Greenwood Market.
"I'm done for. My mind went blank. It was only after buying the Talisman Brush and Talisman Paper that I realized I couldn't draw Spirit Talismans without a dedicated Drawing Method."
Looking at the single Low-grade Spirit Stone he had left, Zhao Huaian was close to tears.
He had been too impatient.
He had been far too impatient just now. The moment he got his Spirit Stones, he had rushed to buy Talisman Paper worth one Low-grade Spirit Stone and a Talisman Brush worth four.
But only after making the purchases did he realize he didn't know any Spirit Talisman Drawing Methods. He didn't even know how to draw the lowest-grade Cleaning Talisman.
Which meant...
Those five Low-grade Spirit Stones had gone straight down the drain, and the fortune-making path he'd dreamed up had withered before he could even set out on it.
Thinking of his fortune-making plans coming to naught, and of the five Low-grade Spirit Stones he'd lost, Zhao Huaian felt a pang in his heart.
"Damn it!"
"I was far too reckless this time. I absolutely can't make such a beginner's mistake again."
"Remember this! Remember it well! Think twice before doing anything from now on!"
As Zhao Huaian admonished himself, he wandered among the stalls on West Street.
He had already spent all five Low-grade Spirit Stones and prepared all the materials for drawing talismans, so he was naturally unwilling to give up just like that.
So he wanted to try his luck among the stalls and see if anyone was offering an especially cheap bargain on talisman-drawing techniques. Even the lowest-grade Cleaning Talisman would do.
With that in mind, Zhao Huaian carefully browsed the various stalls.
Suddenly, he stopped in front of one stall, his eyes fixed on an old book among its wares.
The six characters Complete Guide to Low-Grade Spirit Talismans were written on the cover.
And this was exactly what he had been yearning for.
If he could get his hands on this Complete Guide to Low-Grade Spirit Talismans, then with the Attribute Heavenly Book, he would surely be able to master the art of Spirit Talismans and carry out his fortune-making plan.
But when he thought of the fact that he had only one Low-grade Spirit Stone on him, Zhao Huaian couldn't help sighing.
He was broke...
Taking a chance, Zhao Huaian asked tentatively, "Senior Brother, may I ask how much this Complete Guide to Low-Grade Spirit Talismans costs?"
The stall owner was a middle-aged man with a face full of stubble, dressed in an old Daoist robe.
Hearing Zhao Huaian, the middle-aged man flashed a row of white teeth and smiled. "Junior Brother has a good eye. This Complete Guide to Low-Grade Spirit Talismans contains the Drawing Methods and explanations for more than ten kinds of low-grade Spirit Talismans. It costs one hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones."
"One hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones!!!"
Zhao Huaian's heart jolted. After a moment's thought, he forced a smile and said, "Junior Brother is a little short on funds. I don't need the whole Complete Guide to Low-Grade Spirit Talismans. I'll offer you one Low-grade Spirit Stone, Senior Brother. Could you let me look through it, or copy down the Drawing Method for just one Spirit Talisman?"
"Hm? Are you making a fool of me? Get lost! If you don't have any Spirit Stones, why ask?"
A hint of displeasure flashed through the middle-aged man's eyes, and the smile that had filled his face vanished in an instant.
One Low-grade Spirit Stone? Was he trying to fob off a beggar?
Why would he let Zhao Huaian look through or copy the most precious item at his stall, even if it was only the Drawing Method for one Spirit Talisman?
"Then how many Spirit Stones would you want, Senior Brother? At least give Junior Brother a price."
Zhao Huaian didn't leave. Instead, he continued smiling apologetically.
If it wasn't too many Spirit Stones, he could borrow some from someone else and scrape together enough to learn at least one Spirit Talisman Drawing Method.
"I won't let you look through it. If you want it, you have to buy the whole book!"
It seemed the middle-aged man could tell just how badly Zhao Huaian wanted the Complete Guide to Low-Grade Spirit Talismans in his hands, so he flatly refused.
There was another point the middle-aged man hadn't mentioned. To copy a Spirit Talisman Drawing Method, one had to be a Spirit Talisman Master. An ordinary person simply didn't have the ability to reproduce it.
