Chapter 448: Martial Saint Private Seal

Qiu Jiaguan made a good start, and the other guests generously opened their purses, using the trade goods they brought to buy Hunger Pouches.

Clearly, they had come in a hurry this time, bringing only a small number of Tuopian, with trade quantities ranging from 2 to 3.

Among them was a female guest who brought the fewest items, enough to buy only 1 Hunger Pouch, and she grew somewhat anxious.

"Fellow Daoist, do you accept other treasures?" The female guest took out a piece of cowhide paper the width of a palm and half an arm's length, covered in winding, curved writing, with one large character in the center and tiny characters surrounding it like stars around the moon.

She explained that this object was called a Heavy Talisman; "heavy" meant a thousand miles.

This Heavy Talisman, like the Hunger Pouch, was a one-time-use item; using it was not difficult, as one only needed to stick it to the tailbone at the lower back.

Once activated by Qi and blood, the Heavy Talisman would grant the user the strength to travel a thousand miles, day and night without stopping, not even delaying for sleep or meals along the way; even more bizarrely, it consumed not a shred of physical stamina.

"The Heavy Talisman was developed by a fellow Daoist who sells them in Caoshu Zhou; I obtained one by pure chance."

The female guest was somewhat reluctant to part with it, but after weighing the options, she still felt the Hunger Pouch was more practical.

Zhou You had single talismans in his hands, but this was a new type of talisman before him; how could he miss it? He decisively agreed, "It's a trade."

He also wanted to study which character the Heavy Talisman was derived from. Caoshu Zhou, as the name implied, was one of the important hubs for inland water transport in the world.

That Golden Immortal Dao practitioner who researched the Heavy Talisman was hiding in Caoshu Zhou and even openly selling the talismans; this information was extremely useful.

As Zhou You was deep in thought, Guo Liuhe leaned in, "Fellow Daoist, you have already witnessed my 'Dark' Painting; would one painting for one Hunger Pouch suffice?" It turned out that the female guest using a Heavy Talisman to trade for a Hunger Pouch had made the other Golden Immortal Dao practitioners envious.

One-time-use Hunger Pouches were never too many, and naturally, they wanted as many as possible.

Guo Liuhe's painting could seal a person into a dark space where one's cries to heaven or earth went unanswered, which was also very precious.

Zhou You did not refuse anyone and traded 3 Hunger Pouches with him.

He had killed double-digit numbers of martial artists, so he was not short on human skin, and his stock of Hunger Pouches was quite substantial.

Trading away nearly 20 pouches in one go left the numerous guests marveling.

Regrettably, treasures like the Heavy Talisman or the Dark Painting never appeared again.

Studying Seal Script was incomparably difficult, and mastering its specific uses was even more of a distant prospect; almost every type of character required the accumulation and study of dozens or even hundreds of generations to be digested and absorbed.

Mastering Seal Script did not mean one could attach, seal, or transplant it onto other objects.

Therefore, Zhou You's Hunger Pouches were what left everyone amazed and envious, willing to pay a high price to purchase them.

This exchange could be called a win-win for all; many people were reluctant to leave, asking Zhou You to stay a few more days so they could collect more Tuopian and treasures to use for trade.

Zhou You was not heartless, so he agreed to stay temporarily at Guo Liuhe's estate, where like-minded people could exchange insights on Seal Script research and engage in academic interactions.

Presumably, this move could attract more Golden Immortal Dao practitioners.

A few days later, another visitor arrived: Liu Tianxian from Fucheng.

Upon hearing the news of the Hunger Pouches, he had not hesitated to set out personally from Fucheng to Chongguang Cheng, all for the sake of trading for the treasure.

The reason was that not long ago, a guest who had just obtained a Hunger Pouch visited Liu Tianxian and, right in front of him, opened the bag to take out a 10-meter-tall iceberg in the sweltering summer heat, chipping off ice to chill his wine.

Good heavens! Zhou You had not expected these people to be so playful, squandering the functions of the Hunger Pouch in such a way.

