Chapter 98 - 95: Talisman Supply
Chapter 98: Chapter 95: Talisman Supply
After returning to the mine, Li Yuan dove headfirst into his cultivation.
He created Talismans by day and cultivated by night. Periodically, he would venture deep into the mine to retrieve the Evil Qi that had accumulated in the Gathering Evil Bowl. He used it to perform a round of Body Refining, then took advantage of the subsequent window—when his micro-meridians were pliant from the Evil Qi tempering—to cultivate the Microelement Meridian Introduction Skill.
After three days, his progress with the Microelement Meridian Introduction Skill had increased significantly.
His Hundred Veins Returning to Origin Skill was also progressing simultaneously.
He had been grinding at the bottleneck just before the Adept stage of this Cultivation Technique for a long time. With every completed cycle, the Spiritual Power flowed a little more smoothly through his main and collateral meridians, but he was always just shy of the critical point.
On the night of the second day, Li Yuan sat cross-legged and circulated his technique. Spiritual Power surged from his Dantian, traveling along his meridians to complete a full cycle.
As it reached the final stage of its return, the Spiritual Power didn’t pause at the entrance to his Dantian as it usually did. Instead, it slid right in.
No stagnation, no obstruction.
Immediately after, the Spiritual Power within his Dantian began to circulate on its own.
It wasn’t Li Yuan guiding it; the Spiritual Power itself had found its own rhythm. The Spiritual Power in his main meridians, collateral meridians, and cleared micro-meridians—in all his meridians—began to flow almost simultaneously. The speed wasn’t fast, but it was perfectly uniform, like a net being pulled taut all at once.
The efficiency of the Spiritual Power circulation in his Dantian increased by a notch in just a few breaths.
Li Yuan slowly ceased his cultivation.
[Cultivation Technique: Hundred Veins Returning to Origin Skill - Adept (0/800)]
’Adept.’
Li Yuan clenched his fist, then circulated his energy for another cycle to feel the difference.
The most direct change was his cultivation speed. A single cycle now took about twenty percent less time than before. The entire process of absorbing, circulating, and settling the Spiritual Power was more compact, with no wasted effort.
From now on, cultivating for the same amount of time each day would yield much faster progress than before.
The next morning, Li Yuan was in his room making Talismans when there were two knocks on the door.
"Li Zhushou, do you have a moment?"
It was Steward Liu’s voice.
Li Yuan put down his talisman brush and opened the door.
Steward Liu stood at the door, hands on his hips, a hesitant look on his face.
"There’s something I need to talk to you about."
He jutted his chin toward the wooden shed, and the two of them walked over and sat down beneath it.
"You remember the organizer from the trade meet the day before yesterday, right?"
"I do. He even bought my Fireball Talismans."
"Right." Steward Liu nodded. "His surname is Chen. He’s an elder of a small, nearby family, the Chen family. The family isn’t large, only twenty or thirty Cultivators."
Steward Liu settled himself more firmly on the stone stool and continued.
"The Demon Beasts have been running rampant lately, and things haven’t been peaceful for the Chen family. The Spirit Fields at their entrance and a small mineral vein of theirs have been targeted by Demon Beasts. They keep showing up every few days, and the family can’t fend them off on their own."
"Why is he looking for me?"
"He wants to ask for your help in making Fire Talismans." Steward Liu rubbed his hands together.
"The Chen family is short on Combat Talismans. For their Early-stage Qi Refining members, holding a Talisman to defend against Demon Beasts is much better than being empty-handed. He saw your Fireball Talismans at the trade meet, thought the quality was good, and wants to buy them in bulk."
Steward Liu glanced at Li Yuan.
"He didn’t come to you directly. He had someone find me first to ask your opinion. After all, it wasn’t an official trade meet, so he was worried you might have reservations if he approached you directly."
Li Yuan listened but didn’t answer immediately.
Steward Liu added, "It’s fine if you don’t want to negotiate. This is a legitimate deal. They’re an established family, so they won’t try to pull anything on you."
"What price is he offering?"
"He didn’t tell me that. You’ll probably have to negotiate that yourself."
Li Yuan was silent for two breaths, then nodded.
"Alright."
Steward Liu nodded and then said.
"The Chen family is in a valley about five li east of the mine. It’s not far. He said if you’re willing to talk, you can go over this afternoon."
In the afternoon, Li Yuan left the mine, following the direction Steward Liu had pointed, and headed east.
After about two li, the gravel slope turned into a dirt path worn by foot traffic. Along the sides of the path were a few short trees with inconspicuous marks carved into their trunks—likely markers for the Chen family’s territory.
After walking a while longer, the valley ahead came into view.
The valley entrance wasn’t wide, its sides as sheer as if cleaved by an axe. Once inside, the terrain flattened out considerably. Several rows of stone-walled houses were arranged along both sides of the valley, with a clearing the size of a threshing ground in the middle.
A few children were chasing each other at the edge of the clearing. They stopped to stare at Li Yuan for a moment when he entered, then went back to their game.
