Cultivating To Immortality

Chapter 753: Old Man on the River

Influenced by the rumored mysterious Cultivator, such Cultivator attire was very common near Descending Immortal Pass.

Especially among some older Cultivators or those who already enjoyed fishing.

Song Yan only glanced at him a few more times, not taking it too heart.

He turned and left the restaurant: "Let’s go."

"Mm." Xiao Ju responded, looking back in the direction he had just gazed. The old man had already disappeared into the crowd.

After leaving the restaurant, Song Yan took Xiao Ju and Xiao He on another stroll, ensuring that he had prepared most of the items he might need for his Cultivation and Foundation Establishment during this trip.

After everything was done, he asked Xiao Ju and Xiao He to wait for him somewhere for a moment.

Then, he let the Xuan E Bai Ling Covering Mask manifest its shape, covering his face, and put on a bamboo hat. He went alone to a pavilion specializing in Talismans, hoping to try his luck.

It wasn’t that he wanted to hide his identity; he wasn’t that kind of person.

The main purpose of this trip was to inquire whether this Talisman shop had Talisman Makers above Tier 2 who could customize a Pure Moon Talisman for him.

And if he took out moon-bearing ancient lotus petals, it would undoubtedly arouse suspicion from others.

After all, this item was precious, and he was at the critical juncture of preparing for Foundation Establishment, so the fewer troubles, the better.

As for why he chose this particular shop, it was mainly because of its signboard.

"Wondrous Talismans for Residence."

It sounded like a shop specializing in selling strange Talismans, and the Pure Moon Talisman was not a commonly used Talisman.

As soon as he stepped inside, his heart was startled.

This small building was far more spacious than it looked from the outside. The main hall on the first floor, as far as the eye could see, could accommodate dozens of people.

The counter and the entrance were made of dark brown sunken wood.

The entire shop, at a glance, gave off a very understated yet elegant feeling.

Five or six attendants in uniform black clothes in the hall were explaining the Talismans chosen from the counter to several Cultivator guests.

The four walls were covered with various Talisman samples.

A young attendant in a black shirt, who happened to be free at the moment, was wiping the counter. Seeing a guest enter, he quickly put down his work, cast a Spell, washed his hands, and stepped forward.

"Senior, what do you need? Our shop has all kinds of Talismans, and unique Talismans are our specialty..."

It was clear that although this attendant was young, he was extremely skilled in his work.

His choice of words made Song Yan feel comfortable.

Surprisingly, this attendant was even a Cultivator at Qi Refining Stage 6.

This Realm might not be much, but one should know that this person was merely an attendant in a shop in this city.

He sighed inwardly, thinking that Descending Immortal Pass truly lived up to its reputation as an Immortal City of Chu, whether in attracting Cultivators to reside or in cultivating attendants of such a Realm; it was incomparable to other markets.

After listening to his general introduction, Song Yan slowly spoke: "I want to customize a High Grade Tier 2 Talisman. I will provide the main Materials myself. I wonder if your shop offers this service."

Of course, there was such a service; otherwise, why would it be a Talisman shop?

The attendant’s expression changed slightly upon hearing this.

Customizing High Grade Talismans was not uncommon in Descending Immortal Pass, but guests who could provide their own main Materials often had extraordinary backgrounds.

He secretly sized up Song Yan, but at this moment, he was hidden beneath a mask and a bamboo hat, so his appearance and expression could not be seen.

Since the other party was a guest, it was naturally impossible to do something as impolite as scanning him with Divine Sense.

He dared not neglect him but could not make the decision himself, so he could only apologize: "Senior, please wait here for a moment. I cannot make the decision. I will go and invite the manager."

The attendant hurried upstairs.

Before long, he came down again and led Song Yan up: "Senior, please come upstairs."

Wondrous Talismans for Residence was a three-story wooden building. The second floor seemed to be the reception area for VIPs.

Although the area was slightly smaller, the interior decoration was more ancient and elegant.

Behind the screen, a spiritual incense burner was lit, and faint smoke in the sunlight made the scenery on the second floor appear even more refined.

In the center, against the screen, was a tea table for discussion, with two oddly shaped black wooden benches on either side.

On the side closer to the screen sat a young man dressed as a scholar.

This person was very young, about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, wearing a faded green robe, holding an ancient book, and flipping through it.

Based on Divine Sense alone, Song Yan could not discern this person’s Cultivation, so it seemed he also possessed means to conceal his spiritual power Realm.

His youth was surprisingly striking.

Because Song Yan could tell that he was most likely a Talisman Maker.

When he flipped through the book, there was a faint cinnabar color between his right index and middle fingers, which was one of the traces left by years of Talisman making.

Seeing the attendant lead Song Yan upstairs, he unhurriedly closed the ancient book in his hand, placed it aside, and the text on it was clearly visible.

Below was the "Six Arts of Spiritual Talismans."

