Chen Qing lounged against the reclining chair in the shop, looking utterly at ease.
This plainly featured female cultivator smiled when she saw Chen Ganliu return. "You've made this little shop far too comfortable. If you didn't come back, I was just about to take over the magpie's nest and idle away a little more time. Why rush off to find me?"
In truth, the cultivators who had lived in Suiyang Immortal Market for years were all quite poor, with little prospect of advancing in cultivation. If they were not short of cultivation resources and still possessed some ambition, who would waste away their years here?
Chen Qing was troubled by business matters every day, along with a few other worries. It was rare for her to relax. Instead, staying at Chen Ganliu's place put her in a better mood. His wooden house had been designed in the style of an e-sports room from Earth, making people feel as if a cool breeze and bright moon had carried them back to their youth in a hazy dream.
Although Chen Ganliu looked young, he had lived three lifetimes and was mature in his conduct. None of the cultivators in Suiyang Immortal Market treated him as a child; they merely took him for an old geezer who had preserved his youthful appearance. He chuckled and said, "Sister Chen never comes to the Three Treasures Hall without a reason. You must have something else you need from me."
Chen Qing hesitated for a moment before saying, "You know as well as I do that cultivators of our low cultivation level have a hard time doing business. If we started competing with each other, I'm afraid neither of us would have an easy time."
Chen Ganliu immediately understood. "The jade talismans I'm refining are for my own use."
Seeing the slight hesitation on Chen Qing's face, he knew she was not entirely convinced. He took out two pieces of miscellaneous material and said, "That Green Jade Stone I bought yielded three pieces of material. One is being refined into an Illusion Jade Talisman to replace the crude wooden staff I used before. As for the other two, if you like them, Sister Chen, I can sell them to you."
Only then did Chen Qing relax a little. She made a living selling low-end magic treasures, and business was already difficult. If another competitor appeared, her life would become even harder. That was why she had come to ask.
If Chen Ganliu insisted on entering the low-end magic treasure business, she would go try her luck at another immortal market.
Chen Ganliu was willing to sell off the surplus jade talisman materials, clearly showing that he had no intention of becoming her fellow tradesman. This put the female cultivator somewhat at ease.
Chen Qing examined the materials over and over before saying, "I'd noticed Ling Xiaozi's Green Jade Stone long ago. I always thought it wouldn't yield any good material. I didn't expect your luck to be decent—you actually managed to pick up a little bargain."
"I'd like to buy them, of course, but unfortunately I don't have any spare Talisman Coins on hand."
Although Chen Qing's business was poor, she had accumulated some savings over the years, enough to buy the two pieces of material. But she was kindhearted and did not want to push matters too far, so she had put it so tactfully.
Chen Ganliu's heart stirred slightly. "Sister Chen, why not give me one of the Green Jade Stones you have in exchange for these two finished pieces of material?"
Seeing the trace of surprise on Chen Qing's face, he hurriedly explained, "I want to refine a protective jade talisman, but you can tell as well as I can that these two pieces are ordinary. The one I have isn't much better."
"If I could exchange them for another Green Jade Stone, I'd like to gamble on my luck one more time."
Chen Qing immediately understood. Chen Ganliu wanted to refine a magic treasure for himself and naturally hoped to make it as exquisite as possible.
After all, a cultivator's protective magic treasure often remained in use for decades or even centuries. If its foundation was too poor, it would have to be replaced once the cultivator's cultivation rose a little higher. All the previous effort would then go to waste, which would be a great pity.
Although Chen Qing did not know whether this childlike fellow still had any hope of advancing his cultivation, no one could fault him for seeking to improve himself. She answered, "I do have a Green Jade Stone. I also wanted to refine a jade talisman, but I've never had the courage to open it."
"Since Fellow Daoist Chen wants it, I won't take advantage of you. I'll throw in a piece of Hundred Refined Fine Iron as well."
