Steady Mortal Path: Starting from Obtaining the Golden Core Inheritance

"Brother Lin, you seem quite interested in materials for talisman making. Are you perhaps thinking of starting a resale business?"

After showing Lin Changsheng around half of the eastern part of the city, Skinny Monkey asked some questions out of curiosity.

"Oh? You noticed that, fellow Daoist. May I ask if you are familiar with the business of talismans?"

Lin Changsheng glanced at the skinny monkey with surprise, remaining noncommittal.

But in my heart, I held this person in higher regard.

He didn't reveal his identity as a talisman master, but he didn't deliberately hide it either. He just asked some questions about the materials used to make talismans, which was when the skinny monkey noticed.

It seems that this skinny monkey is also a quick-witted person.

"Hehe, if Brother Lin really has such a plan, you should give up on it as soon as possible." The skinny monkey looked at Lin Changsheng with a hint of sympathy, and then explained, "Although Thousand Crane Immortal City covers an area of ​​hundreds of miles and gathers a large number of cultivators, its various rules, both overt and covert, are also very complicated."

"There are only so many famous talisman masters in the city, and each of them has a fixed channel for purchasing materials. This kind of reselling is low-profit and difficult to sell, and it may be difficult to support Brother Lin's cultivation needs in the late stage of Qi Condensation."

"To be honest, I used to run a business a few years ago, dealing in talismans, pills, magical artifacts, and spirit beasts, but it was never profitable. Now I've come a long way to become a 'guide' and barely make a living. This is all thanks to my ancestors who left me two properties in the Immortal City."

The skinny monkey shook his head repeatedly and sighed as he spoke.

Lin Changsheng nodded. With the memories of 'Heavenly Poison Master', he was well aware of this situation.

Speaking of this skinny monkey, his condition is already better than that of most rogue cultivators in the immortal city.

During their casual conversation, Lin Changsheng learned a bit about 'Skinny Monkey's' situation.

This person's real name is Hou Liuyang, a local resident of Qianhe Immortal City.

His ancestors had participated in the construction of 'Thousand Crane Immortal City' and had a cooperative relationship with the Nangong family, owning a considerable number of businesses in the city.

After hundreds of years of development, the lineage of the Thin Monkey family declined and no one has ever reached the Foundation Establishment stage since.

The family fortune built up by their ancestors has gradually been squandered.

By the time it came to the generation of Skinny Monkey, only a residence and a shop in a remote location remained.

"Didn't you say earlier that your shop was temporarily vacant? Why don't you take me there to see what the location is like?"

Lin Changsheng had a basic understanding of the terrain in the east of the city. After a moment's thought, he spoke to the skinny monkey.

Thousand Crane Immortal City is built against the mountain, but the overall terrain within the city is flat. The streets are distributed from south to north, forming a grid of varying sizes, which is very easy to remember.

The western district of the city borders the mountains and is rich in spiritual energy, making it a place for cultivators to practice daily.

The eastern part of the city is the most prosperous, followed by the southern part, and then the northern part.

The shop owned by the skinny monkey is located in the northern part of the city.

……

About half an hour later, led by the skinny monkey, Lin Changsheng arrived at a sparsely populated, shady alley.

In front of me was an old two-story shop with a sign that read "Shop for Rent" hanging at the entrance.

"Brother Lin, you... really want to rent my shop?" Skinny Monkey was a little surprised and couldn't help but confirm again and again: "May I ask what kind of business you plan to do? It's not easy to do business in Thousand Crane Immortal City. If you really have an idea, you might as well rent a stall in a place with a lot of people. You can also gain some experience."

Skinny Monkey hesitated, seemingly afraid that Lin Changsheng would act rashly, and then gave his advice.

"Fellow Daoist Hou is truly a rare sight, actually pushing away the spirit stones he has already obtained. This doesn't seem to be in line with your character, does it?"

Lin Changsheng stared at the skinny monkey with great interest, his tone carrying a hint of teasing.

After spending half a day with him, Lin Changsheng had a general idea of ​​what Skinny Monkey was like.

This person is not inherently bad, but when his elders went out and encountered danger in his early years, the young and skinny monkey was left unattended and developed a habit of being idle and lazy. He had no skills and was extremely greedy.

If it weren't for the fact that I own property and don't have to pay rent every month, I probably would have been kicked out of the Immortal City long ago.

"Brother Lin is joking. I earned the guide fee myself, so it's naturally a good thing. But my wife collects the rent for this shop herself, and I don't even get a single grain of spirit sand. I collect over a thousand spirit stones every year, which makes that woman so arrogant and look down on me even more. So, Lord Marquis, I'll secretly sabotage things so that she can't collect the rent either, hehe."

Skinny Monkey chuckled smugly and gave Lin Changsheng a self-satisfied smile.

"To be honest, Fellow Daoist, I am a physician and also have some skill in talisman making. Now that I have just arrived here, I am looking for a way to make a living. Although your shop is located in a remote area, the rent should be cheap, which meets my current needs. What do you think?"

Lin Changsheng shared his thoughts.

At the same time, his gaze swept over several adjacent vacant shops, his intentions clear.

It seems to be saying that if the skinny monkey is unwilling to rent, there are other vacant places around.

"Okay, but Brother Lin must promise me that I will bargain for you with that woman later, and we'll split the saved spirit stones equally!"

The skinny monkey's eyes darted around, and he gritted his teeth and made a decision.

"Then we will follow Fellow Daoist Hou's suggestion."

Lin Changsheng smiled and readily agreed.

Then, the skinny monkey took Lin Changsheng to his home.

Fighting is strictly prohibited in Thousand Crane Immortal City. Anyone who violates the rules will be taken away and detained by the city's guards, their magical powers will be imprisoned, and they will be thrown into the mines in the western part of the city to work.

The skinny monkey didn't seem to care much.

It's mainly Lin Changsheng's gentle and unassuming demeanor that makes people feel inexplicably at ease.

Also located in the northern part of the city, it sits beside a road called 'Xuanwu Street'.

In the deep alley, there is a small courtyard made of bluestone that looks very old.

Spider webs and moss grew in the corner of the stone steps at the entrance.

Including the skinny monkey, there were a total of four households and more than ten people living in the small courtyard.

"Yan'er, we have guests at home."

The skinny monkey went into the house and called out to the house in the yard.

"Didn't I tell you not to bring your shady friends home..."

A tall, voluptuous, and graceful young female cultivator emerged from the house.

The woman, Lian Sheng, looked somewhat impatient and resentful. When she saw Lin Changsheng behind the skinny monkey, she was taken aback.

"Hmm... this fellow Daoist seems unfamiliar. How come I've never seen him before?"

The woman completely ignored the skinny monkey, staring straight at Lin Changsheng in his white shirt, her voice noticeably softening.

"This is Brother Lin, from out of town. If he wants to stay in the city to develop his career, my brother is quite remarkable. He is skilled in both medicine and talisman making. He has come to discuss renting our shop today."

"Brother Lin, this is my wife, Lü Yan."

The skinny monkey took the initiative to introduce the two of them.

"Brother Xiaolin is actually skilled in both medicine and talisman-making, and he's come to Thousand Crane Immortal City all by himself. He's really amazing!"

Lu Yan's expression froze for a moment, and her gaze toward Lin Changsheng became even more gentle, with a hint of allure.