I transmigrated to a chaotic world and became the sole player.

Leaving Qingyun Temple, Lu Zhao had already made up his mind. Instead of immediately heading to the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, he returned to Wang'an Residence, where he took out the "Mind-Calming Talisman" drawing tips he had obtained from Daoist Qingxu, along with his newly purchased talisman brush and cinnabar. He then diligently drew several more [Exorcising Talismans] and [Tranquilizing Talismans]. During the drawing process, he incorporated more refined manipulation techniques regarding the flow of spiritual energy, gleaned from deciphering the fragments, into the talisman drawing. This resulted in a more restrained spiritual light, smoother and more rounded rune lines, increasing the success rate to about 70%, and stabilizing the quality above "ordinary," occasionally producing a "good" one.

[Spell Drawing (Basic) Lv2 (5/300) upgraded to Lv2 (35/300)!]

[Received: Exorcising Talisman (Good) x2, Tranquilizing Talisman (Common) x4.]

The progress in his talismans put Lu Zhao's mind at ease. He carefully kept the best quality [Exorcising Talisman (Good)] and [Tranquilizing Talisman (Common)] close to his body, and put the remaining common talismans in his bag for emergencies before setting off for the "Treasure Pavilion".

Located in the heart of the western market of Qingmu Town, "Baibaoge" has a small storefront but is decorated in a simple and unpretentious style, appearing much more understated compared to the surrounding shops. A black plaque with gold lettering hangs above the entrance, bearing the three characters "Baibaoge" in bold, powerful strokes that seem to exude a subtle spiritual energy, clearly indicating that it is no ordinary item.

Lu Zhao pushed open the door and entered. The shop was softly lit, and the air was filled with a faint scent of sandalwood and herbs. The furnishings were simple, with only a few rows of sandalwood shelves displaying bottles and jars, jade boxes, tattered ancient books, rusty weapons, and a small number of talismans and pills that emitted a faint spiritual light. A middle-aged shopkeeper, dressed in a brown long robe, with a lean face, around fifty years old, and sporting a goatee, was wearing a monocle and leaning over the counter, carefully poking at a piece of dull-colored mineral the size of a fingernail with a thin silver needle.

Lu Zhao didn't make a sound to disturb them, his gaze sweeping over the shelves. There weren't many items, but the prices were all shockingly high. A very ordinary, mediocre "evil-repelling talisman" was priced at ten taels! A bottle of "rejuvenating powder" that could accelerate the healing of injuries was priced at twenty taels! A short sword broken in two was priced at fifty taels! There were also several incomplete old books that seemed to be related to cultivation, priced from thirty to over a hundred taels.

As expected, it only serves those who are destined or those who possess a token of their faith. The items here are simply not something ordinary people can afford.

Lu Zhao stood quietly in the shop for a moment before the shopkeeper put down the silver needles in his hand, raised his head, and looked him up through his crystal glasses. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.

"What do you need, sir? Our shop is a small business, but we offer genuine products at fair prices and do not offer credit." The shopkeeper's voice was flat, revealing no emotion.

Lu Zhao took out the "Green Wood Token" and placed it on the counter: "Manager Wang, I am Lu Zhao. I have come to pay my respects after receiving guidance from Master Qingxu of Qingyun Temple."

Shopkeeper Wang's gaze fell on the Green Wood Token, and he scrutinized Lu Zhao carefully before a barely perceptible smile appeared on his face: "Oh? So you're the young friend Lu who single-handedly stormed Li Family Village and slew the snake demon? Truly, heroes emerge from among the young; seeing is believing. Please sit."

He pointed to a rosewood chair next to the counter, then came out from behind the counter and sat down in the main seat. With the name of Daoist Qingxu and the Green Wood Token in front of him, and his deeds of slaying demons and evil spirits behind him, his attitude towards Lu Zhao was obviously much gentler.

"You flatter me, Manager Wang. It was just a lucky break." Lu Zhao sat down as instructed, and without exchanging pleasantries, went straight to the point: "I have come here today with a few items that I would like to ask Manager Wang to take a look at and see if they can be repaired, appraised, or dealt with."

As he spoke, he took out a small package from his robes and carefully opened it. Inside were three items: a damaged Yin Soul Bone Shield, a black snake slough, and the damaged Evil Cultivator Soul Core. He didn't take out the Yin Fiend Crystals; those were of low quality and limited value.

