Mo Jiu picked up the yellow talisman and brought it closer to examine it in detail.
The talisman paper was the cheapest yellow paper, and the ink was the most ordinary cinnabar ink.
It was the kind of scrap paper that wouldn't even make it past the threshold of the Heavenly Talisman Pavilion, looking more like leftovers used by some sect for their disciples to practice on.
The moment his gaze swept across the runes, his pupils suddenly contracted.
The lines on this talisman were actually moving.
A faint, dark red shimmer slowly flowed from the first stroke of the rune to the last, then gradually dimmed, brightening and darkening in a steady, unhurried rhythm.
The runes naturally circulated with spiritual light, their charm completely seamless and without the slightest hitch or flaw. It was, without a doubt, a supreme-grade talisman.
Moreover, the spiritual energy contained within it was dense and pure, its Dao charm restrained yet majestic. Its quality actually seemed to surpass that of ordinary supreme-grade talismans.
Xue Mingzhao observed Mo Jiu's expression and took a leisurely sip from her teacup. “Manager Mo, you are an expert. Now that you've examined my talisman, why don't you offer a price? If it's reasonable, we have a deal.”
Mo Jiu pondered silently for a long moment before slowly offering a price. “Three thousand high-grade spirit stones. What do you think, Daoist friend?”
Xue Mingzhao's fingers holding the teacup paused slightly.
Three thousand?
She had thought it would fetch a thousand at most!
Seeing that she didn't respond for a long time, Mo Jiu assumed she found the offer too low and added, “Although this talisman is supreme-grade, in all my years in this business, this is the first time I've seen a supreme-grade talisman drawn on such coarse yellow paper. I inevitably have some reservations. How about I have someone invite Master Lu of our pavilion to verify its authenticity and power? As long as the talisman's charm is intact and its power is flawless after inspection, I will definitely offer a fair price and won't mistreat you two. Does that sound acceptable, Daoist friend?”
Xue Mingzhao set down her teacup, her tone casual. “Go ahead and test it.”
“Oh, and refill my tea, please.”
The corner of Mo Jiu's mouth twitched slightly. He picked up the teapot and personally poured another cup for Xue Mingzhao.
Then, he called in an assistant from outside and instructed him to invite Master Lu over immediately.
This was not an unnecessary precaution.
Mo Jiu's own cultivation was only at the Nascent Soul realm, so he could only discern that the talisman's aura was supreme-grade with his naked eye. However, since the materials used—the paper and cinnabar—were so simple, it was hard to guarantee that the other party hadn't used high-level illusion techniques to forge the talisman's charm.
If he misjudged and accepted a fake today, word would spread, and his reputation as the manager of the Heavenly Talisman Pavilion would be completely ruined.
Furthermore, the two in front of him wore ordinary clothes and had deliberately concealed their appearances, looking highly unfamiliar.
He knew all the talisman grandmasters on the Tianyan Continent who were capable of drawing supreme-grade talismans, and he had never heard of such young, unfamiliar faces.
An incense stick's time later, the door was suddenly pushed open, and a white-haired, energetic old man in a black robe rushed in.
“Where is it? Where is the supreme-grade talisman?”
Mo Jiu quickly stood up. “Master Lu, these two—”
Before he could finish, Lu Daohui pushed him aside.
The old man snatched the talisman paper from the table, brought it close to his eyes to examine it, and traced his finger lightly along the lines of the runes. His expression grew more focused and excited by the second.
Mo Jiu explained helplessly from the side, “Master Lu is obsessed with talismans and gets a bit excited when he sees a supreme-grade one. Please don't mind him.”
Xue Mingzhao waved her hand with a smile. She didn't mind, as long as he knew his stuff.
After a long while, Lu Daohui looked up while holding the talisman paper, his hands trembling slightly. “It's a supreme-grade Sky-Blasting Talisman, without a doubt. This person's attainment in the Dao of Talismans is above mine. The spiritual energy within the runes is incredibly pure. I've drawn talismans my entire life, yet I've never seen anything of this quality.”
“Who drew this?”
Xue Mingzhao replied calmly, “My master drew it and told the two of us to sell it.”
Lu Daohui looked over, his gaze pausing briefly on Xue Mingzhao's face before he urgently pressed on, ignoring the mask. “May I ask your master's honorable name? Are they in Yunque Heavenly Capital? I have immersed myself in the Dao of Talismans for over a thousand years, and a powerhouse who can draw such supreme-grade talismans should not be unknown.”
