18: Turtle Breath

Cuizhu Lane, Courtyard Jia 16.

Ever since returning from Miscellaneous Goods Street with a massive profit that day, Zhou Wannian had completely entered "low-profile" mode.

Rumors about the "Demonic Path ugly talisman" were intensifying outside; he even heard that the Chen Family Enforcement Team had caught a few unlucky bastards reselling fakes in the Ghost Market. Zhou Wannian sat firmly in his position, ignoring the outside world and focusing entirely on practicing the Turtle Breathing Technique.

Inside the bedroom, Zhou Wannian sat cross-legged, his breathing faint and indistinct.

If an outsider were to probe with Divine Sense right now, they would be shocked to find that although a person was sitting in the room, their aura felt like a lifeless stone or a piece of withered old wood.

"Hoo..."

After a long while, Zhou Wannian slowly exhaled a mouthful of turbid air, and his aura resurfaced.

But this time, the cultivation he displayed was no longer the Qi Refining Third Layer, but the Early Stage of the Qi Refining Second Layer, with a floating aura and mottled spiritual power.

"It's done."

Zhou Wannian looked at his hands with satisfaction.

This Turtle Breathing Technique truly lived up to its reputation as a "premium" item worth three Spirit Stones; although it offered no defensive power, it was practically a god-tier skill for "playing dead" and "disguise."

Combined with his honest and simple appearance, even if he stood before Steward Zhou The Exploiter now, the other party would only see him as a Trash waiting to die, never associating him with that mysterious Talisman Maker who possessed a huge sum of money.

"With this layer of disguise, it will be much safer to walk around the outer district in the future."

Zhou Wannian stood up and stretched his limbs.

Counting the days, the spiritual rice at home was almost gone, and to maintain his persona as a "diligent Talisman Maker," he should also show his face at the low-end stall area of the market to sell some Cleaning Talismans.

After all, someone who hides at home all day without working but has money to pay rent is the most suspicious... Market Outer District, Low-Level Free Stalling Area.

This place was different from the mixed bag of Miscellaneous Goods Street or the high-end elegance of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion; this was where ordinary craftsmen made a living.

However, when Zhou Wannian arrived here with fifty "earthworm version" Cleaning Talismans, he was stunned by the sight before him.

Tragic.

Too tragic.

The originally bustling stall area was now filled with an air of despair.

"Cleaning Talismans! Tier One Low Grade Cleaning Talismans! Two spirit fragments each! Don't miss out as you pass by!"

"Two? I'm selling for 1.8! Buy ten get one free!"

"Crazy! You're all crazy! 1.8 isn't even enough to cover the cost of the cinnabar!"

Zhou Wannian stood outside the crowd, listening to the rising and falling cries and curses, his brow twitching slightly.

Is the rat race starting already?

He casually pulled aside an old Talisman Maker with a worried face and handed him a low-quality spiritual cigarette: "Old brother, what's going on? Why have Talisman prices dropped like this?"

The old Talisman Maker took a puff and sighed, "Don't even mention it! It's all because of that Zhao Feng!"

"Zhao Feng?" Zhou Wannian asked, feigning ignorance.

"That Genius!" the old Talisman Maker said indignantly. "He demonstrated the 'Flowing Cloud Brushwork' at the victory banquet, and it completely enchanted those young Loose Cultivators. Now every Loose Cultivator thinks they can do it, and they're all buying books to learn Talisman drawing, dreaming of becoming the next Zhao Feng."

"The result? These novices don't know anything else, they just know how to draw the simplest Cleaning Talismans. Now, thousands of Cleaning Talismans have suddenly flooded the market, and the price has been cut in half!"

"Before, they were three spirit fragments each; after deducting the two-fragment cost, you could still earn one. Now they're selling for 1.8... this is going to starve us old folks to death!"

As the old Talisman Maker spoke, his eyes turned red.

After listening, Zhou Wannian felt no waves in his heart, and even felt like laughing a little.

This is the consequence of blindly following trends.

Zhao Feng is a Genius; he has the Hundred Herbs Hall backing him and plenty of resources, so of course he can pursue perfection. But you Loose Cultivators who can't even afford food are also trying to learn 'Flowing Cloud Brushwork'?"

That's just seeking death.

"Thanks for clearing that up, old brother."

Zhou Wannian patted the old Talisman Maker's shoulder, then turned to find an empty spot, spread out a ragged cloth, and laid out his fifty Cleaning Talismans.

And he set up a wooden sign next to them:

[Earthworm Cleaning Talismans, 1.5 spirit fragments each. No bargaining.]

"Boom!"

As soon as this price came out, the surrounding stall owners instantly exploded.

"1.5?!"

The old Talisman Maker from before dropped his cigarette in shock and pointed at Zhou Wannian, cursing, "Young man! You're here to cause trouble, aren't you? 1.5? You won't even make back your costs! You're harming others without benefiting yourself!"

