28: The miserable Chang Dan

"Brother Zhao, you have misunderstood. I heard that the recent unrest in Yongning is related to the involvement of external Sects, and I am worried about the safety of my family."

Liu Xuan's expression revealed a hint of worry as he changed the subject.

Zhao Li's expression returned to indifference as he said, "Brother Liu, there is no need to worry. No matter how chaotic it gets, it will not harm the Mortals."

This was merely a hollow attempt at comfort. Cultivators rarely targeted Mortals directly, but it was perfectly normal for them to be caught in the crossfire and die during a cultivator's battle.

Liu Xuan nodded and brought up another important matter: "Brother Zhao, you are often away on travels; do you need to purchase any Talismans?"

"What kind of Talismans can Brother Liu draw?"

Zhao Li knew that Liu Xuan had just been promoted to a First-Rank Talisman master. If the First-Rank Low Grade Talismans he drew were suitable for his use, buying some wouldn't hurt.

He had his own connections and could get goods directly from other Talisman masters, usually at about 80% of the market price.

"First-Rank Low-Grade Arrow Talismans!" Liu Xuan replied.

"How does Brother Liu intend to sell them?"

If it were 80% of the market price, Zhao Li decided to do Brother Liu a favor and buy some for his own use.

If Liu Xuan was trying to rip him off, then forget it!

"70% of the market price!"

Liu Xuan gestured with a seven and said with a smile, "Brother Zhao should know that the acquisition price at the Talisman Hall is 70%. I do not intend to overcharge you, Brother."

70%! Zhao Li's eyes lit up. Although he had channels, the lowest he could get was 75% or 80%.

Recently, the Red Pine Sect had been becoming increasingly chaotic, and the price of Talismans had risen accordingly. Channels to buy low-priced Talismans were becoming fewer and fewer.

"How many Arrow Talismans can Brother Liu sell me?" Zhao Li asked.

"How many do you want to buy?" Liu Xuan asked in return.

"One hundred. Do you have them?" Zhao Li said after pondering for a moment.

The Arrow Talisman was a relatively easy-to-use attack Talisman. It could be activated with a bit of Qi and did not require much mental effort to control.

Getting them at 70% of the market price meant Zhao Li wouldn't lose money even if he couldn't use them all himself and sold them to colleagues.

"No problem!"

Liu Xuan took a neatly stacked pile of First-Rank Low-Grade Arrow Talismans from his sleeve and handed them to Zhao Li.

"I happen to have one hundred in stock. If you want to buy more, I can reserve one hundred for you every month."

Zhao Li was shocked! He took the Arrow Talismans and flipped through them; they were indeed high-quality Talismans.

A stack of First-Rank Low-Grade Arrow Talismans was worth nearly a hundred Spirit Stones, and Liu Xuan just handed them to him like this!!

"Brother Liu, I... I do not have that many Spirit Stones on me right now."

Zhao Li had not expected Liu Xuan to be carrying one hundred First-Rank Talismans with him. When he said he wanted to buy one hundred, he had actually intended to buy them from Liu Xuan in batches.

"It is fine!"

Liu Xuan waved his hand nonchalantly, "I trust you, Brother Zhao. You can just give me the Spirit Stones next time!"

Liu Xuan had too many accumulated Talismans, and the amount was increasing. For him, selling them off quickly was enough.

As for Zhao Li, it had nothing to do with trust; being able to see a person's character through a mere hundred Talismans was not a loss.

Moreover, Liu Xuan was an Inner Sect Disciple. With his current status, as long as Zhao Li still wanted to survive in the Sect, he wouldn't dare to cheat him out of his Spirit Stones.

Zhao Li took out his Spirit Stone pouch and handed it to Liu Xuan along with the bag.

"Here are fifteen Spirit Stones. Brother Liu, please rest assured, I will send you the remaining sixty-nine Spirit Stones within three days!"

Liu Xuan smiled: "There is no need to be so urgent. It is fine if it is a bit later!"

Zhao Li put away the Talismans and cupped his hands in a salute to Liu Xuan.

"Thank you!"

