Chapter - 12

In front of a weathered bluestone slab, an old man chewed on a piece of spicy beef jerky, his eyes brimming with curiosity.

Standing before him was a tall, handsome man—his posture relaxed, one hand behind his back, the other holding a long strip of jerky. His voice was calm yet authoritative as he spoke.

"Don't understand? I'll teach you!"

"Brand value," he continued, "refers to the added worth a product gains beyond its inherent value—an artificial increase in perceived quality and desirability."

Seeing the old man's bewildered expression, Gu Shengtian sighed. He pointed his jerky toward the bustling casual cultivator market before them.

"Look around. In this market, at least three vendors have been selling low-level talismans for years."

Chen Laodao, the old man, saw his chance to interject and quickly spoke up. "That would be Lu Heng, Mao Crow, and myself. We've been selling talismans long-term."

"And what do you think of them?" Gu Shengtian asked, raising an eyebrow.

Chen Laodao scoffed. "Lu Heng? Lacks skill. He buys all his talisman skins from me—nothing special."

"What about Mao Crow?"

"A latecomer to the craft. His skills are about equal to mine, but he's already thirty-three. His talent has withered before it could fully bloom."

"And yourself?"

Chen Laodao stroked his white beard, his voice filled with pride. "I started as a laborer in Shenfu Pavilion at twenty. Spent five years mastering talisman skin-making. By fifteen years in, I was crafting talismans. Now, for twenty-five years, I've been here, rain or shine, selling my work. My skills are top-notch, and anyone looking for talismans in this market must stop by my stall first!"

Clap! Clap! Clap!

Gu Shengtian applauded with a knowing smile.

"That's exactly it, Chen Daoyou! Your talismans already possess brand value—crafted through years of hard work at Shenfu Pavilion, tested by the elements for twenty-five years, and known for their consistency in quality."

Chen Laodao basked in the praise for a moment—until something felt off.

"Then why haven't my talismans ever sold for high prices?"

"They rarely do," Gu Shengtian admitted. "But compared to others, aren't your prices still generally higher?"

"That may be true, but it's nothing compared to Shenfu Pavilion. Buyers still prefer to go there when purchasing in bulk."

Gu Shengtian rolled his eyes. "Shenfu Pavilion is backed by the Shenfu Sect, one of the Six Great Sects of the Far East. Their brand value comes from Golden Core Masters and Nascent Soul cultivators endorsing them. How can you compete with that?"

Chen Laodao sighed, finally seeing reason.

"Exactly," Gu Shengtian continued. "Since your stall's brand value isn't strong enough to command higher prices, you need a different approach."

"Such as?"

"Turn your talismans into signature products and assign them their own brand value."

"Explain in detail!"

"Tell a story!"

Chen Laodao blinked. "A story? Like… the one about the All-Wondrous Pill? Or Crane in the Clouds? The one from the Hehuan Sect?"

Gu Shengtian smirked. "Exactly. A student who can be taught!"

Bam! Bam! Bam!

Another firm pat on the shoulder, and Chen Laodao fell into deep contemplation.

"You mean… I should craft a narrative around my talismans, just like you did?"

"Mhm."

"That simple?"

"That simple."

"Then why did you go on such a long tangent earlier?"

"Wouldn't be worth the fifty spirit stones you owe me if I didn't."

Huff!

Chen Laodao took a deep breath, suppressing his frustration. He was sixty-five. No point in raising his blood pressure.

"But how do I craft this story?"

Gu Shengtian glanced at the old man's stall. He knew every talisman type by heart: six varieties in total. The most common were low-level Cleansing and Wind-Control Talismans, followed by mid-tier Fireball and Earth-Spike Talismans. The highest-priced ones were Earth-Wall and Qi-Containment Talismans.

Fireball and Earth-Spike Talismans sold the most but had a low unit price—one and a half spirit stones each. Earth-Wall Talismans went for two, while Qi-Containment Talismans fetched three. In times of scarcity, their price could soar to five or even six spirit stones.

Talismans were in high demand among low-level cultivators. Though weaker than spells, they required no mental strain and activated instantly—especially valuable for defense and survival.

Gu Shengtian pointed to the Qi-Containment Talismans, his mind recalling an old story from Records of the Six Regions.

"Here's what you do," he began, forming an outline. The details, however, were up to Chen Laodao—after all, the old man's knowledge of the craft far surpassed his own.

Furthermore, Gu Shengtian advised him to share the story only with new customers. Old customers would continue to buy based on trust.

Additionally, the Qi-Containment Talismans needed a visual upgrade—perhaps adding gold trim to the edges. Even without a story, this subtle enhancement could justify a price increase.

After offering his guidance, Gu Shengtian could wait no longer.

Like a gust of wind, he dashed into the casual cultivator market, his pockets heavy with wealth.

Shopping! Shopping! Frenzied shopping!

---

The night was deep, the moonlight casting a silver glow over the land.

A young man walked swiftly down the road, two massive snakeskin bags slung over his shoulders.

They were real snake skin—tough, but suffocatingly hot.

His trip to the market had taken longer than expected. Between selling the All-Wondrous Pills and his conversation with Chen Laodao, time had slipped away. By the time he finished his evening purchases, it was already late.

Walking along the dry loess road, Gu Shengtian's breaths were slightly labored. His feet were quick, but his sharp eyes scanned every alley, especially the dark gaps between wooden houses.

Dahefang City strictly forbade fighting—but only in the inner city.

The outer city was another story.

The spirit stones collected from casual cultivators each month weren't for their safety—they simply ensured the inner city elites would intervene when beasts attacked.

Because of this, strong cultivators often lurked in the outer districts, blocking roads, robbing travelers, and even killing for treasure.

During the day, it wasn't as bad. But at night? It was an ever-present danger.

This was just how Dahefang City operated.

At this moment, Gu Shengtian had no spirit stones on him—his entire fortune lay within the two snakeskin bags on his back.

Granted, their total worth was only a hundred spirit stones, scattered across various materials, making them a hassle to resell.

"Still… money is money. If someone's desperate enough, they might try their luck."

Gu Shengtian muttered under his breath, "Damn it, when I have enough spirit stones, I'm moving to the inner city!"

His heart pounded as he quickened his pace.

But perhaps due to the bright moonlight, or his ragged appearance—or maybe because the two ugly snakeskin bags made him look utterly broke—he made it home unscathed.

Sometimes, being too poor had its own advantages.

Exhaling deeply, he placed his purchases on the shelves, separating them neatly.

Ninety-five spirit stones had gone into buying materials for nineteen batches of All-Wondrous Pills. Five remained—three spent on Pigu Dan ingredients, and the last two on ten kilograms of spirit rice and two months' rent for his tiny house in the outer city.

Pouring the spirit rice into a container, Gu Shengtian collapsed onto a wooden bench.

The scent of medicinal herbs filled the air.

Exhausted—but satisfied.

Tomorrow, he could begin expanding production.