Starting as a Talisman Master

The Hidden Pavilion opened this month, with two mid-grade talisman masters sharing the same hall. The position of chief talisman master naturally arouses much speculation.

With limited shelf space and limited promotional materials, one must always choose one to emphasize when introducing products to customers.

The talisman master who is highly praised is the chief, often the most skilled, the most reliable in creating talismans, and the most renowned in the shop.

Lu Chi thought to himself, if we're talking about seniority and reputation, Liu Qing has accumulated experience since coming from Xuan Yue Market, and he was also someone Qin Su Niang recruited earlier, so this position should probably fall to him.

However, the number of talismans sold directly affects the amount of spirit stones earned, and he couldn't help but have some thoughts about the chief position.

"Brother Liu Qing and Master Lu, you are both mid-grade talisman masters. You will share the talisman matters in the future, so please do not let yourselves fall out."

Qin Su Niang slightly raised her gauze sleeve, seemingly casually brushing aside a stray strand of hair from her temple, but her gaze lingered between the two for a moment, gentle yet sharp:

"The title of Chief Talisman Master is yet to be determined by our pavilion. Since Moon Concealment Pavilion has just opened, we will first use the quality of the talismans and the favor of our guests as the criteria. Whoever's talisman pleases the fellow Daoists the most will be the Chief Talisman Master."

Her words seemed perfectly reasonable, but they actually contained a hidden barb.

It was clearly a showdown between Lu Chi and Liu Qing, with sales volume determining the top spot.

Knowing that their talismans were related to their income from spirit stones and their status, the two naturally worked hard to improve and draw them diligently, adding more glory to the Moon Hidden Pavilion.

Lu Chi's heart stirred slightly, and he even vaguely guessed that the other party's invitation to join the sect was somewhat intended to stimulate the old with the new.

Otherwise, he had only been a talisman master for a little over a month, and his skills were limited to gathering spirit talismans, yet the other party believed without hesitation that he could shoulder the responsibility of making mid-grade talismans.

She was using other people's strength to extract maximum benefit, but she was only at the fifth level of Qi Refining, so wasn't she afraid of a backlash...?

At this moment, a disciple came to report that several talismans had been sold. Qin Su Niang felt slightly relieved and smiled faintly.

"Master Lu, Brother Liu Qing, let me tell you about our future plans."

"Among the talisman shops in Qingque Mountain Market, the Luo family's talisman shop is the best. Their talismans are of superior quality, but their prices are high. Many cultivators admire their reputation, but they are too poor to afford them and can only look on with envy."

"It is wishful thinking for us, who have just opened our business, to surpass the Luo family in one fell swoop. But no matter how strong the Luo family's talisman shop is, it is not without its weaknesses."

"They mostly sell mid-to-high-grade talismans. While they do have low-grade, commonly used talismans, they are expensive and scarce, leaving a large gap in supply."

"Moon Concealment Pavilion currently has two mid-grade talisman masters, who can start with low-grade talismans and sell commonly used talismans such as Spirit Gathering, Golden Light, Ice Arrow, and Breath Concealment at 80% or even 70% of the market price."

"It doesn't matter if the profit margin is small. First, we need to build up popularity and establish a firm foothold. Once the customer base is large enough, we can gradually raise prices and slowly erode Rockwell's market share."

She paused, looked at Lu Chi and Liu Qing, and said softly:

"Master Lu and Brother Liu Qing, you two are the foundation of Moon Concealment Pavilion. We should focus on small profits and quick turnover, starting with the lower-level markets. Once our foundation is solid, we can then aim for higher profits."

"This is the strategy I have devised. What do you two think?"

Liu Qing immediately put on a smile: "Sister, your insight is brilliant! Your brother will certainly do his utmost!"

"What the sect leader says is absolutely right, and I, Lu, will certainly comply."

Lu Chi's voice was calm. Low-level talismans bring in customers with small profits, and the key is to establish a reputation first before planning for the long term. Isn't this the same old approach he used to take?

With a fixed storefront and the backing of the Qixia Sect, Yueyin Pavilion's promotion naturally becomes much more efficient.

He suddenly noticed that Qin Suniang's gaze towards him seemed unusual, gentle yet probing, its meaning unfathomable.

She probably already knew about his past as a talisman repairman at the Luo family's talisman shop, but she didn't seem to be bothered by it.

The disciple who reported bowed again and said, "Sect Master, there are some independent cultivators at the front desk who specifically requested to speak with Master Liu in detail, saying they want to order several talismans."

"Brother Liu Qing, it seems your skills have spread far and wide. Go on, don't keep the guests waiting."

"Thank you for your kind words, sister. It's nothing, I'll go and attend to it right away."

Liu Qing immediately put on a humble smile, her gaze sweeping over Lu Chi intentionally or unintentionally, a meaningful teasing smile playing on her lips.

"Brother Lu, don't be in a hurry. I'll be right back. We'll spar again when the time is right."

Lu Chi didn't reply, but lowered his eyes to look at the teacup on the table. The tea was slightly cool, reflecting his calm brows and eyes, but a chill ran through his heart.

