Chapter 29

Only after those people left did Xia Meng let out a breath, patting her chest with lingering fear.

"Those people were terrifying."

Everyone returned to their rooms one after another.

As soon as Su Jiu returned to her room, she saw that her cabinet had been rummaged through. She turned to Han Jia. "When did they come today?"

Han Jia frowned, clearly displeased. "They came this morning and started searching the moment they entered the courtyard. They left all my things in a complete mess."

Su Jiu nodded. That was how the lower-ranking members of the Enforcement Hall operated.

"Then they made us stand in the courtyard and questioned us one by one about what we'd been doing for the past three days. One of them took a bowl-shaped Spirit Artifact into Sun Wei's room. His expression was pretty grim when he came out, and he said Qian Ling had already been dead for three days."

Su Jiu could more or less guess that the bowl Han Jia mentioned was the Soul-Summoning Bowl.

Han Jia shook her head, unable to help lamenting how fragile even a cultivator's life could be.

Su Jiu sat cross-legged on her bed and extended her Divine Sense, probing toward Qian Ling's room little by little. Just as she thought everything was normal and was about to withdraw her Divine Sense, she suddenly spotted a faint, flickering wisp of black energy.

But that black wisp soon vanished into the air.

It was Demonic Qi. Su Jiu opened her eyes.

This incident should have something to do with demons, but a single trace of Demonic Qi could accomplish little. Su Jiu was fairly sensitive to Demonic Qi. If a demon really had been responsible, there was no reason she would not have sensed it—unless it had happened while she was away accepting a mission.

But if it had not been a Demonic Cultivator, where had that trace of Demonic Qi come from?

The next day, Su Jiu went to the market again. She now had over thirteen hundred spirit stones and thought she should be able to buy two decent defensive Magical Artifacts.

The largest shop selling Magical Artifacts in the market was called the Treasure Pavilion.

The Treasure Pavilion's Magic Treasures were a dazzling array of glittering colors. Compared with the wares in that general store, they were as far apart as heaven and earth—though their prices were floating up in the heavens too.

Looking at the prices of those Magic Treasures, Su Jiu touched her purse reluctantly. She had thought buying two Magical Artifacts would be more than manageable. Reality proved she had been far too naive.

What Su Jiu failed to notice was that while she was engrossed in examining those Magic Treasures, a young man entered the shop.

The Magical Artifacts here were extremely expensive. Even a basic Magic Treasure cost seven hundred spirit stones. Yet she had already reached the Mid Qi Refining Stage, so using a basic Magic Treasure was clearly no longer suitable.

Thus, she turned her attention to intermediate Magical Artifacts. But even the cheaper ones cost two or three thousand spirit stones. In her previous life, she had barely understood the value of spirit stones. Only now did she realize what a luxury these Magical Artifacts were for Outer Gate disciples.

Su Jiu could not help asking the shopkeeper, "How much is this Flying Sword of mine worth?" In her previous life, she had understood little about either spirit stones or Magical Artifacts, because the first Magic Treasure she had received was a Spirit Artifact given to her by her master. Now, she even needed to use this sword as a reference to understand the value of Magical Artifacts.

The shopkeeper looked at Su Jiu's Flying Sword, his eyes brightening with a shrewd gleam. Stroking his beard, he said, "It's only a Mid-Grade Magical Artifact. Three thousand spirit stones, perhaps. If you're selling, I could add a little more."

Su Jiu was speechless. The shopkeeper's expression all but announced that he was swindling her.

The young man who had just entered could no longer stand watching. "You old man, you're taking advantage of her because she's young, aren't you? This Flying Sword has two first-level formations inscribed on it. It's worth at least eight thousand spirit stones. Take this sword outside and sell it for ten thousand, and you'd still have no shortage of buyers."

The shopkeeper forcibly suppressed his anger. Where did this reckless fool come from?

But before the shopkeeper could lose his temper, the young man asked Su Jiu directly, "Little girl, an elder of yours inscribed the formations on this sword, didn't they?"

Su Jiu nodded. Elder Sun of the Azure Tide Sect did count as something of an elder to her.

