Chapter 3: The Money-Burning Profession of Talisman Crafting
After returning home, Lu You continued cultivating.
With an unlimited supply of spiritual rice, the bottleneck at the peak of the second level of Qi Refining loosened slightly.
The price he paid, however, was that Lu You went absolutely crazy and ate ten bowls of rice a day.
If he kept cultivating like this, he might not even reach Foundation Establishment before stuffing himself to death.
"I wonder if there's any way to improve a spiritual root."
"This cultivation speed is way too frustrating."
To bolster his confidence for going down the mountain, Lu You pushed himself into bitter cultivation.
Three days later, under intense training and heavy psychological pressure, Lu You actually broke through to the third level of Qi Refining.
"Hoo... that should be fine."
He was nothing more than a nobody at the third level of Qi Refining.
There was nothing about him worth paying attention to in the first place.
Moreover, cultivator bandits usually chose "fat sheep," either targets two minor realms below themselves, or situations where their numbers were triple those of their prey.
If Lu You and Zeng Yan were together, the other side would need to dispatch at least six people, with at least three at the seventh level of Qi Refining, to take them down without losses.
With that kind of force, why would they bother robbing a third-level Qi Refining menial cultivator like him?
Even though he was sure he wouldn't be robbed, Lu You still put safety first and wore the menial clothes he used when farming.
When Zeng Yan saw him, Lu You's outfit gave her a scare.
"Junior brother, you're way too timid..."
Zeng Yan was a bit speechless. Lu You had practically engraved the words 'I'm very poor' onto his face.
"Senior sister, thank you for looking after me."
Zeng Yan nodded. Today she was still dressed in plain robes, though now there was an extra longsword on her back.
She had thought she was already being low-key, but Lu You was even more exaggerated.
The two traveled in silence.
Mainly because Lu You's face was full of caution as he constantly scanned their surroundings.
Zeng Yan didn't even dare make a sound, afraid of startling him.
Only after entering the lower district did Lu You finally relax and say, "Thank you for escorting me, senior sister. When do we gather to head back?"
Zeng Yan snorted softly, amused, and teased him:
"We gather at noon. We'll return when the sun is highest and the day is brightest, so you won't be scared to death if it gets dark."
After saying that, Zeng Yan entered the market to take care of her own business.
Lu You chuckled awkwardly and headed toward the area selling talisman materials.
The marketplace wasn't very crowded.
At the street corners, one could often see cultivators lounging against walls, their eyes openly sweeping over passersby.
Several gazes landed on Lu You, then quickly moved away, filled with disdain.
'So this is it... I really didn't expect the lower district's security to be this bad.'
The malice in those looks was barely concealed.
Even if these people weren't bandits themselves, they were at least scouting targets for them.
'Doesn't anyone keep these people in check?'
Only then did Lu You realize how wonderful the environment of his previous life had been.
The place selling talisman materials was a two-story building.
A signboard hung above it with three large characters: Myriad Talismans Pavilion.
It was jointly opened by several well-known talisman masters.
Though their prices were a bit higher, there would be no cheating or murder-and-robbery incidents here.
Inside the shop, the clerks coming and going were all female cultivators with graceful figures.
For a moment, Lu You felt like he had returned to a car show from his previous life.
The clerks sized Lu You up at a glance.
Seeing how shabby he looked, not a single one came over to ask him anything.
Rubbing his nose, Lu You never imagined this kind of scene would happen to him.
But he had no intention of showing off his wealth just to save face.
Instead, he calmly began browsing the materials and talismans in the display cases.
Shopping without anyone trying to sell to him was actually comfortable and peaceful.
"Are you here to buy materials for drawing talismans, sir?"
Lu You had been wandering around for quite a while. The clerks glanced at one another, whispered among themselves, and finally—after some muttering he couldn't quite catch—a slightly dark-skinned girl helplessly walked over to ask him what he needed.
