidly Enhance strength (enhance strength). At this stage, hoarding Spirit Stones would be the most foolish course of action.
Having figured this out, Lin Zhou told Shopkeeper Chen the items he wanted to buy.
"Including the Talisman-making Materials, the total is three hundred and fifteen Spirit Stones," the old man calculated swiftly.
Lin Zhou paid the Spirit Stones, carefully receiving and storing the items.
The transaction completed, Lin Zhou was about to take his leave when the old man suddenly spoke again, lowering his voice slightly:
"Young friend, seeing you are a sensible person, this old man will offer some unsolicited advice. Recently, the market hasn't been peaceful. Outside the city also seems less than tranquil. If not necessary, try not to stray far from the range of the market's Formation, and be especially careful at night. Cultivation level is the fundamental thing."
These words carried a rare kindness.
Lin Zhou solemnly cupped his hands. "Thank you for the advice, Senior. This Junior will remember it."
Leaving Fu Yuan Hall, Lin Zhou, carrying the mere thirteen remaining Spirit Stones and the newly purchased supplies, did not delay. He quickly retraced his steps along the path he came.
Returning to that simple thatched hut, he closed the door, shutting out the outside world's disturbances.
Lin Zhou took out the Talisman-making Materials and began drawing fireball talismans and golden body talismans.
Only sufficient strength and firepower (firepower) could put his mind at ease.