txolops Chapter 15: The Price of Talismans is Even More Touching
Chapter 15: The Price of Talismans is Even More Touching
After the transaction was completed, Cao Lu cleared his throat and lightly struck the jade bell with his golden hammer, drawing the attention of all the cultivators back to the stage.
"Congratulations to that fellow Daoist on acquiring the precious medicine. Alright, enough of this small talk, let's take a look at today's second item."
As Cao Lu finished speaking, another maid in a light pink dress, carrying a tray covered with red silk, walked gracefully onto the auction stage.
Her steps were steady, and the red silk on the tray did not sway at all, which showed that she had put in a lot of effort.
The maid walked to the front of the stage, bowed gracefully to the crowd below, and then carefully unveiled the red silk.
The red silk slipped off, revealing the true contents of the tray—stacks of shimmering, colorful talismans!
"Fellow Daoists, please take a look. The next item in this auction is truly abundant and satisfying, an essential item for home, travel, and slaying demons and seizing treasures."
Cao Lu casually picked up a stack and introduced it as if it were a treasured possession: "There are ten types of talismans in this stack. Among them are five basic attack and defense talismans: fireball talisman, waterball talisman, earth cone talisman, wind blade talisman, and golden arrow talisman; and five auxiliary talismans: lightness talisman, vajra talisman, rejuvenation talisman, speed-up talisman, and flight talisman. Each stack contains ten talismans, all of which are standard talismans commonly used by Qi Refining stage cultivators."
At this point, Cao Lu paused deliberately, his gaze sweeping across the room, his voice suddenly rising a few decibels: "But that's not the point! The point is this last type—the Thunderbolt Talisman!"
He held aloft a stack of dark purple talismans, crackling with faint arcs of electricity, and said solemnly, "These are rare talismans, their power far surpassing ordinary Five Elements talismans. On this vast sea of the Chaotic Star Sea, demonic beasts roam freely, especially those thick-skinned sea monsters, for whom ordinary spells can barely harm them. But this Thunderbolt Talisman contains pure thunder magic, specifically designed to subdue demons! Once activated, it's like a thunderbolt from the heavens, instantly paralyzing the demonic beast's meridians and breaking through its protective scales. For fellow Daoists who spend years hunting demonic beasts at sea, this is not only a trump card for self-defense, but also a life-saving weapon!"
"Regarding the price," Cao Lu smiled slightly, "there are ten of each of these ten talismans, totaling one hundred. If we only consider the number of talismans, each Thunderbolt Talisman is worth fifty spirit stones in the market, and each of the other talismans costs more than ten spirit stones. But we will not sell this box of talismans individually."
"I've rarely encountered such a complete variety and such a large quantity of talismans at auction in my entire life. Ladies and gentlemen, this is an opportunity not to be missed! The starting price is two thousand low-grade spirit stones! Each bid must be at least one hundred spirit stones higher! Gentlemen, this is a full one hundred talismans, enough to support a small team on several voyages!"
Cao Lu had his own reasons for making this arrangement.
In the Chaotic Star Sea, independent cultivators often form small teams to hunt monsters at sea in exchange for resources.
Although these teams are small in number, they have always been generous in their investment of talismans and elixirs in order to save their lives.
Selling talismans in bulk saves the trouble of selling them individually, and allows them to make a hefty profit off these cultivation teams that desperately need supplies by using the gimmicks of "large quantity" and "scarce thunder talismans".
After all, in this chaotic starry sea fraught with danger, life is both the cheapest and the most valuable thing; only those who return alive can enjoy the fruits of their labor.
Sure enough, the crowd below the stage began to chat sparsely. Many cultivators dressed in uniform and exuding a fierce aura gathered in groups of three or five, clearly the demon-hunting teams that spent years risking their lives at sea.
Their eyes were fixed intently on the talisman box on the stage, and they whispered among themselves, clearly ready to bid.
Only when the murmurs subsided and all eyes were focused on the auction stage did Cao Lu nod in satisfaction, and his golden gavel slammed down, the crisp sound echoing throughout the hall.
"The bidding for the second item will now begin!"
"Two thousand two hundred spirit stones!" As soon as the words were spoken, a burly man dressed in animal skin clothing on the left side of the stage took the lead in bidding. Behind him stood four companions, each with a calm and steady aura, clearly a well-coordinated demon-hunting team.
"Two thousand three hundred spirit stones!" From the right corner, a middle-aged cultivator with a sinister face immediately followed. Several people around him exuded a faint bloody aura, clearly not people to be trifled with.
Prices skyrocketed.
"Two thousand five hundred spirit stones!"
"Two thousand seven hundred spirit stones!"
"Three thousand spirit stones!"
Each bid increase drew gasps of astonishment from those around them, but neither side showed any sign of stopping.
Both teams clearly needed these talismans urgently, especially the Thunder Talisman, which was crucial to their upcoming sea voyage.
When the price climbed to 3,500 spirit stones, the other teams looked hesitant and withdrew from the competition.
