Bailong Market.
"Please take care, sir. Welcome to visit again."
Outside a shop called Xingyuan General Store, Zhou Tai walked out the door with the shop assistant's enthusiastic farewell, heading towards the next shop without looking back.
He had only bought a few stacks of talismans at Xingyuan General Store, which added up to only a few low-grade spirit stones, but the shop assistant still very warmly saw him out the door.
Putting everything else aside, this service attitude alone made Zhou Tai realize that to survive in the fiercely competitive Bailong Market, every shop must have its own way of survival.
Indeed, in Zhou Tai's view, the commercial competition in Bailong Market was very fierce.
According to the information he gathered from visiting various shops, many shops sold various low- to mid-range items for Qi Refining stage cultivators, whether it was pills, magic tools, or talismans, and the prices were not high.
Moreover, each shop often offered certain discounts based on the actual situation.
For example, one shop mainly sold magic tools, and if someone bought one of their magic tools, they would give away one or more talismans of the same grade.
Some shops mainly sell magic talismans, offering one free with every purchase.
Others sell pills, giving away cheap hemostatic and detoxifying remedies with the purchase of expensive ones.
Of course, some shops don't offer anything free; these are often well-established and powerful, targeting the high-end market.
Coincidentally, Zhou Tai's thunder talismans could also be considered high-end!
He inquired about thunder talismans at many shops, but most couldn't find any.
The only shops that could offer them were the boutique shops, and they all had first-tier high-grade thunder talismans.
Thanks to these shops, he saw a genuine first-tier high-grade thunder talisman for the first time.
However, the price of those talismans was quite shocking .
A single first-tier high-grade thunder talisman was priced at 120 low-grade spirit stones, no bargaining!
If it were a "Chain Lightning Strike Talisman," a first-tier high-grade thunder talisman, the price would be as high as 150 low-grade spirit stones!
Keep in mind that a first-tier mid-grade magic weapon in the market only sells for 160 or 170 low-grade spirit stones.
Even so, Zhou Tai gritted his teeth and bought a "Chain Lightning Strike Talisman".
He would definitely draw a first-tier high-grade lightning talisman in the future, so buying one in advance to study it wouldn't be bad.
Moreover, possessing such a powerful thunder talisman was a valuable asset for self-defense and survival.
Having witnessed the scarcity and value of thunder talismans in the market, Zhou Tai had some ideas on how to protect his own interests.
He now planned to go to Hongfu Residence to discuss the matter with its owner.
If they could reach an agreement directly, that would be ideal, saving him the risk of contacting other businesses.
If Zeng Qiming's influence didn't work, Zhou Tai would have to take the risk of contacting other shops.
Hongfu Residence wasn't in a good location within the market; in fact, it was quite remote. If Zhou Tai hadn't thoroughly explored the entire market beforehand, he wouldn't have easily found it.
The shop had only two floors and was located at the end of a street.
When Zhou Tai arrived outside, he found no staff soliciting customers; the door was simply wide open.
Upon entering, he discovered there were other customers inside, a middle-aged couple, being served by a staff member.
Upon seeing him enter, the young shop assistant quickly gave him an apologetic look and said, "Sir, please wait a moment while I introduce you to these two guests."
"You go ahead with your work, I'll take a look around first,"
Zhou Tai waved his hand and walked towards several display cases in the lobby.
Hongfu Residence only sold magic talismans, and the items on the counters were all first-tier magic talismans, all covered by transparent crystal covers, so they could only be viewed, not handled.
Zhou Tai counted, and there were as many as thirty-seven types of magic talismans on display, encompassing all five elements.
This secretly surprised him.
According to his rough investigation, the owner of Hongfu Residence seemed to be just a Foundation Establishment stage rogue cultivator, and most of the magic talismans in the shop were made by himself and his disciples.
If this was indeed the case, the owner of Hongfu Residence's attainments in the art of talismans were truly worthy of the title "Master."
Just as Zhou Tai was examining the exhibits at the counter, the middle-aged couple finished negotiating with the shop assistant and quickly completed their transaction, leaving the shop.
After seeing them off, the young shop assistant hurriedly ran to Zhou Tai and greeted him, "Sorry to have kept you waiting, sir. What kind of talisman would you like to buy?"
"I need to discuss a deal with your shop owner. Could you please give him this talisman? He will see me after he has read it."
As Zhou Tai spoke, he took out the token Zeng Qiming had given him and handed it to the young shop assistant.
The young assistant was stunned, not reacting for a moment.
After he came to his senses, he quickly took the token and looked at Zhou Tai curiously, saying, "Sir, do you know our manager?"
"No, but the teacher who gave me the token is an old acquaintance of his,"
Zhou Tai shook his head slightly, telling the truth.
"I understand. Please wait a moment, sir, and I will inform the manager for you."
After the young assistant finished speaking, he took the token and went upstairs, seemingly not worried that Zhou Tai would steal things and run away while he was away.
Seeing this, Zhou Tai couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Even if your master is a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he shouldn't be so confident!"
He didn't know if the assistant had any other backing, but if he were running the shop, he certainly wouldn't be so careless.
After waiting for a while, he saw the assistant come back downstairs.
As soon as he came down, the waiter gestured to him, saying, "The manager has agreed to see you, sir. Please follow me."
"Thank you for your trouble,"
Zhou Tai said politely, and followed the waiter upstairs.
In a tea room upstairs, Zhou Tai saw the owner of Hongfu Residence.
He saw that the man was also an old man with a full head of white hair, and a pretty young female cultivator stood beside him, whether she was a disciple or a concubine, he didn't know.
He didn't dare to look too much, and immediately took the initiative to bow to the old man and said, "Junior Zhou Tai greets senior."
"Oh, that old man Zeng didn't even tell you my name? Then why did he give you the token?"
The old man raised an eyebrow, his tone clearly displeased.
Zhou Tai was also somewhat puzzled by this matter, but at this moment he could only honestly answer, "Master Zeng indeed did not tell you your name, senior. He gave me the talisman so that I could pay my respects to you and discuss a business deal."
Upon hearing this, the old man frowned, and his tone became somewhat impatient: "Since you call Old Man Zeng 'Teacher,' you must be a disciple of the Talisman Hall of Spirit Beast Mountain. But with your level of cultivation, what kind of business can you discuss with me?"
Zhou Tai was not in a hurry to explain too much at this moment. He simply took out a thunder talisman and handed it over, saying, "This is a talisman I drew. Please appreciate it, senior!"
"Eh, this is a thunder talisman?"
The old man looked at the thunder talisman in Zhou Tai's hand and couldn't help but let out a soft exclamation. He immediately reached out and took the talisman into his hand to examine it.
After examining the talisman, he looked at Zhou Tai with suspicion and questioned, "Did you really draw this lightning strike talisman yourself?"
"Of course I wouldn't dare lie to a senior like you,"
Zhou Tai replied calmly.
He was there to discuss cooperation, not to ask for favors, so there was no need for him to be subservient.
Seeing his expression, the old man believed him, but still said, "Words are not enough. Would you dare to draw the talisman for me to see?"
Zhou Tai didn't know what the old man was thinking, but he had no reason to refuse the suggestion, otherwise it would seem like he was guilty.
He immediately nodded slightly and said, "Of course."
"Good, then come with me."
After the old man finished speaking, he got up and walked towards the door, and Zhou Tai followed.
Under the old man's guidance, the group soon entered a quiet room for drawing talismans.
The old man pulled up a chair and sat down, saying to Zhou Tai, "I can only provide you with the space. You should have your own brush, ink, paper, and inkstone with you, right?"