Qin Su Niang's gaze lingered on his face for a moment, a half-smile playing on her lips:

"Brother Liu Qing is proud and his words are inevitably a bit sharp. I know he is arrogant and haughty. You two will be handling talisman matters together in the future. I hope that Master Lu will be more tolerant and get along well with him."

"The future of Moonlit Pavilion is uncertain. If Master Lu has any doubts, please speak frankly, and I will do my best."

Lu Chi remained expressionless, cupped his hands and said, "Sect Master, you flatter me. Now that I have joined the sect, I will do my best."

Qin Su Niang took out an inconspicuous gray storage bag from her sleeve and handed it to Lu Chi.

"This is what I promised before. The formula for the Foundation Establishment Pill has been recorded in the jade slip, and the other talisman materials are also included here."

Lu Chi took the bag, his fingertips touching its warm surface. Just as he was about to thank the bag, a commotion suddenly arose from the direction of the front hall.

Just as he was about to say a few more words, a commotion suddenly broke out outside the door.

First came a few angry shouts, followed by the dull thud of a table being overturned, interspersed with Liu Qing's slightly shrill rebuke:

"How can you be so unreasonable! The quality of the talisman is judged fairly, and the price is clearly marked. If you are not satisfied, you can simply not buy it. Why throw a tantrum here!"

Lu Chi and Qin Suniang exchanged a glance, their hearts sinking.

Qin Suniang flicked her sleeve and stood up, saying, "Let's go take a look."

Lu Chi nodded and followed her quickly through the back hall, pushing open the screen door connecting the inner hall to the front hall.

The front hall was in complete chaos.

At first, it was just a whispered argument, but it gradually escalated, interspersed with a few sneers and rebukes.

Liu Qing stood behind the counter, his face ashen, with a faint spiritual light flickering in his sleeve, clearly indicating that he had already prepared several talismans.

Three rogue cultivators stood in front of the counter. The one in the lead, at the fourth level of Qi Refining, was flushed and pointed at a stack of Spirit Gathering talismans on the shelf, shouting loudly:

"This talisman paper is wrinkled and the patterns are blurry; it's clearly a substandard product! Your Qixia Sect is newly established, and you're already trying to fool people with this kind of shoddy goods?"

Two companions chimed in, "That's right! The spirit-gathering talismans from Luo's Talisman Shop are incredibly effective. If you stick this one in the field, it probably won't even be able to gather any spiritual energy!"

Several cultivators who had originally been looking at the goods stopped and watched from the side of the shelf. Some whispered among themselves, while others watched coldly. The atmosphere was tense.

Liu Qing sneered, raising her voice:

"Defective product? Fellow Daoists, if you don't believe me, you can test the talisman on the spot! If it's not effective enough, I, Liu, will personally compensate you tenfold! But if it's effective, what will you all do then?"

The leader of the rogue cultivators retorted, "Tenfold compensation? Hmph, who knows if you'll renege! If you don't give us an explanation today, we brothers will not let this go!"

As soon as Qin Suniang and Lu Chi stepped out of the screen door, the rogue cultivator turned his gaze and immediately recognized Qin Suniang, his voice rising even louder:

"Sect Leader Qin, your arrival is timely! Didn't your Qixia Sect claim to operate on a principle of low profit margins and high sales volume, and to be honest with everyone, young and old? Now that the quality of these talismans is like this, how can we be convinced?"

Qin Suniang's smile remained unchanged as she stepped forward with unhurried steps and said softly:

"Please be patient, everyone. All the talismans from Moon Concealment Pavilion are personally drawn by our sect's talisman masters, and their quality is self-evident. If you have any doubts, feel free to verify the talisman on the spot. If there are indeed any problems, I will not shirk my responsibility."

The leading rogue cultivator was taken aback, then retorted firmly, "An apology? We're just telling the truth! If your talismans are truly flawed, you have to compensate us for our emotional distress!"

Liu Qing snorted coldly, half of the talisman in his sleeve already showing, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

Lu Chi stood beside Qin Su Niang, his gaze calm, yet he had already scanned the auras of the three people in the room.

One was at the fourth level of Qi Refining, another at the third level of Qi Refining, and yet another at the peak of the third level of Qi Refining... The three had mixed auras, and although their clothes were neat, they carried a hint of deliberately feigned nonchalance.

There were faint ink marks on his hands, but they weren't the even marks left by drawing talismans; they looked more like they had been temporarily smeared on.

A thought struck him: This wasn't just ordinary troublemaking; someone had clearly hired them to cause a scene. So quickly... Could it be a competitor?

Qin Su Niang seemed to sense the abnormality as well; her smile remained, but a hint of coldness crept in.

"In that case, please move to the talisman testing platform and verify the talisman on the spot. If there is a problem with the talisman, MoonHidden Pavilion will compensate you ten times the amount of spirit stones. If there is no problem... would the three of you be willing to apologize publicly?"

"Alright! Let's try! If we're wrong, we'll apologize. If you're wrong... humph, this shop probably won't be able to open today!"

Qin Suniang nodded and raised her hand, saying, "Please."

She turned to look at Lu Chi and Liu Qing, her voice gentle yet authoritative: "Two talisman masters, come with me."

Lu Chi nodded slightly and followed.