Chapter 43 - 42: Going Their Separate Ways

Chapter 43: Chapter 42: Going Their Separate Ways

In the private room, Chen Jianghe, Yu Daniu, and Gao Peiyao chatted and laughed, the atmosphere warm and harmonious.

Having eaten his fill, Yun Xiaoniu played obediently with his puppet toy to the side, not bothering the adults with any noise.

Zhou Miaoyun, however, had changed her usual demeanor at these small gatherings. She sat quietly to the side, only chiming in when necessary.

Both she and Gao Peiyao were leaving Jingyue Lake, but no one paid attention to why she was leaving.

Chen Jianghe naturally saw Zhou Miaoyun’s awkward predicament, but he didn’t say anything.

When Zhou Miaoyun was in a position of influence, she had, intentionally or otherwise, isolated Yu Daniu. Now, Yu Daniu had practically become the most promising figure in the alliance.

Not only had he cultivated to the Fifth-Layer Qi Refining Stage, but he also had four sons. His wife was pregnant again, and their fifth child was due after the new year.

Yu Daniu was honest and simple. He wouldn’t hold a grudge over Zhou Miaoyun’s past actions, but he wouldn’t proactively offer her help either.

Gao Peiyao accepted the two Spirit Stones Chen Jianghe returned, as well as the two Yu Daniu repaid and the five he provided as financial support.

Zhou Miaoyun smiled faintly, nodded at Chen Jianghe, and also accepted two Spirit Stones.

As for that Water Escape Talisman, they all tacitly avoided mentioning it.

It symbolized that the precarious Mutual Aid Alliance was still intact.

The group chatted for a while longer before Gao Peiyao and Zhou Miaoyun left.

But with this departure, it was unknown when they would meet again.

Although the Mutual Aid Alliance hadn’t disbanded, the annual year-end gathering was canceled.

Gao Peiyao was going to participate in the Celestial South Sect’s entry-level assessment. Whether she could enter the Immortal Sect or not, she likely wouldn’t return to Jingyue Lake anytime soon.

As for Zhou Miaoyun, she was heading to the Qinghe Marketplace.

If Chen Jianghe guessed correctly, Zhou Miaoyun’s family was probably relocating to the Qinghe Marketplace.

The Yun family’s sphere of influence had shrunk to a radius of two hundred miles, and Shixia Town, where the Zhou family resided, had already become the Bai family’s territory.

The Bai family had originated as Tribulation Cultivators, so they were very lenient in their governance over the Tribulation Cultivators within their territory.

If the Zhou family wanted peace and stability, their only option was to leave Shixia Town and seek another way out elsewhere.

It wouldn’t take long for Zhou Miaoyun’s Talisman Dao Skills to advance to Tier One Middle Grade. This was perhaps what the Zhou family was relying on to establish a foothold in the Qinghe Marketplace.

Therefore, it would likely be very difficult for Zhou Miaoyun to return to Jingyue Lake in the future.

Naturally, there was no need to continue the year-end gathering.

From now on, their Mutual Aid Alliance could only correspond through letters. Unless someone was attempting Foundation Establishment, it would be difficult for them to gather together again.

"Brother Jianghe, since the year-end gathering is gone, you must come over to my house on New Year’s Eve so we can catch up and strengthen our bond," Yu Daniu invited Chen Jianghe sincerely upon parting.

Chen Jianghe smiled and nodded, and also asked Yu Daniu to help him find a book introducing common knowledge about the Cultivation Realm.

He figured he would be staying at the Yun family’s estate for a very long time, so naturally, he needed to familiarize himself more with Yu Daniu.

Of course, this was predicated on him achieving a certain level of success in the Talisman Dao. Otherwise, as the disparity in their status grew, even the best of relationships would eventually run their course.

Indeed, Chen Jianghe was preparing to attempt the Talisman Dao.

Yu Daniu’s eight Spirit Stones gave him the opportunity to try the Talisman Dao ahead of schedule, and he couldn’t miss it.

After returning two Spirit Stones each to Gao Peiyao and Zhou Miaoyun, Chen Jianghe had ten Spirit Stones and 112 grains of Spiritual Sand left over.

Even after buying a Qi Storage Pill and a Qi Nourishing Pill, the remaining Spirit Stones would be enough for him to test the waters with the Talisman Dao.

Before transmigrating, he was a university student majoring in fine arts and had always maintained excellent grades. He figured he must possess at least a little bit of talent in the Talisman Dao.

Mastering a craft would provide him with an additional source of income.

