30: Chapter 30: Obstacles Encountered in Selling Talismans, Purchasing Elixirs

Stepping into the market!

It was not as reserved as the formal shops!

Cries of hawkers, sounds of bargaining, and arguments rose one after another!

The smell of sweat, dust, and the bitterness of inferior herbs intertwined.

"Take a look, take a look! Century-old Yellow Essence! Only two Spirit Stones!"

"Don't miss out as you pass by! First-grade Medium Grade golden armor talisman! A Divine Artifact for saving your life at critical moments! A bleeding-heart price of two Spirit Stones each!"

...

Chen Qingyuan wove through the crowd, crouching down to take a look at every stall selling Talismans to understand the market prices!

After a long while, he finally found a corner that wasn't in a great location.

He took out an old cloth from his Storage Pouch and spread it on the ground.

He neatly arranged ten Light Body Talismans.

Afterward, he cleared his throat and began to hawk his wares!

"First-grade Low Grade 'Light Body Talisman'! Essential for monster hunting, exploration, and long-distance raids! The Materials were sourced from Chisha Pavilion!"

"Seven spirit sand each, or two Low-Grade Spirit Stones for three! Genuine goods at fair prices, we do not cheat the young or the old!"

But there were very few people paying attention!

Until the sun rose and shifted to the west! Evening was approaching!

The flow of people in the Loose Cultivator square gradually thinned!

The clamor of hawking was replaced by weary farewells, leaving the ground in a mess, waiting for the Loose Cultivators arranged by the market management to come and clean up.

As for Chen Qingyuan, his expression darkened, much like the sky.

A whole day!

From the high hopes of the early morning to the dejection of this moment.

He had only sold nine Light Body Talismans in total, exchanging them for seven Low-Grade Spirit Stones and five spirit sand.

This result was far from his expectations; at this rate, just selling these Talismans would take quite some time, so where would he find the time to draw more?

Just as his brows were tightly furrowed!

Beside him, an old Cultivator, whose business was also bleak, was slowly packing up his stall. He glanced at Chen Qingyuan, couldn't help but shake his head, and sighed!

"Young man, the items are good, but... your variety is too limited!"

Afterward, with a hand full of calluses, he pointed at the Light Body Talismans on Chen Qingyuan's stall!

"Those who come to this place are mostly Loose Cultivators who live on the edge of a blade. What are they looking for when they buy things?"

"It's nothing more than killing enemies and saving their lives! It has to be attack Talismans or defense Talismans! Or perhaps escape Talismans that can save their lives!"

"Among the Loose Cultivators, those who can use Light Body Talismans for traveling are, after all, in the minority!"

"With these Spirit Stones, it's better to buy some fire Talismans or golden armor talismans to keep on hand; they might just save your life at a critical moment!"

The old Cultivator's words were like an epiphany!

"So that's how it is..."

Chen Qingyuan's heart suddenly cleared!

Having few varieties was like children playing house; it was difficult to gain the trust of the Loose Cultivators!

For the same price, even if it was a bit cheaper, why wouldn't they go to a familiar shop with a complete variety? This was the first point!

At the same time, this type of auxiliary Talisman was not something Loose Cultivators used often; this was a problem with the customer base!

It really had to be those with high incomes and precious time, such as monster hunters, or disciples from a Sect or Family, who would have a demand for such Talismans! This was the second point!

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but solemnly cup his hands!

"Many thanks for the guidance, old sir! These are golden words, and this junior has learned much!"

The old Cultivator waved his hand!

He casually picked up a peach-sized fruit with a pale green skin from his own stall and handed it over!

"Here, it's a 'Green Dew Fruit' grown at home. It's not worth much, but why not try it? I saw you hawking for a whole day; it'll help relieve your fatigue."

Chen Qingyuan received it with both hands: "Many thanks, old sir!"

He took a bite; the flesh was crisp, but the juice was bland and accompanied by a distinct sour astringency. The taste... was truly ordinary.

"Hmm, it's crisp and sweet, a good fruit!"

Chen Qingyuan praised it immediately.

The old Cultivator shook his head with a chuckle!

"You young man... you certainly know how to make people happy. I've been selling fruit for half my life; how could I not know the taste of what I grow myself?"

"Hahaha!"

