"Defence first," she said.
From inside, she retrieved a lacquered tray with several jade-sealed slips laid in velvet-lined grooves. The air grew heavier the moment she lifted the tray—spiritual aura leaking softly from within, like steam from a closed kettle.
"These are the only ones I currently have above fifth rank," she said. "Three of them are pure defence. The rest... more destructive."
Shi Tian stepped closer, intrigued.
She gestured to a violet slip inscribed with looping flame characters. "That one's called Sky Flame Talisman. It releases a cone of burning wind that reaches thirty metres. It can wound or kill a Spirit King Realm cultivator."
Shi Tian raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't sound cheap."
"It's not," she said. "And neither are you, I guess."
Her calm tone carried no accusation, but the words struck true enough. He smiled faintly and picked up a talisman sealed in frosted jade.
"Frostback Shell?"
She nodded. "Defensive. I can block three attacks of a Peak Grade Spirit King Realm master."
"Useful", he murmured, setting it aside.
Another caught his eye—silver ink swirled in chaotic patterns on thin crimson paper.
"Detonation?"
Yan Ruyin's lips barely curved. "Thunder-Root Array. You throw it on the ground. It explodes upward—twice. Designed to catch those who leap or retreat."
Shi Tian gave a soft chuckle. "You've got a dark sense of humour."
"I sell to people who want their enemies dead," she replied smoothly, "not annoyed."
He continued examining the talismans. All were hand-scripted, runes layered precisely with ink and qi threading in harmonious complexity. They weren't cheaply mass-made—but crafted by someone with serious expertise.
"You made these?" he asked, already guessing the answer.
Yan Ruyin adjusted her sleeve, brushing a strand of black hair from her cheek. "I craft what I sell. At least the items that matter."
"I can tell," he said. "No wasted lines. Good symmetry. Your rune structure's clean. So you are a talented talisman master."
She paused. Her gaze, which had been passive, turned slightly curious.
"You practise inscriptions?"
Shi Tian shook his head. "No!"
She walked over to a second drawer and pulled out two smaller cases. Inside were slimmer, simpler slips.
"These are single-use bursts. Piercing Flame, Chain Lightning, and Earthen Grasp. Basic attack types. Easier to use. Lower cost."
He glanced at them. "I'll take all of these, pack everything and give me a price."
"What?" Yan Ruyin thought she misheard and asked again.
"I want all the talismans above fifth grade." Shi Tian said. Shi Tian felt it was a good choice to buy as many as he could; if he couldn't use them all, he would give some to Duan Mei and Xue Ying.
Anyway, he was rich; the system rewarded him with hundreds of top-grade spirit stones that were equal to ten thousand high-grade spirit stones. The current him could be called very rich, where even a spirit saint realm master couldn't take out this much money easily.
And his system gives him daily rewards, increasing his wealth.
"Are you sure? You want them all; they all are expensive." Yan Ruyin looked at him and asked again.
"Yes!"
"Hmm, so you are a rich young master." Yan Ruyin's smile widened, a charming glow flickered in her eyes, and she spoke, "Sure!"
Yan Ruyin calculated quickly. "That's 3580 mid-grade spirit stones total. After the discount, it's 3500 for you."
Yan Ruyin seemed very happy; she had made such a big sale before.
Shi Tian nodded lightly after he prepared to take out the spirit stone. However, when he glanced into his storage ring, he paused.
"Shit, I don't have so many low-grade stones. What should I do now?" Shi Tian forgot that he didn't have many low-grade or mid-grade spirit stones.
The system is always rewarded with top-grade spirit stones. However, he can't expose them casually. Top-grade spirit stones were very rare in the eastern continent.
Yan Ruyin was watching him, arms folded, one brow arched in amusement.
"Problem?" she asked, voice smooth and cool.
Shi Tian hesitated. "I… may not have the right currency."
"Oh?" Her lips curved. "Don't tell me the rich young master forgot his purse."
He gave a sheepish smile. "Not exactly. I have spirit stones. Just, I want to save them for tonight's auction. Do you buy spiritual herbs?"
"Oh, show me."
Shi Tian reached into his ring and pulled out a small lacquered box. Inside were neatly arranged spirit herbs — glowing stalks of Moonshade Grass, a cluster of Crimson Orchid Petals, and a sealed vial of Silverroot Sap, known for its use in high-grade talisman ink.
Yan Ruyin's eyes lit up.
"These are rare," she said, picking up the vial. "Silverroot sap is hard to extract. And Moonshade only grows in Yin-rich valleys."
"I have more," he said, placing a second box beside it. This one held a pair of beast cores, emitting a dense ice aura.
She examined them carefully, her fingers precise, her expression unreadable.
"You're full of surprises," she murmured.
"I'm full of resources," he corrected.
She looked up, her silver eyes gleaming. "You know, most buyers come in here begging for discounts. You come in offering rare ingredients like you're trading snacks."
Shi Tian chuckled. "I don't beg. I bargain."
Yan Ruyin smiled. "I like that."
She calculated quickly, tapping her fingers against the counter.
"With these herbs and cores, I can cover the cost of the fifth-grade talismans. But the Sky Flame and Thunder-Root slips are sixth-grade. I'll need something more."
Shi Tian paused, then pulled out a small scroll sealed in golden wax.
"What's that?" she asked.
"A fragment from the Stormbrand Manual. It's incomplete, but the lightning formation inside is intact."
Yan Ruyin's eyes widened slightly. She broke the seal, scanned the contents, and nodded slowly.
"This will do."
She packed the talismans carefully, wrapping each in protective silk and sealing the bundle with a frost rune.
"Pleasure doing business," she said.
Shi Tian took the bundle, storing it in his ring.