Chapter 137
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Chapter 137: The Little Cotton-Padded Jacket
Hmm???
Three question marks suddenly appeared over Wang Chen’s head.
The black ring in his palm had materialized out of thin air, without any prior indication.
But Wang Chen quickly pieced it together.
This was something Yuan Yuan had retrieved from his storage bag!
Wang Chen had long since noticed that Yuan Yuan possessed the ability to access spatial equipment.
Therefore, when he had the spirit pet vest custom-made for her,
he specifically requested the tailor shop owner to incorporate a mini storage bag into the vest.
Yuan Yuan had been using it without any issues.
However, what Wang Chen hadn’t anticipated was yet to come.
Next, Yuan Yuan produced a root as thick as a finger and a silver-gray stone the size of an orange.
Together, they nearly overflowed his palm!
“Ying ying.”
The little guy chirped at Wang Chen, sounding like a child yearning for her father’s approval!
“Yuan Yuan is so good.”
Wang Chen set her and the items down on the table, sincerely praising her, “Great job!”
Yuan Yuan had just informed him that these items were unearthed from the ground and could be traded for jerky, alleviating his need to toil so hard.
Wang Chen was moved almost to tears.
Yuan Yuan’s intelligence far surpassed his expectations; choosing her had been the right decision.
Regardless of the value of these items in spirit stones or the amount of beast jerky they could fetch,
they were all the fruits of Yuan Yuan’s diligent efforts.
This made Wang Chen feel as though he had a delightful and cozy little cotton-padded jacket,
providing him with warmth in this frigid and harsh world!
Wang Chen couldn’t resist picking up the little guy and planting a kiss on her, “Thank you.”
“Ying~”
Yuan Yuan affectionately rubbed against Wang Chen’s cheek and wagged her tiny tail.
This reminded Wang Chen of Little White.
Wang Chen smiled, placed her back on the table, and then picked up the black ring.
The ring had a substantial weight to it.
He was unsure of the material from which it was forged.
Its surface faintly displayed intricate runes—a clear hallmark of a magical artifact!
Wang Chen attempted to channel his mana.
The ring instantly radiated a faint dark golden glow, unveiling its inherent brilliance.
The Xuán Jià Ring!
A segment of text immediately appeared in Wang Chen’s Sea of Consciousness.
This was the information left by the artisan who forged the ring, accessible to any cultivator who infused it with mana.
It was an introduction to the magical artifact!
The Xuán Jià Ring falls under the protective category of magical artifacts. Once refined and worn, it would automatically activate the Xuán Jià protection in the face of a lethal attack.
He exhaled and checked his Cultivation Panel, noticing that the equipment column displayed nothing new, suggesting the item’s grade was not particularly high.
It was likely on par with the Soul-Resonating Bell.
Yet, such a protective artifact capable of automatically defending its owner was still quite valuable.
It could be a lifesaver in critical moments!
Wang Chen gleefully slipped it onto the ring finger of his left hand.
The fit was perfect.
Wang Chen gazed into Yuan Yuan’s eyes, which had transformed into heart shapes.
It turned out that Little Yuan Yuan’s true talent was not merely using a storage bag or possessing exceptional digging skills.
She was a treasure mouse!
Wang Chen recalled how Yuan Yuan’s father once brought him a spirit stone to share a meal.
Little Yuan Yuan had clearly inherited the abilities of the golden-haired mouse.
She even surpassed her predecessor!
He gently patted the little guy and took the root and the silver stone.
However, these two items undoubtedly touched upon his knowledge blind spot; he couldn’t make heads or tails of them.
Just like with the Xuán Jià Ring, Wang Chen believed that what Little Yuan Yuan had worked so hard to find and give him couldn’t be worthless.
He should have them appraised.
Wang Chen was heading to Yunshan City anyway, so he first placed the two items into his storage bag.
He asked Yuan Yuan, “Do you want to come with me to the city for some fun?”
But Yuan Yuan shook her head: “Ying Ying Ying~”
She wanted to keep digging for more treasures!
Wang Chen felt genuinely impressed and a bit ashamed.
The little guy was so diligent.
Did he still have a reason not to put in the effort?
As he stepped out of the house, Wang Chen summoned the Willow Leaf Flying Boat and sped off towards Yunshan City!
With the flying artifact at his disposal, the journey was no longer a torment.
He arrived at his destination in the time it takes to burn an incense stick.
Since flying was prohibited for cultivators below the Golden Core level above Yunshan City, Wang Chen stowed his flying boat outside the city gate and entered the familiar town on foot.
