Chapter 9

In the evening, Zhou Shu pushed open the door and walked towards the Qingxia Market.

The market was brightly lit, bustling with activity.

Merchants used all sorts of tricks to attract customers. Apart from the continuous calls, many merchants used spells to create various strange ice sculptures and sand pillars, drawing the attention of passersby.

At the entrance of a medicinal shop, a cultivator even cut himself with a knife, bleeding profusely, to demonstrate the effectiveness of the medicinal pills, leaving the crowd speechless.

However, the medicinal pill failed, and even after taking three in a row, the bleeding continued. The cultivator's face turned pale with anxiety, and the audience burst into laughter.

This was Zhou Shu's first visit to a cultivator market, and he was quite curious, looking around without stopping.

Before long, he found the place he was looking for—a talisman shop.

The shop's sign read "San Yuan Zhai" in ancient characters, and the pillars at the entrance were worn and weathered, giving off an ancient yellow hue, indicating its long history.

Inside, a faint wood fragrance permeated the air, soothing the mind. A blue-robed clerk approached with a smile, "Sir, what are you looking for? As long as it's related to talismans, we have everything you need."

Zhou Shu nodded slightly, "I want to look at talisman materials."

The clerk's eyes lit up, and his attitude became even more respectful, "Could it be that you are a talisman master?"

A talisman master, like a pill master or a weapon master, is a unique profession in the cultivation world.

Talisman masters create talismans, pill masters refine pills, and weapon masters forge weapons—each has their strengths and is highly sought after, holding a much higher status than ordinary cultivators. However, it's not easy for a cultivator to become one of these professions; both talent and financial resources are essential.

Zhou Shu remained expressionless, "I just want to try my hand at it; I'm not a talisman master yet."

The clerk's eyes showed a hint of disappointment, "Oh."

Zhou Shu smiled faintly and waved his hand.

Having been a genius for so long, even if he knew nothing, his every move exuded a subtle confidence.

Seeing Zhou Shu's confident expression, the clerk felt a surge of enthusiasm and said unconsciously, "It looks like you have a plan in mind! If you become a talisman master, our shop can offer you a discount on materials, as long as you prioritize selling your talismans to us."

Zhou Shu smiled, "Sure, sure."

The clerk gestured and led Zhou Shu into the shop.

He whispered a few words to the shopkeeper, who soon approached and bowed to Zhou Shu, "I am Hua Ruoan, the shopkeeper of San Yuan Zhai. Young sir, you look unfamiliar. Are you new to Qingxia Market?"

The shopkeeper was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and Zhou Shu returned the bow, "I am Zhou Shu, and indeed, this is my first time here."

"Judging by your cultivation, you must have become a cultivator not long ago, right?"

Hua Ruoan scanned him with a smile, "Just starting your cultivation journey and already aspiring to the path of talismans, your ambition is truly commendable. I have high hopes for you."

Zhou Shu remained calm, "I'm just trying it out, don't laugh at me, Mr. Hua."

Hua Ruoan shook his head, his expression sincere, "Not at all, I mean it. Recently, Qingxia Market has been in dire need of talismans. If you succeed in drawing talismans, please sell them to our shop."

He was telling the truth.

Qingxia Market was backed by the Qingyuan Mountains, and most cultivators relied on hunting demon beasts to sustain their cultivation. Talismans were in high demand, but the number of talisman masters was decreasing. When they did appear, they were often poached by sects, leaving many talisman shops struggling to find masters to maintain their business, and some even went bankrupt.

As a talisman shopkeeper, he had to try to win over any cultivator who wanted to create talismans, regardless of their cultivation level. This was a business strategy.

Zhou Shu thought for a moment and nodded slightly, "I'll do my best."

Hua Ruoan clapped his hands and smiled, "That's great. Clerk, show Zhou Shu the talisman materials."

The clerk led Zhou Shu into the shop.

The shop was much larger than Zhou Shu had imagined, with a dedicated talisman area and a talisman material area divided into three sections, filled with various materials.

"Sir, let's start with the talisman brushes. As the saying goes, the path of talismans begins with the brush. A good talisman brush is the basic condition for drawing talismans."