As he spoke, he stopped paying attention to Chen Qingyuan's slight embarrassment, shouldered his small bag, hunched his back, and slowly merged into the crowd in the twilight.

Chen Qingyuan watched him go with a smile!

After the figure completely disappeared!

He immediately packed up and headed straight for Chisha Pavilion.

When he arrived, the sky was already dark, but the shop was brightly lit. However, Shopkeeper Qian's rounded figure was nowhere to be seen; there was only a young attendant wearing a standard short jacket organizing spiritual items, with a cultivation level of about the third level of Qi Refining.

"Young Master Chen, you've come!"

The attendant clearly recognized this "celebrity," hurriedly put down his work, and put on an enthusiastic smile!

"What do you need? Just let me know!"

Chen Qingyuan didn't waste any words and directly stated his list!

"Give me twelve dozen green mulberry talisman paper, three portions of Spirit Ink, one bottle of yellow sprout pill for those in the Late Stage Qi Refining, one bottle of spirit gathering pill for the Mid Qi Refining Stage, and one bottle of qi gathering pill for the Early Stage Qi Refining!"

"Alright! Please wait a moment! I'll have it ready for you immediately!"

The attendant was nimble, quickly taking items from the shelves and confirming the prices one by one!

"Twelve dozen green mulberry talisman paper: thirty-six Spirit Stones!"

"Three portions of Spirit Ink: fifteen Spirit Stones!"

"One bottle of yellow sprout pill, ten pills: sixty Spirit Stones!"

"One bottle of spirit gathering pill, ten pills: thirty Spirit Stones!"

"One bottle of qi gathering pill, ten pills: ten Spirit Stones!"

"That will be a total of one hundred and fifty-one Low-Grade Spirit Stones!"

He immediately added,

"Young Master Chen, this yellow sprout pill has a pure and potent medicinal power. It is recommended to refine one pill every seven days to avoid the accumulation of medicinal toxins, which could damage your Foundation."

"The spirit gathering pill and qi gathering pill are relatively milder in nature; one every six days is sufficient, and the effects are easier to absorb."

Chen Qingyuan listened carefully and nodded: "Understood, thank you for the reminder."

He paid the Spirit Stones with a pained heart, and the "spoils of war" obtained from Zhang Kuo and his gang instantly shrank by more than half!

"Spirit Stones are truly hard to earn and easy to spend! It's never enough!"

Chen Qingyuan self-deprecatingly mocked himself helplessly and hurriedly set off on his way home.

In the small courtyard, twilight was falling, and the lights were bright.

Just as he reached the courtyard gate, a rich and enticing aroma of food wafted over, carrying the fragrance of spirit rice and the richness of stewed meat.

"Creak—"

Chen Qingyuan pushed open the ajar courtyard gate.

Inside the courtyard, Chen Qingshan was sitting by the stone table, meticulously wiping his heavy gold saber by the light.

Xiaochuan was sitting obediently on a small stool to the side, his chubby little face resting in his hands, staring unblinkingly at the meat on the table.

"Uncle is back!"

The little one had sharp ears; the moment the door creaked, he turned his head. Seeing Chen Qingyuan's figure, he immediately cheered in a milky voice and rushed over on his short little legs.

"Hey! Xiaochuan is such a good boy! Did you miss your uncle?"

A smile bloomed on Chen Qingyuan's face as he picked up his soft little nephew steadily.

"You're back?"

Chen Qingshan put down the oilcloth!

"How was it? The Talisman... did it sell smoothly?"

Chen Qingyuan set down the giggling Xiaochuan and, without standing on ceremony, reached out and pinched a piece of meat to pop into his mouth!

"Not very well. I was busy all day and only sold nine."

"Nine?" Chen Qingshan's brows furrowed slightly!

At this moment, Jiang Rou walked out of the kitchen, her apron still tied around her waist.

"Was it... that the price wasn't set appropriately? Was it too high?"

Chen Qingyuan smiled bitterly, "Price is one aspect, but the main issue is that the approach wasn't right. We'll talk about this later; let's eat first! I'm starving!"

"Right, right, right! Let's eat first! Of all the things in the world, eating is the most important!"

Jiang Rou immediately agreed with a smile, nimbly serving Chen Qingyuan a large bowl of spirit rice and placing it in front of him!

"Eat quickly! Your big brother specially asked me to stew more meat for you to build up your strength!"