Wondrous Brush

[Wolf Hair Brush: Made from the fine hairs on a Wind Wolf's tail.]

[Equipped Attributes: Wondrous Brush (White)]

[Wondrous Brush (White): Increases the success rate of First-grade Talismans by thirty percent.]

[Solidification Condition: Successfully make three hundred First-grade Talismans.]

[Equip?]

"Senior Brother Zhu, how can I accept this? You've already given me your Talisman Making Insights. How could I take this too?"

Zhou Er hurriedly waved his hands. Though he wanted it, he knew he shouldn't be so greedy.

No one liked a greedy person.

"Junior Brother Zhou, are you turning your nose up at my gift? You don't like it?"

Zhu Shunyang pretended to look a little upset.

"No! No! It's just that this Wolf Hair Brush is far too valuable. I can't accept it."

Zhou Er hurriedly said.

"Junior Brother! We talisman masters use brushes, not alchemy furnaces like alchemists. Even an expensive brush can't cost that much. Besides, you gave me a gift, so of course I should give you one in return. It's only proper to return a gift!"

Zhu Shunyang said.

"That's different. You've already given me your Talisman Making Insights. How could I accept your Talisman Brush too?"

Zhou Er explained.

"I'm not giving you those Talisman Making Insights. I still need to read through them myself from time to time!"

Zhu Shunyang said.

"Just letting me borrow them is already an enormous honor to me."

Zhou Er said.

"Are you taking it or not?"

Zhu Shunyang placed the Wolf Hair Brush in front of Zhou Er, putting on a stern expression.

Zhou Er was at a loss, and in the end, he could only accept the Wolf Hair Brush.

"I'll always remember your kindness, Senior Brother."

After accepting the brush, Zhou Er hurriedly said.

"It's just returning a gift. Junior Brother Zhou, if you put it that way, you're being too formal."

Zhu Shunyang said.

"Senior Brother, I'm just not good with words. Our bond as fellow disciples will last forever!"

Zhou Er said.

This trip had earned Zhou Er not only the Talisman Making Insights and a brush, but also a friend.

After watching Zhou Er leave, Zhu Shunyang returned to his study and glanced at the gift Zhou Er had given him.

A Purple Spirit Pill of decent quality, worth a dozen or perhaps twenty Spirit Stones.

This pill was, of course, no match for either of the two things he had given Zhou Er.

The Talisman Making Insights represented more than ten years of his hard work. They couldn't be measured against a few dozen Spirit Stones.

As for the Wolf Hair Brush, he had said it wasn't expensive, but when he bought it, it had still cost him over a hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones.

Zhu Shunyang had used up less than half of the brush's lifespan. It was worth at least sixty or seventy Spirit Stones.

He had been so generous not because he was rolling in money, but because he saw potential in Zhou Er.

Forget Zhou Er's background; he had reached the second layer of Qi Refining in just three months. He was at the very least a Foundation Establishment prospect.

So Zhu Shunyang was willing to invest some resources in befriending someone with such potential.

When you were away from home, having more friends was never a bad thing.

After Zhou Er took the two things home, he got started on copying the Talisman Making Insights.

He could get some paper and brushes for copying from the Scripture Pavilion.

The Scripture Pavilion lent ordinary paper, brushes, and ink to Outer Sect Disciples for free. They didn't need to pay any Spirit Stones.

Over the next few days, aside from his daily cultivation, Zhou Er devoted himself to copying Zhu Shunyang's Talisman Making Insights.

It took him three days to finish transcribing them.

As he copied, Zhou Er also gained a systematic understanding of talisman-making.

Talismans were spells stored on Talisman Paper in the form of runes, ready to be used later.

The key was storage.

In other words, talismans didn't conjure spells out of nothing. They merely stored the talisman maker's spells on Talisman Paper in the form of runes.

The spells released by a talisman were simply spells cast by the Talisman Master, and some of their power was even lost in the process.

