The eastern sky turned the color of fish belly white as dawn approached.
Alex Reed held the talisman and breathed a sigh of relief. The night had passed. He got up, ate sweet potatoes, and continued making talismans. The day went by quickly.
At night, after taking a Huangya Pill, Alex held the talisman and practiced vigilantly.
"Ah... someone died again!"
At dawn, a familiar scream shattered the morning tranquility. Alex trembled and woke up, feeling a wave of depression engulf him.
Whoosh—
The sound was so clear, it seemed as if the incident had occurred nearby. He stood up from the bed, lay down by the gap he had dug, and looked out.
A group of people had gathered in the alley. This time, the Clearwater Sect law enforcement team was patrolling nearby and came over when they heard the scream. Everyone gathered outside a house not far away, pointing and talking.
Through the gap, Alex saw Paul Young watching the commotion.
"This Taoist friend is lucky. He didn't have his heart and lungs ripped out, yet he still dares to join in the fun. Truly brave."
After sighing for a moment, he withdrew his gaze and plugged the gap in the wood again.
"Demon cultivators are nothing," he cursed in his heart. But he also understood that while one could be a thief for a thousand days, there was no way to prevent a thief for a thousand days. These days of being on tenterhooks were very draining, and he couldn't even sleep well.
"Damn it, if I can't afford to offend you, I have to hide from you. I must rent a small courtyard in the central area."
While cursing, Alex pushed off his quilt and began his business of making talismans. No matter how rampant the demonic cultivators were, life had to go on.
At night, Alex made a wish, "Go and have fun with other fellow Taoists. The skin is rough and the flesh is thick, and the internal organs are full of turbidity." He meditated as usual, holding various talismans in his hands. While practicing, he remained prepared to deal with emergencies at any time. In the past few months, fellow Taoists nearby had been attacked by demonic cultivators, so he had to be on guard.
The strength of the demon cultivator was unknown. At the very least, he needed to be able to make a sound when there was danger, so he could have a chance to escape.
Half a month later, at the Treasure Pavilion, John West's eyes brightened as he looked at the sixty miasma-dispelling charms placed on the counter. In addition to the shopkeeper, there were nine managers like him in the Treasure Pavilion. Recently, the sect had sent many casual cultivators, and the supply of miasma-dispelling talismans exceeded the demand. Whoever had more goods and good quality would have the right to speak and win favor in front of the big shopkeeper.
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Alex was just one of the Talisman Masters he knew, and he never expected to give him such a surprise. Sixty miasma-dispelling talismans, worth 480 low-grade spiritual stones, were the most generous payout Alex had ever received. Thanks to the Clearwater Sect and the Wuzihao Mine, this batch of miasma-dispelling charms would only have been sold for two hundred and forty otherwise.
After checking the miasma-dispelling talismans one by one, John nodded with satisfaction. The quality was still as high as ever.
"What do fellow Daoists need this time?" John asked.
"I need a low-grade talisman pen, thirty talisman papers, ten bottles of spiritual ink, and two bottles of Huangya Dan," Alex replied. Seeing that the price of the Miasma Dispelling Talisman was still at a high level, he would not let go of this opportunity to make money.
While John went to prepare the materials for making talismans, Alex leaned on the small counter and carefully observed the monks going around. When his eyes fell on the door, a look happened to meet his. The owner of the gaze was obviously panicked and then turned around and left.
"Hmm," Alex's heart skipped a beat. He was being followed.
One good thing about monks is that they have excellent memory. In surprise, Alex recalled that he had seen the face of the figure who had just met his eyes. Since becoming a Talisman Master, his travels had been limited to his residence and the Treasure Pavilion. There were only so many trips back and forth, each taking at least half a month. But the monks who often came to the Treasure Pavilion were either buying or selling spiritual objects. What poor guy always runs to the Treasure Pavilion when he has nothing to do?
The spiritual items Alex needed totaled 420 spirit stones, with a surplus of 60 spirit stones. After putting away his things, Alex did not leave in a hurry. He leaned toward Steward John and asked, "Does Steward know if there is any room available in the small courtyard in the middle of the market?"
"Fellow Daoist, do you want to move?" John asked.
Alex nodded. Although he had become too cunning, he still wanted to move to a more stable courtyard in the middle of the market.
"Recently, the number of people in the market has increased, and fighting has been frequent. The small houses on the outskirts of the market are too unsafe," Alex explained.
John was not surprised. Who would be willing to live in a shack if they were rich? Not only is it broken, but the key is also unsafe.
"The supply of accommodation in the market has always exceeded the demand. Recently, in order to develop the mineral veins, the sect has sent many monks, and the accommodation has become even tighter. The residence is under the management of the General Affairs Hall, I don't know the details. There is news that our Clearwater Sect will re-plan the city in the near future. With Fellow Daoist Alex's financial resources, if he is willing to spend money, it will not be a big problem to share a house in the central area of the market."
The rental situation in Cloudfield Market is generally that the more powerful you are, the better the place you live in. But on the other hand, it can also be proven that it is easier for strong monks to earn spiritual stones, so that they have the financial resources to live in a good place.
The entire Cloudfield Market is built at the foot of Yunmeng Mountain. There is a second-level spiritual vein in Yunmeng Mountain. Along the trend of Yunmeng Mountain's spiritual veins, more than twenty cave dwellings were built. The cave on the highest spiritual vein spring is the residence of the foundation-building monks who sit in Cloudfield Market. The remaining caves are reserved for the disciples of the Clearwater Sect.
Cloudfield Market borrowed the light of the Yunmeng Mountain spiritual vein and was built on the tail of the spiritual vein. The formation master of the Clearwater Sect built a spirit gathering array with the tail of the spiritual vein as the center. There is a street of shops, and some core luxurious courtyards are in the central spirit gathering array. This place is the core area of the market, where ordinary disciples, managers, and family members of the Clearwater Sect live. There are also some craftsmen with first-class craftsmanship who can earn a lot of spirit stones. In short, either you have power or spirit stones, or both power and spirit stones.
What John said, and the place chosen by Alex himself, are all in the middle area next to the core area. In this area, the houses built are more spacious than those in the outer area, and the rooms are all two-story. In addition to the two-story building, there is also a courtyard with a circle of small fences. Although not in the spirit gathering array, it is close to the edge of the spirit gathering array, and can get some spiritual energy. Most of the people living here are in the late stage of Qi training, or have a skill, or have a strange encounter in the middle stage of Qi training.
"Manager John, I heard that if you want to live in the central area, you need certain conditions."
Alex had heard this from hearsay, and with his ability before, he couldn't get detailed information. Just like this, or passing by on the street, he didn't know who heard one or two words.
"There are some rules, but then again, Fellow Daoist Alex is a talisman master and can earn spirit stones."
John patted his storage bag, and a spirit stone appeared in his palm.
"Fellow Daoist, what requirements can be higher than spirit stones?"