"These are my tools, of course I'll carry them with me,"
Zhou Tai replied, immediately striding towards the long table for drawing talismans. He took out his brush, ink, paper, and inkstone and began grinding ink.
By now, Zhou Tai had drawn hundreds of thunder talismans, and his talisman-drawing skills had greatly improved.
This time, after only one failed attempt, he successfully drew a thunder talisman.
As soon as the talisman was finished, he immediately looked at the old man in the chair.
The old man rolled his eyes and said irritably, "Why are you looking at me? Just keep drawing."
Zhou Tai's mind raced, but he finally nodded and said, "Then I'll continue to make a fool of myself." He
then laid out the paper, picked up his brush, and began drawing his third talisman.
One after another, Zhou Tai drew thunder talismans ten times, succeeding three times.
After drawing it for the tenth time, he put down his brush and looked intently at the old man, saying, "Senior, have you seen enough now?"
"Old Zeng is really lucky! He's really struck gold this time!"
The old man looked at him with a complex expression and sighed deeply, then nodded slightly and said, "My name is Li Hongzhi. The business you mentioned earlier, is it about wanting me to help you sell these lightning strike talismans?"
Seeing the old man bring it up, Zhou Tai immediately bowed and said, "Senior Li, you are wise. This is precisely why I've come."
"Lightning strike talismans are indeed valuable to those juniors in the Qi Refining stage. If you can provide a stable supply of these talismans, my Hongfuju business will definitely reach new heights."
Li Hongzhi didn't shy away from the benefits he could gain from the cooperation. After speaking, he looked at Zhou Tai and asked, "How do you plan to cooperate?"
Hearing this question, Zhou Tai immediately explained his idea: "This junior can provide Hongfuju with a stable supply every month at a fixed price, but Hongfuju will need to arrange for someone to pick up the goods from the Spirit Beast Mountain!"
"Arranging for someone to pick up the goods isn't a big problem, but what about the price?"
"Twenty low-grade spirit stones per lightning strike talisman!"
Zhou Tai said in a deep voice, stating his price.
The initial price of twenty low-grade spirit stones per lightning strike talisman ultimately failed to be negotiated.
While Li Hongzhi didn't deny the value of the talismans, he couldn't accept such a price from a purely business perspective.
After all, at that price, he'd be lucky to earn two or three low-grade spirit stones per talisman.
Others might think this profit was good, since lightning strike talismans were a sure-fire seller, and reselling them would yield such a high profit. However,
Li Hongzhi
knew why Zhou Tai had sought cooperation with him; he had Zhou Tai's weakness.
Therefore, with Li Hongzhi remaining firm, Zhou Tai ultimately had to compromise, reducing the price to eighteen low-grade spirit stones per talisman.
Zhou Tai was actually able to accept this outcome.
He was also a businessman and understood what a businessman might do when in a position of power.
Zeng Qiming had sent him to Li Hongzhi, indicating that this man was trustworthy and wouldn't commit murder for profit.
Moreover, this person was a rogue cultivator, and it would be difficult for him to extend his reach into the Spirit Beast Mountain.
Even for the sake of this safety, earning a little less spirit stones was acceptable.
After reaching a cooperation agreement, Zhou Tai immediately gave Li Hongzhi fifty lightning strike talismans and agreed to a stable supply of fifty lightning strike talismans per month thereafter.
Li Hongzhi had no objection to this supply, and even said that he could take any more.
Heng Kingdom was vast, with a large number of cultivators, and no matter how many lightning strike talismans Zhou Tai drew, it wouldn't have much impact on the country's market.
And a large market like White Dragon Market served the entire country.
This was also an important reason why Zhou Tai was willing to accept Li Hongzhi's terms.
After completing the first thunder talisman transaction, Zhou Tai tentatively looked at Li Hongzhi and said, "Senior Li, I need a special talisman brush to draw thunder talismans. You are a master of talisman arts with extensive connections. I wonder if you could help me order a few talisman brushes?"
Upon hearing this, Li Hongzhi immediately pointed at him and laughed, "You little brat, you really know how to climb the social ladder, even ordering this old man around!"
Then, after a moment's thought, he nodded slightly and said, "I'll give it a try. If this works out, I'll give you an answer when I pick up the goods next time."
Zhou Tai was overjoyed and quickly cupped his hands in thanks, "Thank you for your help, Senior. I'll await your good news then."
Li Hongzhi waved his hand, indicating that there was no need to be so polite. Then, glancing at the sky outside the window, he suddenly asked
Zhou Tai, "It's getting late. Would you like to stay the night at my inn?" Zhou Tai hesitated for a moment before shaking his head and saying, "No need. I can stay
at my sect's residence." Seeing that he refused to stay, Li Hongzhi wasn't angry. He simply nodded slightly and said, "Very well, then I won't keep you any longer."
"Then I'll take my leave."
After saying this, Zhou Tai cupped his hands in a respectful gesture to Li Hongzhi, turned, and went downstairs to leave.
After confirming that Zhou Tai had left the shop, Li Hongzhi looked at the thunder talisman he had left on the table and couldn't help but remark, "To be able to draw a thunder talisman with only a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivation level, and with such a high success rate, this young man's future is limitless if he succeeds in Foundation Establishment!"
Hearing this, the young female cultivator who had remained silent until now asked curiously, "Since Master thinks so highly of Fellow Daoist Zhou, why is he unwilling to give him a better deal?"
Li Hongzhi shook his head: "It's our first collaboration, and there's no trust between us. Even if I gave him a better deal, why would he care?" He
then added... He shifted his focus and said calmly, "Besides, I think he's already quite old. Whether he can successfully establish his foundation in the future is still unknown. Why rush things?"
The young female cultivator immediately understood after hearing his explanation and flattered him with an expression of enlightenment, saying, "Master is so thoughtful. I've learned a lot."
Then she whispered, "But I still have one question. Since that Fellow Daoist Zhou can draw thunder talismans, it means he has the aptitude for thunder spirit roots. So why is he only at this level of cultivation at such a young age?"
Li Hongzhi frowned slightly upon hearing her question, revealing a thoughtful expression.
After pondering for a moment, he thoughtfully said, "It's probably because she started cultivating late. I can't think of any other reason."
Hearing this explanation, the young female cultivator couldn't help but sigh, "That's truly a pity!"
Li Hongzhi took the opportunity to instruct her, "So, Xiaolian, you must work harder on your cultivation in the future. You must know that for us cultivators, cultivation is the foundation of everything. Don't wait until you're old to regret it!"
...
Zhou Tai was completely unaware of the conversation between Li Hongzhi and his disciple after he left.
After leaving Hongfu Residence, he went to the mansion that Ling Shou Mountain had opened in Bailong Market to stay overnight.
The mansion occupied a considerable area, with four floors. It was open to the public, but a few rooms were reserved each day for disciples of the Spirit Beast Mountain.
Zhou Tai showed his outer disciple token at the counter and obtained a superior room for free.
After resting for the night, Zhou Tai checked out and left the market shortly after dawn the next day.
He had achieved his goal in coming to White Dragon Market, and it was time to leave.
Leaving the market, Zhou Tai retrieved his rested Black Feather Vulture from the animal pen and began his return journey.
He would fly along the White Dragon River again, but this time upstream.
As dusk approached, Zhou Tai, just like the previous night, chose an uninhabited island in the White Dragon River to land and rest.
The night was deep, and the starlight was dim.
On the uninhabited island, Zhou Tai lay down beside the Black Feather Vulture; both he and the vulture were asleep.
At that moment, on the White Dragon River to the east of the island, a giant black tortoise was wading towards the island, with two men and a woman, three cultivators, sitting on its back.
The three men rode on tortoises and quickly arrived at the edge of the island.
