Chapter 333: Black Talisman

Inside the room.

Qin Ming then proceeded to examine several other information jade slips of varying grades.

It had to be said that the Thousand Mechanisms Pavilion's intelligence-gathering capability was truly quite impressive.

"Just these few."

Qin Ming selected a few pieces of intelligence that interested him; he did not acquire too many at once, perfectly fitting his current status as a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

This was to avoid displaying too much wealth and arousing unnecessary suspicion.

Shopkeeper Wei had initially assumed that this visiting cultivator might not possess a high level of spending power.

After all, very few cultivators were willing to spend a large sum on high-grade intelligence, considering it a waste.

He had not expected the other party to purchase several copies at once, which inevitably caused him to look upon Qin Ming with greater respect.

A smile finally gathered on Shopkeeper Wei's composed face as he said, "Three Grade-A intelligence reports, and one each of Grade-B, Grade-C, and Grade-D; that comes to two thousand six hundred mid-grade spirit stones."

"Given that Fellow Daoist is purchasing a relatively large quantity of intelligence at once, I have the authority to gift an additional Grade-C and Grade-D report each."

"If Fellow Daoist has any further needs in the future, please feel free to visit our shop; we guarantee your satisfaction."

As an old hand who had operated in this place for many years, Shopkeeper Wei certainly knew how to handle affairs.

Qin Ming took out the full amount of spirit stones and handed them to Shopkeeper Wei, then stored the jade slips away.

The transaction was concluded.

Qin Ming left the shop.

Next, following the directions on the map, he arrived at the Mirror Jing Xue Ge within the Spirit Ruin Market.

It was still a signature nine-story building, ancient yet elegant.

As a branch of the Mirror Jing Xue Ge established in Great Jin, this shop also had several resident cultivators assigned to maintain operations and manage the establishment.

The identity Gu Qingzhao had arranged for Qin Ming was that of the new Shopkeeper.

Qin Ming stepped into the shop, and immediately an attendant rushed forward to receive him.

"Senior, welcome to our establishment; we have every kind of cultivation resource one could desire. What might you need?"

"Call the person in charge out," Qin Ming said noncommittally.

The attendant was slightly stunned but dared not defy the will of this Foundation Establishment senior before him.

A moment later.

An elderly man in a brown robe descended from the upper floor; he possessed early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation, had a capable countenance, and sported a short beard.

"My humble name is Jia Heyi. I wonder what matter brings Fellow Daoist to seek me?"

"Please, let us discuss this in detail upstairs."

"I am Lu, sent by Gu Gezhu Gu," Qin Ming said straight to the point, then handed over his identity token and a letter to the other party.

After taking the items and verifying them, Jia Heyi immediately bowed deeply to Qin Ming and saluted, saying, "Greetings, Shopkeeper Lu!"

Subsequently, he summoned all the subordinates within the Mirror Jing Xue Ge.

"This is Shopkeeper Lu, newly dispatched by the Gu Gezhu; come quickly and pay your respects."

"Henceforth, all affairs within the pavilion shall be decided by Shopkeeper Lu."

There were altogether twenty or thirty people in the shop; standing in the courtyard, they uniformly performed a deep, respectful bow toward Qin Ming.

"Greetings, Shopkeeper Lu!"

Qin Ming remained expressionless, waved his hand with a composed air, and said lightly, "Rise."

"You may all return to your duties."

Then, he spoke to Jia Heyi again, "Old Jia, bring the account books and follow me."

Jia Heyi hurriedly agreed.

Half an incense stick later.

Inside a private room on the fourth floor of the Mirror Jing Xue Ge, Qin Ming sipped spiritual tea while pretending to examine the account books.

Through a brief conversation with Jia Heyi, he had roughly understood the current situation of the Mirror Jing Xue Ge.

Not to mention within the scope of Great Jin, even within the Spirit Ruin Market, it was merely a third-rate merchant house, unworthy of ranking.

Compared to a large merchant house like the Thousand Mechanisms Pavilion, which possessed the backing of the Off-Flame Palace, the gap was even more obvious.

Currently, the development of the Mirror Jing Xue Ge in the Spirit Ruin Market could be considered adequate and unremarkable.

Apart from the restaurant business, other trades involving cultivation resources were still being conducted; however, as an external force, their advantage in procuring resources was far inferior to that of these local merchant houses. Of course, Qin Ming's primary purpose in coming here was not to manage the shop, so he cleared his throat lightly and said to Jia Heyi with profound implication, "Old Jia! I am only temporarily serving as Shopkeeper in this place."

