Chapter 37: Purchasing Talismans, Going to the Black Market
Translator: 549690339
âShopkeeper, do you have any booklets specifically on talismans? Iâd like to take a look,â Lin Jing said.
âCertainly, please wait a moment, fellow Taoist,â the shopkeeper responded.
With that, the shopkeeper took out a booklet from beneath the counter and handed it to Lin Jing.
Lin Jing took the booklet and began flipping through it.
It contained detailed records of various talismans, including their uses, power range, and various taboos associated with their use.
Lin Jing skipped over the First Rank talismans and went directly to the back to start with the various Second Rank talismans.
After a while, Lin Jing closed the booklet and handed it back to the shopkeeper.
Smiling, the shopkeeper asked, âHave you decided, fellow Taoist? Which talismans would you like?â
âMm,â Lin Jing affirmed.
âShopkeeper, Iâll take three Five Thunder Talismans, two Golden Body Talismans, and then one Invisibility Talisman.â
These were all carefully selected by Lin Jing.
The function of the Golden Body Talisman was to protect oneself for half an hour, able to withstand a full blow from a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
Lin Jing bought them specifically to guard against unexpected situations, to be prepared for emergencies.
The Invisibility Talisman could hide oneself for half an hour, eluding the Divine Sense detection of those below the Foundation Establishment Stage. Needless to say, it was perfect for sneak attacks.
However, the Invisibility Talisman had one fatal flawâyou couldnât move while invisible, as the airflow caused by movement could easily be detected.
Therefore, Lin Jing only took one.
As for the Five Thunder Talisman, there was no need for an explanation; Lin Jing had used it himself and its power was indeed extraordinary.
âFellow Taoist,â the shopkeeper began, âI need to inform you that due to the recent upsurge of Demonic Beasts, talisman prices have risen. The ones youâre asking for arenât cheap.â
âIâm aware of that,â Lin Jing nodded and said.
The shopkeeper nodded, took out several talismans, turned around, retrieved a wooden box from the shelf behind him, and neatly placed the talismans inside.
Turning back to Lin Jing, the shopkeeper said:
âFellow Taoist, each Five Thunder Talisman and Golden Body Talisman costs
150 Lower Grade Spirit Stones. Since you want five in total, that will be 750 Lower Grade Spirit Stones. The Invisibility Talisman is a bit cheaper, at 100
Spirit Stones each.â
âTogether, that will be a total of 850 Lower Grade Spirit Stones.â
As he spoke, the shopkeeper passed the wooden box over.
âAlright.â
Lin Jing received the wooden box, took out Spirit Stones from his Storage Bag, counted out 850, and handed them to the shopkeeper.
He had originally saved up 2000 Spirit Stones, and purchasing these few talismans had cost him nearly half.
Lin Jing couldnât help but lament, âSpirit Stones really donât last long when it comes to spendingâ¦â
Actually, the price of the talismans was quite reasonable, considering they were Second Rank talismans meant specifically for dealing with Foundation Establishment Cultivators.
Your average Qi Refinement Cultivator couldnât afford these, could they?
After buying the talismans, Lin Jing went to check out the Magical Treasure section of the market.
However, unfortunately, since his cultivation was too low, there were no suitable Magical Treasures for him.
Afterward, he took another lap around Fang Market before returning home.
Once home, to thank Wei Zhengqing and Ning Yue for their help the previous day, Lin Jing invited them over and prepared a big table of delicious food.
Of course, the little girl Luo Luo couldnât be left out.
During the meal, Wei Zhengqing told Lin Jing that in two days, he would take him to the black market.
After dinner, the three of them left, and after Lin Jing had put everything in order, he went to cultivate.
Soon, two days passed.
Early in the morning on this day, someone knocked on the door of Lin Jingâs home.
When Lin Jing opened the door, to his surprise, it was Wei Zhengqing standing on the doorstep; Lin Jing quickly invited him in.
