Evil-Breaking

Early the next morning,

After Wu Tao had finished dumping Huzi, he returned and did not see Zhang Li. He did not care either. He went back, slung his bundle over his shoulder, and prepared to head to the marketplace to set up his stall. Unexpectedly, the moment he stepped outside, he ran into Zhang Li opening her door.

"Fellow daoist Li, where are you going?" Zhang Li yawned. There had clearly been no guests last night, yet she was still so sleepy. Could it be an occupational habit—getting excited at night until she could not sleep?

Wu Tao said, "I'm going to the marketplace."

"Awoo..." Zhang Li let out a long yawn before saying, "Perfect. Bring back thirty jin of spirit rice for me. I'm sleepy, so I'm going back to sleep for a while."

As she spoke, she turned back into her room, took out a Spirit Stone Bag, and handed it to him.

"Sure!" Wu Tao accepted the Spirit Stone Bag and headed for the marketplace.

It had to be said, Wu Tao and Han Tiezhu truly had some kind of fate. Their stalls had ended up next to each other again. Wu Tao was in Ding District, Number Thirty-Nine, while Han Tiezhu was in Ding District, Number Thirty-Eight.

There was also a young girl in coarse hemp clothes sitting at Han Tiezhu's stall. She watched over the stall with complete focus, scarcely daring to move, looking exceedingly shy.

"Uncle Han, you're early."

Wu Tao greeted him as he set up his stall.

When Han Tiezhu saw that Wu Tao's stall was beside his, his heart practically blossomed with delight. He laughed heartily. "Young Friend Li, we really are fated. We're side by side again."

"This is my daughter Mingxiu. She's fifteen this year and still unmarried. This girl is ambitious too—she's studying for her Spirit Planter Certificate. She'll probably get it next year. Mingxiu, this is your Big Brother Li Mo. Say hello to Big Brother Li."

When Han Mingxiu saw her old father telling everyone everything about her, she immediately grew embarrassed and called out softly, "Father..."

Wu Tao looked at Han Mingxiu. She was plain-looking—not ugly, but not particularly beautiful either. She was just an ordinary girl from a Spirit Planter family. Still, one thing he could be certain of was that Han Mingxiu must have taken after her mother in looks. She did not resemble Han Tiezhu nearly as much as he claimed.

As for Han Tiezhu saying she looked like him, that was purely because there was something wrong with his eyes.

Wu Tao felt that such a shy girl was truly rare in this Cultivation World. Smiling, he said, "Then I'll call you Mingxiu. Your name is nice. Your father probably didn't choose it, did he..."

Han Mingxiu looked at Wu Tao, then lowered her gaze again. Only after blushing did she softly greet him, "Big Brother Li."

"This child spends every day in the fields and rarely comes out. She's terribly afraid of strangers. That's why her mother told me to bring her to the marketplace to watch the stall with me, so she can toughen up a little. Otherwise, she might suffer losses in the future." After explaining, Han Tiezhu added, "Mingxiu's name really wasn't chosen by me. I don't have that kind of learning. I begged a great steward from Wuquan Mountain Spirit Planting Hall to name her."

Their conversation ended there. After all, they had come to set up stalls, not to chat.

Han Tiezhu whispered to Han Mingxiu, "Xiuer, you need to be sharper. This Big Brother Li might be an Artifact Refiner. If he takes a fancy to you, then you won't have to scratch out a living in the fields like your mother and I do every day."

Hearing this, Han Mingxiu became angry and flustered. Her face turned red as she stamped her foot. "Father, you said yourself that Big Brother Li is an Artifact Refiner. With his status, how could he possibly take a liking to someone from a Spirit Planter family like me... Father, so what you and Mother said about training my temperament was a lie..."

Han Tiezhu said, "Xiuer, Father is doing this for your own good. Young Friend Li is still in humble circumstances now, setting up stalls beside us. If he soars like a yellow dragon into the sky someday and no longer needs to set up a stall, then there'll be no chance. Of course, I'm not forcing you. It all depends on your fate!"

As Han Mingxiu listened to her father, she secretly glanced at Wu Tao and sighed inwardly. She only felt that she was not worthy of Big Brother Li.

Her father was probably busying himself for nothing.

Time slipped away quietly, and in the blink of an eye, it was noon. Wu Tao's stomach growled with hunger.

Beside him, Han Tiezhu and his daughter had already brought their own lunch and begun eating. Seeing Wu Tao look over, Han Tiezhu invited him, "Young Friend Li, want to eat with us?"

Wu Tao knew they had only brought enough food for themselves. How could he bring himself to mooch off them? He shook his head. "No need. Isn't lunch being sold up ahead? I'll go buy some."

With that, he packed up his stall, bundled it onto his back, and went to where lunch was being sold. Many Rogue Cultivators were squeezing together to buy food, making Wu Tao sigh. Cultivators who had not reached the Fasting stage were no different from mortals.

Clutching his bundle tightly, he finally squeezed his way to the front and called out loudly, "One meal, thank you!"

The food seller looked up, and his face immediately lit up. He chuckled. "Fellow daoist, it's you! What, you aren't selling meals today?"

Wu Tao's face immediately darkened. He suddenly wanted to make this food seller deliver the meal to his stall, then display his Magic Robes for the man to see. But after thinking it over, though it would feel satisfying, there was no need. He might only be a food seller, but this Cultivation World was full of unpredictable changes. What if the man stepped in dog shit and struck it rich? Or what if he was one of those whose fortunes shifted from east of the river to west in thirty years?

