Ye Xin and Ye Xue

The lobby was packed, filled with Qi Refining cultivators sitting in small groups, sipping tea and chatting.

As they approached the stairs leading to the second floor, two women and one man descended.

The two young women, one in a purple dress and the other in a yellow dress, were accompanied by a tall, blue-robed youth.

When Han Changming saw the girl in the purple dress, a strange look flashed deep in his eyes.

Not long after, they appeared in a private room on the third floor, where Han Changshuo and Han Changying had been waiting for some time.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, they began to eat and chat.

After a few rounds of drinks, Han Changming took a bite of food and asked casually, "Second Brother, you are a high-grade first-tier alchemist. Could you tell us what one needs to pay attention to when learning alchemy? I'm quite curious."

"Yes! Second Brother, tell us about it!" Han Changying was also interested.

Han Changshuo did not hide anything and truthfully explained the matters that required attention in alchemy. In fact, many clansmen of the Chang generation had asked Han Changshuo this before. Alchemists were more sought after than talisman makers or artifact refiners, and some clansmen were learning alchemy at their own expense; Han Changshuo was well aware of this.

He had started out learning artifact refining, as the Han Clan was known for it, but he had no talent for it. He switched to alchemy, where he possessed a certain aptitude. Combined with the clan's vigorous cultivation and his own hard work, he successfully became a high-grade first-tier alchemist.

Alchemy, like talisman making, required guidance from a master and good tools; the alchemy furnace was the most important of all.

"The patriarch personally stepped in to help me refine a high-grade first-tier alchemy furnace. It was only with the clan's strong support that I was able to become a high-grade first-tier alchemist."

"Second Brother, if the patriarch helped you refine a low-grade second-tier furnace, wouldn't your success rate in alchemy be even higher?" Han Changjiong asked curiously.

Han Changshuo shook his head and said, "Fifth Sister is an artifact refiner; she should know how precious alchemy furnaces are. The patriarch tried, but he didn't succeed."

"Second Brother is right. The difficulty of refining an alchemy furnace is much higher than other magical artifacts. Furnaces, mirrors, and pagodas are quite difficult to craft. As the saying goes, 'a workman must sharpen his tools if he is to do his work well.' Second-tier alchemy furnaces are quite rare, though large shops do sell them. If you want to buy a high-quality one, you can attend the large-scale auction in a few days. It is said that Foundation Establishment Pills will also be auctioned."

The Ocean Listening Pavilion had opened its gates, and countless cultivators were eager to join. They poured into Kuixing Market, causing the foot traffic to increase significantly. Some shops took advantage of the situation to launch promotional events or hold auctions to attract customers.

Han Changjiong smiled and said, "A large-scale auction? I must go to broaden my horizons. A good friend of mine is holding a small exchange meeting in a few days. Many Qi Refining cultivators will attend, and I heard some disciples from the Ocean Listening Pavilion will be there too. Second Brother, Fifth Sister, do you want to go together? Getting to know other cultivators will be beneficial for your future development."

"That sounds great," Han Changshuo agreed readily.

If he could get to know disciples from the Ocean Listening Pavilion, it would help his future development, and perhaps he could even glean some inside information from them.

An hour later, the four of them walked out of the Heavenly Fragrance Restaurant.

This was Han Changshuo's first time in Kuixing Market, and he was curious about many things. Han Changming and the others accompanied him, strolling around and introducing him to the situation in the market.

Han Changshuo was interested in medicinal herb shops and pill shops, which was only natural given he was an alchemist.

He bought some common medicinal herbs that were several decades old to keep for alchemy.

Two hours later, the four of them returned to their respective homes.

Han Changming sat cross-legged on his wooden bed and took out a Spirit Nourishing Pill to consume.

The night passed quickly.

Early the next morning, Han Changming left the Spirit Talisman Pavilion.

He wandered the streets. With the Ocean Listening Pavilion opening its doors to recruit disciples, the market was bustling with people, the streets crowded and noisy with constant shouting.

An hour later, Han Changming appeared in a private room on the second floor of a teahouse, having used the Shape-Shifting Technique to alter his appearance.

He ordered a pot of spirit tea and a plate of snacks, seemingly waiting for someone.

Not long after, three knocks sounded at the door.

"Fairy Ye, please come in!"

A girl in a purple dress and a girl in a yellow dress pushed the door open and walked in, their faces wreathed in broad smiles.

The girl in purple was named Ye Xin, and the girl in yellow was Ye Xue. They often bought talismans from Han Changming, and they had become familiar with each other over time.

Every two months, Han Changming would sell a batch of first-tier talismans to Ye Xin, at a price slightly cheaper than the market rate, of course.

If he sold talismans at a low price frequently and in large quantities, it would easily attract the attention of talisman shops. By selling them to Ye Xin, Han Changming reduced his risk.

Of course, Han Changming had observed them for a period of time to confirm they were rogue cultivators before selling them talismans in bulk.

According to Ye Xin, they made a living by hunting demon beasts. Ye Xin was the deputy captain of their hunting team, and they had a great demand for talismans.

Even if they resold the talismans Han Changming sold them at a discount, they wouldn't make much in the way of spirit stones.

In return, Ye Xin helped him gather information.

Half a year ago, the patriarch had ordered all Han Clan members to gather information on the second-tier Green-Eyed Fish Demon, or its inner core, with no limit on quantity.

Strangely, the patriarch had ordered them not to make a big scene and to act with caution, allegedly to prevent the Chen Clan from finding out and ruining their plans.

There had been precedents where the cultivation resources the Han Clan wanted to collect were snatched away by the Chen Clan first.

The Green-Eyed Fish Demon had been hunted so much that it was nearly extinct.

As a member of the Han Clan, it was only right for Han Changming to contribute to the clan.

"Fairy Ye, here are the talismans you wanted." Han Changming took out a cyan storage bag and handed it to Ye Xin.

Ye Xin poured out the talismans, and the two sisters carefully counted them.

"Fellow Daoist Hu, here are seven hundred spirit stones." Ye Xue handed Han Changming a yellow storage bag, smiling.

The Han Clan's base was on HLD, and "Hu" sounded similar to the "Hu" in "Hulu" (Gourd).

Hu Bin was the pseudonym Han Changming used.

Han Changming frowned and said, "Why only seven hundred spirit stones? These talismans are worth over one thousand spirit stones."

Ye Xin smiled sweetly and explained, "Fellow Daoist Hu, didn't you ask us to inquire about the Green-Eyed Fish Demon earlier? We encountered a second-rank demonic beast not long ago, and our team was scattered. While fleeing for our lives, the two of us discovered the tracks of a group of Green-Eyed Fish Demons, including several second-rank ones. This information is worth three hundred spirit stones, right? There are people in the market right now paying a high price for the whereabouts of the Green-Eyed Fish Demon, so our asking price of three hundred spirit stones is definitely not expensive."

"The tracks of a group of Green-Eyed Fish Demons? Is that true?"

"We are old acquaintances, would we lie to you? However, we cannot guarantee that the Green-Eyed Fish Demons will stay there, so you should sell this information quickly!" Ye Xue said with a smile, taking out a cyan seashell and handing it to Han Changming.

"Alright, thank you. If the information is accurate, I can give you a discount on talismans next time. I have matters to attend to, so I will take my leave." Han Changming took the cyan seashell and strode away.

The movements of demonic beasts are unpredictable; he had to report this as soon as possible so the clan could send people to hunt the Green-Eyed Fish Demons early.