Futile Devices Scans

Fangcun Pavilion naturally carried talismans, but there were not many of them.

The shopkeeper led Xia Yunzhao to a treasure display rack and said pleasantly, “These are all the talismans currently available in the shop: Level-One Cleaning Talismans, Level-One Protective Talismans, and Level-One Flame Talismans. We have five of each.”

The shopkeeper carefully explained them one by one. Cleaning Talismans were naturally used for cleaning; once activated, they guaranteed that not so much as a speck of dust would remain, and each cost three hundred spirit pearls. A Protective Talisman created a barrier around the user when activated, capable of withstanding attacks from Qi Refining cultivators for the time it took three incense sticks to burn; each cost eight hundred spirit pearls. A Flame Talisman contained a sealed burst of fire with offensive power equivalent to a single strike from a cultivator at the third layer of Qi Refining, and each cost one thousand spirit pearls.

Xia Yunzhao was stunned. “Why are they so expensive?!” He had thought talismans would be cheaper than magical treasures. How were they even more expensive?!

The shopkeeper smiled. “Our guest is joking. How could magical treasures and talismans be compared? The power of a magical treasure depends entirely on the person using it. But a talisman only needs spiritual energy to activate, and its power remains unchanged. Even a cultivator at the first layer of Qi Refining can unleash offensive power equivalent to the third layer of Qi Refining with one.”

“Besides, Qingxi City has no talisman masters. These talismans are all transported here from larger cities, passing through several hands along the way, so naturally the price… If our guest would like cheaper low-level talismans, you could try looking in a larger city.”

I’d love to go to one… Xia Yunzhao thought. Still, expensive or not, things that could save his life had to be bought!

Gritting his teeth, he purchased three Flame Talismans and one Protective Talisman. Another three thousand eight hundred spirit pearls vanished in one stroke, and the money he had barely had time to warm in his hands instantly shrank by nearly half.

Money really was easier to earn than to keep.

As for formation disks, there was no point even looking… Apart from cultivation methods, formation disks were the most expensive items in the shop. Even the cheapest protective formation disk cost five thousand five hundred spirit pearls!

Seeing that the shopkeeper still wanted to recommend other spirit treasures, Xia Yunzhao hurriedly clutched his money pouch and fled.

After walking only a short distance, he spotted Wanglai Pavilion again.

Today, Wanglai Pavilion’s doors were wide open. The proprietor leaned against the doorframe, yawning as he watched passersby. When he saw Xia Yunzhao, he clearly recognized him and even smiled.

Xia Yunzhao waved and ran over. He had barely opened his mouth to greet him when the proprietor said, “Got ripped off?”

Xia Yunzhao instantly: …

He defended himself. “I wouldn’t exactly call it getting ripped off. Their prices were clearly marked.”

The proprietor snorted. “More than a thousand spirit pearls for a Level-One talisman, and you don’t call that getting ripped off?” Seeing the child looking unconvinced, he yawned again. “Still, that shopkeeper wasn’t deliberately cheating you. Qingxi City doesn’t have any talisman masters, so talismans naturally sell at a premium.”

Xia Yunzhao knew that too. Otherwise, he would have tried bargaining.

Since he was already here, he glanced into the shop. “Let me see if you’ve gotten anything good lately.”

The proprietor remained lazy. “No wine today. Don’t feel like doing business.”

Xia Yunzhao was speechless. “A customer walked right up to your door. Who runs a shop like this… Come on, let me in.”

The little shop was exactly as cramped and cluttered as before. A corner of a cloth hanging along one wall had slipped down, revealing the hideous white skull of a slaughter beast behind it. A wave of pressure rushed toward Xia Yunzhao, causing the Qi-Guiding Origin-Connecting Art inside him to begin circulating on its own and gradually dissolve the pressure.

The proprietor glanced at him and chuckled. “Oh? Your cultivation has improved.”

Xia Yunzhao asked, “Is this the beast skeleton you used to display outside? I heard the waiter at the teahouse mention it.”

“Mm. It kept frightening people when I left it outside, so I moved it in here.” The proprietor walked back inside and sprawled into a chair again, looking utterly unmotivated.

Xia Yunzhao glanced at him. Who would’ve thought this drunkard could actually be considerate?

