Departure

Jiang Qihe displayed the Spirit Wandering Talismans in his hand to the crowd.

“There are seventeen Spirit Wandering Talismans up for auction today, all of consistent quality and identical effect. You may rest assured on that score.”

Under the attentive gazes of the gathered crowd, Jiang Qihe continued, “We are selling the first five talismans individually. The remaining twelve will be sold in four sets of three.”

At these words, many wealthy cultivators showed expressions of absolute determination.

Meanwhile, those with tighter pockets looked anxious. They certainly couldn't afford a set of three, so they could only try their luck with the individual auctions.

An eerie silence fell over the hall as pair after pair of eyes locked onto the glowing Spirit Wandering Talismans in Jiang Qihe's hand.

“By the way, if anyone possesses Earth Yin Crystals or Golden Bone Ganoderma, those spiritual materials can be used as payment toward the bid, with priority given for obtaining the Spirit Wandering Talismans.”

These were precisely the two spiritual materials Shi Yu was missing to craft her Spirit-Gathering array plate.

After making this announcement, Jiang Qihe scanned the crowd. “The starting bid for the first Spirit Wandering Talisman is eighty low-grade spirit stones.”

An ordinary Tier-2 spirit talisman usually fetched around twenty to thirty spirit stones, but the starting bid for this Spirit Wandering Talisman was already several times higher.

Yet this did not dampen the crowd's enthusiasm in the slightest.

“One hundred and fifty!” someone immediately shouted, hiking the price up dramatically in an attempt to scare off competitors.

However, it had little effect. Soon enough, another bid rang out: “One hundred and sixty!”

“One hundred and seventy!”

...

Seated in her private room, Shi Yu rested her chin on her hand, watching a cultivator who had lost the bid slump back into his seat with an ashen, indignant face.

The final price for the first Spirit Wandering Talisman settled at two hundred and ten low-grade spirit stones.

Her eyelashes fluttered as she thought to herself, At this rate... once all these spirit talismans are auctioned off, I should bring in at least three thousand spirit stones.

In a fine mood, she continued to watch the event unfold.

The five individually auctioned Spirit Wandering Talismans soon found buyers, each selling for just over two hundred spirit stones without much variation—except for the last one, which sparked an unusually fierce bidding war.

Those without deep pockets knew they stood no chance at the sets of three, so they poured all their effort into this final opportunity. After several rogue cultivators clashed bitterly, the price of that last individual talisman was pushed up to a staggering two hundred and forty spirit stones.

Next up were the sets of three.

Jiang Qihe set the starting bid at three hundred spirit stones per set.

At this point, many wealthy cultivators, including sect disciples, began placing their bids one after another. Their gazes were firm, brimming with determination to claim a set.

The price quickly shot up to six or seven hundred spirit stones per set, leaving many astounded.

Normally, such a price would be considered a heavy markup.

However, the more barren a region was, the fewer cultivators there were skilled in artifact refining, alchemy, array formations, or talismans. Consequently, such items were far rarer here, making them even more expensive than in prosperous, wealthy regions.

To Shi Yu's pleasant surprise, by the time the bidding for the third set began, the spiritual material she needed finally appeared.

The atmosphere in the hall was fervently heated, with people flush-faced as they fought over the Spirit Wandering Talismans. Amidst the chaos, a timid voice spoke up: “I have an Earth Yin Crystal. Would that...?”

The faint voice was quickly swallowed by the clamor of bids, but Jiang Qihe's sharp ears did not miss it.

He immediately sought confirmation: “Guest, you possess an Earth Yin Crystal?”

The noise in the hall faltered as everyone turned to look at the cultivator who had quietly stood up.

He retrieved an object wrapped in cloth from his storage bag. A young store clerk hurried forward, respectfully took it, and brought it to Jiang Qihe for evaluation.

Unwrapping the cloth, Jiang Qihe inspected the contents and immediately smiled. “It is indeed an Earth Yin Crystal, and of quite good quality.”

The cultivator breathed a visible sigh of relief.

“However, the value of an Earth Yin Crystal is only around three hundred low-grade spirit stones, so it can only be traded for two Spirit Wandering Talismans. What do you think—?”

“That's fine! That's fine!” The cultivator didn't even wait for Jiang Qihe to finish, nodding repeatedly with pleasant surprise.