Although Zhao Li did not say anything particularly grateful, Liu Xuan could feel his sincere thanks.

When Liu Xuan and Zhao Li were discussing the Talisman business, Yan Qingyao, Ye Xun, and Chang Dan had long stopped chatting and were observing the whole process.

Seeing the transaction between the two end, Yan Qingyao teased with a smile: "Liu Xuan, you bought Spirit Rice and sold Talismans at the party I hosted, but I did not do anything. Shouldn't you compensate me?"

Liu Xuan thought about it carefully; it seemed that was indeed the case, so he nodded with a smile: "Miss Qingyao, how would you like me to compensate you?"

"Hmm..."

Yan Qingyao thought for a while, "I have not decided yet. I will tell you when I have decided."

Liu Xuan didn't care; he hadn't promised anything anyway!

...

After eating and drinking to their fill, the party ended.

Yan Qingyao agreed that everyone would gather once a year in the future, stay in touch, and help each other if they had difficulties.

The five people left one by one, and Liu Xuan went to his Immortal Cave in the Inner Sect to Cultivate.

Chang Dan was the last to leave. Watching the carriage Liu Xuan was riding in head towards the mountainside, her eyes flickered constantly.

She hadn't spoken much at the party just now, not because she was introverted, but because she couldn't get a word in.

She was too miserable!

Like Liu Xuan, she had failed the Outer Sect assessment initially and only managed to stay in the Sect by joining the Dual Cultivation Hall.

Unlike Liu Xuan, Chang Dan did not choose to form a Dao Companion relationship with a Mortal from a cultivation family, but instead chose the Cauldron Cultivation Technique.

Since she had seen the chance for immortality, she was no longer willing to be ordinary; even if there was an abyss in front of her, she, Chang Dan, was willing to jump.

This year, Chang Dan had been working hard at the Dual Cultivation Hall, living frugally, and Cultivating diligently.

Then, she fell into despair!

For an entire year, she hadn't even made a Breakthrough to the Qi Refining First Layer...

If hard work were useful, what would talent be for?

At the party today, seeing everyone else had achieved something, while she alone hadn't even entered the door of cultivation, she felt so inferior that she wanted to run away on the spot.

'Liu Xuan!'

Chang Dan recalled the scene she had just seen at the party. Liu Xuan was truly rich!

He would engage in transactions of hundreds of Spirit Stones at the drop of a hat, and looking at him, he didn't seem to care at all.

Were Talisman masters really that profitable?

Chang Dan, who lingered in the Dual Cultivation Hall, knew all about Liu Xuan's legendary experiences; she had even heard a little about Lin Xue'er, Da Shuang Xiao Shuang, and Lin Anqi.

But she hadn't expected Liu Xuan to be so wealthy that he could casually produce hundreds of Spirit Stones.

That was hundreds of Spirit Stones! If used sparingly, she wouldn't have to worry about her Cultivation in the early stages of Qi Refining.

"Hard work and bitter cultivation are meaningless. If I keep working as a servant in the Dual Cultivation Hall, I'm afraid I don't know how long it will take to break through to the Qi Refining First Layer!"

Chang Dan remembered that Liu Xuan was lecherous and keen on having children.

"This might be my chance..."

...

The next day.

When Liu Xuan was returning to the Sect from the city by carriage, the carriage suddenly stopped. Liu Xuan lifted the curtain and looked: "Chang Dan?"

"Miss Chang Dan, are you looking for me?"

Chang Dan was wearing a pale yellow slim-fitting dress. Her face was not adorned with makeup, yet she looked a bit brighter than yesterday.

At a glance, she could be considered a little beauty, with the purity of a girl next door.

"Brother Liu... please help me!"

Chang Dan's eyes were covered with a mist of water, and her tone carried a hint of sobbing.

"Does the young lady have any difficulties? Tell me, if I can help, I will definitely help!"

Liu Xuan didn't understand what Chang Dan was trying to do, so he didn't make his words too absolute.

According to the original Liu Xuan's memories, Chang Dan and Liu Xuan were not close, and they had basically never spoken to each other.

"This is a long story. Brother Liu, could you let me get on the carriage and tell you slowly?"