They exchanged glances, each concealing their faces with a black cloth, and silently leaped onto the island.
Then, wielding various magical artifacts, they slowly made their way towards Zhou Tai.
*Croak!
* A frog's croak suddenly boomed like thunder in the darkness, instantly waking the sleeping man and the vulture.
Zhou Tai's eyes snapped open, and he quickly stood up.
At the same time, a low shout rang out from the nearby woods.
"Not good, we've been discovered! Quickly, go and stop him!"
The shout had barely faded when two streaks of fire pierced the night sky, hurtling towards Zhou Tai.
His expression changed, and he hurriedly took out a magical talisman hidden in his sleeve and activated it, transforming it into a golden shield that protected him.
*Boom! Boom!
* Just as Zhou Tai activated the talisman, two streaks of fire exploded near him, quickly igniting the surrounding flammable materials and setting them ablaze.
The Black Feathered Vulture was also caught in the firestorm of the explosion, its feathers instantly singed, and it cried out in panic.
Seeing this, Zhou Tai hurriedly took out his spirit beast pouch and shouted at it, "You go into the spirit beast pouch first!"
However, the Black Feathered Vulture, which had been so obedient during the day, completely ignored him and quickly flapped its wings and flew into the sky.
"That damned feathered beast!"
Zhou Tai cursed angrily as he watched the Black Feathered Vulture take off.
He now understood why many outer sect disciples still chose to train their own mounts, even though they could rent flying mounts from the sect.
These weren't mounts he had contracted and trained; they were truly unruly in times of trouble, and could be deadly in critical moments.
There was no time to think about the Black Feathered Vulture running away. After cursing, Zhou Tai immediately ordered the Thunder Pattern Frog Yuanbao to hide, and at the same time, he took out the Azure Cloud Shield, the Illusionary Smoke Gourd, and the Fire Cloud Pouch from his storage pouch.
He first summoned the Azure Cloud Shield, creating an additional emerald green light barrier outside the golden protective shield. Then, he stuffed the Illusionary Smoke Gourd and the Fire Cloud Pouch into his pocket for easy access.
Just as he was doing this, the three masked enemies appeared in his line of sight.
Seeing these three masked men suddenly appear, Zhou Tai's heart sank, and he immediately shouted fiercely, "Who are you? How dare you attack an outer disciple of Spirit Beast Mountain!"
Before he could finish speaking, a deliberately disguised hoarse voice rang out, "Don't waste words with him, kill him first!"
Then, a blue-glowing Water-Splitting Thorn flew towards him.
Seeing this, the other man and woman also activated their magical weapons or cast spells, launching a group attack on him.
All three were at the late stage of Qi Refining, and the owner of the Water-Splitting Thorn was even at the ninth level of Qi Refining.
Under the combined attack of the three, the emerald green light barrier activated by the Azure Cloud Shield was quickly shattered, and the artifact itself was blasted to the ground. The golden protective shield surrounding it trembled precariously.
Seeing the ferocity of the enemy, Zhou Tai dared not harbor any illusions. He immediately summoned the Illusionary Smoke Gourd, spewing out all the bewitching smoke within.
A column of purplish-blue smoke erupted from the gourd's mouth, landing right next to the masked man wielding the Water-Splitting Thorn, instantly exploding into a cloud of smoke that enveloped both him and the female cultivator.
"Be careful, it's poisonous!"
A low shout rang out from within the mist. The two masked men trapped by the smoke hurriedly fled towards the edge of the smoke zone.
But at that moment, blue-white lightning illuminated the night sky, crashing down upon the three masked men.
Zhou Tai, holding a handful of talismans, immediately unleashed three lightning strike talismans upon the three of them.
Without waiting for the lightning to hit its mark, he activated two more high-grade first-tier talismans he had bought from the old talisman masters.
One talisman transformed into a flaming spear, shooting straight at the masked man at the ninth level of Qi Refining.
The other talisman transformed into a golden longsword, slashing at another masked male cultivator at the eighth level of Qi Refining.
The masked men were immediately stunned by his aggressive fighting style, hastily retreating to defend themselves, no longer able to attack him.
Little did they know that this decision directly sealed their fate. With
the defensive pressure greatly reduced, Zhou Tai gave the three no chance to counterattack, continuously activating talismans one after another, launching a relentless bombardment.
It didn't look like three people ganging up on him, but rather like he was single-handedly beating up three!
"Hold on, everyone hold on, he must be running out of talismans!"
The masked man at the ninth level of Qi Refining shouted encouragement to his companions while desperately resisting Zhou Tai's lightning and fire attacks, no longer bothering to conceal his voice.
However, his words had barely faded when a scream rang out.
The masked female cultivator, momentarily stunned, was struck by a bolt of blue-white lightning, her clothes instantly ripped apart as she collapsed to the ground.
Seeing this, the masked male cultivator at the eighth level of Qi Refining was immediately horrified.
"Wife!"
he cried out, rushing towards the motionless woman.
This scene filled the masked man at the ninth level of Qi Refining with both shock and anger, and he hurriedly warned, "Fellow Daoist Lu, don't fall for it!"
But his warning was too late.
Just as the Lu-surnamed cultivator ran towards his partner, Zhou Tai directly flung out his Fire Cloud Net, instantly enveloping the unwitting enemy in a fiery net.
"Now only you remain!"
Zhou Tai's gaze shifted from the screaming enemy within the fiery net to the masked man at the ninth level of Qi Refining, speaking softly.
On the nameless island,
the masked man at the ninth level of the Qi Refining stage was furious after witnessing Zhou Tai swiftly kill his two companions with an unreasonable barrage of money.
This wasn't the first time they'd robbed and killed sect disciples.
Even when facing sect disciples at the late Qi Refining stage, no one had ever been as arrogant as Zhou Tai, casually tossing precious lightning talismans like ordinary fireballs.
What was even more outrageous was that Zhou Tai's cultivation was only at the sixth level of the Qi Refining stage!
[Remember this site's domain name to read Taiwanese novels on Taiwan Novel Network, 𝖙𝖜𝖐𝖆𝖓.𝖈𝖔𝖒]
He couldn't understand why this was happening and couldn't help but curse angrily, "Are you fucking crazy? Did your talismans just fall from the sky? Do you know how many spirit stones you just threw away?"
He didn't even need to calculate to know that the talismans Zhou Tai had just thrown away were definitely worth several hundred low-grade spirit stones.
He had never even heard of such an unreasonable act of using talismans to attack people, let alone witnessed it firsthand.
Coupled with the shock of losing two companions, it's no wonder he was emotionally disoriented.
"Oh, so you're feeling sorry for my spirit stones? Well, I really have to thank you!"
Zhou Tai said with a cold smile.
Before he finished speaking, he unleashed another lightning strike talisman at the masked man.
In truth, he was also distressed about the talismans, but compared to spirit stones, he clearly valued his own life more.
However, this last masked man was indeed quite formidable, not only possessing high cultivation but also powerful magical artifacts and rich combat experience.
Realizing he couldn't defeat Zhou Tai alone, he decisively charged towards the riverbank despite the onslaught.
Zhou Tai, naturally unwilling to let the tiger return to the mountain, quickly drew his Silver Star Sword and unleashed a slash at the enemy.
However, the masked man was indeed experienced. Even while fleeing, he was able to use his Water-Splitting Thorn magic weapon to block the Silver Star Sword, and he also threw out several magic talismans to hinder Zhou Tai's pursuit.
Under his interception, the distance between Zhou Tai and him quickly increased.
By the time Zhou Tai reached the riverbank, he had already jumped onto the back of the giant tortoise waiting there and escaped more than ten feet away on the tortoise.
