A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

Chapter 80: Chapter 79: Protective Secret Talisman

The next day, Lü Zhong headed out at the crack of dawn.

When he arrived at the vendor area, he found someone had already set up their stall.

The stall was run by a couple and their daughter. The husband, a thin man in a Dharma Robe, was meditating with his eyes closed. A slightly plump woman was wiping down the goods on their stall, while a cute little girl with pigtails squatted beside her, curiously sizing up Lü Zhong.

Lü Zhong smiled at the little girl, then his gaze shifted to the goods on the stall. He was slightly taken aback.

’They’re all Protective Jade Talismans? And so many of them?’

He picked one up and asked the woman, ”How many Spirit Stones?”

”Thir... thirty Spirit Stones.” The woman was dressed in fine clothes and seemed inexperienced at running a stall.

Lü Zhong frowned. The price wasn’t cheap; it was even a bit higher than the standard price in the Workshop Market.

A Protective Jade Talisman’s defensive power wasn’t high, not like a Golden Light Talisman that could block a strike from a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Its main advantage was that it could automatically protect its owner without needing to be mentally triggered, activating a shield in times of danger.

Still, that didn’t justify a price of thirty Spirit Stones.

He took another look at the man. His bearing was different from that of a Loose Cultivator; Lü Zhong had only seen a similar quality in disciples of the Golden Rainbow Sect and in Yuo Qing of the Blazing Sword.

In other words, the man was a Sect Disciple.

Recalling the convoy that had entered the city yesterday, Lü Zhong instantly understood.

’It seems he’s a former disciple of the Qingyang Sect.’

He weighed the Jade Token in his hand. It was painted with metallic powder, forming an ornate pattern.

”It’s so expensive. Is this some kind of Secret Talisman?”

The male cultivator, who had been meditating, opened his eyes and sized up Lü Zhong. His gaze swept over Lü Zhong’s Dharma Robe, and his somewhat cold expression instantly softened.

”It seems you are a fellow Daoist who knows his wares. This is indeed a type of Protective Secret Talisman. Its defensive power is about a third of a Golden Light Talisman, so it can’t be compared to that crudely made junk. Are you interested in buying a few?”

Lü Zhong shook his head. That wasn’t what he was after.

’It’s obvious this former Qingyang Sect disciple is desperate for Spirit Stones. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be selling off his Protective Jade Talismans.’

’You can never have too many precious, life-saving items like these.’

”No, I want to buy the method for making this Secret Talisman!”

”You must be joking, fellow Daoist. How could I possibly know how to make such a Secret Talisman?” the man said, his expression unchanging.

Hearing this, Lü Zhong turned to leave, tossing a remark over his shoulder.

”Oh, what a shame...”

But he hadn’t taken more than a few steps before the man’s voice called out from behind him.

”Fellow Daoist, please wait.”

A small smile touched Lü Zhong’s lips as he walked back to the stall.

”Decided to sell it after all?”

The man shook his head with a wry smile and explained, ”I wasn’t trying to deceive you, fellow Daoist. I truly don’t know how to make these Protective Jade Talismans. They were all made by a senior of mine. The only thing I can do is introduce you. Whether you succeed or not will depend on your financial means.”

Lü Zhong nodded in understanding. ”Then please, lead the way.”

”Of course.” The man glanced back at his wife and daughter, instructing, ”Watch the stall. I’ll be right back.”

...

He followed the man all the way to the Sixth Ring.

Large-scale construction was underway, appearing to be the beginnings of a new residential district.

Tents of all sizes had been pitched next to the unfinished buildings. Carts stood nearby, still loaded with supplies. From within the tents, one could occasionally hear soft sobs and the sighs of men.

In a nearby clearing, a group of children played happily, full of life.

His gaze fell on some scratched emblems, and he pulled it back. ’This convoy really is made up of the remnants of the Qingyang Sect,’ he thought. ’I wonder how they got permission from the Golden Rainbow Sect to settle in the Yanling Mountain Market.’

’They must have paid a heavy price.’

The arrival of an outsider naturally drew many stares.

All of them were guarded and wary.

However, the male cultivators busy constructing the houses seemed used to such visitors, merely glancing over before turning their attention back to their work.

They walked along a half-paved flagstone path, crossed a patch of muddy ground, and soon arrived at a larger tent.

Just as they arrived, three people came out, each looking very pleased with their purchases.

Seeing Lü Zhong, they smiled cheerfully and cupped their hands in greeting.

Lü Zhong returned the gesture with a smile, then passed them and entered the tent.

The moment he stepped inside, he was hit by a strong medicinal smell.

The tent was spacious inside, but furnished with only a single mahogany daybed. A white-haired old woman lay upon it, her face covered in age spots.

When a cultivator began to show signs of old age, it meant they did not have long to live.

Two serving girls stood nearby, their eyes red-rimmed.

”Martial Aunt, this fellow Daoist wishes to purchase the method for making Protective Jade Talismans.” Upon seeing the old woman on the daybed, the thin man’s expression became reverent. He cupped his hands and bowed deeply.

’He’s being a bit overly respectful,’ Lü Zhong thought.

’It seems more like genuine reverence.’

’And that title, ”Martial Aunt”...’

’It doesn’t seem appropriate for an old woman whose cultivation is only at the Qi Refining Third Layer.’

”How many times must I tell you? Now that the Qingyang Sect has been disbanded, you shouldn’t call me Martial Aunt anymore.” The old woman gave a few light coughs, waved away the serving girl’s attempt to help, and sat up by herself. She spat a thick glob of phlegm into a spittoon before letting out a long sigh of relief.

She sized up Lü Zhong with clouded eyes, then coughed again, this time spitting out a mouthful of bloody phlegm. She then spoke apologetically, ”As you can see, fellow Daoist, this old woman has some trouble getting around. I cannot teach you the method for making the Jade Talisman directly. I can only write down the instructions for the Protective Jade Talisman.”

For most Independent Cultivator Talisman Makers, self-study from a Talisman Making Book required a huge investment of time and energy, especially if they hadn’t yet mastered the fundamentals of Talisman Making. For this reason, most would choose direct instruction over trying to learn on their own.

For Lü Zhong, however, self-study was not a problem.

So he nodded and said, ”That’s acceptable, but the price should be lower.”

”But of course.”

The old woman slowly held up two fingers. ”The price is firm,” she said slowly. ”Two hundred Spirit Stones.”

Lü Zhong’s heart skipped a beat.

’Two hundred Spirit Stones to learn how to make a Protective Secret Talisman... This was a deal where he wouldn’t lose a thing.’

Unlike the low-profit Evil Exorcism Talisman, the profit margins for making Protective Jade Talismans were extremely high. Even the most common ones could yield a margin of seventy to eighty percent, simply because so few people knew how to make them.

’If I can master it right away, I could make an obscene profit.’

’Even if the method for this Secret Talisman spreads later and more Talisman Makers in the Workshop Market learn how to make it, the profit margin would simply return to normal levels.’

The old woman then suggested they make the trade in three days.

This suited Lü Zhong perfectly, as it was exactly what he had been thinking.

After all, he was short on Spirit Stones and would first need to sell the Demon Beast Materials from yesterday’s hunt to scrape together enough for the Secret Talisman.

As he left the tent, Lü Zhong found someone already waiting outside.

He recognized the man—it was the Shopkeeper of a Pill Shop in the Five Rings. He hadn’t expected to see him here.

In the distance, even more cultivators were approaching.

’Is this what they mean by one family’s fall feeding the entire village?’

Lü Zhong shook his head, not dwelling on it further, and started walking back toward his small, bamboo-ringed courtyard.