Lin Jing asked in confusion,
âBrother Wei, are we heading out now?â
âBrother Lin, thereâs been a change in plans,â Wei Zhengqing said.
âToday, I need to go out and deal with some matters with a friend. Itâs a bit dangerous, and itâs not convenient to bring you along.â
Lin Jing replied, âNo problem, Brother Wei, you go ahead. The trip to the black market is not urgent; it can happen anytime.â
âNo, youâve misunderstood, â Wei Zhengqing shook his head and said.
âWe still need to go to the black market. After this, I may have to leave, and it might be a long time before I can return.â
âTonight at Zi Time, go to Shiyu Alley and wait for me there. I will arrive before Zi Time and will take you into the black market with me.â
âYou probably donât know the way to Shiyu Alley, so here, take a look at this map. â
With those words, Wei Zhengqing produced a map and handed it to Lin Jing.
âUh⦠okay.â
Lin Jing was somewhat taken aback. Wei Zhengqing had not hemmed and hawed at all but had directly arranged everything.
âRight, thereâs alsoâ¦â
âThis is a Godspeed Talisman and an Invisibility Talisman. It might not be safe going out at night. When you go out, use the talismans and try to avoid attracting other peopleâs attention.â
After presenting the two talismans, Wei Zhengqing immediately took out a purple talisman.
âA Teleportation Talisman!â
Lin Jing exclaimed in surprise.
âThatâs right, it is indeed a Teleportation Talisman.â Wei Zhengqing nodded.
âTake it.â
Wei Zhengqingâs tone was firm and brooked no argument.
âBrother Wei, thisâ¦â
This Teleportation Talisman was also a Second Rank talisman, but its talismanic patterns were intricate and difficult to make, which made it quite valuable.
Furthermore, Yuebaolou sold it for 500 Spirit Stones each; Lin Jing had never been willing to buy one, and yet Wei Zhengqing had just given it to him.
Lin Jing never liked owing people favors. The Godspeed Talisman and the Invisibility Talisman were one thing â their value was not high, and he could easily compensate for them. But this Teleportation Talismanâ¦
Lin Jing hesitated.
âTake it.â Wei Zhengqing said again.
âAs a friend recognized by me, Wei Zhengqing, you shouldnât have so many reservations.â
Lin Jing looked up, meeting Wei Zhengqingâs eyes, which were full of resolve, and then he stopped hesitating.
âAlriÃht, Brother Wei. If thatâs so, then Iâll accept it.â
âMmâ¦!â Wei Zhengqing nodded.
âThis Teleportation Talisman can instantly transport you to any location within a kilometer when youâre in danger.â âIt should be enough to escape from danger.â
âThank you, Brother Wei. I understand,â Lin Jing said.
âSince weâve agreed on that, I should be going now. Remember to be careful tonight.â
âI understand.â
Afterwards, Wei Zhengqing took his leave.
Once Wei Zhengqing had left, Lin Jing opened the map to memorize the location of Shiyu Alley, then started to cultivate in meditation.
He cultivated until evening, before he finally stopped.
During this time of cultivation, Lin Jing felt his Divine Sense becoming increasingly consolidated, and his control over the Controlling Fire Technique also improved over before.
He believed that it wouldnât be long before he could break through again.
Looking outside through the window, Lin Jing saw the moon hanging above the treetops and figured it was about time.
After making some simple preparations, Lin Jing left his residence.
However, just after Lin Jing had gone outâ¦
Across in the opposite courtyard, Zhang Lin hurried into the house.
âBig brother⦠Big brotherâ¦â
âHeâs left; heâs gone outâ¦â
Zhang Lin was visibly excited, speaking in a hushed tone.
Zhang Sen, who had been meditating, opened his eyes and looked toward Zhang Lin.
âDid he go out alone?â
âDonât worry, big brother. I saw it clear as day; it was just him alone.â
âBig brother, shall we take action?â Zhang Lin asked.
Zhang Sen narrowed his eyes and said:
âOpportunity knocks but once. Letâs go, weâll follow him..â