"Fire Crows?"
Su Shuangjiang paused in surprise, then nodded. "These demonic beasts are commonly seen along the Wilderness border. Their bloodlines are impure, and their juvenile forms are unranked. Only when mature do they reach the early first stage. They're not very aggressive, but they have a pair of wings, so they can be somewhat difficult to catch."
At that, Lin Changheng couldn't help nodding. His understanding of Fire Crows had deepened a little.
Then Su Shuangjiang continued, "I've heard Fire Crow meat is tender and edible, and their essence blood can be used to refine pills. Since you're an alchemist, Brother Lin, could it be that you're asking about Fire Crow essence blood to refine a certain pill?"
Lin Changheng looked at Su Shuangjiang in surprise. This woman was so clever that she had actually guessed his purpose.
Her reasoning was wrong, but she had arrived at the right answer.
However, dealing with clever people was simpler and more convenient; he could spare himself the trouble of making excuses. He immediately praised her, saying, "Fairy Su is indeed sharp-witted. I did have that in mind."
"Fire Crow essence blood is one of the main ingredients for refining the Crimson Flame Pill."
He let a little of the truth slip to make his explanation plausible and gain her trust, while also concealing his real purpose.
A flicker of understanding crossed Su Shuangjiang's eyes. After a moment's thought, she asked, "How much do you need, Brother Lin? And when do you need it?"
"For the next four or five months. The more, the better."
"Heh. After that, I'm afraid I'll be starting on another kind of pill, and my need for essence blood will change. I may still have to trouble you then, Fairy Su."
Lin Changheng concealed a little more, mixing truth and falsehood to bury the whole truth.
"Why thank me, Brother Lin? Just as you said earlier, we've been neighbors for a long time. Naturally, we should help one another and lend each other a hand."
Su Shuangjiang smiled as well.
"Of course."
Lin Changheng nodded, accepting their relationship on those terms.
The two chatted for a few more moments. Seeing that it was getting late, Su Shuangjiang took her leave, and Lin Changheng saw her out with a smile.
Watching her disappear into the distance,
Lin Changheng smiled. "Alchemists truly have a different status and reputation. And she came at just the right time, solving two major problems for me."
The first was finding another channel through which to sell pills.
Lin Changheng couldn't sell any more pills through the Xu Family Alchemy Shop. He would draw too much attention and invite prying eyes.
Selling large quantities himself in the marketplace wasn't realistic, either. Sooner or later, he'd be exposed.
Selling in the black market outside the marketplace would work, but it was too dangerous. Lin Changheng dismissed the idea outright.
As a mid-stage Qi Refining Sixth Layer cultivator, Su Shuangjiang had her own connections and channels. She could handle the pills perfectly, while he stayed hidden behind the scenes. What did it matter if she made a little profit?
The second problem was obtaining essence blood.
It was difficult to buy large quantities of demonic beast essence blood through one's personal connections. Such transactions were usually conducted between factions.
Even if he managed to buy it, it would seem too strange and arouse suspicion.
That wasn't a safe approach.
So, if he used Su Shuangjiang as an intermediary, then passed it along through Rogue Cultivators, he could spread out the attention and make things much better.
Then the Spirit Snatch for his Fire Crow Treasure Seed would have two channels supporting it at once, and its growth would surely accelerate.
Lin Changheng was in an excellent mood. Back in his room, he looked at the two spirit stones and two talismans in the gift basket on the table.
With a thought, he took them out and examined them several times with the naked eye. Then he used the Spirit Inspection Technique to scrutinize them carefully.
Only after confirming that nothing had been tampered with did he put them away. He planned to spend the spirit stones soon.
As for the talismans—
One was a low-grade Godly Travel Talisman. Once activated with spiritual power and slapped onto his leg, it would unleash a burst of speed. He could sprint for more than ten miles without feeling tired.
The other was a low-grade Golden Shield Talisman. Once activated, it would conjure a shield in front of him that could withstand one full-strength attack from a low-grade magical artifact.
They were both talismans for saving his life, and just what he needed.
"But this is a reminder, too. The marketplace is about to descend into chaos. While I still have spirit stones on hand, I should buy a few more talismans for self-defense. It'll put my mind at ease."
