Wanfa Daojun, starting from the Little Cloud and Rain Technique

Chapter 469

Two weeks later, at Wei's Talisman Shop.

Ji An sat in a chair, leisurely savoring the fragrant tea, the aroma of which mingled with the steam in the room.

After he slowly finished drinking a cup of tea, Wei Xianglin finally finished counting the talismans in his hand.

"Your talisman-making technique has become even more exquisite. The transitions between the talisman patterns are smooth and rounded, and the transmission of spiritual energy is extremely smooth."

Ji An laughed and said:

Stop flattering me, let's settle the score.

He and the other person were old acquaintances, so they spoke much more casually.

Unable to go out these days, he had ample time to make talisman ink and draw talismans, consuming all the high-level materials he obtained from Yuan Hong.

Thanks to his increasingly powerful divine soul, the strength of his talisman-making is not particularly great.

Wei Xianglin chuckled a few times, showing no embarrassment whatsoever. Although his words contained an element of flattery, they were stating the facts.

"One hundred and twenty second-tier top-grade Fire Dragon Talismans, each worth three hundred and twenty spirit stones; two hundred and fifty first-tier top-grade Explosion Talismans, each worth fifty spirit stones, totaling fifty thousand and nine hundred spirit stones."

"Senior, please draw some earth-遁 (earth-escaping) talismans next time. These life-saving items are quite useful when facing demonic beasts, and everyone likes to stockpile them."

The quality of the talismans made by the other party is the best among the talisman makers we cooperate with. This evaluation is based on feedback from users and is highly credible.

Ji An nodded slightly, "Next time, as long as you have the materials here, I have no problem."

"Get me some materials: Fire Dragon Talisman, Earth Escape Talisman, Mystic Armor Talisman, Rock-Solid Talisman, and Explosion Talisman. Just these few."

Monsters possess different five elements attributes, and the talismans drawn on their hides must not conflict with the nature of the hides.

Now he only draws earth and fire element talismans, firstly because he is more skilled at them, and secondly because there are many such demonic beasts around the immortal city, second only to water element demonic beasts.

How much would you like, senior?

"You have a lot of materials?"

Ji An was somewhat surprised. Although his talisman-making skills were excellent, it was impossible for the shop to supply him with a large amount of high-level materials.

He has limited energy and can only draw a few hundred talismans a month. In addition, it is also a risk for shops to put all their eggs in one basket.

"We just stockpiled a batch of these two types of materials a few days ago."

Wei Xianglin said that the law enforcement team had visited Yuan Hong and Zhang Le to inquire about their affairs, because the shop had a long-term cooperative relationship with the two men.

He later learned from family sources that the two men were dead, and he knew that Ji An had a business relationship with them.

With one less channel for obtaining materials, talisman makers will inevitably choose to purchase them from shops.

Ji An thought for a moment, then said in a deep voice:
"Prepare one hundred sets each of the Fire Dragon Talisman and the two types of Tier 1 talisman materials, and fifty sets each of the Earth Escape Talisman and Xuanjia Talisman materials. Prepare this amount for me every month from now on."

The materials included talisman ink and animal hide. Now that he had received this unexpected windfall, he no longer needed to spend more time on talisman making.

“Alright,” Wei Xianglin said, turning to the maid.
"Bring the materials as requested by the senior."

The maidservant responded gracefully with "Yes," and left with swaying lotus steps.

Ji An asked:

"Are there any high-quality talisman pens for sale? I need a talisman pen of the spirit weapon level. My first-tier talisman pen, which has been with me for many years, has finally reached the end of its lifespan."

"Because of individual differences, high-level talisman makers need to customize their talisman brushes."

If you would like a talisman brush, we can recommend a weapon refiner for you.

Wei Xianglin said that the talisman makers have different habits and different levels of cultivation. Moreover, the higher the level of the talisman they draw, the higher the requirements for the talisman brush.

He was very surprised that a magic artifact-level talisman brush could draw a second-tier top-grade talisman.
He was somewhat skeptical, but the other party had no reason to lie about this.

"What level of talisman brush can the recommended weapon refiner forge?"

"Master Gu Tai can refine second-grade top-quality talisman brushes, and most of the high-level talisman masters in the Immortal City have dealings with him."

Wei Xianglin's expression changed. At this moment, he felt admiration for Ji Ansheng because the other party rarely engaged in social interactions and lived a very pure life.

As far as he knew, making talismans, refining pills, and cultivating were all that the other party did. Although he would sometimes go out, it was to practice his escape techniques.

Many cultivators integrate into various circles, but the other party has almost never done so.

"Where can I find Master Gutai?"

"Master Gu opened a shop on Shenhuo Street called Shenbi Lingjia Pavilion."

As Wei Xianglin spoke, he took out a blue jade pendant and said:
"Senior, there are so many cultivators seeking Master Qiu Gu's help to refine spiritual artifacts that it may take a long time to get a commission from a stranger."

