CHAPTER 52: CHAPTER 52 THE FIRST ATTEMPT AT TALISMAN CRAFTING_1

The Evil Warding Talisman burned rapidly, purifying the malevolent energy from Elder Wu. Two Evil Warding Talismans swept away the malevolent energy within Elder Wu’s body, leaving not a trace. This also saved Jia Ren an Evil Warding Talisman.

"The transaction is settled. I shall take my leave."

Just as Jia Ren was about to leave, Elder Wu called out to stop him.

"Daoist Jia, you’ve never made Talismans before, have you? Do you have any Talisman Paper or Talisman Brushes?"

Fifty catties of rice wasn’t much. Elder Wu would skimp and save, eating only one catty of rice a day; at most, he could hold out for a month and a half. No one knew how long the war between the two sects would last, and his food reserves were far from sufficient. The fact that Jia Ren could offer fifty catties of fresh Spirit Rice suggested he still had more in stock. Robbery was out of the question; he wasn’t a Bizarre Cultivator. A normal exchange would suffice.

Talisman Brushes, Talisman Paper, and Talisman Ink?

Jia Ren bent over backwards daily for just five dou of rice. He had no talisman-making inheritance, so how could he possibly afford extra Spirit Stones to buy a Talisman Brush and other talisman-making materials? The Market had shut down, and the underground trade had cooled off completely.

He wanted to make Demon-Spotting Talismans, and Elder Wu was his only source for purchasing the necessary materials.

Jia Ren looked at the two Talisman Brushes Elder Wu had placed on the stone table. One was an old Talisman Brush, yellowed from many years of use; the other was brand new. He also saw a bundle of ten Blank Talisman Papers and special Talisman Ink made specifically for Demon-Spotting Talismans.

"How much for the Talisman Brushes, Talisman Paper, and Talisman Ink? Can we settle with Spirit Stones?"

All three were vital for talisman crafting. If they weren’t too expensive, they were worth purchasing.

Elder Wu’s face lit up with the joy of a business opportunity.

After so long, business was finally picking up again! Since the chaos at the Market, too much time had passed without any Spirit Stones coming in. His ability to hang on until now was entirely due to his substantial nest egg.

"The Silver-Bamboo Spirit Brush and White-Wolf Hair Brush are both fine quality, increasing the success rate of talisman crafting."

"The Talisman Paper and Talisman Ink are all carefully selected and of superior quality..."

"I’ll only trade for Spirit Rice or regular rice, not Spirit Stones."

Elder Wu still had Spirit Stones, but he had no way to spend them...

"Ten catties of Spirit Rice for the lot, and I’ll throw in one day of personal instruction."

Ten catties of Spirit Rice?

"That’s too expensive!"

"During the third auction, the highest price for Spirit Rice was five Spirit Stones and four Fragmented Spirit Stones per catty. At the fourth auction, the highest price was six Spirit Stones and two Fragmented Spirit Stones per catty."

"You can’t think I missed the subsequent trade fairs and don’t know the price of Spirit Rice, can you?"

Without hesitation, Jia Ren turned and walked away.

Compared to the Seeking Demon Talisman Technique, these materials were far less important. It wouldn’t be too late to learn talisman crafting after the war ended.

"The price is negotiable!"

"Five catties of Spirit Rice for everything, and the day of personal instruction is still included!"

Besides Jia Ren, he couldn’t find another Loose Cultivator in the Outer City who wanted to buy talisman-making materials. This was a rare business opportunity; he had to make the sale, even at a loss. Besides, a little more Spirit Rice could mean the difference between life and death for him.

"Would you accept Corner Worm corpses?"

Jia Ren didn’t produce any Spirit Rice. Instead, he took out a Corner Worm corpse. Corner Worm corpses tasted terrible; they were mostly shell with little meat. Jia Ren had been hunting fewer Corner Worms and had accumulated a stash of their corpses that he was reluctant to eat.

Regardless, it was still edible.

Elder Wu hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "It’ll have to be five times the amount in Corner Worm corpses compared to Spirit Rice."

Keeping the Corner Worm corpses would just let them rot. Trading them away wasn’t a loss.

For twenty-five catties of Corner Worm corpses, Jia Ren obtained a brand-new White-Wolf Hair Brush, ten boxes of prepared Talisman Ink, and one hundred Blank Talisman Papers (in ten bundles of ten).

A decent Talisman Brush was worth ten to several dozen Spirit Stones, and one hundred Blank Talisman Papers were worth another ten Spirit Stones, not to mention the ten boxes of special Talisman Ink. Altogether, this was a haul worth at least forty Spirit Stones. Getting all this for twenty-five catties of Corner Worm corpses was an incredible bargain.

"I may not be a grand expert, Daoist Jia, but I’ve specialized in the Seeking Demon Talisman Technique for years. If you wish for my instruction, feel free to seek me out anytime."

