Chapter 2: Transactions (Part 1)

Huo Bao and the other three were all on warhorses. Hearing this, they spurred their horses forward and said, “Guo Shier, we’re almost at the next supply point…” As they spoke, a commotion came from ahead. Huo Bao said, “I’ll go take a look!”
Chen Bing said, “I’ll go with you.”
The two sped forward on their horses and returned after a short while. Huo Bao said, “We caught a wandering wildman, locked up in an iron cage. Hehe, we’ll be able to see him soon—their carriage is almost here.”
A furious roar was heard, followed by agonized screams.
Soon, the two caravans passed each other. For the first time, Guo Shier saw a living wildman—the same kind he had read about in books.
What he saw in books was different from reality. As the caravans passed by, the giant-like wandering wildman in the massive iron cage left a deep impression on Guo Shier. It was a beast in human form, filled with bloodshed and violence. Guo Shier estimated it to be at least 250 to 260 centimeters tall, naked, covered in black hair, with mud and dried blood all over it, emitting a foul stench.
The wildman was fixed to a wooden frame, his wrists and ankles nailed with long spikes, his body bound with thick chains, and a circle of talismans around his neck, seemingly to prevent him from using his strength. During the passing of the caravans, Guo Shier noticed that the wildman was staring at him intently, a bloodthirsty aura hitting him head-on.
Huo Bao and the others paled, all intimidated by the wildman. Guo Shier snorted and said, “Is a helpless wildman really worth your fear?”
Their faces turned slightly red. Huo Bao mustered up courage and said, “I’m not afraid!”
Luo Zhan, who had been following closely behind the carriage, laughed and said, “Indeed, there’s no need to fear. Even if you face a wildman who could threaten your life, don’t be afraid, because… whether you’re afraid or not, they won’t spare you. Courage is the most fundamental quality of a talisman warrior.” He was somewhat puzzled: Why wasn’t Guo Shier afraid? His face showed no trace of fear, only curiosity.
Suddenly, Luo Zhan looked up and called out, “Lao Yang, why are it you guys?”
A burly man came over laughing and said, “Lao Luo, are you going to the Wildman Prison too?” He glanced at the carriage and asked, “Who are you protecting this time?”

Luo Zhan smiled and said, “Who else could it be? The old man’s disciple. Hehe, just acting as a guard temporarily. This is the old man’s precious disciple—only nine years old. Guo Shier, come meet this mad martial artist.”
Guo Shier poked his head out and said, “Hello, Uncle Yang.”
Old Yang nodded and said in surprise, “Old Master Luo actually sent his disciple to the Wildman Pass? It’s very chaotic there now. This spring is different from previous years—there are more wildmen, and they’re even more ferocious. Especially this time, there are manysymbols
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Luo Zhan said, “I’m just accompanying Shier to Ye Guan City; I’m not going to the Wildman Pass. Hehe, Old Yang, where did you capture these roaming wildmen? Just kill them—why go to such trouble?”
Old Yang replied, “Someone is offering a high price for roaming wildmen, so we set traps… Still, my team lost two men… Enough talk. I need to hurry back to complete my mission. I’ll have to return to the Wildman Pass in a few days. Take care, Old Luo!” With that, he rode off on his horse.
Guo Shier asked, “Is Uncle Yang asymbols
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Luo Zhan said, “Old Yang is a top expert from the outer sect. He leads a group of brothers and makes a living by doing missions for the sect. Hehe, this guy is no ordinary person—he’s quite famous among ussymbols
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Guo Shier stood out among the group. Apprentices with ordinarysymbols
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Along the way, Guo Shier rarely got off the carriage, unless they reached a supply point where he would come down for a hot meal. Otherwise, he sat in the carriage, reading books, reciting scriptures whenever he had time, or taking outsymbols
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The journey was peaceful. On this road leading to Ye Guan City, there were always disciples from the Northsymbols
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It took eight days for the large group to reach Ye Guan City.

Ye Guancheng is only one day’s journey away from Wildman Pass. It serves as the logistical base for Wildman Pass and also a major camp belonging to the Northern Talisman Sect. Most of the people here are outer sect disciples, while the core inner sect disciples are the main leaders of Ye Guancheng. Therefore, when inner sect members come here, they receive excellent treatment.

As a disciple of the senior talisman master of the inner sect, Guo Shier was assigned a small courtyard in the city. His residence was guarded by powerful talisman warriors and was designated for inner sect disciples, making it the safest place in Ye Guancheng.

