First time to activate the talisman

Recalling the scene of tracking the merchant, that merchant was just an ordinary Mortal, so how could he have seen through Li Tan's movements?

It seemed like a blind cat meeting a dead mouse, but perhaps he relied on these small wits to narrowly escape danger time and again.

In fact, he was more like a cat in the wild; he clearly understood that his strength was insignificant, but he had to constantly be vigilant, showing sharp fangs to the outside world to ensure his own safety.

Without Cultivation, he was merely a lamb to the slaughter; even if he spoke eloquently, he would shrivel up the moment he met a Cultivator.

Perhaps he still harbored many schemes and tricks in his heart, but facing a higher-level Cultivator, he could only bluff, unable to employ his schemes.

Afterward, Li Tan looked around this dilapidated alley, trying not to miss any details, ready to eliminate any unexpected person who might appear.

He even added many winding 'small paths'.

He didn't have any Formation; he merely used some mundane small traps, not expecting these small traps to harm Li Yasi and her group, only hoping to delay them for a moment.

He had already prepared charcoal in several rooms, so no matter which direction he fled to, there would be a place to 'shed his skin'.

Perhaps these traps wouldn't be needed, and the worst outcome would be being killed by Li Yasi directly, making all his efforts futile.

"But isn't one's own path defined by oneself?"

Li Tan's mind had long been firm in his resolve; he closed his eyes, silently recalling his life and the encounters he had experienced along the way.

After his mother passed away when he was five, he had to go to the Li Family mine every day for the necessities of life.

However, he didn't receive pity or help from others due to his young age; there was only endless darkness, curses, targeting, suppression, and wage deductions...

He believed in the inherent goodness of people year after year, but he never saw a glimmer of light; perhaps he hadn't found it yet, or perhaps a lowly, inferior disciple like him wasn't qualified to glimpse it....

Some always said he was clever, but what others didn't know was that un-clever boys had long since died, and the cannibalistic Li Family wouldn't allow foolish individuals to exist.

After a long while, he opened his dark eyes; his heart was very calm, the worst outcome being his own death.

"Under the vast heavens and earth, we are all insignificant, so who cannot die?"

"Although I don't want to die, I don't fear death either...."

......

The next day, Li Tan arrived early at the restaurant where the merchant and Li Yasi were to discuss.

After a long wait, a graceful Young Master in a skirt slowly walked in, his guards and maidservants tacitly standing outside the door.

Li Yasi was very handsome, holding a bamboo fan in his hand, giving off an air of elegance and approachability, matched with his bright red long skirt.

Sometimes he was masculine and refined, sometimes gentle and compassionate, possessing a different kind of charm.

Li Tan quickly stood up, smiling and flattering: "You've arrived, sir! Your humble subordinate has been looking forward to you for a long time, and now that I see you, my heart is..."

Li Tan shamelessly flattered him, while Li Yasi frowned, looking disgusted.

"Stop, stop, stop! This Young Master has no interest in listening to your pile of flattering nonsense! The three matters agreed upon with your master, once completed, give me that thing!"

"Today is the last one. If you can't produce it then, don't blame this Young Master for being ruthless."

"Even if your master has some power then, this Young Master will find a way!"

Li Yasi's tone was very harsh, clearly not intending to give Li Tan any good face.

From this information, Li Tan understood a bit about the so-called transaction.

It was nothing more than Li Yasi completing three tasks for the former, and the latter providing certain items.

Li Yasi clearly wanted to threaten him, but he would never have imagined that the person before him was no longer that merchant!

And this was exactly what Li Tan wanted. If Li Yasi had remained indifferently seated in the main position,

Then he would have eventually revealed his true identity, and Li Yasi would definitely have found something amiss.

However, these were just thoughts in his mind. Li Tan still greeted him warmly, occasionally spouting a flattering remark or two, which Li Yasi found very agreeable.

Observing Li Yasi's state, Li Tan felt a bit more confident.

Hothouse flowers are often those who love flattery and dislike straightforwardness.

As long as he kept him comfortable, any words or promises could be easily extracted.

"Alright, alright, tell me, what is the requirement for this third matter?"

Finally, Li Yasi could no longer endure it and spoke first.

Li Tan's mind raced, and after weighing the pros and cons, he discarded all the unwise ideas.

