Name: Zheng Tu Realm: Qi Refining Level 9 Talents: Talisman Control (Blue), Lightning Palm (Blue)
Su Hao stared at the information floating above the black-robed young man.
It had only been a while since they last met, yet this man's strength had already broken through to Qi Refining Level 9.
Back then, at the Life and Death Arena, Su Hao had been blasted away by Zheng Tu after standing on the arena for a while.
Su Hao had never forgotten that humiliation.
He remembered even more clearly how Zheng Tu had used a vast number of Lightning Talismans to kill He Tieniu, who had been one minor realm higher.
This man's talent in talismans—especially lightning-type talismans—was extraordinarily high. It was said that he was the only talisman master in the outer sect capable of making lightning-type talismans.
With Zheng Tu's strength and status, there was no need for him to sneak around and set up a stall in the marketplace.
Su Hao had no backing and feared that possessing a treasure would bring disaster. Worried that others might target his talent in alchemy or expose his crimes, he could only keep as low a profile as possible.
But Zheng Tu had no reason to hide his identity.
Who in the outer sect didn't know about Zheng Tu's talent in the talisman path and cultivation? It even surpassed Lin Zhi Shan's.
If he wanted to sell talismans, he would never lack buyers. All he had to do was spread the word, and many cultivators would fight to come knocking and buy his talismans.
This man was now dressed from head to toe in disguise and wearing a special mask that concealed his aura and blurred his features.
But that couldn't fool Su Hao.
Of all the cultivators Su Hao had encountered along the way through the marketplace, he had yet to meet anyone capable of concealing themselves from his probing.
"Fellow Daoist, if you're not buying talismans, don't block the way. You're affecting my business."
Zheng Tu's voice was hoarse. For some reason, Su Hao's stare irritated him. Could this person have recognized me?
Su Hao smiled and glanced over the stall, where five different talismans were displayed, one of each.
Fireball Talismans, Vine Thorn Talismans, Vajra Talismans, Spirit-Calming Talismans, and Sharp Gold Talismans.
Zheng Tu excelled at lightning-type talismans, yet the ones he was selling belonged to other elements. They were all beginner talismans, suitable for cultivators from Qi Refining Level 1 to Level 3.
Against stronger enemies, their power was simply inadequate.
"Do you have any other talismans?" Su Hao asked.
Zheng Tu answered impatiently, "If I had other talismans, I would naturally have displayed them."
"Senior Brother, I need lightning-type talismans." Seeing this, Su Hao simply gave a further hint that he had already seen through Zheng Tu's identity.
"You..." Zheng Tu's expression shifted slightly. "Junior Brother, are you deaf? I already told you, these are all the beginner talismans I have!"
"Haha, Senior Brother, among all the senior and junior brothers in the outer sect, only you have the ability to make them. I sincerely want to..."
Before Su Hao could finish speaking,
Zheng Tu had already risen to his feet. Certain that his identity had been exposed, his face turned exceedingly gloomy. "Junior Brother, this isn't the place to talk. Shall we go somewhere else?"
"Just what I wanted." Su Hao nodded.
Zheng Tu quickly packed up his stall and strode toward a soundproof chamber nearby.
Soundproof chambers with isolation arrays weren't cheap either—three spirit stones for the time it took an incense stick to burn.
"How should I address this Junior Brother, and how did you recognize me?" Once inside the chamber, Zheng Tu removed his mask and stared at Su Hao.
"I have my own methods. Senior Brother Zheng needn't panic." Su Hao had no intention of removing his disguise.
"You..." Zheng Tu checked again and again, sensing only the spiritual power fluctuations of Qi Refining Level 4 from Su Hao.
But if that was all the strength he had, how could he dare expose Zheng Tu's identity?
He couldn't help but think of He Tieniu.
He Tieniu's ability to conceal himself and restrain his aura was unquestionably the best in the outer sect.
Could there really be another person no weaker than He Tieniu?
"Senior Brother Zheng, you must have your reasons. Otherwise, you wouldn't have come to the marketplace to set up a stall and sell talismans.
Those low-level talismans cost three to five spirit stones apiece. How much could you possibly earn?
I want lightning-type talismans. Name your price."
Su Hao spoke.
"You still haven't answered me. Who are you? Zheng refuses to do business with someone of unknown identity!" Zheng Tu emphasized.
Su Hao shrugged. "Sorry, I can't satisfy that request. My strength is meager, nothing like your illustrious position, Senior Brother Zheng. In business, we should talk business. You provide the spirit talismans, I provide the spirit stones. Why should you care about my identity?"
Zheng Tu's expression darkened.