"Our Wei family has some influence with him; if we hand the jade pendant over to Master Gu, we can expect preferential treatment."

Ji An accepted the jade pendant, cupped his hands in greeting, and said:

"Thank you, I'll remember this favor."

Since they are called masters, they must have unique skills in the art of weapon crafting, and such cultivators are mostly individualistic.

The shop's name, "Divine Brush and Spirit Armor," indicates that the shop specializes in offensive talismans and defensive magical artifacts.

Wei Xianglin waved his hand dismissively, "You flatter me, senior. It's better to help each other than to talk about personal relationships."

The other party is a person who keeps their promises, and this favor will surely bring rich rewards.

After chatting for a while, a maid brought in the materials, which the two of them checked one by one. Wei Xianglin then began to do the accounting with practiced ease.

"The materials for each second-tier talisman are worth 140 spirit stones, and the materials for each first-tier talisman are worth 25 spirit stones, for a total of 28,500 spirit stones."

In that case, we only need to give the senior another 22,400 spirit stones. Do we need to exchange them for high-grade spirit stones?

This is his favorite way of trading: the talisman maker buys materials from the shop and then sells the finished product back to the shop, earning spirit stones twice.

"Let's put it aside for now," Ji An said, taking out the animal hide and talisman ink from his storage bag.

"I'll sell some more low-level materials."

These are materials such as the hides of water-eating demon beasts and the hides of beasts from the mid-Foundation Establishment stage.

Although the profit from selling raw materials is not high, it is all unexpected wealth. He is unwilling to draw low-level talismans and can only sell them at a low price.

Wei Xianglin's eyes widened suddenly, then he quickly regained his composure. There were many materials, and the other party was not a demon-hunting cultivator, so the origin of the materials seemed suspicious.

He calmly began sorting the goods; as long as there was profit, that was all that mattered. As for the origin of the goods, the shops didn't care.

Even if there are any problems, the family can handle them.

After a moment, Wei Xianglin spoke:

"Senior, here are five hides of a water-type demon beast in the late Foundation Establishment stage, worth 5,200 spirit stones. All the materials together total 9,600 spirit stones."

Ji An mentally calculated his gains, pointed out seventy mid-grade spirit stones, and said:

"Okay, exchange for three high-grade spirit stones."

Wei Xianglin smiled broadly, "Perfect, we're even now."

Shenhuo Street is a street lined with weapon-refining shops in Hongyan Immortal City. There are small shops that refine magical artifacts, as well as large shops that refine top-grade spiritual artifacts. It is said that there are also weapon refiners who can refine magical treasures.

Ji An stood by the street, shaking his head as he looked at the shop's plaque. It could not hide the marks of time; the golden characters of "Shenbi Lingjia Pavilion" were covered in dust and peeling, clearly indicating that it had been there for many years.

He stepped into the shop and said to the clerk who came to greet him, "I would like to order a few spirit talisman pens. Manager Wei from Xuelan Street recommended that I come to see Master Gu Tai. Please help me inform him."

As he spoke, he waved the jade pendant in his hand and handed it to the other party.

The shopkeeper took the jade pendant with both hands and smiled:
"So it was Manager Wei who recommended you. Please wait a moment, senior, while I go and report to the master."

After the shop assistant left, Ji An looked around the shop. It was just a small hall with two shop assistants serving customers. There were a few magical artifacts on the counter, but no customers.

A small door leads to the backyard, which should be the actual location of the weapon-refining shop.

It is said that this place only accepts custom orders and rarely produces standard magical artifacts.

The waiter quickly turned around and said, "Please follow me, senior."

The two passed through a small door and entered a fire chamber. The room was filled with intense heat, indicating that the fire vein had just been sealed.

A gaunt old man with a withered face sized up Ji An, clutching a blue jade pendant in his hand, his white goatee stubbornly curled.

I don't know if it's something they were born with, or something caused by being scorched by the earth's fire.

He bowed slightly and said:
"My name is Gu Tai. May I ask your name, fellow Daoist? What type of talisman brushes are you planning to refine? Do you have any additional requirements?"

Ji An grinned, now believing the other party would be a very good weapon refiner.

Without any small talk, they immediately asked three questions upon meeting, very professional indeed.

"My name is Ji An. I plan to refine five talisman brushes: two for drawing earth and two for drawing fire talismans, and one without any elemental affinity, which will be at the level of a spiritual artifact."

The talismans he drew were mainly of the earth and fire elements, with unattributed talisman brushes as a backup.

The talisman brush doesn't need to be too good; I'll need to replace it again when I break through to the Golden Core stage, which would be troublesome.

Ji An is now full of confidence in breaking through to the Golden Core stage, and his speed in comprehending the mutual generation of the Five Elements has given him enough confidence.

"No problem. My specialty is crafting talisman brushes. Do you have any materials?"

"I only have some fur from fire-elemental demon beasts. Fellow Daoist, see if you can use it."

