Making a Friend

The Central Plains and the South China Sea are quite different; the requirements for clothing and etiquette are very strict. Wearing the right-fastening robe is just the most basic requirement. If you don't understand many of the finer details, you'll be forever branded with labels like "overseas hermit cultivator," "wild barbarian," "unorthodox demon," or "unrefined."

Ink Bamboo Mountain is now a renowned sect. Disciples who have received the Daoist ordination certificate from Lou Guan must abide by the corresponding rules when traveling the martial world in the north. How can they bring shame to the sect?

What? You're a country bumpkin who doesn't understand city etiquette? You weren't born into a wealthy family and never learned these things? Do you have money? If you do, that's easy! Money can solve anything! Don't worry about not knowing! Heavenly Clothes Lou Guan Branch will provide you with a complete one-stop service for outfitting and grooming!

Firstly, the coarse linen clothes issued to disciples by Ink Bamboo Mountain are called "nayi," which are rough cloth garments used by wandering Daoist priests to keep warm. Of course, it doesn't matter if you're practicing in the wild; no one will care if you're naked. But in the Central Plains, you can't just wander around in a short brown fur coat. You'll easily be mistaken for a newly formed demon, a wild man from the deep mountains, or a wandering beggar and questioned.

Therefore, when traveling to the Central Plains and associating with fellow Daoists, one should at least wear formal attire to show respect to the host. Formal attire for daily life should at least be Daoist robes made of cotton or silk. Daoist robes vary depending on the preferences of each sect, and can be made in blue, white, black, or yellow. It's a matter of personal preference, as long as one is respectful and avoids revealing clothing.

When visiting orthodox immortal sects such as the Three Great Sects, paying respects at their ancestral temples, shrines, altars, or during large-scale ritual ceremonies, one must wear ceremonial robes and robes.

The ritual robe, also known as the scripture robe or the Heavenly Immortal robe, is a front-opening garment that reaches the calves and is sleeveless with the sleeves fitting the body. It is embroidered with various auspicious Daoist patterns in gold and silver thread, such as the Yuluo Terrace, the sun, moon, stars, the Eight Trigrams, pagodas, dragons and phoenixes, cranes, and unicorns. It is worn over the Daoist robe, replacing the traditional robe.

According to the regulations set by the Immortal Palace back then, one cannot wear a dharma robe casually. First, one must be a Daoist Master at the Golden Core Stage to be qualified. Then, one must also follow the ranking of the sect's Daoist register. The sect's Celestial Master wears yellow robes, the Grand Master wears purple robes, the upper, middle, and lower ranks wear red, blue, and green robes respectively, the Dou Department wears black robes, and the Underworld wears white robes.

Although they have achieved the Golden Core and received the Dao Register, they do not yet hold a proper position within the sect and can only wear plain, unadorned Daoist robes in a sea-blue color. Of course, it's not so strict now; any color is acceptable, as long as the design conforms to the rules, there are no presumptuous patterns, and it must be made of silk or brocade.

What? Purple Sash Immortal Clothes?

The Purple Sash Immortal Clothes is not a category of sutra robes. Literally, it refers to a purple ribbon, resembling a purple shawl or vest. Ribbons are wrapped around the arms, sleeves, waist, and back, symbolizing "purple aura coming from the east." In short, it is the one that immortals often wear on their shoulders and back.

Of course, the color can be changed. If you think purple is too flashy, white or blue is fine too. Of course, it's not about making people wear it naked and use it as a bandage. When you're practicing dual cultivation, you can do whatever you want, that's your business. The proper way recommended by the Heavenly Clothes is to wear it over an outer robe, using a silk ribbon to tie up the loose Daoist robe so that it doesn't restrict movement.

Therefore, calling the sash a "celestial robe" is less accurate than describing it as a magical artifact made of silk, satin, or ribbon. It does indeed possess the power to be impervious to swords, spears, water, and fire. However, that refers to the sash itself, not the entire garment underneath. The shimmering robe in the shop window is merely for display...

