A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity-Chapter 81 - 80: New Neighbor

Over the next two days, Lü Zhong sold off the Demon Beast Materials and the Spirit Medicine he had previously gathered.

From the attendant at the purchasing house, he learned that he had killed a Cyan Bear Beast.

This Demon Beast was not in the same family as the Fear Bear, nor was it a regular beast that had undergone Metamorphosis after a stroke of luck. It was a naturally occurring Demon Beast. Consequently, its materials were of superior quality and naturally more valuable than those from beasts that had transformed.

All told, the materials from the Cyan Bear Beast sold for a total of three hundred and ten Spirit Stones.

This was a pleasant surprise.

The sale of the Spirit Medicines, on the other hand, was less eventful.

Aside from the Red Silk Grass, the other Spirit Medicines were appraised as young and didn’t fetch a high price. In total, they sold for thirty-seven Spirit Stones.

On the third day, Lü Zhong made another trip to the Sixth Ring.

A plaque reading "Qingyang Square" now hung there.

To his surprise, though only three days had passed, the old woman he’d made a deal with was already gone. Fortunately, she had finished copying the Talisman Making Book, so it didn’t affect their transaction.

And just like that, he successfully acquired the Talisman Making Book.

...

Another seven or eight peaceful days passed.

On this day, Lü Zhong was at home studying the newly acquired *Qingyang Body Protection Secret Talisman*. He was just getting a headache over the incredibly complex Talisman Core when he suddenly felt a vibration from the token at his waist. Someone outside had triggered the array.

’Strange, who’s out there?’

He went outside, and after dispersing the mists of the array, he saw an unfamiliar Female Cultivator.

She was young and beautiful, her voluptuous figure sheathed in a Dharma Robe that traced her alluring curves.

Before opening the White Cloud Shield, Lü Zhong remembered to use Malice Detection.

’Lust is a sharp blade. I can’t let my guard down.’

There was no response.

Only then did he channel a Technique Mantra into the token, opening a gap in the White Cloud Shield.

"And you are...?"

"I’m your new neighbor; I just moved in next door. I heard that fellow Daoist is a Talisman Maker, and I hope we can look out for each other!" After the Female Cultivator introduced herself, she handed over a small red paper packet and smiled. "This is a bottle of Hemostatic Pills I refined myself. It’s a humble gift; I hope fellow Daoist will accept it!"

’She’s actually an Alchemist?’

’So rich!’

’A bottle of Hemostatic Pills is worth Five Spirit Stones on the market, and she’s just giving it away like that.’

Seeing she wasn’t joking, Lü Zhong had no choice but to take it.

They exchanged names, and he learned that the woman was named Bai Xiaohan and came from the Cangtie Plateau.

After a bit of small talk, Lü Zhong saw her off.

Once the White Cloud Shield was fully restored, his brow furrowed.

’An Alchemist, all alone?’

This didn’t align with what Lü Zhong knew. After all, an Alchemist who had mastered the refining method for even one type of Pill would be a hot commodity anywhere. While they might not have a massive entourage, they would at least have a few attendants.

Why would someone like Bai Xiaohan show up here all by herself?

’How bizarre.’

’Oh well, no use thinking about it.’

Lü Zhong shook his head and went back inside.

As for the bottle of Hemostatic Pills, he wouldn’t dare use it, and casually tossed it into a corner.

Picking up the Talisman Making Book he hadn’t finished, he resumed reading.

As for the Talisman Core of the Protective Secret Talisman, Lü Zhong figured he would need a great deal of practice before he could draw it successfully.

He wasn’t too worried about that, though. With the scene-replaying ability of the Gray Mist Space, he could compare his attempts, promptly identify any mistakes in his Talisman Making, and then correct them.

Lü Zhong had every reason to believe that, when most people had to teach themselves using only a Talisman Making Book, he might not be the fastest Talisman Maker in the Workshop Market to learn the method, but he would definitely be in the first batch to master it.

