Chapter 38
Chapter 38
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: Yu Daniu's Happy Life
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What!
Chen Jianghe was stunned.
In the next instant, he focused his spiritual sense inward on his spirit platform. The spirit turtle mark there was exceptionally clear—it looked just like Xiao Hei, right down to the patterns on its shell.
"Xiao Hei, you have a legacy cultivation art?"
He sent the message to Xiao Hei through the mark on his spirit platform, worried for a moment that his memory was playing tricks on him.
"Of course I do. The Three Revolutions Demon Ascension Art. Didn't I tell you already? You two-legged beasts have terrible memories!"
Xiao Hei's increasingly brazen voice echoed from the spirit turtle mark.
*Hiss...*
Chen Jianghe drew a sharp breath. He struggled to suppress his shock, careful not to let it show on his face, lest the portly shopkeeper notice.
*Xiao Hei's legacy art, the Three Revolutions Demon Ascension Art, must have been granted by the spirit platform.*
*The boon the spirit platform mark gave me was Xiao Hei's lifespan, and what it gave Xiao Hei was the Three Revolutions Demon Ascension Art—a cultivation art that spirit beasts shouldn't possess.*
Does the Three Revolutions Demon Ascension Art give Xiao Hei the potential to break through to the second tier?
A jolt of joy went through Chen Jianghe. If Xiao Hei could break through, he would have no more worries about his lifespan.
*The shopkeeper also said Black Crystal Mystic Turtles can't awaken any innate abilities after advancing a tier. I wonder if Xiao Hei has awakened any... Never mind, I'll ask him in detail when I get back.*
Chen Jianghe's thoughts raced in the span of a few short breaths.
Just then, the portly shopkeeper seemed to recall something and said to Chen Jianghe, "Legend has it that only great demons who have taken human form possess cultivation arts. That's something far beyond what a Fellow Daoist like you can imagine."
"Right, right."
Chen Jianghe nodded quickly in agreement, then changed the subject. "So... do you buy back spirit beasts?"
"Are you thinking of selling a Black Crystal Mystic Turtle, Fellow Daoist?" the shopkeeper asked, his eyes narrowing into a knowing smile, as if he had seen right through Chen Jianghe.
"We do. As long as it's a spirit beast, our shop will buy it."
"And what are they worth?"
"Two spirit stones."
"That's it!?"
Raising a Black Crystal Mystic Turtle to a spirit beast cost four spirit stones—one Spirit Awakening Pill and one Spirit Accumulating Pill.
Of course, the cost could be cut to a single spirit stone if you only bought a Spirit Awakening Pill, but that would extend the nurturing period to eleven or twelve years.
"The bloodline purity of a Black Crystal Mystic Turtle is too low to be graded. Besides its high intelligence and long lifespan, it's practically useless."
"It's not even as good as a Little Green Fish. Fellow Daoist, are you thinking I overcharged you at twelve spirit stones?"
The portly shopkeeper's experienced gaze had already discerned that Chen Jianghe was just here to ask for a price. A cultivator at the third level of Qi Refining must have only recently become an Advanced Fishery Farmer.
He wouldn't have enough spirit stones to buy a spirit beast to help him raise Little Green Fish.
However, he wasn't angry.
To him, every Advanced Fishery Farmer was a potential customer. Just because they couldn't afford it now didn't mean they couldn't in the future.
"You may not know this, Fellow Daoist, but it's not the Black Crystal Mystic Turtle that's expensive, it's the Concentric Lock. If you don't want the lock, I can sell you the turtle for three spirit stones."
Chen Jianghe nodded, a look of embarrassment on his face.
He had indeed overlooked the complimentary Concentric Lock.
An item that allowed for simple communication with a spirit beast was definitely a magical artifact. Even if it wasn't as good as a Spirit Beast Ring, it would still be quite valuable.
"Thank you for telling me, Fellow Daoist," Chen Jianghe said, cupping his hands.
"It's nothing. For a Fellow Daoist to become an Advanced Fishery Farmer at the third level of Qi Refining, your future is surely boundless. You'll be able to afford a spirit beast sooner or later," the portly shopkeeper said with a cheerful laugh.
Chen Jianghe felt that the atmosphere in the Clock Tower Market on Lakeheart Island was quite pleasant. The shopkeeper, who had no spiritual roots, had smiled the entire time and hadn't shown the slightest hint of contempt just because he lacked spirit stones.
After leaving the Spirit Beast Pavilion, he browsed a few other shops.
