Yan Yue was stunned when Zhou Shu spoke her mind. Then a bitter look spread across her face, and she lowered her head. "Junior brother, do you think so? Actually, you don't have to do this. I'm just asking..."
Using the jade slip that was supposed to be a reward to ask Zhou Shu to help the Yan family wasn't a good idea, and she mustered up a lot of courage to finally speak up. She had expected Zhou Shu to refuse, but when she heard it, she couldn't help but feel sad, her whole body going cold.
It was like a small boat in a storm, finally hit by a huge wave and sinking to the bottom of the sea.
Zhou Shu smiled, "It's okay, Senior Sister, don't worry. I agree."
"Ah?"
Yan Yue was pleasantly surprised, her ears agape with disbelief. "Really? Junior brother, you really agree?"
Zhou Shu nodded seriously. "Of course it's true. It's mutually beneficial, the best of both worlds. Why wouldn't I do it?"
Yan Yue wanted to use the talisman master to revitalize the Yan family, and didn't he also want to use the Yan family's power?
He drew a water therapy talisman and then sold it through the Yan family. He didn't have to reveal himself, and he could get a stable source of income without being distracted by miscellaneous tasks.
For him, there were no disadvantages and only benefits, so why not do it?
"Thank you, Junior Brother, thank you..."
Yan Yue murmured. The hope that had been cut off at this moment resurfaced. She didn't know where to start with so many thoughts, and could only keep thanking him.
"Senior Sister Yan, you are like this every day. It's very hard."
Zhou Shu put away the jade slip, with a slightly concerned look on his face and said with a double meaning.
Yan Yue's mind was all about the family, and even the happy event of being promoted to an inner disciple was just mentioned casually.
Yan Yue showed a relieved expression, "Thank you for your concern, Junior Brother, but since I met Junior Brother, it seems that everything has become simple, and I don't have to worry so much."
Her eyes showed a lot of gratitude.
Zhou Shu sighed lightly and bowed, "Sister, I have something to do, so I'll leave first. I'll give you a definite answer on the talisman in a month. If we can make a water therapy talisman, we'll discuss it in detail."
Yan Yue nodded and agreed, "Okay, I see. Junior brother, there's no need to rush."
Zhou Shu said goodbye and left. Yan Yue stood by the door, staring at his back in a daze. It was a long time before she turned around and left.
When he arrived at Sanyuanzhai, it was still the same guy who welcomed him in respectfully.
Hua Ruoan also came over, took a look at Zhou Shu, and said meaningfully, "Brother Zhou, I didn't expect that you could even get the marrow of the Golden Ring Kui Python. I'm really surprised. You're really amazing, little brother."
He said he was surprised, but his expression was calm. He had expected that there was someone behind Zhou Shu, so he was not too surprised by such a thing.
"It's just a coincidence,"
Zhou Shu smiled calmly. "Shopkeeper Hua, is the talisman ink ready?"
"Yes, with our Ink Master Xu at your service, it won't fail."
Hua Ruoan clapped his hands. A moment later, a waiter arrived with two bottles of talisman ink, followed by Xu Shan.
"Mr. Zhou, these are the talisman inks you requested."
Zhou Shu took the ink and smiled at Xu Shan.
Xu Shan stepped forward and introduced them. "These two bottles of talisman ink are made with snake marrow as the main ingredient. One is rich in the spiritual energy of water and gold, and the other is rich in the spiritual energy of water and earth. They can be used to create a variety of talismans. What do you think, Mr. Zhou?"
Zhou Shu released a trace of his spiritual energy and nodded slightly.
The two bottles of talisman ink, housed in specially crafted jade bottles, emanated a faint spiritual glow. Upon closer inspection, the spiritual energy within each ink was extremely abundant, yet not overflowing, nor was it at all violent. Gentle and peaceful, they could be considered top-quality Five Elements talisman ink.
Once the materials were made into talisman ink, they could be preserved for a very long time, up to years, unlike the original materials, which quickly lost their spiritual power.
"Excellent talisman ink! Master Xu is truly skilled,"
Zhou Shu praised heartily. He had brushed up on his knowledge of talisman ink, understanding the difficulty of crafting it.
Xu Shan stroked his graying beard, a hint of pride on his face. "This is also thanks to Master Zhou's excellent materials."
Hua Ruoan smiled, "Is Brother Zhou satisfied?"
Zhou Shu nodded, "Very satisfied."
"That's good," Hua Ruoan said, looking at the talisman ink and changing the subject. "Brother Zhou, you know the rules. What talismans do you plan to use these two bottles of talisman ink for?"
Zhou Shu pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "That... I need to think about it. I'll send them to the shopkeeper in a few days when I have the talismans."
He had the talisman ink, but he had no idea what to use it for. The few talismans he knew now didn't require these two bottles of talisman ink.
Hua Ruoan clapped his hands and smiled, "Very well, very well. Brother Zhou, I naturally trust your words. However, it seems to me that these two bottles of talismans are very suitable for making Ice Arrow and Swamp Talismans. Brother Zhou, you might consider them."
"Haha,"
Zhou Shu smiled, noncommittal.
He also wanted to draw these talismans, but it was nearly impossible.
The Ice Arrow and Swamp Techniques were inherently difficult to learn, and the talismans combined two different spiritual energies, making the drawing process complex and far more challenging than the Thunderstorm Talisman. It wasn't something that any ordinary talisman master could achieve. More importantly, they were all second-tier talismans.
Zhou Shu's current spiritual power wasn't enough to sustain the drawing of a single second-tier talisman, not to mention the exorbitant price of the jade slips required. He simply couldn't afford them.
How could he draw without the jade slips?
Hua Ruoan seemed convinced that he had a master behind him, which was why he spoke so, as if he wanted to test the master's skill.
Seeing Zhou Shu didn't answer, Hua Ruoan chuckled dryly. "Brother Zhou, is there anything else?"
Zhou Shu took out a small stack of talismans and placed them neatly on the counter. He pointed and said, "I want to sell some talismans and buy some talisman materials."
He had been busy these days. He had drawn nearly ten of each of the three types of talismans, but he didn't plan to sell the Green Vine Talisman. This talisman was very important to him and he considered it a secret method that he would not disclose.
"Talisman?"
Finally, a harvest was about to come. The merchant's heart was stirred. Hua Ruoan's eyes lit up, and he reached out to take the talismans, examining them one by one.
"These five Thunderstorm Talismans seem better than the previous one... Hey, the Golden Armor Talisman? It's also mid-grade. So rare! Mid-grade Golden Armor Talismans are rare in Qingxia Market. Only a few talisman masters from various sects occasionally come in to sell a few. I didn't expect Brother Zhou to have one."
He placed the talisman down with satisfaction. "Five mid-grade Thunderstorm Talismans, five mid-grade Golden Armor Talismans. Thank you, Brother Zhou, for your kindness."
Lower-grade talismans are readily available; any talisman master can draw them. But mid-grade talismans are different. Every extra one brings significant benefits to the talisman shop, attracting customers and expanding its reputation.
"These ten talismans are worth five mid-grade spirit stones at market value, but we're willing to pay eight. What do you think, Brother Zhou?"
Zhou Shu nodded. "Okay."
After acquiring the spirit stones and buying enough talisman materials, Zhou Shu left with a smile.
This time, he planned to live in seclusion for a while, concentrating on cultivation and talisman drawing, and not leaving unless necessary.