Inside his room.
Li Chang'an wiped away the restriction on the stone statue's surface.
Then, with a palm strike, he shattered it.
A small, exquisite pouch appeared amidst the pile of rubble.
"This is a Spirit Beast Bag?"
Li Chang'an picked up the bag and examined it carefully, his face immediately showing surprise.
The space inside the bag was much larger than he had anticipated.
It was nearly ten measures of space!
After all,
each of the few Storage Pouches he had acquired only held a single measure of space.
'It's quite spacious. Dahuang shouldn't feel too cramped in here.'
Of course,
on most days,
Dahuang would still be active underground, diligently digging his tunnels.
Li Chang'an would only put him in the Spirit Beast Bag to carry along when he went out.
After testing the Spirit Beast Bag's functions,
Li Chang'an fell into thought.
'The struggle between the three major families hasn't affected the Marketplace yet, but it's hard to say what will happen in the future. I need to stock up on more resources as soon as possible.'
He had a large stock of High-quality Talismans on hand.
It hadn't been a good time to sell them before.
But now seemed about right.
...
That evening, Li Chang'an went to the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.
He took out a High-quality Spirit Shield Talisman and handed it to Manager Qian, who was behind the counter.
"Manager Qian, could you see how much this Talisman is worth?"
"Alright, let me see."
Manager Qian's expression was placid; he didn't seem to care much.
After all, Li Chang'an had come in many times before.
And every time, he was only selling the most ordinary Low Grade Talismans.
However,
this time,
the moment he took the Talisman, a flash of surprise crossed his eyes.
"Hm?"
Manager Qian raised an eyebrow.
He carefully sensed it for a moment, then used one of the shop's instruments to measure it.
"A High-quality Talisman!"
Manager Qian looked at Li Chang'an in astonishment.
"Daoist Li, your Talisman Art has improved so quickly?"
"It was just a stroke of luck."
Li Chang'an wore a smile, his tone extremely modest.
He repeated the same story he had told Liu Yue, explaining that he had been practicing Talisman Painting for many years but had never been able to produce a High-quality Talisman.
That was why
he had purchased that Middle Grade Talisman Brush a few days ago.
"Thanks to the help of that Middle Grade Talisman Brush, I finally managed to create a High-quality Talisman."
Li Chang'an sighed with emotion, making it seem as if it had been quite an ordeal.
Manager Qian smiled and offered his congratulations.
"In any case, Daoist Li has finally distinguished himself from the ranks of Low Grade Talisman Masters!"
Being able to craft a High-quality Talisman
naturally placed one's status a cut above that of an ordinary Low Grade Talisman Master.
After that,
the two of them chatted and laughed for a bit longer.
Manager Qian's attitude was clearly much warmer than before.
Just then,
a woman's voice suddenly called out from outside the door.
"What's all the happy news?"
The voice was exceedingly pleasant, like a gentle mountain breeze, soft and moving as it drifted to Li Chang'an's ears.
Hearing the voice, he knew who it was.
Li Chang'an immediately turned, cupped his hands, and said, "Greetings, Eldest Miss!"
The newcomer was none other than the Eldest Miss of the Zheng Family.
Zheng Qingqing!
Dressed in a long, turquoise-green dress, she entered the Hundred Treasures Pavilion with a graceful bearing.
"Daoist Li, we meet again."
She glanced at Li Chang'an, her expression warm and cheerful.
"I've said it twice now, there's no need to be so formal. We are both seekers of the Dao, so we can just address each other as fellow Daoists."
"Yes."
Li Chang'an maintained a respectful expression.
Behind the counter,
Manager Qian, beaming, handed over a dusty-looking ledger.
"Eldest Miss, this month's accounts are all here."
"Good. Thank you for your trouble, Manager Qian."
Zheng Qingqing nodded slightly and took the ledger.
This scene
left Li Chang'an a little surprised.
'The Hundred Treasures Pavilion is actually owned by the Zheng Family?'
Manager Qian seemed to have read his mind and immediately cleared up his confusion.
