Chapter Thirty-One: Qiu Chuji Was Actually a Talisman Seller...

“Everyone, please don’t rush—one at a time, all right?” Hua Shaojie watched as more and more people raised questions. They asked about the quality of the items, how long they would last, when Mars would be connected for communication, and when the resource planets would finally be accessible. The resource planets needed people stationed there year-round, yet they were so far from Earth that the original voice transmission arrays simply couldn't reach that distance.

While Hua Shaojie and his companions busied themselves explaining to the crowd, Tang Yi strolled through the trade fair, hand in hand with Hua Ruoxue.

“Tang, let’s take a look over there!” Hua Ruoxue pointed to a stall. It was a talisman stall. Talismans were easy to learn but difficult to master—every cultivator could make them, just as everyone nowadays could write, but few could become calligraphy masters.

“Friends, take a look at my talismans! They are premium quality—if they’re not, I won’t take your spirit stones!” The stall owner promoted his talismans to Tang Yi and Hua Ruoxue.

“Boss, could you tell me about the types of talismans you have?” Tang Yi asked.

“Of course! My talismans are the most comprehensive, and all are premium. I have offensive talismans, defensive talismans, flight talismans, escape talismans, and some special ones—like invisibility, disintegration, and more. Here, if you can imagine it, you can find it.”

“Is that all? I heard there are five-element talismans and lightning talismans too.”

“It seems you’re not very familiar with the art of talismans! The five-element and lightning talismans you mentioned are just different category divisions. For instance, offensive talismans include the five elements—metal, wood, water, fire, earth—as well as lightning, yin, and yang attributes. Defensive talismans also cover these attributes. Does this explanation make sense to you?” The stall owner spoke confidently.

“Oh, I see. Do you have jade slips on talisman knowledge for sale? That way I can learn more about them,” Tang Yi asked humbly.

“Haha, you’re in luck—I just happen to have some jade slips about talismans. But their price is a bit steep,” the stall owner admitted, sounding a little embarrassed.

“Haha, business is business—if both parties agree, there’s no need to feel embarrassed. Let me have a look; the price is negotiable, right?” Tang Yi smiled.

“Here, these are all of them! If you want them all, I’ll give you a discount—just ten premium spirit stones for the lot,” the stall owner offered.

“Ten premium spirit stones? Isn’t that a bit too little?” Tang Yi was surprised. There were more than thirty jade slips, yet the price was so low. Cheap goods are rarely good.

“Heh-heh, I’ve copied these jade slips hundreds of times, and they’re just basic knowledge, so they’re inexpensive,” the stall owner explained.

“Oh, I see. You seem honest, boss. All right, here are ten premium spirit stones. These jade slips are mine now,” Tang Yi readily handed over the payment.

“Thank you, friend! Thank you! Would you like to look at some talismans as well?” The stall owner was off to a good start, but since he hadn’t sold any talismans yet, he continued to promote them.

“Ruoxue, take a look—see if there’s any talisman you want,” Tang Yi turned to Hua Ruoxue.

“Sure. Boss, could you explain the functions of the different talismans in detail? That way I can choose the ones best suited for me,” Hua Ruoxue responded and began questioning the stall owner, while Tang Yi examined the various talismans, feeling and inspecting them.

“No problem. Miss, here is an invisibility talisman. It can make you invisible for up to an hour,” the stall owner picked up a talisman and explained to Hua Ruoxue.

“Invisibility talisman? That’s not very useful for me. Tell me about something else,” Hua Ruoxue replied. Invisibility was a trivial matter for her. After recent practice, her invisibility ability had upgraded—previously, it relied on bending light and deceiving the eye, but now it matched the talisman’s full capabilities. Not only did she mask her image, she could also conceal sound and scent, blending seamlessly into her surroundings. As long as she didn’t move too much, no one could detect her.

The stall owner was quite frustrated. From his years of experience selling talismans, invisibility talismans were a favorite among female cultivators, especially those with beauty. This young lady was indeed beautiful but not highly cultivated—perhaps she wanted a different kind of talisman? His eyes brightened.

“This is a transformation talisman—male, female, old, young, tall, short, fat, thin, and even the forms of spirit beasts. Which do you like?” The stall owner introduced a stack of talismans to Hua Ruoxue.

“These aren’t useful to me either. Didn’t you mention escape talismans just now? Tell me about those,” Hua Ruoxue shook her head.

“Oh, you want escape talismans!” The stall owner finally understood and eagerly explained.

“These escape talismans are divided into five-element talismans—metal, wood, water, fire, earth—and also lightning talismans. Each corresponds to its element for activation, and the speed is enhanced accordingly. Lightning escape talismans are fastest in the air, but they can only be used there...” The stall owner was interrupted by Tang Yi.

“Wait a minute. So, lightning escape talismans can only be used in the air, metal escape talismans in the air and in stone containing metal, water escape talismans in air and water. Isn’t that troublesome? If you’re escaping through mountains, water, and fire, wouldn’t you have to switch talismans constantly? Is there no universal escape talisman?”

“You’re absolutely right, friend. From ancient times to now, escape talismans have always had this limitation. Some have attempted to craft universal escape talismans, but it's extremely difficult—no one has truly succeeded. At most, some managed to make triple-element escape talismans, but these are rare and usually kept as life-saving treasures or used in emergencies. You almost never see them on the market now,” the stall owner sighed.

“Oh, such a thing exists? How about a proposal?” Tang Yi suddenly had an idea.

“Please, go ahead!” The stall owner replied.

“Forgive me, I haven’t asked for your name yet. I’m Tang Yi, also known as Brother Tang,” Tang Yi realized he hadn’t asked the stall owner’s name, feeling rather embarrassed.

“Oh, so you’re the famed Brother Tang of the cultivation world! I’m honored. I wouldn’t dare call it a great name—I am Qiu Chuji, courtesy name Tongmi, Daoist title Changchunzi.”