The clerk pointed to the talisman brushes on the wooden rack and enthusiastically praised them, "This brush is called the 'Calm Heart Brush.' Please take a good look. The brush body is made from second-stage Huinamu wood, perfectly compatible with a cultivator's spiritual energy, ensuring no obstruction. The brush tip is made from the fur of a first-stage demon beast, the Moon Velvet Rabbit, specifically a newborn one. It is soft, strong, resilient, and conductive, meeting all four essential qualities of a talisman brush. Master Bu Shiren, a renowned weapon master, meticulously refined it and added the rare 'Calm Heart' array, making it extremely comfortable and efficient to use for drawing talismans."

"Indeed, it's a fine brush."

After the clerk finished, Zhou Shu praised it, "But how much does the cheapest talisman brush cost? I don't need such a good one."

"This is the cheapest talisman brush, essential for beginners," the clerk nodded quickly, "Sir, it only costs four hundred medium-grade spirit stones, which is not expensive at all."

Zhou Shu was taken aback, feeling he had heard something unexpected, and tried to remain calm, "This... Clerk, are all talisman brushes so expensive?"

The clerk was also stunned, his face turning pale, "Talisman brushes are not ordinary first-grade magical treasures. They are very difficult to refine, and talisman masters must use them to perfectly communicate and guide their spiritual energy to draw talismans accurately. Can you just use any ordinary brush to draw talismans? Would they even work? Sir, you must be joking."

"Oh."

Zhou Shu nodded, thinking to himself.

He had originally thought that he could use any ordinary brush to draw talismans, and talisman brushes were not something he had considered. But now it seemed that wasn't the case.

If talisman brushes were so expensive, it would be too much for him at the moment.

Four hundred medium-grade spirit stones, and that was the cheapest. Talisman brushes were indeed not ordinary magical treasures. One medium-grade spirit stone equals one hundred low-grade spirit stones, and he simply didn't have that many. Unless... he touched the storage bag at his waist and shook his head. He wouldn't sell it unless it was absolutely necessary.

The clerk was also deep in thought, a strange feeling roaring in his heart, "So this sir knows nothing and came unprepared to draw talismans?... This is frustrating. My earlier enthusiasm was all for nothing, and I even reported to the shopkeeper that I had found a future talisman master. Now I won't get a reward, and I'll be laughed at by others."

Zhou Shu paused, "First, show me the talisman paper and ink. We'll talk about the brush later."

He definitely couldn't afford a talisman brush now, but he couldn't give up just yet.

The clerk's earlier joy had faded, and he said listlessly, "Sure."

"Sir, this is the talisman paper area. For practice, the simplest one is the best. Huangkui paper, made from first-stage Huangkui grass, costs one low-grade spirit stone for five sheets. It contains little spiritual energy but can adapt to most talisman inks..."

Zhou Shu nodded, "I'll take ten sheets."

"Ten sheets of Huangkui paper..." The clerk dragged out the words and took out the paper, wrapping it up.

"This is the talisman ink area. As you may know, talisman ink contains a large amount of spiritual energy and is the most critical part of a talisman. For your first attempt, you can use this ink made from Fenglai grass juice and cinnabar."

After the clerk finished, Zhou Shu shook his head, "No, I want lightning-type talisman ink."

Not only was the clerk stunned, but even the customers in the talisman area nearby turned to look.

Zhou Shu quickly added, "The best is the one made from Lightning Attraction Fruit."

He knew two methods for drawing talismans, both lightning-type: Thunderstorm Talisman and Thunder Spear Talisman. Both methods specified that the best talisman ink should be made from Lightning Attraction Fruit.

This time, even Shopkeeper Hua Ruoan was surprised and walked over.

The clerk beside him was in a daze, a voice screaming in his head, "You're a beginner, and you want to draw lightning-type talismans? Are you sure you're not just here to mock me?"

Lightning-type talismans are extremely powerful but are among the most difficult to draw, with a very high failure rate. Most talisman masters dare not attempt them lightly.

Zhou Shu, a complete beginner who had never drawn a talisman and didn't even know what a talisman brush was, was asking for lightning-type talisman ink, and even specified the one made from Lightning Attraction Fruit. The clerk was speechless.