"Tsk, tsk!"
"I originally thought she was a truly self-reliant, thrifty, and hardworking cultivator."
"But who would've thought..."
Watching another pair of cultivators walking away, Charles Evergreen shook his head and closed the door.
In fact, he had a pretty good impression of Sylvia Lin.
She was frugal, overly so, but she didn't steal or rob; she earned her energy stones by herself. Even if one couldn't understand this way of life, there was no need to criticize or slander it.
When she came today to collect her debt and tried to take advantage, Charles Evergreen fully understood and thought it was only human nature.
But now, it seemed he was completely wrong.
That affluent male cultivator just invited her to eat somewhere, right?
Lai Feng Lou?
Damn, that's one of the most expensive restaurants in South Mountain Market! I've heard that a meal there costs no less than three lower-grade energy stones per person!
That's equivalent to Charles Evergreen's rent for three months!
No wonder in these three years, he never saw Sylvia Lin buy enchanted rice even once, always eating mortal sustenance.
Turns out she often had big spenders treating her to meals?
After feasting on meat and fish, she eats mortal sustenance to cleanse her palate, reminiscing about simpler times, huh?
...
Before Sylvia Lin left, she didn't end up taking the Purification Talismans as interest for the debt.
You could say she didn't think the Purification Talismans were worth it and would rather Charles Evergreen pay her back with more interest when he earned energy stones.
However, these two Purification Talismans were convenient for Charles Evergreen; he could use them as a stepping stone.
Charm Pavilion.
Located in the busiest area of South Mountain Market, it was a lavishly decorated, expansive three-story building.
In the first-floor hall, the shopkeeper, Howard Hu, carefully examined the two Purification Talismans.
"Did you draw these?"
Howard Hu looked at the slightly bowing, anxious Charles Evergreen. His tone carried neither doubt nor affirmation but held an invisible pressure that discouraged lying.
"Yes, I just drew them yesterday." Charles Evergreen nodded seriously.
"Follow me to the second floor."
Howard Hu said nothing further.
He led Charles Evergreen to the second floor, directly entering his private room, which also served as his 'studio.'
As the shopkeeper of Charm Pavilion, Howard Hu was not only knowledgeable about various talismans but was also a highly skilled talisman master.
In fact, among the more than ten exclusive talisman masters at Charm Pavilion, his skills were among the best!
"Here, draw for me."
Howard Hu said to Charles Evergreen.
"Yes."
Charles Evergreen knew this was a test, the moment to decide whether he could become a full-fledged talisman master at Charm Pavilion today!
He suppressed his distracting thoughts, preparing to showcase his talisman crafting skills.
The studio had a complete set of rune-making kits, all of top-notch quality and expensive.
For instance, the rune-making pen—its tip was made from the fur of a second-tier beast, and the pen's shaft was crafted from a material that was neither jade nor gold.
This pen alone probably cost no less than a hundred lower-grade energy stones!
More expensive than most magical artifacts.
【Lunar Wolf Hair Pen】
【Blue item, of decent quality, made from the fur and bones of a second-tier Lunar Wolf, nurtured by an experienced talisman master for over twenty years. Although it has no spiritual awareness, it has been deeply imbued with talisman energy, once used to craft several second-tier treasure talismans!】
【Requirement: Mastery of at least one talisman】
【Effect: Talisman master level +1】
Originally, Charles Evergreen intended to focus and perform well, but the moment he picked up the rune-making pen, he couldn't stay calm anymore.
It had been nearly three days since he transmigrated to this world of immortal cultivation.
In the past two days, the shopkeeper wasn't in the store. Charles Evergreen, playing it safe, hadn't rushed to inform the other responsible people at Charm Pavilion that he could now craft six basic talismans.
He waited until today when the shopkeeper returned to report his situation.
But during these three days, Charles Evergreen hadn't been idle.
Besides cultivating and studying the item interface, he also tried to see if there were any new items he could equip.
But it seemed that the items he encountered were too ordinary. Even though he worked at Charm Pavilion, he could only do some tedious and exhausting tasks without the opportunity to touch precious items.
So the item interface had no feedback.
Unexpectedly, this rune-making pen triggered a response!
Talisman master level +1—what did that mean?
Could it be that although he could only draw six basic talismans, which made him an unranked basic talisman master, equipping this Lunar Wolf Hair Pen would instantly elevate him to a first-tier talisman master?
That's quite impressive!
Moreover, upgrading from a basic talisman master to a first-tier talisman master seemed normal. But if he could leap directly to a second-tier talisman master, that would be terrifying!
"However, even if this pen were mine, I couldn't equip it."
Charles Evergreen looked at the requirement: Mastery of at least one talisman.
Currently, he had the Rune Master's Handbook equipped, meaning he had only achieved proficiency in the six basic talismans, not meeting the requirement.
"Don't get too excited, take it slow. Calm down and don't overthink it."
Howard Hu watched as Charles Evergreen gripped the rune-making pen with excitement, seemingly unsure how to start. He spoke soothingly.
Charles Evergreen quickly snapped back to reality and nodded.
What was he doing? Now was not the time to be lost in thought.
Even if he could equip this pen, could he really do so in front of the shopkeeper?
The shopkeeper would dissect him for research!
"Whoo~"
Taking a deep breath, Charles Evergreen cleared his mind of distractions and dismissed the item interface.
The effects of mastering the Six Basic Talisman Skills immediately took hold.
In an instant, Charles Evergreen transformed into a seasoned talisman master who had honed his craft for more than ten years. As the ink-dipped pen glided over the talisman paper, his mana naturally flowed like water.
It was smooth and uninterrupted.
Due to the superior quality of the tools and materials, Charles Evergreen felt even more fluid than when he practiced talisman crafting at home three days ago.
"His mana is too weak, only infusing shallowly into the talisman paper, unable to penetrate through..."
"Well, with only a Spirit Refining Stage 2 cultivation, the mana can't be strong."
"But the talisman crafting technique and demeanor are relaxed, free-spirited, not at all like a novice. I thought this kid would be too nervous to perform at his best..."
"Although relaxed, every step is accurate, with almost no mistakes. Of course, there's no innovation or highlight—everything is by the book..."
"But for someone who's only been practicing for just over two months to be so by-the-book is already quite impressive."
"If he could develop his own style in such a short time, that would be a real treasure."
"Still... this kid has some talent."
Soon enough.
Charles Evergreen finished a talisman without any surprises.
After all, achieving the small success level meant a success rate of at least eighty percent.
Howard Hu examined the newly drawn Purification Talisman and asked, "I remember the booklet I gave you had six basic talismans. Have you learned any others besides the Purification Talisman?"
Charles Evergreen thought for a moment and cautiously replied, "I believe I also have a decent grasp of the Barrier Breaking Talisman and the Calming Talisman..."
Hmm.
One shouldn't be too modest; showing some talent is necessary to gain enough benefits.
But, he mustn't appear too much like a prodigy; that would cause trouble.
He wasn't a real genius. Many things wouldn't withstand scrutiny and might expose him!
He had to hide some of his skills.
"Alright. Now, draw a Barrier Breaking Talisman for me..." Howard Hu said.
"Yes!"
After a brief rest, Charles Evergreen quickly picked up the pen again.