"Spirit stones won't breed. There's no use letting them sit idle. Turning them into strength and means of defense is the right way."
The marketplace was still relatively safe for now, but it wasn't a game city from his previous life where safety rules made it impossible to be targeted. What use was it to have "the other party was fully responsible" carved on his tombstone if some madman risked his life to break the rules and killed him?
Lin Changheng understood that all too well.
The next day.
Lin Changheng resumed pill refinement. After setting up the pill-forming hand seals, he left the apprentice tending the fire and walked out of the shop.
He changed into a long robe in a corner of the street, put on a bamboo hat, and headed to the Mystic Talisman Hall in the center of the marketplace.
The Mystic Talisman Hall had been established by the Song Family Talisman Makers, one of the cultivation clans.
Its reputation, credibility, and quality were all guaranteed.
In this area, the Purple Extreme Sect, the upper sect, held sway, with the cultivation clans close behind.
They had a long-standing legacy, an old False Core Ancestor in residence, and several Foundation Establishment cultivators supporting them.
"Ah, fellow cultivator, you're a rare visitor! What sort of talisman are you looking for? Or perhaps materials for making talismans? Our hall has everything you need. I guarantee you'll arrive in high spirits and leave satisfied."
A married woman immediately emerged, fanning herself with a round fan. Her eyebrows were like willow leaves in early spring, her waist swayed as she walked, and her plump figure was like a juicy peach, as though a touch would make it gush with juice.
The woman showed no surprise at Lin Changheng's concealing attire. She was used to it.
"Let me see your low-grade and mid-grade talismans. Mainly defensive and restraining ones."
A gruff voice came from beneath the bamboo hat.
"Certainly. This way, fellow cultivator."
Before long, more than a dozen kinds of talismans were laid out on the counter. With Lin Changheng's tacit approval, the woman introduced them one by one in her soft, sweet voice.
From time to time, she lifted her peach-blossom eyes to observe Lin Changheng's reactions. If he showed interest in a particular talisman, she would give it special attention, her tongue blooming with eloquence.
The result disappointed her. The person standing opposite her was like a wooden statue, showing no reaction at all.
"Give me one low-grade Ice Talisman, one low-grade Wood Vine Talisman, and one each of the mid-grade Wind Control Talisman and Golden Light Talisman... Yes, just those four."
The low-grade Ice Talisman and Wood Vine Talisman were both for restraining opponents. The former froze with water-element power, while the latter ensnared with wood-element vines.
As for the mid-grade Wind Control Talisman, as its name suggested, it let the wearer ride the wind and move with ease. Stuck to his body, it could lift him a foot off the ground and send him skimming along at speed, far surpassing the low-grade Godly Travel Talisman. It was ideal for making a quick escape.
The mid-grade Golden Light Talisman served a similar purpose. Compared with the low-grade Golden Shield Talisman, it could protect the entire body without leaving a single spot exposed.
A moment later, the voice came from beneath the bamboo hat again, and the woman immediately smiled from ear to ear, her ample bosom jiggling wildly.
Clearly, she was very pleased with this sale.
"Would you like to upgrade to Premium Grade talismans?" the woman asked with another smile.
"I'd like to, but Premium Grade talismans often cost nearly twice as much. I don't have that many spirit stones!"
Lin Changheng's voice was cold, and his smile didn't reach his eyes. "How about giving me a discount, Fairy?"
"This... Heh, we're just a small business, just a small business. We can't lower the price."
The woman said no more. She took four talismans from the counter and handed them over. "The low-grade talismans are one spirit stone each, and the mid-grade ones are three each. That's eight spirit stones altogether."
Lin Changheng glanced over them briefly. The talismans shimmered with spiritual light, their strokes powerful and vigorous. They were far better than the ones Su Shuangjiang had given him, and seemed to have been made by an experienced talisman master.
"The Song Family Talisman Makers really do live up to their reputation."
He murmured to himself, handed the spirit stones to the woman to count, then put away the talismans without another word and left.
Behind the counter, the woman watched his cautious figure and couldn't help covering her mouth as she chuckled.
After changing back into his usual clothes and returning to the Xu Family Alchemy Shop, he was greeted by a smiling shop assistant.
"Alchemist Lin, you have a letter."
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