Custom Value of One Thousand Taels for a Puppet

Those who can open shops within the Thousand Mechanisms Pavilion are generally no ordinary people.

According to the Demon Subduing Bureau's regulations, only those at the sixth rank or higher in a particular path can apply for the qualifications to open a shop in the Thousand Mechanisms Pavilion.

This means if you open a pill shop, you must be at least a sixth-rank practitioner of the Medical Path.

If you open a weapon and armor shop, you must be at least a sixth-rank practitioner of the Casting Path.

Similarly, it's the same for shopkeepers of puppet shops. In the vast expanse of the Great Dao, the Puppet Path isn't exactly an obscure one.

In civilian life, things like farming and hauling goods often utilize the Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse, which are creations of puppet masters.

Speaking of the Puppet Path, it's actually a relatively new Great Dao, originating from the Carpenter Path.

Later generations found a different approach, specializing in the field of puppets, and thus, within three hundred years, it achieved its emergence, establishing its unique style and foundation.

This allowed the Puppet Path to completely break away from the scope of the Carpenter Path, finally gaining its own schools of thought and cultivation methods.

In the past, puppet masters needed mediums like iron wires and copper threads to control their puppets, but nowadays, the methods for controlling puppets have become incredibly diverse and innovative.

As a result, many puppets exist as commodities, circulating among the populace and becoming helpers in people's daily labor.

After wandering aimlessly through the Thousand Mechanisms Pavilion, Ning Xiu finally discovered a very quiet puppet shop.

When he entered the shop, no clerk came forward to greet him. Instead, a woman sitting behind the counter was engrossed in something.

She didn't even lift her head, nor did she cast a proper glance his way.

Ning Xiu was curious and immediately leaned closer, intending to see what this person was so busy with.

The woman had a mature beauty, appearing to be around twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, with her hair casually tied into a braid that rested on her shoulder.

Ning Xiu looked down at her. The woman had a high-bridged nose and a cool, clear eye shape. Her features were all incredibly delicate, making her a naturally aloof beauty.

He watched as she continuously switched tools, manipulating a small wooden figure about three feet tall on the table. Gradually, without any discernible technique, the little wooden figure began to dance on its own on the table.

The woman smiled knowingly. Even creating such an unremarkable little thing could bring her genuine joy.

"This must be the craftsman's spirit," Ning Xiu mused inwardly.

Seeing that she had stopped working, Ning Xiu finally spoke up, "Are you the shopkeeper here?"

The woman looked up at him and nodded, "Indeed, I am. My name is Nie Ying. What can I get for you, customer?"

"It's like this, I'd like to commission you to create a puppet that can store my Weng Jin Hammer inside. The requirements for the puppet are that it must be durable, agile, easy to control, and lifelike."

Ning Xiu held up his Startling Thunder Hammer and then stated his requirements for the custom puppet.

Nie Ying's expression was calm, showing no surprise. After hearing Ning Xiu's requests, she took out a soft measuring tape and walked out from behind the counter.

She began to professionally measure Ning Xiu's Startling Thunder Hammer.

"How much does this weapon of yours weigh?"

"Three hundred and twenty jin exactly."

After measuring the Startling Thunder Hammer from all angles, Nie Ying put away the soft tape and asked, "Creating a custom puppet isn't difficult, and the price usually isn't too high. However, two of your requirements involve custom materials, which will require expensive components to meet your demands for durability and speed. Can you accept that?"

Ning Xiu asked, "Roughly how much silver would it cost?"

"To be conservative, at least one hundred taels of gold," Nie Ying said, thinking for a moment before holding up three slender fingers.

Upon hearing the quote, Ning Xiu almost choked on the spot.

When Huang You bought this Startling Thunder Hammer, it only cost four thousand taels of silver.

In the Great Shang's currency exchange system, one tael of gold is equal to ten taels of silver.

He intended to get a scabbard for the Startling Thunder Hammer, and it would cost another thousand. Money was really easy to make.

"Shopkeeper, is there something special about a thousand tael puppet? Perhaps you could explain it to me so I can understand." Ning Xiu said.

"Of course. Usually, when I make custom puppets for others, I use wood as the material. It's cheap, light, and durable. Most people use these puppets for hauling goods or carrying cargo.

If they were deployed in combat against Malevolent Spirits or other individuals, they would essentially shatter at the slightest touch. Therefore, when we puppet masters craft combat puppets, we usually use materials like iron and bronze.

However, these materials have a drawback: their movement speed isn't very fast. If you're in a hurry to travel, it might even delay your journey.

To address this situation, we puppet masters have devised many solutions, such as choosing lightweight yet hard special materials to craft puppets.

But good things usually have a downside: they're expensive. If you want a puppet that's both durable and fast, you can't avoid spending more money.

The most commonly used special materials currently are the Silver Radiance Meteor Iron from Nanjiang Prefecture and the Heavenly Vine Dragon Wood from Daliang Prefecture. They are resistant to fire and water and can withstand forces of around three thousand jin.

