Chapter 156 - 152: Spirit Liquid Evolution
"I do."
Li Yuan set aside the Golden Blade Talisman in his hand and glanced toward the courtyard gate.
The man was already standing by the doorframe. His gaze swept over the table and talisman papers in the courtyard before settling back on Li Yuan.
"How much for one?"
"Three Spirit Stones."
The man didn’t haggle. He took out six Spirit Stones from the storage pouch at his waist and placed them on the stone ledge by the gate.
"Two."
Li Yuan picked out two Concealing Breath Talismans from the corner of his desk and handed them over.
The man took the Talismans, flipped them over, examined the Spirit Patterns on their surfaces, nodded, and turned to leave.
His footsteps receded south along the dirt road, never once looking back.
Li Yuan stood at the gate, watching the man’s back disappear at the far end of the shantytown before pulling his gaze away.
’A Concealing Breath Jade Pendant. A gray-black, claw-shaped tattoo on his left arm.’
Li Yuan closed the courtyard gate, took out a piece of paper from his storage pouch, and wrote down the details he had just observed.
Facial features, cultivation level, style of the Jade Pendant, and the position and shape of the tattoo on his left arm.
He then left the outer district and went into the city to find Wang Lu.
Wang Lu was in his room at the inn, flipping through a booklet.
Li Yuan explained the situation.
After listening, Wang Lu closed the booklet and remained silent for a few breaths.
"Did you get a clear look at the tattoo on his left arm?"
"Not completely. I only saw the edge of it. It was gray-black, and its curve looked like part of a claw."
Wang Lu tapped his fingers on the table twice.
"I understand. I’ll keep an eye on this."
He tucked the booklet into his sleeve.
"But we’re short-staffed right now. For now, go back and act normal. Don’t alert the target."
Li Yuan grunted in acknowledgment, left the inn, and returned to the outer district the way he came.
When he reached his residence, Fang Laosan was squatting by the door next door, gnawing on a grilled meat skewer. Seeing Li Yuan return, he flashed a wide grin.
"Talisman Master Li, you’re back? A couple of people came looking to buy talismans from you earlier. I told them to come back later."
"Alright."
Li Yuan pushed open his gate and set up his table again, preparing to draw talismans.
Fang Laosan finished his skewer, wiped the grease from his hands, and sauntered over to Li Yuan’s gate to lean against the doorframe.
"You saw that guy who came by this afternoon, right?"
"Yeah, he bought two Concealing Breath Talismans."
Fang Laosan chuckled.
"That guy’s from the Wuya Gang."
Li Yuan glanced up at him.
Fang Laosan jutted his chin toward the shantytown to the south.
"The Wuya Gang. They’re a local crew in the outer district. Their boss is at the Qi Refining Ninth Level, and he’s got about ten guys under him with cultivation from the 3rd to the 6th Level. They’ve been knocking around the outer district for a few years now."
He leaned his body against the doorframe and crossed his arms.
"They’re not a bad bunch, at least they don’t cause much trouble in the outer district. Mostly they just run jobs outside to make a living, you know?"
"What kind of jobs?"
"All sorts." Fang Laosan began counting on his fingers.
"Lingxi Valley, lots of Demon Beasts and Spirit Grass over there. You can go in to gather herbs or hunt, but it’s dangerous. Red Iron Gully, it produces iron-type ores—low grade, but high volume. Black Swamp, it’s got a few types of Water Attribute Spirit Grass that don’t grow anywhere else. Then there’s a Wind Spirit Stone vein up on Broken Wind Cliff, but the place is too steep for most people to get to."
He held up another finger.
"There’s also Dry Riverbed, which produces something called ’feather material,’ a raw material for high-grade talisman paper. And I don’t even need to mention Ghost Mist Forest—it’s foggy year-round and has all sorts of things inside, even wraiths. The problem is, if you go in, you might not come out."
Fang Laosan brought his hand back down and rubbed his chin.
"The Wuya Gang spends most of its time running around those places, gathering things to bring back. They only enter the city when they need to sell their goods. Otherwise, they live out here in the outer district."
"Why not live in the city?"
