Chapter 179 - 174 Master Ou, the Cunning Merchanti
The two intermediate-grade talismans had all been used up, and he was ready to restock.
He arrived at the familiar Bei Bing Talisman Shop.
” Bei Bing, here to buy talismans from you again!”
Qin Niu greeted the mute girl with a smile.
“Mmm!”
She seemed just as happy, using hand gestures and looking at Qin Niu with a smile on her face.
She remained as pure as ever, like the fresh and natural air of a serene valley, spotless.
Her shiny black eyes were without any impurities.
“Get me five intermediate-grade contractual talismans. Do you have any advanced contractual talismans?”
Qin Niu asked her.
The mute girl’s eyes widened in surprise upon hearing that he wanted five intermediate-grade contractual talismans in one go.
She remembered Qin Niu struggled to buy the low-grade contractual charms that cost one tael of silver each.
Now he was spending more lavishly each time.
“Why are you looking at me like that? If I’ve made money, I can obviously afford better things. Hurry up and get them for me, I still have other things to do after the purchase. If I can’t leave the city, I might just have to come here to stay overnight,” Qin Niu urged her.
“Mhm!”
She agreed and fetched five intermediate-grade contractual talismans for him.
Then, she took out a piece of cardboard, on which was written: Advanced contractual talismans, one hundred taels of silver each. Can be used to tame Grade Three or higher insects or beasts, success rate depends on specific circumstances.
“One hundred taels of silver each, not cheap, get me one,” Qin Niu decided to bite the bullet and buy one to keep on hand.
The intermediate-grade contractual talismans were quite effective for taming Grade Two insects.
As for the advanced contractual talismans, he had never tried them.
The description stated that they could be used to tame Grade Three or higher insects and beasts.
Given the steep price, Qin Niu would definitely use them cautiously.
“Can the advanced contractual talisman tame a Grade Four insect?” Qin Niu thought of the Corpse Bee.
That creature was disgusting, extremely vicious and sinister, but its combat power must be substantial.
Having night vision also greatly tempted Qin Niu.
Taming one to breed new bee species should be very beneficial.
The mute girl quickly scribbled on the paper with her charcoal pencil.
“In theory, advanced contractual talismans can tame insects, beasts, and birds of all grades, but the higher the grade of the insect, the more difficult the taming. The number of talismans needed will also increase, and there’s still a possibility of failure,” she wrote.
“So, what you’re saying is, advanced contractual talismans are the highest- level talismans available, right?” Qin Niu asked.
“Mhm.”
She nodded vigorously.
“Alright, hand me one,” Qin Niu took out a silver note worth one hundred and fifty taels.
This was a substantial amount of money.
However, compared to the beasts or beast pets under contract, this was only a small sum.
Becoming a powerful insect master or beast tamer was no easy feat.
It required not only a significant amount of silver money but also a massive amount of resources to constantly nurture pets and strengthen them. Luck and opportunity were also necessary.
“You can’t even ask for two!”
She playfully wrote down a sentence with a smile.
Qin Niu smiled wryly too, seeing that the production of advanced contractual talismans was extremely difficult and that the Bei Bing Talisman Shop didn’t have much in stock.
“This talisman can be kept for a long time, right?”
“Mhm!”
Again she nodded.
Reassured, he bought one advanced contractual talisman. Judging by the material, it wasn’t made of animal skin, but somewhat resembled leaves or bark.
It showed a flicker of green light, immediately indicating its extraordinary nature.
Moreover, holding it in his hand, one felt an unsettling sensation; the invisible energy or aura it emitted seemed as though it could stir one’s soul.
“When using it to tame a beast pet, try to avoid taking it out too early. It’s best to trap the beast first and then use the talisman,”
She wrote down the note.
“This box is custom-made, and once you cover it, it can seal off its scent.”
Qin Niu glanced at the box containing it, noticing many intricate talismans carved on the surface.
The combination of these talismans should effectively isolate the scent.
He felt that Bei Bing’s grandpa was quite impressive.
Could such a talisman master possibly break the enchantment of the Ancient Banyan Tree?
Qin Niu only thought about it in his mind.
He would never be foolish enough to bring an outsider to decipher the enchantment of that Ancient Banyan Tree.
By now, he had come to regard the Ancient Banyan Tree as his private property and it had become his most important cultivation resource.
As he was leaving, Bei Bing gave him a few low-grade talismans as gifts.
A total of five.
“I made them myself, thank you for looking after our business,”
She wrote down a sentence.
” Heh, buying from anyone is still buying, but buying from you is reassuring and helps out a friend, so of course, I’ll come to you! Goodbye!”
Qin Niu waved at her.
This time, he didn’t see her grandpa. It was just her alone tending to the shop.
Her grandpa often needed to go out to gather materials for making talismans and was rarely seen.
But Qin Niu knew that the middle-grade and high-grade talismans were all made by her grandpa.
For now, she could only make some low-grade talismans.
Actually, her family’s talisman store didn’t have a wide variety of talismans.
Or rather, the talisman varieties available in the few talisman shops throughout Black Tiger City were very limited.
The Contractual Talisman was the most popular one.
Insect Masters and Beast Tamers would come to purchase it.
After leaving Bei Bing’s place, he headed straight for Master Ou’s weapon shop.
“Master Ou, I’ve come to see you again!”
Qin Niu greeted the old man inside.
Master Ou didn’t have a strong impression of him and couldn’t remember who he was.
“Young brother, what are you looking for this time?”
Master Ou’s attitude was still quite warm.
“I’d like to have a few fine iron canisters custom-made, similar to this one, but made with thicker material.”
“These are insect jars. No need for customization, I have them readily available here,”
Master Ou instructed his apprentice to bring out a few samples.
“The inner wall of these canisters is made of fine iron, and the outside is aluminum. If an insect can bite through the inner wall, then even a thicker fine iron won’t help. The price is one tael and five maces of silver each. There are round ones, square ones, long ones — feel free to choose any. The lid comes with an air hole and a lock. They are known for being sturdy and lightweight.”
The craftsmanship of these insect jars was way better than the ones Qin Niu found on the market.
It was of a more refined craft.
“Not bad, I’ll take ten. How about a better price?”
Qin Niu knew that weapon shops had high profits and always haggled every time he made a purchase.
“If you buy ten at once, I can give you a discount of two silver money.”
“Just this little discount is as good as none. Ten for twelve silver money, not a mace more,”
Qin Niu was very clear that only powerful Insect Masters and wealthy young masters and ladies would buy these high-quality insect jars.
At one tael and five maces of silver each, nobody’s money came easy.
“You kid, you’re making it so I can’t even afford to eat! I’d be selling at a loss to you,”
Master Ou’s face wore an expression of great loss.
The last time he commissioned weapons, it was the same expression.
In his heart, Qin Niu mused that appearances are deceiving, who would have thought that Master Ou, appearing as a rough blacksmith, had quite a few tricks up his sleeve.
And quite the acting skill.
He should have driven a harder bargain knowing this.