Chapter 136: Yan Family

“I’ll continue with the group as well,” Crimson Lotus Scatterer said straightforwardly.

“Excellent, excellent! Brother Han, have you made up your mind too?” The Taoist, looking pleased, turned to ask Han Li.

Upon hearing this, Han Li hesitated.

Logically speaking, as a newcomer like him, sticking with this small group should have been the best choice. Yet, for some reason, he felt uneasy about it, as if going along with it would surely lead to regret.

“I’ll wait until after the trading meet to decide! There’s no need to rush things,” Han Li said with a smile, deciding to buy himself some time.

“Oh?” Han Li’s response clearly took the others by surprise, leaving Qingwen and the rest momentarily stunned.

“Why hesitate, Brother Han? We loose cultivators need to stick together to avoid being bullied. Besides, I’m really interested in how you saw through my pickpocketing technique and was hoping to spar with you more in the future!” Wu Jiuzhi sounded displeased.

Han Li wasn’t angered by the young man’s words and simply smiled without replying.

“Haha, Brother Han didn’t say he definitely wouldn’t join us—he just said he needs to think it over. That’s only natural!” Taoist Qingwen quickly stepped in to smooth things over.

“Indeed, Taoist Qingwen’s words resonate with me. I do have some personal difficulties, so I need to be cautious,” Han Li said, appearing deeply grateful to Qingwen and wearing an expression that suggested the Taoist had hit the nail on the head.

“Well then, I suppose I overstepped,” the young man said, feeling as though he’d been made the bad guy, and he was clearly unhappy about it.

Taoist Qingwen smiled helplessly, giving Han Li an apologetic look as if an older brother tolerating a mischievous younger sibling.

Naturally, Han Li didn’t take the matter to heart.

With the issue settled, everyone stood up and took their leave to return to their quarters. Han Li found an empty room on the second floor and settled in for the night.

The next day, aside from the monk and Han Li, everyone else left the pavilion together to set up their stalls.

At the time, the monk was meditating in the first-floor hall, while Han Li was in his room, lost in thought as he gently traced his fingers over a stack of talisman paper.

“These so-called low-grade talisman papers have a faint spiritual glow—they’re clearly different from ordinary mortal talisman paper. It seems either the materials are special, or they require some kind of spell to be imbued,” Han Li mused.

He had originally taken out the talisman paper to practice the “Mind-Calming Technique” he had learned earlier. But it suddenly occurred to him that drawing a Mind-Calming Talisman required more than just the paper—it also needed a brush and cinnabar, both of which seemed to be sold at the stalls set up by cultivators. Could it be that these items couldn’t be ordinary mortal ones and had to be specially made by cultivators?

With this thought, Han Li grew restless. He decided to seek out the monk. Since his status as a novice cultivator was already known, he might as well ask openly.

“The benefactor is correct. To successfully draw a spiritual talisman, one must not only use talisman paper made from special materials but also cinnabar mixed with the blood of spiritual beasts containing spiritual energy. As for the brush, it depends on the situation,” Monk Kusang said calmly after hearing Han Li’s question.

“Master Kusang, what do you mean by ‘depends on the situation’?” Han Li sat cross-legged opposite the monk, asking earnestly without any trace of embarrassment.

“The brushes we cultivators use for drawing talismans can be made from the spiritual hair of demonic beasts or even certain rare natural treasures fashioned into charcoal brushes. These can increase the success rate of talisman-making and the power of the talismans. But if one lacks the means, even an ordinary mortal brush can be used, though the success rate would be pitifully low,” the monk said, shaking his head gently, clearly disapproving of Han Li using the last method.

“Thank you for your guidance, Master. I’ll go see if I can trade for a talisman-making brush,” Han Li said, rising to his feet and cupping his hands in respect.

“Take care, benefactor,” the monk said, closing his eyes once more to continue his meditation.

It seemed he had no choice but to go out today. He remembered that both the brush and cinnabar were quite expensive, costing around six or seven low-grade spirit stones. Would he really have to sell the “Flight Talisman” he had just obtained?

Lost in thought, Han Li walked out of the pavilion and headed toward the trading grounds.

It was still morning, so the cultivators on the road were sparse but not too few. Most seemed to be heading toward the trading grounds, likely stallholders like the Taoist and the others.

“Look, such a huge bird!” a male cultivator suddenly exclaimed.

A massive dark shadow swept over the heads of Han Li and the other cultivators on the road.

Startled, Han Li quickly looked up.

A two-headed monstrous bird, as large as a small calf, flew overhead.

The bird resembled an eagle but wasn’t quite one, covered in gray feathers with wings spanning several zhang wide. Beneath its body were a pair of sickle-like sharp claws, and on its neck were two bald, fierce bird heads with four small eyes glowing faintly green.

What a ferocious demonic bird!

“So ugly!”

“So big!”

“Quick, catch it! It’d make a perfect mount!”

The cultivators below stopped to chatter, some even looking eager to try.

“Are you all trying to get yourselves killed? This is the ‘Twin-Headed Vulture,’ a spiritual beast bred by the Yan Clan of Gu Yu Mountain, the top cultivation family. There must be members of the Yan Clan on it. Are you seeking death?”

A few cold words snapped everyone out of their fantasies.

“The Yan Clan? The one with Core Formation cultivators, the only major cultivation family outside the great sects?” someone cried out in alarm.

“Which other Yan Clan could it be? I arrived earlier, so I’ve seen this Twin-Headed Vulture once. I also know the Yan Clan sent a brother and sister to participate in the Ascension Tournament!” another cultivator boasted proudly.

“No way! The Yan Clan is joining the Ascension Tournament? They never sent anyone in previous years! This means two fewer spots for sure!”

“Exactly! What if we run into the Yan siblings on the tournament stage? That’d be terrible luck!”

The cultivators’ expressions turned grim, some even sighing in despair.

Han Li, however, coldly watched the strange bird fly away without a word. Judging by its appearance, this was clearly the strange eagle that Xi Tieniu had seen, and the celestial couple on it must be the Yan siblings.

As Han Li lost himself in thought, the nearby cultivators resumed their activities after the brief commotion.

Finally, he smiled faintly and walked away casually.

The square was already quite crowded, though not as bustling as it had been the previous night. Still, it was lively enough.

Han Li touched the several bottles of pills still tucked in his robe, deciding to see if he could trade them for something else.

This time, he didn’t enter from the usual entrance but cut in from the other end of the square, planning to explore from the opposite side.

As he walked, Han Li’s eyes darted left and right, taking in the various materials, talismans, and oddly shaped magical instruments on the stalls, leaving him dazzled.

Suddenly, Han Li’s steps halted in front of a particular stall. He stared intently at a thin book on the stall.

The price tag in front of the book read: “Evergreen Art” – Wood Attribute Foundation Cultivation Technique. Price: Two Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

“I’ll take this book,” Han Li said calmly to the stall owner after bending down, picking up the book, and flipping through it briefly.