He pulled aside the cloth and discovered that the white bones were not limited to a skull. A section of body was attached beneath it, also made entirely of white bone, though he could not tell what kind of beast it had belonged to. After staring for quite a while, something continued to feel wrong. “Did you put these bones together incorrectly? They don’t look like they came from the same animal.”

“Sharp eyes… That’s the White Bone Art. It lets you piece together bones from different slaughter beasts.”

“Piece them together? What can you do with them?” Xia Yunzhao asked curiously.

The proprietor said, “Once they’re pieced together, they can move. They can sweep the floor for you or cook a meal.”

Xia Yunzhao stared at him speechlessly. If you’re going to fool someone, could you at least make it less obvious?

He continued asking, “What level of bones do you need? Are you still buying them?”

The proprietor finally showed a little interest. “Only bones from Level-Two slaughter beasts. You have some?”

“I picked up a piece before. Depends on whether your price is reasonable.” He was talking about the snake bone he had found in the valley, along with the two scales.

“If it really is from a Level-Two slaughter beast, I’ll pay one thousand two hundred spirit pearls for a single bone. You won’t find anyone in Qingxi City offering more than I am.”

Xia Yunzhao instantly felt once again just how much money cultivation burned through. A Level-One Flame Talisman cost only one thousand spirit pearls, yet a single piece of Level-Two material was already worth more than a thousand. Then how much would an entire Level-Two slaughter-beast carcass sell for?

He took out the bone and placed it on the counter.

The proprietor raised an eyebrow. “Not bad quality.” He examined it carefully. “A Level-Two Purple-Patterned Python spine, and a good-quality one at that. At one thousand two hundred spirit pearls, I’m the one getting the better end of the deal. Did you pick up any other parts? Purple-Patterned Python flesh and blood are rich in qi and blood and can be refined into Qi and Blood Pills. Its scales have some defensive properties and can be inlaid into protective gear; with a little refining, they can even improve the quality of the equipment.”

Xia Yunzhao immediately brightened. “You’re not taking advantage of me at all. Guess what? I have Purple-Patterned Python scales, and I have protective gear too.”

He slapped the two large purple scales onto the counter, then pulled out his Vinewood Shield. “How do I inlay and refine them? Teach me.”

The proprietor stared at him. “You’re pretty quick to take advantage of an opening.”

Xia Yunzhao leaned against the counter. “Don’t be so stingy, Boss. Look, I’ve done several deals with you in only a few days, and my luck is excellent. If there’s anything you need in the future, you can ask me to look for it. We can keep doing business with each other.”

The proprietor thought about it and decided that made some sense, so he began instructing Xia Yunzhao on how to inlay the scales into the shield.

Ordinarily, refining magical treasures from scratch was something only artifact refiners could do. But when it came to simply inlaying a treasure into an existing magical treasure, ordinary cultivators usually handled it themselves. If even something this minor required hiring an artifact refiner, no amount of money would ever be enough.

The Purple-Patterned Python was a Level-Two slaughter beast, so refining its scales was very difficult for Xia Yunzhao. Fortunately, he learned quickly, and the proprietor lent a hand whenever necessary. After a little over two hours, the two scales were finally inlaid successfully.

The scales dissolved into streams of purple light and embedded themselves into the grain of the Vinewood Shield, leaving the wooden surface threaded with a faint violet sheen.

“Not bad!” Xia Yunzhao beamed as he admired the newly finished Purple-Patterned Vinewood Shield.

“This shield has already been upgraded into a Level-One magical treasure. It should have no problem blocking attacks from Qi Refining cultivators,” the proprietor said.

Xia Yunzhao nodded. Barring any accidents, that was more than enough for his needs.

Because inlaying the scales had taken some time, Geng Jingwu and the others were already waiting when Xia Yunzhao finally reached the agreed meeting place.

Seeing him hurry over, Geng Jingwu visibly relaxed as well. “Let’s go.”

Everyone pulled the now-empty flatbed cart toward the city gates.

Sure enough, the gates were still clogged with people. Small vendors stranded outside the city cried desperately because they could not get in, their baskets filled with fresh fruits and melons that would all spoil if they could not sell them today.

Suddenly, a commotion broke out behind them, followed by what sounded like a scream. Xia Yunzhao had just started to turn his head when Geng Jingwu placed a hand on his shoulder and said gravely, “Don’t look back.”

