“What about this talisman?” Lu Li looked at the yellow paper placed on the shelf.
“Immortal, if it’s a low-level Qi Refining talisman, it’s not too expensive—three spirit pearls are enough,” the stall owner explained carefully.
“For example, this Fireball Talisman, if you want it to unleash the power of the Qi Refining thirteenth layer, it requires one low-grade spirit stone.”
“If you want a Foundation Establishment stage talisman, it would cost about two or three spirit stones,” Liu Qingxi added beside him. “Sister Lu, you don’t usually use these?”
“I usually alternate between sword art and Charm Technique, but after my previous fight with a demon beast, I realized I need to make some extra preparations.” Lu Li winced at the high prices.
The three hundred-plus spirit stones he had saved in the sect—he had thought it was a huge fortune.
But he had overlooked that for a Qi Refining disciple, that was incredibly generous, but for a Foundation Establishment cultivator, it could be spent in a single day.
“I need to start earning money…” Lu Li pondered for a moment, took out the Mystic Token, and sent a divine sense to summon Shen Zhaoxue.
“Martial… Uncle Lu?” Upon hearing Lu Li’s voice, Shen Zhaoxue was stunned for a moment.
“Mm… why think of looking for me in the Northern Domain?”
“It’s like this. I’m planning to refine some more Fragrance Condensing Pills recently. That shouldn’t interfere with your business in the Southern Region, right?” Lu Li asked.
The skill he currently possessed that could earn spirit stones the fastest was making Fragrance Condensing Pills.
“Absolutely no problem. In fact, the more Martial Uncle Lu sells, if our Shen Family expands into the Northern Domain in the future, we’ll thank you for paving the way.” Shen Zhaoxue smiled.
“Martial Uncle Lu can go ahead as you wish.”
“That’s good.” Lu Li put down the Mystic Token, then pulled out a porcelain bottle.
“Xiao Xi, does the Northern Domain have something like this?”
“This is…” Liu Qingxi leaned in to look, and after smelling the fragrance, a delighted expression appeared on her face.
“There isn’t any. Does Sister Lu want to open a stall and sell it herself?”
“Something like that.” Lu Li nodded. “Just to earn some spirit stones on the side.”
“Sister Lu keeps insisting you’re a man. What man carries face powder, dresses, and quite a bit of this scented dew?” Liu Qingxi covered her face with a light laugh.
“This…” Lu Li was at a loss for words.
The Yin Yang Sect he belonged to indeed had more women, and after he activated his technique, he had indeed lived as a woman for a period of time.
Seeing this, Liu Qingxi had probably already constructed in her mind a story of a young girl traveling alone and having to disguise herself as a man.
“Since Sister Lu has this idea, it’s better to go find a place to live in the Ascending Heavenly Palace.” Liu Qingxi also took out her Mystic Token.
“If you want to open a shop, you need a proper residence. Though wandering the streets is fine, it’s better to have a fixed shop.”
“Then I’ll trouble you.” Lu Li clasped his hands together in a bow again.
This was indeed a gesture between saintesses.
Seeing this, Liu Qingxi smiled again and returned the bow.
Lu Li could only feel helpless about it.
Although Liu Qingxi had a good relationship with him, she was still a saintess of the Heavenly Deduction Sect.
Basic etiquette was still necessary.
Although he himself was the same—no need for grand formalities normally.
But if he performed a fist-and-palm salute in front of her, it would be even more inappropriate.
With a light sigh, Liu Qingxi led Lu Li to a private room in the tea house, condensed a Water Mirror, and let Lu Li choose a suitable courtyard.
“Sister Lu is a saintess of the Yin Yang Sect and at Foundation Establishment stage. According to the rules, you can pick a courtyard within a hundred zhang.” Liu Qingxi waved her hand, and images of many courtyards appeared. “Any preferences?”
