The boundary between the Inner Market and the Outer Market was that wide bluestone road, piled high with merchant stalls.
Pei Liang walked along the road and first arrived at Feixing Tavern.
“Oh, Shopkeeper Pei, you’re here so early today?” The waiter immediately greeted him enthusiastically.
“I’m staying next door, so it’ll be convenient from now on!” Pei Liang pointed to the three-story pavilion beside them.
“That’s wonderful!” The waiter showed a look of surprise. “From now on, if you call down from upstairs, I’ll send the wine and meat up to you, saving you the trouble of coming down!”
“Then I’ll trouble you in the future!” Pei Liang didn’t stand on ceremony. “It’s perfect, I can also focus on studying the Dao of Talismans!”
“Has Shopkeeper Pei made any progress?”
“I’ve gained a bit of insight, so I want to settle down and delve into it!”
“Then congratulations, Shopkeeper!” The waiter repeatedly cupped his hands. “The usual?”
“Mm!”
After getting the wine and meat, Pei Liang arrived at the pavilion he had rented, named Mufeng Pavilion.
The entire three-story building was constructed from sturdy wooden materials, enveloped by a shimmering formation that only allowed entry with a token.
The three floors, each with a small courtyard, were much more expensive and had already been rented out.
His room was on the second floor, and the rooms upstairs were also occupied.
Holding the token, Pei Liang easily walked in, glancing back at the hidden gazes in the shadows, but he didn't pay them any mind.
They were either creditors or the Patrol Team; they could look all they wanted, he had nothing to hide out in the open!
Following the wooden stairs to the second floor, the room door also had a restriction.
He gently placed the token by the door, and the restriction seemed to react, causing the door to open by itself.
Pei Liang stepped inside. The room was spacious, with a small hall, a bedroom, and a quiet room!
Actually, now that he had the Shadow Clone technique, his Master could find a relatively safe place to hide and not come out.
In the open, he could have a Shadow Clone take his place in daily life.
The Master would observe the world, perceiving its beauty through the Shadow Clone.
No matter what danger was encountered, it would not involve the Master.
The Shadow Clone could synchronize his perspective, acting just like the main body.
However, he couldn't leave the Immortal Market now, and a hidden place to conceal himself wasn't easy to find.
Furthermore, not integrating into life, not walking the path, always gave him a sense of unreality.
He liked the human touch, even in quiet moments, it allowed him to feel the breath of life.
The Shadow Clone was his extension, but he wasn't willing to be a puppet of the Shadow Clone!
After settling into his new residence for over ten days, Pei Liang went out again.
Shen Fu had already learned to make three kinds of spirit talismans, all of which were high-quality talismans among the low-grade, low-tier ones.
Pei Liang himself, after studying spirit talismans for over a hundred years, had only barely managed to learn two types, the Golden Light Talisman and the Evil Dispelling Talisman, and their quality was quite poor.
Now, through the synchronized sharing of the Shadow Clone, he effortlessly gained rich experience in spirit talismans.
It was clear that talent was truly very important for cultivation.
This time, he was going out to buy some materials to experiment.
Only when a true spirit talisman was placed before him could he truly feel at ease!
Passing by the small courtyard downstairs, he couldn't help but glance at it twice.
In the exquisite pond, lotus leaves floated, and fish played among them!
Around the pond, various styles of flowers and plants were arranged, with vibrant red blossoms showing a flourishing vitality.
This was a Fellow Daoist who loved flowers, water, and fish!
It was similar to his own hobbies, but much richer than his simple flower pond.
He himself yearned for a life where water flowed without contention, fish swam freely, and flowers were fragrant.
But he wondered what joy this neighbor found?
He had been here for so long, but he hadn't met his upstairs or downstairs neighbors, and he didn't plan to visit them proactively.
Cultivators valued spontaneity; everything should take its natural course!
Within the Immortal Market, there were many places that sold talisman-making materials.
Pei Liang used to buy from the stalls at the junction of the main road and small alleys, though he didn't buy many times a year.
With his low-level talisman-making skills and bleak business, he didn't need to buy materials often.
This time, he didn't plan to buy from the stalls again, nor go to the large shops, but instead went directly to a shop not far from his residence, which primarily sold talismans and magical artifacts.
“Fellow Daoist Pei?”
As Pei Liang walked in, the shopkeeper looked a bit uncertain as he called out.
A cultivator's memory was always astonishing; even though he hadn't visited this shop for over ten years, the shopkeeper still had some impression of him.
“Shopkeeper Lu, I’m here to buy some talisman-making materials!”
“Fellow Daoist Pei is still studying the Dao of Talismans?” Shopkeeper Lu was a bit surprised. “May I ask what kind of spirit talisman materials Fellow Daoist wishes to buy?”
About ten years ago, when Pei Liang first arrived at Yunluo Immortal Market, he intended to make a living by crafting talismans and came to sell them.