He was indeed short of spirit stones right now, but because of certain disputes, he was unwilling to do business with the sect-owned shops in the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion.
Coming to this black market to trade made Zheng Tu feel humiliated.
He had deliberately borrowed a magical artifact mask to conceal his aura and blur his features.
He had only been here a short while, yet someone had already seen through him.
Su Hao smiled and placed a pile of spirit stones on the table. "I'm very sincere. It only depends on whether Senior Brother Zheng is willing. After today, the chances of us meeting again will be slim, so you needn't worry about anything else."
Zheng Tu stared at the tableful of spirit stones. After pondering for two seconds, he took several purple talismans from his storage bag.
"Lightning Strike Talismans. Each has the power of a single attack from a Qi Refining Level 5 cultivator. The Heavenly Treasure Pavilion sells them for 30 spirit stones."
"Thunder Fire Talismans. Each has the power of a single attack from a Qi Refining Level 6 cultivator. The Heavenly Treasure Pavilion sells them for 50 spirit stones."
He introduced the two different lightning-type talismans.
"What is the most powerful talisman Senior Brother Zheng can make? I saw your battle with He Tieniu at the Life and Death Arena. Hundreds of talismans flew out at once, thunder booming across the sky—what an impressive sight!
You even had a mysterious treasure talisman. What was it called again? The Crimson Thunder Treasure Talisman? Its power rivaled that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, allowing you to turn defeat into victory and kill He Tieniu, who was one minor realm higher."
Su Hao examined the talismans, clearly unsatisfied.
"The Crimson Thunder Treasure Talisman has a limited number of uses. When I killed He Tieniu, it exhausted the remaining magical power.
"As for the talisman I used at the Life and Death Arena, it was called the Heavenly Thunder Talisman. It was difficult to make. To deal with He Tieniu, I used talismans to form an array, and they were all exhausted.
"I don't have any talismans like that anymore."
Zheng Tu shook his head and explained the situation.
Su Hao understood his thinking. Most likely, he was unwilling to sell those talismans rather than truly having none.
"Then how many of these two talismans do you have?"
"Thirty Lightning Strike Talismans and twenty Thunder Fire Talismans," Zheng Tu answered.
"Ten spirit stones per Lightning Strike Talisman, and 30 spirit stones per Thunder Fire Talisman. How about it?"
Su Hao tentatively offered a price.
Zheng Tu slammed the table in anger. "Junior Brother, are you joking? I already told you the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion's prices. Go take a look for yourself. Even if you have the spirit stones, you might not be able to place an order!"
"Ah, the circumstances are different. Private transactions and shop prices naturally can't be treated the same way. You can't use a shop's price to set your own, can you?
"Give me a good price, and I'll take them all."
Su Hao remained calm and composed.
The two continued haggling.
In the end, they cut 10 spirit stones off the price of each type of talisman: 20 spirit stones for a Lightning Strike Talisman and 40 spirit stones for a Thunder Fire Talisman.
The total came to 1,400 spirit stones.
"Senior Brother Zheng, how about I give you 700 spirit stones, with the remaining 700 covered by pills?"
Su Hao suddenly remembered that he still had many Top-grade Pure Qi Pills and Spirit Gathering Powder in his storage bag.
They were only moderately effective for him.
If he exchanged them for spirit stones, he was worried about drawing attention.
He could instead use them to trade with Zheng Tu.
To a certain extent, Zheng Tu was in a similar situation to him.
"Pills?" Zheng Tu asked with great interest. "What kind of pills?"
Su Hao placed the Top-grade Pure Qi Pills and Spirit Gathering Powder in front of Zheng Tu.
"Top-grade Pure Qi Pills and Top-grade Spirit Gathering Powder?"
Zheng Tu stared at the pills that had been poured out, his face filled with astonishment.
"Thirty spirit stones per bottle," Su Hao said.
"Good!" Zheng Tu agreed without hesitation. "Junior Brother, could it be that you have a lot of top-grade pills?"
Su Hao smiled without answering. He silently took out twenty-three bottles of top-grade pills, then added 10 spirit stones.
After carefully checking them, Zheng Tu's gaze toward Su Hao grew increasingly fevered.
"Junior Brother, do you need Heavenly Thunder Talismans?" Seeing Su Hao preparing to leave, Zheng Tu hurriedly called out to him.
"Hmm?" Su Hao paused. "Didn't Senior Brother Zheng say you didn't have any more of those talismans?"
"Uh... Actually, I still have some set aside for my own use. Seeing that you urgently need this kind of talisman, Junior Brother, I suppose I could sell them to you. But I don't want spirit stones. We can only barter—use top-grade pills to exchange for them."
Zheng Tu emphasized.