Half an hour later, he emerged from the Four Seas Trading Association with a grim expression.
Wang Chen’s primary reason for visiting Yunshan City was to sell a batch of talismans he had crafted.
He intended to use the proceeds from selling talismans to purchase a flying sword.
Wang Chen’s Beginner Talisman Making had already reached a master-level proficiency.
Not only was his success rate in crafting talismans exceptionally high, but the quality of his talismans was also extraordinary.
Previously, Wang Chen had been cautious, fearing that drawing too much attention might lead to trouble. He had only sold talismans a few times to break even, avoiding any bold moves to amass spirit stones.
After all, behind every talisman shop in the city stood one or even several Purple Palace masters.
If he attracted the attention of someone with ulterior motives, it could easily spell trouble for him.
But now that Wang Chen had advanced to the inner sect, the status of an inner sect disciple provided him with a layer of protection, significantly improving his situation.
At worst, he could rotate among Yunshan, Yunhu, and Yunhai cities, using Thousand Transformations to conceal his true identity, thereby greatly reducing the risk.
The key point was that once Wang Chen earned enough spirit stones to buy the flying sword, he would stop, with no intention of challenging others for their market position.
He believed he had thought everything through thoroughly and that there shouldn’t be any major issues.
However, what Wang Chen never anticipated was that just as he was about to implement his fundraising plan, it would completely fall apart!
The prices of legal symbols sold in Yunshan City’s talisman shops had all increased.
For instance, the Exorcism Talismans, which previously cost one spirit fragment, now required an additional twenty spirit fragments to purchase.
This was an increase of about twenty percent.
Logically, this should have been good news for Wang Chen.
But the purchase price had dropped.
It had decreased by nearly twenty percent!
Most infuriating was that the materials for Talisman Making had also risen in price.
Whether it was talisman brushes, talisman ink, or talisman paper, everything had become more expensive!
Wang Chen quickly did some calculations.
Under the current market conditions, if he fully dedicated himself to the talisman-making business, he could still earn spirit stones.
But the profits from selling to the talisman shops had already plummeted to a pitiful level compared to before!
It simply wasn’t worth it.
Of course, that didn’t mean there were no other options.
For example, in mid to late December, the Tianyun Immortal Gathering would open, and setting up a stall there should fetch a good price.
Alternatively, he could become a traveling merchant, venturing to the loose cultivator towns in the outer regions to sell his wares…
However, relying on distant water to quench an immediate thirst was impractical, and venturing into the outer regions as a traveling merchant was a perilous endeavor.
It was merely a fleeting thought.
Wang Chen, undeterred, scoured every talisman shop in the city, only to receive the same disheartening answers.
It was evident that these talisman shops had formed a formidable alliance.
They monopolized the raw materials, sales, and acquisition channels, effortlessly manipulating the market for talismans.
For low-level cultivators aspiring to earn spirit stones through Talisman Making,
they were nothing more than lambs to the slaughter!
Wang Chen had recently inquired at the Four Seas Trading Association, only to find that they no longer dealt in low-level talismans.
Birds of a feather!
Wang Chen was truly at a loss for words.
There was no way around it; this was, after all, a world where power reigned supreme.
The strong dictated the rules.
If he were powerful enough, not only could he amass spirit stones, but he could also launch those unscrupulous merchants from the city’s heavy crossbows without a second thought.
Without strength, one had no right to complain!
Wang Chen quickly steadied his mindset, traversed two streets, and arrived at a pawn shop.
The flying sword was his unwavering resolve.
Mastering Sword Control would significantly enhance Wang Chen’s long-range combat capabilities, diversifying his arsenal.
It would also provide him with a new ace in the hole when confronting strong enemies.
The lethality of the flying sword was indisputable!
Although his plan to earn spirit stones through Talisman Making had crumbled, Wang Chen still had one last card to play.
That was the house left behind by Wang Shaoyuan!
Housing prices in Yunshan City had always been steep, and they had soared even higher in recent years.
Wang Chen had previously looked into this.
The house could now fetch over ten thousand spirit stones, just enough to commission a custom flying sword!
Yet, this house was imbued with countless cherished memories of the original owner, and as the heir, Wang Chen felt a pang of guilt at the thought of selling it for his own gain.
But upon deeper reflection,
he had resolved all the original owner’s lingering ties and had fully merged with the residual spirit.
They were now one and the same.
There was no need for sentimentality.
Most importantly, keeping the house now served no purpose; leaving it vacant was a sheer waste!
With his decision firmly made,
Wang Chen approached a pawnbroker in the shop and listed the house for sale.
