Chapter 043

Chapter 43: Entangled Once More

Wei Yun Xi decided to use the exchange method she saw the senior brother use earlier. She wanted to trade the pills she didn’t need for blank talisman paper. Politely clasping her fists, she asked the stall keeper, “Senior sister, I don’t have any spirit stones. Can I trade some pills for blank talisman papers?”

The stall keeper glanced briefly at Wei Yun Xi and asked bluntly, “What kind of pills do you have?”

“I have some Spirit Nourishing Pills that I saved and couldn’t bear to take myself,” Yun Xi answered honestly.

“Let me have a look.”

Not afraid of being cheated, Wei Yun Xi handed over the bottle containing her remaining five pills to the girl.

The stall keeper opened the lid, sniffed carefully, and smiled, saying, “These are middle-grade pills. How many blank talisman papers are you hoping to get?”

Wei Yun Xi hesitated slightly before responding, “Senior sister, I’m just a beginner. I’ll definitely waste a lot of paper practicing. I want to trade all five pills for all the blank talisman paper you have at your stall.”

The stall keeper glanced at her own stand. There were ten stacks of first-level blank talisman paper and one stack of second-level blank talisman paper, each stack containing one hundred sheets. After quickly calculating the value in her head, she gritted her teeth and said, “Fine. Since junior sister seems sincere, I’ll trade with you this time. Consider it making a friend. But from now on, buy all the paper you need from me.”

Wei Yun Xi instantly understood that this senior sister was trying to secure a long-term customer, and immediately smiled, replying, “Thank you for taking care of me, senior sister. From now on, I’ll definitely buy all my blank talisman papers from you.”

The stall keeper swiftly placed the pill bottle into her storage bag and introduced herself cheerfully, “My name is Hua Xuan Zi. I’ve been cultivating in the outer sect for five years. Just call me Senior Sister Hua.”

“Of course. Little sister’s name is Wei Yun Xi, and I just joined the sect this year. Senior Sister can simply call me Yun Xi,” she replied warmly, quickly placing the blank talisman papers into her storage bag.

“Junior Sister Yun Xi, here is my communication talisman. If you can’t find me in the market, just send me a message, and I can deliver the goods directly to you,” Hua Xuan Zi said generously. She was a tall girl with a straightforward manner and had already reached the fifth layer of Qi Refining. Wei Yun Xi decided to accept the offered friendship.

“Thank you for your care, Senior Sister Hua. Unfortunately, I don’t have any communication talismans on hand…”

Hua Xuan Zi immediately patted her storage bag and said, “I have some here, and I’ll give you a discounted price. Ten communication talismans for one low-grade spirit stone. Interested?”

Wei Yun Xi thought for a moment and decided to buy them, knowing she would need them eventually. Pretending to feel heartache, she took out another Spirit Nourishing Pill and handed it to Hua Xuan Zi.

Hua Xuan Zi’s lips twitched slightly, but she accepted the pill without fuss, handing ten communication talismans over to Yun Xi. She then rolled up her stall rug and said gracefully, “Junior Sister Yun Xi, feel free to browse. I’m going to check out other stalls.”

“Please go ahead, Senior Sister,” Yun Xi replied politely, then turned toward Wei Yun Qing and Wei Zong Hao. “Now that we have the talisman brush and blank paper, we just need cinnabar ink. Let’s keep looking.”

Wei Zong Hao had no objections and added casually, “I heard that adding beast blood to cinnabar ink can enhance the talisman’s power. Why don’t you buy some beast blood and try it?”

“That’s true. Senior uncle mentioned the same thing. Let’s see if we can find suitable beast blood,” Yun Xi agreed and then asked Wei Yun Qing, “Elder sister, did you finish examining the talisman brush? How was it?”

Wei Yun Qing handed back the brush with a disappointed expression. “It’s old, but good enough for practice. Make do for now.”

Yun Xi carefully stored the brush and nodded. “I thought so too.”

The three continued browsing the market. Yun Xi was genuinely looking for cinnabar ink, Wei Zong Hao was there mainly for company, while Wei Yun Qing closely monitored every item Yun Xi glanced at. Pretending interest, Wei Yun Qing even bought two suspicious-looking items she wasn’t sure about.

Watching Wei Yun Qing’s actions, Yun Xi raised an eyebrow slightly. She once again realized the novel she’d read mixed truth with lies. True, her cannon-fodder character genuinely had great luck, but false were the claims that Yun Qing would simply obtain her resources. The novel had made it seem like Wei Yun Qing innocently received everything handed to her, but Yun Xi was certain it was by cunning means.

Every time Yun Xi encountered fortune, Wei Yun Qing’s protagonist aura would flare, and she would follow closely like a shark catching the scent of blood. Luckily, Yun Xi was always cautious; otherwise, she might indeed lose opportunities.

Take those empty pill bottles, for example. If Yun Qing had simply said, “I happen to need them for pill refining; can you trade two bottles with me?” then Yun Xi, unaware, might have handed them over, giving Yun Qing a chance to openly steal her fortune.

But now that she was here, that wouldn’t happen.

After an afternoon of browsing, everyone gained something. Wei Yun Qing bought two questionable “treasures,” Yun Xi got a full set of talisman-making tools, and Wei Zong Hao replenished his supply of spirit beast jerky.

Upon returning home satisfied, Wei Yun Qing immediately locked herself in her room, beginning to bang on her purchases, hoping to discover something hidden within.

Wei Yun Xi returned to her own room, activated the isolation array, and laid out the six empty pill bottles carefully. Examining each closely, she finally noticed an anomaly with the fourth bottle. Its bottom was noticeably thicker, clearly from a different batch than the others. She was certain the Heaven Mending Pill must be hidden within.

Yun Xi tried throwing the bottle onto the floor, but it didn’t even crack—the craftsmanship was excellent. Determined, she tried spells she had recently learned. After exhausting her spiritual energy with fireball, water arrow, and golden needle techniques, she finally shattered the bottle using a lightning strike. Sure enough, a pill rolled out from the broken bottom.

With joy lighting up her face, Yun Xi picked it up and smelled it. Confirming its authenticity, she carefully placed it into an empty bottle and stored it securely in her spatial realm. With her own supreme mutated spiritual root already at maximum potential, this Heaven Mending Pill wasn’t useful to her, so she would save it for future exchanges.

Just as she finished cleaning up the mess, someone knocked at her array again. Checking with her divine sense, she frowned—Wei Yun Qing again. Such a persistent nuisance.

Waving her sleeve, Yun Xi placed blank talisman papers and cinnabar ink on the table. Holding her brush, she opened the array with a flick of her hand and asked irritably, “Elder sister, what is it now?”

Wei Yun Qing tried entering the room but was blocked at the doorway. With an awkward smile, she asked, “Little sister, what are you doing?”

Yun Xi replied unhappily, “Practicing talisman-making, of course! Your knocking ruined a first-level talisman I was about to finish. What exactly do you need?”

Wei Yun Qing quickly glanced at the table, seeing the spread-out blank talisman papers and the cinnabar ink already reduced by a third, and suppressed her annoyance. “Little sister, won’t you invite me inside? Ever since joining the sect, we sisters have grown distant.”

Yun Xi inwardly rolled her eyes. Even a blind person could see how their relationship truly was. Why bother pretending now?

Just then, someone else called out, “Yun Qing, Yun Xi, is something the matter?”