The Small Trading Meet

A few days later.

Dantai Feiyue took the initiative to call, arriving with a gift basket in hand.

Lin Changheng received her warmly, but upon inspecting one of the talismans—its strokes like silver hooks and iron carvings, brimming with spiritual light—his pupils constricted.

It was, unexpectedly, a fine-quality Ice Talisman.

"I happened to acquire this while out on business, so I thought I would borrow flowers to offer to Buddha and present it to Brother Lin."

Dantai Feiyue smiled, her red lips parting slightly as she offered her explanation.

How could Lin Changheng truly take this woman's words at face value?

This talisman was surely her own work, though she could not say so outright; this was likely a way to hint at her own value.

She must be like me, having refined fine-quality pills but not daring to show them to the world...

Lin Changheng understood this feeling all too well. Tsk, tsk, this woman is quite a fascinating person.

After discussing their cooperation, both host and guest were well-pleased. When he saw her out, Lin Changheng presented a return gift.

Dantai Feiyue clutched the two square boxes as she returned to her small courtyard.

Recalling the way Lin Changheng's pupils had constricted earlier, she couldn't help but curl her lips into a smile.

She felt quite smug.

You always act so calm and collected whenever we meet, but I managed to stir up some waves this time, didn't I?!

That fine-quality talisman was indeed her own creation, and gifting it had been a calculated move.

It was all for the sake of having a say.

In the world of cultivation, alchemists and talisman masters stand side by side, yet the status of an alchemist is naturally a cut above, vaguely held in higher regard.

After all, pills are closely tied to cultivation, and it is often said that a cultivator cannot avoid two things: fighting and popping pills.

Thus, the status of an alchemist is evident.

Therefore, by bringing out her fine-quality talisman, Dantai Feiyue intended to use her superior mastery of the craft to secure her own influence and prevent Lin Changheng from dominating their partnership in the future.

Filled with self-satisfaction, she opened one of the wooden boxes. "Hmm, a Wood Origin Pill. The medicinal fragrance is piercing; the quality is quite good!"

His alchemy skills were truly not bad.

She immediately felt even more convinced that her thoughts and actions had been entirely appropriate.

She continued to open the second wooden box.

"Hmm???"

A pill, round and smooth as green jade, appeared before her eyes. She took a light sniff and felt the medicinal aura was crisp and cool, its fragrance concentrated and lingering.

What is this?

A fine-quality Wood Origin Pill?

He can refine fine-quality pills too?!

After repeatedly confirming it in disbelief, the smile on Dantai Feiyue's face suddenly froze. Her lips parted, but she couldn't utter a single word.

Recalling the strange expression Lin Changheng had worn when giving his return gift, she finally grasped his intent. She was so angry her teeth itched, and the fullness of her chest heaved violently, white waves rising and falling in an endless surge.

Using my own methods to pay me back?

This guy... is truly detestable!!

The end of the month arrived.

The Clan Trade Fair was held on the inner bank of the Black Water River, a location that rarely changed.

When Lin Changheng and Xu Fugui arrived, many Xu Family cultivators had already set up tables on both sides, laying out their wares and calling out to passersby.

Dozens of people moved through the center, picking through items and inspecting them; it had a bit of the bustle that Zichuan Market used to have.

"Brother Lin, let's set up here."

Xu Fugui found a gap among the stalls and hurriedly beckoned Lin Changheng over.

"Very well."

Lin Changheng followed suit and stepped forward. At the same time, his eyes swept over the stalls on either side, noting that they mostly contained spiritual grains, tea, and herbs grown by the Xu Family cultivators themselves, along with talisman paper, talisman ink, and small chunks of ore... all of them were low-grade, and the quality was merely average.

Reaching Fugui's side, Lin Changheng took the hammer-type magical tool from his robes and placed it on the table.

He began to wait.

"Brother Lin, this magical tool..."

Xu Fugui had also taken out some second-hand items he had used during his early Qi Refining days to display on the table, but when he turned and saw the hammer, he couldn't help but ask in surprise.

"I obtained this from a rogue cultivator last time. It's a bit old and of little use to me, so I might as well sell it."

He had just finished explaining when a young male cultivator from the Xu Family walked over. "How much for this magical tool?"

"Twenty spirit stones."

Lin Changheng quoted a reasonable price.

"So cheap?" The young cultivator was delighted at first, but then his brows knit together as he deliberately began to pick faults. "But the quality of this tool is truly mediocre, and it has these nicks, plus..."

"My apologies, but the price is non-negotiable."

Lin Changheng knew exactly what he was trying to do and cut off his bargaining preamble with a single sentence. "It is precisely because of these flaws that it is priced this way. Or did you expect to buy a pristine magical tool for twenty spirit stones? How about this: I give you the spirit stones, and you sell one to me?"

"This..."

The young cultivator gave a sheepish laugh. Seeing that Lin Changheng was no longer looking at him, he fell silent. After a series of shifting expressions, he gritted his teeth and bought the tool.

"Hm?"

Lin Changheng hadn't expected his first time setting up a stall to result in such an easy sale! After collecting the spirit stones, he greeted Xu Fugui, "You keep selling; I'm going to stroll around the nearby stalls."

"Alright."

He walked and observed.

Suddenly, Lin Changheng's nose twitched as he caught a faint scent of blood.

Turning his gaze, he saw a member of the Xu Family standing before a stall selling talisman-making materials, opening the lid of a white porcelain bottle to inspect something.

"Talisman ink?"

Lin Changheng's mind stirred.

He approached the stall for talisman materials, feigning deep interest as he inspected the items and kept asking the stall owner questions.

After some exchange, a look of realization dawned in Lin Changheng's eyes.

So, it wasn't just alchemy that required the essence blood of demonic beasts; talisman-making required it too!

Because he had been too focused on alchemy, his perspective had been limited, and he had overlooked this fact, remaining unaware.

For instance, the bristles of a talisman brush used for drawing talismans were usually made from the soft hair of demonic beasts;

The talisman paper that carried spiritual power was made from demonic beast hide;

And talisman ink was made from a combination of demonic blood, cinnabar, and other ingredients.

Among these, ordinary-quality talisman ink used common demonic blood, while only high-quality talisman ink required the essence blood of demonic beasts.

"Do you happen to have any high-quality talisman ink for sale?"

"None..." The stall owner shook his head.

Lin Changheng departed, though he intended to ask Dantai Feiyue about this later; perhaps it could be another channel for acquiring essence blood.

Returning to the stall he shared with Fugui, Lin Changheng thought for a moment and took out seven or eight more genuine medicinal pills to place on the stall, waiting while they chatted idly.

He mentioned, as if casually, that since they were out on Land Reclamation killing demons, essence blood should be overflowing, so why was there no sign of demonic beast flesh or blood within the clan? He added that he was curious to taste it.

"Demonic beast flesh?" Xu Fugui was taken aback and scratched his head. "I actually heard Han Ling mention a bit about that."

"Oh? Tell me about it; I'm quite curious."

Seeing the look of intense curiosity in Lin Changheng's eyes, Xu Fugui chuckled. "They say that on the border of the Wilderness, the Superior Sect, in order to help cultivators convert materials into currency, established a supply and Trade Hub. They joined forces with several major clans and a number of Foundation Establishment families to collectively purchase various resources from the Wilderness, saving cultivators the trouble of hauling materials everywhere."

"This supply and Trade Hub has now grown to a significant scale, no less than a market town, with complete facilities. Our clan is no different; only a small amount of urgently needed resources are brought back, while the rest are sold directly on the spot."