Shopkeeper Wang's gaze fell upon the three items. He first glanced at the [damaged Yin Soul Bone Shield], his brows furrowing slightly. He picked up a magnifying glass and examined the cracks and material closely, then shook his head: "This bone shield is crudely made, using inferior Yin Soul bones. It has also suffered severe damage; the internal runes are almost completely destroyed, and its spiritual energy has been depleted. It has little value for repair. However, the bone material itself is acceptable. If it were broken down, a small amount of Yin Iron could be extracted, worth... ten taels of silver."

Lu Zhao remained calm. This thing was just captured junk; it would be good if it could be sold for some money.

The shopkeeper picked up the few pieces of black snake slough again, sniffed them, scraped off a little powder with a silver needle, rubbed them together, and his eyes showed a hint of interest: "Hmm? This is... a snake slough tainted with the Yin energy of a demonic snake, and it was taken from a demonic snake that cultivated unorthodox and evil arts. The quality is not bad, it retains some of its toughness and spiritual energy. It will still be somewhat useful for refining soft armor, linings, or making certain Yin-attribute talismans. These few pieces, I'll take them for thirty taels."

Lu Zhao's heart stirred slightly; the snake molt was more valuable than he had expected.

Finally, the shopkeeper's gaze fell upon the [damaged evil cultivator's soul core]. He didn't touch it immediately, but instead took out a palm-sized, jet-black compass and held it up to the soul core, gesturing with it a few times. The compass needle jumped a few times, finally pointing at the soul core, trembling slightly.

"Hiss—!" Shopkeeper Wang gasped, his gaze towards Lu Zhao now filled with seriousness and scrutiny. "This is... the origin soul core of a heretical cultivator? The aura is mixed and fierce, containing yin energy, demonic power, resentment, and even traces of snake transformation... Could it be the snake demon from Li Family Village?"

"Indeed. This thing is extremely malevolent, and I don't know how to deal with it. Please advise me, Manager Wang." Lu Zhao nodded in acknowledgment.

Shopkeeper Wang put down the compass, pondered for a moment, and slowly said, "This item is the foundation of that evil cultivator's evil magic. Its ferocious aura is contained within, but it also contains a considerable amount of soul power. If an ordinary person holds it, they will be corrupted by the evil aura and lose their mind within a short time. The method of refining it is even more difficult. It requires a righteous and upright method, or an extremely yang and strong object, to cleanse it day and night in order to remove the ferocity and purify the soul power. It may be used to refine special magic weapons and pills, or to assist in the cultivation of certain Yin spirit or ghost path techniques. However... this process is extremely exhausting, and its value is immeasurable. If I were to buy it, I would offer one hundred taels of silver. However, I do not recommend that you sell it."

"Oh? Why?" Lu Zhao asked.

"Although this soul core is dangerous, it may not be entirely bad for you, young friend." Shopkeeper Wang stroked his goatee, his eyes gleaming. "I observe that you possess vigorous blood and energy, and a refined spirit, far surpassing ordinary people. You must have cultivated some method of strengthening your foundation, cultivating your spirit, and nourishing your vital energy. Such a soul core might be poison to others, but for you, if you can find a safe way to eliminate its malevolent and sinister energy, it might be able to transform into pure soul power to aid your spiritual cultivation. Of course, the risks are also extremely high. A slight misstep could corrupt your soul, leading to eternal damnation. The choice is entirely up to you."

Lu Zhao felt a chill run down his spine. This Manager Wang's eyesight was indeed sharp; he had discerned that Lu Zhao had cultivated the Refining Spirit technique. He cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Manager Wang. I will not sell this item for the time being; I wish to keep it for myself to study. Does the manager know of any reliable method to diminish its malevolent aura?"

Shopkeeper Wang gave him a deep look and said, "There are safe methods... but they are not easily obtained. First, one can seek help from the Taoist esoteric sects, using thunder magic and true fire, or invite a high-ranking monk to cleanse day and night with Buddhist chants. Second, one can find extremely yang treasures born of heaven and earth, such as the 'Crimson Sun Stone,' 'Blazing Sun Fruit,' and 'Earth Core Fire Lotus,' using their pure yang energy to slowly neutralize it. Third, one can find a place with pure yang earth veins or a place where righteous energy gathers, set up an array, and slowly refine it. But none of these methods are easy to obtain. I observe that you seem to have a talent for making talismans. Perhaps you could try to draw high-level 'Exorcising Talismans,' 'Soul-Suppressing Talismans,' and 'Heart-Cleansing Talismans,' using the power of talismans to wear it down layer by layer. However, this method consumes a great deal of energy and takes a long time; it cannot be accomplished in a day."