Only the team in animal hides and the team with the sinister middle-aged man remained on the field, still gritting their teeth and persevering.
"Three thousand six hundred spirit stones!" The burly man in the animal skin coat had veins bulging on his forehead, and his voice carried a hint of ruthlessness.
"Three thousand seven hundred spirit stones!" The sinister middle-aged man was not to be outdone. He knew the value of this batch of talismans, especially the ten Thunderbolt Talismans, which might save the lives of the entire team when dealing with level five sea beasts.
Just as the two sides were at a stalemate, a slightly hoarse voice suddenly rang out from the back row: "Three thousand eight hundred spirit stones!"
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw two small teams, each with a small number of members but a strong and capable presence, standing side by side.
They were clearly also a demon-hunting team, but they didn't seem as wealthy as the previous two teams.
"Three thousand eight hundred spirit stones! Any fellow Daoists willing to bid higher?" Cao Lu's voice carried a hint of excitement; this price far exceeded his expectations.
The burly man in the animal skin and the sinister-looking middle-aged man exchanged glances, but ultimately shook their heads helplessly.
Three thousand eight hundred spirit stones was already close to their limit; raising the price any further would be counterproductive.
"Three thousand eight hundred spirit stones once! Three thousand eight hundred spirit stones twice! Three thousand eight hundred spirit stones three times! Sold!"
As the gavel fell, the two teams exchanged a smile, clearly very satisfied with the result.
They stepped forward to hand over the spirit stones, and then, in front of everyone, divided the talismans equally, each taking half.
This scene filled the other monster-hunting teams in the audience with regret. They finally understood that cooperation could be done in this way!
If they had known this would happen, they would have joined forces to bid, instead of letting those two teams get the better deal. For a moment, the room was filled with sighs of frustration.
Three thousand eight hundred spirit stones, three thousand eight hundred spirit stones…
Han Xiaoliu sat in the corner of the private room, muttering to himself in a voice so low it was almost inaudible.
His eyes were fixed, and tears seemed to be welling up deep in his pupils—a complex expression that mixed ecstasy, regret, and extreme heartache.
His mind was racing with calculations: 110 basic talismans. If there were enough talisman paper, and he used his old Bubble Divine Power at full power, he could print at least 1,000 talismans a day!
Ten sets would amount to 38,000 spirit stones.
One month is... thirty-eight thousand multiplied by thirty...
What about that year?
That was a fortune enough to make him ascend to immortality on the spot! That was a full 13.68 million spirit stones!
"Spirit stones... my spirit stones!"
At this moment, the enormous wealth disparity made Han Xiaoliu's heart bleed.
If it weren't for that damn transvestite, this astronomical sum of money should have belonged to him.
Rage instantly overwhelmed his reason. Han Xiaoliu clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging deep into his palms. He gritted his teeth and roared angrily at the void:
"Yunlu! You fucking deserve to die!"
Although the roar was delivered in a low voice, the resentment within it was so intense that it seemed capable of tearing the roof off.
The girl beside him was startled by this sudden outburst of rage.
She had never seen the young master so angry before; her face turned deathly pale, and she instinctively shrank back.
She dared not utter a sound, but timidly looked at Han Xiaoliu, her clear eyes filled with fear and worry, her small hands tightly gripping the hem of her clothes.
Yu Niangzi, who was standing to the side, also narrowed her beautiful eyes slightly. She didn't know why Han Xiaoliu suddenly got angry, but she keenly sensed that this "Yunlu" must be Han Xiaoliu's biggest pain.
Considering Han Xiaoliu's current childlike body, she quickly guessed what was going on—it was probably this Yunlu who had forced Han Xiaoliu into a desperate situation where he had no choice but to disintegrate his body and seize another's body.
Out of curiosity, Lady Yu couldn't help but move closer and tentatively asked in a low voice, "Who is Yunlu...?"
Han Xiaoliu was at the peak of her emotional excitement, her mind was blank, and she blurted out almost subconsciously:
"An old bastard at the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the private room fell into a deathly silence.
Han Xiaoliu suddenly came to his senses and looked at Yu Niangzi with a blank expression.
Yu Niangzi's pretty face, which always wore a charming smile, was now filled with shock and stiffness.
Oops!
Alarm bells rang in Han Xiaoliu's mind.
Why did I blurt out my innermost thoughts? This woman was actually trying to find out about me; she's definitely not a good person. I'll have to be careful in the future!
At this moment, Yu Niangzi's heart was already in turmoil.
Mid-stage Nascent Soul?!
Am I right?
The person who harmed Han Xiaoliu like this was actually an old monster in the mid-Nascent Soul stage?
Yu Niangzi felt a chill run from the soles of her feet straight to the top of her head.
It's over, it's all over! An enemy of this caliber could kill them with a mere breath.
She looked at Han Xiaoliu in horror, only one thought flashing through her mind:
This enemy is too powerful. Should I take Da Ya and run away right now?