Starting Cultivation During a Trip

”You recognize it?” Meng Qiwu couldn’t help but ask.

Although she could tell this thing was extraordinary, she wasn’t skilled in Talisman Dao and could only watch for fun.

”This is Maoshan’s [Red Dragon Fire Talisman], but it’s missing quite a lot,” Zhang Fan said in a low voice.

”Young man, you have sharp eyes.”

Right then, a hearty voice sounded.

Zhang Fan looked up to see a refined-looking middle-aged man step out. His temples were flecked with gray, his hair slicked back, both hands spinning a pair of iron balls, face ruddy and glowing.

”Uncle Zhao.” Meng Qiwu stepped forward, bowed with a respectful nod.

Zhao Menglang, the proprietor of Treasure Pavilion, was a heavyweight in Chang’an City; whenever he stamped his foot, everyone took notice.

”Meng, is this your friend? Such keen eyesight—may I ask which school he comes from?” Zhao Menglang sized up Zhang Fan.

”Maoshan?”

To recognize the [Red Dragon Fire Talisman] at a glance, this person had to have some connection to Maoshan—perhaps even a Maoshan Inheritor.

At this moment, Zhao Menglang had already mostly guessed it. The young man before him was most likely the Maoshan Inheritor, Fang Changle.

”Uncle Zhao, his name is Zhang Fan, a disciple of Zhenwu Mountain,” Meng Qiwu introduced.

”Zhenwu Mountain!?” Zhao Menglang was briefly surprised.

”Greetings, Senior.”

”A disciple of Zhenwu Mountain... No wonder... Excellent eye...” Zhao Menglang couldn’t help but say.

”I’ve had this fragment here for many years, but no one has ever been able to recognize it.”

It’s not that Chang’an lacks skilled Talisman experts, but the Red Dragon Fire Talisman is a Maoshan treasure, never shown lightly, so outsiders know little about it.

”Uncle Zhao, the Maoshan Red Dragon Fire Talisman is a tightly kept secret, how did you get a copy?” Meng Qiwu couldn’t help but ask.

”Speaking of which...” Zhao Menglang hesitated, then gave a wry smile: ”Many years ago, a master of Talisman Dao sold it to me. I was inexperienced then and didn’t know it was just a fragment, but I paid a considerable price.”

A fragment—missing even a tiny piece renders it unusable, just like a circuit: even the slightest break can’t form a connection.

”Boss, sounds like you got swindled.” Li Yishan said with a laugh.

Zhao Menglang’s gaze sharpened slightly as he glanced at Li Yishan.

”Not exactly. This really is a fragment of the [Red Dragon Fire Talisman]. To be able to draw this much is already rare nowadays.”

”Uncle Zhao, for someone to be able to draw an incomplete [Red Dragon Fire Talisman], they must have considerable talent in Talisman Dao, right?” Meng Qiwu couldn’t help but ask.

Such a person could not possibly be unknown.

”You’re right. This guy was frighteningly gifted in Talisman Dao—he only saw Maoshan’s [Red Dragon Fire Talisman] once, yet could reproduce this fragment,” Zhao Menglang said solemnly.

”That impressive?” Meng Qiwu’s expression changed slightly.

In Talisman Dao, once it reaches spirit and freedom, it’s infinitely varied. The average person couldn’t even recall the general ’shape,’ let alone the mystical flows, after seeing it once.

This man saw it once, yet could capture its form and internal meaning—his Talisman Dao was terrifyingly strong.

”Who is he?” Meng Qiwu couldn’t help but ask.

”You young folks probably haven’t heard of him; he became famous a long time ago...” Zhao Menglang’s eyes showed a trace of nostalgia, murmuring softly.

”He was called the Nine-Fingered Talisman Demon!”

”...”

”Cough, cough, cough...”

Zhang Fan choked and couldn’t help coughing.

”What’s wrong with you?”

”Nothing, nothing!”

”Young man, have you seen Maoshan’s Red Dragon Fire Talisman?” Zhao Menglang couldn’t help asking.

”I have.” Zhang Fan nodded.

”Where did you see it? As far as I know, this [Red Dragon Fire Talisman] nowadays...”

Zhao Menglang blurted out; obviously, he’d been eyeing this item for a while—if he could complete this fragment, he could sell it at a sky-high price.

”I know Fang Changle,” Zhang Fan replied directly.

”Maoshan Inheritor!? No wonder...”

Zhao Menglang realized, and his look at Zhang Fan changed completely.

”Little brother...”

At this point, even Zhao Menglang’s way of addressing him changed.

”If you can help me complete this Talisman, I’m willing to offer this amount.”

As he spoke, Zhao Menglang raised his thumb and index finger, making a gesture.

”Eight hundred?”

”Eight million!” Zhao Menglang said in a deep voice.

This fragment is already seventy or eighty percent there; as long as the last twenty or thirty percent is completed, he’ll immediately pay eight million. For Zhang Fan, this was a fortune.

”Senior, you’re joking. I’m not skilled enough in Talisman Dao to complete it,” Zhang Fan declined with a smile.

The Red Dragon Fire Talisman is Maoshan’s treasure. Not to mention his friendship with Fang Changle, if Zhang Fan wanted to remain in Jiangnan Province, there’s no way he’d reveal others’ secrets.

Besides, eight million sounds like a lot, but once this fragment is complete, it could flip for ten times as much.

In comparison, eight million isn’t really much.

”No rush, no rush. If this deal doesn’t go through, we’ve still made a connection. Coming here is like coming home—my door is always open to you. If you change your mind, come see your big brother again. The price is all negotiable. We’re all family when it comes to business.”

”Big brother!?” Zhang Fan squinted slightly.

From the look of Zhao Menglang, he could almost pass for Zhang Fan’s father.

Zhao Menglang squinted right back, staring intently at Zhang Fan, then said, ”Come, see if there’s anything here that catches your eye?”

”What’s this hide?!”

Just then, Li Yishan’s voice sounded out in the not-so-large shop.

He walked to the side wall, where a piece of hide was hanging—shriveled and nondescript, impossible to tell what animal it was from, but the patterns on it looked just like cloud motifs.