Even if his talent in the Talisman Dao wasn’t high, he could rely on his long lifespan to grind his way up to Tier One High Grade.

Chen Jianghe left the market and walked toward the Workshop Association next door.

Because the vacancies for Basic-Level Fishermen and Farmers had been filled, and since both Port No.2 and Port No.3 remained closed, the Workshop Association at Port No.1 was exceptionally bustling.

What originally had only a dozen or so stalls had now expanded to over forty.

With practiced ease, Chen Jianghe found the Elixir stall he had always frequented. The vendor, who once still possessed a charming allure, now had a weather-beaten face covered in dense wrinkles.

Although a Qi Refining Cultivator possessed a lifespan of 120 years, if they failed to reach Foundation Establishment, their appearance would age rapidly once they passed the age of sixty.

In a mere five or six years, they would age to look like mortals in their sixties or seventies.

Over all these years, the elderly woman’s stall had added a few new varieties of Spirit Pills, among which was the Middle-Grade Spirit Pill Chen Jianghe needed: the Qi Storage Pill.

"One Qi Storage Pill."

"Five Spirit Stones."

"Alright."

With the transaction settled, Chen Jianghe left with the Sandalwood Box containing the Qi Storage Pill, not wasting a single extra word.

The Qi Nourishing Pill he had promised Little Black was meant to be fulfilled the following year, so there was no need to buy it now.

Following that, he arrived at a stall selling Talisman-Making Materials.

On a piece of coarse cloth lay a thick stack of yellow paper, along with a few exquisite jade boxes.

This yellow paper was a specialized Talisman Paper used for drawing Spirit Talismans. It was made from the sawdust of Spirit Wood or Spiritual Bamboo and could bear Magic at the Early-Stage Qi Refining level.

The jade boxes likely contained the Spiritual Ink needed for drawing Spirit Talismans.

"How much for the Talisman Paper and Spiritual Ink?" Chen Jianghe asked, looking at the stall owner.

"Two grains of Spiritual Sand per sheet of High-Quality Yellow Paper, and one Spirit Stone per box of Spiritual Ink," the middle-aged man replied flatly, glancing up at Chen Jianghe.

"Give me twenty sheets of High-Quality Yellow Paper and a box of Spiritual Ink."

Chen Jianghe took out one Spirit Stone and forty grains of Spiritual Sand, handing them to the middle-aged man.

After taking the payment, the middle-aged man counted out twenty sheets of High-Quality Yellow Paper, wrapped them up, and handed them to Chen Jianghe along with an unopened box of Spiritual Ink.

"Fellow Daoist, you must be looking to test your talent in the Talisman Dao," the middle-aged man said, taking out a Talisman Pen. "If you haven’t bought a Talisman Pen yet, I have a secondhand Peach Wood Talisman Pen here that I can let go of for cheap."

Chen Jianghe examined the Talisman Pen in the middle-aged man’s hand. With its peach wood shaft and white bristles, it appeared to be a Lower-Grade Peach Wood Talisman Pen.

Its overall appearance was quite delicate, but the tip was too aged, and it was shedding bristles quite severely.

It would probably break down completely after only a few uses.

"How much are you asking?"

Chen Jianghe asked. He had originally intended to buy a secondhand Talisman Pen anyway, since he was only testing his talent in the Talisman Dao.

Furthermore, he was familiar with the prices of Talisman Pens.

A brand-new Lower-Grade Talisman Pen could be used to draw Spirit Talismans roughly a thousand times and was worth ten Spirit Stones.

The Peach Wood Talisman Pen before him had a clean and tidy shaft, and its few remaining bristles were smooth and sleek.

But at most, it could only be used another seventy or eighty times before it was completely kaput. He called it secondhand, but in reality, it had definitely passed through far more hands than just two.

"To tell you the truth, this is a Talisman Pen previously used by a Fairy. Just looking at its exterior, you can tell that Fairy took excellent care of it. Its condition is superb. Seeing as Fellow Daoist has just entered the Talisman Dao, I’ll let you have it for three Spirit Stones." The middle-aged stall owner feigned a pained expression of parting with a beloved treasure and pushed the Talisman Pen closer to Chen Jianghe’s face.

"..."

Chen Jianghe was speechless.

How could a worn-out Talisman Pen that had passed through who knew how many hands be touted as a pristine, single-owner item from a Fairy?

What? In the Cultivation World, could items be marked up just because a Fairy had used them?!

"One Spirit Stone."

"Deal."

"..."

Chen Jianghe paid another Spirit Stone and left the Workshop Association holding his newly acquired, "pristine, single-owner Fairy’s pen."