Chapter 11: Evil-Repelling Talisman

The middle-aged stall owner raised his hand, spreading his fingers wide, signaling the price.

"Five spirit stones?" Lan Rui guessed.

The man scoffed. "Five? Dream on! Fifteen spirit stones!"

Lan Rui's expression twisted. "Fifteen? Why don't you just go rob a bank! That's too expensive, five spirit stones and I'll take it."

Truthfully, fifteen spirit stones was a reasonable price if purchased from an official shop. However, in an open-air market like this, where authenticity was questionable, prices were often negotiable.

The stall owner's brow furrowed, either confused by the unfamiliar word 'bank' or taken aback by Lan Rui's audacious bargaining. Not that Lan Rui cared.

"Five?" The man sneered. "If you don't have the money, just say so. Don't waste my time. Fourteen is the lowest I'll go."

What followed could only be described as a brutal battle of words, a relentless exchange of back-and-forth bargaining. At one point, neither of them knew whose mother or sister was being called upon, but neither backed down.

Finally, with an exasperated sigh, the stall owner relented.

"Haaa... You're quite the tough one, young man. Fine, twelve spirit stones, and it's yours."

"Seven."

"You brat! Eleven!"

"Seven, final offer."

The man clicked his tongue in irritation but eventually tossed the scroll toward Lan Rui. "Tch! Fine, seven spirit stones. Just take it and get lost!"

Grinning in triumph, Lan Rui handed over seven spirit stones, pocketing the manual before the man could react.

"Pleasure doing business with you, Fellow Daoist!" he said cheerfully before making his escape.

All of his hard-earned spirit stones were gone.

After taking a brief stroll through the market to ease the sting of his empty wallet, Lan Rui returned home an hour later.

.....

Once inside, he wasted no time and pulled out the Beginner Talisman Manual from his storage bag. Settling into his study, he eagerly flipped through the worn pages.The real reason he bought it?

Expanding his product line.

If he had purchased it from the reputable talisman shop he frequented like the Li Family Talisman Shop, the price could have been fifteen or even twenty spirit stones. Getting it for seven was a steal.

As he read, he found that the manual contained three talisman crafting methods. Light Shield Talisman, Defensive Type talisman (which he already knew). Fireball Talisman, Offensive Type talisman and Evil-Repelling Talisman a Utility Type talisman.

Among the three, the Evil-Repelling Talisman intrigued him the most. This talisman wasn't just for attacking,it was designed to purge negative energy.

It was highly effective against ghost-type monsters and other creatures born of resentment and malice. However, its true value lay in its ability to dispel and cleanse residual evil aura, demonic energy, and bloodthirsty qi that often lingered on cultivators.

Hunters who frequently slayed demonic beasts were especially prone to accumulating such negative energy. Even if they didn't want it, it stuck to them like a curse.

If left unchecked, this aura attracted vengeful spirits, also known as Evil Wraiths. Though powerful cultivators could easily fend them off, most would rather avoid the hassle altogether.

Moreover, this residual energy affected one's temperament. Too much exposure could disrupt a cultivator's mental state, leading to Qi Deviation,a fate far worse than simply fighting off a few vengeance spirits.

For Loose Cultivators, who often hunted demonic beasts for a living, this talisman was invaluable.

It was also a highly volatile commodity.

Under normal circumstances, a single Evil-Repelling Talisman sold for one spirit stone.

However, if a Beast Tide occurred or a long-forgotten cave mansion of a powerful cultivator was unearthed in the wilderness, its price could skyrocket to two or even three spirit stones.

Essentially, it was an ATM waiting to be cashed in when the timing was right.

By comparison, the Fireball Talisman was just a standard attack-type. It's useful, but nothing extraordinary.

Talisman crafting was more complex than it appeared. Each talisman had a rank and tier.

Some like the Evil-Repelling Talisman, were growth-type. By investing more spirit energy and divine sense, they could be refined into First Rank Mid-Tier or even High-Tier Talismans.

However, they couldn't break through to the next Rank. A First Rank talisman would always remain within the First Rank.

Others, like the Cleaning Talisman, were fixed-rank. No matter how much spirit energy was infused into them, they would never evolve beyond their base form.

Lan Rui tapped the manual thoughtfully.

"If I can successfully craft this talisman, I'll have another reliable source of income."

Wasting no time, he retrieved his brush, carefully unrolled a fresh talisman paper, and prepared his ink infused with spiritual energy.

He steadied his breath.

"Let's see if I can make this work."

With precise movements, he began inscribing the intricate talisman script onto the paper…

.....