"Since I am unfamiliar with both the people and the terrain, you should continue to manage the specific affairs of the shop as usual."

???

"I have reviewed the revenue from recent years; you are quite capable and have handled things rather well!"

At these words, even the cautiously attentive Jia Heyi was stunned.

In his shrewd mind, an idea instantly sprang up: 'Could it be that this newly appointed Shopkeeper Lu intends to practice entrapment?'

'Where has there ever been a Shopkeeper who hands over all responsibilities immediately upon arrival?'

Jia Heyi gave a dry laugh, respectfully poured tea for Qin Ming, and said, "Shopkeeper Lu, please rest assured; with this old one keeping watch for you, I will definitely report any matters to you!"

"Mm, good." Qin Ming nodded, revealing a satisfied expression.

Afterwards, he chatted with the other party for a while longer, roughly understanding the specific circumstances within the Spirit Ruin Market.

"By the way, are there any large-scale trading auctions scheduled to be held recently?" Qin Ming suddenly asked.

Upon hearing this, Jia Heyi pondered for a moment before replying, "Now that you mention it, I do recall something."

"It is said that the 'Five Fortunes Auction House,' established by the Myriad Daoes Shang Alliance at Five Elements Mountain, will hold a large-scale auction after three months; however, entry qualifications are limited to quotas for their affiliated major merchant houses."

"Otherwise, one needs Jin Dan cultivation to participate in the auction."

Qin Ming asked this intending to seize the opportunity to dispose of those demonic cultivators' items, since keeping them on his person was useless anyway.

Besides that, he could also acquire some spiritual materials and pill formulas, such as high-grade formulas refined using the demon core of a Green-Faced Poisonous Flood Dragon.

Having chatted enough, Qin Ming dismissed Jia Heyi.

Shopkeeper Lu, as the new Shopkeeper assigned by the Mirror Jing Xue Ge, had arranged an independent courtyard for him in the Spirit Ruin Market.

This made Qin Ming's cultivation extremely convenient.

Since he always entered the Small Xiao Lingjing to cultivate, his daily farming and cultivation were not affected in the slightest.

After arriving in Great Jin, the Shi Tian Shu had been clamoring all day long to go out and see the world, to breathe the air here.

Qin Ming told it to restrain its temper and wait a little longer.

"What's there to panic about! The spiritual vein environment out there isn't even as good as here; you still aren't satisfied."

"I think your skin is itching again."

On this day.

Qin Ming was inside a house within the Small Xiao Lingjing, fully focused on crafting an item.

A wooden black seal, surging with demonic qi throughout its body, was continuously drawing thick death qi from several Jin Dan cultivator corpses lying on the ground.

As Qin Ming's hands continuously formed hand seals, layer upon layer of profound runes were traced onto the black seal, intertwining together and emitting a strange aura.

Finally, a wisp of cyan-green Four Seasons Divine Light appeared in Qin Ming's hand, which he injected into the black seal.

In an instant.

The black seal shattered immediately, and a jet-black rune floated out from within!

With sharp eyes, Qin Ming reached out, summoned the rune into his palm, and then it vanished.

But with a mere thought from him, the black rune, radiating an evil aura, reappeared once more.

This was a black talisman he had refined based on the 'Life-Death Talisman' crafting technique from the Treasure Refining Art, combined with a secret method from the 'Yuan Sha Seed Demon True Scripture' called 'Human Puppet Art'.

The greatest function of this black talisman was that once planted inside a cultivator's body, the target would completely become his puppet.

Furthermore, he could perceive the target's every move; even their arising thoughts were under his control, with their life and death resting entirely on a single thought of his.

After coming to Great Jin and investigating the situation firsthand, Qin Ming immediately felt that this place was still fraught with danger, so he decided to nurture a puppet to show his face on his behalf, leaving dangerous tasks to the puppet.

After finishing the Life-Death Talisman, Qin Ming exited the Small Xiao Lingjing and came to the shop to drink tea.

Gazing out the window, he saw the streets of the Spirit Ruin Market teeming with people, while the incessant hawking of peddlers and laborers filled the air.

Suddenly, a clamor of chaos erupted, with chickens flying and dogs jumping.

Pedestrians on the street scattered to avoid it, and even nearby stalls were heavily damaged in the ensuing impact.

There, traveling along the main road, was a golden-luan precious carriage drawn by two handsome, extraordinary sea beasts.

Inside the precious carriage sat a cultivator dressed in luxurious attire, making no attempt to hide himself, instead adopting a very flamboyant demeanor.

Qin Ming fixed his gaze and instantly recognized this person.

(End of Chapter)