Receiving Welcome Gifts

"Eh? You three kids have already made your way to the market? You all succeeded in Spirit Induction? Not bad at all!"

The man who came out saw Yue Shuo and the other two, gave them a few appraising looks, and smiled.

Zou Chongying and Tian Wan were somewhat bewildered.

Yue Shuo, however, had registered with this man and received three items from him when he went to collect his Spirit Field appointment, so the man had left a deep impression on him.

Of course, the scruffy cultivator looked far more presentable now.

Though his beard was still as unruly as ever.

His hair was tied up, and his white robe looked neat, though... it was really only a little better than his previous disheveled state.

He looked like an uncle in his thirties or forties.

"Senior! We came out to familiarize ourselves with the surroundings."

Yue Shuo answered honestly.

"My surname is Tong. You can call me Uncle Tong! I know you came from Lesser Desolate Island in Yellow Town. Three people at once—you're quite famous!"

"I once had a friend who also came from Yellow Town. Unfortunately..."

A trace of melancholy flashed across Cultivator Tong's face.

Yue Shuo, Zou Chongying, and Tian Wan hurriedly called him Uncle Tong in unison. He smiled and led the three into the shop.

As they walked, he said to them,

"You'll become very familiar with this place in the future. Other than year-end, the External Affairs Pavilion isn't staffed all the time."

"Before you come, have your servants take a look first."

"Usually, someone is here for the first two days of each ten-day period."

After all, the Qin Clan did not have that many cultivators.

There was no need to waste several cultivators by having them stationed here permanently. He had only taken on a temporary assignment to guard the place for a few days.

Aside from handling the allocation of cultivation methods and appointments, as well as giving basic guidance,

his main duty was to enlighten newly arrived guest disciples and explain the fundamentals of cultivation.

Of course, cultivation manuals generally had the basic information written in them now, saving quite a bit of trouble.

He was patient and even-tempered.

Others could not stand this sort of work, since it did not earn any contribution points.

Following behind Uncle Tong into the shop, Yue Shuo found that it looked just as large inside as outside. There were shelves and cubbies within, but not many items on display.

It was divided into several sections and looked rather like a general store.

"Yan-niang, a few little customers have arrived~"

Hearing a certain ripple in Uncle Tong's voice, Yue Shuo followed the light footsteps and looked toward the woman emerging from the back of the shop.

She was the second female cultivator he had met.

The one who had set up the Spirit Field Formation for him last time had been another woman, though he still did not know her name.

The woman before him had mature looks and a mature figure, but in Yue Shuo's eyes, she was only around the level of an average beauty from his previous life.

Of course, he had not come here to rate beautiful women.

He was only twelve.

He now believed that people's thoughts and behavior were often influenced by the hormones in their bodies.

At least, he currently had no interest in beautiful women at all.

Without caring about her gender or anything else, he only considered whether getting acquainted with her might earn him discounts when buying and selling things in the future.

"Little friends, are you newcomers?"

The female cultivator called Yan-niang smiled, her brows and eyes curving into crescents, giving off a powerful sense of warmth and friendliness.

"Greetings, Senior!"

After some thought, Yue Shuo still chose the more gender-neutral form of address, Senior.

He was not someone with no sense of social distance.

Yet while he called her Senior, Zou Chongying called her Big Sister, his every "Big Sister" sweet as honey.

Tian Wan struck a balance between their forms of address.

He called her Big Sister Senior.

Yue Shuo: "..."

"Hehehe... You can call me Big Sister Qin Yan~"

Qin Yan did not feel offended. After all, the three children before her were all rather handsome, with clear and lively eyes.

She took over Cultivator Tong's task and began introducing the shop to them.

She also asked about the circumstances of the three.

Yue Shuo helplessly discovered that without needing him to say a word, his two companions enthusiastically revealed his situation.

Naturally, none of it was particularly private.

They only mentioned that he had accepted a planting appointment, that he had succeeded in Spirit Induction the fastest, and that he had a Five-Element Spirit Root.

Qin Yan quickly understood their circumstances.

Her attitude remained unchanged.

She did not change her manner simply because they were only looking around and had no Spirit Stones to buy anything. Instead, she took out several items and taught them how to identify them.

She also told them a little about market prices.

