Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue. [25]
The young man quickly led the way. "The place I was talking about, where you can buy spirit soil, is actually my own sect."
"Just call me Daoist. By the way, your manner of speaking seems pretty up-to-date. Looks like there are some talented folks in your sect."
Gu Sanqiu had no intention of giving his real name. These days, the mystical world had probably turned incense-bearers into some kind of mythical monsters. If he mentioned his surname was Gu while carrying valuable talismans, even if he denied it a thousand times, the guy in front of him would probably still believe he was an incense-bearer.
"Heh, well, there are a lot of young folks in the sect, so the elders just let it slide. Bringing in new things isn't a bad idea for the sect, after all."
The young man chuckled. "My Daoist name is Douyun. Apparently, before my master accepted me as a disciple, he scooped a ladle of cloud from the sky to make pills, and that's how I got my name."
Gu Sanqiu twitched a little at the corner of his mouth. If it weren't for the fact that he could sense the genuine mystical energy flowing through this guy, he would've thought the man had joined some weird cult.
But if this young man's Daoist name was so casually given, it suggested his sect wasn't one of those ancient, rigid sects that strictly followed generational hierarchy.
Those old sects with strict rules on Daoist names were truly something else. However, they were incredibly powerful. Their disciples, even in their early stages, could command thunder and lightning.
During the Archon War, the Gu family had led a large contingent of disciples from those old sects down the mountain. They had nearly lost their entire line of succession.
But it was only through the unified efforts of all the people of Liyue that they had won that war, securing the vast and peaceful land that Liyue stands on today.
So, nowadays, most sects remained in the forests of Minlin, minding their own business. Occasionally, they would come down the mountain to recruit disciples or assist in exorcisms and demon hunts. The Qixing simply turned a blind eye to it.
"Daoist, just ahead is our sect's local residence. Please wait a moment while I inform the elders."
Douyun ran off into a small village up ahead, and Gu Sanqiu could even hear him shouting, "We've got a big customer!" Clearly, his excitement was hard to contain.
Not long after, Douyun returned with a slightly chubby Daoist—a sort of immortal-world version of a corporate drone, judging by the dark circles under his eyes.
"My apologies, Daoist. When our disciples go down the mountain, they often have small tasks to complete."
The chubby Daoist smacked Douyun on the head. "This brat's task was to sell some of the sect's collected goods. Sorry for the trouble."
"It's no problem. Douyun mentioned earlier that your sect has spirit soil for sale. I'm wondering if it's something that needs to be ordered from your headquarters or if you have some in stock here?"
Given that Minlin was covered with about 80 to 90% vegetation, most of the buildings here were made of wood and stone. Gu Sanqiu wasn't looking down on them, but the place just didn't seem like a spot where spirit soil would be stored.
"Spirit soil? We have it, we have it."
The chubby Daoist patted his chest. "We've got one cubic meter in stock here. If you need more, we'd have to put in an emergency order with the sect."
"An emergency order?"
Gu Sanqiu resisted the urge to roll his eyes. They talked as if they could just airlift it in for him.
Holding back his sarcasm, Gu Sanqiu began calculating how long one cubic meter of spirit soil would last him.
His goal this time was to find high-quality soil to start cultivating some of the items he'd obtained through his golden finger.
When he first learned how to use his golden finger, Gu Sanqiu had attempted a similar project. However, the rich soil he gathered either turned to dust or transformed into extreme elemental material.
He remembered once getting a Flame Rose, intending to keep it as a decorative plant at home. But when he woke up the next morning, the expensive soil he'd bought from a renowned cultivator had turned into a blazing fireball, along with the pot.
If it weren't for the special nature of the Gu family estate, he figured he would've ended up roasted like a duck and served on a platter.
After much consideration, he concluded that only spirit soil could meet his needs.
A cubic meter of soil? For Gu Sanqiu's plan... that was nowhere near enough.
"That's not enough. As I said, I'll take as much spirit soil as you have."
Seeing the hesitant look on the chubby Daoist's face, Gu Sanqiu added, "I understand that rare resources like this come with limits set by the sect. I won't make things difficult for you."
"Just sell me as much as you can, and if talismans aren't enough for you, I can offer other things in exchange."
He continued, "Of course, if your sect needs Mora, I can pay that as well."
As Gu Sanqiu spoke, he pulled out a few items from his waist pouch.
Five talismans, three bottles of elixirs, and a stack of large-denomination banknotes from the Liyue Bank...
The chubby Daoist and Douyun both started sweating. Who was this guy? Why were all these priceless treasures to him as common as street vendor goods?
The Daoist's heart fluttered as he caught a faint whiff of the elixirs' aroma. His mystical energy seemed to stir with a yearning desire.
If it weren't for the strict discipline of his Daoist training, he would've been tempted to grab the items right then. A lesser practitioner might have tried to snatch them without a second thought.
Of course, considering how easily this person could produce such valuable items, whether they could take them—and survive the consequences—was another matter entirely.
"P-please wait a moment, I'll send a message to the sect immediately."
The chubby Daoist, seeing Douyun drooling over the elixirs, angrily smacked him again.
"What are you staring at? Get this esteemed Daoist some tea! Do you want to be responsible for disrespecting a guest of the sect?"
...
It didn't take long for the order to be fulfilled. Due to the large amount requested, the relatively new sect had dispatched five elders and several dozen law enforcement disciples to escort the goods.
"We've brought the spirit soil you requested. We have fifteen cubic meters in total. Apologies, but this is all the sect can provide at the moment."
The elders verified the authenticity of the talismans and elixirs, and their eyes lit up as they looked at Gu Sanqiu, as if they were seeing a dutiful grandson bringing home a girlfriend to meet the family.
"Daoist, would you be interested in establishing a long-term partnership with our sect? If you need anything, we can also coordinate with other sects to help you acquire additional goods."
"No need, you're too kind."
Gu Sanqiu smiled and clasped his hands politely. "Until we meet again."
He loaded the chests of spirit soil into the large cart the sect had generously provided as a gift.
Gu Sanqiu cleared his throat, and with a gust of wind, both he and the cart were lifted off the ground, sailing away into the sky.
"Whew—"
The elders all breathed a sigh of relief. "Dealing with someone like him, you really have to watch your every word and action. If our guesses are correct..."
"Heh, no doubt. He probably doesn't want to reveal his identity, but it seems like he's not fully aware of how things are in our world right now."
One of the elders picked up a bottle of elixir, his eyes gleaming with awe.
"Just one bottle of Cloud Sea Elixir, tsk tsk tsk... Forget spirit soil, we could probably trade it with those old-timers for ancient secret techniques."
"Let's make sure to keep a close eye out. The appearance of this incense-bearer could be a major opportunity for us!"
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