Like the Spirit Beast Pavilion, the shopkeepers of these stores were all ordinary people without spiritual roots—undoubtedly mortals from the Yun Clan.
Moreover, none of them displayed any arrogance; they were all very cordial to every customer.
*The Spirit Beast Pavilion sells Black Crystal Mystic Turtles. Doesn't this mean that some Advanced Fishery Farmers raise their own? I can just save up enough spirit stones and buy a Concentric Lock later.*
For low-level cultivators, if they could save a single spirit stone, they would never be willing to spend an extra one.
This way, he wouldn't have to worry about exposing Xiao Hei.
To outsiders, he would just seem like one of those frugal Advanced Fishery Farmers who raised their own Black Crystal Mystic Turtle and slowly saved up spirit stones to buy a Concentric Lock.
But then he remembered he had only been an Advanced Fishery Farmer for a year and hadn't even raised a single batch of Little Green Fish.
The later Xiao Hei was revealed, the better.
After wandering a bit more, he arrived at a shop that sold talismans. It was about fifty square meters, simply furnished, with a corner crystal counter and a long cabinet with small compartments behind it.
He walked up to the counter and looked at the talismans under the crystal panel, each with a detailed description.
Low-grade Protection Talisman: Can release a five-element defensive light screen, capable of withstanding a full-force blow from a third-level Qi Refining cultivator. Price: two spirit stones.
Low-grade Water Escape Talisman: Allows for travel through water after use, covering a distance of two li. Price: three spirit stones.
Low-grade Water Arrow Talisman: Can release a water arrow with power comparable to a full-force blow from a third-level Qi Refining cultivator. Price: one spirit stone.
Mid-grade Fleet-foot Talisman: Doubles flight (or running) speed for a quarter of an hour after use. Price: ten spirit stones.
"Shopkeeper, I'd like a Peace Talisman."
Chen Jianghe pointed to the Peace Talisman in the crystal case. It was an unranked talisman, without a grade.
It was one of the most basic types of talismans.
When used, it could help mortals dispel all manner of illnesses. It cost thirty grains of spirit sand.
"Here's seventy-five grains of spirit sand in change. Please take it."
Chen Jianghe had paid with one spirit stone. The Peace Talisman cost thirty grains of spirit sand, so he should have received seventy grains in change.
But this shopkeeper had given him seventy-five.
Evidently, the exchange rate was one hundred and five grains of spirit sand to one spirit stone, and within the Yun Clan's shops on Lakeheart Island, one spirit stone could be used as if it were one hundred and five grains.
Outside, one spirit stone was worth exactly one hundred grains of spirit sand.
In this, the Yun Clan was adept at winning people over, treating the Advanced Fishery Farmers and Guest Elders completely as their own.
Chen Jianghe then spent another ten grains of spirit sand on a sachet meant to ward off illness and disaster. The shopkeeper at the general store told him it had been soaked in a spiritual medicinal liquid.
Holding it in his hand, he could smell a faint medicinal fragrance.
He placed the Peace Talisman inside the sachet, then left the Clock Tower Market and headed toward the lakeside residential area.
"Fortune Gate Residence, number thirty-two. This must be it."
Chen Jianghe stood before a small courtyard, looking at the plaque above the gate, confirming it was the address Yu Daniu had written in his letter.
The lakeside residential area had nearly a hundred courtyards, all of them small, attached courtyards on modest plots of land.
The walls were made of blue brick, offering a good deal of privacy.
Chen Jianghe walked up and knocked on the gate.
A short while later, the gate opened, and out walked Yu Daniu.
"Brother Jianghe, you're finally here! We were just waiting for you to start the feast," Yu Daniu said, his eyes lighting up as he gave a simple, honest smile.
Chen Jianghe peeked through the crack in the gate and saw quite a few people in the courtyard, some of whom looked familiar.
They were the Junior Fishery Farmers who had married into the Yun Clan at the same time as Yu Daniu.
The others, he didn't recognize.
"Xiaoniu was just born, wasn't he? These people are all here to offer their congratulations. You know a few of them."
Seeing Chen Jianghe's gaze drift toward the courtyard, Yu Daniu remembered his reclusive nature and offered an explanation.
Then, Yu Daniu lowered his voice. "Actually, they're all here to learn my secrets, hehe..."
Seeing Yu Daniu's gleeful expression, Chen Jianghe couldn't help but smile. "Daniu, congratulations. You have a new generation now."
As he spoke, Chen Jianghe took out the gift he had prepared.
"Just a little something for my nephew."
"Please give my best to your wife for me. I won't come in."