3: Chapter 3 Gray Intelligence

"Really?"

"For real!"

Looking at Xu Changsheng's resolute face, Wu Laoxie didn't ask further.

He pulled a large bag from under the bed and handed it to him.

"Inside is the dowry I prepared for Qingqing. I don't have much time left, so I'll have to rely on your help in the future. She's clumsy and is always being ostracized in the Prefect's Mansion."

Xu Changsheng solemnly took the Spirit Stones. A rough estimate suggested there were at least one hundred and twenty Spirit Stones inside.

"Rest assured, Wu Laoxie, you're tough as nails. These Spirit Stones, I'll return them to you in six months at the latest."

He didn't stay long; after a few brief words, he hurried back to his own residence.

...

The next day, Xu Changsheng, carrying the Spirit Stones, walked through the doors of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion in the market.

The shopkeeper was listlessly dusting with a feather duster. Seeing a customer, he rushed forward: "Fellow Daoist, what are you looking for? My Hundred Treasures Pavilion has everything you could need."

"Do you have any Talisman Brushes? A first-grade Low Grade one will do."

"Oh? Fellow Daoist wishes to draw Talismans?"

"Yes."

Looking at Xu Changsheng, whose fingernails still had dirt embedded in them, a trace of disdain flashed in the shopkeeper's eyes: "We do."

He pulled a grey wolf-hair brush from the left drawer and began his pitch:

"This Grey Wolf Brush is no ordinary tool. The brush head is made from the hair between the hindquarters of a first-grade Yao Beast, the Wild Plains Wolf. It writes smoothly and can increase the success rate of Talisman creation..."

The shopkeeper talked incessantly.

Xu Changsheng hurriedly interrupted: "I understand. May I ask how many Spirit Stones?"

"One hundred and twenty." The shopkeeper gestured with his fingers.

Hearing the inflated price, Xu Changsheng's brow furrowed: "Eighty."

The shopkeeper's expression soured slightly, and he praised his Talisman Brush once more: "Fellow Daoist should know, this Talisman Brush is not simple..."

"Enough, isn't it just hair from a wild dog's junk?" Xu Changsheng countered.

The shopkeeper was instantly speechless.

After some haggling, Xu Changsheng secured the Talisman Brush for ninety Spirit Stones and spent another ten or so on Talisman Paper and Spirit Ink.

He left the Hundred Treasures Pavilion immediately.

Watching Xu Changsheng's back, the shopkeeper's eyes narrowed slightly.

He had seen many such hot-headed youngsters. They saw others making a fortune through cultivation arts and thought they could do it too, only to end up achieving nothing.

...

After returning to his residence.

Xu Changsheng didn't delay for a moment and sat straight down at the desk.

With a solemn expression, he sat at the desk, gripping the Talisman Brush.

He laid out the Talisman Paper and Spirit Ink on the desk.

Using his fingers to guide his wrist, his arm moved the brush tip in a winding path across the Talisman Paper.

The complex symbols gradually took shape.

Suddenly, his wrist twitched.

"Damn it!"

The entire piece of Talisman Paper began to burn, turning into flying ash.

"A pity, I was just a little bit away..."

His first attempt at drawing a Talisman failed as expected, but Xu Changsheng was not discouraged and continued with the next one.

Several hours passed in a flash, and evening soon arrived.

[Today's Intelligence (White): Weather Forecast]

[Over the next few days, the area around Liuyun Market will have gentle winds and warm sun, with light clouds and a soft breeze—suitable for an outing.]

"Ah, so perfunctory?"

Xu Changsheng couldn't believe his eyes.

It seemed that Today's Intelligence wasn't always beneficial to him. However, it didn't matter; as long as there was one good piece of intelligence like yesterday's, it would basically be enough to sustain him for several months.

He didn't believe the intelligence could stay this garbage forever.

He continued drawing Talismans.

After several failed attempts, he had already committed the key points to memory; he wouldn't make the same mistakes again.

Gripping the Talisman Brush, Qi flowed through his fingertips, and the wolf hair blended with the Spirit Ink.

The brush tip soared across the Talisman Paper like a swimming Dragon.

Suddenly.

The Talisman Paper lit up, and a crystalline talismanic seal formed on the paper, shining brightly.

"It's done, a Light Body Talisman!"

Impatiently, he slapped the Talisman onto himself and activated it with his spiritual sense. Instantly, his entire body became light and nimble.

In the next instant.

With a slight movement, he appeared more than ten feet outside the house.

