Talisman Maker Exchange Meeting

After circling the street a few times and making sure no one was following him, Han Changming found a teahouse and went inside.

An hour later, Han Changming left the teahouse.

He circled the street once before returning to the Spirit Talisman Pavilion.

Han Changming found Han Dehai, took out a blue shell, and handed it to him. "Thirteenth Uncle, I heard something about the Green-Eyed Fish Demons. Supposedly, there's a whole group of them, including a few Second-Rank ones. I bought the information from a Rogue Cultivator, so I don't know if it's reliable."

"You bought information from a Rogue Cultivator? How many spirit stones did you spend?"

"Three hundred. It should be reliable."

Han Dehai nodded and solemnly reminded him, "I know about this now. Don't tell anyone else, understand? If the information proves true, the Lineage will reward you."

"Understood, Thirteenth Uncle."

Han Changming obediently agreed, then returned to his room to make talismans.

He had just taken out his talisman-making tools when a commotion came from the pouch at his waist.

He tapped the Spirit Beast Bag, and two Alligator Turtle Beasts crawled out.

They had already grown half a zhang long, but were still First-Rank Low-Grade. They had enormous appetites.

They rubbed against Han Changming's chest, then opened their mouths to reveal rows of sharp teeth. They seemed hungry.

Han Changming took out a red carp two zhang long and tossed it onto the ground. The two Alligator Turtle Beasts rushed over and tore into its carcass.

Before long, they had devoured the red carp completely, leaving not even a bone behind. Blood and fish scales splattered across the floor, and the room filled with a pungent fishy stench.

Han Changming cleaned up the blood and fish scales, cast a Dust-Cleansing Spell, and opened the doors and windows. Only then did the fishy smell slowly fade.

He played with the two Alligator Turtle Beasts for a while, then put them back in the Spirit Beast Bag.

After sitting quietly for a while, Han Changming picked up his Talisman Brush, dipped it in Cinnabar, and began to draw.

Before long, a red talisman rune appeared on the paper, followed by a second, then a third...

A day passed in the blink of an eye.

The Gathering Immortal Pavilion was the largest teahouse in Kuixing Market. It was also a good place for cultivators to meet like-minded people and gather information. The only downside was the high prices, so Rogue Cultivators rarely came there.

More than twenty cultivators had gathered on the third floor. Patterns were embroidered on their clothes, and they came from different cultivation factions. Han Changming and the other three had arrived at the Gathering Immortal Pavilion early.

The Talisman Maker Exchange Meeting was mainly for talisman makers to share their knowledge with one another, while the small exchange gathering was chiefly for making friends.

Wealth, companions, cultivation methods, and land—the word "companions" ranked second only to "wealth." It referred not only to fellow cultivators and kin, but also to cultivators who offered guidance.

Han Changjiong looked around, chewing nonstop with a pastry in each hand.

Qi Refining cultivators continued to arrive. Most were children of cultivation families, though two were Rogue Cultivators.

Han Changming spotted a tall, straight-backed young man in blue robes, and a flicker of surprise swiftly crossed his eyes.

If he remembered correctly, he had seen Ye Xin and Ye Xue with the young man in blue robes a few days earlier.

Less than a quarter of an hour later, more than forty cultivators had gathered on the third floor. Their cultivation ranged from the fourth to the ninth level of Qi Refining. Among them were Rogue Cultivators, children of cultivation families, and disciples of the Fire Cloud Sect. No disciples of the Ocean Listening Pavilion had shown up.

"Fellow Daoist Mu, didn't you say disciples from the Ocean Listening Pavilion would be attending the exchange? Haven't they arrived yet?"

Ye Yufeng asked Mu Yunxiao.

Mu Yunxiao shook his head. "Fellow Daoist Zhou and the others had something come up at the last minute, so they can't make it. But my cousin will be here. He's the only son of the Azure Cloud Sect's sect master, one of the Seven Azure Clouds, and a key disciple the sect is cultivating."