Both are excellent materials that are both light and hard, but their prices reflect that; both are very expensive."

Nie Ying's explanation was very detailed, allowing Ning Xiu to fully understand why the custom puppet would cost a thousand taels.

After listening, Ning Xiu couldn't help but feel tempted. If it were truly as she described, it would be a perfect container for storing the Startling Thunder Hammer for daily use.

However, Ning Xiu had only just joined the Demon Subduing Bureau and was somewhat short on funds.

The only money he had on him was the three hundred taels of silver notes he had obtained from looting the Three-Faced Demon.

With this in mind, Ning Xiu asked, "Shopkeeper, could I perhaps pay you a deposit of three hundred taels first, and then pay you the remaining seven hundred taels balance once the puppet is completed?"

Nie Ying waved her hand, "No problem. I'll start crafting it for you then."

"Thank you for your trouble," Ning Xiu nodded. After discussing the specifics of his requirements for the puppet's appearance with Nie Ying, he left the shop.

Previously, he had found three skull-headed darts and two bottles of unknown pills on the Three-Faced Demon, in addition to three hundred taels of silver notes.

Ning Xiu had been thinking of selling these items, but hadn't had the chance.

Now that he finally had some free time and was in a place like the Thousand Mechanisms Pavilion, which was a trading hub, Ning Xiu wasn't about to miss this opportunity.

When Demon Subduing Captains went out on investigation missions, it was common for them to encounter Malevolent Spirits as well as engage in combat with demons.

The items they confiscated from demons were either things they could use themselves or were brought to the Thousand Mechanisms Pavilion to be sold for silver.

Ning Xiu decided to sell the pills first and walked into a pill shop on the same street.

The business here was much livelier than Nie Ying's puppet shop. The interior was filled with a fragrant scent that made one want to sniff it again and again.

"Excuse me, could you take a look at these two bottles of pills for me?" Ning Xiu said as he approached the counter and placed the pills he carried on the table.

The alchemist, who had a goatee, took them, pulled out the stoppers, and sniffed them gently. His face immediately showed surprise.

"Dragon Tiger Potency Pill! And of excellent quality, too. One pill can last from night to day, allowing you to see the sunset and then the dawn without feeling any fatigue. You'll grow stronger the more you fight."

The alchemist gave a thumbs-up and asked, "Young man, the quality of your goods is truly high. Where did you get them? Could you tell me the shop's address?"

Although the alchemist's words were somewhat veiled, Ning Xiu understood the implication.

He had initially thought the bottles contained something extraordinary, only to find out they weren't legitimate products at all.

He never expected demons to have such tastes.

Ning Xiu could only ask, "These two bottles were obtained by chance, and I don't know who the alchemist is. Will you buy them?"

"Of course! It's rare to see Dragon Tiger Potency Pills of such high quality, so I definitely want to buy them. How about this, I'll give you one hundred taels of silver for both bottles."

Ning Xiu then looked at him with a half-smile, not responding.

Although he didn't know the market value of the Dragon Tiger Potency Pill, he remembered when he went drinking with Lu Hao and others at the Spring Full Pavilion.

They had mentioned that those things used by nobles and royalty could extend their stamina for one or two hours and usually cost over fifty taels per bottle.

If something that lasted one or two hours could sell for over fifty taels, then this forbidden item that defied the scientific principles of human health, described as allowing one to "see the sunset and then the dawn," was only worth a hundred taels for two bottles?

How much of a kickback had this guy taken? A profiteer, a complete profiteer.

"Brother, tell me the truth. If you tell me the truth, we can still talk about this deal."

Ning Xiu patted his chest and then raised a finger. "I have a friend who was a regular at the Spring Full Pavilion and treated this like candy, eating it daily. I helped him buy it several times, so I know the price very well. Don't think you can rip me off just because I look unfamiliar."

"This..." The alchemist hesitated.

Seeing this, Ning Xiu grabbed the two bottles and prepared to leave, completely unfazed. In such a large city as Chaotian Capital, he wasn't worried about finding another place to sell the Dragon Tiger Potency Pills.

"Three hundred taels a bottle! I'll give you that price," the alchemist called out urgently.

This price met Ning Xiu's expectations. He figured it wouldn't get much more expensive than this. He turned and placed the bottles back on the counter. "That's more like it. You're straightforward, brother. I'll bring similar items here in the future."

Taking the six hundred taels of silver notes from the alchemist, Ning Xiu walked out of the pill shop carrying the Startling Thunder Hammer.

Now, he only had the three skull darts left to deal with. He figured they could also be sold for some money, which would allow him to pay the remaining seven hundred taels for the custom puppet.

After Ning Xiu left, the alchemist took out all the Dragon Tiger Potency Pills from the bottles and counted them. There were seven in total.

Seeing this, the alchemist chuckled gleefully. "With such high quality, as long as I find the right channels, selling them to nobles for fifty taels each is perfectly reasonable. Once both bottles are sold, I'll still be making a profit."