"It’s expensive in the city," Fang Laosan chuckled. "The entry fee alone is two Spirit Stones per person. Lodging, food, drinks—everything costs money. It’s cheaper out here in the outer district, and it’s more convenient for their jobs. They don’t have to go in and out of the city gates every time. Generally, they only go into the city once every half a month or so."
Li Yuan grunted noncommittally and didn’t ask any more questions.
Fang Laosan chatted for a bit longer about some of the other crews in the outer district, then was called away by another neighbor.
Li Yuan sat back down at his table and continued drawing talismans.
「Two days later.」
That morning, Li Yuan was in his courtyard drawing a Qi Gathering Talisman.
Footsteps approached the gate, followed by a knock.
"Is Talisman Master Li in?"
Li Yuan looked up.
It was the cultivator from the Wuya Gang again.
He wore the same faded, gray-brown short robe, with the Concealing Breath Jade Pendant hanging from his waist. The cuff of his left sleeve still hid the gray-black tattoo.
This time, he didn’t stand at the gate but walked right into the courtyard, his steps much more casual than before.
"Those Concealing Breath Talismans from last time were good. They worked."
He squatted down on a rock in the courtyard and glanced at the talisman paper on the table.
"Talisman Master Li, I want to buy some Investigation Talismans this time."
"I have them. How many?"
"A fair number," the man said, rubbing his hands together. "We’re going to explore a Secret Realm soon. The terrain inside is complex, so we’ll need Investigation Talismans to help us get a sense of our surroundings. About twenty of those, plus another ten Concealing Breath Talismans."
’Twenty Investigation Talismans.’
’At the outer district’s price of two and a half Spirit Stones each, that’s fifty Spirit Stones. Add the Concealing Breath Talismans, and the total comes to eighty Spirit Stones.’
The man rummaged through his storage pouch, a troubled look on his face.
"I’m a bit short on Spirit Stones."
He hesitated for a moment before untying the Concealing Breath Jade Pendant from his waist and placing it on the stone ledge.
"How about I trade you this for them?"
The dark jade pendant rested on the stone surface, its Spirit Patterns faintly glinting in the afternoon sun.
"What does this thing do?"
The man settled onto the rock and made a few gestures.
"It’s for concealing your breath. It’s a bit of a hassle to use—you have to pair it with a medicinal liquid and then infuse it with Spiritual Power."
"Pretty complex workmanship." Li Yuan flipped the Jade Pendant over to examine the way the Spirit Patterns were carved. "Where did you get it?"
"I’m not sure how it’s made, exactly," the man said with a wave of his hand.
"Our boss got them from a Secret Realm. He managed to get a few and distributed them among us brothers."
Li Yuan placed the Jade Pendant back on the stone ledge.
"This thing is useless to me. Trade something else."
The man froze for a second, then took back the Jade Pendant and rummaged through his storage pouch again.
After rummaging for a long while, he pulled something out and set it on the stone ledge.
It was a bottle.
It was about palm-high and dark cyan in color, with a rounded body, a narrow mouth, and a wide base. A ring of extremely fine Spirit Patterns was carved into its surface. The workmanship was far more exquisite than that of an ordinary porcelain bottle. A ring of silver sealing Spirit Patterns circled the mouth, connecting seamlessly with the patterns on the body.
"This is it," the man said, clapping his hands.
"A Spiritual Essence Bottle. You can store medicinal liquids in it for a long time without them spoiling or evaporating. Don’t you Talisman Masters often have to mix Spiritual Ink and medicinal liquids? Store them in this bottle, and they’ll stay as fresh as the day you made them, no matter how long you keep them."
He gestured toward Li Yuan.
"Plus, you can mix the liquids directly in the bottle. The Spirit Patterns help stir it evenly, way more convenient than using a bowl or a basin."
He pushed the bottle toward Li Yuan.
"Let’s be friends. I’ll trade you this."
Li Yuan reached out and picked up the bottle.
The bottle was cool to the touch and heavier than it looked. The ring of Spirit Patterns on its surface shimmered faintly under his fingertips.
The instant his fingertips touched the bottle, a panel popped up.
