Chapter 7: The Beginning of Stability

Chapter 7: The Beginning of Stability

"It's a good thing you succeeded. If you had kept going like this, in a few months, you might not even have been able to pay the rent for your cave dwelling."

After the initial shock, Old Lin returned to his usual lazy and lecherous demeanor, offering his unsolicited advice:

"Still, I have to warn you. Although the Hundred Arts of Cultivation are valuable, they are not the true path to immortality. If you go all-in like this, betting everything you have, it's fine if you succeed. But if you fail, it could be catastrophic."

"The market rules won't show you any mercy. The Song Family's law enforcement team is far more ruthless than you think. If they catch you and send you to work off your debt in the spirit fields, you might never get out, and there's no one you can turn to for help."

Chen Ji couldn't, and wouldn't, explain the "Wordless Book" to Old Lin. He simply clasped his hands in gratitude and said:

"Understood. Thank you, Senior Lin."

This expression of gratitude was sincere. Although Old Lin usually acted like a lazy, lecherous old man, his experience made him a seasoned veteran of the market.

What he said was true. If it weren't for the "Wordless Book," forcing himself to learn the "Gathering Qi Talisman" could have led to financial ruin.

The "Hundred Arts of Cultivation" heavily relied on talent. In the original owner's memories, there were many examples of rogue cultivators who had fallen into ruin after becoming obsessed with the Hundred Arts.

Fortunately, Chen Ji had worked hard enough and ultimately succeeded!

With the "Gathering Qi Talisman," although he couldn't live as lavishly as those from sects and noble families, at least his future cultivation wouldn't be as strained as before.

"Take it slow."

Build high walls, stockpile resources, and bide your time.

At his stall, Chen Ji watched the passing cultivators and had an idea. He took out a "Gathering Qi Talisman," activated it, and placed it prominently on his stall.

Instantly, the surrounding spiritual energy surged toward Chen Ji.

"It's not too much to advertise a bit, right? After all, even the best wine needs to be noticed."

The "live demonstration" advertisement had an immediate effect. The spiritual energy fluctuations caused by the "Gathering Qi Talisman" quickly caught the attention of the cultivators in the market.

Especially in the northwest corner, almost every cultivator sensed the change in spiritual energy.

Before long, customers began to approach.

"A Gathering Qi Talisman? They have something this rare in the northwest corner?"

"Fellow Daoist, how effective is this 'Gathering Qi Talisman'?"

A buyer picked up one of Chen Ji's talismans, examining it carefully.

"You can see the effect for yourself, can't you?"

Chen Ji pointed to the activated "Gathering Qi Talisman" hanging in front of his stall. It served both as an advertisement and a sample—killing two birds with one stone.

"How long does it last?"

The Hundred Arts of Cultivation heavily emphasized heritage. Even for the same talisman, differences in technique and heritage could lead to significant variations in effectiveness.

The "Gathering Qi Talisman" recorded in Chen Ji's manual was average—neither particularly good nor bad.

"One talisman lasts about seven days, with a margin of error of no more than three hours."

In the rogue cultivator section of the market, aside from the obvious scam stalls, most vendors had good reputations. After all, it was a small place, and word traveled fast.

"Alright, I'll take one. If it works well, I'll come back for more."

...

"Finally, some profit!"

In just one afternoon, Chen Ji sold all fifteen of his "Gathering Qi Talismans"!

Including the scattered sales of "Vajra Talismans," his net profit for the afternoon was 16 low-grade spirit stones, bringing his total assets to 32 spirit stones.

If he could maintain this level of income every day, he would be well on his way to prosperity. Unfortunately, while talismans sold quickly, they were slow to produce.

The "Gathering Qi Talisman," as an auxiliary cultivation tool, might not be as effective as pills, but it had the advantage of being long-lasting and affordable.

At 2 spirit stones each, a single "Gathering Qi Talisman" could last a week as long as the cultivator didn't change their cultivation location.

This made it highly cost-effective and easy to sell, which was why Chen Ji had chosen it.

In other words, the "Gathering Qi Talisman" was now the flagship product of Chen Ji's stall—a reliable item that could build a "brand" and attract repeat customers.

In contrast, the "Vajra Talisman" was a common item. Even if there was demand, most cultivators would just buy it from any random stall.

For poor cultivators like Chen Ji, who couldn't afford pills, the "Gathering Qi Talisman" could serve as a rough substitute.

Both were ultimately used to aid cultivation—the only difference was in their effectiveness.

For wealthier cultivators who could afford pills, the extra cost of the talisman was negligible. Combining the "Gathering Qi Talisman" with pills could double their cultivation speed.

...

"Hey, Chen, have you heard?"

As Chen Ji was happily humming a tune while packing up his stall, Old Lin suddenly chimed in.

"Heard what?"

"Remember that Jiang Yun'er? The one with the, uh, particularly large assets? Hehe."

Chen Ji hadn't initially remembered the name, but Old Lin's emphasis on "particularly large," combined with the old man's lecherous grin, quickly jogged his memory.

She was the female cultivator who had strung along the original owner, owing him dozens of talismans without paying.

It was only when Chen Ji had pressured her to settle her debt that he had managed to scrape together enough spirit stones to buy the materials for the "Gathering Qi Talisman."

After all, while most cultivators had good figures, Jiang Yun'er's proportions were truly one of a kind.

"I remember her. What about her?"

"She got married. Found a body cultivator who just arrived from a mortal kingdom. The dowry alone was 500 spirit stones."

"Tsk. A reformed courtesan snagged an honest man. My condolences to that poor fellow."

Chen Ji smirked, shook his head, and quickly finished packing up his stall before heading back to his cave dwelling.

"Time to go home. Good things await!"

...

Back in his cave dwelling,

Chen Ji didn't immediately start cultivating. Instead, he went straight to the kitchen.

This was the first time since his transmigration that he had entered the kitchen. After all, he had been surviving on "Fasting Powder" and hadn't needed to cook.

He took out a bag of "spirit rice" from his bag, rinsed it clean.

Under the water, the spirit rice became translucent, resembling beautiful gemstones. It was a sight to behold.

"So beautiful. No wonder it's called 'spirit rice.'"

Even without considering its other properties, just its appearance alone would have made it a luxury item in his previous life, something reserved for the elite.

Originally, with his finances just starting to improve, Chen Ji had been reluctant to indulge in spirit rice.

But when a spirit farmer from the northwest corner offered to trade half a pound of spirit rice for a "Gathering Qi Talisman," Chen Ji had immediately agreed without hesitation.

"Time to treat myself to a 'cultivator's feast.'"

He placed the rinsed rice in a pot, added water, and used a spell to light the fire. As the spirit rice cooked, its rich aroma filled the cave dwelling—a fragrance Chen Ji had never experienced before.

"Gulp~"

Chen Ji couldn't help but swallow his saliva as the smell wafted through the air.

"Squeak~ squeak~ squeak~"

"Don't worry, I saved some for you. You can have half a bowl."

Once the rice was cooked, Chen Ji first served half a bowl to Ah Jin, then filled a large bowl for himself. Looking at the plump, glossy grains, he couldn't wait and took a bite, despite the heat.

"So delicious!"

Although the taste wasn't much different from the rice of his previous life, and there were no side dishes—just plain white rice—Chen Ji felt that this meal was exceptionally satisfying.

It reminded him of the pig trotter rice he had eaten on the night he landed his first job after graduating in his previous life.