Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

Shen Mo smiled slightly, picked up the talisman brush, and said with a hint of emotion, "Fellow Daoist has excellent eyesight. Although this brush is simple, the handle is made of ten-year-old green bamboo."

"Green bamboo wood has the effect of calming the mind and focusing the spirit. It may be of some help to us cultivators in comprehending cultivation techniques and calming our inner demons. This is an old item of a senior of my Qingyun Sect. I find it quite convenient to use."

His words were extremely vague, not mentioning how effective they were or who the senior was, but the words "calm the mind" and "aid cultivation" were quite attractive to lower-level cultivators.

The middle-aged cultivator's eyes lit up, and he confirmed, "Calm your mind and focus your spirit? Really?"

He recently encountered a bottleneck in his cultivation, and he was feeling restless and agitated, so he needed this kind of thing.

"The effects vary from person to person." Shen Mo spoke flawlessly, handing over the pen. "Fellow Daoist, you may wish to take a look."

The middle-aged cultivator took the talisman brush and carefully touched the handle. Sure enough, he felt a very faint coolness (mostly psychological). Seeing Shen Mo's extraordinary demeanor (pretending) and the disciples and guards beside him (a shabby version), he couldn't help but believe it a little.

"How much for this?" He was tempted.

Shen Mo quickly calculated in his mind, then held up three fingers and said, "Three low-grade spirit stones."

"Three?" The middle-aged cultivator hesitated immediately, as three spirit stones were not a small amount for him.

Shen Mo did not urge him, but said calmly, "Fellow Daoist, on the path of cultivation, wealth, companions, methods, and land are all important, but a tranquil heart that yearns for the Dao is even more precious."

"This item is of little use to me now. Today, I am fortunate to have met you, fellow Daoist. If you sincerely wish to have it, two spirit stones will suffice as a token of goodwill."

He used a retreat as a tactic to advance, implying that his own level of understanding was high (but not very useful), and offered a further discount.

The middle-aged cultivator's expression shifted between anger and uncertainty. After a long pause, he gritted his teeth and said, "Fine! Two pieces it is!"

He readily pulled out two dull, low-grade spirit stones and handed them to Shen Mo, as if afraid that Shen Mo would change his mind. He then picked up his pen and hurriedly left.

We're open for business!

Shi Tie and Su Xiao almost cheered, barely suppressing their excitement, their eyes filled with admiration as they looked at Shen Mo. The sect leader is amazing! He really sold a broken pen for two spirit stones!

Shen Mo remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he breathed a sigh of relief. He had finally taken the first step! This proved his approach was feasible!

After that first sale, the stall seemed to have a different "aura." Soon, someone else was drawn to the rusty sword.

"How much for this sword?" The one who asked was a man with a scar on his face, exuding a fierce aura.

Shen Mo followed suit, recounting the vague legend of the "Flowing Cloud Sword Sect," emphasizing the "ancient charm" and "comprehension value" of the sword guard's patterns, and finally sold it for five low-grade spirit stones.

After two sales were completed in quick succession, the stall quickly became popular. More and more people gathered around, and eventually all eyes were focused on the rustic wooden box.

"Fellow Daoist, what's in this box...?" an elderly man dressed somewhat respectably couldn't help but ask.

Shen Mo knew that the main event was about to begin. He carefully opened the wooden box, revealing the stack of inferior talisman papers inside.

When everyone saw that they were just ordinary talismans, they were immediately disappointed.

Shen Mo remained calm and picked up the top sheet, speaking slowly with a tone of reminiscence and respect (and a bit of deception): "Fellow Daoist, this is no ordinary talisman paper. It is an ancient talisman paper used by the founder of my Qingyun Sect when he first learned the Dao of Talismans."

"Although it is ancient and its spiritual energy has been lost, it still carries the mindset and imprint of the patriarch when he first sought the Tao. Keeping it can help us understand our own mind and nature, and appreciate the hardships and struggles of our predecessors."

His words caused a moment of silence in the room.

Qingyun Sect? Founding Master? Ancient Talisman Paper?