Then she specifically told Yue Shuo,

"If you need Spirit Carp, come reserve them a month in advance. Otherwise, we might not have any in stock at short notice..."

Yue Shuo nodded gratefully.

After that, he looked around the shop and noticed that spirit talismans were for sale, so he asked about Talisman Crafting.

Qin Yan was somewhat surprised.

"Besides becoming a spirit plant master, Little Yue, you want to learn Talisman Crafting too?"

Yue Shuo answered seriously,

"I don't yet know which craft I have more talent for. If I determine it earlier, I'll be able to walk that path with greater resolve in the future!"

Tian Wan pulled his gaze away from the bottles of medicinal pills inside the counter.

Turning back, he added for Yue Shuo,

"Little Shuo writes very well! He can also settle his heart and focus. We all think that maybe Talisman Crafting requires a foundation in calligraphy?"

Zou Chongying's eyes had been lingering over several first-rank dharma artifacts.

Hearing this, he turned back as well and agreed.

"Compared to farming, Little Shuo, you're a scholar. Maybe you're better suited to Talisman Crafting. After all, you never worked in the fields before!"

In truth, all three of them were the same. Back on Lesser Desolate Island, they had all been considered from well-off households.

Their families had fields and property, and they hired workers during the busy farming season.

They were not unfamiliar with farmland, but neither were they skilled at farming. They had rarely done fieldwork themselves.

"If you have a foundation in calligraphy, it really is easier to get started in Talisman Crafting. Since Little Yue likes Talisman Crafting, I'll give you this talisman brush!"

A long, gray talisman brush appeared in Qin Yan's hand.

She handed it to Yue Shuo.

"Don't refuse. It's an old, unranked talisman brush that Big Sister used when practicing..."

A Five-Element Spirit Root, yet he had succeeded in Spirit Induction in three days.

That difference in talent left a deeper impression of Yue Shuo on Qin Yan instead.

Especially since the child was so diligent. The moment he arrived, he accepted a Spirit Field planting appointment. He was truly hardworking and eager to improve.

Everyone liked diligent and hardworking juniors.

Especially one with a Five-Element Spirit Root.

Yet he was still striving forward and had never given up. As someone with a Four-Element Spirit Root, Qin Yan felt encouraged by him.

Whether he could persevere or not,

Qin Yan felt that since they had met and he was pleasing enough to the eye, she might as well give him a small favor.

After all, the child was from Yellow Town.

"Ten years ago, Big Sister even visited Yellow Town. I never expected Yellow Town to produce three Spiritual Root bearers at once this time..."

Qin Yan was deeply moved.

Zou Chongying and Tian Wan immediately followed her lead, enthusiastically speaking about their hometown and inviting her to visit their homes.

Qin Yan merely smiled. Yue Shuo felt that she seemed distracted.

Then, customers entered the shop.

Their conversation was interrupted. After acting as a background figure for half the day, Cultivator Tong immediately came out and led the three away.

"I'll take you around the market so you can get familiar with it. Don't wander about blindly in the future!"

Qin Yan smiled and watched the three off.

Then she earnestly received the cultivator customers who had just arrived. Her manner was still warm and gracious, leaving an excellent impression.

Once they left the shop,

Yue Shuo was still holding the gray talisman brush, pondering where to obtain talisman paper and Talisman Ink.

"Wait here!" Uncle Tong told the three, then entered the shop again. A short while later, he came back out.

He tossed the paper packet in his hand to Yue Shuo.

Then he tossed two small bottles to Zou Chongying and Tian Wan.

"These are Uncle Tong's welcome gifts for you!"

Zou Chongying and Tian Wan cried out in surprise at the medicinal pills.

Uncle Tong revealed a helpless expression, grabbed the two, and led them onward as he said,

"It's only one bottle of Grain-Repelling Pills per person. Take them in advance when you advance to Qi Refining Level One, so your breakthrough won't be interrupted!"

Then he looked at Yue Shuo.

"I'm giving you ten blank talisman papers and a little Talisman Ink. They're worth about the same as the Grain-Repelling Pills. Once you succeed at Talisman Crafting in the future, bring more over for your Big Sister Qin Yan!"

Yue Shuo was overjoyed.

These were truly welcome gifts that had arrived at exactly the right time!