[Equippable Item Detected]
[Item Attribute Tier: Green]
[Note: Item does not belong to user. Cannot equip. Cannot view detailed information.]
Li Yuan turned the bottle over in his hand again.
’Green.’
He flipped the bottle over to look at the bottom. A tiny symbol was carved there, likely a maker’s mark, but it was too worn to be seen clearly.
"Alright."
Li Yuan placed the bottle on the table and nodded at the man.
Obvious joy spread across the man’s face, and he shot up from the rock.
"It’s a deal."
"So when should I come pick them up?"
"The day after tomorrow," Li Yuan said. "It will take time to draw twenty Investigation Talismans. I can give you the ten Concealing Breath Talismans now."
"No problem. I’ll be here the day after tomorrow."
The man smiled and cupped his hands in a salute to Li Yuan, then turned and left the courtyard, his steps much lighter than when he arrived.
The courtyard grew quiet again.
Li Yuan closed the gate and walked back to the table.
The Spiritual Essence Bottle sat on the table, its dark cyan body shimmering with a cool, moist luster in the afternoon sun.
His fingertips touched the bottle’s surface.
’It’s mine now.’
[Equippable Item Detected: Spiritual Essence Bottle (Intact)]
[Attribute Preview: Spirit Liquid Infusion (Green) — Increases the enhancing effect of medicinal liquids on Spiritual Power by 30%.]
[Permanence Condition Preview: Successfully complete 100 instances of talisman crafting or alchemy using self-prepared medicinal liquids or Spiritual Ink (0/100).]
[Current equipment slots are full (5/5). Replace a currently equipped item?]
’A Green attribute. Spirit Liquid Infusion.’
’It can enhance the effects of medicinal pills.’
’The condition for permanence is to successfully craft one hundred talismans using self-prepared medicinal liquids or Spiritual Ink.’
’He had always been using Spiritual Ink that he prepared himself to match his self-made herbal talisman paper. If that counted as self-prepared Spiritual Ink, then each finished talisman would count as one instance. A hundred times wasn’t that many; at his current production rate, he could hit that in just a few days.’
’But he had to equip it first.’
Li Yuan placed the Spiritual Essence Bottle on the table, not equipping it immediately.
His five equipment slots were full. To equip this, he’d have to unequip something else.
’The Soul Nourishing Pill’s effect is the least significant at the moment.’
With a thought, Li Yuan unequipped the Soul Nourishing Pill and equipped the Spiritual Essence Bottle.
[Equip Successful]
[Attribute Acquired: Spirit Liquid Infusion (Green)]
[Permanence Condition: Successfully complete 100 instances of talisman crafting or alchemy using self-prepared medicinal liquids or Spiritual Ink (0/100).]
The Spiritual Essence Bottle dissolved into a streak of dark cyan light and entered his body.
The change wasn’t immediately perceptible. The effects of Spirit Liquid Infusion would only become apparent during the actual preparation of Spiritual Ink and crafting of talismans.
Li Yuan spread out a sheet of herbal talisman paper, dipped his brush in his self-prepared Spiritual Ink, and began to write.
A Fireball Talisman.
The six Spirit Patterns flowed in a single, smooth motion, and the Talisman Core converged.
’Success.’
[Spirit Liquid Infusion (Green) Permanence Progress: 1/100]
Li Yuan set the finished product aside and continued drawing.
A second, a third, a fourth.
With each completed talisman, the progress bar ticked up.
By the time he put down his brush at dusk, the progress had reached seventeen.
At this rate, he estimated he would reach one hundred very soon.
Li Yuan stacked the finished talismans, took out some Demon Beast Flesh from his storage pouch to roast and eat, then sat cross-legged and began to cultivate.
Outside his window, the shantytown gradually quieted down. The occasional bark of a dog and scattered voices drifted from the distance. It was noisier than the city, but it had a sort of rough, lived-in atmosphere.
Beyond the courtyard wall, a dim yellow light shone from Fang Laosan’s house, and Li Yuan could faintly hear him humming a tuneless little song.
Li Yuan closed his eyes, his breathing even, as the Spiritual Power in his body circulated endlessly through his meridians.