Just by the name, one knew this was a classic about Talismans.

He first nodded at him, a simple gesture, then waved his hand, telling the attendant to go downstairs and attend to his own business.

"My name is Jiang Gudong. May I ask Your Excellency’s name?"

..." Song Yan was silent for a moment, not answering immediately, but first asked, "Are you the shopkeeper here?"

"Don’t I look like a shopkeeper?" Jiang Gudong smiled, then said, "So it’s that obvious."

"I’m indeed not the shopkeeper. He’s out on business. I happened to be free and came here to mind the shop for a couple of days."

"I am the Talisman Maker here. Sixty percent of the Talismans here are made by my hand."

Song Yan nodded: "My name is Tong Chuping."

"So it’s Fellow Daoist Tong, please take a seat."

As soon as the two sat down, a beautiful young girl walked out from the inner room, holding a pot of spiritual tea steaming with heat.

"I hear Fellow Daoist Tong wishes to customize a High Grade Tier 2 Talisman this time? Do you have your own Materials?"

The girl set up the teacups for them and poured the tea, its fragrance filling the air.

Song Yan nodded: "That’s right. I have the main Materials. The other common Talisman-making spiritual Materials can be included in the price."

He gently swirled his teacup but never drank from it.

"Fellow Daoist Tong, what kind of Talisman do you wish to customize?" Jiang Gudong took a sip of tea.

"High Grade Tier 2, Pure Moon Talisman." Song Yan went straight to the point.

"Hmm? Pure Moon Talisman?" Jiang Gudong seemed a little surprised: "If I remember correctly, the main material for that Talisman requires the petals of the moon-bearing ancient lotus."

"Fellow Daoist, please don’t deceive me."

Ancient lotuses are almost extinct in Chu, and to find one, one usually has to rely on luck in Secret Realms.

Song Yan took out three lotus petals from his qiankun bag, their surfaces glowing with a cold, pure white light.

A trace of surprise flashed in Jiang Gudong’s eyes, and he couldn’t help but look up at Song Yan.

However, this person’s face was completely covered by the mask and bamboo hat, making it impossible to see his appearance or expression.

"Fellow Daoist Tong, may I have a look?"

"No." Song Yan refused. "Unless you are capable of drawing a Pure Moon Talisman."

Jiang Gudong was startled, then smiled: "To tell you the truth, I usually enjoy researching these obscure but precious Talismans."

"The year before last, I even specifically went to..."

He suddenly stopped, as if realizing he had said too much.

"Cough... A Pure Moon Talisman should be no problem."

Since he was capable of drawing it, Song Yan no longer wasted words and immediately placed the three ancient lotus petals into a specially made jade box.

In fact, he had a total of nine petals, all from that one ancient lotus that had withered, but he couldn’t possibly take out so many at once.

The two immediately finalized the requirements for the Talisman and all the details of the transaction.

Jiang Gudong pondered for a moment and said: "There’s a rather interesting legend about the Pure Moon Talisman. It’s said that if this Talisman is drawn in conjunction with the full moon phase, both the success rate and quality will improve."

"How about this, Fellow Daoist Tong, come back in three months for the delivery."

"Thank you for your trouble."

The two signed the Delegation contract, and the transaction was considered complete.

Regarding Spirit Stones, Song Yan did not need to pay a deposit because he provided the main Materials himself. The payment would be made based on the number of completed Talismans once they were finished.

The cost for each Talisman made was eighty Spirit Stones.

This price was slightly on the higher side, but it was, after all, a High Grade Tier 2 Talisman and a relatively obscure one.

Three months was completely acceptable.

After all, he had not yet reached the Perfection Realm of Qi Refining, and accumulating Cultivation would still take a considerable amount of time.

Song Yan did not linger. After everything was done, he stood up and took his leave.

Inside the elegant room on the second floor, Jiang Gudong stood by the window, looking in the direction the other party had left, deep in thought.

"Tong Chuping... doesn’t sound like a real name."

He hadn’t encountered rare items like moon-bearing ancient lotus petals in a long time.

However, he had no intention of investigating the source of this item.

Both he and the shopkeeper were honest people who conducted legitimate business.

If they were to harm a valued guest for the sake of so-called Heaven And Earth Treasure, their tolerance would be too small, and their future business would not last long.

He looked at the spiritual tea on the opposite table, which hadn’t been touched, and felt a sense of regret.

"He truly is careful and cautious."

After leaving Wondrous Talismans for Residence, Song Yan’s pace gradually slowed.

He roughly scanned with his Divine Sense, confirmed that no one was following him, then removed his disguise and went to the teahouse to meet with Xiao Ju and Xiao He.

Then the three of them left Descending Immortal Pass together.

"Our business here is concluded. Let’s return to Lanxi Cave."

However, this time, Song Yan did not choose to ride the Red Dust Dipper again but instead headed to the Ying City pier.

