Longevity with a Turtle

Chapter 67: Chapter 66: Misfortune-Breaking Pill, Storage Pouch

Fifteen minutes later.

Chen Jianghe walked out of the Spirit Talisman Shop, holding an additional thirty-three Spirit Stones and fifteen grains of Spiritual Sand. After deducting the six Spirit Stones for materials, he had a profit of twenty-seven Spirit Stones. However, of the nine Water Arrow Talismans sold, seven had been drawn before his deal with Talisman Master Chu Lang. Thus, he needed to subtract five Spirit Stones from the twenty-seven net profit before splitting the rest equally with Talisman Master Chu. Out of the remaining twenty-two Spirit Stones, he would receive his share of eleven.

Afterward, he went to the material shop and bought three boxes of Spiritual Ink and fifty sheets of High-Quality Yellow Paper, spending four Spirit Stones. His Peach Wood Talisman Pen could still be used nearly three hundred times, so there was no rush to replace it right away. Chen Jianghe calculated his current wealth; after setting aside the eleven Spirit Stones owed to Talisman Master Chu, he still had forty-eight Spirit Stones and one hundred twenty-two grains of Spiritual Sand.

”It’s still early before my appointment with Talisman Master Chu. I’ll head to the Spiritual Pill Shop to ask about the Misfortune-Breaking Pill first,” Chen Jianghe thought. Walking toward the Spiritual Pill Shop across the river, he noticed the pile of construction materials at the entrance. Clearly, the Spiritual Pill Shop was also about to relocate. The Jingyue Treasure Pavilion was the Yun Family’s comprehensive commercial center; the spirit talisman, spirit pill, magical artifact, and puppet shops would all be moved inside. As for the original storefronts, they would be renovated and rented out to other Cultivation Families.

”How can I reserve a Misfortune-Breaking Pill?” Chen Jianghe asked mildly, looking at the charming female Shopkeeper.

”Jingyue Marketplace will soon open to the entire Celestial South Domain. We are no longer accepting reservations for Misfortune-Breaking Pills,” she replied. Over the years, the female Shopkeeper’s makeup had grown noticeably thicker to conceal her developing freckles and wrinkles. She no longer harbored her previous disdain for mortals without Spirit Roots who couldn’t practice Cultivation. Now, whenever she saw Cultivators maintain their youthful appearances decade after decade, she felt nothing but envy. ”However, once Jingyue Marketplace officially opens, the Misfortune-Breaking Pills will be supplied in large quantities. There will be no need for reservations.”

Chen Jianghe nodded. Although the Misfortune-Breaking Pill was a scarce Spirit Pill, it wasn’t exceedingly difficult to refine. If a marketplace couldn’t even supply Misfortune-Breaking Pills, it would be no better than Qiyun Marketplace.

”How much does a Misfortune-Breaking Pill cost?” Chen Jianghe asked awkwardly. He only knew it was a Spirit Pill that helped Cultivators break through the bottleneck of Late-Stage Qi Refining, but he had no idea of its exact price in Spirit Stones.

”The Misfortune-Breaking Pill is a High-Grade Spiritual Pill and a Divine Pill for breaking through bottlenecks. Therefore, it is quite expensive—sixty Spirit Stones each.”

”That expensive!” A hint of shock flashed across Chen Jianghe’s eyes.

The Middle-Grade Spirit Pill, the Qi Storage Pill, only cost five Spirit Stones. How could the Misfortune-Breaking Pill jump straight to sixty Spirit Stones? That price gap was simply too huge!

Walking out of the Spiritual Pill Shop, he acutely felt that he still didn’t have enough Spirit Stones. Fortunately, he didn’t need the Misfortune-Breaking Pill right now, or he genuinely wouldn’t be able to afford it. He hadn’t come to the Spiritual Pill Shop to buy pills today anyway; he merely wanted to inquire about the price of the Tribulation Pill. He still had one Qi Storage Pill left, which would be just right to consume around June or July of the coming year.

Afterward, he went to the Medicinal Material Shop, spent four Spirit Stones on a Spirit-Encompassing Flower for Little Black, and then headed to the Magic Artifact Shop.

Stepping inside the Magic Artifact Shop, he found it wasn’t the dazzling display of Magical Artifacts he had imagined. Not a single Magical Artifact was on display. The empty counters weren’t even made of crystal, making it obvious that they were merely for show.