Ji An took out a cloth bag and handed it over. The animal hides he had obtained from the demon hunter were all processed; the scraps of meat and hair had been scraped off and dried.

The hairs in his hand were obtained from the void stone in Yuan Hongdong.

Gu Tai returned the jade pendant, poured the hair out onto the table, fiddled with it a few times, and then shook his head, saying:

"No, the hair is either too short or too coarse."

He put the hair into a cloth bag and handed it back, then spoke eloquently:
"For fire talisman pens, the best material is the tail hair of a red-tailed fox; for earth talisman pens, the best material is the beard of a pangolin; and for talisman pens without any attributes, the white fur around the neck of a shadowless sable should be used."

"Do you have any, fellow Daoist?"

"Of course, fellow Daoist, you can check the quality."

Gu Tai took out the collection, his eyes shining.

"If I can't use the best materials to forge magical artifacts, I'd rather not take the order."

These animal hairs are not only soft, but also require very little mana to transmit.

Ji An initially suspected that the other party was in the business of selling materials, but after noticing the other party's expression, he dispelled his doubts.

People have a certain air about them; the other person's eyes were full of reverence.

He examined the hair samples the other person had extracted, which further confirmed the other person's professionalism.

Its reddish fur burned like flames and felt warm to the touch, much like being near a campfire while camping in the wild, which was indeed much better than what he brought.

The yellow fur had a warm, lustrous sheen, while the white fur was ethereal. He didn't understand the intricacies of it, but instinctively felt that it was something good.

"Other materials masters have these, right?"

The handle of the talisman brush is made of spirit wood; Crimson Cloud Pine and Mysterious Leaf Sword Bamboo are both good materials.

Ji An suddenly felt a pang of nostalgia for Crimson Flame Peak. If he were still in the sect, he could produce second-tier high-grade materials.

"I don't have it, but if I want it, I can get it."

Gu Tai's face showed pride. This shop was inherited from his father. His ancestors had been running the business in the Immortal City for more than 300 years and had a wide network of connections.

Ji An smiled and asked, "How long will it take the master to refine five talisman brushes, and what will the reward be?"

"We have a very close working relationship with Mr. Wei, who has helped introduce many clients. I can prioritize processing your orders, and it will only take half a month."

As for the reward, it totals two high-grade spirit stones. Is the talisman brush you crafted for your own use, fellow Daoist?

"Yes, I am not very talented, but I am able to draw a second-tier top-grade talisman."

Ji An revealed that he was a craftsman. When dealing with people like him, good cultivation might not necessarily earn genuine respect, but having a good craft could.

Gu Tai raised an eyebrow, his tone becoming much more friendly:
"Being able to draw second-tier top-grade talismans, your talisman-making skills must be extremely exquisite."

He paused, then said sincerely:
"Why don't you refine a top-grade talisman brush in one go, fellow Daoist? I don't mean to urge you to spend more money."

I just believe that to do a good job, one must first have the right tools; good tools can make things much easier for us.

"I always felt it was too wasteful. To be honest, I used to use a first-grade top-quality talisman brush to draw second-grade top-quality talismans."

A little bit of showing off will earn you more respect from these monks who pride themselves on their skills.

Gu Tai was stunned, then shook his head firmly and said loudly:
"I do not believe."

He has always been so straightforward, never bothering to hide his thoughts.

I knew you wouldn't believe me.

Ji Anxin thought to himself, a slight smile playing on his lips. He rolled up his sleeves, ready to get down to business.

"I can't stand it when others question my professionalism! I just came from the Wei's Talisman Shop and happen to have the materials on hand. I'm going to draw a talisman on the spot to prove myself."

Making friends with artisans is easy; just show them your skills. As long as they're not in the same industry, it's easy to become good friends. The world of these people is relatively simple.

Gu Tai scratched his head. He was always like this; he couldn't stand others questioning his abilities.

He wanted to apologize, but he really didn't believe that the other party could draw a second-tier top-grade talisman with a talisman brush of the magic artifact level.

“Well, if you can draw a second-grade top-quality talisman with a first-grade talisman brush, I will set up a table at Drunken Immortal Residence to apologize to you.”

If someone can't draw it, he'll look down on them; the most despicable craftsmen are those who boast and brag.

Ji An took out the materials and handed two somewhat worn-out talisman pens to the other party.

He took out several sets of second-tier Panshan Talismans and two sets of Fire Dragon Talisman materials, and needed to draw a few low-tier talismans to warm up his skills.

Gu Tai channeled his magic power into the talisman brush, his brows furrowing slightly. It was indeed a top-grade first-tier talisman brush, but its craftsmanship was far inferior to his.

In his view, these kinds of weapon refiners lowered the industry's prestigious image.

He put down the talisman brush and said:

"The talisman pen is fine."

Ji An took a deep breath, calmed his mind, and then picked up the talisman brush to draw several Panshan talismans. He succeeded four times and failed once, but the result felt pretty good.

He switched to another talisman brush and began drawing a fire dragon talisman.

(End of this chapter)