"This time, we’ll go back by water."

He looked at Xiao He, raising an eyebrow: "I heard that the Ying City pier is even grander than Yunxi City’s, you know."

Xiao He had been in low spirits because she hadn’t visited the capital of Chu.

However, upon hearing this, her drooping head suddenly lifted, and her golden snake eyes instantly lit up.

Last time, from Yunxi City to Feng An City, Snake Babe had always wanted to ride a boat again.

Coincidentally, Ying City’s waterways were also very developed. Although not as fast as using flying Spiritual Artifacts, it was much faster than land travel.

"Keeping your word is a principle even children understand."

They traveled east along the official road, and in the twilight, they could vaguely see Ying City’s majestic city walls.

As the capital of Chu, Ying City’s scale far surpassed Yunxi City’s. The outline of the outer city alone snaked for dozens of miles like a giant Dragon.

But they had no intention of entering the city; instead, they followed the moat and turned south towards the canal pier.

Before they even got close, deafening clamor rushed towards them.

Hundreds of cargo ships were densely moored in the river bend, their masts like a forest, their sails obscuring the sky.

The air was mixed with the smell of fish. Xiao He excitedly looked left and right, almost bumping into a foreman directing laborers to carry goods.

The foreman frowned but didn’t blame Xiao He. Instead, he chided Song Yan a few times: "Hey, brother, keep an eye on your kids."

"If no one’s watching, how dangerous would it be if they fell into the river?"

"Uh, yes, yes, yes."

Song Yan was dressed as a martial artist at the moment, and the other party probably thought he was traveling with his two younger sisters, so he spoke, kindly reminding him.

He naturally wouldn’t get angry; instead, he repeatedly thanked him.

"Do you want to take a boat, sir?"

A boatman with a blue turban came over.

Song Yan was about to speak but suddenly froze in place.

...

"Sir?"

"Sir?"

The other party asked several times before he came back to his senses.

"No, thank you."

Just now, he was about to answer when he suddenly felt a familiar palpitation.

The liangyi pearl actually hummed again, and the black and white Qi circulated uncontrollably!

Here... at a Mortal city’s pier?

"Senior? What’s wrong?"

Xiao Ju keenly noticed the abnormality and asked.

"Hmm... nothing."

His gaze swept across the noisy pier, expanding his Divine Sense to its maximum, but he didn’t detect any abnormality.

So, he had no choice but to activate the Xuan E Bai Ling Covering Mask.

In his vision, wisps of Sword Dao Qi manifested before his eyes, but this Qi was completely unlike the sharp and incisive aura it had before.

Instead, it was like a thin mist, dreamlike and illusory.

Song Yan followed the remaining Sword Dao Qi in the Xuan E Bai Ling Covering Mask, leading Xiao Ju and Xiao He along the river.

"Yan Yan, where are we going? Aren’t we taking a boat anymore?"

Xiao He looked at him eagerly: "You’re not keeping your word."

"No, something suddenly came up that I need to do. We’ll come back for the boat after I’m done."

He comforted her: "It’s okay, there are boats every day."

"Oh." Snake Babe nodded and quieted down.

In his vision, the faint Sword Dao Qi, like a wisp of smoke in the wind, was intermittent but always pointed towards a certain spot by the riverbank.

The three passed through a reed marsh and saw an old man in a coir rain cape and bamboo hat, fishing with a pole on a cliff by the river.

Song Yan frowned, seeming a little puzzled.

But he still made a detour, walked up to the cliff edge, and stood behind him.

The old man’s bamboo hat had a torn brim, and his coir rain cape was old. The green bamboo fishing rod was bent, but the fishing line showed no tremor.

"Senior." Song Yan spoke, bowing.

"Oh!"

The old man suddenly shivered, almost falling off the cliff in fright.

His fishing rod shook, causing ripples to spread across the river.

The old man turned sideways, his bamboo hat askew, revealing a face full of age spots. It was not the Coir-Cloaked Guest from Wu Mountain Valley.

"You little brat! Why are you scaring an old man like me?"

"This, this, this... You walk without a sound. Am I, an old man, meeting a ghost?"

Song Yan was stunned. For some reason, he felt a sense of relief, but he became even more curious about the old man’s identity.

The Xuan E Bai Ling Covering Mask’s Qi guidance indeed led to this spot, but the old man in front of him had no spiritual power fluctuations at all; he was truly a Mortal.

"Excuse my intrusion, old sir."

Song Yan simply sat down on the slippery cliffside stone, took out a pot of wine, and handed it over.

"Junior passed by this place and saw you fishing alone in the cold river, which has a very ancient charm. I’d like to share a drink."

The old man’s eyes lit up, but he still grumbled, refusing to let go of the matter.

"It truly is an intrusion! The fish were just about to bite, but you disturbed them all, and they all ran away. Now you tell me..."