Then the young man said to the shopkeeper, "She's wearing Azure Tide Sect robes and looks only seven or eight, yet she's already at the Fifth Qi Refining Layer. Her talent must be quite good, and she has an elder who knows formations. Shopkeeper, aren't you afraid her elder will come knocking if you swindle her like this?"

The shopkeeper had initially been blinded by that Flying Sword. Now, having clearly taken the young man's words to heart, he felt rather embarrassed. Offending a formation master over a Magical Artifact was certainly not a clever move.

Fortunately, the shopkeeper was also quick to admit his mistake. Seeing that the little girl was at the Fifth Qi Refining Layer, he simply gave her a Middle Grade Magical Artifact.

Holding that Middle Grade enchanted robe, Su Jiu was still dazed even as she walked out of the shop.

The young man who had spoken up for her came out alongside her. Su Jiu kept feeling that his voice sounded familiar and looked at him in puzzlement. He openly let her examine him, but no matter how she looked at the smile on his face, it seemed to be begging for a punch.

"Little girl, now that you have money, you don't visit my general store anymore. That really breaks my heart."

Su Jiu remembered. This man was the general store's shopkeeper. So this was what he looked like after shaving off his beard.

"The defensive Talismans you wanted last time are in stock now. Won't you come take a look?"

Su Jiu paused, then followed the unfamiliar-looking young man to the general store.

Su Jiu bowed with her hands clasped and said respectfully, "May I ask your name, Senior?"

He waved a hand. "My name is Xiang Li. You can call me Uncle Xiang. But with those manners of yours, if you weren't wearing an Outer Gate disciple's sect robes, I'd almost think that old stick-in-the-mud Ning Hai had personally taught you."

Su Jiu was inwardly startled. Ning Hai was the sect leader's name, and he had also been her master in her previous life. Just who was this man before her? She did not remember anyone like him being around her master in her previous life.

The Treasure Pavilion and the general store were not very far apart, and before long, Su Jiu stepped into the general store.

Xiang Li took a defensive Talisman from the counter and handed it to Su Jiu. The words "Golden Bell Shield" were clearly written on it. It was a metal-element Talisman.

"Uncle Xiang, why does only the Thunderbolt Talisman cost twenty spirit stones here, while the other Talismans all cost fifteen?"

Xiang Li smiled. "Naturally, it's because only someone with a thunder spirit root can draw a Thunderbolt Talisman. Do you know about thunder spirit roots? There aren't actually many more of them in this world than there are ice spiritual roots like yours."

Then he turned his gaze back to Su Jiu. "Of course, if you draw first-tier Talismans, I can sell them on your behalf for twenty-five spirit stones apiece."

Like a big bad wolf luring a little white rabbit, Xiang Li asked, "Well? Would you like to learn how to draw Talismans?"

Su Jiu had to admit that she was shamefully tempted. Twenty-five spirit stones for just one; a hundred would be enough to buy a defensive Magical Artifact. No wonder those who worked with Pill, Artifact, Formation, and Talisman Crafting were all so rich.

Still, Su Jiu hesitated. Learning to draw Talismans would consume a great deal of time she could have spent cultivating, and a powerful enemy still awaited her. Until she killed Gong Hao, her heart would know no peace.

Su Jiu lowered her head and bit her lip. "I'm sorry. Studying Talisman Arts would take up too much of my time. I want to reach Foundation Establishment as soon as possible." What she really wanted to say was that she wanted to achieve Nascent Soul Formation as soon as possible.

Xiang Li seemed to understand Su Jiu's concerns. "Little girl, you need to understand that cultivation can never be accomplished in a single leap. Even if you're exceptionally gifted and cultivate swiftly, you still need time to let it settle and consolidate. I don't know why you're so eager for quick results, but your Cultivation Level is already one that others couldn't reach in ten years. If you keep cultivating this way, all you'll achieve in the end is an unstable foundation that causes your Foundation Establishment to fail."

"Besides, who told you that studying Talisman Arts delays your cultivation? Meditation develops your Cultivation Level, while Talisman Arts temper your character."

Su Jiu remained silent for a long time. Who knew how much time passed?

"I'll consider it." Her voice was quiet, but Xiang Li heard a measure of hesitation in it.

Then Su Jiu paid and left the general store.

What she did not see was the gentle smile that flickered through Xiang Li's eyes.