Chapter 183: Chapter 40: Final Preparations Before Advancing to Tai Chi, Part 2

Therefore, a one-week period was already quite long and expensive. It was the most reasonable timeframe they had settled on to maximize their profits.

After all, it cost one hundred and twenty-five Spirit Stones each time!

The two of them chatted for a while longer before Zhang Deming paid, received the access card for the Restriction, and returned to his Cave Mansion.

This place also had a small courtyard, two plots of Spirit Fields, and a Non-Star Spiritual Spring, which was quite a bit better than the one at Little Qing Mountain.

"Experience Points +1"

"Experience Points +1"

"..."

Zhang Deming felt the Cultivation Technique constantly circulating within him and his Experience Points steadily rising. Lying in the small courtyard, he couldn’t help but smile.

Since Zhang Deming had made arrangements before coming to Celestial Spirit City, he settled directly into the Cave Mansion.

He stayed for three days—three lazy, idle days.

His Experience Points increased by nearly fifteen hundred. For some reason, Zhang Deming always loved to stare at his Experience Points, enjoying the feeling of watching the number tick up bit by bit.

Early this particular morning, Zhang Deming arrived at the Hundred Refinement Tower. The clerk had an excellent memory.

The moment Zhang Deming entered the building, the clerk who had helped him before immediately came forward and expertly led him to a reception room.

After a short wait, Ling Anfu walked out carrying a small, exquisite box, a pleased expression on his face.

Seeing this, Zhang Deming breathed a sigh of relief.

Ling Anfu came over to Zhang Deming, gently opened the small box, placed it in front of him, and said,

"I’m glad to say I didn’t disappoint. It was a success. I measured it; it has 3.65 cubic meters of space."

Zhang Deming paid Ling Anfu no mind; his entire Heart Spirit was captivated by the object in the box.

Ling Anfu didn’t mind. As a Cultivator, he understood the appeal of such an item.

There are three great auxiliary treasures for a Cultivator: Storage Objects, a Personal Cave Mansion, and a Transportation Artifact.

Storage bags hold the top spot, followed by Transportation Artifacts. As for Personal Cave Mansions... well, those are luxury items.

Zhang Deming stared intently at the object in the box. Inside the exquisite little wooden box lay a palm-sized bag.

It resembled a sachet, purse-like in shape, and looked completely ordinary. There was no trace of the stomach it was made from.

"Since the material was a stomach, I performed some surface treatments on it; otherwise, it would have been quite unsightly.

After all, storage bags are typically carried on one’s person, so appearances must be taken into account.

Of course, keeping in mind your request for it to be low-key, Fellow Daoist, I made it look quite ordinary.

However, to ensure it would match various outfits, I applied a special Refining process to its exterior.

I referenced a total of five popular pouch designs, so it should be suitable for most occasions."

As Ling Anfu spoke, he reached out and lightly tapped a special node on the pouch in Zhang Deming’s hand.

Right before Zhang Deming’s eyes, the lines on the pouch’s surface automatically began to reweave themselves.

It transformed from an ordinary little gray bag into a verdant green one. Zhang Deming could even sense the aura of the vines he had previously created emanating from it.

Ling Anfu paused. Seeing the delight on Zhang Deming’s face, he tapped it again.

Just like that, the storage bag changed its appearance five times in front of Zhang Deming.

Ling Anfu chuckled. "There are only five designs in total. Any more than that without charging extra, and I’d be losing money. That’s no way to do business."

Zhang Deming held the storage bag, unable to put it down. ’He truly lives up to his name as a Two-Star Artifact Refiner.’

’Setting aside everything else, this attention to detail alone is worthy of his rank.’ 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

’Compared to him, I finally understand why that bunch of Artifact Refiners from Little Hui Peak are all struggling, stuck at the Entry Level.’

’Look at this guy! I only asked for a low-key storage bag and didn’t mention any other requirements.’

’And he went ahead and created five different styles, even considering how to match them with clothes for different occasions. He thought of everything.’

’With such a huge difference, how could he not be a Two-Star? How could his business not be booming!’

Ling Anfu glanced at Zhang Deming and asked, "Are you satisfied, Fellow Daoist?"

Zhang Deming, still admiring the storage bag, nodded after a moment and said,

"Satisfied. Very satisfied. Fellow Daoist Ling, you truly are a renowned Two-Star Artifact Refiner. Your skill is profound, and your reputation is well-deserved."