"Young Master, to be honest, my master has recently been targeted by some villains and urgently needs some Magical Artifacts and Talismans for protection," Li Tan's voice was very fawning.

When one's life is uncertain, neither Spirit Stones nor powerful Cultivation Techniques are of any use.

Only explosive offensive and defensive means that fit the current situation are what Li Tan needs right now.

This way, he could both deplete Li Yasi's resources and gain more powerful protection for himself, truly killing two birds with one stone.

Hearing Li Tan's words, Li Yasi couldn't help but frown: "How precious are Magical Artifacts? Although the Spirit Stones I have can afford them, I haven't awakened my Spiritual Root yet and am still just a Mortal."

"Magical Artifacts are not suitable for me right now, but this Young Master does have quite a few Talismans."

With a thought, Li Yasi took out five Talismans from his storage ring.

Li Tan secretly marveled at Li Yasi's wealth in his heart.

A single defensive Talisman he bought was already worth six hundred Spirit Stones, and Li Yasi could casually produce five, showing the extent of his Family's fortune.

Among the Talismans Li Yasi took out were: "Lieyan Talisman, Ice Sword Talisman, Giant Rock Talisman, Heavy Water Talisman, and the most precious Thunder Spear Talisman!"

Among them, the first four were Low Grade Rank 1, while the Thunder Spear Talisman was Medium Grade Rank 1!

Although it was only a Talisman that barely entered the Medium Grade, its value had increased severalfold!

In Li Tan's knowledge, Talismans had three Ranks: Rank 1 Talismans, Rank 2 Spiritual Talismans, and Rank 3 True Talismans, corresponding to Cultivators' Qi Condensation, Foundation Establishment, and Golden Core Ranks, respectively....

And weapons and Talismans shared the same origin. Weapons, according to the Li Family's records, included: "Rank 1 Dao Artifacts, Rank 2 Magical Artifacts, Rank 3 Treasure Artifacts...."

Perhaps there were even higher-Rank Talismans and weapons, but those levels were beyond what a Foundation Establishment Family like the Li Family could record.

As for Medicinal Pill grades, they were quite special; Medicinal Pills were distinguished by their Pill patterns: "Rank 1 Medicinal Pills only have one Pill pattern, Rank 2 Medicinal Pills have two, and Rank 3 Medicinal Pills are the same...."

Although Talismans are single-use items, this does not affect their value in the slightest.

Weak Mortals can also instantly kill Cultivators with powerful Talismans, and among them, the most powerful offensive and destructive Thunder Qi naturally commands a high price.

For example, Thunder Qi among offensive Talismans and Buddhist Qi among defensive Talismans, they all share similar characteristics.

Thunder Qi, being extremely Yang, restrains evil and Yin Qi; Buddhist Qi, being supremely sacred, is the primary enemy of all evil demons and crooked paths, whether for offense or defense.

Li Tan was unsure how many Talismans Li Yasi had or the value of his request, so he decided to risk a probe: "Young Master, isn't this... a bit too little...?"

Li Tan pretended to hesitate, his face showing difficulty.

Seeing Li Tan like this, Li Yasi snorted coldly: "You're not afraid of bursting your belly!"

Then he took out another Thunder Spear Talisman!

"These Talismans are very expensive; some of them even cost me a great deal! If you are still not satisfied with these, I think our transaction ends here."

"At that time, regarding your attempt to extort me, I will report it to my grandfather!"

Li Tan looked at Li Yasi, who was red-faced and spitting, a stark contrast to his usual image.

It was likely that these Talismans had indeed cost Li Yasi a significant amount, though there was also the possibility that he was deliberately concealing something.

However, this possibility was small, especially for an inexperienced and naive second-generation immortal like the one before him.

Li Tan was truly afraid that Li Yasi would turn around and leave. Although there was a possibility that the other party was feigning, Li Tan couldn't afford to gamble at this moment, and these Talismans were enough for him to retreat safely.

Adopting the attitude of knowing when to stop, Li Tan cupped his fists to Li Yasi and said, "Young Master is generous. I will accept these on behalf of my master."

Li Yasi looked at Li Tan, who seemed like a petty person gloating, and felt even more displeased.

"You've taken the items, aren't you going to take me to pick up the goods?"