Seeing this, Zhou Tai hesitated for a moment, then his eyes hardened, and he decisively took out the first-grade high-ranking thunder talisman from his storage bag.
He bought this Chain Lightning Strike Talisman to study its drawing technique, but now it could only be used to kill enemies.
He channeled his magic power into the talisman and decisively unleashed it towards the giant turtle in the water.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The talisman transformed into a blue-white thundercloud in the air, and bolts of blue-white lightning crashed down one after another.
Compared to the inconvenient target-locking lightning spell, the biggest advantage of the Chain Lightning Strike spell was its wide range and its priority in striking living creatures within its area.
Although the giant turtle swam quickly in the water, it couldn't outrun lightning.
Even if the lightning didn't directly hit it, the spreading lightning power in the river would paralyze its body and slow it down.
With its speed reduced, it would be even harder for it to escape the remaining lightning strikes.
"No, I'm not reconciled!!"
On the island, Zhou Tai watched the river from afar, witnessing the masked man fall into the river after being struck by two consecutive bolts of lightning, letting out a furious roar of defiance before his death.
This was the first time he had witnessed the power of the Chain Lightning Strike Technique. He even carefully counted the total number of lightning bolts that struck.
The answer was five!
Five bolts of lightning struck in succession, each with only a breath or two between them.
And he knew this wasn't the upper limit of the Chain Lightning Strike Technique.
The power of spells cast by talismans is inherently less than that of the original spells.
Moreover, the Chain Lightning Strike Technique has another characteristic: as long as one is willing to increase the consumption of mana, the duration of the spell can be extended.
It is said that the limit for a Qi Chain cultivator to cast this technique is the Nine-Strike Heavenly Thunder, which can unleash nine consecutive lightning bolts to strike the enemy!
Judging from what just happened, if nine lightning bolts really struck in succession, apart from a Foundation Establishment cultivator, probably no Qi Chain cultivator could withstand it!
"That guy should be dead!"
Zhou Tai looked at the pitch-black river surface and muttered to himself uncertainly.
After thinking for a moment, he quickly ran back to the mountain, brought the Thunder-Patterned Frog Yuanbao to the riverbank, and sent it to find the masked man.
As for the giant tortoise, Zhou Tai wasn't sure if the lightning he'd just unleashed had killed it. Even if it had, he couldn't possibly retrieve such a large monster's carcass from the shore in the darkness, so he had to leave it for now.
*Croak!*
Soon, a croaking sound rang out on the river. It was Thunder-Patterned Frog Yuanbao informing Zhou Tai that the masked man's body had been found.
Zhou Tai breathed a sigh of relief and waited patiently.
A moment later, he saw the masked man's body being pushed by Thunder-Patterned Frog Yuanbao towards the island's shore.
The frog, weighing only a dozen kilograms, was pushing the masked man's body, which weighed over a hundred kilograms, like a small horse pulling a large cart—the scene looked quite bizarre.
A short while later, the masked man's body was pushed to the shore, and Zhou Tai personally dragged it ashore.
"Yuanbao, you're really amazing! You've done a great job today!
I'll give you a bonus when we get back!" After dragging the masked man's body ashore, Zhou Tai didn't rush to touch the corpse. He first patted the frog's head, praising and promising it a reward.
"Croak! "
Thunder-Patterned Frog Yuanbao croaked contentedly and even asked Zhou Tai if he wanted to deal with the giant turtle.
"Oh, the giant turtle isn't dead?"
Zhou Tai's expression showed slight surprise, somewhat taken aback.
However, considering that turtle-type demonic beasts are known for their defense and vitality, and that the masked man had withstood the main damage, it wasn't surprising.
After thinking for a moment, he shook his head and said, "Forget it, since it's not dead, let's not bother with it."
To him, a first-tier demonic beast wasn't very valuable, and since it wasn't dead, there was no need to risk going into the water.
In comparison, the masked men he killed tonight were the biggest gain.
He hoped that the spoils from these people would make up for the magic talismans he had used.
Zhou Tai searched the masked man's corpse on the ground and quickly took all the usable items from it.
Only then did he remember that the water-splitting thorn magic weapon used by the masked man was missing, which was a first-tier high-grade magic weapon!
So he hurriedly said to the Thunder-Patterned Frog Yuanbao, "Yuanbao, I'll have to trouble you again. Go back down into the water and see if you can find that magic weapon."
Croak!
The Thunder-Patterned Frog Yuanbao croaked and immediately jumped into the river with a "plop" to search for the water-splitting thorn magic weapon.
Seeing this, Zhou Tai was very glad he had brought it with him.
Otherwise, not only might they have been successfully ambushed tonight, but most of these spoils would have been lost.
After waiting for about half an hour, Zhou Tai saw the Thunder-Patterned Frog Yuanbao swimming over with the Water-Splitting Thorn magic weapon in its mouth.
Seeing this, he immediately laughed happily, "Haha, Yuanbao, well done!"
A complete first-grade high-quality magic weapon, even if it's secondhand, can sell for at least three or four hundred low-grade spirit stones, so he could really make back all his losses tonight.
Immediately, he took out the porcelain bottle containing insect rice pills, poured out a dozen or so, and threw them to the Thunder-Patterned Frog Yuanbao as a reward.
Then he put away the Water-Splitting Thorn magic weapon, put the Thunder-Patterned Frog Yuanbao into his spirit beast bag, and turned to walk back, preparing to collect the bodies of the remaining two.
However, when he arrived at the place where they had rested earlier, his expression changed drastically.
Besides the charred corpse of the woman, the other female body was nowhere to be found.
Seeing this, he slapped his thigh in frustration, exclaiming, "I was careless! I didn't expect that woman to be alive!"
He had been so focused on chasing the fleeing masked man that he hadn't had time to confirm if the woman was dead.
Now, he realized his inexperience; he should have thrown another magic talisman to finish her off!
There was no time for regret now. Zhou Tai quickly examined the scene, hoping to find some clues.
After a brief investigation, Zhou Tai successfully found the woman's escape route and immediately gave chase, his magic weapon in hand.
He followed the trail and soon reached the riverbank.
However, the river was pitch black, and Zhou Tai couldn't see anyone.
He frowned, carefully recalling the woman's earlier injuries.
She had been struck by a lightning talisman, and judging from the way her clothes had been torn apart, she was definitely seriously injured and had been knocked unconscious on the spot.
Judging from his injuries at the time, Zhou Tai was somewhat skeptical that the other party could swim across the mighty Yangtze River to the other side.
If his assessment was correct, then things would get interesting.
Thinking of this, Zhou Tai immediately released the Thunder-Patterned Frog Yuanbao from his spirit beast pouch again, and then whispered some instructions.
Croak!
A frog croak rang out, and the Thunder-Patterned Frog Yuanbao once again jumped into the river with a "plop," quickly disappearing from sight.
Zhou Tai then began pacing back and forth on the bank, seemingly very anxious.
On the nameless island,
as Zhou Tai paced back and forth on the shore, a pair of eyes were fixed on him in the darkness.
The owner of
these eyes was the female cultivator who had miraculously survived.
She was now dressed in new clothes and hiding behind some bushes.
Her dry, cracked lips indicated her dire condition.
She dared not make any sudden movements, even suppressing her breathing.
She knew very well that if she were discovered, she would surely die.
After an unknown amount of time, Zhou Tai suddenly stopped, as if remembering something, and rushed towards the site of the previous battle.
His actions startled the female cultivator, who feared she had inadvertently left behind some clue, and a sense of unease washed over her.