Thinking about it, it was normal; the Golden Immortal Dao practitioners at this trade were all from wealthy or noble backgrounds, had sufficient resources, and were all about face.

The guest had gained enough face in front of Liu Tianxian, and the result was Liu Tianxian rushing to Chongguang Cheng upon hearing the news.

"Moyunzi, I must thank Fellow Daoist Liu for the introduction, otherwise I wouldn't have found so many fellow Daoists in Chongguang Cheng!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Tianxian could only offer a bitter smile, "Had I known you possessed such treasures, I would never have let you come to Chongguang Cheng; it is I who was blind."

He had roughly guessed that the method his nephew, Liu Fengji, used to escape in Beijing was likely related to this object.

"I want to trade for 10 bags." Liu Tianxian was concise and to the point, directly ordering people to move out the Tuopian and fragments he had brought, which were piled into dozens of large crates.

The Liu family had significant influence in Fucheng and more channels for collecting Tuopian; the trade goods he brought out even exceeded the sum of several other guests combined.

"..."

Zhou You carefully examined the Tuopian and fragments in the crates and had to admit that there were many good items.

It was not until the third day that Zhou You selected satisfactory trade goods and gave his opinion.

"Only enough to trade for 8; I don't need the rest."

Upon hearing this, Liu Tianxian became somewhat anxious; he was still 2 short of his goal, and that would not do.

"Fellow Daoist, could you make it 10? I will send the remaining trade goods to you in ten days, and I can offer double the compensation."

Zhou You smiled and shook his head, "Fellow Daoist, there is more than one person wanting to trade. If I give the items to you, what am I to do when others come with sincerity?"

The implication was that good items were never hard to sell, and he would not offer credit! Liu Tianxian pondered for a moment, then took an object from his neck and handed it to Zhou You, "Keep this seal as collateral; give me 15 bags, and I will come to redeem it another day with the goods."

An ancient seal covered in mottled marks lay in Zhou You's hand.

Guo Liuhe, standing nearby, was also shocked to see the seal, "Fellow Daoist Liu, what kind of trouble have you encountered to actually pledge this item?"

This seal clearly had an extraordinary origin and was of immense value.

Liu Tianxian had asked to pledge for 15 Hunger Pouches and even felt he was at a loss; Guo Liuhe's reaction was only natural.

Zhou You's fingertips brushed over the characters on the surface of the seal, and his heart suddenly stirred, "Martial Saint Private Seal."

That was it; this treasure was indeed the private seal of some Martial Saint.

No wonder Liu Tianxian and Guo Liuhe valued it so highly; it was no exaggeration to say that the value of this item could be exchanged for an entire city.

"Are you selling it, Fellow Daoist?"

Zhou You was quite tempted; relics of Martial Saints had been passed down from ancient times, and very few remained.

Especially since a seal was a personal item, handled and played with by the Martial Saint, leaving behind a wealth of private traces, making it rare and precious.

Liu Tianxian decisively shook his head, "Not for sale, only for collateral."

He bowed to Guo Liuhe, "I ask Fellow Daoist Guo to act as a witness; once I retrieve the trade goods, I will come to the estate to redeem the seal."

The implication was that during this time, Zhou You should please stay at Guo Liuhe's residence.

Zhou You nodded, "I can trade, but I don't have that many bags on hand."

He paused, "The Martial Saint seal is worth me giving something better."

He randomly took out a Hunger Pouch 2.0, "This is a premium version; it can be used three times, unlike the ordinary bags."

Hearing these words, Guo Liuhe could no longer sit still, agitated, "With such good things, why didn't you bring them out sooner, fellow Daoist?"

"If you had a Martial Saint seal, I would have brought out the real goods long ago."

Guo Liuhe sighed incessantly.

In the end, Liu Tianxian took away 11 Primary Pouches and 4 Intermediate Pouches. Before leaving, he suddenly asked, "If I use a Martial Saint seal to trade with you for all the inheritances of this Seal Script, would you trade?"

"Not trading, absolutely not trading."

(End of this chapter)