Chapter 36: A Date, a Deception, and Talisman Troubles

“Heh.”

Just then, Ye Qingfeng suddenly let out a peculiar laugh.

Quan Haoqing, turning his head in curiosity, inquired, “What’s wrong?”

Covering her mouth, Ye Qingfeng chuckled, “I just remembered something amusing. More than once, while I was setting up my stall, I’ve seen couples on dates in places completely devoid of any romantic atmosphere. Sometimes, I truly can’t fathom what possesses them to bring a girl they like to such unromantic spots.”

Quan Haoqing’s expression became subtly nuanced as he seized the opportunity to ask, “Well, if it were you, where would you like to go?”

Adorably counting on her fingers, Ye Qingfeng enumerated, “I’m quite fond of vibrant lantern festivals, bustling snack streets, and night markets—places brimming with the scent of everyday life.”

Observing the lovely woman’s charming, calculating demeanor, Quan Haoqing silently committed these locations to memory before responding, “I see, you prefer more lively places. Around Xingqing City, only the areas inhabited by mortals possess such a vibrant, worldly atmosphere. In that case, let’s go there next time.”

“Mm-hmm.”

Utterly unaware that she had just agreed to a future date, Ye Qingfeng surveyed the surrounding shops with keen interest.

Reflecting on it, this seemed to be the first time in a year that he had wandered here as a customer.

Standing beside her, Quan Haoqing spoke, “Is there anything you like? If so, just tell me.”

Despite his generous spending on internal Sky Philosophy Sect intelligence, Ye Qingfeng remarked casually, “It sounds as if you intend to buy it for me.”

Quan Haoqing’s tone, however, was utterly matter-of-fact.

“Of course, I’m going to buy it for you.”

“Hm?”

Ye Qingfeng looked at Quan Haoqing, surprised by his unexpected reply.

“I told You An that we’re here to procure some supplies for a bounty. We can’t very well go back empty-handed, can we? Since we have to buy something anyway, we might as well get things we like.”

Ye Qingfeng asked, puzzled, “So casually? Even if we’re here to outwit You An, shouldn’t we at least buy some items to deal with those bandits and Chang Heyu, like magic artifacts or talismans?”

Quan Haoqing explained, “It’s not yet time to buy those things. We haven’t determined the final outcome of this affair, and buying now might lead to unnecessary expenses. Just pick whatever you like, without worrying about the type. I’m confident I can handle You An; no matter what you choose, I can spin a plausible story for him. You can try me if you don’t believe me.”

“Furthermore, there’s no need to concern yourself with Spirit Stones. Consider it my advance payment for your assistance. Our relationship isn’t so delicate that we need to meticulously account for every transaction, is it?”

With Quan Haoqing having spoken so frankly, Ye Qingfeng found it difficult to refuse.

However, when suddenly asked to choose something she liked, she truly had no specific goal in mind.

Her life of cultivation on the mountain had been one of asceticism.

It was nothing but cultivation, driven by a yearning for longevity and a fear of death.

This, mundane yet realistic, was the initial motivation for most cultivators.

While many would discover goals transcending their own lives—their Dao—as their cultivation advanced, for Ye Qingfeng, it was still far too soon.

‘Hmm~, then I’ll go buy the raw materials for my next product,’ she decided. ‘Face masks!’

After returning from Chang Heyu last time, the process of restoring her appearance had proven far more troublesome than Ye Qingfeng had anticipated.

Although mobilizing spiritual energy was sufficient, it required intense concentration to precisely control its application. Given her plans for multiple future visits to Chang Heyu, expending such mental effort each time would be bothersome.

Attaching a fixed amount of Xuan Yin spiritual energy to a mask, which could then simply be applied to her face for perfect restoration of her features, would be both convenient and allow for a new product. It was truly killing two birds with one one stone.

With her goal set, Ye Qingfeng began searching for materials to make her face masks. However, aimless searching would be inefficient, so she chose to directly ask Quan Haoqing, who was beside her.

Quan Haoqing, deep in thought, inquired, “Thin film material that can store and release spiritual energy? Are you talking about talismans?”

“Hm? Not talismans, just simply storing spiritual energy with certain functions on a thin sheet, and then releasing it when needed……”

As Ye Qingfeng spoke, her voice grew softer and softer, as if realizing Quan Haoqing’s point was valid!

‘This sounds exactly like a talisman!’

Most talismans, however, were used for combat; rarely would a talisman craftsman create them solely for beauty purposes.

“Alright! Talismans it is! Let’s go, we’ll buy talismans! Do you know where I can find a large quantity of inexpensive talismans? Even though you’re paying, I’m not so shameless as to completely disregard your wallet.”

Quan Haoqing mused, “I do know a place, actually. The price is only half of the usual, but… there are some rather awkward conditions.”

Ye Qingfeng asked curiously, “Are the conditions difficult to meet?”

“Not difficult, in fact, quite simple. It’s just that you might be mistaken for someone else.”

“Then it’s no problem at all!”

Ye Qingfeng’s lips curved into a mischievous, almost devilish smile.

