Chapter 151: Chapter 95: Abundance in the Basin and Bowl, Second Rank in Sight!_3
 

“For these two superior magic artifacts, the quality is decent, though there’s some wear and tear. Our shop can offer seven hundred and sixty Spirit Stones,”

“As for these magical robes and boots… To be honest, the damage is quite severe, only fit for scrap material recovery. Let’s say two hundred and sixty Spirit Stones for all.”

The shopkeeper could tell that these magic artifacts were obviously ill-gotten goods and directly offered a low price.

“A flat rate, two thousand two hundred Spirit Stones,”

Lu Changsheng, even in his eagerness to sell, wouldn’t just accept whatever price was given.”

“Fellow Daoist, this price is really a bit steep,”

“To be honest, these items of yours, they probably didn’t come from a good place. If our shop were to sell them, we would need to completely refurbish them…”

The shopkeeper made a difficult face as he spoke.

“I take my leave.”

Upon hearing this, Lu Changsheng made a move to leave immediately.

“Two thousand Spirit Stones, fellow Daoist, that’s the highest price our shop can offer,”

“Such magic artifacts aren’t easy to sell in other shops either… They won’t fetch a high price,”

The shopkeeper stepped forward to persuade him.

“Alright, let’s go with your price,”

Lu Changsheng understood this logic well; feeling that the price was acceptable, he didn’t dawdle.

Subsequently, the two completed the transaction.

Just after Lu Changsheng left, the shopkeeper narrowed his eyes and stroked his chin, saying, “This Black Blood Cloud should be the magic artifact of the eldest of the Kou Clan’s Five Fierce, and now it has ended up in this person’s hands, could it be…”

“But what does that have to do with me? If the Kou Clan’s Five Fierce have all fallen at this person’s hands, I’m afraid only a Foundation Building Great Cultivator could take him down.”

“However, this information might be worth quite a bit of money.”

Smiling, the shopkeeper shook his head and leisurely returned upstairs.

After leaving the shop, Lu Changsheng immediately found an inn, where he checked the Spirit Stones he’d just acquired.

“As expected, when there’s a bit more profit involved, there will be this kind of backstabbing,”

Lu Changsheng watched as faint black smoke appeared from three Spirit Stones under the effect of a high-grade Purification Talisman.

They were clearly tampered with.

That was only what the Purification Talisman detected; he didn’t know if there were any other problems.

However, Lu Changsheng wasn’t concerned. He changed his appearance, took on a different outfit, and went straight to the Qingyun Commerce Guild.

As long as he spent all these Spirit Stones, he wouldn’t need to worry about any issues.

“What would the fellow Daoist like to see? May I make some recommendations?”

As soon as Lu Changsheng walked into the Qingyun Commerce Guild, a beautiful female cultivator in a cheongsam came up, her smile beaming as she greeted him.

“I need a Supreme Talisman pen for magic artifacts,”

Lu Changsheng said directly.

Upon hearing this, the female cultivator paused, then her eyes lit up and her smile grew even wider.

“Please take a seat, fellow Daoist!”

She promptly invited Lu Changsheng to sit down, pouring him some tea.

Then she knelt beside him, her cheongsam tight, outlining her graceful figure.

“For convenience, our guild has illustrated some precious magic artifacts in a catalog, making it easy for distinguished customers like yourself to view, understand, and compare selections.”

“If you see something you like, I will bring the actual item for you,”

“Take a look at this Chihui Talisman pen; it’s the best-selling Supreme Talisman pen at our Qingyun Commerce Guild…”

The cheongsam-clad female cultivator took out an antique jade scroll, turned to the page with talisman pens, and pointed to one of the pens.

A three-dimensional image of a red talisman pen appeared on the jade scroll.

There was also accompanying introduction information.

Chihui Talisman Pen: The pen tip is made from the neck fur of a Second Rank Azure Eyed Golden Lion demon beast, and the pen shaft is forged from a mixture of sky-blue wood and chigold.

Lu Changsheng nodded slightly.

He had been to the Qingyun Commerce Guild before.

He knew that the guild had grown large and strong not just because it was backed by the Qingyun Sect.

In terms of shopping experience, service, and the quality of the products, they really did a great job.

He glanced at the price of the talisman pen.

One thousand six hundred Spirit Stones.

He couldn’t help but be astonished.

Compared to when he had previously gotten a middle-grade magic artifact pen at the Spiritual Talisman Shop of the Lu Family for only seventy percent of the original price at cost, the profit margin at the Qingyun Commerce Guild was likely even higher.

But it couldn’t be helped; there were no Supreme Talisman pens for magic artifacts at the Lu Family’s Spiritual Talisman Shop.

Even if there were Supreme Talisman pens for sale, it wouldn’t be right for him to buy them from his own family’s shop.

“Ah, as expensive as it is,”

“After all, this thing will last a long time, and I’ll eventually make the money back.”

Lu Changsheng sighed softly in his heart.

He knew this wasn’t an expense he could avoid.

Going to other shops might save him a little money, but it would waste time and be a hassle, with no guarantee they’d have the product in stock.