Of course, there are also those kinds of fairy robes. They are made entirely of silk, and are called "True Purple Sash Immortal Clothes" made of magic treasure-level silk ribbons. They are decorated with all kinds of Heavenly Treasure, runes and magic talismans. They are the most precious of all magic treasures. When you wear them, they will shine with precious light, and you will be the brightest star in the night sky.

But to think you can buy such a complete outfit for a mere 25,000 kan is wishful thinking. Keep dreaming; anything is possible in dreams... ahem. So, what exactly does this 25,000 kan "welfare set" include?

The Purple Sash Immortal Clothes is indeed available. After all, it's a magical treasure. Ink Bamboo Mountain provides all disciples who have just achieved the Golden Core stage with a Purple Sash Immortal Clothes, along with a proper Daoist priest's attire that conforms to etiquette. The style and size are definitely custom-made formal wear, and the color and decoration will not exceed the bounds. With such a proper formal outfit, you can confidently participate in various important events and celebrations in the Central Plains.

It seems that Ink Bamboo Mountain is worried that these country bumpkins in the sect know nothing and will wander around aimlessly in the Central Plains, embarrassing the sect...

"This is just a more advanced dress, what's the point... I want a set of combat gear that I can wear to fight people... Oh well, I'll need it sooner or later, so I'll just get one."

So the shopkeeper of the Heavenly Clothes, who had been rambling on for a while, finally smiled broadly and helped Li Fan take his measurements. "Master, don't worry. This ceremonial robe, although not designed for sword fighting, is still Golden Core Stage item. It has basic talismans, so it can ward off wind and dust, and is not susceptible to water or soil. It is not something that can be harmed by ordinary water, fire, wind, weapons, or hidden arrows."

Moreover, this Purple Sash Immortal Clothes is, after all, a ninth-grade Golden Core magic treasure. While it cannot withstand high-grade divine weapons, it can easily deflect ordinary, low-grade magic Magic Treasure with a flick of its sleeve. It also offers some protection against ordinary Crimson Fiend Gale.

"Oh, well, that's not bad then. Twenty-five thousand strings of cash is acceptable..."

"What color would you like, Master? The standard color of the Haiqing robe is free. Other custom colors will cost extra."

... Selling skins? No need for that.

"Should we add some extra features for the master?" Sure enough, the main event is here; after selling the base game, there's a whole bunch of additional DLC.

"What other features are there? Do I need to pay to activate them?" Li Fan squinted at the shopkeeper in front of him. "Tell me."

The shopkeeper smiled and gestured, "Adding the Heaven and Earth Sleeve, if there are any materials, as long as you lock them in with your Divine Sense, you can simply sweep them into the sleeve without having to bend down to pick them up. That's the spirit of an immortal! This is a custom-made garment, not an alteration of an existing one, so it's cheaper. Right now, a pair only costs eight thousand strings of cash..."

Li Fan chuckled, "I'll spend eight thousand coins to buy a dashing demeanor, the air of an immortal?"

The shopkeeper smiled, glanced around to make sure no one was watching, and whispered, "Ordinary Storage Jade can only hold inanimate objects, but with the Heaven and Earth Sleeve, you can capture living things too. You can tie them up and store them in your sleeve. You can capture five to seven people at will. Of course, it depends on their cultivation level; those above the Nascent Soul Stage can't be contained."

Ugh... Who taught you to sell things like that?!

So Li Fan looked around and saw that no one was in the store, then whispered, "Give me a dozen."

The shopkeeper smiled wryly, "Where would a dozen sleeves come from for a single garment? This is equivalent to binding and hiding them inside the sleeves of a celestial robe with a purple ribbon. Such celestial robes that can hold people require top-grade silk with special talismanic seals to make. Eight thousand strings of cash is definitely not a bad deal for you."

Also, shouldn't we take some of the Imprisoning Immortal Rope capturing people? Just in case the captured goods wake up and struggle halfway through, damaging their immortal robes and magical artifacts. One thousand strings of cash for binding Golden Core cultivators, ten strings for binding Foundation Establishment. We don't need to bind Qi Refining cultivators, hemp rope will suffice. Here are also some talismans for sealing inner Inner Landscape and the Niwan Palace..."

