Yang Fan and Old Zhou didn't dare to stop, relying on the effect of the Light Body Talisman to return to Qingyun Market at the fastest speed. It was only when they passed through the familiar barrier of light and sensed the relatively stable spiritual energy and faint order within the market that the two truly breathed a sigh of relief, as if they had escaped the jaws of wild beasts and returned to a safe nest.
Old Zhou was still shaken, the Scarlet Flame Crystals in his basket felt like hot potatoes. "Yang... Yang boy, these ores..."
"Go to my shop first," Yang Fan interrupted him, his tone unquestionable. He cautiously observed his surroundings, ensuring that no one was paying particular attention to the two low-level Rogue Cultivators covered in dust with unstable auras, before leading Old Zhou quickly through the still bustling Bluestone Alley back to "Yang's Sundries Shop".
Closing the shop door and fastening the bolt, the familiar dimness and quiet isolated the clamor from the outside world. Old Zhou almost collapsed onto a chair, gasping for breath, and put down the basket. Yang Fan first quickly checked the early warning mechanisms behind the door to ensure no one had broken in, then turned his gaze to the basket.
Inside lay about seven or eight Scarlet Flame Crystal ores of various sizes, the largest about the size of an adult's fist, the smallest about the size of an egg, all emitting a faint red spiritual light and warmth. Although their quality appeared to be "low-end", mixed with gray-white impurities, the total amount was quite considerable.
"Old Zhou, thank you for your hard work," Yang Fan said sincerely, looking at Old Zhou's still pale face. In this adventure, Old Zhou bore the greatest psychological pressure and collection risks.
"The goods are retrieved, but next..." Old Zhou looked at these ores, both excited and uneasy.
Yang Fan didn't answer immediately. He poured a cup of water for himself and Old Zhou, then sat down and began to take stock and evaluate. He picked up a piece of ore, carefully sensing the fire spiritual power within, and compared it with the small piece previously appraised by Old Sun.
"According to the previous senior's valuation, a piece of this quality is worth between twenty and thirty Spirit Stones," Yang Fan mused, "There are eight pieces here of various sizes, a rough estimate would put the total value between one hundred and sixty and two hundred and forty Spirit Stones."
Upon hearing this, Old Zhou's breathing quickened. Two hundred Spirit Stones! This was an unimaginable fortune for a humble herb gatherer like him! After deducting costs and expenses, he was lucky to save twenty or thirty Spirit Stones a year.
Yang Fan, observing Old Zhou's reaction, calmly continued, "Old Zhou, for this adventure, you provided the crucial clue and bore the main collection task, so you deserve the larger share. We will split these ores equally based on their value. I will take four pieces, and you take four pieces, how about that?" He selected four pieces of similar size and pushed them in front of Old Zhou, worth between eighty and one hundred and twenty Spirit Stones.
Old Zhou was stunned. He hadn't expected Yang Fan to be so generous. In the cultivation world, the discoverer and main planner usually took the lion's share, a common practice. "This... this won't do! If it weren't for your thorough plan and drawing away that demonic wolf, I wouldn't have even had a chance to mine, I would have lost my life! I'd be perfectly content with just thirty percent!"
Yang Fan shook his head, his tone firm: "If Old Zhou hadn't trusted me and shared this clue, I would have had no opportunity. Splitting it equally is the fairest. Moreover..." He paused, lowering his voice, "This matter needs absolute secrecy. We are one, sharing fortune and misfortune. Splitting the profits will ensure unity."
Old Zhou looked into Yang Fan's clear and determined eyes, deeply moved. Knowing this was not mere pretense, he no longer refused and nodded heavily: "Alright! Yang boy, no, Brother Yang! This old man is indebted to you! If you ever need anything, just ask!"
He carefully wrapped his four Scarlet Flame Crystals in a tattered cloth and hugged them tightly, as if they were his life savings.
After seeing off Old Zhou, who was overflowing with gratitude and his steps a bit unsteady, Yang Fan put the remaining four Scarlet Flame Crystals into the hidden compartment. Looking at these red-glowing ores, he began to ponder.
Selling all of them directly would bring in an immediate huge sum of eighty to one hundred and twenty Spirit Stones, instantly pushing his total assets past three hundred, perhaps even close to four hundred Spirit Stones! This was wealth that could make even a Middle Stage Qi Condensation cultivator's heart race.
