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78 requires additional payment
Several days later, at Jinbo Lake.
Xu Yan strolled into the Fairy Pavilion, looking around curiously.
Jinbo Lake is said to cover a vast area, with Qianlu Island located in the center of the lake. This small town on the lakeside is Xianfang, which is dominated by Qianlu Island.
Despite being called a celestial market town, it lacked both sturdy formations and suspended pavilions, resembling no different from a mortal town, not even comparable to a corner of the Yuanji Celestial Market Town.
Fortunately, though small, it had all the essential parts. Xu Yan quickly found a shop called Jubaozhai and swaggered inside.
The name sounds impressive, but it's really just that kind of thing.
He asked casually, "Shopkeeper, do you have any talismans?"
Seeing that he was well-dressed and had an impressive presence, the shopkeeper quickly greeted him, "Yes, yes, yes! Top-quality yellow hemp paper, twenty pearls a stack; top-quality emerald wave paper, eighty pearls; top-quality purple jade spirit pattern paper, one piece of spirit formula for two stacks!"
In this line of work, knowing how to tailor your approach to the client is a fundamental skill. They'll only go into such detail if they sense the client is wealthy; otherwise, they'll just offer empty platitudes with no choice.
Xu Yan's eyebrows twitched. Goodness, 20 sheets are only worth two gold nuggets? Expensive, damn expensive!
However, don't be misled by the shopkeeper. The so-called yellow hemp paper is just ordinary yellow paper with a small amount of spiritual herb fiber mixed in. It can only be used to write low-level talismans. It is cheap and used in large quantities.
Cui Tao paper is slightly better; it is said to be made primarily from a certain type of sacred bamboo.
The Purple Jade Spirit Pattern Paper is a true high-grade talisman paper, made using secret methods. Its jade color has a hint of light purple, and it comes with its own spirit patterns, so it's not surprising that it commands a higher price.
There are many sects that make talismans, but at the lower levels, no matter what materials are used, they are basically all called jute, and there is not much difference.
Intermediate-level talisman paper is different; there are many different types, and it is often said that a certain type of talisman paper is most suitable for writing a certain type of talisman.
Judging from the name alone, this Cui Tao paper should be most suitable for writing talismans related to water and wood.
As for high-grade talisman paper, it is different. It is scarce and expensive, and most of it is for personal use. It is not commonly seen in the market.
This Jubaozhai actually sells high-grade talismans; either the sellers have extraordinary backgrounds, or they are selling inferior goods as superior ones.
Xu Yan unleashed his full aura, tossing out forty spirit orbs with a wave of his hand: "Give me two stacks of hemp paper!"
The shopkeeper was immediately deflated, thinking that a big customer had come and only wanted two stacks of jute?
He spat inwardly: dressed like a respectable person, but actually just a penniless nobody.
"Where is Lingmo?"
The shopkeeper, too lazy to say more, casually picked up a piece: "30 pearls!"
"A magic pen!"
"Give me another 40!"
Xu Yan didn't haggle, paid the money readily, took the paper and ink and went out. He set up a stall outside Jubaozhai, put up an eye-catching banner with a line of crooked and ugly words: Superior Predictive Talisman, thirty beads a stack!
Everyone looked at it and became curious: What is a divination symbol?
Xu Yan blurted out, "Let's walk around and stop, take a look! Top-grade talismans, 30 beads a stack. You won't lose out, you won't be cheated. A must-have for home talisman making..."
His shout drew even more curious onlookers, many of whom stopped to watch in astonishment.
As the writer Xu called out, he leisurely moved a printer with a magical artifact-like appearance and its own power supply onto the table. He first inserted the talisman paper, then mixed the spiritual ink and poured it into the ink pot. With a gentle press, a talisman paper with the printed draft was ejected.
An ordinary dust-purifying talisman.
The crowd couldn't help but feel disappointed. One knowledgeable person immediately pointed out, "Fellow Daoist, your talisman is easy to draw, but it lacks any spiritual energy fluctuation. It's basically a useless talisman, isn't it?"
Xu Yan chuckled: "Who said my talisman is useless?"