“Mm… one with a bit more wondrous flowers and herbs… Xiao Xi, don’t look at me like that.” When Lu Li pointed at a courtyard blooming with white flowers, Liu Qingxi revealed a playful smile. “It’s for refining those flower and grass dews.”
“Yes, little sister understands everything.” Liu Qingxi closed her eyes and nodded again. “Sister Lu has had a rough journey…”
“Liu Qingxi, I…”
“Sister Lu has said so much. If you were really a man, then after dispelling the technique, you should turn back into a man, right?” As she spoke, Liu Qingxi shot a few beams of light from the Mystic Token. “But the moment you get injured, you turn into a woman—that’s clearly the result of a disguise technique failing.”
“This…” Lu Li hadn’t expected such an explanation.
But upon thinking carefully, before he passed out he was a man, and after waking up he was a woman—that could indeed be understood that way.
“Sigh.” Lu Li could only sigh again.
“Alright, let’s not talk about these sad things.” Liu Qingxi dispelled the Water Mirror. “Sister Lu, how about we go visit that market square from before and relax for a bit?”
“Sure, sure.” Lu Li was also a bit bothered by this matter.
With a flip of the Jade Disk, Liu Qingxi carried Lu Li back to the original market square.
Smelling the familiar scent of face powder in the air, Lu Li could only smile wryly.
He had indeed smelled this kind of fragrance too much both within the sect and at the market town below.
The only thing to be grateful for was that this stroll was no different from his usual conversations with Qing Luo back in the sect.
“Sister Lu, does this color suit me?”
“Maybe something a bit more elegant would be better.”
“Okay, then how about this?”
“Mm, the stripes on the dress could use a slight change, and you’ll need to swap the belt.”
“Hehe.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Mm, nothing at all.” Liu Qingxi laughed playfully, took out spirit stones, and then stored the dress in her Jade Disk. “Alright, Sister Lu’s courtyard has been arranged. Want me to go with you to take a look?”
“Thank you.” Lu Li let out a long breath.
This was precisely what he had been most worried about.
Having been steeped in the sect for so long, plus that month of practice, he had indeed developed a good eye.
“Today, at the courtyard… I’ll try to activate the technique.” Lost in thought, Lu Li once again rode the Jade Disk with Liu Qingxi back to the Ascending Heavenly Palace.
The residence Lu Li was assigned was not far from Liu Qingxi’s, presumably for the convenience of holy sons and holy daughters from different regions to communicate—only a few walkways away before he could knock on her door.
“I won’t disturb you today. If anything comes up about the Yao Race later, the Mystic Token will notify us.” Liu Qingxi stood at the entrance of her own courtyard, waving goodbye to Lu Li. “See you tomorrow, Sister Lu.”
“See you tomorrow.” After waving goodbye to Liu Qingxi, Lu Li pushed open the courtyard gate. Seeing the white flowers falling in the yard, the various wondrous flowers and spiritual herbs blooming in the garden beds, and the faint fragrance in the air, he felt relaxed.
“Phew… let me first collect some flower and grass dew.” Lu Li took a step forward, his pink pupils becoming brighter, and his nine fox tails unfurled behind him. “They contain quite a bit of spiritual energy too.”
With a twist of his fingers, the Heaven and Earth spiritual qi of the entire courtyard gathered at Lu Li’s fingertips, then was stored into a porcelain bottle.
“Enough.” Feeling the bottle growing heavier, Lu Li turned his wrist, withdrew the power of Charm Technique, swept his divine sense, returned to his room, sat cross-legged, and began to activate the Yin-Yang Reversal Art.
However, the normally obedient Yin and Yang Qi became incredibly heavy at this moment.
No matter how he tried to circulate it, he could not move it.
“This seems… a bit bad.” Lu Li stared at the girl in the mirror whose brows and eyes still carried a hint of spring, and was silent for a long time.
“No way…”
“I’m not really going to stay in this form for a full half month, am I?!”