In the humble cottage, Ji Yuan sat by the tea table, idly turning a bronze oil lamp in his hand.
Regarding the quality of this oil lamp, it was comparable to the meager Three Talents Treasure Coins he possessed. Even its auxiliary effect of gathering spiritual energy and calming the mind was far superior to its offensive capabilities.
However, the spiritual energy within the bronze oil lamp was depleted. To restore it to its undamaged state, a large amount of spiritual energy needed to be replenished.
This, coupled with the expenses for repairing the Three Talents Treasure Coins, would likely amount to a staggering sum of money.
"It seems I must visit Mingxin Pavilion and sell all the elixirs and talismans I have on hand."
Ji Yuan sighed, his initial joy considerably diminished.
Ultimately, his cultivation time was too short. Even with his skills in alchemy and talisman crafting, along with immense good fortune, he had still failed to accumulate a substantial fortune.
Shaking his head, he rose and walked to a corner of the room, retrieving seven or eight porcelain bottles and a wooden box from an old wooden cabinet.
The bottles contained elixirs for strengthening the foundation, nourishing vital energy, and warming the body. The wooden box held stacks upon stacks of yellow paper talismans.
These were the fruits of Ji Yuan's labor over several months, originally intended for his own use, but now he had to part with them for coin.
"I'll have to refine a few more batches of elixirs later."
The young Daoist mumbled to himself as he packed the items into his satchel, then pushed open the door and stepped outside.
However, upon reaching the courtyard, he turned back into the house and retrieved a bronze alchemy furnace from the corner, storing it within the body of the white jade flying sword in his Purple Mansion.
Having accomplished this, Ji Yuan clapped his hands, slung his satchel and long sword over his shoulder, climbed over the Taoist temple's courtyard wall, and stepped onto the increasingly bustling streets.
Qianyu City was once a renowned great city of the dynasty. However, due to a major upheaval hundreds of years ago, it was ravaged by conflicts between powerful beings, destroying more than half of its urban area.
Now, over three hundred years after its reconstruction, although it had not regained its former prosperity and had been demoted from a prefectural city to a third-class county town, it still rivaled ordinary second-class county towns.
The sun had risen high, and the streets were filled with more pedestrians, most of whom were heading to work or opening their shops for business.
Street corners were often occupied by breakfast stalls, which were naturally packed at this hour. A fragrant aroma wafted from afar, whetting the appetite.
Smelling the aroma drifting from nearby, Ji Yuan suddenly remembered that he hadn't eaten for half a day and a night. Although the elixirs he consumed could compensate for some of his physical needs, they couldn't fully satisfy them.
However, for those who practiced cultivation, sustenance was not to be taken lightly. The delicacies that ordinary people enjoyed were, in the eyes of cultivators, filled with impure turbid energy, which could harm their Dao.
"Immeasurable Heavenly Venerable!"
Ji Yuan softly recited the honorific, quickly distancing himself from the area, forcefully suppressing his cravings.
It was only when he stood outside Mingxin Pavilion that he finally breathed a sigh of relief. He then strode through the entrance and, with familiar ease, entered a private reception room to the side.
Before long, a young woman walked in slowly. Despite the autumn season, she still gently fanned herself with a round fan.
"Oh my, isn't this Young Daoist Ji? Have you graced us with your presence today?"
The young woman sat gracefully, saying with a hint of surprise, "Didn't you just sell a batch of elixirs a few days ago? You're already short of funds after just a few days. Have you taken to a life of extravagance like those scholars?"
Ji Yuan ignored the young woman's teasing, expertly tossed his satchel into her arms, then grabbed the freshly served refreshments and began to devour them ravenously.
The refreshments provided by Mingxin Pavilion for guests, while not the finest spiritual cuisine, were beneficial in that they contained little turbid energy. Even if consumed, a brief period of meditation would suffice to expel it.
"Shopkeeper Liu, besides the usual ratio of silver and spirit coins, I'll also need some spirit-replenishing water and similar items."
He spoke as he ate.
In the past, when he visited Mingxin Pavilion, besides selling elixirs and talismans, he would also replenish his materials for alchemy and talisman crafting. The remainder would be settled in silver and spirit coins.
The former was the universal currency of the Great Yu Dynasty and indeed the entire mortal world, while the latter was an essential item for cultivators.
Spirit coins, officially known as "spirit-infused currency," were the hard currency among cultivators. They contained rich and pure spiritual energy, making them excellent for refining mana or for use in formations and artifact crafting.
However, generally speaking, no cultivator would waste them in such a manner, as the inherent value of spirit coins far exceeded these functions.
Hearing this, Liu Ruyan's eyes flickered. She cast a meaningful glance at the young Daoist before her, then chuckled lightly and turned to prepare the goods for the transaction.
Ji Yuan was well aware of the Shopkeeper of Mingxin Pavilion's scrutiny and understood its implication. It was evident that she had deduced something from his request for spirit-replenishing water.
After all, spirit-replenishing water was typically used in the refinement of certain elixirs or spiritual artifacts, or to replenish the depleted spiritual energy within spiritual artifacts.
However, although he was known as the "Little Alchemist of Qianyu City," he had not yet reached a level where he could refine elixirs requiring spirit-replenishing water, let alone engage in artifact crafting.
Thus, the only remaining possibility was the replenishment of spiritual energy in spiritual artifacts.
The value of a spiritual artifact was, of course, self-evident. Ordinary cultivators might spend their entire lives without accumulating enough wealth to acquire even a low-grade spiritual artifact.
Moreover, a cultivator without a spiritual artifact was like the difference between being at the peak of a mountain and at its base; their status would be vastly different.
While an alchemist, though worthy of respect, friendship, and even appeasement, was merely a business associate, a cultivator possessing a spiritual artifact was someone not to be offended. A single mishap could lead to dire consequences.
This was why Liu Ruyan had cast that meaningful glance.
Ji Yuan could even guess that from now on, in his dealings with Mingxin Pavilion, she would likely offer him even more favorable terms to express her goodwill.
The logic was simple: offending an alchemist might at worst result in the loss of a single transaction, but offending a cultivator wielding a spiritual artifact could lead to unpredictable repercussions that could not be resolved with mere wealth.
In the martial world, strength was paramount, and the same held true for cultivators.
After finishing all the refreshments on the table, Ji Yuan grabbed the teapot and drank heartily. He patted his belly with satisfaction and, feeling a bit bored, looked around.
It was still early, and there weren't many cultivators in Qianyu City, so besides him, there were no other customers in Mingxin Pavilion.
However, with the shop assistants bustling about, the place did not feel deserted. Instead, the hushed conversations among some of the waitresses added a touch of liveliness.
Upon seeing him looking around, some familiar waitresses and shop assistants would smile and nod in response.