Xu Changsheng was very satisfied and put the Talisman away.

It was only because the Dao of Talismans was easy to learn but hard to master that he could use his 'One Proof Eternal Proof' talent to reach the entry level at light speed. Had it been Formations or the Dao of Alchemy, he wouldn't have been so certain.

With a calm mind, he continued drawing Talismans.

...

Seven days later.

Xu Changsheng returned to the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.

The shopkeeper had just finished attending to a customer. Seeing it was Xu Changsheng, a look of wariness immediately appeared on his face.

"What has Fellow Daoist Xu come for?"

"I've said it before, all goods in this shop are inspected at the counter. Once they leave the counter, we are not responsible."

Many cultivation novices bought Talisman Brushes or Pill Furnaces from him, only to realize a few days later that they weren't cut out for it, then came back regretting and wanting to return the goods.

They were all just 'window shoppers.' What did they take his Hundred Treasures Pavilion for? If it's second-hand, go sell it yourself at the stall area in the south of the market.

Hearing this.

Xu Changsheng was stunned, then understood the shopkeeper's meaning and gave a wry smile.

"The shopkeeper misunderstands. I'm not here to return anything. I wanted to ask if you buy Talismans here?"

"What? You actually drew Talismans?"

The shopkeeper was shocked.

"Of course."

Xu Changsheng took out the results of the past few days from the bundle on his back—a total of thirty-five first-grade Low Grade Talismans.

The shopkeeper flipped through them one by one, and after confirming there were no issues, he looked up.

With undisguisable shock, he said: "I couldn't tell, but it turns out Fellow Daoist is a one-in-a-million Talisman-making Genius. To refine Talismans in just seven days..."

Xu Changsheng had already prepared his excuse: "The shopkeeper misunderstands. I never said I was a novice Talisman Master."

"I see."

The shopkeeper nodded, dismissing his previous thought. After all, he had run the Hundred Treasures Pavilion for decades, and the fastest Cultivator he'd seen reach the entry level of Talisman-making took at least three months.

He shook his head, thinking to himself: "Entry level in seven days? I'm certainly letting my imagination run wild."

He laid the Talismans on the counter and recounted them.

"Light Body Talismans, three Spirit Stones each; Fireball Talismans, two Spirit Stones each..."

"A total of seventy-eight Spirit Stones. Please take them, Fellow Daoist."

After receiving the Spirit Stones, Xu Changsheng bought more Talisman Paper and Spirit Ink and was about to leave.

The shopkeeper followed behind him with a smile.

"Fellow Daoist Xu, please wait?"

"What is it?"

"Take this honored guest token. With this, everything in the Hundred Treasures Pavilion is 10% off. I'll also gift you a bottle of qi nurturing pills. By the way, my name is Wang Ye. How should I address you, Fellow Daoist?"

"Xu Changsheng."

Xu Changsheng accepted the token and pills, cupped his hands in a polite gesture, and turned to leave.

Just as he stepped over the threshold of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.

An unprovoked chill pricked his skin like needles.

He suddenly looked up.

His gaze met a pair of familiar eyes not far away.

Su Xiaojing was staring fixedly at him, a fleeting trace of disbelief crossing her beautiful eyes. Her lips parted slightly as if she wanted to say something.

Huang Laifu stood behind her, submissive and low-browed, like a eunuch.

Having no intention of getting entangled here, he discreetly tucked the honored guest token into his sleeve, lowered the shadow of his bamboo hat, and slipped away into the crowd.

Su Xiaojing's voice was airy and uncertain: "Fellow Daoist Huang, what was that in Xu Changsheng's hand just now? It seemed to be an honored guest token from the Hundred Treasures Pavilion."

Huang Laifu stepped forward eagerly: "Fairy Su must have had sand in her eyes. How could that lowlife be worthy of an honored guest token?"

However, his hand hanging in his sleeve tightened involuntarily. That unique cloud pattern on the token just now...

"Impossible, absolutely impossible. My eyes must have played tricks on me too!"

This self-deceiving thought grew like a poisonous weed in Huang Laifu's heart, causing him to deliberately ignore the unease and chill deep inside.

Xu Changsheng walked down the road.

A light screen appeared before his eyes.

[Today's Intelligence (Grey): Huang Laifu's Targeting]

[Tomorrow your spirit field lease expires, and Huang Laifu will not allow you to renew it.]

"Grey intelligence?"

After several consecutive days of white intelligence, he had finally waited for another color, and it turned out to be grey.