The market grew busier as time went on. After a few cups of tea, the first customer approached Lan Rui's stall. After a brief exchange, the customer walked away with two talismans in hand.
"Pleasure doing business with you. Come again," Lan Rui said with a satisfied smile.
This scene repeated itself several times, and before long, the spirit stones in his storage bag began to accumulate. Suddenly, an old man clad in a gray robe approached the empty stall beside him.
Lan Rui waved his hand in greeting. "Old Wang, you're finally here! I thought you weren't going to open your stall today either."
The old man nodded and replied, "Xiao Lan, I've been busy lately. If not for the pill orders from those people, I might have set up shop yesterday."
His name was Wang Ye, around sixty years old, a Qi Refining Sixth Layer cultivator, and an accomplished alchemist. He was a well-respected figure in the market, and people were always careful not to offend him.
"How are you, Xiao Lan? Looks like your talisman business is flourishing today."
Even though Wang Ye's cultivation level was only mid-tier, many organizations and even some Immortal Families invited him whenever they needed mass pill refinement. Thanks to this, he had a vast network of connections.
"I'm good. No, I'm super good! Lately, my talismans have been selling quite well. So, I learned a new type of talisman, and I've been selling it recently."
Old Wang nodded and quickly began setting up his stall. Even before it was fully arranged, customers were already gathering, eager to buy his pills.
Due to his experience and numerous collaborations with various organizations, he possessed a large collection of pill recipes, allowing him to sell a wide variety of pills.
As soon as he was ready, a wave of customers rushed in. Some bought cultivation pills, others purchased healing pills, and a few even sought out poison pills.
This sudden influx of customers also drew attention to Lan Rui's wooden display. Noticing his talismans, a few people began buying them as well.
The unexpected demand left Lan Rui thrilled as he excitedly sold his stock. After a few incense sticks of time, the crowd finally began to subside.
Suddenly, a man wearing a black and red robe approached Lan Rui's stall. With a quick glance at the talismans, he asked, "Do you have more Evil-Repelling Talismans and Light Shield Talismans?"
The question startled Lan Rui. He turned his gaze to his stock, only four Evil-Repelling Talismans and seven Light Shield Talismans remained. The rest were just Cleaning Talismans.
"Unfortunately, no," he replied with a shake of his head.
"What a pity. Pack up all of them for me."
Lan Rui was startled once again but quickly moved his hands to pack up the talismans and handed them to the man. He feared that if he hesitated even for a fraction of a second, the man might change his mind.
Once the talismans were packed, the man handed over eleven spirit stones, took his purchase, and walked away without another word.
Lan Rui beamed, holding the spirit stones in his hands. But before he could revel in his excitement, a voice pulled him back to reality.
He immediately stored the spirit stones in his storage bag and turned his head. It was Old Wang's voice that had interrupted his thoughts.
"Xiao Lan, do you know why people are flocking to buy my pills like starving dogs?"
Lan Rui furrowed his brows and replied, "Isn't it normal? But now that you mention it, there do seem to be more people than usual."
It was typical for Old Wang's pills to sell quickly due to his reputation, but now that Lan Rui thought about it, he remembered the man in the black and red robe who had bought all his talismans in one go.
Seeing the young man lost in thought, Old Wang chuckled. "There's a conflict brewing between two major powers in the market. That's why people are stocking up on supplies in case a fight breaks out. Prices are likely to skyrocket in the coming days."
"Which factions?" Lan Rui asked.
"The Crimson Blade Gang and the Feng Family," Old Wang replied.
The market was home to many powerful organizations, but the most dominant local forces were the three Immortal Families: the Li Family, the Feng Family, and the Mu Family. Each of these families had a Foundation Establishment ancestor as their pillar, and few dared to provoke them.
However, that didn't mean everyone feared them. Outside of the three Immortal Families, one group dared to stand against them, the Crimson Blade Gang.
The gang's name was derived from the title of its leader, Crimson Blade True Cultivator, a Loose Cultivator who had managed to break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm. With his strength, he had established a gang primarily composed of Loose Cultivators.
Many rogue cultivators joined the gang, especially those who had offended or were in serious conflict with the Immortal Families, seeking protection under its banner.
If one counted the sheer number of cultivators, excluding those in the Foundation Establishment Realm, the gang likely outnumbered the three Immortal Families combined.
For this reason, unless absolutely necessary, the Immortal Families were reluctant to stir this hornet's nest. But now, to think that a single Immortal Family dared to challenge the gang, this was bound to shake the entire market.
.....