Zhou Tai's figure quickly disappeared from the female cultivator's sight, making her even more uneasy. She frowned, pondering her actions during her escape, wondering if she had overlooked anything or left any clues or flaws.
It's common knowledge that when people are deep in thought, certain subconscious behaviors become uncontrollable.
This was the case for the female cultivator.
After Zhou Tai disappeared from her sight, and knowing he was now far away, her vigilance relaxed.
Maintaining one posture for a long time would inevitably cause discomfort, and without mental focus, she would subconsciously stretch and move to alleviate the discomfort.
This subconscious movement was very subtle, and even if she noticed it, she would subconsciously think it was nothing serious.
Little did she know, this was a trap Zhou Tai had deliberately set for her!
When the female cultivator subconsciously stretched and moved, the commotion she made was quickly detected by the Thunder-Patterned Frog Yuanbao.
Yes, the Thunder-Patterned Frog Yuanbao hadn't actually gone into the river to search for anyone; it had merely used the act of jumping into the river to conceal itself.
It had already quietly come ashore from an unnoticed spot and had been hiding in the shadows, sensing changes in its surroundings.
So when the female cultivator subconsciously stretched and bent, the newly created movements quickly exposed her, but she was completely unaware of it.
A sudden croak of a frog startled her from her reverie.
Even then, she didn't realize she'd been exposed, and looked towards the direction of the croak with suspicion, wondering what the demonic frog was saying.
Soon, Zhou Tai reappeared, heading straight for the Thunder-Patterned Frog Yuanbao.
After he met up with the frog, Yuanbao croaked repeatedly, pointing him to the direction and approximate location of the female cultivator's hiding place. Following the frog
's directions, he silently surveyed the area, then gently stroked the frog's head and whispered, "I understand, Yuanbao, you've done a great service again. Go back to your spirit beast pouch and rest!" He then put the
meritorious frog into his spirit beast pouch.
He walked a short distance, then made a hand seal, cast a spell, and with a wave of his hand, a thick bolt of blue-white lightning flew towards the distant grass.
A bolt of blue-white lightning struck the grass, instantly creating a chaotic dance of lightning and sparks.
Looking at the burning grass, he calmly said, "If you come out now, you might still have a chance to live; otherwise, you might be reduced to ashes!"
As he spoke, he wiped his hand on his storage bag, producing several more magic talismans.
The female cultivator hiding in the grass turned pale upon seeing this.
She had a bad feeling ever since Zhou Tai and the Thunder-Patterned Frog Yuanbao had been communicating.
When Zhou Tai suddenly attacked, she knew her fears had become reality.
Although the lightning hadn't struck her directly, the flames were only two or three zhang away.
Even if she didn't come out now, the flames would likely reach her soon.
Therefore, upon seeing Zhou Tai preparing to throw another magic talisman, she dared not harbor any more illusions. She hurriedly stood up and cried out, "Fellow Daoist, please wait! I will come out!"
Looking at the female cultivator who had risen from the bushes, Zhou Tai narrowed his eyes and coldly said, "Take off your clothes, raise your hands, and slowly walk over. If I find even half a piece of cloth on you to hide something, then talk to my sword!"
As he spoke, he had already drawn his Silver Star Sword, ready to fly and strike his target at any moment.
Hearing his words, the female cultivator not only didn't get angry, but instead felt a surge of joy, as if she had seen a real chance to live. She quickly nodded and replied, "Alright, I will do as you say, fellow Daoist. I hope you will show mercy and spare my life!"
With that, she swiftly removed her clothes, transforming herself into a large white sheep.
Then, with her arms raised high, she slowly swayed towards Zhou Tai.
Seeing this, Zhou Tai immediately understood the female cultivator's intentions, and a cold smile crept into his eyes.
This woman was truly naive; did she really think that the grudge of being murdered for money could be resolved with her withered, fallen body?
But then he thought, since this woman had this idea, perhaps he could cooperate; it might make it easier for him to obtain the information he wanted.
So, as the female cultivator approached, he scanned her from head to toe with an aggressive gaze, saying in a somewhat gruff tone, "Turn around, let me see your butt... let me see if you're hiding anything behind you!"
Hearing this, a flash of disdain crossed the female cultivator's eyes, but her face remained ingratiating as she said, "Yes, Your Majesty,"
her tone soft and weak, like a maid obeying her master's command.
After speaking, she obediently turned around, turning her back to Zhou Tai, and even bent over slightly to make her buttocks appear more prominent.
Zhou Tai cooperated by focusing his gaze on her buttocks, and said urgently, "Yes, that's it. Stand still, hands up, I need to check carefully if you're hiding anything."
His eyes were fixed on the female cultivator's pert buttocks, but his mind was focused on his storage bag, searching for something to restrain her.
Although the female cultivator had lost her storage bag and magic weapon, her seventh-level Qi Refining stage magic power was still there. If he didn't bind her hands, Zhou Tai really wouldn't dare to approach her easily.
However, his storage bag had limited space, and apart from his usual talisman-drawing tools and magic weapons, he really couldn't find anything suitable.
"Fellow Daoist, are you done yet? My legs are a little sore. How about I lie down so you can take a closer look?"
Just as Zhou Tai was thinking, the female cultivator saw that he hadn't moved and took the initiative to entice him.
His eyes flickered, and he suddenly looked at the clothes the female cultivator had taken off earlier, and an idea immediately came to him.
He called out, "Don't move, I'll get you some clothes."
He quickly went to where the female cultivator had been hiding, picked up her storage bag and clothes, and then used his Silver Star Sword to cut the clothes open, cutting out several strips of cloth.
"Don't move. I need to tie your hands first. If you dare move, my sword won't be so kind,"
Zhou Tai said, as he made the female cultivator turn around and slowly approached her with the cloth strips.
The female cultivator looked at him with a pleading expression, obediently keeping her hands together for him to tie.
A moment later, Zhou Tai successfully tied her hands, then held his sword to her neck, saying, "Let's go, let's go to where I was resting."
He then deliberately gave the female cultivator's full breasts a hard squeeze.
"Hmm!"
The female cultivator let out a soft moan, feigning pain as she cried out, "Fellow Daoist, please be gentle! I'm very afraid of pain!"
"That's nothing! If you don't cooperate later, there'll be even more pain! Hehehe..."
Zhou Tai chuckled wickedly, then patted the female cultivator's buttocks before urging her towards their previous resting place.
Once there, he pulled the female cultivator into his arms, placing his sword against her neck with one hand and roaming over her body with the other.
He then breathed into her ear, saying, "Now I'll ask you questions, and you answer. If you cooperate obediently, I might spare your life after I'm done playing with you. Otherwise, I'll only be able to play with your corpse!"
"By the way, don't try to lie, okay? It's said that a woman's heart beats faster when she lies!"
Hearing his lewd words, even though the female cultivator was somewhat prepared, she still turned pale with fright.
She hurriedly cried out, "Fellow Daoist, spare my life! I will tell you everything and cooperate fully. Please, please don't kill me!"
Zhou Tai seemed quite satisfied with her reaction and laughed triumphantly, "Haha, then we'll see how you perform."
He then covered the female cultivator's chest and asked, "What is your background? Why did you attack me? And how did you know I spent the night on this island?"
The female cultivator had probably anticipated this question and immediately replied, "Fellow Daoist, my name is Wang Yan'er, and the person lying over there is my husband..." "Lu Dahu, my wife and I are both independent cultivators. The reason we attacked you this time was because we were instigated and misled by Wu Chuan. It was absolutely not my intention!"
