"The talisman shop assistant was right. It really won't work without a talisman brush."
Zhou Shu tossed his brush aside and sighed.
Scattered on the floor were a dozen or so brushes, all of which he had made over the past two days. In the past, he was very familiar with brushes; they were quick and precise to craft. In the old world, these would have been considered exquisite pens. But for drawing talismans, they were completely useless.
They couldn't receive spiritual energy.
Brushes made of ordinary materials couldn't communicate with spiritual energy. They were like a clogged pipe; spiritual energy couldn't flow through, so how could they be used to draw talismans, or to coordinate talisman ink and paper?
Zhou Shu felt discouraged.
He had rehearsed the drawing of the Thunderstorm Talisman thousands of times in his mind. The pattern was deeply etched in his mind, and every key point was crystal clear. He was 80% sure he'd succeed on his first try, but he lacked a talisman brush, so he couldn't begin.
"I'll just have to try my luck at the market again."
Walking through the center of the market, Zhou Shu headed towards the free stalls.
In addition to merchants of all sizes, Qingxia Market also boasted numerous small vendors, including both independent cultivators and ordinary people. Most of them gathered in the corners of the market, selling their wares in a manner reminiscent of a local market. It was a mixed bag, and while one could occasionally find something valuable, the order was also extremely chaotic. For an independent cultivator like Zhou Shu, at the first level of the Qi Refining Realm, there was always the possibility of being scammed or threatened.
He wouldn't come here unless he had absolutely no other choice.
In places like Sanyuanzhai, even the cheapest talisman pen would cost a hundred mid-grade spirit stones, making it impossible for him to afford it. But here, he still had a chance.
After wandering around for nearly half an hour, he found nothing. Talisman pens were truly not easy to find.
Suddenly, Zhou Shu took a few quick steps, his gaze fixed on a spread of yellow cloth.
On the cloth lay a large stack of talisman paper, several bottles of talisman ink, and nearly ten pens of various types placed nearby.
The pens seemed to be obscured by a blinding formation, revealing only a small portion, making them hazy and unclear.
While the sheer number of talisman pens might seem odd, in a place like this, even a one-in-a-thousand chance of finding one was worth stopping and taking a look.
The stall owner, noticing a customer, immediately stood up and greeted him warmly, "Hey, young man, you've come to the right place. Take whatever you like!"
The stall owner, approximately thirty years old and apparently at the third level of the Qi Refining Realm, had a sincere expression and attentive demeanor, but a sly glint lingered in his eyes.
"Thank you, I'll just take a look at the talisman pens."
Zhou Shu nodded, preparing to take one.
"Wait—"
the stall owner reached out and covered the talisman pen, grinning innocently. "Don't blame me, Old Zhu, for being so long-winded. These talisman pens are magical treasures, incredibly valuable. It would be a disaster if you accidentally damaged them."
Zhou Shu looked up at him. "Don't worry, boss. I'm just checking them out. I won't damage them."
"Okay, go ahead, young man. But I'll be frank. If you do damage them, you'll have to pay for them."
Old Zhu removed his hand, a faint smile on his face, thinking to himself, "Another good profit today."
These pens weren't talisman pens at all; they were just ordinary brushes in disguise, with some clever tricks built into them. As soon as Zhou Shu entered spiritual power to test them, the brushes would instantly break, shattering into pieces. He could then seize the opportunity to claim compensation.
He'd used this tactic countless times, often deceiving newbies. Zhou Shu, clearly a newcomer and a casual cultivator, was the easiest to fool.
However, Zhou Shu picked up the talisman pen, genuinely only taking a look before putting it back.
Old Zhu was stunned. "Little brother, aren't you going to try it? You can't tell if a talisman pen is good or bad without testing it."
"No," Zhou Shu stood up, shaking his head and smiling.
He'd taken in the stall owner's expression and had already noticed something strange. Once he'd picked up the talisman pen, he practically burst out laughing. It was practically identical to his own, even made from the same materials: bamboo from the hillside and the most common wolf hair. There was no need to test it.
That sleight of hand was completely designed to deceive.
"Hey, little brother, this talisman pen is only sold for five medium-grade ones. You will lose a lot if you don't buy it!"