The two reached a deal, and both were in good spirits. Chen Ganliu invited the female cultivator to stay a while longer, but Chen Qing politely declined. She tucked the two pieces of jade material into her sleeve and left. A short while later, she returned with a Green Jade Stone and a piece of Hundred Refined Fine Iron.
From this detail, Chen Ganliu inferred that Chen Qing's Storage Magic Treasure probably did not have much capacity. That was why she had not carried those two heavy objects with her.
He was somewhat curious about where Chen Qing had hidden the two heavy items, but he was not the sort who liked prying into other people's private affairs. After accepting the goods, he watched Chen Qing hurry away, a faint smile rising in his heart as he suddenly grew spirited.
Although he did not believe that the Green Jade Stone containing White Emperor's Legacy would be in Chen Qing's hands, another chance was still something to be happy about.
Chen Ganliu deliberately opened for business for three days before finally finding time to cut open Chen Qing's Green Jade Stone.
His luck was terrible this time. It yielded only two inferior pieces of material, amounting to a small loss.
Although Chen Ganliu was not short of money, he still wanted to make up for some of the loss. After pondering for half a day, he changed tactics and used a fire character to refine them.
Fire characters were originally offensive spells. These two inferior jade talismans could not bear powerful spiritual power, so they could not be refined into offensive jade talismans like pure-fire talismans. Even if he forced the refinement, their power would be weak. Chen Ganliu changed his approach, drawing on fire's attribute of radiance to refine two Blazing Fire Talismans.
Blazing Fire Talismans were more powerful than pure-fire talismans and possessed the wonder of warding off evil. They were high-end jade talismans. These two inferior pieces could not even be refined into pure-fire talismans, so naturally they could not withstand Blazing Fire Talismans either. But Chen Ganliu abandoned their offensive function, reduced their evil-warding effect, and changed them into lighting devices. Once released, they would fill the entire room with dazzling radiance, leaving nothing but light.
He even deliberately adjusted the spectrum. Although he had no corresponding equipment and the error was bound to be enormous when relying solely on his eyes, the light was far more comfortable than candlelight or oil lamps.
Daoist Wu Chang and Chen Qing knew that Chen Ganliu had refined two jade talismans using Blazing Fire Talisman techniques, meant only for illumination. Neither of them thought much of them, but both agreed to sell them on his behalf, taking one each and treating them as mere extras.
Just as Daoist Wu Chang and Chen Qing had expected, no one showed any interest in the two jade talismans. Chen Ganliu felt regretful, but there was nothing he could do.
Several months passed in a blur, and it was time for the small market again.
The previously deserted Suiyang Immortal Market gradually filled with cultivators from all directions. They set up stalls and displayed a dazzling array of wondrous immortal goods, improving business for long-term itinerant cultivators like Chen Ganliu.
The talismans Chen Ganliu had accumulated over this period sold out in only two days. With no other business to do, he could only retrieve the two Blazing Fire Jade Talismans and use them as window dressing.
Although Suiyang Immortal Market was growing livelier, no one was interested in his two jade talismans meant purely for illumination. He had no choice but to switch to selling iced tea and dried fruit, yet business remained sluggish.
In his previous life, Chen Ganliu had often visited immortal markets, but he had never seriously done business. After selling cold dishes and dried fruit for two or three days, he finally came to his senses. On Earth, there were restaurants everywhere, along with coffee shops, milk tea shops, fruit shops, pastry shops, and steamed-bun stalls...
This was a world of cultivation. How would cultivators dare to eat food from strangers?
What if someone had planted a witchcraft poison curse or Forbidden Technique in it? They would be controlled by another person for the rest of their lives, never able to break free. Who would risk eating a stranger's food for the sake of a trifling appetite?
By the time Chen Ganliu realized this, the small market was already nearing its end. It would disperse in another two or three days. He could only sigh helplessly and blame himself for having no head for business.
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