Ji Yuan

The next day, Mo Wen picked out a gift and followed the address to the talisman shop the Song Clan had just acquired.

The talisman shop had yet to open officially. Song Xuan, Song Yixue, and several other clan members were rearranging some of the furnishings and displays to suit their household's style.

Seeing Mo Wen walk in with a gift box, Song Xuan grinned teasingly. "Old Mo, you've made progress! You even know to buy a gift to curry favor with me!"

"In your dreams! This is a first-meeting gift for Sister Yixue." Mo Wen pulled the gift box back, dodging the claw Song Xuan reached out to grab it with.

Song Xuan wasn't embarrassed in the least. He called out, "Ninth Sister, Brother Mo brought you a first-meeting gift. Come see what good stuff it is!"

Hearing Song Xuan's noisy announcement, Song Yixue blushed slightly. Without making a fuss, she first gave Mo Wen a graceful bow, then accepted the gift box from his hands.

"Fellow Daoist Mo, you really shouldn't have gone to the expense!" Song Yixue said politely, without opening the box.

"It's only a modest gift. I hope Fairy Song will accept it," Mo Wen said, looking a little ill at ease.

"Ninth Sister, Old Mo is my closest friend. There's no need for you two to be so formal," Song Xuan interjected.

"Fellow Daoist Mo, how about we address each other as brother and sister from now on?" Song Yixue asked readily.

"It would be my honor!" Mo Wen answered at once.

"Your little sister Yixue greets you, Brother Mo!"

"Greetings, Sister Yixue!"

After changing how they addressed each other, the two immediately felt much closer and no longer felt awkward in each other's company.

"These are some talismans I've drawn recently. Sister Yixue, please have a look." Mo Wen took out a thick stack of talismans and handed them to Song Yixue.

As Song Yixue accepted the talismans, she complimented him. "I've long heard that your attainments in the Talisman Dao are exceptional, Brother Mo. Today I'm in for an eye-opening experience!"

"Not at all. There are so many talisman masters in Azure Luan Immortal City. My meager skills aren't worth mentioning!" Mo Wen said modestly.

Song Yixue smiled and dropped the subject, turning her attention to the talismans. The more she examined them, the more astonished she became. This Brother Mo's attainments in the Talisman Dao really were very high; he was nothing like a middle-grade talisman master who had only recently advanced.

Sure enough, when she reached the last ten, her eyes widened. "Brother Mo, are you a high-grade talisman master?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.

"I'm ashamed to say my success rate isn't high enough yet. I can only manage to draw one when I get lucky. These ten high-grade talismans took a long time to accumulate."

"That's still amazing!" Song Yixue looked at Mo Wen with admiration, a faint stir in her heart. She had come to Azure Luan Immortal City mainly to escape trouble. Of course, if she could buy a genuine Foundation Establishment Pill, that would be even better!

On the way to Azure Luan Immortal City, Third Brother (Song Xuan) had kept telling her how outstanding Mo Wen was, and how, if she became his dao companion, she would have someone to rely on in the future, and so on.

At first, she had thought Third Brother was being unreliable. But after meeting Mo Wen, she found that he was reasonably good-looking, or at least not unpleasant to look at. So she thought she would spend more time with him and see what his character was like. If their feelings were mutual, there was no reason they couldn't become dao companions, supporting each other on the Dao Path as they climbed the Great Dao together.

What she had never expected was that Brother Mo was a genuine high-grade talisman master. Song Yixue really was a little tempted. After all, even in Azure Luan Immortal City, where experts were as numerous as clouds, a high-grade talisman master held a respectable position.

If I became Brother Mo's dao companion, I might really have a chance at reaching Foundation Establishment! Song Yixue couldn't help thinking.

High-grade talisman masters were very capable of earning Spirit Stones. If they gave up cultivation and devoted themselves entirely to making talismans, they could earn at least fifty thousand Spirit Stones in a year, enough to buy a genuine Foundation Establishment Pill!

Of course, Song Yixue was not such a shallow woman that she would throw herself at Mo Wen just because he was a high-grade talisman master. She maintained a basic reserve and remained calm and composed when speaking with him, though she was a little more affectionate than before.

"Brother Mo, the market price for these talismans of yours is around seven thousand Spirit Stones. I can buy them for eighty percent of that, for a total of five thousand six hundred Spirit Stones," Song Yixue said directly after examining every talisman.

"That works." Mo Wen nodded, quite satisfied with the price.

Ever since falling into the huge pit that was the Heavenly Demon Mysterious Talismans, he had never returned to the Bai Household's talisman shop. During this time, he had been selling his wares at other talisman shops, always at seventy percent of market price, and had lost out on quite a few Spirit Stones.

After completing the transaction, the two continued to chat, getting to know each other better.

Song Xuan had long since slipped off to one side and was directing several clan members as they busied themselves about the shop.

Just then, someone suddenly kicked open the half-closed shop door.

Mo Wen instinctively released his Divine Sense, then remembered the persona he was keeping up and immediately withdrew it. The rules of Azure Luan Immortal City were quite strict; even if someone caused trouble, they wouldn't go too far!

The Song Household had been established for hundreds of years and had a strong foundation, so naturally it wasn't afraid of trouble!

Seeing someone kick in the door, Song Xuan and the others all felt anger rise in their hearts and wanted to teach the intruder a harsh lesson!

A group soon barged into the shop, acting arrogantly. At their head was a young man dressed in top-grade magical robes, his face full of dark menace.

"Ji Yuan, what are you doing?!" Song Xuan pointed at the sinister young man and demanded sternly.

The sinister young man glanced at Song Xuan and said scornfully, "Third Song, you're a piece of trash with no hope of reaching Foundation Establishment. You're not qualified to speak to me. Get out of the way!"

"Ji Yuan, this is Azure Luan Immortal City. Don't go too far!" Song Xuan shouted, his voice and expression stern.

"What, you've opened your doors for business, but won't let customers in?" Ji Yuan asked in return.

"You...!" Song Xuan was rendered speechless for a moment. He seemed wary of something and didn't continue to press the matter of the kicked-in door.

"Yixue, an honored guest has come to your door. Shouldn't you, as the shopkeeper, receive him?" Ji Yuan turned to Song Yixue and spoke teasingly. When he saw Mo Wen beside her, a flicker of killing intent suddenly flashed in his eyes, then vanished without a trace.

"Ji Yuan, stop dreaming. Even if I have to destroy my own foundation, I won't let you have your way!" Song Yixue looked at Ji Yuan calmly, determination in her eyes.

Ji Yuan's face darkened. He stared fixedly at Song Yixue for a long while before saying in a sinister tone, "Yixue, there's nothing I, Ji Yuan, have ever wanted and failed to obtain."

Song Yixue's face turned slightly pale, but she continued to gaze coldly at Ji Yuan without saying a word.

Ji Yuan sneered and turned his gaze to Mo Wen. "And where did you spring from? Aren't you afraid of dying?"

Mo Wen burst out laughing and couldn't help thinking, Does this count as getting the protagonist treatment?

Since transmigrating, this was the first time he had met someone who put on airs like this! According to the usual novel formula, he should reveal his strength and viciously slap this poser in the face!

"May I ask, does your household have a Golden Core ancestor holding the fort?" Mo Wen asked curiously.

"What do you mean by that?" Ji Yuan asked, somewhat uncertain and suspicious. He thought the fellow before him was a little strange, and it would be better to find out his background.

"Then I can rest easy!" Mo Wen let out a soft breath.