"Fire Crows?"
Su Shuangjiang paused, then nodded. "These demonic beasts are often seen along the border of the Savage Wastes. Their bloodline is impure, and their young are unranked. Only the adults reach early first rank. Their offensive capabilities are limited, but they do have wings, which makes catching them somewhat difficult."
Hearing this, Lin Changheng nodded, his understanding of Fire Crows deepening.
Then Su Shuangjiang added, "I hear Fire Crow meat is tender and edible, and their blood essence can be used in alchemy. Since you're a Pill Master, Brother Lin, could you be asking about their blood essence to refine some kind of pill?"
Lin Changheng immediately looked at Su Shuangjiang in surprise. She was clever enough to have deduced his purpose.
Her reasoning was wrong, but her conclusion was right.
Still, dealing with clever people was simpler and more convenient, sparing him the trouble of wasting words on a cover story. He promptly praised her. "You truly are perceptive, Fairy Su. That is precisely what I had in mind."
"Fire Crow blood essence is one of the main ingredients for the Crimson Flame Pill."
He revealed a little information to make his explanation plausible and gain her trust, while concealing his true purpose.
A glimmer of understanding flashed in Su Shuangjiang's eyes. After a moment's consideration, she asked, "How much do you need, Brother Lin? And when do you need it?"
"I'll need it throughout the next four or five months. The more, the better."
"Hehe, after that, I'll probably start refining other pills, and my blood essence requirements will change as well. I may have to trouble you again then, Fairy Su."
Lin Changheng added another layer of concealment, mingling truth and falsehood to bury the truth completely.
"Why thank me, Brother Lin? As you said earlier, we'll be neighbors for a long time. It's only right that we help each other and lend one another a hand."
Su Shuangjiang smiled as well.
"Indeed."
Lin Changheng nodded, accepting this relationship.
They chatted a little longer. Seeing that it was getting late, Su Shuangjiang took her leave, and Lin Changheng smiled as he escorted her out.
As he watched her figure disappear,
Lin Changheng couldn't help smiling. "A Pill Master's status and reputation truly are different. And she came at just the right time, solving two major problems for me."
The first was finding another channel through which to sell his pills.
Lin Changheng couldn't sell any more pills through the Xu Family Alchemy Shop. He would inevitably become too conspicuous and draw prying eyes.
Selling large quantities himself in the Market Ward wasn't realistic either. Sooner or later, he would be exposed.
Selling them on the black market outside the ward was possible, but too dangerous. Lin Changheng ruled it out immediately.
As a mid-stage cultivator at the sixth level of Qi Refining, Su Shuangjiang had her own connections and channels, which could easily absorb his supply. He could remain hidden behind the scenes. So what if he let her earn a little?
The second was obtaining blood essence.
It was difficult for an individual to purchase large quantities of demonic beast blood essence directly. Such transactions generally took place between established powers.
Even if he bought it, it would look too strange and arouse suspicion.
That wasn't safe.
Having Su Shuangjiang put the word out, then sourcing it through rogue cultivators to scatter any watching eyes, would be much better.
Then the spirit seizure of his fire crow treasure seed would have two channels supporting it at once, and its growth would surely be rapid.
In excellent spirits, Lin Changheng returned inside and looked at the two Spirit Stones and two talismans in the gift basket on the table.
On a whim, he took them out and inspected them several times with the naked eye, then used the Spirit-Sensing Technique to examine 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 Swift Travel Talisman. Once activated with magical power and slapped onto his leg, it would give him an explosive burst of speed, allowing him to run more than ten li without tiring.
The other was a low-grade Golden Shield Talisman. Once activated, it would likewise form a shield in front of him, capable of blocking one full-powered attack from a low-grade magic artifact.
Both were lifesaving talismans, just what he needed.
"But this also reminded me. With unrest coming to the Market Ward, I should buy a few more talismans for protection while I still have Spirit Stones on hand. That would put my mind more at ease."
"Spirit Stones won't breed little ones. Keeping them idle is useless. Turning them into strength and useful means is the way to go."