A talisman's upper limit was the Talisman Master's upper limit.

That meant that to make a talisman for a particular spell, a Talisman Master had to master that spell.

You could say that every Talisman Master was a spell expert.

No wonder Zhu Shunyang kept emphasizing the importance of one's own cultivation.

If his own skill wasn't up to par, how could he make a good talisman?

Fortunately, Zhou Er's mastery of the Fireball Technique was nearing perfection, more than enough to meet the standard for making Fireball Talismans.

After finishing his transcription, Zhou Er went to see Zhu Shunyang again and returned the Talisman Making Insights.

"Senior Brother, even just transcribing them once over these three days has taught me a great deal."

Zhou Er said, admiration in his eyes.

"Not at all. You're too kind, Junior Brother."

Zhu Shunyang took back the Talisman Making Insights.

"All right, I won't disturb you while you work, Senior Brother. I'll take my leave."

After returning the Talisman Making Insights, Zhou Er stopped bothering Zhu Shunyang and went back to his little courtyard.

The handwritten copy of the Talisman Making Insights could also be equipped in his Equipment Slot, but his slots were full right now. He truly didn't know what to replace.

[Name: Zhou Er]

[Cultivation: Qi Refining Second Layer (39.23%)]

[Equipment Slot (3/3): Five Animals Health Technique, Spirit Gathering Pill, Bigu Pill.]

[Unsolidified Attributes: Spirit Gathering (White), Five Animals Health Technique (Perfected), Longevity, Taotie (White).]

[Solidified Attributes: Fire Attribute Amplification (White), Spirit Qi Purification (White), Qi Induction, Strength Increase (White).]

He couldn't remove the Five Animals Health Technique, and Taotie from the Bigu Pill was important too.

"I can equip the Spirit Gathering Pill while cultivating, then take it off when I'm not cultivating and replace it with the Talisman Making Insights."

Zhou Er thought.

After equipping the Talisman Making Insights, a flood of knowledge about runes immediately welled up in Zhou Er's mind. This was the effect of the Rune Mastery attribute.

For a Talisman Master, mastering spells was the bare minimum. Learning about runes was what took the most time.

They had to convert the intricate flows of mana into special runes, matching each one precisely without making a single mistake.

The learning process was an extremely long one.

The Rune Mastery attribute saved Zhou Er from having to go through that process. He could start making talismans right away.

Before he could begin, though, Zhou Er had to do something else: buy Talisman Paper and special Spirit Ink.

Ordinary paper, brushes, and ink couldn't withstand the ravages of mana, nor could they bring out the effects of spells.

That presented a problem: Zhou Er was out of Spirit Stones.

Even a hero could be brought to his knees by a single coin.

Without Spirit Stones, all the theories in the world wouldn't help Zhou Er put them into practice.

At that moment, Zhou Er thought of Lin Shiyu.

"Lin Shiyu lives frugally and is still working toward her dream of becoming an alchemist. She must have saved quite a few Spirit Stones."

Zhou Er felt he was being rather awful, thinking about hitting Lin Shiyu up for money.

Aside from Lin Shiyu, he really didn't have anyone better to ask.

Senior Brother Zhu had already helped him so much. Asking him for more would be impolite.

But Lin Shiyu wasn't that close to him, either. She might not lend him anything.

"I'll try asking her first. If that doesn't work, I'll find someone else to borrow from."

Zhou Er thought.

So, around the time Lin Shiyu was due to finish work, Zhou Er waited for her again.

"Junior Sister! I've finished copying the Talisman Making Insights."

Zhou Er said. Ever since he had received Zhu Shunyang's Talisman Making Insights, he had already shared his joy over it with Lin Shiyu.

Lin Shiyu knew he had been busy copying the insights these past few days.

"That's wonderful."

Lin Shiyu said with a smile. She was happy for Zhou Er, too.

"Junior Sister, that's why I wanted to ask if I could borrow some Spirit Stones from you, to buy Talisman Paper and Spirit Ink."