Having received food from Jia Ren, Elder Wu’s attitude improved significantly.

Exchanging talisman-making materials for Spirit Rice was only one part of his plan. Teaching how to make Demon-Spotting Talismans was the real start to earning Spirit Rice. He himself had no experience in talisman crafting back in the day and had suffered greatly to learn the Seeking Demon Talisman Technique, barely managing to grasp the basics after five arduous years. Even with Jia Ren’s talent, and with my guidance, it would take him at least a year and a half to get proficient. During that learning period, wouldn’t Jia Ren constantly need to consume Blank Talisman Paper and Talisman Ink? Once he realized the difference between having guidance and fumbling on his own, wouldn’t he have to spend Spirit Rice to ask for help when he encountered problems? By then, how could I not earn Spirit Rice?

Jia Ren exchanged Sound Transmission Talismans with Elder Wu to ensure they could contact each other in case of unexpected events.

After sending Jia Ren off, Elder Wu clutched the newly acquired Spirit Rice, eager to cook a meal.

Finally, I have a proper skill... Learning to make Demon-Spotting Talismans means becoming a Talisman Maker. Unlike short-term ventures like making bait, pest extermination, or renovating old stone houses, crafting Demon-Spotting Talismans could be a long-term trade. Elder Wu’s mastery of the Demon-Spotting Talisman and his considerable wealth among low-level Loose Cultivators were the best proof of this. With the Proficiency Panel, it wouldn’t be difficult for me to surpass Elder Wu’s expertise in Demon-Spotting Talismans. Given time, I’m bound to surpass my teacher.

First, I need to carefully study the Demon-Spotting Talisman. It’s not easy to start talisman crafting. The Demon-Spotting Talisman isn’t the most basic type; its entry barrier is quite high. I’ll start by memorizing the crafting process for the Demon-Spotting Talisman, familiarizing myself thoroughly with it, and understanding the key points of talisman crafting. To increase the success rate for any Talisman, practice makes perfect. Consistent, long-term practice is the only path to success. Even a talisman-crafting genius can’t skip this process. I’ll spend a few days familiarizing myself with the basics and mastering the fundamentals before I begin. I mustn’t waste the opportunity for free guidance.

Jia Ren returned to the abandoned stone house and settled in. Loose Cultivators had almost vanished from the Outer City, and the Five Elements Sect no longer wasted time and effort searching for them. With extensive underground tunnels and his Grandmaster-level Wind Control Skill, he could ensure a safe escape.

The stone house is still more comfortable; it’s not so damp.

Jia Ren rested well that night, replenishing his energy. He rose early the next day and made a fire in the underground passage to cook, taking care to avoid attracting unwanted attention with the smoke. He practiced his Turtle Breath Cultivation Technique daily. Once his Spiritual Power was depleted, he carefully studied the Seeking Demon Talisman Technique.

Reviewing the old helps in learning the new. I need to learn talisman crafting from the basics—ungraded Talismans like Cleaning Talismans and Path-Guiding Talismans... Elder Wu only knows the Demon-Spotting Talisman; he probably never learned these ungraded Talismans. Without a solid foundation, crafting the Demon-Spotting Talisman will be very difficult.

Jia Ren wasn’t in a rush. Without systematic study of basic Talismans, he needed to practice the fundamentals first.

The key was a steady hand.

Not wanting to waste Talisman Paper, he dipped his White-Wolf Hair Brush in charcoal dust and practiced on plain paper. After three days of practice, he became somewhat familiar with the Talisman Brush.

Time to start talisman crafting!

All the key points of talisman crafting flowed through his mind. Jia Ren held the White-Wolf Hair Brush in his right hand, dipped its tip into the prepared Spirit Ink, and began to draw the Demon-Spotting Talisman on a sheet of Blank Talisman Paper. The Spirit Ink didn’t flow evenly, and his strokes were hesitant. The lines were chaotic, resembling a child’s scrawl.

Still, I have to finish it to maximize the paper’s value. As a beginner, I can’t expect too much from my first try. Theory and practice are two different things, after all. For a beginner, the focus should be on imitation. Trying things blindly will only lead to a low success rate, wasted time and effort, and minimal progress. I should buy a Demon-Spotting Talisman first to use as a reference.

"Daoist Jia, would you like some pointers from this old man?"

Elder Wu’s face showed the joy of an impending sale.

I don’t want to waste this valuable opportunity. I’m just starting with the Demon-Spotting Talisman and can’t even imitate it properly yet. Asking for guidance now would be a waste. If I only rely on external help and don’t study on my own, no amount of Spirit Rice would be enough. It won’t be too late to ask for guidance when I hit a bottleneck in my talisman crafting.

Elder Wu wasn’t annoyed. He stroked his beard and watched Jia Ren leave with a smile.

As long as he’s learning talisman crafting, he’ll come to me for help sooner or later.