Xia Yunzhao controlled himself and slowly followed the somewhat unsettled crowd out of the city.

Only then did he ask, “What happened just now?”

Geng Jingwu lowered his voice. “Someone blocked the way and was killed by a cultivator.”

Xia Yunzhao stared at him in disbelief. “Just for blocking the way?”

Sure enough, snippets of conversation drifted from the crowd nearby: “offended a cultivator lord,” “blocked the road,” “bad luck,” and similar remarks. The speakers sounded unbelievably calm. Even the disturbance from moments ago had already faded, as though this were merely an ordinary occurrence everyone was accustomed to.

Xia Yunzhao fell silent for a moment before asking, “Cultivators casually kill people inside the city, and the Fang family doesn’t do anything?”

A young man walking beside Geng Jingwu looked puzzled. “The Fang family? Aren’t they cultivators too?”

Xia Yunzhao froze. “You mean the Fang family kills people in the streets too?”

Geng Jingwu waved a hand. “Enough about that. It’ll be dark soon. Let’s hurry home.”

Everyone lowered their heads and concentrated on the road. With the cart empty, they moved much faster. After only an hour, they left the main road outside the city and entered the forest.

Xia Yunzhao had been holding the question in for ages and finally asked again, “So cultivators really do kill people whenever they feel like it?”

Geng Jingwu countered, “When you walk, do you care if you accidentally step on an ant?”

Xia Yunzhao said, “People and ants aren’t the same.”

“To them, they are.” Geng Jingwu’s voice remained calm. “Cultivators shed ordinary mortal flesh. When they look at common people, it’s like humans looking at ants. To them, our lives are worth no more than weeds. A casual sweep of the hand and we’re gone. No one thinks there’s anything wrong with it. Whether they’re cultivators or weeds, everyone has already grown accustomed to it.”

Xia Yunzhao was silent for a moment. “No matter what, I still think it’s wrong, even if I’m the only person who thinks so.”

The young man from earlier looked around, then smiled and patted Xia Yunzhao on the shoulder. “Why talk about all this? We’re neither cultivators nor weeds! We packed up some pork knuckle from the Zhao Family Restaurant earlier. I’ll give you one when we get back. Their pork knuckle is one of their signature dishes!”

Xia Yunzhao relaxed as well. “All right. I packed some tea snacks too. We can trade.”

As they chatted, the forest around them became increasingly dense. The young man speaking with Xia Yunzhao was called Xiao Qi. Despite his age, he was actually an experienced hunter. Leather cords used for tying up prey were wrapped around his body. Every so often, he scanned the surroundings vigilantly, occasionally leaving the group to scout ahead. Under his guidance, the group changed direction several times.

Seeing Xia Yunzhao watching curiously, Xiao Qi explained, “It’s getting dark now. A lot of slaughter beasts haven’t found food all day and might risk attacking us. We’ve got plenty to eat, so there’s no reason to confront them.”

Xia Yunzhao nodded to show that he understood, then asked, “Do you run into slaughter beasts often?”

“Not that often. There are a lot of us, so ordinary slaughter beasts usually avoid us. Maybe two or three encounters a month. Most are lowest-level slaughter beasts. We’ve only encountered a Level-One slaughter beast once—a Yellow-Eared Civet.” Xiao Qi became animated as he talked. “The most common Level-One slaughter beasts around the outskirts of Liancui Mountain are Yellow-Eared Civets and Blackwind Hounds. Yellow-Eared Civets are a little weaker in combat than Blackwind Hounds. Brother Jingwu led us in catching that beast, and we sold it for several hundred spirit pearls!”

Xia Yunzhao obligingly exclaimed, “Wow!” and gave him a thumbs-up. “You must have been the one who scouted it out, right? You guys are amazing!”

Xiao Qi laughed shyly. The entire group was filled with cheerful energy. Even Geng Jingwu could not help smiling as he listened to the two young men talk. His gaze fell on Xia Yunzhao, and he began to understand why Mr. Xing liked this child so much.

Suddenly, Xiao Qi’s ears twitched. He raised one hand, and the group that had been talking and laughing only moments ago instantly fell silent.

Xiao Qi listened carefully for a moment. “Something’s coming.”