Wow! Isn't your store's all-inclusive service a bit too thorough?

"Cough cough, give me two, give me two!"

The shopkeeper chuckled and pulled out another piece of cloth for Li Fan to see. The cloth was a dark gold color, smooth and glossy like flowing cream, and when poked, it looked a bit like jelly, which was quite peculiar.

"This cloth is made with our shop's secret recipe. It costs 500 strings of cash per foot. Just feel how smooth and soft this fabric is. Imagine wearing it as undergarment against your skin—the sensation! I wouldn't trade it for a Dao Companion!"

Li Fan: "... That's it? With that kind of money, why don't I just find a Dao Companion? Besides, it feels so ordinary to the touch..."

The shopkeeper chuckled again, leaned in and whispered something in his ear, explaining some clever uses.

Li Fan: "... Really? If you say that, I'm even less likely to buy it. What if I can't resist and try it? Wouldn't losing my vital energy severely damage my cultivation? No, no!"

The shopkeeper smiled and wasn't angry. So he changed the cloth to a brownish-red one, with uneven surfaces and tiny, stiff fuzz, which felt like sandpaper to the touch.

Li Fan was speechless. "Shopkeeper, are you kidding me?"

"Haha, not at all. This is soft hedgehog skin. The spiky side is sewn into the lining, facing outwards. Touching it will cause excruciating pain. It can also be coated with poison. If someone attacks you with fists or palms, the spiky skin will pierce deep into your flesh and poison you when you touch it. It's 300 strings of cash per foot. A three-foot piece is enough to wrap your torso. Including the cost of materials, it's a flat price of 1,000 strings of cash. Even without poison, it can still be used to defend against thieves."

"Oh, this one is not bad, we can have it."

"How about this jade-adorned gold belt? It's only five hundred strings of cash. Don't be fooled by how expensive it sounds. Master, don't you feel uncomfortable with such a long string of jade pendants hanging on your waist rope? It would be much more convenient to wear it in your belt. You wouldn't have to worry about the formalities when going out for sword duels. Look, it's made of top-quality rhinoceros leather, sturdy and durable."

"Oh dear, look how worn out your shoes are! Take a look at these boots, they're made of Suanni -feather, windproof, fireproof, waterproof, and durable. They're only two hundred strings of cash a pair now, and I'll give you a 20% discount if you buy three pairs. I'll also throw in five pairs of silk stockings for you, how about that?"

"How about hairpins and crowns? Flying cranes, dragons, geese, mechanical birds? Gold, silver, pearls, jade, gemstones, sandalwood, all kinds are available. Although we don't need to dress like female cultivators, we've already bought this outfit, so we can't just leave our hair disheveled, can we? It would be best to buy one or two of good quality ones that are durable and look elegant, so we don't have to keep changing them!"

"Oh! Good eye! This black stone fish scale hairpin matches this magpie tail white jade crown perfectly... Ah? You haven't tied your hair up and put on your crown yet? What do you mean you haven't tied your hair up and put on your crown yet? Could it be that you've already achieved the Golden Core before you even put on your crown? Don't joke around, haha! Oh, you want this pair? Okay, I'll wrap it up for you right away, 800 strings of cash."

"They also have veils made from the 'Unknown Face' style, available in various colors and sizes. Why don't you get a couple to keep on hand? Look, they're three layers. You can't easily show your face when you're traveling the world, can you?"

"Oh, you even have a sword case! It's made of fine material, by a master craftsman. Won't it wear down if you wear it around your waist all the time? I have a piece of excellent white deerskin here. How about I wrap it for you and sew two cases for you? You can also store some talismans and flags there. And don't let this fine jade get scratched or damaged, or I'll feel so bad!"

"Should we add some more of these dust-repelling, wind-repelling, fire-repelling, and water-repelling orbs? And these runic threads—we can sew some commonly used talismans onto them for later use. Or perhaps we could add another layer of cicada-shell clothing to avoid triggering the traps and talismans hidden in the killing formation."

