I have a panel that reduces proficiency.

Chapter 18 Look, you're lying again.

The crowd looked in the direction of the sound and saw a young man in his early twenties walking towards them from a distance.

He was fair-skinned with red lips, wore a small jade-colored hat, a royal blue brocade robe, a silver sash around his waist, and a jade pendant. He walked with a leisurely pace.

Upon seeing this man, Old Zhao's arrogant expression vanished instantly, and he bowed slightly, saying, "So you are Young Master Lin of Lingfu Pavilion. My apologies for my rudeness."

Upon hearing this, Han Laoliu and the others also bowed and greeted him.

The middle-aged man surnamed Sun smiled broadly and said, "Young manager, what brings you to the north side today?"

This young manager, named Lin Xiuyuan, is the young owner of "Lingfuxuan" on the east side of Panshi.

Lingfuxuan is owned by an inner disciple of Sanpan Temple. Although it has a complete range of products, the prices are quite high. Ordinary independent cultivators are unwilling to spend that money, which is why independent cultivators' talismans have a way to survive.

Lin Xiuyuan nodded slightly, walked straight to Old Zhao's stall, picked up the Flame Body Talisman and looked at it, saying, "I heard you talking about the price increase just now."

Old Zhao straightened up slightly and said, "Then, young manager, you've come here to..."

Lin Xiuyuan sighed and said, "But those people from Baicaoxuan, because of some petty squabbles, made the matter of Cold Mist Ravine public, causing a huge uproar. Originally, everyone kept quiet about the news of Frost Spirit Grass and made their fortunes, so no one would lose out. Now, everyone knows about it, and the number of people going to gather herbs has increased at least tenfold. Think about it, there's only so much Frost Spirit Grass. With more people gathering it, each person can only gather less. Originally, you could gather twenty plants a day, but now you're lucky if you can gather seven or eight."

Old Zhao and the others exchanged glances. According to the information they had heard, this struggle was originally a battle between the people behind Lingfuxuan and Baicaoxuan for interests within the Sanpan Temple. Baicaoxuan lost and then, in a fit of anger, made the matter of Hanwujian public.

Baicaoxuan was originally a herbal medicine business. When the news of Frost Spirit Grass spread, those who hadn't stockpiled talismans beforehand suffered the loss, while Baicaoxuan itself didn't suffer much.

The woman said, "No wonder so many people went to Cold Mist Valley this year; it turns out someone deliberately spread the news."

Han Laoliu said, "Thank you for your guidance, young manager. If you hadn't told us, we would still be in the dark and would have thought it was a gift from God."

Old Zhao said, "Young manager, come here..."

Lin Xiuyuan smiled and said, "I'm here to make you rich. I'll buy all the cold-resistant talismans and fire-body talismans you have. Four spirit fragments for each talisman, I'll buy as many as you have."

Upon hearing this, everyone's expression changed.

Old Zhao said, "Four? Young manager, that's too low! We sell seven or eight and people will buy them. Four wouldn't even cover the cost!"

Lin Xiuyuan crumpled the Flame Body Talisman in his hand into a ball, then casually tossed it away. The talisman spun a few times in the air before falling to the ground.

"Capital? You drew your own talismans. How much are cinnabar and yellow paper worth? Four grains are already a discount because of your hard work. If you sell them yourselves, how many can you sell a day? I'll buy them and put them in Lingfuxuan to sell. The channels are wide, and the sales are fast. You save the trouble of setting up a stall, and you can draw more talismans. Isn't that a win-win situation?"

Old Han said with a stern face, "Young manager, although we are a small business, we are not going to suffer such a loss. You are buying seven grains for four, which is blatant robbery."

Lin Xiuyuan's smile faded, and he said calmly, "You've misunderstood. I'm not robbing you; I'm offering you a way out. If you don't want to, you can continue setting up your stall here. However—"

His gaze swept across everyone's faces. "Starting tomorrow, Lingfuxuan will also set up a stall at the north end, selling five Cold-Resistant Talismans and Five Flame-Body Talismans each. You can decide for yourselves whether you want to sell me four, or end up not being able to sell even three?"

These words were spoken casually, yet they caused Old Zhao's face to turn pale and then flushed.

The woman sighed and lowered her head.

The middle-aged man surnamed Sun looked ashen-faced.

Han Laoliu lowered his head, gripping the teacup tightly in his hand.

After a while, he released his grip, slammed the teacup onto the stall with a dull thud, and said, "Four it is. I'll sell them."

Old Zhao, the woman, and the other rogue cultivators surnamed Sun all responded.

Lin Xiuyuan then revealed a satisfied smile and said, "That's right. You all prepare the talismans. Once the people I've arranged arrive, we'll settle the payment immediately, no credit."

……

When Fang Shi and Wu Tong pushed the cart to the north end of Pan City, they could hear a commotion from afar.