The Earth Yin Crystal was useless to him anyway, and selling it would fetch at most a bit over three hundred spirit stones. Trading it for two Spirit Wandering Talismans meant he could easily turn a profit of dozens of spirit stones even if he resold them.

Following this interlude, two Spirit Wandering Talismans were removed from the remaining pool, causing those who had yet to secure any to grow increasingly anxious.

When it came time to auction the final set, before anyone could even begin bidding, another voice spoke up, declaring that they possessed Golden Bone Ganoderma.

After inspecting and verifying the herb, Jiang Qihe once again exchanged two Spirit Wandering Talismans for it.

As a result, the opportunities for the remaining cultivators dwindled sharply. Seeing that only two talismans were left, many felt deep regret for not making a move sooner.

Watching from her private room, Shi Yu was overjoyed.

Meanwhile, the remaining two individual Spirit Wandering Talismans were put up for auction separately. The cultivators who had yet to acquire one poured everything into seizing this final chance, driving the prices sky-high once more.

With the Spirit Wandering Talismans finally sold out, Jiang Qihe wiped the fine beads of sweat from his forehead and proceeded with the remaining auction items.

Among these were other talismans crafted by Shi Yu, such as Speed-Enhancing Talismans and Escape Talismans. Though they lacked the hundred-mile teleportation capability of the Spirit Wandering Talismans, they were still highly practical—capable of boosting movement speed or traversing tens of miles underground, making them effective life-saving tools.

Those who had been beating their breasts in frustration over missing out on the Spirit Wandering Talismans found some solace in securing a few Speed-Enhancing Talismans or Escape Talismans.

...

By the time the sun dipped below the western hills, the auction finally drew to a close. The audience rose and departed, some flushed with joy, others weighed down by disappointment, leaving behind only swirling dust and an empty hall.

After tallying the auction proceeds and giving a few instructions to his staff, Jiang Qihe watched them bustle off and immediately headed toward Shi Yu's room.

Noticing the fatigue on his face, Shi Yu said, “Manager Jiang, thank you for your hard work.”

Jiang Qihe waved his hand, unable to conceal the excitement on his face. “How could this be considered hard work?”

With that, he pulled out a large bag of spirit stones along with the two newly acquired spiritual materials:

“I'm glad to say I didn't disappoint. The Spirit Wandering Talismans, Speed-Enhancing Talismans, and other items Little Friend Shi brought today fetched a total of four thousand three hundred and thirty spirit stones. Everything is right here.”

This was significantly more than Shi Yu had anticipated.

Although Jiang Qihe had previously said he wouldn't take a commission, Shi Yu was not one to take such dedication for granted. She reached out to take some spirit stones to offer him as a fee.

Unexpectedly, before she could even speak, Jiang Qihe held up a hand to stop her words and smiled. “Please, do not stand on ceremony with Tongyi Pavilion.”

“It is entirely thanks to your support that Tongyi Pavilion achieved such results today. This has thoroughly established our reputation and secured our footing here. It is I who should be thanking you.”

Shi Yu offered a subtle smile and said, “Since coming to this market city, I have owed much to your constant care, Manager.”

A man as sharp as Jiang Qihe immediately understood from her words that Shi Yu was preparing to depart.

For a moment, overwhelmed with emotion, he found himself at a loss for words.

Shi Yu did not press the spirit stones upon him any further. Instead, she retrieved a bottle of high-grade Dew-Condensing Pills. “Please accept this, Manager, as a farewell gift.”

Jiang Qihe let out a wry smile and accepted the pills. “Then I shall shamelessly accept.”

Looking at Shi Yu's still youthful face, a sense of warmth filled his chest. After chatting for a bit longer, Jiang Qihe brought out a rolled-up map.

“This map details the route from this market city to the main city.” He smiled gently, offering the advice of an elder. “The territories of powerful spirit beasts along the way are all clearly marked, and there are plenty of small towns and villages where you can rest.”

“However, no matter how detailed a map is, there will always be spots it fails to cover. You must remain cautious every step of the way.”

“Also, you are still young. Remember not to flaunt your wealth, lest you attract evil intentions.”

...

He imparted many pieces of advice, and Shi Yu listened quietly.

In the end, Jiang Qihe exhaled deeply and laughed heartily. “On this journey, Little Friend, you will surely be like a flood dragon soaring into the sea, ascending straight into the cloud-filled sky!”

“May your words bring good fortune, Manager.”

Finally, Shi Yu softly spoke: “Farewell.”

<End of Volume 1>