He flipped through the jade scroll, looking at a few other Supreme Talisman pens.

The cheapest is 1,400 Spirit Stones, and the most expensive is 2,000 Spirit Stones.

Immediately, Lu Changsheng asked the female cultivator to bring over five different Supreme Talisman pens for him to examine.

After briefly playing with them, Lu Changsheng still chose the Red Glow Talisman Pen valued at 1,600 Spirit Stones.

“You should also have the materials for making Second Rank Talismans here, right?”

Lu Changsheng continued to inquire.

Now that he had Spirit Stones, he naturally wanted to buy everything in one go.

“Of course, we do.”

“In this marketplace, whatever the fellow daoist desires, we at Qingyun Commerce Guild have it for sale.”

“If we at Qingyun Commerce Guild don’t have it, then it certainly won’t be found anywhere else.”

The female cultivator said with a smile, her tone full of confidence.

She then took out a Jade Scroll, which listed various materials for sale for Second Rank Talismans.

The materials for Second Rank Talismans are much more complicated than those for First Rank Talismans.

To draw different talismans, you also need corresponding attribute Demon Beast furs and Spiritual Materials made into talisman paper and Spirit Ink.

Otherwise, it would affect the talisman completion rate.

Lu Changsheng looked at the Second Rank materials listed in the Jade Scroll.

The choices weren’t particularly numerous.

The materials were sold in sets of ten.

Lu Changsheng bought thirty sets.

The total cost was 780 Spirit Stones.

That meant, on average, the production cost per Second Rank Talisman was 26 Spirit Stones.

This didn’t even include the cost of wear and tear on the talisman pens.

But there was no other way; Second Rank Talisman materials were relatively rare, hard to buy elsewhere, and collecting them on his own was troublesome.

If he wanted convenience and speed, he could only purchase them at a higher price from the Qingyun Commerce Guild.

However, by buying here, at least there were guarantees, and he wouldn’t encounter any issues.

“Fellow daoist, the total comes to 2,380 Spirit Stones,” said the female cultivator in a cheongsam, still smiling.

After speaking, she paused for a moment, her voice sweetened as she said, “As the fellow daoist is purchasing Second Rank Talisman materials, it seems you also have some achievements in the Talisman Path.”

“Would the fellow daoist be interested in becoming a Guest Elder of our Qingyun Commerce Guild?”

“If you are willing to become a Guest Elder, then in the future, all items you purchase from our Qingyun Commerce Guild will be offered at an internal price.”

“Moreover, should the fellow daoist need any materials, our Qingyun Commerce Guild can also assist in collecting them.”

The cheongsam-clad female cultivator spoke in a sweet voice.

“Oh?”

When Lu Changsheng heard this, he raised an eyebrow and asked, “May I know what the exact standards for ‘having some achievements’ are you referring to?”

“In terms of Talisman Making, the fellow daoist would need to be able to consistently draw Supreme First Grade Talismans,” the female cultivator in the cheongsam replied with a smile.

“May I know the benefits of this Guest Elder position?”

Lu Changsheng continued to inquire.

“If the fellow daoist is interested, I can invite the manager to discuss the details with you,” the female cultivator with sparkling eyes said.

“There’s no need for a detailed discussion; I was just casually asking,” Lu Changsheng said, waving his hand dismissively.

“Although I can draw Supreme Talismans at the moment, it is quite a struggle.”

“I bought the Second Rank materials just to see if they might help me stabilize the drawing of Supreme Talismans.”

Lu Changsheng said this outright.

He was currently in disguise; how could he possibly become a Guest Elder at the Qingyun Commerce Guild?

To become a Guest Elder here, he would undoubtedly have to verify his identity.

Once his identity was checked and verified, his skills as a Top-Level First Grade Talisman Master would be difficult to explain.

“Alright, if the fellow daoist ever becomes interested, we at the Qingyun Commerce Guild are always welcoming~” The female cultivator in the cheongsam replied, unbothered and still smiling.

“Okay.”

Straightaway, Lu Changsheng paid the Spirit Stones, picked up his talisman pen and materials, and walked out of the Qingyun Commerce Guild.

“Sigh, money comes quickly, but it goes just as fast,” Lu Changsheng thought about his expenditure and felt a twinge of pain in his heart.

He had never used so much money before.

Back in the day, when he first arrived at the Lu Family, he only received two Spirit Stones per month.

Now in one spending spree, more than two thousand Spirit Stones were gone, which was the equivalent of a hundred years’ earnings in the past.

“Next, I’ll deal with the remaining magic artifacts and materials and see if I can purchase enough to construct a Second Rank Puppet,” Lu Changsheng exhaled softly and repeated the actions he had just been doing, bustling without a break.

He sold all the magic artifacts he had gathered, unnecessary Elixir Medicines, as well as materials to shops for a low price.

Then, having obtained the money, he directly went back to spend it at the Qingyun Commerce Guild, buying the materials he needed.

PS: I went to bed late last night and got up early, which made me groggy all morning. After resting in the afternoon, I finally felt somewhat better, but still a bit of a headache. There won’t be a second chapter today, apologies.