And that meant he was going to make a killing.

The demand for Protective Secret Talismans should not be underestimated. A Jade Talisman that could automatically protect its owner would have an even bigger market than Evil Exorcism Talismans. Essentially, any cultivator who could afford it would buy one.

After all, no one ever knew when danger might strike.

A tiny Jade Talisman could be the difference between life and death.

Especially since the Qingyang Body Protection Secret Talisman’s defensive power was one-third that of a Golden Light Talisman. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration at all to call it a "lesser Golden Light Talisman." Consequently, its value was naturally higher than a common Protective Jade Talisman.

It was for this very reason that Lü Zhong had been willing to pay such a high price for the Talisman Making Book.

...

「Four months passed in the blink of an eye.」

The Yanling Mountain Market had changed quite a bit with the arrival of the Qingyang Remnant People.

The mortal villages outside the market were the first to be affected. Among these remnants, former disciples of the Qingyang Sect, were many who were brimming with martial prowess; ruthless individuals, each capable of taking on ten men at once.

Some foolish Evil Cultivators made the mistake of provoking them and were completely wiped out by these ruthless individuals.

As a result, the number of merchant caravans passing through the market increased significantly.

Consequently, the general atmosphere in the market improved a great deal.

At least, from what Lü Zhong had personally observed, incidents of theft had noticeably decreased.

Furthermore, among the escaped Qingyang Remnant People were a few skilled in the Hundred Skills of Cultivation.

Such as Talisman Making, Artifact Refining, or Alchemy.

With their arrival, the market price for Evil Exorcism Talismans dropped repeatedly.

After all, the craftsmanship of those Daoist Sect Talisman Makers was truly impressive. Their solid fundamentals allowed them to draw talismans with both speed and stability. The average Independent Cultivator Talisman Maker simply couldn’t compete.

This no longer affected Lü Zhong, however, as he had already stopped making Evil Exorcism Talismans long ago.

...

This afternoon, a gentle spring rain fell outside the window.

Lü Zhong was still practicing Talisman Making, his heart aching with each stroke.

Unlike talismans made from paper or hide, Jade Talismans required a base of Spiritual Jade. The surface had to be flawless, so as not to interfere with the flow of Spiritual Qi.

The raw cost of a single piece of such material was Three Spirit Stones.

Furthermore, the Talisman Ink used for this process was also incredibly valuable.

To make the specialized Talisman Ink, Spirit Stones were ground into powder and mixed with Silver Essence Powder at a ninety-to-one ratio. Turtle Jelly, rendered from a Profound Turtle Shell, was then added, and the three ingredients were stirred until perfectly blended.

Silver Essence was a material used to refine Magical Treasures. Even in small amounts, it was terrifyingly expensive.

The material cost for a single bottle of Talisman Ink, enough for one hundred attempts, was just over a Hundred Spirit Stones.

That meant each attempt cost One Spirit Stone in ink alone.

This was why he was so incredibly cautious with every brushstroke; after all, Spirit Stones were anything but easy to come by.

Once the brush touched the jade, there was no going back.

SWISH, SWISH, SWISH!

Lü Zhong focused, drawing with intense concentration. He completed the Talisman Head with ease, and thanks to his recent research, the Talisman Core also came out perfectly. But as he was drawing the intricate talisman foot, the body of the talisman suddenly flared with light.

He sighed, then used the Talisman Summoning Technique to levitate the Jade Talisman before flicking it out the window.

THUMP! A dull bang sounded.

The Jade Talisman exploded in the open space, blasting another crater into the already pockmarked ground.

Lü Zhong had lost count of his failures. He had sunk hundreds of Spirit Stones into this endeavor, at the very least, but he kept getting stuck at the crucial final step: the talisman foot. No matter what he tried, he couldn’t figure out the correct way to draw it.

’Maybe it’s time for a trip to Qingyang Square.’