Zhou Er said, steeling himself. It took a great deal of courage to ask someone to lend you Spirit Stones.

He had to handle it carefully. If he did it badly, they might not even be friends anymore.

When she heard Zhou Er wanted to borrow Spirit Stones, Lin Shiyu's smile did indeed freeze, but she still said:

"Senior Brother, how much do you want to borrow?"

"Ten! I only need ten Spirit Stones. I'll pay you back as soon as I can."

Zhou Er said. He planned to buy a secondhand Talisman Brush, along with some Talisman Paper and Spirit Ink. Ten Spirit Stones was the bare minimum, and would only just be enough.

"Senior Brother, wait here."

Lin Shiyu said, then went back to her room to get her Spirit Stones. This time, Zhou Er didn't follow her in and waited outside.

A short while later, Lin Shiyu came out with a small embroidered pouch and said:

"There are twenty Low-grade Spirit Stones in here, Senior Brother. I know talisman-making takes a lot of resources, so go ahead and give it a try. There's no rush to pay me back."

Zhou Er clutched the pouch, deeply moved. He resolved to earn money as soon as possible and repay Lin Shiyu's kindness.

"Junior Sister, don't worry. As soon as I earn some Spirit Stones, I'll pay you back double!"

Zhou Er said earnestly.

"Senior Brother, I believe you."

Lin Shiyu said with a smile.

Even though she now knew Zhou Er was, like her, a disciple with no backing, seeing how earnest he was made her feel that he would certainly succeed.

The angel investment Zhou Er had received was in hand. The next day, he went to the Xiayun Sect's Talisman Paper supplier: the Fu Family's shop.

The Fu Family was a well-known Aristocratic Clan in the Xiayun Sect. Several of their clan members had become Golden Core Elders, and they controlled most of the business in Talisman raw materials for the Xiayun Sect.

Xiayun Sect disciples who wanted to make talismans had to buy their supplies from the Fu Family.

Following Zhu Shunyang's instructions, Zhou Er went to the Fu Family Talisman Shop.

"Senior Brother, what would you like to buy?"

As soon as Zhou Er entered, a Servant Disciple came over to ask.

"I'd like to buy some Talisman Paper and Spirit Ink."

Zhou Er said.

"Senior Brother, which Talisman Master recommended you? We can't sell these to you without a recommendation."

The Servant Disciple said cautiously.

The sect bigwigs monopolized alchemy, artifact-making, talisman-making, and formations. Unless you paid your respects at the right door and were brought into the circle, you couldn't even buy the raw materials.

"Zhu Shunyang from Wutong District, Senior Brother Zhu."

Zhou Er said.

"So Senior Brother Zhu recommended you. Then please follow me."

The Xiayun Sect's circle of Talisman Masters was small. As soon as Zhou Er said the name, the Servant Disciple knew who he meant. He only had to wait for Zhu Shunyang to come by and confirm it.

Zhou Er followed the Servant Disciple to a room inside the shop that looked like a storeroom. There, he saw a wide variety of Talisman-making Raw Materials.

"May I ask your name, Senior Brother?"

Before selling him anything, the Servant Disciple asked.

"I'm Zhou Er."

Zhou Er said.

"So you're Senior Brother Zhou. I've heard so much about you. You can call me Xiao You. Next time you come to buy Talisman Paper or Spirit Ink, just ask for me."

Xiao You cupped his hands and said.

"Certainly. How much does this Talisman Paper cost?"

Zhou Er asked.

"Senior Brother, a bundle of these ordinary Talisman Papers has twenty-five sheets and costs just one Spirit Stone. We've already cut them for you. Over there, we have full sheets that haven't been cut. Those cost one Spirit Stone too, but you'll have to take them home and cut them yourself."

Xiao You pointed to the Talisman Paper stacked neatly in a large box, then to a large rolled-up sheet on the other side.

