Along the market path, Xu Feng walked slowly.
Reckoning the time, it was already about time for him to head back.
Yet he still did not leave. Instead, amidst the bustling noise, his mind raced as he pondered what had just happened.
"It seems this system still has many functions I haven't figured out yet. I never expected there would be a feature like 'hidden opportunities.' However, the triggering of these hidden resources is far too passive—there's completely no sign or warning beforehand.
Fortunately, I reacted quickly today, or else the stall owner would have caught onto something. Otherwise, my cover definitely would have been blown."
At this thought, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, and his mood was clearly extremely joyous.
Thinking of the wits and courage he had just matched against the stall owner made him want to laugh; this was the first time in his life he had successfully picked up a bargain.
Yet immediately afterward, he began pondering other matters.
"The hidden opportunity triggered this time was a spiritual medicine, and spiritual medicine is closely linked to alchemy. It seems the system's name wasn't chosen in vain after all—it really is related to the Hundred Arts of Cultivation. It looks like I should frequently visit these outer-district markets, inner-district shops, and rogue cultivator markets from now on. Who knows, I might reap unexpected rewards."
With this thought, he pulled his thoughts back and began inspecting the surrounding talisman stalls. This was one of the main reasons he had come here today.
Arriving before a stall selling talismans, he stopped in his tracks once again. Yet he did not rashly strike up a conversation with the stall owner, merely observing with his gaze.
Looking out over the stall, there were only four types of talismans on display, without exception all of Rank 1 Low-Grade.
Two of them were the minor fireball talisman and the ice sword talisman, just like the ones he had. The other two were a transmission talisman and a minor cloud-and-rain talisman, neither of which was recorded on the jade slip his Master had left him.
Transmission talismans were quite common. One party would leave their unique Divine Sense imprint inside the talisman and then give it to someone else. When the other person wanted to notify you about something, they would inject what they wanted to say into the talisman and activate it, and it would automatically fly back to find you.
However, a Rank 1 Low-Grade transmission talisman had a flight range of only a few miles—roughly enough to cover the district where he lived.
Yet once the level of the transmission talisman increased in the future, its transmission range would also grow. His Master had told him that if it were a Tier 2 transmission talisman, the flight range could reach hundreds or thousands of miles away, and its speed would be extremely fast.
As for the minor cloud-and-rain talisman, it hardly needed a detailed introduction; it was specifically used to water spirit fields. Its application was quite narrow and basically useless to him, so he merely glanced at it briefly and paid it no more mind.
Next, his attention shifted from the stall to the stall owner himself.
The stall owner was a man who looked quite diligent, holding a book titled *Complete Essentials of Talismanic Foundation* and reading it intently. Even though Xu Feng had stood before the stall for a long time, the man hadn't raised his head once.
Still, wanting to converse with him, Xu Feng squatted down. Only then did the stall owner finally move his gaze away from the book, glancing at him sideways, uttering a casual "look around if you like," and then shifting his gaze right back.
*Such a terrible head for business—no wonder no one is willing to patronize you!*
Xu Feng muttered inwardly, then picked up the talismans on the stall and began examining them closely.
A moment later, he had already reached a conclusion: this stall owner's talisman-making skill was probably on par with his own.
However, the other man looked to be quite a bit older than him, so in this round, he was the absolute victor.
"How much for a transmission talisman?"
"Three spirit stones each."
"So expensive? Can't you make it a bit cheaper?"
"..."
The stall owner simply didn't answer, which could also be considered an alternative kind of reply.
"Fellow Daoist, how much are your minor cloud-and-rain talismans?"
"Two spirit stones for three."
"And what about this minor fireball talisman?"
"Two spirit stones."
Just like that, he directly asked the price of every single talisman on the stall, incidentally inquiring about the prices of spiritual ink and Talisman Paper as well.
In the end, had the stall owner not been glaring at him with annoyance, he would even have asked about the price of the Talisman Brush used to draw these talismans, even though the brush wasn't displayed.
Anyway, his purpose had been achieved, so he straightened up somewhat sheepishly and walked away without looking back.
*It seems the prices of talismans sold at stalls here are about the same as those inside the inner-district shops. The only difference is that the shops in the inner district probably offer more guaranteed quality, while here, everything depends entirely on your own discernment.*
Reflecting on what he had just learned, he thought this to himself.
This was also quite easy to understand. The cultivators who set up stalls here had neither fixed locations nor fixed operating hours. Even if you bought a poorly made talisman, you could only chalk it up to bad luck.
Yet the shops in the inner district were different. If a cultivator bought a talisman from you and took it back only to find it didn't work well, wouldn't they rally a bunch of friends to come cause a scene and demand compensation?
All it took was one such incident, and the shop's reputation would basically be ruined. Therefore, the quality of the talismans provided by the shops was strictly vetted, and defective products were absolutely never allowed to circulate.
Next, Xu Feng arrived at the market administration office, which looked like a thatched cottage.
When he stepped inside, he found the furnishings within extremely simple, consisting only of a large square table used for official business and four long wooden benches.
In front of the table sat an elderly man who was currently bent over, holding a brush and painting. Noticing someone enter, the old man first placed his writing brush onto a nearby brush rest, then leisurely shook his hands, and finally glanced at his unfinished painting before stepping out from behind the table.
The old man had three wisps of long beard, a youthful face with white hair, and looked just like an enlightened true cultivator. Upon seeing Xu Feng, a gentle smile appeared on his face, and he spoke:
"Little friend, what brings you here? Come, sit down and talk."
Feeling the intense pressure emanating from the old man, how could Xu Feng not realize that this was a legendary Foundation Establishment cultivator?
Hearing the old man's words, he immediately bowed and replied:
"Before a senior, how could there be a seat for a junior? I'd better stand!"
The elderly man smiled and shook his head, not forcing the issue, and simply continued:
"Suit yourself if you'd rather stand! Now, little friend, you may speak—what brings you here?"
"Reporting to Senior, this junior came to inquire about the fees for setting up a stall here. Are they charged by the day, by the month, or by the year?" He stated his purpose directly.
"Whether by day, by month, or by year, any of them is fine. It mainly depends on those of you who want to rent a stall; both long-term and short-term rentals are acceptable. Generally speaking, long-term rentals are more cost-effective, but most people who actually come to rent stalls still choose short-term. How you choose is up to you. I have a detailed price list right here, you can take a look."
"Thank you, Senior!"
After expressing his gratitude, Xu Feng received a thin booklet with both hands and began to flip through it.
"Daily stall rentals range from half a spirit stone to two spirit stones, depending on the location; monthly stall rentals range from thirteen to fifty-two spirit stones, depending on the location; yearly stall rentals range from one hundred forty spirit stones to four hundred twenty spirit stones,..."
Having finished reading, he respectfully returned the booklet, then took his leave and departed.