A rogue cultivator carrying a medicine basket stood by the roadside, complaining to his companion, "Guess how much the winter-protecting talismans at Lingfu Pavilion cost? Eight! Eight for one! That's a whole talisman more expensive than what we bought yesterday!"

His companion, a man in his thirties, frowned upon hearing this and asked, "Eight? What about the ones at the stalls? Are Han Laoliu and the others not selling them anymore?"

The rogue cultivator snorted and said, "What are you selling? Young Master Lin of Lingfuxuan came this morning and bought all the cold-resistant talismans and fire-resistant talismans from these stalls on the north side at a fixed price of four talismans each. The stall owners have all gone to sell them now. I heard they're not allowed to set up stalls to sell anymore. From today onwards, there will only be Lingfuxuan, no other branches."

The man's eyes widened: "Buying four, selling eight? This...this is outrageous! And those stall owners just agreed?"

The rogue cultivator sighed and said, "What can we do if we don't agree? Lingfuxuan has the inner disciples of Sanpan Temple backing it up. If they just say, 'Starting tomorrow, we'll also set up a stall at the north end and sell five pills,' those stall owners will back down. If we sell five pills, they'll sell four to us, so it's better to sell four to Lingfuxuan."

The man said indignantly, "Lingfuxuan is too domineering. Isn't this blatant bullying?"

The rogue cultivator looked around and lowered his voice, "Keep your voice down."

The man shook his head and followed the rogue cultivator to Lingfuxuan's stall.

As Wu Tong pushed the cart, his expression gradually turned awkward upon hearing these words.

"Brother Fang, it seems the information I received is different from what I found out. It seems we won't be able to sell these winter-protecting talismans; we'll have to go to Lingfuxuan."

Fang Shi remained calm and said, "It's alright. Lingfuxuan may be a bit domineering, but it's orderly. I'm only at the second level of Qi Refining. Even if I set up a stall myself, I wouldn't get the better end of the battle against those rogue cultivators at the mid-stage of Qi Refining. Selling to Lingfuxuan is much easier."

Wu Tong nodded, but still muttered softly, "Four pills... seven pills per sheet, that's three pills per sheet, that's three pills less per sheet... three pills of Soul Shards, that's enough for me for ten days..."

Fang Shi said, "Shut up, push the cart."

Wu Tong dared not grumble anymore, pushing the cart and following behind Fang Shi, walking with the two rogue cultivators towards the Lingfu Pavilion.

As they were walking, they encountered a group of people coming from the direction of Lingfuxuan. Leading them were Han Laoliu and Lao Zhao.

The two men were holding several fragments of spirit in their hands, and their expressions were not good, especially Han Laoliu, whose face was as black as the bottom of a pot.

As Han Laoliu walked, he cursed, "Damn it, four pills a sheet, I spent all night drawing and only managed to collect ten sheets, and I only sold forty pills. If this had happened yesterday, I would have made at least seventy pills! Thirty spirit fragments are gone just like that, it feels like a knife is being ripped out of my heart!"

Old Zhao advised, "Sixth Brother, say less. Things have come to this, what's the point of saying anything more? We can't afford to offend Lingfuxuan, but selling four pills is better than nothing."

Han Laoliu said, "I know I can't afford to offend them, but I'm just so frustrated! We painstakingly draw talismans, and they double the price as soon as they turn their hands over. Why should they do that?"

Old Zhao sighed and said, "It's because they have inner disciples backing them up. In this world, cultivation is the only thing that matters."

The two walked and talked, and were about to run into Fang Shi.

Han Laoliu's nose twitched slightly as he smelled the faint scent of cinnabar. He curled his lip, revealing a hint of disdain.

He sized Fang Shi up and down, then sneered, "Oh, an apprentice from Lingfu Pavilion? Your young master Lin has collected so many talismans, why would he need someone like you, a mere Qi Refining Level 2 cultivator, to draw them?"

Fang Shi ignored him and calmly said, "Senior, please make way."

Han Laoliu remained motionless, standing with his arms crossed in front of Fang Shi, completely blocking the way.

It is fate, indeed; a person's heart is always in the flow of their emotions.

If he hadn't been so resentful of being pressured to lower the price by Lingfuxuan, and if he hadn't been looking for a way to vent his anger, he wouldn't have stopped a complete stranger.

How many passionate and impulsive events in this world are formed by such a combination?

Besides, what does it matter if I offend a mere Qi Refining Level 2 cultivator, even if he's just an apprentice at Lingfuxuan?

Han Laoliu was, after all, a rogue cultivator at the fourth level of Qi Refining, and skilled in drawing talismans. He had been selling talismans in the north of Pan City for many years, so he had a certain status.

Are you afraid of a mere apprentice?

Han Laoliu said, "What's your hurry? Isn't your Lingfu Pavilion supposed to be powerful? You take our talismans, resell them eight at a time, and make a fortune. What, you even want to monopolize this road?"

Old Zhao stood aside, his ears already calloused from Han Laoliu's constant complaining. Seeing him stop a complete stranger, he didn't step forward to stop him.