"Besides those, we also have more expensive beast hide here. It costs ten Spirit Stones a sheet."

Xiao You looked toward the rolled-up beast hide on the other side as he spoke.

Hearing how expensive the beast hide was, Zhou Er put the idea out of his mind. Beast hide was used to make Second-tier Talismans. Using it as a medium for a Fireball Talisman would be far too extravagant.

Zhou Er had to choose between the pre-cut ordinary Talisman Paper and the uncut sheets.

According to Senior Brother Zhu's Talisman Making Insights, pre-cut Talisman Paper was more reliable. Uncut paper had to be trimmed by hand, but there was a chance you could cut out a few extra sheets.

Besides, uncut Talisman Paper could be trimmed after the talisman was drawn, and the larger space made it easier to work.

Since it was Zhou Er's first time making a talisman, he decided to play it safe.

"Xiao You, give me one full sheet!"

"Sure thing!"

Xiao You pulled out a large roll of ordinary Talisman Paper.

"How much does the Spirit Ink cost?"

Zhou Er asked about the price of Spirit Ink again.

"This Spirit Ink is made from Black Dog Blood and Green Bamboo Charcoal. One Spirit Stone buys two taels of Spirit Ink, and that bottle weighs eight taels, so it costs four Spirit Stones."

Xiao You said.

"Then give me a bottle."

Zhou Er had Spirit Stones on hand, so he bought a little extra.

Xiao You fetched Zhou Er another bottle of Spirit Ink and asked,

"Does Senior Brother Zhou need anything else?"

"Could you give me a Talisman Brush that costs around ten Spirit Stones?"

Zhou Er asked.

He planned to put the Talisman Brush Zhu Shunyang had given him in his Equipment Slot to obtain its attribute. He needed a new Talisman Brush for making talismans.

"Of course. I'll find one for you right away, Senior Brother."

Xiao You walked over to a box and took out an ordinary Talisman Brush about three inches long.

"This Talisman Brush is made from the down on a White-tailed Rat's belly and the core of Paulownia Wood. It's worth twelve Low-grade Spirit Stones."

Although the tools used by Talisman Masters were somewhat more involved, overall they were cheaper than those used by alchemists.

Of course, talismans also brought in much lower profits.

"Could you make it a little cheaper?"

Zhou Er asked.

"Senior Brother! You know Xiao You is working for Elder Fu, too. The prices at the Fu Household's Talisman Shop have always been fair, and we never haggle."

Xiao You gave Zhou Er a meaningful look and said helplessly.

"Is that so?"

Zhou Er understood. The Fu Household had a monopoly on the talisman trade in Xiayun Sect, so they naturally wouldn't let Outer Sect Disciples like them bargain.

If you didn't buy, there were plenty of others who would.

Though Zhou Er detested the rule, he was beneath someone else's roof and had to bow his head. He could only take out his Low-grade Spirit Stones.

The Talisman Paper, Spirit Ink, and Talisman Brush cost Zhou Er seventeen Spirit Stones in total, leaving him with three.

"Senior Brother, although I can't give you a discount, I can give you a talisman-making template and a cutting knife for trimming Talisman Paper. If you cut and make your talismans according to this template, and they meet the requirements, the Fu Household's Talisman Shop can buy them back at a rate of five talismans per Spirit Stone."

Xiao You found him the two tools and explained.

"That'd be great!"

Zhou Er nodded and accepted them.

Zhu Shunyang's Talisman Making Insights had said that there were only two ways to sell talismans within the sect.

The first was to sell them back to the Fu Household at the price Xiao You had mentioned. The returns were very low.

The second was to set up a stall when the market opened, but the prices had to follow the Fu Household's rules: three first-tier talismans per Spirit Stone. He also couldn't sell them in large quantities.

Anyone who broke the rules would be shunned by the entire circle of Talisman Masters in Xiayun Sect. By then, even getting the Raw Materials for making talismans would be difficult.