A young man at the Qi Refining Third Level came out to greet him, cupping his fist in his other hand.
"You’re the Talisman Master from the mine? The elder is waiting for you. Follow me."
The young man led Li Yuan across the clearing to the innermost row of houses.
The house was a bit more impressive than the low-slung huts at the mine, with stone walls, a wooden roof, and a faded cloth curtain hanging in the doorway.
The curtain was pulled aside, and seated inside was the very same Qi Refining Seventh Level elder from the trade meet.
The Chen family elder sat behind a rough wooden table, on which sat a pot of tea and two coarse pottery bowls. Seeing Li Yuan enter, he gave a slight nod and gestured with his hand to the seat opposite him.
"Sit."
Li Yuan sat down across the table.
The Chen elder poured him a bowl of tea and pushed it over. He picked up the other bowl, took a sip, and, dispensing with the pleasantries, got straight to the point.
"I’ve tested those Fireball Talismans of yours from the trade meet. The quality is good. The layering of the Fire Gathering Pattern is clean, a cut above what the Loose Cultivators out there produce."
Li Yuan picked up his tea bowl but didn’t respond.
The Chen elder set his tea bowl down.
"My family is in dire need of Combat Talismans. Demon Beasts cause trouble every few days, and most of our people are only at the second or third level of Qi Refining. They can barely protect themselves when they encounter a Tier One Middle Grade Demon Beast."
He looked at Li Yuan.
"But with Talismans, it’s a different story. Even someone at the Qi Refining First Level, holding a few Fireball Talismans, can at least put up a fight against a Tier One Low Grade Demon Beast. They won’t be forced to just run."
"So I want to place an order with you for a batch of Combat Talismans. A large quantity, for a long-term supply."
Li Yuan put down his tea bowl.
"I can only make Fireball Talismans."
The Chen elder nodded, not surprised.
"Fireball Talismans are enough. Fire Talismans are effective against Demon Beasts to begin with, and most Tier One Demon Beasts are afraid of fire."
He held up three fingers.
"For the first batch, I need thirty. After that, we’ll take a batch every half-month, with no fewer than fifty Talismans per batch. As for the price—"
He paused, then held up two fingers.
"Two and a half Spirit Stones each."
Half a Spirit Stone lower than the closing price at the trade meet.
Li Yuan didn’t answer right away.
The Chen elder could see what he was thinking and added unhurriedly.
"The price is a bit low, but the quantity is large. Besides, I won’t just be paying with Spirit Stones."
He took a thin roll of beast hide from a drawer under the table and placed it on the surface.
"I have some Talisman creation methods here that I can give you."
He tapped the roll of beast hide with his finger.
"Valuing this Talisman creation method at ten Spirit Stones isn’t excessive, is it?"
Li Yuan’s gaze fell on the roll of beast hide.
’A Talisman creation method.’
"Let me see it first."
Li Yuan said.
The Chen elder pushed the beast hide over.
Li Yuan unrolled it.
The beast hide was densely covered with diagrams of Spirit Pattern arrangements and key instructions for its creation, written in neat script. At the very top were two words: Rejuvenation Talisman.
It was a basic Wood Attribute Talisman that accelerated wound healing. It didn’t directly mend injuries like a Healing Elixir, but rather stimulated the body’s own regenerative abilities. The effect was gentle but practical. It wasn’t high-grade, only Tier One Low Grade, but its creation difficulty was a step above the Cleaning Talisman and the Exorcism Talisman.
The Chen elder picked up his tea bowl again. "After you deliver the first batch of Fireball Talismans, this creation method is yours. For subsequent batches, I have other methods on hand. We can discuss them depending on your supply performance."
He took a sip of tea and added.
"But right now, the Fireball Talismans are the most urgent matter. The Rejuvenation Talisman can wait. Focus on supplying the Fireball Talismans first."
Li Yuan rolled the beast hide back up and placed it on the table.
"Thirty Fireball Talismans. When do you need them?"
"The sooner, the better. Can you deliver them within seven days?"
’With my current success rate and material reserves, thirty talismans in seven days won’t be easy, but it’s not impossible.’
"I can."
The Chen elder nodded, his expression relaxing slightly.
"Good. Come back in seven days. Payment on delivery."
He stood up, took two steps toward the door, then looked back at Li Yuan.
"Oh, right. If you’re short on any materials, you can tell me. I don’t have much Cyan Pattern Paper or Spiritual Ink in stock here, but I can help you source some from other channels."
"I have enough for now."
The Chen elder grunted in acknowledgment, lifted the cloth curtain, and walked out.
Li Yuan sat at the table for a while longer, finished the bowl of tea, then got up and left the Chen family’s residence.
By the time he walked back to the mine along the same path, the sky had mostly darkened.
Back in his humble hut, Li Yuan cleared his table, spread out a sheet of talisman paper, dipped his brush in ink, and began to write.
’Thirty Fireball Talismans. Seven days.’
’An average of four finished talismans a day. With a success rate of over sixty percent, that means drawing at least six or seven a day.’
’The materials are sufficient. The time is, too.’