Guo Shier had no intention of going outside the city. After moving into his courtyard, he started looking for various reasons to delay leaving. As for the eager looks from Huo Bao and the others, he simply ignored them. After witnessing the wild creatures firsthand, he understood that in this world, it was easier to die than to kill a chicken. Having managed to reincarnate with great difficulty, he didn’t want to die so soon.

The talisman market here was different from that of the inner sect. It was not only large but also diverse, offering all sorts of strange items. Many disciples from the Northern Talisman Sect who went to the far north preferred to sell the materials they collected here and exchange them for the supplies they needed before heading to Wildman Pass.

Guo Shier fell in love with the talisman market after visiting it just once. He thought it was a great place to broaden his horizons. There were also teahouses and taverns in the market, ideal places to gather information and learn about the world.

Guo Shier didn’t restrict Huo Bao and the others’ movements. His only requirement was that they not go to Wildman Pass. If they wanted to leave the city, they must be accompanied by talisman warriors. There were no powerful beasts or wildmen in the suburbs of Ye Guancheng, so even if they went out, they wouldn’t face much danger.

Every day, Guo Shier took Luo Zhan to the talisman market. He never went out alone—this world was too dangerous. If someone went crazy and attacked him, he wouldn’t even have a place to cry. He lacked the impulsiveness of a child or the enthusiasm of a young person; instead, he possessed composure and calmness.

Luo Zhan never interfered with Guo Shier’s actions. He simply followed closely behind. In case of danger, his most important task was to step in front of Guo Shier first. “What kind of skin is this?” Guo Shier asked at a small stall.

“Hehe, this is the skin of fire mice. There are eight pieces in total, already processed. Just clean them with tanning solution, and they’ll make excellent talisman bases. How many do you want?” It was a stall run by a talisman warrior.

“How much?”

The fire mouse is a rodent that lives underground and possesses a remarkable ability to inhabit the hot upper layers of magma. Its skin is a natural fire-based material, making it ideal for crafting fire talismans. A single fire mouse only has a palm-sized piece of skin, and such mice are quite rare to find.

“One large talisman coin per piece!”

Guo Shier smiled slightly and said, “Two large talisman coins… eight pieces! Your skin is good, but a few of them are poorly made. Look… this one is already damaged…”

The vendor stared in shock at this talkative kid. He had noticed the talisman on Guo Shier’s chest and knew he was an apprentice of the internal sect’s talisman magic, meaning he was wealthy. So he started with a high price. Unexpectedly, the kid was an expert at haggling, driving the price down to the lowest possible level.

“How old are you?”

Guo Shier replied, “Nine years old! Do you think I’m too young… so you’re trying to trick me?”

The vendor grimaced and glanced at the talisman martial artist following behind Guo Shier, then forced a smile and said, “How could I do that… Hehe, but the price you offered is too low. If I sell them to you, I’ll lose a fortune! Seven large talisman coins for eight pieces of skin!”

Guo Shier said, “Forget it. I’ll give you three large talisman coins for eight pieces! If you don’t sell them… I’m leaving!”

“Ah, that won’t do! Six large talisman coins! I only want six!”

Guo Shier said, “Uncle Luo, let’s go!”

The vendor was frustrated. Fire mouse skin was hard to sell. In Ye Guancheng, there were few talisman masters and apprentices, and only they would buy such low-grade materials to craft inexpensive, disposable fire talismans. If this kid left, he wouldn’t know when he could sell the skin again. He couldn’t stay here long—he would soon have to return to the Wildman Pass.

“Four! I’ll sell them to you for four large talisman coins!”

Guo Shier walked slowly. He turned around and said, “Three! If not, forget it!”

The vendor wore a pained expression. Seeing Guo Shier about to walk away, he sighed and said, “Three… I’ll give them to you! Alas, which family’s child are you? How are you so good at haggling?”

Guo Shier turned back and said, “Ah, don’t complain. As a kid, I have little pocket money!” With that, he tossed down three black talisman coins, picked up the eight pieces of fire mouse skin, and stuffed them into his backpack. His look of “I’m very poor” left the vendor speechless.

Luo Zhan held back his laughter. He knew the price of fire mouse skin—usually, one large talisman coin could buy two pieces. That vendor had initially intended to take advantage of the kid, but Guo Shier wasn’t fooled at all and haggled relentlessly. Since the vendor was eager to sell, Guo Shier emerged as the clear winner.