togophonebook Chapter 6 The Market
Chapter 6 The Market
The room was filled with swirling, flickering light, which illuminated the boy's tense profile.
Li Qingyi sat upright at the table, veins bulging on her forehead, beads of sweat rolling down her face.
His knuckles turned white as he gripped the talisman brush tightly, the spiritual light at the tip trembling incessantly, as if it might dissipate at any moment.
As the last stroke was laboriously made, the golden light on the talisman finally stabilized.
"Phew..." Li Qingyi let out a long sigh of relief, leaning back weakly.
"This talisman is really hard to draw. I've failed more than twenty times in three days, and only this one turned out."
He carefully picked up the talisman that shimmered with a faint golden light, a smug glint in his eyes.
For the past three days, he had repeatedly failed at the last moment due to his waning magical power. Now that he had succeeded, how could he not be overwhelmed with emotion?
Three days ago, Li Qingyi intended to sell some spirit-exploding talismans in this side market to exchange for some spirit stones, but she found that there was no market for these things at all.
What I can afford, I don't need; what I need, I can't afford...
Perhaps it was a blessing from heaven, but someone was willing to offer three spirit stones to purchase a golden talisman, with a three-day time limit.
Upon hearing the offer of three spirit stones, Li Qingyi accepted the deal without hesitation.
He had learned about this Golden Body Talisman from ancient texts; it was a third-grade defensive talisman capable of withstanding a single attack from a third-level Qi Refining stage. Unfortunately, his cultivation level was too low in the past, and he had never dared to try it.
"Tsk... It takes three days to produce one. If I had the cultivation of the third level of Qi Refining, I wouldn't be in this situation."
After closing his eyes and adjusting his breathing for a while, he noticed that the magical power in his body seemed to have become more refined and pure due to the continuous extraction and recovery over the past three days.
At this rate, if one can concentrate on drawing talismans and supplement it with spirit stones for cultivation, breaking through to the third level of Qi Refining in less than a month is not an unrealistic expectation.
"It's still too slow..." Li Qingyi pouted, thinking to herself that it would be more worthwhile to earn more spirit stones for simulations instead of wasting this time.
He straightened his clothes, which were slightly wrinkled from sitting for a long time, carefully put away the hard-won golden talisman, and got up to go out.
Strangely enough, he never saw Qin Xiyue again after that night.
"What's she busy with?"
Li Qingyi felt puzzled, thinking that she shouldn't be so busy.
As soon as he stepped out of his secluded little courtyard and onto the covered walkway connecting the various courtyards, he encountered Qin Xiyue's personal maid, Xiao Cui.
These past few days, she has been taking care of Li Qingyi's daily life.
"Xiao Cui, where is your young lady?" Li Qingyi couldn't help but ask.
Xiao Cui curtsied and gently shook her head. "Young master, Miss went down the mountain three days ago. I don't know exactly where she went."
"Go down the mountain? She hasn't even reached the first level of Qi Refining, why would she go down the mountain?"
Li Qingyi frowned slightly, her doubts growing stronger.
At the foot of the mountain lies a vast secular kingdom. Although there are occasional hidden fairy markets, their overall scale and resources are far inferior to this market established by a branch of the Qin family.
Moreover, the young masters and ladies of the main branch of the Qin family often come down to purchase resources.
This is a prime time for most off-line cultivators to earn spirit stones.
In a daze, Li Qingyi also arrived at the market.
The streets are lined with stalls, bustling with people, and filled with the sounds of hawking, bargaining, and friendly greetings, creating a vibrant atmosphere.
Most of the stalls sell common items found in cultivation arts, such as elixir embryos, rough drafts of magical artifacts, talisman paper and cinnabar, as well as various basic array materials.
There were relatively few stalls selling finished pills, talismans, and weapons directly, and as for finished battle flags? Not a single one was seen.
Looking around, Li Qingyi happened to see a fellow practitioner—a middle-aged male cultivator in his thirties, sitting behind his stall with a worried expression.
Judging from the aura, the other party only had the first level of Qi Refining cultivation.
His stall was filled with the most common first-grade talismans, such as the Spirit Explosion Talisman, Illusion Talisman, Illumination Talisman, and Swift Travel Talisman.
The golden talisman in Li Qingyi's arms was a third-grade talisman.
First-grade talismans are very cheap; usually, ten talismans can only sell for one spirit stone. Even so, no one was interested in the middle-aged talisman master's stall.
"Luckily, I didn't set up a stall to sell these things like him."
Li Qingyi shook her head inwardly, stopped looking, and headed straight for the place she had agreed upon with the buyer.