He picked up his talisman brush, dipped it in spiritual ink, and assumed a posture ready to write, but then suddenly said, "Are there any fellow Daoists who are just starting to learn talismans and aren't quite proficient yet?"
Everyone was immediately puzzled. What kind of operation was this?
Everyone present was embarrassed; not one of them stepped forward to admit that their skills were lacking.
Xu Yan sighed, "Alright, alright, I'll do it myself!"
He channeled a bit of his true energy into the talisman brush and slowly traced the marks printed on the talisman. He didn't go fast, but he strived for precision in every stroke.
What should have been a quick and easy talisman took him half an hour to finish, clearly showing he was an amateur.
But the moment Xu Yan finished writing, a faint, ethereal quality emanated from the talisman, which then slowly faded away.
Everyone was stunned. It's done? He actually finished the drawing?
Xu Yan laughed and said, "Everyone, now you know why I call this a 'predictive talisman,' right?"
He then asked redundantly, "Who among those present didn't see it clearly?"
Someone immediately chimed in, "In that case, drawing talismans becomes much simpler."
"Excellent! Perfect for beginners to practice their talisman-making skills!"
"Come, come, come!" Immediately, a cultivator pulled out a stack of spirit pearls. "Give me a pile first!"
Others pulled out a stack of blank talisman paper, along with ten spirit orbs: "Can I make the talisman paper myself?"
Xu Yan agreed without hesitation: "Okay, but not enough spirit pearls, twelve!"
The man was immediately taken aback: "Why, not ten?"
Xu Yan said matter-of-factly, "I also produced spirit ink!"
After a brief argument, the two finally agreed on a deal of 11.5 pieces per stack.
What? Not even a single spirit pearl?
Wouldn't it be enough to just stack two sets of twenty-three beads?
Just as the crowd was arguing, a haughty fellow pushed through the crowd and arrogantly pointed at the printer: "Wait a minute, I want your magic tool for drawing talismans. Name your price!"
Xu Yan immediately beamed with joy, inwardly complaining: It's been so long and only now has anyone noticed the printer? How slow are you guys?
He placed one hand on the printer: "I wonder who this fellow Daoist is...?"
Immediately, someone nearby fawned over him: "This is Young Master Deng from Qianlu Island."
Surname Deng? Never heard of him!
"So it's Fellow Daoist Deng, my apologies for not recognizing you sooner." Xu Yan cupped his hands in greeting. "This item is a secret technique passed down through my sect..."
Young Master Deng's face darkened: "What? You're not selling? Don't you even know who I am!"
Xu Yan flashed a standard eight-tooth smile and shook his head, saying, "It costs extra!"
Yeah, that feels better.
Ever since he witnessed the famous scene of the money-giving hermit, he had wanted to recreate it, and today he finally got the chance.
Young Master Deng was taken aback, then laughed disdainfully: "Name your price!"
Xu Yan held up two fingers: "Thank you, 20 jade tokens!"
The second young master of the Deng family scoffed even more: "Only 20 yuan? I thought you wanted much more!"
Before the words were even finished, the magic spell had already been placed in front of Xu Yan.
The great writer Xu was all smiles. This was 6400 million yuan in hand. How much does a printer cost?
Young Master Deng picked up the printer, intending to leave, but Xu Yan unexpectedly took out another one from his storage bag: "Predictive Talisman..."
"Wait a minute!" Young Master Deng said impatiently, "Why is there still more?"
Xu Yan shrugged, her expression utterly innocent: "I never said there was only this one!"
Printers are sold by the table, but magic weapons must be sold by the piece.
"Give it to me!"
Another twenty spirit scrolls in hand, that's over a hundred million!
Xu Yan grinned like a thief who had just stolen some fish: "Young Master Deng, I have a few more items here, take a look..."
Young Master Deng's face darkened: "How much more is there?"
"Not many, eight items left. You'd give me another 160 yuan... Oh, I'll give you a discount, 150 yuan will do!"
Young Master Deng's cheeks twitched: "Wait, don't sell it to anyone else before I get back."
Thirty or fifty spirit scrolls are nothing, but taking out two hundred at once is a bit of a stretch!