Seeing that Xue Mingzhao was reluctant to answer, Mo Jiu quickly smoothed things over from the side. “We are merely curious about who the powerhouse capable of drawing such superb talismans is. We certainly do not mean to make things difficult for you two.”
Xue Mingzhao shook her head, her tone polite but firm. “Please forgive me, Senior. My master has been living in seclusion for a long time and does not wish for outsiders to know his name. I'm afraid I cannot tell you.”
Lu Daohui shook his head regretfully. “What a pity that such a brilliant powerhouse of the Dao of Talismans is unwilling to enter the mortal world.”
Then, he took out a jade token from his robes, handed it over, and said, still unwilling to give up, “I am Lu Daohui, an eighth-rank talisman master of the Heavenly Talisman Pavilion. If your master is ever willing to show himself, I would like to discuss the Dao of Talismans with him. I hope you can make this happen, young friend.”
Xue Mingzhao took the jade token with both hands and nodded obediently. “Alright, I will definitely pass on the message.”
Lu Daohui turned to leave, but after taking a couple of steps, he stopped and glanced back at her.
“That silver mask has a rather unique style, but the spiritual patterns are a bit ordinary. If you spent a lot of spirit stones on it, it might not be worth it.”
Xue Mingzhao would have to be an idiot not to realize she had been scammed.
She had noticed earlier that Mo Jiu's gaze had lingered on her face for a moment, and then Lu Daohui's had too. Now, Master Lu had directly pointed it out.
This stupid mask was completely useless!
Xue Mingzhao reached up to touch the mask on her face, looked up, and smiled candidly at Lu Daohui. “I bought it at a street stall for thirty spirit stones. It really is a case of getting what you pay for. I've made a fool of myself in front of you, Senior.”
Lu Daohui burst into laughter and waved his hand. “No matter, we learn from our mistakes.” Then, he nodded to Mo Jiu, cupped his hands, and took his leave.
The door closed once more, and Mo Jiu cleared his throat, steering the conversation back on track. “The talisman is genuine, and the purity of its spiritual energy is even superior to ordinary supreme-grade ones. Since it is of this quality, I am willing to offer five thousand high-grade spirit stones per piece. What do you think, Fairy?”
Xue Mingzhao nodded, set down her teacup, and pulled a thick stack of yellow talisman papers from her storage bag, placing them on the table. “I have ten of these in total. Do you still want them?”
Su Ye's mind went completely blank with a loud bang.
Ten! His junior sister was going to sell all ten of them!
He kicked Xue Mingzhao's foot hard under the table, his expression incredibly tense, while his heart roared with a hundred thoughts: Junior Sister, calm down! These are supreme-grade talismans! They can save your life in a mystic realm! Keep one! At least keep one for self-defense!
Xue Mingzhao ignored Su Ye's obvious hints and shifted her legs slightly to the side. Ouch, Senior Brother's kick actually hurt a bit.
Mo Jiu stared at the ten yellow talisman papers neatly stacked on the table. Having been the manager of the Heavenly Talisman Pavilion for over a hundred years, this was the first time he had ever seen someone sell ten supreme-grade talismans at once.
Suppressing his astonishment, he said solemnly, “I'll take them. I'll take as many as you have. If you have other talismans in the future, please feel free to bring them here, Fairy. The price will definitely not disappoint you.”
Mo Jiu took out a spirit stone pouch from his storage ring and handed it over with both hands.
Xue Mingzhao took it and swept her divine sense inside. Exactly fifty thousand high-grade spirit stones, not a single one missing.
She put the spirit stone pouch into her storage ring with satisfaction, stood up, and cupped her hands. “Manager Mo, you are very straightforward. Let's work together again if there's an opportunity in the future.”
The two of them turned and walked out of the Heavenly Talisman Pavilion.
After watching them leave, an assistant approached Mo Jiu and asked in a low voice if they should send someone to tail them, but he rejected the idea immediately.
Someone who could produce ten supreme-grade talismans at once must have at least one grandmaster of the Dao of Talismans backing them who could stably produce supreme-grade talismans.
The risk of tailing such a person was too high. If they were discovered, the other party could easily sell their talismans elsewhere and still make a fortune, whereas the Heavenly Talisman Pavilion would lose this source of supply forever.
It was not worth gambling the reputation of the Heavenly Talisman Pavilion.
He simply instructed the assistant that if those two came again, they were to be invited directly to the third floor, and served the best tea.
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