Fulai Restaurant features flying eaves and bracket sets, with a vermilion plaque hanging high above.
The market was exceptionally bustling today, with crowds of people everywhere.
Standing beneath the restaurant's archway, Li Qingyi gazed at the thronging crowd before her, her lips twitching. "Aren't there... a bit too many people?"
As the only restaurant in the market, this place has always been a gathering and dissemination center for news, but such a grand occasion today is still a rare sight.
He took a deep breath, squeezed into the crowd, and after quite a bit of effort, finally stepped into the restaurant.
The hall was bustling with activity, filled with the shouts of waiters, the laughter of diners, and the clinking of cups and plates.
A faint aroma of wine filled the air.
"Have you heard? Qin Ruoxi from the main branch has actually come in person!"
"Qin Ruoxi? Is she the one who was taken in by the Qingchi Immortal Sect three years ago, and who is rumored to be able to lead the Qin family to new heights?"
"Who else could it be but her? Although her face was veiled, her elegance was so striking that even a glimpse from afar revealed her extraordinary talent."
"Such a privileged young woman should have no shortage of resources, so why would she come to our poor, remote place?"
"Who knows? Maybe they've been in the palace for too long and want to experience the mortal world."
Li Qingyi raised an eyebrow as she listened to the scattered whispers around her.
"No wonder there are so many people today; it turns out the higher-ups came down."
He had no time to delve deeper, his gaze sweeping towards the stairs leading upstairs.
The third floor has many private rooms, which is also the place where he and the buyer agreed to make the transaction.
He had his reasons for choosing this location.
In broad daylight, how could they possibly attack me?
Upon reaching the third floor, Li Qingyi found the agreed-upon private room and pushed open the door to enter.
The room was elegantly furnished, and two middle-aged cultivators dressed in brocade robes were already sitting at the table, their auras deep and composed.
"Did you bring the talisman?" The thin-faced cultivator on the left asked directly, his voice low.
Li Qingyi's expression remained unchanged, and her tone was calm: "Cash on delivery."
Contrary to Li Qingyi's expectations, the ruddy-faced cultivator on the right flicked his finger, and three spirit stones flew to Li Qingyi's front.
After Li Qingyi took the spirit stone, she weighed it in her hand and was somewhat stunned.
"I've already earned three spirit stones? The Qin family used to only give me one spirit stone a month, they're so stingy!"
Li Qingyi was secretly delighted. Seeing that the other party was so straightforward, he didn't hesitate either.
He held a golden talisman between his fingertips, and with a slight flick of his wrist, the talisman flew steadily toward the other side.
The gaunt-faced cultivator reached out and took it. The moment his fingertips touched the talisman, a glint of light flashed in his eyes. He examined it carefully for a moment, then couldn't help but praise it:
"What a wonderful talisman! It possesses an inner spiritual essence, the brushstrokes are fluid and powerful, and the execution is meticulous and precise... I wonder which master craftsman it is?"
Faced with the other party's flattery, Li Qingyi felt even more strange. The master who had failed more than twenty times was standing in front of her.
He didn't show it on his face, only vaguely cupping his hands in a gesture of respect: "It was painted by an elder in my family. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now."
The cultivator nodded and said no more, and Li Qingyi also turned and left.
The ruddy-faced cultivator watched Li Qingyi leave until the door was completely closed. His composure vanished instantly, replaced by a lowered voice and an urgent question:
"Brother, is this news... really reliable?"
The gaunt-faced cultivator nodded. "Of course, it's reliable."
His voice was hoarse, "Today is the day Qin Ruoxi will pass away."
"But..." The ruddy-faced cultivator picked up his wine cup but didn't drink it, a look of worry flashing across his face:
"After all, she is a disciple of the Qingchi Immortal Sect and the future hope of the Qin family. Such a proud daughter of heaven, yet she only has a guard at the third level of Qi Refining by her side?"
I always felt something was off about this, and it made me uneasy.
The gaunt cultivator suddenly raised his eyes, his gaze sharp. "How could you and I presume to fathom the deeper meaning of the higher-ups?"
He hesitated for a moment, then softened his tone:
"Do our job well, and remember, if this succeeds, the five of us brothers will never have to struggle at the bottom again. Resources and status will be within our grasp."
After saying this, he drank the sake in his cup in one gulp.
He stood up and flicked his sleeves:
"Let's go, let's meet up with the third brother and the others. With the combined strength of the five of us, plus this life-saving talisman that can save our lives in a critical moment, we're sure to succeed!"