But the risk was equally immense. Producing so many Scarlet Flame Crystals at once would inevitably attract attention, especially since the Black Scale Society seemed to be on high alert lately. Moreover, selling raw materials directly was the least profitable method.
"Can't rush," Yang Fan told himself. He decided to adopt the most stable approach: a slow and steady stream, and increasing its added value.
He picked up the smallest Scarlet Flame Crystal, took out his tools, and carefully ground it into a fine red powder. Then, he mixed a portion of Spirit Ink for the Fireball Talisman and added a small amount of the Scarlet Flame Crystal powder.
With preparations complete, he spread out a sheet of uniform spirit paper and began to draw the Fireball Talisman.
As the brush tip touched the paper, he could clearly feel the difference from before. The Spirit Ink mixed with Scarlet Flame Crystal powder contained more active and purer fire spiritual power. It required more precise control during drawing, but when the talismans were formed, the deep red glow was noticeably richer and brighter, and the spiritual power fluctuations emitted were more than a notch stronger!
Success! And the quality had noticeably improved!
Yang Fan estimated that drawing Fireball Talismans with Spirit Ink mixed with Scarlet Flame Crystal powder would increase their power by at least half a percent, possibly even close to one percent! Furthermore, due to the more concentrated spiritual power, the success rate of drawing seemed to have slightly increased!
"Excellent!" Yang Fan rejoiced. This meant he could maximize the value of the Scarlet Flame Crystals. He didn't need to sell the ores all at once; instead, he could use them as high-grade materials for talisman crafting, consume them slowly, and produce more powerful Fireball Talismans to sell at a slightly higher price, yielding greater profits and attracting less suspicion.
He decided to use only this small piece of Scarlet Flame Crystal for now, to improve his talisman crafting quality and practice. The remaining three pieces would be strategic reserves, to be used only if Spirit Stones were desperately needed.
In the following days, rumors about the Black Scale Society seemed to increase in the market. Some said they failed to capture that late-stage Rogue Cultivator, suffering significant losses; others said they were purging their ranks, looking for the mole; still others said they had intensified their checks on cultivators entering and leaving the market, especially unfamiliar faces.
Yang Fan keenly sensed the change in atmosphere. He became even more low-key, even temporarily stopping his stall, only selling small quantities through a few trusted regular customers. He spent most of his time in the shop, cultivating the Formule de la Terre Épaisse, refining his spiritual power, and practicing making enhanced Fireball Talismans with Scarlet Flame Crystal powder.
His cultivation, aided by the Formule de la Terre Épaisse and occasional consumption of Old Sun's pills, steadily progressed towards the peak of the Third Layer of Qi Condensation. Though slow, his foundation became increasingly solid. The success rate of enhanced Fireball Talismans also gradually stabilized, about half a percent higher than the ordinary version, with the power increase stabilizing between half a percent and one percent.
One day, as he was drawing an enhanced Fireball Talisman, he suddenly heard a commotion outside the shop door, with what seemed to be arguing. His heart stirred, he put down his Talisman Brush and walked to the door, looking out through a crack.
He saw several Black Scale Society cultivators interrogating the owner of a stall selling demonic beast materials diagonally opposite, their tone quite unfriendly. The stall owner was a man in the Qi Cultivation Layer 4, explaining something with a fawning smile.
"...I really don't know, sirs! I just sell materials, how could I dare to harbor the person your society is looking for..."
"Enough nonsense! Someone saw a suspicious person lingering around your stall a few days ago! Speak, where did he go?"
"This... so many people come and go every day, how can I remember..."
Yang Fan watched silently, his heart chilled. The Black Scale Society's search efforts had indeed intensified, and they seemed somewhat anxious, acting more arbitrarily. This further solidified his resolve to remain hidden and not flaunt his wealth.
He returned to his desk, looking at the successfully drawn, brightly glowing enhanced Fireball Talisman. However, he felt little joy; instead, a shadow fell upon him.
While the harvest was delightful, the waters of Qingyun Market seemed to be getting murkier. He had to be even more careful, as if walking on thin ice, where any slight negligence could cause everything he had painstakingly accumulated to be instantly overturned.
He put away the talisman and his gaze fell towards the hidden compartment. There lay the Scarlet Flame Crystals, the Black Iron Plates, the Formule de la Terre Épaisse, and also his faint yet firm hope for the Grande voie de la longévité.