Although the Market Ward was still relatively safe, it wasn't a main city in a game from his previous life, where safety rules made players untargetable. If some madman broke the rules at the cost of his own life, what good would engraving "the other party was entirely at fault" on your tombstone do after you died?
Lin Changheng understood that perfectly well.
The next day.
Lin Changheng began refining pills again. After performing the Pill Formula Hand Seals, he left an apprentice to watch the fire and stepped out of the shop.
In a corner of the street, he changed into a long robe and put on a bamboo hat, then headed to the Mystic Talisman Hall in the center of the ward.
The Mystic Talisman Hall was run by the Talisman-Making Song Family, one of the cultivation aristocratic clans.
Its reputation, credibility, and quality were all assured.
In this region, the ruling Purple Pole Sect held the bull by the ears, with the aristocratic clans following close behind.
Their heritage was ancient, with a pseudo-Core ancestor overseeing them and several Foundation Establishment cultivators providing support.
"Fellow Daoist, what a rare visitor! What talismans are you looking for? Or perhaps talisman-making materials? Our hall has everything you could need. We guarantee you'll arrive in high spirits and leave satisfied."
A young married woman immediately came out, waving a round fan. Her eyebrows resembled willow leaves in early spring, and her waist swayed. Her voluptuous figure was like a juicy peach that would yield water at the slightest touch.
The young woman showed no reaction to Lin Changheng's concealing attire. She was thoroughly accustomed to such sights.
"I'd like to see low-grade and mid-grade talismans, mainly defensive and control types."
A rough voice emerged from beneath the bamboo hat.
"Certainly. This way, Fellow Daoist."
Before long, more than a dozen varieties of talismans were laid out on the counter. With Lin Changheng's tacit permission, the young woman introduced them one by one in a soft, sweet voice.
From time to time, she raised her peach-blossom eyes to observe his reactions. If he showed interest in a particular talisman, she would focus her explanation on it, her tongue blooming with lotus flowers.
The result disappointed her. The man standing across from her was like a block of wood, showing no reaction whatsoever.
"Give me one low-grade Frost Talisman, one low-grade Wooden Vine Talisman, and one each of the mid-grade Wind-Riding Talisman and Golden Light Talisman... yes, just those four!"
The low-grade Frost Talisman and Wooden Vine Talisman were both for control: the former used water-element freezing, while the latter used wood-element entanglement.
As for the mid-grade Wind-Riding Talisman, its name spoke for itself. It borrowed the wind to lighten the body. Affixed to him, it would let him skim along rapidly a foot above the ground, far beyond what a low-grade Swift Travel Talisman could do. It was ideal for greasing his soles and making a getaway.
The mid-grade Golden Light Talisman was likewise superior. Compared with the low-grade Golden Shield Talisman, it could protect his entire body without leaving any gaps.
A moment later, the voice sounded again from beneath the bamboo hat, making the young woman's smile bloom like a flower, while the pair of great evils on her chest jiggled incessantly.
Clearly, this sale pleased her greatly.
"Would you like to upgrade to premium-quality talismans?"
The young woman asked with another smile.
"I'd like to, but premium talismans often cost nearly twice as much. I don't have that many Spirit Stones!"
Lin Changheng's voice was cold as he said with a smile that never reached his eyes, "Unless you'd give me a discount, Fairy?"
"Well... hehe, we're only a small business, a small business. There's no room to bargain."
The young woman said no more. She took four talismans from the counter and handed them over. "Eight Spirit Stones in total."
Lin Changheng gave them a quick look. Spiritual light shimmered over the talismans, and their brushstrokes were vigorous. They were far better than those Su Shuangjiang had given him, and must have come from an experienced Talisman Master.
The Talisman-Making Song Family truly lives up to its reputation.
With that thought, he handed the Spirit Stones to the young woman to count, then put away the talismans and left without another word.
Behind the counter, the young woman watched his cautious behavior and couldn't help covering her mouth with a soft laugh.
After changing back into his original clothes, he returned to the Xu Family Alchemy Shop, where a shop assistant approached him with a smile.
"Pill Master Lin, there's a letter for you."