“It’s merely a misunderstanding of identity. With a thousand faces and a thousand guises, a mountain of debts doesn’t weigh me down—why would I fear this? Let’s go!”

Seeing her resolve, Quan Haoqing offered a knowing smile.

“With such confidence, I’m relieved.”

****

“While I did say I’d give you a discount if you brought your Dao Companion next time you came to buy things, I never expected you’d bring them so soon. I thought I’d have to wait another ten years or so.”

Inside a shop filled with an assortment of talismans, an unkempt old cultivator, puffing on a large pipe and sporting a messy mane of white hair, looked with considerable emotion at the proudly chest-out, rather pleased Quan Haoqing, and the awkward, evasive-eyed Ye Qingfeng.

“By the way,” he continued, “you wouldn’t be trying to take advantage of an old man like me by just grabbing any female cultivator to fool me, would you?”

Confronted with the old cultivator’s skepticism, Quan Haoqing subtly signaled to Ye Qingfeng with his eyes, “What do you think? Shall we continue? If you’re uncomfortable, we can leave now.”

Ye Qingfeng instantly understood Quan Haoqing’s unspoken meaning and replied with her gaze.

‘Are you certain it’ll be half price?!’

“Absolutely. His reputation is solid.”

Ye Qingfeng took a deep breath, then, with a resolute gaze, directly embraced Quan Haoqing’s shoulder, her voice trembling as she declared, “This Fellow Daoist must be joking! How could I possibly sacrifice my reputation for mere Spirit Stones?!”

As she spoke, she leaned closer into Quan Haoqing’s embrace.

Whether it was due to fully embodying her role, Ye Qingfeng felt Quan Haoqing’s chest radiate such warmth. Suddenly, she sensed a broad arm encircling her waist.

Gazing down at what seemed like a third, unexpected hand, Ye Qingfeng bit her lip, then looked up at Quan Haoqing, only to meet his intense gaze.

Ye Qingfeng felt her face quickly flush crimson, like the evening glow of dusk, and her heart began to race uncontrollably.

‘No!’

She quickly lowered her head, no longer daring to meet Quan Haoqing’s eyes.

‘What’s happening? I seem to be acting rather strangely.’

Quan Haoqing’s perspective.

Feeling the warm, fragrant jade in his arms, he couldn’t help but think that bringing her here was indeed the most correct decision.

Quan Haoqing glanced at his friend, who was unwittingly helping his scheme. What had initially been a mere joke with an old acquaintance had now become a unique opportunity.

“Now, surely you believe me?”

The old cultivator seemed to be reassured. Although Ye Qingfeng’s face was obscured by a veil, making her appearance unclear, her graceful figure suggested she was indeed a beauty.

“It seems you’re a lucky young man,” he conceded. “Alright, alright. Since I made a promise, feel free to pick anything. I’ll sell you all the talismans in this shop at half price.”

Quan Haoqing smiled faintly and said, “Then I won’t stand on ceremony.”

He then turned to the woman in his arms and said, “Qingfeng, let’s make my friend bleed a little together.”

“Ah, mm-hmm.”

Ye Qingfeng, whose face felt hot, nodded. Believing there was no need to continue their pretense as Dao Companions, she actively pulled away from Quan Haoqing’s embrace. Yet, her small hand remained clasped within his.

A jolt went through Ye Qingfeng. She looked at Quan Haoqing, only to find his gaze wasn’t on her at all. He was simply leading her by the hand deeper into the shop.

Seeing this, the old cultivator called out, “Hey, hey, hey! What’s inside are all my talisman-making raw materials!”

Without turning his head, Quan Haoqing replied, “It’s precisely raw materials we intend to procure in large quantities—more specifically, the talisman paper you use for making talismans.”

The old cultivator asked, a little strangely, “You’re going to make talismans?”

“Not me, no. It’s my Dao Companion, isn’t that right, Qingfeng?”

Such an intimate address made Ye Qingfeng shiver slightly. Under the old cultivator’s watchful eye, she then nodded faintly and shyly stated, “Yes, I want to try making some talismans to practice.”

Ye Qingfeng then fixed her gaze upon the blank talisman papers. While she had seen many finished talismans in her daily life, this was her first encounter with the raw paper itself.

Her fingers lightly traced the surface of the paper, finding it as smooth as ice. One might even doubt whether talisman patterns could truly adhere to it.

“Good, let’s buy all of these at once!”

The sheer audacity of wanting to clear out the entire stock during a promotion was indeed astonishing. Quan Haoqing, curious, inquired, “By the way, how much would all these be at half price?”

The old cultivator asked thoughtfully, “These won’t cost much; ten high-grade Spirit Stones should suffice. However, do you two know how to make talismans?”

Ye Qingfeng’s frantic movements of scooping talismans into her storage pouch abruptly froze. After an awkward shake of her head, she looked at Quan Haoqing.

Quan Haoqing, caught between laughter and tears, said, “Don’t look at me! Old friend, do you have any cultivation manuals for beginners?”