Zhou Tai didn't believe her explanation, but he didn't rush to expose her. Instead,
he continued to ask, "How did Wu Chuan know that I spent the night on this island?" Upon hearing this, Wang Yan'er immediately explained, "So that you would know, when you rode your flying steed past two days ago, you were already discovered by the mortal gang controlled by Wu Chuan, and they also knew that you spent the night on the island!"
"Therefore, Wu Chuan calculated the distance of your flying steed over the past two days and figured that you would stop in this area to spend the night. He arranged for a large number of people to be on guard along the hundred-mile stretch of the river in advance."
"At dusk, as soon as you stopped here, the news was quickly transmitted to Wu Chuan via flying eagles, and then Wu Chuan brought my wife and me here!"
This answer surprised Zhou Tai. He didn't expect that he had been exposed in this way.
He couldn't help but ask again, "According to you, Wu Chuan is truly a talent. Is he also a rogue cultivator?"
Wang Yan'er's eyes flickered slightly, as if she was thinking about how to answer.
This immediately displeased Zhou Tai, who tightened his grip on her chest, giving her a sharp squeeze.
This small punishment startled her, and she hurriedly said, ignoring the pain, "He claims to be a rogue cultivator, but I see that he's not even sixty years old yet he's already reached the ninth level of the Qi Refining stage, has the energy to control such a large mortal gang, and dares to rob sect disciples to obtain cultivation resources. He's probably not a real rogue cultivator!"
This answer made Zhou Tai's eyes narrow slightly, and then he asked again, "Since you have this idea, can you guess his true background?"
Wang Yan'er immediately denied it, "I don't know. My wife and I only have a cooperative relationship with him. He only contacts us when he's not confident he can take everything for himself. We don't usually cultivate together!"
"I understand. Since you've been so cooperative, I'll let you die a quick death!"
Zhou Tai nodded slightly, and before Wang Yan'er could react, he slit her throat with his sword.
"You...you..."
Wang Yan'er's eyes widened in disbelief, as if she wanted to accuse Zhou Tai of breaking his promise, but before she could finish speaking, she collapsed lifelessly into a pool of blood.
Zhou Tai looked at the female corpse on the ground, her eyes wide open in death, and gently reached out to close them.
Then he murmured to himself, "I never said I wouldn't kill you. Be a good person in your next life!"
On the nameless island,
after killing Wang Yan'er, Zhou Tai began the cleanup.
He gathered all three corpses together and burned them all, destroying all evidence.
Wu Chuan's origins were suspicious; Wang Yan'er suspected he wasn't a rogue cultivator, so Zhou Tai took it seriously and disposed of the bodies, not wanting to leave any trouble.
Fortunately, all three enemies were captured in one fell swoop, so even if Wu Chuan had powerful backers, they wouldn't know who he was.
After burning the bodies, Zhou Tai took out the bone whistle used to summon the Black Feathered Vulture from his storage bag and blew it loudly.
The Black Feathered Vultures rented out at Spirit Beast Mountain were trained from a young age and were very sensitive to such summoning whistles; they would usually fly over quickly upon hearing the whistle.
However, the Black Feathered Vulture had been frightened and escaped earlier, and Zhou Tai didn't know if it could still hear the whistle.
If the beast had really escaped far, he would suffer a great loss.
Fortunately, his fears were not realized; the Black Feathered Vulture hadn't gone too far.
After the whistle blew for a while, the black-feathered vulture flew back and landed beside him.
"You wretched beast, you still know how to come back!"
Looking at the black-feathered vulture that had landed and dared not look at him, Zhou Tai pointed at it and cursed it angrily.
He didn't expect the black-feathered vulture to fight for him, but the guy had abandoned him without a word and run away, which really annoyed him.
If it weren't for the fact that it belonged to the sect, he would have at least plucked its feathers to teach it a lesson, even if he didn't kill it.
The black-feathered vulture was also intelligent; it didn't dare to utter a sound
when Zhou Tai cursed it, and obediently lowered its head to accept the scolding. Zhou Tai, being a man, of course wouldn't keep cursing at a bird. After cursing a few times, he let it go and put the bone whistle away again.
After thinking about it, he decided it was better to leave the scene of the murder as soon as possible.
So he directly mounted the back of the black-feathered vulture and flew away from the island overnight.
After flying for dozens of miles, he finally let the black-feathered vulture land on a mountain ridge by the river.
Upon landing, Zhou Tai's first action was to release the Thunder-Patterned Frog Yuanbao, tasking it with guarding and keeping watch.
The frog had performed admirable deeds throughout the night, and Zhou Tai hoped it would continue to do its part, protecting its master.
After arranging the sentries, Zhou Tai opened all the storage bags he had acquired that night and took out everything inside.
Although he hadn't been injured, the economic losses were considerable. He had used up twenty or thirty talismans, worth several hundred low-grade spirit stones.
Naturally, he hoped to recoup such a loss from the spoils.
However, the reality was quite different from what he expected.
The three of them had some spirit stones in their storage bags, but the total was less than two hundred low-grade spirit stones. They
didn't have many talismans left either, and not a single high-grade first-tier talisman.
As for the other herbs, ores, and animal hides, although they appeared to be spiritual items, they were actually worth only a few low-grade spirit stones.
After searching thoroughly, the most valuable things the three of them possessed were actually their remaining storage bags and magical artifacts.
However, Wang Yan'er's storage bag had been burned, and the couple's magical artifacts had been damaged in the battle, further reducing their value.
If Wu Chuan's Water-Splitting Thorn magic weapon hadn't remained intact, and if he hadn't had a relatively undamaged spirit beast pouch, Zhou Tai might have truly suffered a loss!
Seeing this, he couldn't help but sigh with a wry smile, "I was overthinking it. They wouldn't carry valuables when they came out to rob, and if they were truly wealthy, they wouldn't have bothered robbing, much less have been killed by me!"
After sighing, Zhou Tai gathered the useful items and buried the useless junk on the spot.
After doing this, he looked at the sky and had no intention of resting any longer. He simply leaned against a rock, closed his eyes slightly, and reviewed the previous battle.
Although he was the final victor in tonight's battle, it was actually a somewhat dishonorable victory, and it exposed many of his own problems.
Now, thinking back, if it weren't for the Illusionary Smoke Gourd's contribution, successfully causing Wang Yan'er, who had inhaled the poisonous smoke, to become disoriented and be struck on the spot by his lightning strike talisman, it would have also led to the death of Lu Dahu, who was desperate to save his wife.
Even with a large number of magical talismans at his disposal, he might not have won so easily, or even at all!
After all, in that situation where he was fighting three against one, he didn't really have much room for error.
If the three of them had managed to regain their footing, he would likely have been the one to lose.
And then there was the matter of finishing off Wang Yan'er.
Fortunately, they were on an island today, and Wang Yan'er, injured, had nowhere to escape. Otherwise, the time he wasted in Wu Chuan would have been more than enough for this woman to escape his pursuit.
Thinking of the dead Qi Refining Ninth Level cultivator Wu Chuan, Zhou Tai's eyes widened, and he muttered to himself with a solemn expression, "That Wu Chuan was indeed not simple. Not only was his cultivation impressive, but he also possessed a giant tortoise spirit pet, and he probably knew a lot about the outer disciples of the Spirit Beast Mountain."
"The reason he chose me as his target was probably because he knew about the Black Feather Vulture. He knew that Spirit Beast Mountain disciples who would rent Black Feather Vultures for travel probably didn't have a powerful background, but they were quite wealthy." "
It's a good thing he's dead. Otherwise, if we let him go, there might be future troubles!"
To be honest, this wasn't the first time Zhou Tai had encountered such a robbery.
He had experienced similar things several times when he was doing business in the mortal world. Many times, the bandits and thieves who robbed them knew about their caravan's situation in advance.
