The next evening, Li Yuan finished cooking the fifth pack of Changqing Rice.
After he finished eating the fifth pack of Changqing Rice, a prompt popped up on the panel.
[Conditions to make Valley Qi Condensing Spirit (Gray) permanent have been t]
[Make permanent?]
Yes.
[Permanization successful]
[Valley Qi Condensing Spirit (Gray) has beco a permanent trait]
[Equipnt consud]
The panel updated:
[Permanent Traits: Clean Body (Gray), Valley Qi Condensing Spirit (Gray), Spiritual Qi Filter (White), Five Grains Qi Nourishing (White), Circulation Acceleration (White), Scaled Armor Protection (White), Spiritual Qi Convergence (White)]
Seven permanent traits.
An equipnt slot opened up. Li Yuan took the Talisman Crafting Manual from his sleeve and equipped it.
The manual dissolved into light and rged into his body. The experience instilled from equipping the manual last ti felt like reuniting with an old friend, and the sensation of drawing talismans imdiately beca clear again.
[Current Equipnt Slots: 3/3]
[Equipped Items: Origin Condensation Skill, Hundred Veins Returning to Origin Skill, Talisman Crafting Manual]
[Equipped Traits: Spiritual Power Condensation (Green), Hundred Rivers Converging to the Sea (Blue), Talisman Making Comprehension (White)]
Li Yuan cleaned off his desk, spread out the talisman paper, dipped his brush in ink, and began making Cleaning Talismans and Exorcism Talismans.
A stack of talisman paper was piled up next to him; Li Yuan had gone to Wu’s Talisman Material to buy a lot more.
He alternated between making the two types of talismans. The success rate wasn’t high: one successful Cleaning Talisman for every four attempts, and one successful Exorcism Talisman for every seven.
However, the feel of drawing each one was improving.
The effect of the Talisman Making Comprehension trait wasn’t a distinct physical sensation like Spiritual Qi Filter or Circulation Acceleration, but he could feel that the conduction of Spiritual Power from his fingertip to the brush tip was smoother, and each stroke consud slightly less Spiritual Power than when he didn’t have it equipped.
Two hours later, Li Yuan put down his brush and flexed his wrist.
[Tier One Talisman Making Skill: Uninitiated (82/100)]
[Cleaning Talisman: Uninitiated (83/100)]
[Exorcism Talisman: Uninitiated (61/100)]
[Talisman Making Comprehension (White) Permanization Progress: 16/50]
Progress wasn’t slow, but he had consud a lot of materials.
Unlike a Cultivation Technique, you couldn’t beco proficient in Talisman Making just by equipping it—it still required hands-on practice. Even so, his learning speed was already far beyond that of other Cultivators.
For the next two days, Li Yuan maintained a fixed routine.
In the mornings, he had Zhao Hu and Zheng Xiaoman patrol on their own while he focused on making talismans at his residence. He practiced by alternating between Cleaning Talismans and Exorcism Talismans, his feel for it improving day by day.
In the afternoons, he would go out to patrol half a street, taking the opportunity to see if any stalls were selling anything related to talisman making.
After all, the Talisman Crafting Manual only contained two basic talismans—the Cleaning Talisman and the Exorcism Talisman. To create Tier One Low Grade Combat Talismans like the Fireball Talisman or Ice Cone Talisman, he would need a more systematic thod of talisman making.
Li Yuan made two rounds through East Street and North Alley, asking seven or eight vendors who sold talismans or talisman materials.
The results were not ideal.
There were people selling talisman making thods, but they only sold the basics: how to draw Spirit Patterns, how to control Spiritual Power output, and the principles of matching talisman paper with Spiritual Ink. Old Zhang’s manual already covered all of this; spending Spirit Stones to buy it would be a complete waste.
As for more High Tier Talisman Making Skills, like the thods for creating Tier One Low Grade Combat Talismans, everyone hoarded them jealously.
However, Li Yuan did manage to buy the creation thod for a Warning Talisman from a Loose Cultivator’s stall. The Loose Cultivator was also selling over ten dozen Warning Talismans along with it.
According to him, he could no longer make money by creating these Warning Talismans, so he decided to sell off his entire accumulated stock and the creation thod.
The Warning Talisman was one of the more practical basic talismans. Once placed, it could sense nearby Spiritual Qi fluctuations and would issue a warning if anything approached. The creation thod wasn’t difficult, just slightly more complex than for the Exorcism Talisman, and the price wasn’t high—five Spirit Stones.
Li Yuan reached for the dozens of Warning Talismans, but the system panel didn’t react.
He then took out the Spirit Stones, tucked the creation thod into his sleeve, and also stopped by a shop to buy the materials needed for the Warning Talisman.
On the way back, Li Yuan turned into a remote side alley.
