In just over half an hour, Ji Yuan had visited seven or eight shops, buying over twenty books related to drawing talismans and refining pills.
He also purchased quite a few talismans and pills, as well as some books on Daoist cultivation insights.
He even spared no expense, acquiring fifteen types of pill recipes, most of which recorded spirit pills of a certain grade.
And with his deliberate display of wealth, some people indeed couldn't resist, no longer observing from the shadows but approaching him directly.
As Ji Yuan just stepped out of a shop, an alien appeared before him. Their appearance was not much different from that of a human, except their arms were more slender, their skin was a deep green, and scales adorned both sides of their cheeks.
"Something wrong?"
Ji Yuan raised an eyebrow, feigning displeasure and adopting an air of superiority.
The alien, far from being offended, showed a flicker of joy in their eyes.
Clearly, his actions had confirmed the alien's suspicions, leading them to believe he was a disciple of a powerful and wealthy cultivator.
"I noticed you are interested in the Dao of Pills and Talismans, and by chance, I have quite a few related items."
The alien said with a smile, "Would you spare some time, young master?"
Here it comes!
Ji Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly. While outwardly calm, he felt a wave of relief inwardly.
His earlier deliberate display of wealth was precisely to provoke someone into approaching him.
Sensing that the alien before him was only at the late stage of the first realm, he slowly nodded, gesturing for them to lead the way.
Before long, he followed them to a wooden house with a shop name hanging above its door.
As soon as they entered, an elder of the same race as the alien approached, a brilliant smile on his face.
"What can I get for you, young master?"
A slightly aged voice emanated from his lips.
Before Ji Yuan could speak, the alien who had led him said, "This young master is interested in items related to the Dao of Talismans and Pills."
The elder nodded slowly and raised his hand, causing several small sprites to fly out from his sleeve, bringing all the relevant items from the shelves to the counter.
Ji Yuan's gaze sharpened as he began to examine them closely.
These sprites were different from imps; most had not fully awakened their intelligence, and were only capable of executing simple commands in a dazed state.
However, if nurtured to slightly improve their intelligence, they would be quite suitable for managing one's dwelling.
Moreover, although these sprites were difficult to cultivate, they had exceptionally long lifespans, living for at least one or two hundred years, and would not need frequent replacement if used skillfully.
"If you are interested, young master, you can also purchase some to carry with you."
The elder, who was clearly the shopkeeper, saw that the young man seemed interested and immediately said, "These sprites are not expensive, only three to four hundred taels of silver. They can be quite convenient for managing your residence or for travel."
Upon hearing this, before Ji Yuan could respond, Green Shade, sitting on his shoulder, spoke up, "These sprites are not mature. If you like them, I can help you find some mature ones in the mountains."
Mature sprites, even without fully awakened intelligence, were quite intelligent and could infer their owner's instructions rather than executing them rigidly.
Seeing Green Shade speak, the two aliens were taken aback, seemingly surprised that the little creature on the young man's shoulder was an imp that had already awakened its intelligence.
This was understandable, as ever since entering the Jue Xian Valley, Green Shade had concealed all its aura, making it impossible for even Ji Yuan's spiritual sense to detect even the slightest trace.
"Then I'll have to trouble you."
He gently tapped Green Shade's head, not refusing the offer.
When he returned to Xuan Tian Peak, there would be many tasks requiring helpers, and he could not fully trust those from Ming Xin Xuan.
These small sprites, however, presented an excellent option.
"Young master, this is all that the shop has regarding the Dao of Pills and Talismans."
The shopkeeper's smile did not diminish, seemingly unconcerned that Green Shade's offer might cost him a sale.
Ji Yuan stepped forward and meticulously sifted through the items on the counter. Besides a large quantity of talismans and pills, they were mostly insights into talisman drawing and pill refining.
He found these rather unimpressive and set them aside immediately.
Ultimately, the items he selected were mainly pill recipes and books detailing various talismans and spirit herbs, which could be useful for broadening his knowledge.
Seeing this, a hint of disappointment flashed in the eyes of the shopkeeper and the alien who had led him in. The fewer items the young master chose, the less they would earn.
After the final settlement, the total cost for everything was only a few hundred taels of silver.
"With just this much, you dare to claim you have good merchandise?"
Ji Yuan glanced at the alien who had guided him, his tone seemingly casual but tinged with anger.
The alien's face flushed with embarrassment, as he had repeatedly assured Ji Yuan that he had plenty of good items on the way.
Helpless, he cast a look at the shopkeeper, signaling him not to hold back any longer.
The shopkeeper, after receiving the signal, pondered for a moment before clapping his hands. Immediately, two sprites flew out and tightly secured the shop's main door.
Then, under Ji Yuan's gaze, seven or eight more sprites flew in, each carrying a significant load.
Despite their palm-sized stature, they possessed astonishing strength. The small sprites effortlessly carried dozens of pounds of items, flying through the air without any apparent strain.
Before long, a pile of goods was assembled before Ji Yuan. There were higher-grade pill recipes, spirit herbs with good medicinal ages, and even a few magic artifacts of decent quality.
As for other spiritual items, there were quite a few, but unfortunately, he found most of them unimpressive.
Seemingly sensing his lack of interest, the shopkeeper gritted his teeth and directly asked, "What grade of items are you looking for, young master? Feel free to name a specific item, and this old man will certainly find a way to procure it."
Possessing a Shan He Bag and a sentient imp, this young master was undoubtedly extraordinarily wealthy, and they could not afford to miss this opportunity.
Ji Yuan played with a piece of spirit ore, feeling that the time was ripe, and asked meaningfully, "I lack neither spiritual items nor magic artifacts. However, as a newcomer here, I am not familiar with certain matters."
Upon hearing this, the two aliens understood immediately that this distinguished guest was looking to purchase some information.
"What specific matters would you like to know about, young master?"
The shopkeeper said with a smile, for who among those who opened shops here did not have their own sources of information?
In fact, they often earned the funds needed for their own cultivation by selling various intelligence.