”Fellow Daoist, what would you like to buy? An Attack Spiritual Artifact or a Defensive Spiritual Artifact?” A plump young man approached him with a beaming smile. He was around five foot seven and weighed about two hundred pounds, dressed in silk with a golden cloud embroidered on his chest.

”A Cultivator?” Chen Jianghe thought. He looked at the fat Shopkeeper approaching him. The man actually emanated fluctuations of Magical Power, clearly indicating he was a Cultivator. This was Chen Jianghe’s first time seeing a Cultivator working as a Shopkeeper in one of the Yun Family’s businesses. Judging by the aura of his Magical Power, he should be a Mid-Stage Qi Refining Cultivator.

”I would like to inquire about the price of a Storage Pouch,” Chen Jianghe asked, cupping his hands in greeting.

”The prices of Storage Pouches vary depending on their spatial capacity. Currently, our shop only stocks Storage Pouches with capacities ranging from one to ten cubic meters.” The plump young Shopkeeper didn’t immediately quote the price for the lowest-tier Storage Pouch. Instead, he listed the available sizes, leaving it to Chen Jianghe to specify which one he wanted. It was a tactful way to help a customer avoid the embarrassment of a tight budget.

”How much is a one-cubic-meter Storage Pouch?” Chen Jianghe asked. One cubic meter was roughly the size of a household washing machine, which was more than enough for his current needs.

”One hundred Spirit Stones, though occasionally there might be a premium—but it will never exceed thirty percent,” the Magic Artifact Shop Shopkeeper replied, giving Chen Jianghe a quick look before adding, ”The Yun Family has a policy: all Honored Guest Elders and Senior Fishermen and Farmers enjoy a five percent discount on Magical Artifacts.”

”Uh, I’ll think about it.”

”No problem. We look forward to your next visit, Fellow Daoist.”

Chen Jianghe fled the Magic Artifact Shop in a rather pathetic manner, lamenting inwardly that such places truly weren’t meant for bottom-tier Cultivators. He had anticipated that Storage Pouches would be expensive, but he never imagined they would be this exorbitant. A mere one-cubic-meter Storage Pouch demanded a hundred Spirit Stones, and the price even fluctuated with the market. Let alone a five percent discount—even with a fifty percent discount, he still couldn’t afford it right now.

However, it had to be said that the Yun Family treated its retainers quite well, offering a five percent discount on Magical Artifacts. This was likely a precedent in the entire Celestial South Domain.

”The Yun Family truly values Daniu!” Chen Jianghe thought. He remembered that Yu Daniu had a Storage Pouch of his own, though he didn’t know if the family had rewarded it to him, or if Daniu had taken it from his wife.

”It seems that unless my Talisman Dao Skills reach Tier One Middle Grade, it’ll be difficult to shake off the label of a bottom-tier Cultivator. I shouldn’t even dream about Magical Artifacts right now, especially Special Spiritual Artifacts like Storage Pouches.”

After purchasing the Spirit-Encompassing Flower, he only had forty-four Spirit Stones left. Unless the Yun Family slashed the price by over half, he was out of luck—and no business could survive operating like that. Furthermore, Yu Daniu had sent him a letter two months ago, urging him to hoard his Spirit Stones and avoid any unnecessary expenses. This was precisely why he hadn’t bought more Qi Storage Pills or Spirit-Encompassing Flowers. Yu Daniu had mentioned in his letter that there would be a significant opportunity when Jingyue Marketplace officially opened and the Hundred Treasures Tower commenced operations. But to seize it, he needed ample Spirit Stones on hand.

He walked out of Zhonglou Street and headed toward Tingyu Pavilion, which was located near the residential area. It was a pleasant promenade by the river, complete with several pavilions designed for listening to the rain and enjoying the scenic view. This very Tingyu Pavilion in the promenade was the meeting place he had agreed upon with Talisman Master Chu Lang, and the time was set for 1:15 PM. With the time drawing near, he planned to arrive early to wait. After all, Talisman Master Chu was a High-Grade Talisman Master—a senior in the Cultivation Realm who held considerable status in the Yun Family, vastly outranking a Senior Fisherman and Farmer like him.

However, upon arriving at Tingyu Pavilion, he was surprised to see that Talisman Master Chu was already there, engaged in a hushed conversation with an elderly man in luxurious robes.

He walked into the promenade and, when he was thirty feet away from Tingyu Pavilion, called out, ”Talisman Master Chu.”