"Yes," Lu You said. "I'm just starting to learn talisman crafting and wanted to buy some materials to practice with. I don't need much, just enough to get by."
"There's no such thing as 'just starting' when it comes to talismans." The dark-skinned clerk spoke gently, but her patience was clearly thin.
"Ordinary talisman paper costs one low-grade spirit stone for ten sheets. High-quality talisman paper has demon beast fur mixed into it and costs one low-grade spirit stone per sheet. Talismans made with it have a higher success rate and better quality."
"Talisman brushes also come in low and high grades. Low-grade brushes cost one spirit stone for three. High-grade ones are made from the roots of hundred-year-old tree demons, which help control spiritual energy and cost ten spirit stones each."
"Aside from those, spiritual ink is even more expensive. It's refined from heavenly materials and earthly treasures. Even low-grade ink costs ten spirit stones per bottle, while high-grade ink costs one hundred spirit stones per bottle. Oh—you're a beginner, right? One bottle of spiritual ink can draw about thirty talismans."
Hiss—
No wonder none of the clerks in Myriad Talismans Pavilion had paid him any attention.
So talismans were actually this expensive.
If he didn't have the Cornucopia as a cheat item, then even if he only bought the lowest-grade materials to practice with, he'd still need to save up for over ten years.
Apparently noticing Lu You's shock, the dark-skinned clerk curled her lips in faint disdain, though her words remained polite:
"The talisman master profession really does consume enormous resources. You may want to think it over. If you decide to buy, you can come find me again and I'll introduce things in more detail."
She was clearly giving him an out.
But Lu You didn't take it. Instead, he turned his gaze toward the finished talismans on display.
"Sorry to trouble you. I'd also like to ask—which of these talismans are for attack and which are for defense?"
The dark-skinned clerk frowned in displeasure. Nearby, the other clerks, seeing her stuck dealing with Lu You, began exchanging gloating looks.
With a helpless sigh, her tone lost its gentleness and her words came out quickly:
"Powerful talismans can only be seen at our auction house. Among what's available in the shop right now, the best defensive talisman is the mid-grade beginner Golden Light Talisman. It can withstand a full-power strike from a sixth-level Qi Refining cultivator. Price: thirty spirit stones."
"The best offensive talisman is the high-grade beginner Thunder Technique Talisman. It's equivalent to a full-power strike from a seventh-level Qi Refining cultivator. Price: one hundred spirit stones."
"Are these all made with ordinary materials?" Lu You asked.
"Isn't that obvious?" she snapped. "Who would use high-grade materials to draw beginner-level talismans? Sir, have you decided what you're buying, or do you need more time to think it over?"
Her tone was now clearly trying to send him away.
What a brutally realistic cultivation world.
Lu You sighed inwardly, then said:
"Give me one set each of high-grade talisman paper, talisman brush, and spiritual ink."
"High-grade...?"
Hearing that Lu You wanted high-grade items, the clerk paused. But when she realized he was only buying one of each, her lips drooped again.
"That'll be a total of one hundred and eleven low-grade spirit stones."
Those spirit stones were equivalent to fifty years of farming for Lu You.
Yet in a talisman shop, they were worth almost nothing.
"Don't rush," Lu You added. "Give me one Golden Light Talisman and one Thunder Technique Talisman as well, the same ones you mentioned."
This wasn't Lu You trying to show off.
It was simply because he had the Cauldron of Cornucopia, once he put a talisman inside it, he could produce an endless supply.
Items worth a mere two hundred spirit stones wouldn't even attract the attention of Foundation Establishment cultivators.
And if Qi Refining cultivators dared harbor ill intentions toward him, who among them could withstand his endless talisman barrage?
"Please have a seat, sir. Have some water. I'll package the talismans for you right away."
"Your total comes to two hundred and forty-one spirit stones."
Talisman materials didn't have much profit margin, but clerks earned commissions on finished talismans.
At last, a smile appeared on the dark-skinned clerk's face.