It's worthless, but he said it was five medium-grade ones. The heart of the profiteer is really evil.
When Lao Zhu saw Zhou Shu was about to leave, he suddenly became anxious. He had been waiting for several days and finally a newcomer came, but he still didn't fall for it. How could this be allowed? He grabbed the talisman pen that Zhou Shu had taken, input a trace of spiritual power, and snapped, the pen immediately broke into three pieces.
"Why is it broken? You must have broken it just now, compensate me for the spiritual stones!"
Lao Zhu strode in front of Zhou Shu and shouted aggressively.
Zhou Shu's eyes flashed with a chill, and he looked at Lao Zhu indifferently, "If you can't cheat, are you going to rob me?"
Lao Zhu had a sinister look on his face, staring at Zhou Shu intently, and released his spiritual pressure without any concealment, squeezing towards Zhou Shu.
"I painstakingly asked a master refiner to make my talisman pen, and you've ruined it like that! And you still want to leave? Stop talking nonsense! Five mid-grade spirit stones, one less, and you're not leaving!"
A crowd had already gathered around, pointing and criticizing the two.
"That wicked old Zhu is bullying the newbies again. He's really used to it."
"I bet that kid won't last more than five breaths before he begs for mercy."
"He looks so poor and has no money to make. Old Zhu is really desperate."
Spiritual pressure washed over Zhou Shu, causing him to feel uncomfortable. Forces surged from all directions, tossing him like a small boat in a storm.
But he persevered.
He knew that while the situation was chaotic, it wasn't unchecked. Old Zhu wouldn't dare actually kill anyone here; at most, he'd apply pressure and intimidation.
Perseverance would bring hope.
Old Zhu was a little irritated. In such situations, the newbies couldn't withstand the spiritual pressure and begged for mercy and compensation in a matter of seconds, but this kid was really tough.
It seemed he needed to add more spiritual energy.
Old Zhu summoned almost all of his spiritual power, and the spiritual pressure suddenly increased several times.
The air between them seemed to distort, as if a transparent mist rose, blurring everything.
Zhou Shu's forehead began to sweat uncontrollably. Irresistible forces surged into him, and his body felt as if it were being torn apart. He felt extremely uncomfortable.
Old Zhu, with a hint of triumph on his face, shouted, "I told you to be tough, no matter how hard you try, you have to lie down! Pay me the spirit stones, and I'll let you go!"
But Zhou Shu remained impassive. He was as stubborn as a bamboo, unwilling to yield, unyielding.
In the past, he would have ignored an opponent at the third level of the Qi Refining Realm, but now he was powerless to resist, and the humiliation was excruciating.
His eyes, cold and indifferent, stared at Old Zhu, and the words slipped quietly from his lips, "I won't give you a single one."
Old Zhu felt a chill run down his spine, as if he had fallen into an icy cave. A chill penetrated his heart, as if piercing his very bones. He involuntarily took a step back, but quickly stepped forward again, his face flushed as he roared, "A Qi Refining Realm level one brat who can't even withstand the spiritual pressure, and yet you still dare to boast? I'll destroy you right now!"
He raised his hand.
At this moment, he wasn't completely bluffing; he truly harbored a hint of murderous intent. He saw in Zhou Shu's eyes not only unyielding hatred but also an indescribable feeling, as if he were a ghost or a deity, which filled him with deep fear.
"What are you doing here?"
Several blue-shirted cultivators patrolled over, their eyes piercing the crowd like knives. They sneered, "We gave you this place so you could set up your stall properly, and yet you're causing trouble?"
Old Zhu quickly withdrew his hand and bowed to the cultivators. "It's okay, it's okay. We were just joking. How dare you cause trouble?"
"You know the consequences of violating the rules in Qingxia Market."
The crowd quickly dispersed, not daring to linger. They knew these blue-shirted cultivators were Qingxia Market's law enforcement disciples. Though only at the Qi Refining stage, they were not to be messed with.
Soon, Zhou Shu was the only one left in the vast place.
His clothes were soaked with sweat, as if they'd been soaked in water, and a puddle of sweat remained on the ground.
Zhou Shu glanced at Old Zhu as he left, a thoughtful look in his eyes. He clearly sensed the murderous intent he had shown earlier.
A cold glint flashed in his eyes.