Trouble

Three months passed in the blink of an eye.

Han Changming sat at the table, completely absorbed in making talismans.

A stack of pale blue talismans lay on the tabletop, while discarded talisman paper was scattered across the floor.

A moment later, Han Changming set down the Talisman Brush in his hand and gazed at the Water Wall Talisman before him. A smile spread across his pale face.

The Spirit Water produced by the Taiyi Spirit-Transforming Gourd had been used to make Cinnabar, greatly improving his success rate at making talismans.

Han Changming was now a First-Rank Mid-Grade Talisman Maker. His success rate for first-rank low- and mid-grade talismans had reached fifty percent, putting him on par with Han Changjiong.

Each month, Han Changming received forty bundles of Blank Talisman Paper, for a total of four hundred and eighty sheets. He could make two hundred and forty talismans from them. Every month, he handed over one hundred and fifty first-rank talismans and kept ninety for himself. After three months, he had amassed nearly three hundred first-rank talismans.

Three hundred first-rank talismans would fetch a fortune in spirit stones if he sold them all.

The Taiyi Spirit-Transforming Gourd absorbed spiritual energy far faster than a Spirit Gathering Stone. In a little over a month, it would drain all the spiritual energy from the stone. The stone then needed more than half a month to replenish it.

Han Changming guessed the reason had to do with his surroundings. The area where the Spirit Talisman Pavilion stood was not rich in spiritual energy. If it were on a spirit vein, the Spirit Gathering Stone would absorb spiritual energy faster. It was just like how cultivators made faster progress cultivating on a spirit vein than in the wilderness.

The higher the grade of the spirit vein, the faster the Spirit Gathering Stone recovered its spiritual energy, and the more Spirit Water the Taiyi Spirit-Transforming Gourd could produce.

Because of this drawback, Han Changming had adjusted his cultivation schedule.

He spent the first month working hard at making talismans, producing three months' worth in that one month—that is, four hundred and fifty. He spent the remaining two months cultivating.

While he cultivated, he let the Spirit Gathering Stone replenish its spiritual energy, then used the Taiyi Spirit-Transforming Gourd to make Spirit Water and store it away. He could either drink it for cultivation or use it to make Cinnabar.

Han Changming put away the talismans and his tools, then went out to have breakfast.

"Thirteenth Uncle, Seventh Brother, good morning!" Han Changming greeted Han Dehai and Han Changjiong.

Han Dehai and Han Changjiong looked troubled, as if they had run into some difficult problem.

"Changming, we're in a bind. I'm afraid we'll need you to make another batch of first-rank mid-grade talismans," Han Dehai said with a frown, his voice heavy.

Han Changming was already capable of making first-rank mid-grade talismans, and he handed over a portion of them each month. Still, the number wasn't large; he mainly made first-rank low-grade talismans. He had never told Han Dehai and Han Changjiong how good he really was at making talismans.

In Han Dehai and Han Changjiong's eyes, Han Changming's success rate for first-rank mid-grade talismans had only just reached thirty percent. In truth, it was fifty percent.

After all, he had been transferred to Kuixing Market less than a year ago. If his skill at making talismans improved too quickly, it would be easy for others to discover the Taiyi Spirit-Transforming Gourd.

"What happened, Thirteenth Uncle? Did something go wrong?" Han Changming pressed.

It was the first time he had seen Han Dehai look like this. Even if they had received a large order, Han Changjiong and Han Dehai could help!

Han Dehai let out a long sigh and explained what had happened.

The manager of the Spirit Talisman Pavilion was Han Dao'an. He ranked nineteenth among the Dao generation and had always managed the Lineage's businesses. When the raw-materials shop went out of business and was replaced by the Spirit Talisman Pavilion, the Lineage had kept Han Dao'an on as manager. The pressure weighed heavily on him, and he wanted to make a name for himself.

The Spirit Talisman Pavilion had been open for over half a year. Business had been lukewarm, but it had managed to build up a number of regular customers.

A demon-hunting team often bought first-rank talismans from the Spirit Talisman Pavilion, placing large orders each time. To keep them coming back, Han Dao'an had given them a few discounts.

The previous evening, Chen Feng, the team's leader, had invited Han Dao'an to a teahouse for a chat. Since it was an invitation from a regular customer, Han Dao'an had readily accepted.

Chen Feng planned to order three hundred first-rank high-grade talismans, a deal worth more than four thousand spirit stones. It was an enormous order, but he wanted a discount and delivery within a month.

To be honest, a month was a tight deadline. But it was Han Dao'an's first big deal, and he naturally wanted to secure it. After much hesitation, he agreed to a price fifteen percent below the market rate.

The Spirit Talisman Pavilion had a stock of first-rank high-grade talismans, and both Han Dehai and Han Changjiong could make them. They would devote themselves to producing first-rank high-grade talismans, and even if they still couldn't complete the order, the Han Clan could buy more from other talisman shops.

They signed a written agreement, and Chen Feng paid a deposit in spirit stones.

When Han Dao'an returned to the Spirit Talisman Pavilion, he received some shocking news. While he had been out, a customer had come in and ordered five hundred first-rank mid-grade talismans, to be delivered within a month, at a price twenty percent below the market rate.

While Han Dao'an was away, Han Defu had been in charge of the Spirit Talisman Pavilion.

Han Defu ranked seventeenth among the De generation. He had five spiritual roots and had started working at a young age.

The several thousand spirit stones in sales had dazzled him. He had agreed on the spot, drawn up a written agreement, and taken the deposit.

Clearly, it was a trap.

The Han Clan had some first-rank talismans in storage, but not many. Han Dehai and Han Changjiong had to focus on making first-rank high-grade talismans, while Han Changming was responsible for the first-rank mid-grade ones.

Han Dehai and Han Changjiong couldn't spare any time. The more first-rank mid-grade talismans Han Changming made, the smaller the Han Clan's losses would be.

After hearing Han Dehai's explanation, Han Changming furrowed his brows.

"Thirteenth Uncle, Seventh Brother, I'll do my best to make as many first-rank mid-grade talismans as I can. I definitely won't be able to make five hundred in a month, but I'll give it my best."

Han Dehai patted Han Changming on the shoulder and encouraged him. "Just do what you can. Don't push yourself too hard. Nineteenth Uncle and Seventeenth Brother feel terrible about this."

"Thirteenth Uncle, even if we can produce enough talismans, can Chen Feng come up with the spirit stones? Can a Rogue Cultivator really afford that much?"

Han Changming asked curiously. The two orders came to a total of seven or eight thousand spirit stones—a truly enormous sum.

"If they dared to do this, of course they can pay. The Chen Clan was probably behind it. They have a talisman shop of their own, right near the Spirit Talisman Pavilion," Han Dehai said angrily.

The Chen Clan and the Han Clan were old rivals. The Chen Clan was stronger, with seven Foundation Establishment cultivators alone, and controlled thirty-five islands.

To stand against the Chen Clan, the Han Clan had arranged a marriage alliance with another cultivation family, the Liu Clan, forming an alliance to oppose them.

The Chen Clan was also a vassal force of the Ocean Listening Pavilion. The difference was that members of the Chen Clan who had joined the Ocean Listening Pavilion had achieved Foundation Establishment. Because of this, the Han Clan had suffered plenty of losses whenever the two clans clashed.

The territories of the Chen, Yang, Han, and Liu Clans all bordered one another. The Chen Clan was strongest, the Liu Clan weakest, and the Han Clan came second to last.