"Exactly! Who does business like this!"

"Get out of the stall area!"

Facing the anger of his peers, Zhou Wannian still maintained his honest and simple-minded appearance, looking aggrieved. He shrunk his neck and explained:

"Seniors, please calm down... I don't want to do this either. But I can't put food on the table at home, and the rent is almost due. I just want to quickly clear this stock and get something to eat. A loss is a loss; it's better than starving to death."

Although these words were humble, they carried the bitterness of a small character at the bottom of society.

The cursing around him immediately quieted down. Everyone was a poor soul; no one had it easier than anyone else.

"Sigh... what a sin."

The old Talisman Maker sighed, stopped talking, and silently packed up his stall.

There was no competing; at the price of 1.5, there was simply no way to compete.

And for buyers, as long as it worked, the cheaper the better.

Soon, Zhou Wannian's stall was surrounded by people.

"Give me ten!"

"I want twenty! These Talismans might be ugly, but the cleaning effect is really good!"

"1.5 is such a bargain, I'll take the rest!"

In less than half an hour, the fifty Cleaning Talismans were sold out.

Zhou Wannian collected the seventy-five spirit fragments (less than one Low-Grade Spirit Stone) and, under the murderous gazes of his peers, slunk away and returned to Cuizhu Lane, closing the courtyard door.

The humility and fear on Zhou Wannian's face vanished instantly, replaced by a shrewd, cold smile.

"Selling at a loss?"

"Who told you I was selling at a loss?"

He sat at the stone table and took out a piece of paper to start calculating.

An ordinary Talisman Maker drawing a Cleaning Talisman would consume a standard amount of cinnabar and Talisman paper, with costs around two spirit fragments. Adding in the failure rate, they'd have to sell for three just to break even with a tiny profit.

But Zhou Wannian was different.

His Legacy of the "spring palace picture," the core essence was "using strength against strength" and "spiral force application." This drawing method not only allowed spiritual power to be recycled on the Talisman paper, but more importantly—it saved ink.

With the same jar of cinnabar, others could draw a hundred sheets, but he could draw a hundred and fifty!

Plus his freakish success rate (Cleaning Talismans had already reached over ninety percent).

"My cost is only 1.2 spirit fragments."

Zhou Wannian flicked the bill in his hand, "Selling for 1.5, I can still make a thirty percent profit."

"Although the profit per sheet is slim, as long as the volume is high, there's still money to be made. But you..."

He remembered the despairing look in the old Talisman Maker's eyes.

"You lose money on every sheet you sell; you can only be eliminated by the market."

This is core competitiveness.

In this "Talisman Depression" triggered by Zhao Feng, Zhou Wannian not only remained unscathed but also used his technical advantage to become the "price butcher" harvesting the low-end market.

"Through this price cut, the reputation of the 'earthworm talisman' as cheap and effective has been thoroughly established."

"Even if the market recovers in the future, I can sit firmly as the leader of the low-end market."

Zhou Wannian tossed the handful of spirit fragments into his Storage Pouch.

Although it wasn't much money, this protective coloration of "barely making ends meet" was worth more than gold.

With this legitimate source of income, he could live in the outer district openly, and no one would suspect that his Spirit Stones were actually earned by selling "arms."

"Now, time for serious business."

Zhou Wannian walked into the cultivation room and took out the Turtle Breathing Technique he had bought from Black Shopkeeper, as well as the introduction to formations given by Gu Fan.

"Cultivation must be hidden, Formations must be learned, and Talismans must be drawn."

"This kind of fulfilling life is what true immortal cultivation is all about."

Just as he was about to go into seclusion, the Restriction outside the courtyard suddenly rang again.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou! Fellow Daoist Zhou, help!"

It was Gu Fan's voice, sounding tearful and even a bit terrified.

Zhou Wannian frowned.

What's wrong with this neighbor? Getting into trouble every few days?

He swept with his Divine Sense and found Gu Fan covered in blood, lying prone at his doorstep. The Formation light barrier behind him was flickering as if it had suffered a heavy blow.

"Hmm?"

Alarm bells rang in Zhou Wannian's heart.

Could he have been targeted by a Robber Cultivator?

He didn't open the door immediately. Instead, he gripped two "Spiral Ascension Talismans" and activated the "Labyrinthine Formation" in the courtyard before cautiously opening a crack.

"Fellow Daoist Gu, what happened?"

"Fellow Daoist Zhou... quick... help me..."

Gu Fan was deathly pale, pointing behind him. "Someone... someone wants to kill me to silence me..."

Following the direction of his finger, Zhou Wannian saw that in Gu Fan's courtyard, among the pile of discarded Formation materials he had previously regarded as Trash, a heart-palpitating black gas was faintly emanating.

And within that black gas, there seemed to be a pair of blood-red eyes staring intently in this direction.

"That is..."

Zhou Wannian's pupils constricted.

"Devilish Qi?!"