Soul-Detaining Talisman

After leaving the Zhang Clan Trading Firm's branch store, the only other sizable shop in the Shanty Town's Small Cultivation Market was the Multitreasure Pavilion.

The Multitreasure Pavilion's interior was far more luxurious than the Zhang Clan Trading Firm's branch store, and it drew more customers too. Even in this weather, several people were still browsing its wares.

However, it had little interest in low-grade talismans such as the Vigor Talisman, and its purchase prices were lower than Zhang Mazi's. Chen Lin had therefore never sold talismans here.

The shopkeeper was a square-faced old man, currently attending to a lavishly dressed man and woman. When Chen Lin entered, he merely glanced at him without saying anything.

Chen Lin did not mind.

The man recognized him and knew he had little money to spend. After all, Chen Lin had visited quite a few times.

There were also two sweet-looking female attendants, both busy with other customers. Chen Lin ambled over to the counter selling talisman-making materials and stopped to examine them.

Suddenly, his ears pricked up.

The conversation between the man and woman had caught his attention.

"Cousin, going outside the city at a time like this could be dangerous. It might also delay the lineage's business. I think we'd be better off not letting extra branches sprout from the main stem."

The woman was speaking. Her voice was lovely, her figure graceful, and judging by her profile, she was probably quite pretty too.

The man was handsome and carried himself with confidence. He cast a sidelong glance and sneered. "What's there to fear? Your cousin is a qi condensation late stage cultivator! If there's danger, I'll protect you!"

Chen Lin's gaze flickered.

He was actually at the qi condensation late stage. He had to be a lineage cultivator, then. Few rogue cultivators possessed such cultivation.

Still, Chen Lin felt that the man was talking rather big. The Zhang Family's foundation establishment realm patriarch had only just disappeared. Could someone at the qi condensation late stage possibly be stronger than a foundation establishment cultivator?

The woman seemed about to say more, but the man immediately cut her off.

"It's fine. We aren't going far. If you're scared, go back first. I'll come find you when I return."

His younger cousin pouted but said nothing more.

Chen Lin silently wondered which lineage these two belonged to and whether he might be able to buy pills to improve his cultivation from them. As he pondered, the older cousin spoke again.

This time, however, he addressed the Old Shopkeeper rather than his younger cousin.

"Shopkeeper, I came here from the Multitreasure Pavilion in the Inner City. The people at your shop there told me someone here can refine Soul-Detaining Talismans. Please ask them to come out. Sorry for the trouble."

Chen Lin watched quietly.

He had never even heard of a Soul-Detaining Talisman and had no interest in it. He was merely thinking about how to approach the man and buy pills.

The Old Shopkeeper first looked startled, then gave a bitter chuckle. "You must be Lu Li, the Lu Lineage's third young master. Was the person who told you that an old woman missing one eye?"

"That's right?"

Lu Li nodded.

The Old Shopkeeper cast a sidelong glance and sneered, declaring proudly, "She didn't deceive you. There is indeed someone here who can refine Soul-Detaining Talismans, and that person is me!"

Chen Lin was astonished by the Old Shopkeeper's words.

He truly had not known that the Old Shopkeeper was also a Talisman Master.

The side effect of that sidelong sneer really was powerful. During an episode, the man acted as though no one in the world mattered and spilled all his secrets. Normally, this shopkeeper was someone who hid his thoughts deep.

Lu Li, however, looked delighted and said eagerly, "So you're the Talisman Master, Shopkeeper! Wonderful! I've already prepared plenty of materials for the Soul-Detaining Talisman. As long as you help me refine it, I'll reward you handsomely!"

His voice was rather loud, drawing glances from the other customers in the shop.

Under Lu Li's expectant gaze, however, the Old Shopkeeper shook his head.

"I'm very sorry, but I no longer have the ability to refine this talisman. You'll have to seek someone more capable!"

As the sidelong glance faded, the shopkeeper became humble again, completely unaware that anything had been wrong with his earlier inflated words.

Lu Li's expression darkened.

"What do you mean? Are you toying with me, or do you think I'm not worthy?"

A fierce aura instantly radiated from him.

He looked ready to attack at the slightest disagreement.

Seeing this, the Old Shopkeeper immediately explained, "Please calm down, Fellow Daoist Lu. It isn't that I'm unwilling to refine it. I simply no longer have the ability."

"Why?"

Lu Li's tone was full of suspicion.

The Old Shopkeeper glanced at him. "Since you know of the Soul-Detaining Talisman, you should also know how difficult it is to refine. Ordinary methods have almost no chance of success. To improve the success rate, the Talisman Master must use his own divine soul as a catalyst, correct?"

When Lu Li remained silent, the Old Shopkeeper continued, "After refining these talismans over the years, my divine soul has grown so weak that it can no longer withstand the expenditure of refining even one more. Even taking my life would do no good."

At this point, the Old Shopkeeper gave a bleak smile. "That One-Eyed Old Woman has a grudge against me. She sent you here merely to make my life unpleasant."

The Old Shopkeeper's words made Lu Li frown deeply.

With the man having gone this far in his explanation, he could hardly keep forcing him.

He might be a disciple of the Lu Lineage, but the Multitreasure Pavilion was no rootless duckweed either. He could not behave too recklessly here.

Yet the Soul-Detaining Talisman was crucial to this excursion. If he could not obtain one, he would waste an excellent opportunity.

"Shopkeeper, this Soul-Detaining Talisman is very important to me. Do you know anyone else who can refine it?"

Unwilling to give up, he pressed further.

The Old Shopkeeper shook his head. "Soul-Detaining Talismans are difficult to refine, and even a successfully refined one can only be preserved for a day. Very few Talisman Masters study them. I doubt anyone else in this city knows how to refine one."

Then his tone shifted. He cast a sidelong glance and sneered. "However, drawing on my decades of talisman refining experience, I've improved its refining method. It's very easy to refine now. I can sell you the talismancrafting method, and you can find a Talisman Master to make it yourself."

Lu Li froze.

He frowned and asked doubtfully, "Is this talisman really that easy to refine? I urgently need it tomorrow."

The Old Shopkeeper chuckled. "Very simple. Any Talisman Master can easily get started. Successful refinement does require some luck, though, and the Talisman Master still needs to use their own divine soul as a catalyst."

Lu Li frowned again. After a moment's hesitation, he agreed to the Old Shopkeeper's suggestion.

The Old Shopkeeper then took out a piece of jade slightly wider than a finger and handed it to Lu Li.

Chen Lin recognized it. It was called a Jade Slip, an item used to record information in the Immortal Cultivation World, and an expensive one at that.

Claiming that he was practically giving it away, the Old Shopkeeper sold it to Third Young Master Lu for a thousand spirit stones.

Standing nearby, Chen Lin marveled briefly at the wealth of lineage disciples, then stopped paying attention and began purchasing materials for Vigor Talismans.

Eighty spirit stones were not even enough to buy ten sets of pill refining materials. He had to keep saving.

After finishing his purchases, he turned and left.

The snow outside had eased somewhat.

But the wind still cut to the bone, making it impossible to keep one's eyes open.

Even so, people had appeared on the street in twos and threes. Some were clearing snow from their doorsteps, while others struggled onward through it.

Without exception, they all cast sidelong glances and sneered from time to time.

Chen Lin tightened his padded hat and followed the footprints he had left earlier, warily observing his surroundings as he trudged toward his lodgings.

Suddenly.

Two figures swept past him and landed in front of him.

Chen Lin's expression changed. He thought someone really had dared to rob him in broad daylight.

Once he saw their faces clearly, however, his shock turned to confusion.

It was Third Young Master Lu and his younger cousin!