Lu Zhao silently noted it down. He did have a [Demon-Slaying Talisman], but its level was too low and its effect was weak. It seemed that he would have to think long-term before making use of this soul core.

"What about the other two items? Would you be willing to buy them, shopkeeper?" He pointed to the bone shield and the snake molt.

"Of course. Ten taels for the bone shield, thirty taels for the snake slough, for a total of forty taels." Shopkeeper Wang readily agreed, immediately taking out four ingots of ten-tael snowflake silver from under the counter and pushing them towards Lu Zhao. He added, "If you find any other valuable materials in the future, or create any superior talismans, you are welcome to come to my shop to trade. I treat everyone here honestly and fairly."

Lu Zhao put away the silver, feeling slightly relieved. Forty taels, plus his previous savings, made him much more financially comfortable. After a moment's thought, he asked, "Manager Wang, I have another request. You are well-informed; do you know if, besides the snake demon in Li Family Village, there are any other similar evil spirits lurking in this area, or... any trace of evil cultivators like the Black Fiend Master? As I travel, I'd like to know more to avoid danger and seek good fortune."

Upon hearing this, Manager Wang's expression hardened slightly. He glanced at Lu Zhao and slowly said, "Young friend, do you intend to actively seek out this kind of trouble, or...?"

"I only want to protect myself. It's never a bad thing to learn more," Lu Zhao said.

"Yes, it's always good to be prepared." Manager Wang nodded, lowering his voice. "Within a hundred miles, Qingmu Town is relatively peaceful, but further north, near the depths of the Luoxia Mountains, it's not so tranquil. Monsters often appear there, and evil spirits occasionally cause trouble. A few days ago, a merchant brought news from the north that a village had been struck by a plague. Overnight, all the livestock died, and most of the people fell ill with strange symptoms, unlike ordinary epidemics, more like... being infected with some kind of evil poison. The garrison has sent people to investigate, but there's still no definite news. If you go north, you need to be extra careful."

"Evil poison?" Lu Zhao's heart skipped a beat. This reminded him of the [Yin Talisman] he had obtained when he killed the sorcerer's apprentice. That thing seemed to be able to release poisonous mist and create plagues.

"Thank you for the reminder, shopkeeper," Lu Zhao said again, preparing to take his leave.

"Wait a moment," Manager Wang called out, taking out a palm-sized gray cloth bag from under the counter and handing it over. "Meeting is fate. This is a 'low-grade storage bag,' containing about three feet of space, accessible with divine sense. I see you possess a spiritual item, which makes traveling inconvenient, so I'm giving you this bag as a token of my appreciation. This item was difficult to refine and is quite valuable; I hope you will use it well, young friend."

Lu Zhao was taken aback and quickly declined, "How can this be? This item is far too valuable..."

"It's alright," Shopkeeper Wang waved his hand, saying meaningfully, "In my business, I value first impressions most. Young friend, you are so young yet possess such courage and skill; your future achievements are limitless. Consider this a token of goodwill on my part. Of course, if you ever have anything good in the future, please remember to patronize my shop."

Having said that, Lu Zhao no longer refused and solemnly accepted the gift: "Thank you for your generous gift, Manager Wang. I will remember this kindness." He tried to probe with his spiritual power, and sure enough, a hazy gray space of about one cubic meter appeared in his perception. With a thought, the silver, snake slough, bone shield, and other items in his hand were instantly stored inside. How convenient!

Leaving the Treasure Pavilion, Lu Zhao had made up his mind. Evil poison, plague, the dangers of the north… this might be a new clue, and also a new source of “missions.” He had enough silver to squander for a while, and the newly acquired storage bag solved the problem of carrying items. His next goal was to continue improving his strength, drawing more talismans, familiarizing himself with his new equipment, and inquiring about the plague-stricken village in the north.

On his way back to "Wang Anju", as he passed the gate of the garrison, he noticed a large crowd gathered in front of the bulletin board, discussing the matter. A newly posted notice stood out, stamped with the bright red seal of the garrison commander.

"Bounty: Investigate the mystery of the plague in Beiling Village. Recently, a strange plague has suddenly struck Beiling Village, affecting both people and livestock with bizarre symptoms, suspected to be caused by evil spirits. Anyone who can uncover the truth or find a cure will be rewarded with three hundred taels of silver, and further rewards will be given upon reporting to the county seat. Those who receive this notice must report to the garrison headquarters."

Beiling Village? Plague? Reward of three hundred taels!

Lu Zhao stopped in his tracks, his gaze falling on the notice, his eyes flickering.