Otherwise, he would have copied hundreds of books and sold them cheaply, making a fortune.
After thinking it over and seeing how anxious Zhao Huaian looked, he chuckled again. "If Junior Brother really wants to buy the whole book, I can lower the price a little."
"This..."
Zhao Huaian was fretting and was just about to say something when someone behind him suddenly patted him on the shoulder.
"Junior Brother, are you short on funds?"
Hearing that, Zhao Huaian turned around in confusion and saw a rather handsome young cultivator looking at him.
Looking at the young cultivator, Zhao Huaian nodded frankly. "Junior Brother is indeed short on funds. Is there something you need, Senior Brother?"
"It's like this. I have a good relationship with Senior Brother Chen Feiyu of the Alchemy Hall. Senior Brother Chen is kindhearted and specializes in helping junior brothers who are short on funds."
The young cultivator smiled kindly.
"I see... But I don't know Senior Brother Chen. Why would he help me?"
Zhao Huaian furrowed his brow and eyed the young cultivator suspiciously.
When something seemed off, there was usually a catch. This young cultivator seemed rather unusual.
"Senior Brother Chen is willing to help anyone who's short on funds. He just takes a portion as interest."
As he spoke, the young cultivator scratched his head, pretending to be embarrassed. "Of course, as the one who introduced you, I can also earn a referral fee."
"So that's how it is!"
Zhao Huaian nodded in understanding.
This supposedly kindhearted Chen Feiyu was just a moneylender, after all.
But he really was short on funds right now. If he relied only on his meager monthly stipend, who knew how long it would take him to afford the Complete Guide to Low-Grade Spirit Talismans?
If he could borrow some Spirit Stones from Chen Feiyu, he could solve his immediate problem and buy the book.
And with the Attribute Heavenly Book, he would soon master the art of Spirit Talismans and draw low-grade Spirit Talismans.
By then, even if Chen Feiyu charged a high interest rate, he could still repay the full amount before the deadline.
After weighing the pros and cons, Zhao Huaian finally nodded. "Then I'll have to trouble you, Senior Brother. May I ask your name?"
"Hahaha, of course. My name is Lin Zihao!"
Seeing that Zhao Huaian had finally agreed, Lin Zihao burst into laughter.
After following Zhao Huaian for a while, Lin Zihao had thought about how close Zhao Huaian seemed to be with Lin Dongpeng of the Incense Hall, and had managed to calm down.
Greenwood Sect had strict rules. The Outer Sect prohibited its members from killing one another. Those with powerful backing might be all right, but those without it would face severe punishment.
Besides, Zhao Huaian seemed to have some connection to Lin Dongpeng of the Incense Hall, which made Lin Zihao even more reluctant to act rashly.
After all, suffering severe punishment within Greenwood Sect over a nobody like Zhao Huaian would be a poor trade.
But the vendetta over the extermination of his entire Lin Family was something he couldn't leave unavenged.
Otherwise, the grievance in his heart would hinder his cultivation in the future.
As the saying went, the best strategy was to defeat the enemy through planning. After turning it over in his mind, Lin Zihao decided to use someone else's blade to kill Zhao Huaian by sending him to borrow Spirit Stones from Chen Feiyu of the Alchemy Hall.
Chen Feiyu specialized in lending money outside the sect. He also had powerful backing and the protection of the Alchemy Hall.
Once he found out Zhao Huaian couldn't repay the Spirit Stones and had no guarantor, Chen Feiyu would surely have him dragged off to the Alchemy Hall to test all kinds of newly developed Elixir Pills, squeezing him dry.
Most of these newly developed Elixir Pills were defective. Nearly everyone who had been forcibly taken away to test them had failed to survive.
That way, Lin Zihao would not only be avenging his family's extermination by using someone else's blade to kill Zhao Huaian, but would also earn a referral fee.
To come up with such a perfect plan, he was truly brilliant!
As he led Zhao Huaian toward the Alchemy Hall, Lin Zihao secretly congratulated himself.
However...
Zhao Huaian wasn't some ignorant hothead. He knew full well how dangerous borrowing money could be.
He had agreed because he had a certain degree of confidence and something to rely on. Otherwise, why would he even consider borrowing Spirit Stones at such a high interest rate?
Before you continue