He thought to himself: It's good to let Lao Liu vent his anger. After all, he's just a junior apprentice at the second level of Qi Refining. What's the big deal?

Even if you offend a disciple at the second level of Qi Refining, that disciple will be destined to draw talismans until death in the Spirit Talisman Pavilion, hoping to reach the middle stage of Qi Refining.

You're dreaming.

Wu Tong stood behind Fang Shi, his eyes darting around.

Having been a wanderer since childhood, he was adept at reading people and had long since realized that Han Laoliu was looking for trouble.

He didn't dare to say a word, just kept his head down, pretending he hadn't heard anything.

Seeing this, Fang Shi no longer wanted to get entangled with Han Laoliu and planned to go around him.

"Senior, please make way. I am not an apprentice of Lingfuxuan."

Unexpectedly, Han Laoliu wouldn't let it go. He took a step to the side and blocked their way again, sneering, "Where are you going? I'm asking you a question! Your Lingfu Pavilion has collected so many talismans, and you, a mere Qi Refining Level 2 cultivator, are still needed to draw them?"

Fang Shi stopped and said, "I already said I'm not an apprentice at the Spirit Talisman Pavilion. I'm a rogue cultivator here to sell talismans."

Upon hearing this, Han Laoliu burst into laughter and said, "A rogue cultivator? Here to sell talismans? Who are you trying to fool? The ones sold here in the north are cold-resistant talismans and fire-body talismans. You're only at the second level of Qi Refining, how can you draw talismans that work? I bet you're selling talismans from the Spirit Talisman Pavilion."

His laughter attracted the attention of several rogue cultivators around him. Some were curious, some were indifferent, and some shook their heads and walked away.

Fang swore, "I am indeed here to sell winter-protecting talismans."

Han Laoliu snorted and said, "A cold-resistant talisman? You, at the second level of Qi Refining, can draw a cold-resistant talisman? Who do you think you are? Today is truly unbelievable; all sorts of people dare to show off like this."

Fang Shi asked, "Then what does Senior wish to do?"

Han Laoliu was stunned and couldn't say a word for a moment.

He had only stopped Fang Shi on a whim, harboring resentment and just wanting to vent his anger on someone.

As for what you want to do?

He never even considered it.

But he was, after all, a rogue cultivator at the fourth level of Qi Refining, and was considered a prominent figure in the northern part of Pan City.

If a junior at the second level of Qi Refining were to ask you directly, "So, what does Senior want?" and you couldn't say anything, wouldn't you be a laughingstock?

Face is sometimes more valuable than a broken spirit.

Han Laoliu gritted his teeth and said, "What? I'll take you to Lingfuxuan's stall right now to complain! Apprentices like you who aren't good enough shouldn't be out there swindling people and ruining Lingfuxuan's reputation!"

Fang swore, "But I really am not an apprentice of Lingfuxuan."

Han Laoliu sneered, "Look, you're lying again! Just now you said you were a rogue cultivator selling talismans, and now you're saying you're not an apprentice of Lingfuxuan. If you're a rogue cultivator, and you've come all the way to the north to sell talismans, how dare you say you have no connection with Lingfuxuan? Your words don't make sense. No way, I really have to take you to that young manager and let him know that Lingfuxuan's reputation is ruined by people like you!"

Old Zhao stood aside, listening to these words, and understood perfectly.

How could he not know what Han Laoliu was up to?

All the accusations, the exposures, the damage to reputation—it's all a smokescreen.

Han Laoliu was seething with anger, but dared not vent it on Lin Xiuyuan, so he took it out on this unfortunate young apprentice.

They said they were taking him to find the young manager, but really it was just to cause a scene at the Lingfuxuan stall in the north and disgust the people there.

Old Zhao said, "Sixth Brother, isn't this a bit much? The young manager is still here. He's just a young man, only at the second level of Qi Refining. Why are you arguing with him?"

Han Laoliu said confidently, "Old Zhao, I'm not being petty; I'm doing this for Lingfuxuan's own good! Think about it, if word gets out that this morally corrupt, habitually lying person is from Lingfuxuan, what will become of Lingfuxuan's reputation? I'm doing this to relieve the young manager's worries!"

After saying that, he reached out and grabbed Fang Shi's arm.

Fang Shi was prepared. With a quick shift of his magic, he shifted his feet, ducked down, and slipped under the outstretched arm, then ran towards the Lingfuxuan stall.

Wu Tong paused for a moment, then quickly followed, pushing the cart and running as fast as he could.

Han Laoliu didn't use his magic. He grabbed at empty air but wasn't in a hurry or even angry. Instead, he stood with his hands behind his back, watching Fang Shi's retreating figure, and said slowly, "Why are you running? Perfect timing. I'll go back to that stall and expose you, you liar, in front of the young manager."

Having said that, he dusted off his sleeves, took a step, and followed after them at a leisurely pace.

Old Zhao sighed, shook his head, and followed behind.