Although the Qingyun Sect has long since fallen into ruin, its name is still known to some. As for its founder… how many years ago was that? The talismans he used? Even the ones he used for practice were imbued with a trace of immortal energy!

This thing is more significant than practical! It certainly has a special appeal to certain cultivators who have a nostalgic sentiment or like to collect "antiques".

"Is this really true?" The old man's breathing immediately became rapid.

"There's a mark of the patriarch's name on the bottom of the box as proof," Shen Mo said, pointing to the blurry character "Mo" on the bottom of the box without batting an eye. Since Mo Yuan had already run away, he felt no pressure taking the blame.

The old man examined the character "墨" (ink) carefully. Although it was blurry, its aged appearance was undeniable. The more he looked at it, the more he felt that this object was extraordinary.

"How many spirit stones?" the old man asked directly.

Shen Mo extended one finger.

"Ten low-grade spirit stones?" someone guessed.

Shen Mo slowly shook his head and said in a deep voice, "One hundred low-grade spirit stones. No bargaining."

hiss--!

A collective gasp filled the air! A stack of tattered talisman papers selling for a hundred spirit stones?

This is robbery!

Even Shi Tie and Su Xiao were stunned; the sect leader's price was far too high!

The old man also frowned, clearly thinking it was too expensive.

Shen Mo remained calm and composed, closing the wooden box and making a gesture as if to put it away: "This item was not originally intended for sale; it is a cherished possession of my sect. Taking it out today is also a matter of fate. If there is no destined owner, then my Qingyun Sect will continue to offer it as a tribute."

His feigned indifference only made the old man more anxious. That's how people are; the more unattainable something is, the more desirable it seems, and the more they want it before they're satisfied.

"Eighty! I'll take eighty spirit stones!" the old man said through gritted teeth.

Shen Mo remained silent for a moment, as if he had made a difficult decision, before sighing and saying with a pained expression, "Fine, for the sake of our connection, eighty it is then."

The transaction was complete! The old man, holding the wooden box, immediately beamed with joy and hurried away as if he had found a priceless treasure.

Only one talisman pen remained on the stall.

Shen Mo now had eighty-seven low-grade spirit stones in his arms!

The huge success made Shi Tie and Su Xiao so excited that they almost fainted. The way they looked at Shen Mo was no longer just admiration, but like they were looking at a god!

Shen Mo suppressed his excitement, knowing he couldn't stay here long. It was too dangerous for the three of them, as junior cultivators, to be carrying so many spirit stones (which they thought were a lot).

He quickly put away the last talisman brush and whispered to the two still in shock, "Go, leave immediately!"

However, just as they were about to get up, several menacing figures blocked their way. The leader, with triangular eyes and a sinister gaze, was one of the thugs under Manager Wang of Black Wind Stronghold, who had come to collect debts yesterday!

"Oh? Sect Leader Shen, business is good, isn't it? You must have made quite a bit of money. Shouldn't you pay back the spirit stones you owe Black Wind Stronghold?"

That sinister voice, like the hiss of a venomous snake, instantly froze the joy of the three who had just acquired spirit stones.

Shen Mo's heart tightened, and he looked up to see three burly men dressed in Black Wind Stronghold attire blocking the stall. The one in the lead with triangular eyes was one of the thugs who had come to Qingyun Sect with Manager Wang yesterday, named Zhao Hu.

Shi Tie clenched his fists instinctively, took a step to the side, and stood in front of Shen Mo and Su Xiao, like a taut wall of flesh.

Su Xiao's face also turned pale, and her right hand subconsciously pressed down on the cloth bag containing the spirit stones, her fingertips trembling slightly from the excessive force.

Upon seeing this, the crowd around the market immediately dispersed, adopting an attitude of indifference and watching the spectacle unfold, whispering amongst themselves.

"Tsk, so it's Zhao Hu from Black Wind Stronghold. The Qingyun Sect is in for trouble."

"I just earned a few spirit stones and I've already been targeted. What a bad year!"

"Poor things, these three kids don't look like they have any connections..."