"Daoist Li, my cultivation partner is from the Zheng Family, so I'm considered a son-in-law of the family."
As he spoke, he couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
"Over the years, the Hundred Treasures Pavilion has weathered many storms. Without the Zheng Family's support, it would have collapsed long ago."
"I see."
Li Chang'an understood.
It was impossible for the Hundred Treasures Pavilion to have grown to this scale without a powerful backer.
In Qinghe Marketplace, the Zheng Family was the best patron one could have.
Then,
Manager Qian said to Zheng Qingqing, "Eldest Miss, Daoist Li and I were happy just now because his Talisman Art has improved. It's worth celebrating."
"Oh? Daoist Li, you can create High-quality Talismans now?"
Zheng Qingqing looked at Li Chang'an, a hint of surprise on her pretty face.
'A breakthrough so soon? Could he be a genius?'
Li Chang'an felt helpless.
He had no choice but to repeat the same story once again.
After hearing him out, Zheng Qingqing nodded slightly.
'So that's how it is. He's been practicing Talisman Painting for many years.'
Zheng Qingqing's thoughts shifted, and she suddenly recalled the time Li Chang'an had come to her for help.
She couldn't help but smile.
"Daoist Li, it's good to be reserved, but you shouldn't hide your talents too deeply. If you had revealed your identity as a Talisman Master earlier, Zheng Jinbao naturally wouldn't have dared to assign you to the mines."
"Indeed."
Li Chang'an sighed, seeming to agree wholeheartedly with her words.
At that moment,
Zheng Qingqing's mind drifted to something else.
Her gaze shifted as she carefully looked Li Chang'an up and down.
It had to be said,
Li Chang'an was quite handsome.
He had refined features and a gentle disposition, like a young, well-read scholar.
Furthermore,
being able to create High-quality Talismans already made him a rare talent.
"Daoist Li, I was wondering, is there anyone you have your heart set on?"
Zheng Qingqing asked suddenly.
Li Chang'an was taken aback. 'Why is she asking this?'
"No."
He shook his head, a few strange thoughts rising in his mind.
Zheng Qingqing's eyes crinkled with a smile as she explained:
"My Zheng Family has many unmarried young women, all of whom are well-mannered, sensible, and understanding."
"This..."
Li Chang'an was utterly stunned, not knowing what to say.
'Is she trying to recruit me as a live-in son-in-law?'
"Eldest Miss, my heart is set on cultivation right now. I truly have no other aspirations."
He hastily refused.
'I just managed to get away from the Zheng Family. How could I go back so easily?'
He wouldn't agree even in times of peace,
let alone now.
The Zheng Family was in constant conflict with the other two great Foundation Establishment Clans, and their disciples were suffering heavy casualties.
"Daoist Li, don't be so quick to refuse. The Zheng Family wouldn't place too many restrictions on you."
Zheng Qingqing said in a gentle tone.
Beside them, Manager Qian also spoke up.
"Daoist Li, the path of a Loose Cultivator is fraught with hardship. Don't you want a patron to rely on?"
His expression was sincere as he tried to persuade Li Chang'an.
"Within a Foundation Establishment Clan, the Cultivation Immortality resources you can access are far beyond your imagination! To say nothing of other things, just consider the Talismanic Inheritance..."
Although the Zheng Family was an Alchemy Family,
that didn't mean they lacked other Cultivation Immortality Techniques.
In fact,
the Zheng Family had collected a great number of Cultivation Immortality Techniques. While those Skills had not reached Tier Two, most of them were at the Tier One Top Grade.
For example, their Talismanic Inheritance!
"Daoist Li, as long as you join the Zheng Family and perform well in the Dao of Talismans, you won't have to worry about obtaining a subsequent Talismanic Inheritance at all!"
It had to be said,
for an ordinary Low Grade Talisman Master, these words were indeed extremely tempting.
After all, most of them couldn't even obtain a Tier One Middle Grade Talismanic Inheritance.
Let alone a Top Grade inheritance?
But Li Chang'an's mind was made up. Nothing they said could sway him.
"Manager Qian, there's no need to persuade me further."