Over twenty days passed in a flash.
Lu Tiandu, dressed in black and wearing a conical hat, strolled along Suzaku Avenue in Tianyue City with his hands clasped behind his back. His spiritual sense occasionally scanned those who were secretly watching him, and a hint of disdain crossed his lips.
"It seems the recent surge in sales of mid-level talismans has piqued the greed of some!"
he sighed inwardly.
These days, selling fifty mid-level talismans daily has brought in around four hundred spirit stones, which has already reached over ten thousand in just over twenty days. This is a significant sum for a Foundation Establishment cultivator, so it's no wonder some are tempted.
Furthermore, he's been lavishly purchasing various refining materials, as well as spiritual herb seeds and seedlings, spending thousands of spirit stones. This has instilled envy among several Foundation Establishment cultivators, sparking their own ulterior motives.
After a few days of struggling, Lu Tiandu's makeshift talisman shop, known for its low prices and high-quality talismans, quickly spread among his small circle.
Every morning after opening, he'd sell fifty talismans within an hour. He'd then close the shop and search other shops for what he needed before returning to the inn within the market to continue drawing low-level talismans.
Meanwhile, every few days, Lu Tiandu would pretend to leave the market to collect new talismans from his elders, but in reality, he'd retreat to his previously established cave dwelling and retreat to the Stone Pearl World to continue his daily activities.
The next day, he'd miraculously reappear at the east or west gate of the market.
Despite repeated attempts to follow him, the speed of his Spirit Light Shuttle allowed Lu Tiandu to easily evade the Foundation Establishment cultivators who were pursuing him.
After a few attempts, this tactic began to work. Gradually, the followers dwindled, realizing that since this mysterious man possessed such a powerful flying magical device, the elders behind him were likely formidable—even if they never appeared—and so they gave up.
However, a few remained persistent, constantly testing him and secretly monitoring him around the clock.
With the auction approaching, the number of cultivators in Tianyue City has increased significantly. The Yanyue Sect's security forces have been significantly strengthened, and it's rumored that there are even Jindan-stage cultivators stationed there.
So, Lu Tiandu continued to browse the various shops with a clear conscience, searching for the spiritual medicine seeds and refining materials he needed.
Of course, this nonchalant appearance was a deliberate attempt to confuse others. The more stable he appeared, the more confident he seemed, and the less he would dare to act prematurely.
He also bought or bartered for a number of useful items from the several new temporary shops and stalls in the southern part of the city. Only then did Lu Tiandu leisurely return to his regular inn, unlock the barrier, and prepare to rest.
Another three days passed in a flash, and a new day arrived.
Just as someone was secretly watching the small shop at Geng 38, waiting for Lu Tiandu to open, the man in black clothes and a bamboo hat remained silent from morning to noon and into the afternoon.
This disappointed many cultivators who had sincerely hoped to purchase low-priced talismans. Some with ulterior motives cursed the stalkers as useless...
They had previously inquired and learned that the day before, the man had renewed his lease for another ten days. After all, with the influx of cultivators, resources in these small shops were becoming increasingly scarce, and if they didn't renew, it would be nearly impossible to get a new lease.
And what happened? He just disappeared?
By then, Lu Tiandu had returned to his simple cave dwelling in the nameless desolate mountains. After activating the Sky Wind Fierce Formation, he flashed back to the Stone Bead World.
His lease on shop number Geng 38 was still two days away from expiring. Just yesterday, he had even gone to the Yanyue Sect's South City Storefront Rental Office to renew his lease for another ten days, claiming that his family elders had recently produced a large number of talismans and needed the lease for a while longer.
That night, disguised at the inn, donning a simple bamboo hat, he followed the crowd out the north gate, found a secluded spot, released his Spiritual Light Shuttle, and vanished without a trace.
To those watching, the black-clad Lu Tiandu always left or returned to Tianyue City through either the East or West Gate. No one anticipated that he would, while publicly renewing his lease and intending to continue his business, secretly slip away through the North Gate, a place he had never used before.
This greatly disappointed those watching from the East and West Gates.
After all, habitual thinking can be deceptive.
In fact, Lu Tiandu's movements had previously been monitored at all four gates, but with the upcoming grand event, the Yanyue Sect's Jindan elders unleashed their spiritual sense to intimidate the various unknown forces guarding Tianyue City, and as a result, some of them have recently become more restrained.
...
Teasing the little golden monkey in his arms, Lu Tian was extremely pleased with his recent gains.
Over the past month, he had sold or bartered approximately 1,500 mid-level talismans, earning approximately 12,000 spirit stones.
Roughly half of these spirit stones were used to purchase materials for refining formation flags and plates, as well as some spiritual herb seedlings and seeds.
Furthermore, he had participated in several secret shop transactions during this time, selling three Dingyan Pills for over 4,500 spirit stones, a reward that greatly satisfied him.
As usual, he would stop selling after two or three Dingyan Pills at a market. Even if someone offered a higher price, he would simply shake his head, expressing his inability to meet the demand.
So, after some calculations, his total amount of spirit stones reached over 26,500.
He still had 19 Dingyan Pills, and the refining materials he had harvested totaled nearly 10,000 spirit stones. The spiritual herbs and other materials had already been planted in the medicine garden.
By this calculation, Lu Tiandu's current wealth was comparable to that of some senior cultivators who had just entered the Jindan stage.
After reviewing his thoughts, Lu Tiandu resumed his daily practice: practicing magic, drawing talismans, tending to elixirs, and so on.
A dozen days later, three days remained until the auction.
After changing his appearance, Lu Tiandu, dressed in gray and slightly sturdy, entered the market from the south gate, wearing a ethereal conical hat.
These days, black conical hats or cloaks are standard equipment for most cultivators. Lu Tiandu wasn't afraid of others noticing the unusualness of the conical hat; after all, he had seen several similar spiritual-blocking instruments before.
With the increasing number of cultivators, such unusual items became more common.
After entering the market, Lu Tiandu headed straight for the Tianyue Tower in the center of the town, where he would register some items for auction.
He received a number and entered a small, side hall room. There were dozens of such rooms, all reserved for those who had recently participated in the auction.
The room was occupied only by two young cultivators, a man and a woman, dressed in white, in the attire of the Yanyue Sect. They beckoned Lu Tiandu to take a seat.
Their attitude was truly remarkable. Lu Tiandu thanked them and, without further ado, produced three jade bottles and explained the requirements for the Dingyan Pills he had commissioned for auction.
Upon hearing about such a rare elixir, the Yanyue Sect's female cultivator's breathing quickened.
Lu Tiandu remained calm, even though the two men before him were both Foundation Establishment-stage masters.
Soon, the alchemist from Tianyue Tower, responsible for elixir authentication, arrived and quickly confirmed the pills' authenticity. He also thanked Lu Tiandu's impersonation, "Friend Han," for offering such a precious elixir, adding a touch of glamour to the auction.
Lu Tiandu remained remarkably composed. After both parties confirmed the authenticity, he collected the token ring and the key.
Just as they were leaving, the female cultivator from the Yanyue Sect flirted with him repeatedly, saying in a voice message that she wanted to have an in-depth discussion with him in private, and asked Lu Tiandu to leave her address...
Although this person was quite attractive, this "Fellow Daoist Han" finally ruthlessly refused. After all, he was a well-known model worker, wholeheartedly pursuing the great way...
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(End of this chapter)