Chapter 127 - 106: Befriending

Chapter 127: Chapter 106: Befriending

He stepped out of his courtyard gate.

Chen Jianghe frowned as the thick scent of blood washed over him. Looking up, he saw Ruan Tieniu from courtyard 514 walking from the mouth of the alley.

The overpowering stench of blood emanated from him.

His clothes were stained with blood and torn in several places. A particularly deep wound gashed his left shoulder.

It looked like the work of a Demon Beast.

The gash was so deep the bone was visible, with blood and flesh turned outward.

Yet, Ruan Tieniu’s face showed no trace of pain, as if he were accustomed to it.

As he passed courtyard 512, Ruan Tieniu offered a smile and a nod.

Chen Jianghe nodded back in greeting.

He then prepared to head to the Hundred Treasures Tower to sell the Spirit Talismans he had and purchase this year’s Cultivation Resources.

"Fellow Daoist Chen, please wait a moment."

Ruan Tieniu suddenly called out to Chen Jianghe and walked over to him. The smell of blood grew even stronger.

The wound on his shoulder was even more distinct up close.

’I wonder if an injury like that will affect his lifespan,’ Chen Jianghe thought.

"Is there something I can help you with, Fellow Daoist Ruan?"

Chen Jianghe asked with a smile.

Ruan Tieniu noticed Chen Jianghe’s gaze on his shoulder wound. He gave a faint smile and casually draped a torn piece of his clothing over the injury to cover it.

The simple act made Chen Jianghe wince in sympathy.

"I just returned from the Youxian Mountain Range. A bit of a sorry sight, I know."

"Not at all," Chen Jianghe replied with a calm smile, waving it off.

"Have your Talisman Dao Skills improved recently?"

"Don’t misunderstand, Fellow Daoist. I just want to connect you with a business opportunity—a deal right here in the Marketplace."

Hearing Ruan Tieniu’s words, Chen Jianghe knew what kind of deal it was, and that it would be very beneficial to him.

The only problem was his Talisman Dao Skills didn’t meet Ruan Tieniu’s requirements.

"I’ve improved, but only to the level of a Middle-Grade Talisman Master. I’m afraid that’s not what you’re looking for," Chen Jianghe said with a wry smile.

"A Middle-Grade Talisman Master? Then can you create Middle-Grade Five Elements Escape Talismans?" Ruan Tieniu asked.

"Er... I haven’t tried yet."

"What about Middle-Grade Protection Talismans?"

"Those I can create."

"If you can make Middle-Grade Protection Talismans, that works too. I have a friend who is also the captain of a Demon Hunting Team. His team has many Mid-Stage Qi Refining Cultivators, so they have a high demand for Middle-Grade Spirit Talismans."

Ruan Tieniu said with a chuckle, "You must have just become a Middle-Grade Talisman Master. I wonder, could you create twenty-five Middle-Grade Protection Talismans in a year?"

"..."

’Twenty-five Middle-Grade Protection Talismans. Is that considered high demand?’

Chen Jianghe currently had thirty-two Middle-Grade Protection Talismans on him.

But on second thought, Ruan Tieniu’s asking for twenty-five was the typical annual output for a newly promoted Middle-Grade Talisman Master.

But Chen Jianghe was different.

He cultivated the Ten Thousand Waters Scripture, which gave him a thirty percent Magic Power Amplification. Over a year, this allowed him to attempt talisman creation twenty-odd more times than other Middle-Grade Talisman Masters.

With a thirty percent Talisman Success Rate, that meant he could create an extra six or seven Middle-Grade Protection Talismans.

"I can do that," Chen Jianghe nodded.

"Excellent. If you’re willing to sell them at a ten percent discount off the market price, I’ll introduce you tomorrow," Ruan Tieniu said, pleased.

"Agreed. And what do you need my help with, Fellow Daoist?"

Chen Jianghe asked.

He had no real relationship with Ruan Tieniu; the man wouldn’t introduce him to such a good deal for no reason.

The consumption rate of Spirit Talismans in the Qinghe Marketplace was enormous.

Because of its proximity to the Youxian Mountain Range, the Marketplace was teeming with Demon Hunters. In the Northwest residential district, seventy percent of the cultivators were Demon Hunters.

Therefore, whether it was Lower-Grade, Middle-Grade, or even High-Grade Spirit Talismans, the demand was massive.

As a result, many Talisman Masters made private deals with Demon Hunting Teams, allowing them to earn a few more Spirit Stones.

The Demon Hunting Team members, in turn, could spend fewer Spirit Stones.

Of course, the ones who lost out were the Spirit Talisman Shops in the Qinghe Marketplace.

However, the Qinghe Marketplace supported the Demon Hunting industry, as it was its primary business.

The Demon Beasts hunted by Demon Hunters could be processed and sold in the marketplaces north of the Tongtian River.

North of the Tongtian River, there were no large mountain ranges suitable for Demon Beasts to live in, so their numbers were quite low.

The demand for Demon Beasts over there was immense.

Conveniently, the one thing the Qinghe Marketplace had in abundance was Demon Beasts. Thus, it supported the Demon Hunting industry and turned a blind eye to the private dealings between Talisman Masters and Demon Hunters.

The Demon Hunters drove too many other industries.

Spirit Pills, Spirit Liquids, Magical Artifacts, Arrays, Puppets, and many other industries all depended on the business of Demon Hunters.

The Qinghe Marketplace truly didn’t care much about the Spirit Talisman industry alone.

"I hear you have a deep friendship with Alchemist Zhuang?" Ruan Tieniu asked with a laugh.

Of course, he wanted something from Chen Jianghe. Otherwise, why would he be so attentive to a mere Eighth-Layer Qi Refining Cultivator?

"How did you hear that I have a friendship with Alchemist Zhuang?"

Chen Jianghe was puzzled.

’What friendship do I have with Alchemist Zhuang?’

He had only met him once at Jingyue Lake and exchanged fewer than three sentences.

At Gao Peiyao’s Foundation Establishment Celebration, they had chatted for a bit, but it certainly didn’t constitute a friendship.

So, why would Ruan Tieniu think he was friends with Alchemist Zhuang?

’Something seems off about this!’

"I went to check out the Hundred Arts Exchange a while back, and I happened to overhear Alchemist Zhuang mention that he gets along well with you."

"Moreover, his disciple is also quite close with you."

At this, Ruan Tieniu’s tone became pleading. "I was hoping you could make an introduction for me."

"Regardless of whether I can buy Spirit Pills from Alchemist Zhuang, I will definitely take care of the matter of you selling your Spirit Talismans."