After Lan Rui had left, the shopkeeper's expression turned solemn. Without a word, he made his way up to the third floor of the shop, a floor unlike the others, for it held only a single door and nothing more.
He stood before the door in silence. A breath passed before a calm voice drifted out from within, granting him permission to enter.
Inside, a refined man with jet-black hair sat cross-legged in a lotus position, his eyes closed in deep meditation.
The atmosphere was heavy with spiritual energy, yet tranquil like the surface of a still pond. The shopkeeper waited patiently until the man slowly opened his eyes, revealing a pair of clear, penetrating irises.
The shopkeeper gave a respectful bow.
The man nodded slightly and spoke with a calm tone. "What do you come here for?"
"Elder, someone just purchased one hundred pieces of First Rank Jade Spirit Bamboo," the shopkeeper reported, addressing the man with due reverence.
The elder's brows lifted ever so slightly. "Oh? Tell me everything that happened during the transaction."
The shopkeeper gave a succinct yet detailed account of the encounter.
A cup of tea's worth of time passed in silence as the elder processed the information. Then he murmured thoughtfully,
"A young man, seemingly in his twenties, Sixth Layer of the Qi Refining Realm… yet already a First Rank High Grade Talisman Master? Even among our Li Family, such talent is rare."
He paused, his fingers tapping lightly on his knee.
"Look into his background. Investigate whether he's affiliated with any sect or has signed any contracts with other forces."
He paused for a moment, "Also, visit the market's official registry and obtain his private file. See if he's done anything suspicious or in violation of market rules. And…" His voice continued with more instructions, precise and thorough.
The shopkeeper listened intently, then bowed and left quietly to carry out his task.
Once the elder was sure he was alone again, he closed his eyes and resumed his cultivation, as though nothing had disturbed him at all.
.....
When Lan Rui returned home, he could hardly contain his eagerness to test the new talisman brush.
He immediately began drawing high-grade talismans, starting with the one he found easiest among those he had already achieved moderate success with.
But his impatience proved to be his downfall, all his attempts failed miserably.
"It seems I need to hone my proficiency further," he muttered.
Then, glancing at the unused First Rank Jade Spirit Bamboo, he sighed again. "As for the basic Sword Talisman… I need to master a sword technique to the point of producing sword qi. That won't be easy…"
Still, he clenched the brush in his hand, determination flaring in his eyes.
"Well then, no point in moping around. Time waits for no one."
He got to work immediately. Day after day, his technique improved at a frightening pace.
.....
One month passed.
In the courtyard, a young man stood soaked in sweat. Before him was a tree with thick and sturdy trunk, yet riddled with holes from countless attempts to project sword qi. It looked like it might collapse at any moment.
Lan Rui stood in silence, staring at the familiar sight. But there was no satisfaction on his face, only disappointment.
He glanced at the floating panel before him.
[Lifespan]: 21 / 105
[Realm]: 6th Layer Qi Refining Realm (31/100)
[Spirit Roots]: Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth
[Cultivation Technique]: Five Elements Cultivation (Minor Achievement 31/300)
[Techniques]: Cleaning Technique (Beginner Level 79/200), Earth Pillowing Technique (Minor Achievement 12/300), Cloud Rain Technique, (Minor Achievement 45/300), Entanglement Technique, (Beginner Level 1/200), Geng Metal Finger (Major Achievement 95/400), Geng Metal Sword Technique (Beginner 12/200)
[Skills]: First Order Talisman Master: Cleaning Talisman (Minor Achievement 10/300), Light Shield Talisman, (Minor Achievement 20/300), Evil-Repelling Talisman (Minor Achievement 23 /300), Fireball Talisman(Minor Achievement 19/300)
Comprehension Points (CP):6
Though the numbers had improved, the results still failed to meet his expectations. He had poured a grueling month of effort into cultivating during the day, practicing the Geng Metal Finger technique in the afternoon, and crafting talismans into the late hours of night.
Even his brief moments of leisure were spent at the market, selling talismans and restocking materials.
And the payoff?
His Geng Metal Finger had reached Major Achievement, yet still lacked even a hint of sword qi.
His talismans, while improved in quality and consistency, were only mid-grade. The success rate had risen to nearly forty percent, but his real goal were to crafting high grade talismans remained out of reach.
"Maybe there is something wrong..." he muttered, shaking his head in quiet frustration.
Just as he turned to return inside for a break, he noticed a familiar figure approaching his front gate.
With a jolt, he slapped a Cleaning Talisman onto himself, wiping away the sweat and grime. In a blink, he changed into a clean daoist robe and jogged to greet the visitor.
"Sister Wei, it's been a while!" he greeted warmly, opening the gate.
She studied him for a moment and returned the greeting with a subtle smile. "Looks like you've been working hard. But looks like you're not satisfied with the results, are you?"
Lan Rui blinked in surprise before breaking into a sheepish chuckle. "Haha… Sister Wei truly has sharp eyes. Well, it's not that serious. Come inside, I've just brewed a fresh pot of tea. Let's enjoy it under the shade of the tree."
She nodded and followed him into the courtyard.
Under the leafy branches, he prepared a table and set out a teapot and cups. The tea brewed slowly, its fragrance filling the air.
They chatted about light topics at first, but soon circled back to the reason behind her visit.
"So," she said gently, "what's been bothering you? You've worked yourself to the bone yet your brows are still furrowed."
He offered a bitter smile, unsure whether she was teasing or truly perceptive. Still, he relented and began to speak.
He told her everything, the hours of cultivation, the techniques, the failures, the frustrations, the brutal self-discipline.
Even the rare moments of respite, which were often spent gathering materials or making sales at the market.
Time passed slowly as he spoke, but she listened without interruption.
When he finished, she remained silent for a moment. Then, with a puzzled look, she asked, "Isn't that normal?"
He blinked. "What do you mean?"
"Do you know how long it took me to advance from a mid-grade herbalist to high-grade?" she asked.
He tilted his head. "Three months?"
She burst into laughter. "If it only took three months, I'd already be a Second Rank Herbalist by now."
Raising both hands, she held up six fingers. "Six years. And that was considered fast."
She leaned forward, her expression growing serious.
"As herbalists, we need to know more than just plants. We must memorize thousands of herbs, not just their names, but their characteristics, ideal environments, growth stages, properties, effects, and interactions."
She paused, then added with emphasis,
"We also need to know how to identify if a plant is fresh, wilted, poisoned, or mutated. We have to understand their growth cycles, how to harvest them without damaging their essence, and how they react to different alchemical processes. Even when they're damaged, we have to judge whether their medicinal properties remain intact."
She leaned forward, her expression growing serious.
"And we're not just dealing with herbs we also require too know about health tonics. We also have to concoct antidotes. That means identifying poisonous substances, understanding how different toxins interact with the body, and which herbs can counteract them. One wrong combination, and you could either neutralize the poison or kill the patient faster."
Lan Rui's eyes widened.
"And it's not enough to just follow recipes," she continued. "Some antidotes require improvisation. What if the ideal herb isn't available? Can you substitute it with something similar? Will the substitute change the efficacy or create side effects? You need to be able to judge all that in real time."
She let out a soft sigh. "That's why it took me six years just to reach the high-grade level. I had to fail again and again, learn from experience, and constantly adapt. It's not just memorizing, it's living through the knowledge."
Lan Rui sat in silence, stunned by the weight of her words. His own struggles suddenly felt… less unique
"To become good at what you do," she said gently, "takes time, patience, and tempering. Talent may open the path, but effort walks it."
He looked down at his hands, the brush callouses visible on his fingers. Maybe she was right.
Maybe he was just… in too much of a rush.
.....