However, the quality of his talismans was too poor; people didn't think much of them and kindly advised him that he had no talent for talisman crafting and shouldn't waste his time on it.
After several setbacks, he finally decided to open a small talisman shop in the outer area, where business was just barely adequate.
But now, as Pei Liang stood there again, he felt a surge of confidence.
“Give me ten sets of Body Protection Talisman materials!”
“Has Fellow Daoist Pei made progress?” Shopkeeper Lu was even more surprised, but he didn’t hesitate, taking out ten sets of materials and placing them before Pei Liang. “Two spirit stones in total!”
Pei Liang frowned slightly, “Why is it so expensive? Outside, one spirit stone is enough!”
“Fellow Daoist Pei may not know, but recently, outside the Immortal Market, rogue cultivators have been rampant. Many adventuring teams were ambushed on their way back, suffering heavy casualties. The materials brought back are fewer, so the price naturally increased!”
Shopkeeper Lu patiently explained, “It’s not that our shop is maliciously raising prices. Nowadays, throughout the Immortal Market, whether at roadside stalls or in the major shops, it’s all this price!”
Pei Liang fell silent; he truly hadn't bought materials for talisman crafting in too long.
“Don’t the Five Great Families manage these rogue cultivators?”
“Heh heh, that’s not something we can know!” Shopkeeper Lu chuckled and didn’t answer.
Pei Liang guessed that the other party probably knew some information, but since their acquaintance wasn't deep, the other party naturally wouldn't reveal it casually.
He silently took out two spirit stones, placed them on the counter, and then put away the materials.
“Farewell!”
“Fellow Daoist Pei, take care and welcome back anytime!”
On the way back, Pei Liang mused that his decision to move into the Immortal Market was a happy accident and the right one.
He hadn't paid much attention when his neighbor Chen Long mentioned being attacked by rogue cultivators, but now it seemed these rogue cultivators were more powerful than he had imagined.
Although there was a Patrol Team patrolling the outer areas of the Immortal Market, and guards at the entry and exit points, it was inevitable that some would slip through.
He wondered if the rogue cultivators outside the Immortal Market were part of the same group as the black-clad individuals who attacked him?
Shen Xie, you better put in some effort and infiltrate the rogue cultivator organization for me!
Returning to his rented pavilion, the small courtyard was quiet. Pei Liang cast another envious glance at the spacious pond, then stepped upstairs.
Just as he reached the corner on the second floor, a crisp sound of footsteps came from above, descending.
It must be the neighbor from the third floor!
He paused slightly, and a burly man with a full beard appeared before him.
Pei Liang smiled in greeting. The man first froze, then nodded in understanding, acknowledging him.
Without any exchange, Pei Liang pushed open his room door and headed straight for the quiet room!
He placed the Body Protection Talisman materials on the table, sat cross-legged on the meditation cushion, cleared his mind, and began to adjust his state.
After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, Pei Liang suddenly opened his eyes, a resolute gaze in them, and began the talisman crafting.
The Body Protection Talisman was considered a high-quality talisman among low-grade, low-tier talismans, and it was also the most favored talisman by many adventurous rogue cultivators, making its crafting difficulty slightly higher than other talismans.
Dipping the talisman brush into spirit beast blood, Pei Liang, with a serious expression, began to outline the spirit patterns on the talisman paper! The crimson blood transformed into lines, constantly appearing on the talisman paper.
The Body Protection Talisman required a full twenty spirit patterns to be outlined, and the entire process needed to be completed in one go, without the slightest error or pause.
In the past, Pei Liang would break the lines after outlining three to five patterns, and the most he ever managed was ten spirit patterns.
But this time, there was no hindrance whatsoever; the twenty spirit patterns came alive, leaping onto the paper.
Finishing stroke!
The spirit pattern circuit was naturally formed!
Pei Liang's face showed a hint of joy, and he excitedly picked up the newly formed talisman paper to examine it repeatedly.
“It’s done!”
Taking a deep breath, Pei Liang calmed his joyful emotions. There were still nine sets of talisman-making materials on the table.
Picking up the talisman brush, he concentrated fully and began to outline the second spirit talisman.
Time slowly passed, until all ten sets of materials were completed.
Pei Liang was so exhausted that he felt dizzy and almost collapsed to the ground.
However, looking at the four perfectly complete and flawless spirit talismans on the table, his face still showed an expression of wild joy.
“A 40% success rate!”
Ten sets of Body Protection Talisman materials cost two spirit stones, and four talismans could sell for eight spirit stones, a net profit of six spirit stones!
This was true earning! This was a Talisman Master!
Before, when he ran his shop selling talismans, he couldn't even earn six spirit stones in a month; he was purely doing it for the passion.
“This is just the benefit brought by starting with one Shadow Clone…”
Pei Liang’s eyes showed longing and expectation for a beautiful future!
However, it was far from enough. The heavy debt of a thousand spirit stones was still on his back. Only by becoming a mid-grade or even high-grade spirit talisman could he truly resolve his financial difficulties.