Eh, better keep a low profile. There's no need to fight over a moment of pride.

Having thought it through, Wu Tao did not reply. He took the meal, paid with Fragmented Spirit Stones, and returned to his stall to eat.

After eating, he waited for more than an hour. Three Rogue Cultivators dressed like wandering warriors stopped before Wu Tao's stall—two men and one woman. They appeared interested in his Magic Robes.

Wu Tao immediately rose to his feet, his face full of enthusiasm. "Are you three here to buy Magic Robes? Please take a look. They're brand-new Magic Robes, all refined by my own hand. Quality guaranteed."

The three exchanged glances, and the woman said, "That's right. We are here to buy Magic Robes."

We... The moment Wu Tao heard that word, he was overjoyed. He hurriedly said, "If all three of you are buying, I can give you a discount. Fourteen Low-Grade Spirit Stones each."

"You said you refined them yourself. Do you have an Artifact Refiner Certificate certified by Five Spring Artifact Refining Hall?"

Wu Tao: "..."

Isn't it just a certificate? Can't I just take the exam?

"No!"

He did not dare deceive consumers.

At his answer, a trace of delight appeared in the female cultivator's brows. "Without a certificate, there are many things you can't guarantee, and we won't feel at ease buying them. Thirteen Low-Grade Spirit Stones each. If that works, we have a deal?"

Thirteen times three, thirty-nine... As he calculated inwardly, Wu Tao no longer hesitated. "Deal!"

Looking at the Transaction Voucher in his hand and carrying the heavy bag containing thirty-nine Spirit Stones, Wu Tao felt more fulfilled than ever before. Beside him, Han Tiezhu and his daughter were so envious it nearly spilled from their faces.

"Fellow daoist Li, are you buying spirit rice today?"

"Yes. Get me thirty jin." Wu Tao made a grand gesture with one sweep of his hand.

Han Tiezhu immediately instructed Han Mingxiu, "Xiuer, quickly weigh out spirit rice for Big Brother Li. Weigh thirty-one jin."

"Alright, I understand, Father."

Wu Tao said, "Mingxiu, put thirty jin in one bag, and the other jin in a separate bag."

"Alright, Big Brother Li."

After paying Han Tiezhu the one hundred Fragmented Spirit Stones Zhang Li had given him and carrying thirty-one jin of spirit rice, Wu Tao first went to the Market Rental Office to pay his tax.

"Three Low-Grade Spirit Stones and ninety Fragmented Spirit Stones in taxes. If the miners from the original owner's old mine knew that taxes alone were higher than their monthly wages, wouldn't they be green with envy?"

"Keep a low profile! Keep a low profile! Hehe..."

Wu Tao grinned foolishly and headed straight for Yuanyou Talisman Pavilion.

"Fellow daoist, what talismans would you like to buy? Would you like me to introduce them?"

"I want one Evil-Breaking Talisman."

"Certainly. One first-rank intermediate Evil-Breaking Talisman, twenty Low-Grade Spirit Stones. Hmm... thank you for your patronage, fellow daoist. Please take your Evil-Breaking Talisman, and welcome back next time."

For some reason, when Wu Tao took the Evil-Breaking Talisman, his hand trembled slightly. He did not know whether it was because he was too excited. He accepted the talisman, carefully tucked it close to his body, and only left Yuanyou Talisman Pavilion after calming his emotions.

A shaft of sunlight fell upon him. Wu Tao stretched out his hand to catch it and unexpectedly felt that the sunlight was warm.

After standing at the entrance of Yuanyou Talisman Pavilion for a while, he changed direction and went to Zhang Family Artifact Material Shop, where he spent another ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones to purchase four sets of Magic Robe refining materials.

Afterward, he left the marketplace, taking turn after turn. Only once there was no one behind him did he turn into New Virtue Alley and return to his residence.

Knock, knock, knock!

Zhang Li opened the door. Seeing Wu Tao drenched in sweat and panting heavily, she did not know whether it was her imagination, but she felt as though Wu Tao was in an exceptionally good mood.

"I brought back the spirit rice you wanted." Wu Tao handed her the bag containing thirty jin of spirit rice.

Zhang Li did not take it. Instead, she said, "It's so heavy. Help me carry it inside and pour it into the rice jar."

"Ah, well... Fellow Daoist Zhang, it wouldn't be appropriate for me to enter your room, would it?" Wu Tao very much wanted to say this, but after thinking about it, he kept it to himself. If he said it aloud, Zhang Li would definitely choke him to death with her words. Zhang Li had lent him money several times and had done him favors. Whatever she said went.

Seeing Zhang Li step aside, Wu Tao entered her room.

Once inside, Wu Tao's nostrils twitched as he caught the scent of flowers. The room was clean and tidy, with an antique elegance to it. It resembled the chamber of a refined young lady from a distinguished family.

Zhang Li's room was better than his. Though it was also a single room, it came with a kitchen. He found the rice jar, and sure enough, it was empty. He poured the spirit rice into it and said, "Fellow Daoist Zhang, it's done."

"Thank you. Would you like a cup of water?" Zhang Li crossed her arms beneath her ample chest and looked at him questioningly.

Wu Tao waved his hand and said as he walked out, "No, no. I still have things to do, so I'll head back first."

After returning to his own room, Wu Tao took out the Evil-Breaking Talisman. It was yellow, made from Demonic Beast hide, with runes drawn in cinnabar. The runes were twisted, connected, and mysterious, while faint Spiritual Power lingered around them.

"Evil-Breaking Talisman, I'm counting on you!"