At his words, curious expressions appeared on the faces of several female cultivators present.

"Cousin Yunxiao, you flatter me too much." A rather hearty male voice came from downstairs.

Light footsteps sounded, and a young man in green robes, barely in his twenties, walked up.

His face was as fair as white jade, his features handsome, and his build tall. He held a blue folding fan in his hand, looking every bit the elegant young gentleman.

Mu Yunxiao's face lit up when he saw the young man in green. "We were just talking about you, Cousin Lin Xuan."

"I'm Lin Xuan. Greetings, fellow Daoists."

Lin Xuan cupped his hands to everyone and spoke politely. His voice was gentle, giving people the feeling of a warm breeze.

After a brief introduction, Lin Xuan sat down.

As was customary, everyone began by discussing their cultivation insights.

The cultivators present practiced different techniques, but there were still things they could learn from one another, such as ways to overcome bottlenecks.

After hearing how the other cultivators had overcome their bottlenecks, Han Changming gained some insight.

Besides cultivation insights, they also discussed their crafts, such as talisman-making, alchemy, and artifact-refining.

When the conversation turned to alchemy, Han Changshuo had quite a bit to say.

Lin Xuan was also a First-Rank High-Grade alchemist, and his skill far surpassed Han Changshuo's.

After half an hour or so, the exchange began.

As the organizer, Mu Yunxiao was the first to present his items.

A fish tail, two fist-sized blue ore chunks, and five white fangs about a chi long.

"The tail and five teeth of a First-Rank High-Grade Sea Cloud Beast, along with two pieces of Azure Moon Stone, a First-Rank High-Grade artifact-refining material. I'll trade them for a Second-Rank Talisman Brush or Second-Rank Cinnabar. Talisman-making materials are also acceptable, but nothing ordinary."

Han Changming wasn't interested in any of the items, but someone else was.

Han Changying traded a beast hide two zhang long, First-Rank High-Grade, for the five teeth and two pieces of Azure Moon Stone.

After Mu Yunxiao's exchange, Lin Xuan stepped forward and took out three items: a pale blue Talisman Brush, two red beast hides about a zhang long, and a piece of red ore.

"One Second-Rank Low-Grade Talisman Brush that provides some help with talisman-making; two hides from a First-Rank High-Grade Red Carp Beast; and one piece of Red Glass Stone, a First-Rank High-Grade artifact-refining material. I'm looking for century-old Flowing Cloud Grass, Seven-Leaf Flower, or a water-attributed Second-Rank demon core. If you don't have those, something of equivalent value will do."

Ye Yufeng traded three pieces of Second-Rank ore for the Second-Rank Low-Grade Talisman Brush.

One cultivator after another stepped forward to exchange items.

Han Changming had nothing suitable to trade, so he decided not to take his turn.

After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, a tall, straight-backed young man in blue robes stepped forward and took out three items.

A blue turtle shell, a pair of black feathered wings, and a blue wooden box.

"One shell from a First-Rank High-Grade Azure Profound Turtle, the wings of a First-Rank Mid-Grade demonic bird, a Black Cloud Crow, and the eggs of a Ghost-Faced Scorpion."

At the words "Ghost-Faced Scorpion," Lin Xuan's expression shifted with interest. "A Ghost-Faced Scorpion? Are you sure? That's a spirit insect on the Heaven and Earth Exotic Insect Ranking, at number 112. It spits poisonous mist, is impervious to blades and spears, and is immune to water and fire."

"Of course. I found the Ghost-Faced Scorpion eggs in an ancient cultivator's cave. They've just been stored for too long. I've tried hatching them for months without success, but they still have signs of life. They should be hatchable."

As the young man in blue robes spoke, he opened the blue wooden box, revealing five pale golden eggs.

Thanks to 哥就是那么, boyvt, and 猫愿三角恋戮赫 for the tips. Thanks, everyone. I wanted to schedule the post, but I think I messed up.