So by the time Li Fan came to his senses, he had already been tricked into spending nearly 40,000 strings of Divine Astral Coin, which had flowed away like water.

Ugh... Did I get ripped off? It feels like all these things, except for those two sleeves, are actually pretty useless!

"Ahem, alright, shopkeeper, stop for a moment, I have some questions for you," Li Fan quickly interrupted the shopkeeper who was still casting his spell. "This is the first time I've worn this robe. If I use magic to change my physical form, like growing more arms or becoming larger, will it tear? I usually use a flying sword, will the ribbons on this robe be cut? If the robe gets damaged during sword fighting, can it be repaired? How much would it cost to buy another set? And what about when Moon Worship?"

The shopkeeper gave him a somewhat surprised look. "These are usually questions that only True Persons have. Has the Master already reached the levels of Manifesting Heaven and Earth, Moon Worship Divine Transformation into a God, and Flying on a Sword?"

Li Fan stammered, "Uh... I just asked casually. Okay, okay, that's all for now, just wrap them up."

Seeing that the fat sheep was trying to slip away, the shopkeeper rolled his eyes and smiled, "Master's doubts are true. In fact, once you reach the Nascent Soul Realm, it is best to find a professional tailor to make a well-fitting robe, and you should also prepare and customize the silk material yourself."

Therefore, now that you're at the Golden Core stage, while the robes are still cheap, try out all the functions and experience them to know which ones you'll need and which ones you won't in the future.

Of course, if one frequently engages in demon-slaying and sword battles, these magical robes ultimately cannot withstand the wear and tear. It's best to store them in Storage Jade for daily use and only wear them on formal occasions. Normally, one can simply wear a Daoist robe."

Oh! So after all that, I filled all the equipment slots, and now you're telling me I just keep them in my inventory and never use them?!

Li Fan was about to lose his temper when the shopkeeper gave him another look. "But if the master is indeed looking for some robes suitable for daily combat, our shop does have some. Would you like to take a look?"

"Specializing in sword duels?" Li Fan was certainly interested. He had four swords; it would be a waste not to use them for duels! Fight! Fight my ass!

So the shopkeeper, all smiles, rummaged through the inner room and pulled out a set of black Daoist robes, showing them to Li Fan. They looked almost identical to the formal attire Fuling had prepared for him...

"You're in luck, sir! This is our latest design, the perfect combat uniform for sword duels. It's only 1,500 kan per set, and we offer a 5% discount for buying ten sets. We'll replace it if it gets torn, no need to worry."

Li Fan squinted at him, feeling both heartache and pity just listening to him...

The shopkeeper could tell what he was thinking, and with a smile, he turned out the lining of his Daoist robe, showing Li Fan the densely packed red characters written in tiny, fly-head-sized characters. "Master, you have to consider the value for money. These are our shop's secret talismans. They don't have any gimmicks like being invulnerable to swords and spears or impervious to water and fire, but they are genuinely effective and can ward off one death calamity!"

Putting aside everything else, this one item alone is more valuable for self-defense than any high-grade treasure, right? 1,500 strings of cash isn't a bad deal, it's a sure thing, but it can buy a life!

"Ha, you're exaggerating way too much. What kind of talisman is so powerful that it can block it once... Holy crap! Unmovable Mount Tai!!" When Li Fan saw the words, he was shocked to find that the characters were actually memorized by heart, and his eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

"That's right, it is indeed the <Mount Tai Immovable True Scripture>!" The shopkeeper also revealed a strange expression, as if to say, 'Holy crap, he actually knows his stuff?'

The Heavenly Clothes at the entrance of Lou Guan actually sells clothes with copies of the Luo Sect's demonic arts scriptures! And that's not even the most outrageous part. The most outrageous thing is that when Li Fan took a closer look, he discovered that the scriptures didn't seem to be a gimmick to fool people; every word was genuine! Wait a minute, weren't those scriptures originally written on...? Doesn't that mean...?

Li Fan pressed the robe and touched it, and immediately understood.