In the most dangerous instance, Zhou Tai was captured. He only managed to save his life by using his silver tongue and offering substantial rewards to persuade the bandit leader.
Because of this past experience, he remained relatively calm during today's attack, not panicking despite the sudden night raid.
"Ultimately, it's because my cultivation is too low!" he sighed.
"If I had reached the late-stage Qi Refining realm today, my first-tier high-grade defensive magic weapon, the Azure Cloud Shield, wouldn't have been knocked off so easily, leaving me with no room for error!"
Zhou Tai sighed again, deciding that he would never leave the mountain sect again until he reached the late-stage Qi Refining realm.
Moreover, the matter of training his mount could no longer be delayed.
The Black Feathered Vulture was a good mount within the mountain sect, but it was unsuitable for the outside world.
Zhou Tai didn't want to be ambushed again because he was riding a Black Feathered Vulture!
After resting in the mountains for a while, dawn finally broke.
Zhou Tai didn't want to stay outside for even a moment longer. As soon as it was light, he mounted the Black Feathered Vulture and set off again.
After traveling for most of the day, he finally returned safely to the gates of Spirit Beast Mountain.
The first thing he did upon returning was to return the Black Feathered Vulture.
However, because some of the vulture's feathers were singed, the people from the Spirit Beast Hall used this as an excuse to charge him an extra ten low-grade spirit stones for medicine.
This only strengthened Zhou Tai's desire to cultivate a personal mount.
He was too lazy to argue with these people trying to squeeze money out of him, so he readily paid the so-called medicine fee and retrieved his five hundred low-grade spirit stones deposit.
Back at Yuanfu Peak, Zhou Tai composed himself and first went to thank his teacher, Zeng Qiming, for his help.
Although Zeng Qiming's letter hadn't significantly helped him in terms of the transaction price, its intangible assistance was considerable.
At least it made Li Hongzhi understand that he was a student valued by Zeng Qiming, preventing him from engaging in any underhanded dealings later.
In the days that followed, Zhou Tai diligently practiced his cultivation and talisman-drawing every day, managing to both cultivate and earn money.
During this time, to reward the Thunder-Patterned Frog with Yuanbao, he specially took out one hundred low-grade spirit stones to buy demon insect corpses as food for it.
Those real demon insect corpses contained considerable spiritual power, and after the Thunder-Patterned Frog ate them, its cultivation would increase even faster.
However, only Zhou Tai was willing to use such a method of feeding frogs; even the Foundation Establishment cultivators Zhang Yuanjing and Sun Jianghai were reluctant.
After all, they raised frogs to make money, and if they raised frogs in this way, they would definitely lose everything.
In addition, Zhou Tai was also working on cultivating a personal mount.
He entrusted this matter to Hu Qianqian, asking her to inquire about information from places like the Spirit Beast Hall.
Since he was planning to cultivate a personal mount, Zhou Tai certainly wouldn't choose any ordinary kind.
He was now a fairly wealthy man, and his future mount naturally had to be of a certain standard.
That day, Zhou Tai suddenly received a message from Li Hongzhi. It turned out that the time for their agreed transaction had arrived, and Li Hongzhi was already waiting outside the gate of Spirit Beast Mountain.
Since the transaction location was right outside the gate, Zhou Tai wasn't worried about anything going wrong, so he took fifty lightning strike talismans and headed straight to the gate to meet him.
As one of the five major sects of Heng Kingdom, Spirit Beast Mountain naturally has a special place to receive visitors from outside the mountain.
Outside the mountain gate's protective array, Spirit Beast Mountain has specially built a Spirit Beast Manor to receive cultivators from outside the mountain who come to visit its disciples.
[Remember this site's domain name: Taiwan Novel Network Accompanies You in Leisure, 𝓉𝓌𝓀𝒶𝓃.𝒸ℴ𝓂]
Outer disciples like Zhou Tai need a Foundation Establishment cultivator from within the sect to guarantee their entry into the mountain gate if they want to bring cultivators from outside the sect.
Therefore, most of the time, friends and relatives of outer disciples who want to visit can only meet and communicate with them at Spirit Beast Manor.
As for menial disciples, they don't even have basic freedom and naturally cannot come to Spirit Beast Manor.
Zhou Tai and Li Hongzhi's meeting and transaction took place inside Spirit Beast Manor.
This place is specifically for receiving visitors from outside the sect, and with a Foundation Establishment cultivator from within the sect present, he has no worries about his safety.
After meeting at the mountain villa, the two exchanged greetings and then began their transaction.
Zhou Tai handed over fifty lightning strike talismans he had drawn over the past month to Li Hongzhi, and received nine hundred low-grade spirit stones in return.
After the transaction, Li Hongzhi looked at Zhou Tai and said, "Young friend Zhou, regarding the talisman brush you mentioned earlier, I've made some progress. Someone is offering three hundred and fifty low-grade spirit stones per brush, with a minimum order of three. Are you willing to accept?"
Zhou Tai was delighted and immediately nodded, saying, "That price isn't expensive, but I wonder about the quality of the brush?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Li Hongzhi said calmly, "Don't worry about the quality. The handle is made from a hundred-year-old thunder bamboo, and the core is from a thunder rabbit. It's even sufficient for drawing first-tier high-grade lightning talismans."
Because of his own cultivation techniques and his identity as a talisman master, Zhou Tai had also done considerable research on information about some lightning-attribute demonic beasts.
The Thunder Rabbit is a relatively common first-tier lightning-attribute demon beast, far less rare than his Thunder-Patterned Frog, let alone the Thunder Light Rat used in Aaron Kwok's Thunder Brush.
But as the saying goes, you get what you pay for.
Aaron Kwok's Thunder Brush, just because it used Thunder Light Rat whiskers, cost a whopping five hundred low-grade spirit stones.
Even with Zhou Tai's current wealth, using such a talisman brush still pains him.
Therefore, after hearing Li Hongzhi's answer, he felt relieved.
He immediately agreed, saying, "Then this junior has no problem; this price is acceptable."
"In that case, let's start with a deposit of five hundred low-grade spirit stones!"
Li Hongzhi said, spreading his hand and directly demanding the deposit.
Seeing this dignified Foundation Establishment stage talisman master act so mercenarily, Zhou Tai didn't find it amusing at all; on the contrary, he was quite impressed.
This showed that the other party didn't care about status or anything like that, only about tangible benefits.
This was a qualified businessman!
Of course, this might also be related to the other party's background as a rogue cultivator.
Zhou Tai pondered for a moment, then took out five hundred low-grade spirit stones and said, "This is the deposit. Please help me urge them to deliver the goods as soon as possible, Senior Li
." "Of course, of course. Then this old man will take his leave."
Li Hongzhi smiled with satisfaction, accepted the spirit stones, and took his leave.
Every month thereafter, Zhou Tai would come to the Spirit Beast Manor to trade with Li Hongzhi as scheduled.
During their third transaction, Zhou Tai obtained three new Thunder Brush Brushes.
His original Thunder Brush was long unusable, but now that he had a new one, and knowing he could obtain more through Li Hongzhi in the future, he no longer needed to be frugal and could use it without worry.
With each transaction with Li Hongzhi, Zhou Tai's spirit stones rapidly increased, and he quickly paid off the remaining balance on his magic weapon.
That day, Hu Qianqian, who had been keeping an eye on things for him, rushed over to report.
"Senior Brother Zhou, news! News! I just heard that the Spirit Beast Hall has added three new Azure Feather Crane eggs, each said to be worth a thousand spirit stones! Many outer disciples have already gone to see them!"
As soon as Zhou Tai opened the courtyard gate, he saw Hu Qianqian excitedly waving and explaining her purpose.
