Hearing Elder You's explanation, Qin Fengming was no longer completely in the dark about talisman-making. At last, he had some inkling of where to begin. After a moment's thought, he said:
"May I ask whether your esteemed shop sells talisman-making materials such as talisman brushes, cinnabar, and talisman paper?"
"Hehe, my shop is called Divine Talisman Studio. Of course we have such materials. But since you've only just begun learning, you'd do better to use some ordinary, lower-grade materials."
"Mm, just as you said, Elder. How much do ordinary materials cost?"
"Ordinary talisman paper costs one low-grade Spirit Stone per fifty sheets. One talisman brush costs two Spirit Stones, and one bottle of cinnabar costs three."
Qin Fengming pondered for a moment and thought, As expected, they're expensive. Although fifty sheets of talisman paper cost only one Spirit Stone, the success rate of talisman-making was truly low. A single talisman brush would be ruined after drawing only a few talismans. Cinnabar was an even more heavily consumed material.
After considering it privately, he finally said, "Please prepare two thousand sheets of talisman paper, ten talisman brushes, and five bottles of cinnabar." He continued, "Does Elder have any books on talismans for sale?"
"Hehe, seeing that you truly wish to study the art of talisman-making, I'll do you a favor and part with a treasured copy of mine, the Compendium of Beginner Talismans." The old man looked at Qin Fengming and saw that he was indeed deeply interested. After a moment's thought, he laughed and spoke.
"Thank you for your kindness, Elder. Then I won't refuse. How many Spirit Stones will it cost?"
The old man thought briefly before saying, "For both the materials and the book, one hundred and fifty Spirit Stones will suffice."
Qin Fengming did not bargain. He