"This lining is made of human skin!" Li Fan grabbed the shopkeeper's wrist and pointed to the Lou Guandao Pagoda not far away. "You're selling the Luo Sect's evil arts right at the gate! And you're even skinning people to make these Magic Treasure! Aren't you being a bit too arrogant!"

Despite having his pulse seized, the shopkeeper's smile remained unchanged, though it was a forced grin. "How can it be considered an evil art? Techniques themselves are neither good nor evil, only practical or not. Master, you were secretly practicing Moon Worship during your Golden Core Stage; you're not exactly someone who follows the rules and precepts, are you?"

Besides, we didn't skin these people; they were obtained by our fellow disciples from monsters after they were killed. Lou Guan's rule is to give a reward of one string of coins for each skin, and then collect them and burn them to prevent them from being leaked and harming people.

We're the same. These human skins are inscribed with the "<Mount Tai Immovable Scripture>," so the demons can no longer go out and harm people. They can even be put to good use, shielding people from calamities and saving the lives of our disciples. Why not do it?"

"Then where did you get this scripture from...?" Li Fan's expression shifted between light and shadow.

The shopkeeper continued to smile, "Then, Master, how did you recognize me?"

Li Fan paused for a moment, then frowned and said, "Aren't you afraid of karmic retribution for doing this?"

The shopkeeper still smiled, but replied, "What retribution is there in this world? Besides, from the human skin to the scriptures, it was all made by others. It has nothing to do with me, a tailor, right?"

If anyone is to be punished, shouldn't it be those demonic individuals who Oldest One committed murder and skinning?

Besides, it's just using these skins as a shield against disaster; what's the difference between that and burning them yourself? Once a person dies, everything is gone. Aren't there plenty of fellow disciples in our sect who use them as drinking snacks every day? What's there to care about?

I only showed you these fine items because I thought my guru was a generous spender. I never expected you to be able to recognize this scripture, and even know the secret of using human skin to write the mantra. It's truly impressive.

As a mere Foundation Establishment, I naturally wouldn't dare to speak recklessly in front of a True Cultivator like you. But then again, if you truly intend to buy these for self-defense and sword fighting, you should know that those Purple Sash Immortal Clothes, though touted as powerful, are all just empty words. All those magical talismans and supernatural abilities are not as valuable as these few Daoist robes. These ten pieces alone are probably worth more than a hundred immortal robes.

"Of course, you can report this to the sect and say that my shop is making clothes from human skin, and that I will stop doing this business in the future."

The shopkeeper seemed quite at ease, indicating he indeed had powerful backers; even his pulse remained steady.

Li Fan narrowed his eyes. If tattling were effective, how could this guy still be running the Heavenly Clothes at the entrance of Lou Guan? And where did he initially get those human skins used for clothing making? And what about the <<Mount Tai Immovable Scripture>>? He wasn't flustered even after being exposed; was he truly backed by powerful connections, or was he just putting on a brave face? But honestly, if this matter really blows up and the truth comes out, everyone will be in the same boat, and Li Fan himself won't be clean either...

"I'll take all ten pieces, give me a 20% discount. Also... can I return the Purple Sash Immortal Clothes and the other stuff? Just these ten pieces will do."

The shopkeeper's eyes flashed with a shrewd light, and he smiled, "Of course, Master is indeed a straightforward man. Let's be friends this time, round it up, and take it all for fifty-five thousand strings of cash. If you want to buy something truly 'affordable' in the future, feel free to visit my shop anytime. I look forward to your patronage."

Li Fan narrowed his eyes, "... You just rounded it down to the nearest zero! And it seems you even rounded it up! Let's be friends. Stop haggling, one price! How about 40,000?"

Shopkeeper: "... Alright! 20% off it is. More friends, more opportunities, right? 52,000 strings of cash is the lowest I can offer!"

Li Fan's eyes darted around. "Fifty thousand strings of cash, but I remember I only bought one set of Purple Sash Immortal Clothes from you."

The shopkeeper smiled, "My friend is indeed cautious; it's only right that you only bought one set of fairy robes."

So Li Fan and the shopkeeper became friends.