Hearing this, he was delighted and immediately said, "Then what are we waiting for? Come with me to the Spirit Beast Hall!"
He had been wanting to buy a better demon bird egg, but unfortunately, he hadn't found the ones sold at the Spirit Beast Hall satisfactory.
Now he finally had something that satisfied him.
In every respect, the Azure Feather Crane was one of the best mounts a disciple like him could acquire.
It had speed, it had appearance, it had the potential to advance to the second tier, and it even had considerable combat ability.
These exceptionally high-quality demon bird eggs are highly sought after even in Spirit Beast Mountain, let alone outside.
That's why Zhou Tai rushed to the Spirit Beast Hall to buy them as soon as he heard the news, fearing he'd make a wasted trip if he was too late.
Sure enough, when he arrived at the Spirit Beast Hall, many outer disciples were already there at the place selling demon bird eggs, and he even heard someone congratulating someone on successfully acquiring a Azure Feather Crane egg.
His heart tightened, and he didn't care about being high-profile anymore, rushing forward and shouting, "Are there any Azure Feather Crane eggs left? I want to order one too!"
Hearing this, the outer disciples standing in front of him all turned around and looked at him.
The female disciple of the Spirit Beast Hall behind the counter immediately smiled and said, "Senior brother, you've come at the perfect time. There's just one left."
"Alright, I'll take this one."
Zhou Tai ignored the surprised looks of the other outer disciples and responded firmly.
After saying that, he directly took out spirit stones from his storage bag.
Unexpectedly, at that moment, a voice suddenly rang out behind him, "Wait, I want this Azure Feather Crane Egg."
His face darkened, and he immediately turned around.
He saw a dashing young man in a purple robe walking towards him, followed by a pretty and cute girl in pink.
Upon seeing this, Zhou Tai's eyes narrowed, and a bad premonition arose in his heart.
Now that he was rich, his horizons had broadened, and he could tell that the young man's robe was not only exceptional in appearance, but also likely of high quality.
Moreover, this young man looked to be only in his early thirties, yet his cultivation was a level higher than his own, already at the late stage of Qi Refining.
With this age, this cultivation, and his seemingly wealthy demeanor, this person's background was probably quite extraordinary.
His mind raced, and he decided it was best to play it safe.
So instead of directly questioning the purple-robed youth about his intentions, Zhou Tai put the spirit stones he had taken out into a bag and handed it to the female disciple of the Spirit Beast Hall, saying, "This is a thousand low-grade spirit stones. Junior sister, please check if the quantity is correct."
After all, he had spoken first, and he wanted to see if the female disciple of the Spirit Beast Hall would break the rules for the sake of the purple-robed youth.
However, since the female disciple of the Spirit Beast Hall had been assigned here, she was no fool and quickly realized Zhou Tai's intentions.
She didn't rush to take the spirit stones from Zhou Tai, but instead looked curiously at the purple-robed youth.
The purple-robed youth seemed to understand her meaning and immediately smiled slightly, saying, "Greetings, junior sister. My name is Xiao Chenglong. My father is Xiao Jingyu, the third disciple under Elder Cao Yang, and currently the deputy head of the Alchemy Hall."
That's it! As
soon as Zhou Tai heard the purple-robed youth introduce himself, he immediately knew he had no chance.
Although this person didn't sound like a disciple of any Purple Mansion Grandmaster, his father was, and a highly skilled alchemist at that.
With such a background, even other Foundation Establishment cultivators would have to give him some face.
Sure enough, after hearing the purple-robed youth's words, the female cultivator's eyes changed instantly, and she immediately greeted him warmly, saying, "Hello, Senior Brother Xiao, my name is Gu Yunqian."
The purple-robed youth, Xiao Chenglong, was very satisfied with Gu Yunqian's attitude and waved with a smile, saying, "Hello, Junior Sister Gu, I'd like to buy this Azure Feather Crane Egg, is that alright?"
"This…"
Gu Yunqian hesitated, looking at Zhou Tai.
Although she wanted to curry favor with Xiao Chenglong, Zhou Tai, who could afford the Azure Feather Crane Egg, was probably no ordinary outer disciple. Not knowing Zhou Tai's background, she didn't dare offend him easily, hoping he would step forward and compete.
If Zhou Tai was willing to compete, the pressure from Xiao Chenglong would naturally shift, and if Xiao Chenglong had the upper hand afterward, she could even give him face.
Zhou Tai, of course, was fully aware of Gu Yunqian's thoughts.
Seeing that Xiao Chenglong's gaze indeed turned to him as he spoke, he cursed inwardly.
Although he could understand Gu Yunqian's thoughts, and he himself would probably have done the same in her place,
he was now the one bearing the pressure!
He endured Xiao Chenglong's piercing gaze, thought for a moment, and then spoke, "With Senior Brother Xiao's esteemed status, a mere Azure Feather Crane is probably not worthy of you!"
Zhou Tai wasn't embarrassed at all about calling someone old enough to be his son his senior brother.
That's how the rules of the cultivation world are, especially with such a distinguished background. As an outer disciple with no connections, where did he get the confidence to challenge such rules and make enemies for nothing?
However, to his surprise, Xiao Chenglong looked at him with suspicion after hearing his words and asked, "Are you also an outer disciple?"
Although it was just a question, the arrogant and disdainful tone and posture made even someone as shrewd as Zhou Tai's eyelids twitch, and anger inevitably rose in his heart.
Yes, at his age and with his cultivation level, he didn't seem like a normal outer disciple.
But the fact that he was here and could take out over a thousand low-grade spirit stones to buy a demon bird egg made it clear to everyone that he couldn't be a menial disciple.
Therefore, Xiao Chenglong's question was undoubtedly a blatant insult to him!
Faced with this humiliation, Zhou Tai knew he couldn't remain silent, so he said in a deep voice, "My name is Zhou Tai, and I am currently studying talismanic arts under Master Zeng at Yuanfu Peak."
Xiao Chenglong understood his meaning perfectly well, but he still acted indifferent and said lightly, "So you're a talisman master. No wonder you can take out so many spirit stones."
After saying that, he looked at Zhou Tai with a half-smile and said, "You're right. With my status, I naturally already have a better mount than the Azure Feather Crane. This Azure Feather Crane egg is just a gift for Junior Sister Chen!"
Hearing this, the pink-clad girl behind him immediately said with a face full of gratitude, "Senior Brother Xiao, you're so kind to me!"
How disgusting!
Zhou Tai was utterly disgusted. He never expected that even after cultivating immortality, he would still encounter such a spoiled brat.
Tragically, it seemed he was destined to become this brat's tool for picking up girls!
For him, the Azure Feather Crane was undoubtedly the ideal mount, but he certainly wasn't willing to offend a spoiled second-generation immortal like Xiao Chenglong for such a demonic bird egg.
Moreover, even if he tried to snatch it, he would likely lose.
Therefore, he could only say against his will, "Junior Sister Chen is indeed a perfect match for a spirit bird like the Azure Feather Crane. In that case, I will not take what is mine."
With that, he proactively retrieved his spirit stone pouch and walked away without looking back.
Seeing this, Xiao Chenglong nodded in satisfaction, saying, "This old man is quite sensible!"
Zhou Tai, who hadn't gone far, paused, then his steps hardened again.
The other cultivators watching the spectacle in the hall felt immense sympathy for the forlorn figure as he departed.
Hu Qianqian, who was also in the hall, felt even more heartbroken and indignant for Zhou Tai, while at the same time looking at Junior Sister Chen with envy.
She was no less beautiful than Junior Sister Chen, so why couldn't she meet such a generous and magnanimous young master!