Li Tan quickly assented verbally and turned to lead Li Yasi towards the alley, his mind racing along the way.

Both Li Yasi and the guard could easily kill me; even that maidservant has the strength to stop me. The difference between us is too great; I must utilize every resource well.

Looking at the dilapidated houses and the dark, dirty streets around them, Li Yasi's brows furrowed even deeper.

"Where on earth have you hidden the goods? A gathering place for bedbugs? Or are you playing me for a fool!"

Li Yasi's tone was sharp like a sword, and his barrage of questions weighed heavily on Li Tan's back.

Li Tan muttered to himself, "This Young Master is so troublesome. In his current state, whatever I say will probably just make me look like a fool."

"Then let's begin, Li Yasi, welcome to the graveyard I've prepared for you."

Li Tan's expression was solemn; he didn't answer Li Yasi's questions, which made Li Yasi even more furious. Just as he was about to loudly scold him!

Li Tan cut him off: "Young Master Li Yasi, we are being followed!"

At these words, Li Yasi's face turned extremely ugly, and he angrily looked at the guard.

The meaning was clear: he thought the guard was useless for not even noticing they were being followed!

No matter the outcome, this guard was definitely going to be blamed.

The guard trembled all over, knelt on one knee with a terrified expression, and quickly pleaded guilty: "This subordinate is incompetent. I did not detect anyone following us. Please forgive me, Young Master."

Hearing the guard's words, Li Yasi couldn't help but question Li Tan: "My guard is at Qi Condensation Rank 4! He didn't even detect the person following us, how could you have discovered them?"

Li Tan's expression became serious, and he smoothly bluffed: "To tell you the truth, Young Master, to ensure the safety of the transaction with you, my master lent me a Rank 1 Dao Artifact to prevent being tracked."

"This Rank 1 Dao Artifact has a special appearance; from the outside, it looks like a storage ring." Saying this, Li Tan took out the storage ring.

Li Tan had no Rank 1 Dao Artifact in his hand, not even a Mortal weapon. He had no choice but to resort to this desperate measure.

After all, for someone of his humble status, possessing a storage ring was the biggest suspicious point, and he wasn't afraid of others probing it, as a storage ring cannot be probed without its owner's permission.

Moreover, Li Yasi was just a Mortal; as expected, Li Yasi believed Li Tan's words.

At the same time, he ordered the guard to check the vicinity for traces of the peeping thief. Even if the guard knew something was wrong, he could only grit his teeth and accept the order.

It wasn't until Li Tan sensed that the guard had left that he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's done!"

......

"Young Master, we've arrived at the location, but my master feared that Mortal ants might stumble upon this place."

"So he set up a Restriction that requires a Cultivator to activate Spiritual Qi to enter."

At this moment, Li Tan pretended to sigh, his face full of helplessness.

"It's a pity that Lord Guard isn't here; we'll just have to wait."

His tone was sincere, subtle, and carried a hint of helplessness, so well acted that Li Tan almost believed it himself.

And Li Yasi had no suspicions. He just waved his hand and softly called out, "Pan'er, go open the Restriction."

At this moment, Li Tan's heart was filled with Killing Intent, but on the surface, he still feigned surprise, his jaw nearly dropping to the ground.

"Young Master is truly a Dragon among men; even the maidservant by his side is a Cultivator!"

Li Yasi didn't respond to Li Tan; he just silently instructed the maidservant Pan'er to go open the Restriction. That item seemed very important to Li Yasi.

But Pan'er was dumbfounded when she arrived at the Restriction; it was clearly just an ordinary wall.

Pan'er whispered softly: "This merchant couldn't have made a mistake..."

Before she could finish her sentence, a flash of insight sparked in Pan'er's mind, as if she had thought of something, and she suddenly turned her head!

But she no longer had a chance; at the same time, a Talisman appeared behind her!

"Lieyan Talisman!"

Flames danced wildly in the sky, and the next moment, raging fire violently erupted!

It rushed towards Pan'er's back like a chasing wind and lightning, accompanied by an unstoppable Aura!!

The air was filled with the smell of burning; a young woman in the prime of her life, like a blooming flower, thus vanished between heaven and earth.

Perhaps the only trace that could prove her existence was that charred 'human husk'....