This side alley was lined with houses rented by Loose Cultivators. They had been built during the Wang family’s initial expansion of the market, but now that foot traffic had decreased, many of the houses stood empty.
Li Yuan had taken only a few steps into the alley when his pace suddenly slowed.
From deep within the alley, a faint, bitter sll drifted through the air, and Li Yuan’s nose twitched slightly.
He had slled this scent before; it was the sll of the dicinal liquid needed for a breath-concealing Jade Pendant.
Li Yuan didn’t stop walking, but his fingers inconspicuously touched the Spirit Detecting Disc in his sleeve.
He poured in Spiritual Power, and his senses spread out.
There was a very weak Spiritual Qi fluctuation nearby, roughly at the Qi Refining Second Level, and the source of the sll was in approximately the sa location.
Li Yuan used the Spirit Detecting Disc to lock onto the house the sll was coming from. Without turning back, he continued along West Street toward the Inspection Team’s station.
—
The door to the Inspection Team station was ajar. Li Yuan knocked, entered, and closed the door behind him.
"In the side alley west of North Alley, I slled the dicinal liquid used for breath-concealing Jade Pendants."
Wang De put down his brush, leaned back in his chair, and tapped the desk twice with his index finger. After clarifying the location, he spoke.
"We’re already watching that person."
Li Yuan paused for a mont.
Wang De picked up his teacup, took a sip, and set it down.
"The intelligence you provided last ti—Zhao Wu’s Jade Pendant, that pendant from the Crow Claw Gang, the formula for the dicinal liquid—it led us to two people. But we reckon they’re just peripheral mbers, so we haven’t startled the snake."
Wang De didn’t go into further detail, just nodded.
"The one you found is soone we’re already watching. And we have your earlier intelligence to thank for saving us a lot of effort."
Li Yuan didn’t press for more information and changed the subject.
"Captain Wang, why aren’t there any Talisman Making Skills in the Scripture Pavilion?"
Wang De glanced at him.
"You want to learn talisman making?"
"I’ve been thinking about it."
Wang De set his teacup aside, leaned back in his chair, and spoke in a level tone.
"The Wang family’s position is that the Inspection Team doesn’t need things like Talisman Making Skills. Your duty is to patrol. If we gave you Talisman Making Skills, wouldn’t you all just focus on drawing talismans to earn Spirit Stones? Who would be left to patrol properly?"
Wang De paused, then added.
"Besides, even the cheapest Talisman Making Skills require a lot of Spirit Stones to learn. The Wang family sees no need to spend that kind of money."
’The reasoning made sense. The Inspection Team was the most entry-level position. The Wang family only provided practical, basic Cultivation Techniques and Magic. The goal was to enable peripheral mbers to do their work, patrol, and handle basic ergencies.’
’Talisman Making was a technical craft. After learning it, an Inspector General’s focus would inevitably be divided.’
"If you really want to learn, you could ask the guard team," Wang De said, rapping his knuckles on the desk.
"The guard team has a high demand for talismans; they use up a lot fighting Demon Beasts on patrol. Their network is much wider than the Inspection Team’s. They might be able to connect you with soone."
Li Yuan nodded, voiced his agreent, and left the main room.
After leaving the station, Li Yuan walked along North Alley toward his residence.
When he reached his residential area, the wooden door of his neighbor, Fang He, was closed.
After joining the guard team, Fang He spent most of his ti patrolling outside. Li Yuan only ever saw him when he occasionally returned to the market to rest.
Li Yuan knocked twice on Fang He’s door. There was no answer. He wasn’t ho.
He turned and walked toward Old Sun’s stall.
Old Sun wasn’t fiddling with his dicine furnace today. He was squatting behind his stall, using an old cloth to wipe a small copper asuring cup. His movents were ticulous, as if he were polishing a treasure.
Li Yuan squatted down in front of the stall.
"Old Sun, do you know anyone who makes talismans?"
Old Sun looked up at him, but the cloth in his hand never stopped moving.
"Talisman making? You want to learn?"
"Yeah. I already know the basics, but I can only make a few types of talismans."
Old Sun put down the asuring cup and rubbed his fingers together.
"I can’t do it myself, but as it happens, I have a connection."
Old Sun jutted his chin toward East Street.
"The artisans in this market—alchemists, talisman makers, artifact refiners—we have a small, informal circle. It’s not a real organization, just a way for us peers to help each other out, trade materials, share news, and occasionally refer business."
"Are there Talisman Makers in it?"
"There are, but it’ll probably be difficult for you to learn from them," Old Sun said, shaking his head. "I’ll ask around for you, but I can’t guarantee anyone will be willing to teach."
Li Yuan nodded.
"Just asking is enough. Let know if you hear anything."
"No problem." Old Sun waved a hand at him, then bent down to continue polishing his asuring cup.
Li Yuan got up and left, heading back to his residence along North Alley.
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