Ling Anfu clearly enjoyed such heartfelt praise from Zhang Deming, and an unconscious smile spread across his face.

After a long moment, Zhang Deming finally hung the storage bag at his waist, where it looked just like a regular pouch.

"How much is it?" Zhang Deming asked.

Ling Anfu replied with a smile, "As we agreed, fifty Spirit Stones."

Zhang Deming nodded and took out his Spirit Card. "It’s a Spirit Card from the Hongmeng Spirit Manor. Can you process it here? If not, I’ll have to go withdraw the Spirit Stones first."

Ling Anfu smiled. "Of course we can."

With that, Zhang Deming paid his bill.

The two chatted for another moment before Zhang Deming stood up to leave.

"If you have any needs in the future, Fellow Daoist, feel free to come find me. For anything up to the Two-Star level, I guarantee your satisfaction," Ling Anfu said as they parted ways.

Zhang Deming nodded and said, "With your level of craftsmanship, I’ll definitely seek you out next time, Fellow Daoist Ling."

After bidding farewell to Ling Anfu, he left the Hundred Refinement Tower.

In just a few short days, Zhang Deming had gained quite a lot. However, his recently fattened purse, without a single Spirit Stone being spent on Cultivation, was now flat again.

His savings of two hundred and forty-five Spirit Stones had dwindled to just seventy in a few days.

’So it’s true,’ he thought, ’no matter how many Spirit Stones you have, it’s never enough.’

However, thanks to Zhang Deming’s last message, Qu Qizhong had organized a promotion. The twenty Spirit Nurturing Beads would likely sell out by tomorrow, which meant another influx of cash.

The most urgent task at hand was to make more Spirit Nurturing Beads.

Therefore, Zhang Deming didn’t return to his Cave Mansion. Instead, he hurried on his way, heading directly back to Qingyou Pool.

He notified Qin Shizhong to make a delivery, and a large one at that.

Since Zhang Deming had given him a heads-up before leaving for Celestial Spirit City, Qin Shizhong had prepared plenty of materials.

The previous debt of over eighty Spirit Stones, after deducting the payment for the last shipment, was converted directly into materials.

Zhang Deming only stopped receiving materials when he estimated his new storage bag was full.

Having stuffed it with over a hundred Spirit Stones’ worth of materials, Zhang Deming finally stopped.

Qin Shizhong, for his part, was flushed with excitement. This transaction of over a hundred Spirit Stones meant that the next time they settled accounts, not only would the current debt be cleared, but he would also pocket several dozen Spirit Stones.

Not only was he earning a good amount, but this also marked an expansion of his business. He was slowly evolving from a small-time stall vendor into a channel supplier.

He could almost see his severed path of Tai Chi reopening before him, right within his grasp.

After filling his storage bag, Zhang Deming was anxious. Every hour he delayed was a loss of twenty Experience Points—a loss worth a full two Spirit Stones.

Therefore, Zhang Deming delayed no further and directly summoned Zong En.

"Brother Ming, is something the matter?" Zong En was still the same as always, but the easy familiarity between them was gone, replaced by a slight distance.

Zong En had been guarding the entrance to the Outer Sect’s array for only a short time, but both he and Zhang Deming could feel a distance beginning to form between them.

And as Zhang Deming’s social circles changed, this gap was bound to grow wider and wider.

Zhang Deming knew this was inevitable.

"I need to go into seclusion for the next two months, so you probably won’t be seeing much of me.

I’m leaving Qingyou Pool in your care. Keep a close eye on the servants under you and make sure no trouble breaks out.

If you’re ever unsure of what to do, think about how Steward Feng used to handle things. If you really can’t manage, just send me a message.

You’re not a child anymore. None of those young ones below you are older than you are. You need to be more attentive," Zhang Deming said.

Zong En nodded. "I know. Don’t worry and go into your seclusion, Brother Ming. I’ll take good care of Qingyou Pool."

Zhang Deming nodded, gave Zong En a few more instructions, and then said no more.

He left Qingyou Pool and returned directly to his rented Cave Mansion in Celestial Spirit City.

Feeling his Spiritual Power begin to circulate at high speed once more, Zhang Deming let out a long sigh of relief.

He had grown accustomed to the rapid growth of his Cultivation. Whenever he left the Cave Mansion, he felt like something was missing, and he was always anxious to get back as soon as possible.