"Anyone who harms fellow cultivators or violates the market regulations without cause will not be tolerated by the disciples of the Lihuo Palace. Currently, fierce beasts roam outside the market. Starting now, a curfew is in effect. Reinforcements from the sect will arrive in two days…"
On the streets, cultivators stationed by Lihuo Palace led the effort, using voice transmission spells to warn all cultivators.
Both the Wang and Zhou families had also mobilized to assist the Lihuo Palace disciples in calming the market situation.
At this moment, the Wang family's senior elder was furiously cursing within the clan. He had calculated everything—except for the unexpected interference of a third party.
This caused their efforts to fail at the last moment. Under the temporary suppression by Lihuo Palace, the cultivators in the market calmed down for the time being.
After all, reinforcements from Lihuo Palace would arrive in two days. Outside the market, last night's terrifying beasts still lingered; those beasts meant one thing—tempting spirit stones in two days' time.
Having just left Shen Lie's home, Lin Chang'an walked along the market streets.
The corpses along the road had long been cleared away; only darkened bloodstains remained as proof of last night's events.
"I hope someone managed to snatch some talisman inheritances last night," Lin Chang'an muttered quietly. Having lived here for twenty years, bloodshed among cultivators had long been commonplace.
Last night was just… a bit more dramatic than usual.
When he reached the newly designated trading area of the market, the lively atmosphere starkly contrasted with the quiet residential zones.
In just one night, it was as if everyone had returned to normal; the fierce battles and chaos of the previous night seemed never to have happened.
Now, the bustling market was like a festive celebration.
A large number of looted goods were being sold cheaply at stalls, while cultivators from Lihuo Palace stood around coldly on guard.
However, that day, whether stall vendors or cultivators entering the market, everyone wore black clothes and straw hats to conceal their identities.
...
"A mid-grade first-rank golden light talisman, five spirit stones? You must be crazy wanting spirit stones!"
"If you don't want it, then leave. Reinforcements from Lihuo Palace arrive in a couple of days, and they'll clear the beasts outside. If you don't buy, someone else will."
In his black cloak and hat, with fierce eyes, Lin Chang'an exuded a rough and aggressive aura, driving away poor cultivators who couldn't afford it.
At a time like this, other goods might depreciate, but talismans and magic tools directly related to combat strength and survival were definitely hot commodities.
"You—!"
"What 'you'! If you don't buy, get lost and don't disrupt my business!" Lin Chang'an glared fiercely at a bargaining cultivator, his appearance disguised with a disguise spell.
"I'll buy!"
Less than an hour later, after selling eight mid-grade first-rank golden light talismans, Lin Chang'an packed up his stall, disappeared into the crowd, and subtly changed his appearance again.
"A mid-grade first-rank fireball talisman—I'll trade you three for two golden light talismans."
"Get lost!"
"Come on, friend, don't be so harsh. I'll add three spirit stones."
In less than half a day, Lin Chang'an managed to offload all the golden light talismans he previously couldn't sell, only keeping a few for temporary protection.
Looking into his storage pouch at the medicines, cultivation materials, and more than thirty low-grade spirit stones he had traded for, Lin Chang'an muttered to himself:
"Sure enough, danger and opportunity coexist."
There would never be such a good chance to clear out his inventory again. After all, over seventy percent of the current market goods were secondhand.
His few mid-grade first-rank talismans, if thrown into the market normally, wouldn't even cause a ripple.
At a stall he had been eyeing for a while, Lin Chang'an asked coldly,
"Friend, is your mid-grade first-rank flying sword talisman jade slip authentic?"
On the stall was a cracked and incomplete jade slip, clearly a relic of fierce snatching.
Seeing a customer approach, the masked old cultivator revealed a hoarse voice.
"Friend, a mid-grade first-rank flying sword talisman manual—things like this are rare. You can check around, even at auctions, the starting price for such manuals is a hundred spirit stones."
"Three spirit stones. I'll take a gamble," Lin Chang'an said silently, ignoring the other's boasting and immediately offering a price.
"Get lost! I'd rather break it!"
The masked old cultivator glared furiously—this was a treasure worth over a hundred spirit stones, and Lin Chang'an was offering only three. What nonsense!
However, Lin Chang'an sneered coldly,
"If you can guarantee it's authentic, then sure, it's worth over a hundred spirit stones. But do you dare?"
The other man was too angry to respond. If he truly guaranteed authenticity, who would sell it here?
They were all stolen goods, some damaged. Otherwise, no one would set up a stall here.
Lin Chang'an calmly stared at the small red imprint at the broken end of the jade slip—he knew it too well.
Eighteen years ago, at an auction, this flying sword talisman jade slip was bought for 153 spirit stones.
He still remembered clearly because the first broken red imprint at the end should have been a plum blossom seal in the complete version.
Eighteen years on, if it was faked to this degree, he could accept it—just a few spirit stones lost, a low cost of trial and error.
"There are plenty of fish in muddy water here in the market. You can't even guarantee yourself, yet you want to sell it for over a hundred spirit stones?"
Lin Chang'an looked at him like he was a fool, making the old cultivator's face turn red.
Recently, many rogue cultivators had come to the market; of course, there were many fakes. Last night, he just got a cheap deal—who knew if it was genuine?
"That doesn't mean three spirit stones are acceptable!"
The old man grumbled, unwilling to give in, but Lin Chang'an sneered contemptuously and stood up.
"There's no stall in this market selling a mid-grade first-rank talisman manual for less than two hundred, some even a hundred, and there are even complete first-rank talisman inheritances. Whose family isn't a gamble?"
Seeing Lin Chang'an turn to head to another stall selling mid-grade talisman manuals, the old cultivator grew anxious and slapped his thigh.
"Hey, friend, why rush off? Don't leave! High asking price, but we can settle fairly. We're all decent people—let's talk."
But seeing Lin Chang'an heading straight to another stall, the old man really panicked.
"Three spirit stones, take it or leave it."
"Fine."
Money and goods exchanged.
When Lin Chang'an received the remaining jade slip, he couldn't help rubbing his hands in excitement. After over twenty years of cultivation, it was about time for a lucky break!
But the next moment, as he looked at the latter part of the slip's contents, his eyes widened in shock.
Damn!
My three spirit stones!
This was no flying sword talisman manual—it was clearly a common first-rank low-grade fireball talisman manual.
When Lin Chang'an turned back, the old man was nowhere to be found—obviously, he had already moved to another spot.
"All day long striking at wild geese, today the goose pecked my eye," Lin Chang'an cursed bitterly. Just when he thought he had a chance to pick up a good deal, he was so badly fooled.
...
Meanwhile, in the crowd, the old cultivator had moved to a new location, a sly smile on his face as he once again took out an identical broken jade slip from his pouch.
"Only greedy old foxes like you, thinking yourselves experienced, would be so eager. If you don't bring out your prized possessions, how else will you earn spirit stones?"
Touching the hard spirit stones in his pouch, the old cultivator smiled—another profit made.
And it was this group of old foxes, each more cunning than the last, who thought they were smart but were only outsmarting themselves.
...
"True Treasure Pavilion is now open to the public, offering talisman, pill formulas, refining, and even formation inheritances!"
Lin Chang'an, who had thought he had failed to find a good deal, was preparing to return and plan his talisman drawing strategy to reap benefits tomorrow when he heard this news.
He was somewhat stunned.
(End of Chapter)
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