"Oh?"

Xu Changshou was momentarily stunned upon hearing this, then offered a bitter smile. "Senior Sister Ye must be joking. I am but a lowly Miscellaneous Disciple. What assistance could I possibly offer you?"

Indeed, he had never expected that Ye Shanhu would seek him out for a favor.

Ye Shanhu hailed from the Ye clan of the Wanbao Pavilion, a privileged cultivation heir born with a silver spoon. With the Wanbao Pavilion lacking for nothing, why would she ever need to entreat him?

Ye Shanhu smiled. "Junior Brother Xu, do not be in such a rush to belittle yourself. For this matter, I truly require your assistance."

Xu Changshou replied, "Speak. What is the matter?"

Ye Shanhu considered her words for a moment. "Our Wanbao Pavilion wishes to acquire a batch of spirit talismans, primarily Windwalk Talismans. As you know, cultivators with a wind affinity are exceedingly rare, so.."

"Acquiring Windwalk Talismans?"

"Precisely."

Xu Changshou's mind raced. At present, he could draft eighteen Windwalk Talismans a day. Aside from fulfilling his mandated Sect quotas, it would not be impossible to draft a few extra to exchange for resources.

Ye Shanhu continued, "Junior Brother Xu, you belong to Green Ink Peak. Help me inquire among your peers. Anyone possessing spare Windwalk Talismans may exchange them with me."

Xu Changshou pondered this, then offered a wry smile. "Senior Sister Ye, I am afraid that will not suffice. The Senior Brothers of Green Ink Peak are deeply cautious about dispensing their talismans. If a massive sum of talismans flowed into the Wanbao Pavilion and the Sect's upper echelons caught wind of it, we would not be able to bear the consequences."

Ye Shanhu laughed lightly. "Junior Brother Xu, on this point, I can offer my utmost guarantee. No matter who exchanges resources with our Wanbao Pavilion, their identity shall remain utterly concealed. Unrestricted exchange, without ever questioning the provenance of treasures-this is a foundational tenet of our Wanbao Pavilion.

"If Junior Brother Xu deals with me, only you and I shall know. Even the stewards within the Wanbao Pavilion will remain entirely ignorant of your existence."

"Is that so!"

Xu Changshou swept his gaze over Ye Shanhu, scrutinizing her as he weighed the cost of trusting her.

Seeming to perceive his guarded thoughts, Ye Shanhu spoke frankly. "Junior Brother Xu, if your mind is not at ease, I can swear a confidentiality contract with you."

"Very well, let us formalize this confidentiality contract."

Xu Changshou agreed, then justified himself. "Senior Sister Ye, it is not that I lack faith in you, but I must remain responsible for the Senior Brothers of Green Ink Peak."

Between cultivators, once a covenant was bound, it was absolute.

To break it would, at the very least, fracture one's Dao heart and stall all cultivation progress; at worst, it would invite Inner Demons and plunge the oath-breaker into Qi Deviation.

Xu Changshou naturally harbored his own designs for demanding such an oath.

He intended to supply the Wanbao Pavilion with his own crafted spirit talismans. These talismans were extraordinary, and to avoid drawing unwanted scrutiny, sealing Ye Shanhu's lips with a binding contract was imperative.

Of course, regardless of the method he employed to distribute his talismans, peril remained an ever-present shadow.

The only absolute safety lay in hoarding them all.

Yet Xu Changshou required wealth. Every subsequent step on his grueling march toward immortality would demand an astronomical sum of resources.

Furthermore, before breaking through to the twelfth layer of Qi Condensation, he needed to hoard a staggering fortune to secure a Foundation Establishment Pill, or at least the requisite spiritual herbs to refine one himself.

Regardless of whether such a pill could even be procured, the absolute prerequisite was a mountain of Spirit Stones.

Therefore, for the sake of the Foundation Establishment Pill, braving this peril was a worthy gamble-provided he suffocated the risks to their absolute minimum.

The confidentiality contract served as his first shield.

The second was strict rationing; he would release his talismans in a mere trickle.

Xu Changshou resolved to only offer Windwalk Talismans, utterly withholding all other varieties. Should the Sect's upper echelons ever uncover the truth, he would simply surrender his drafting methodology to appease them.

In doing so, his personal jeopardy would be practically erased.

"Understood!"

"Then it is settled!"

Xu Changshou produced a sheet of Yellow Hemp Paper. The duo swore heavy oaths upon their Inner Demons, committing the covenant to the parchment. Only after their spiritual signatures were inscribed did the contract take effect.

"By the way, Junior Brother Xu, how fares your progress in the Dao of Talismans?" Ye Shanhu asked with a hint of curiosity.

Xu Changshou smiled faintly. "Passable. I have been grinding at it for over a year now."

"Drafting talismans is a far simpler path."

Ye Shanhu let out a soft sigh. "I have resided at Danxia Peak for nearly two years, yet I have not once touched a true alchemy furnace. But my time approaches. I have already seared the Ten Thousand Herbs Chart into my memory, and soon I shall begin refining pills."

Xu Changshou chuckled. "Then when the time comes to acquire medicinal pills, I shall seek out Senior Sister Ye."

Ye Shanhu patted her chest confidently. "Rest assured. If you seek pills from me, I cannot promise they will be the cheapest, but I swear upon my Dao that their quality will be peerless.

"The pills I can procure boast a purity far exceeding the standard fare handed out by the Sect."

"Oh?"

This revelation sharpened Xu Changshou's interest.

If her words rang true, bypassing the Sect's merchants to deal directly with Ye Shanhu would be a tremendous boon.

"Junior Brother Xu, I shall take my leave for now. Inquire on my behalf, and I shall return in a few days."

"Hold a moment!"

Just as Ye Shanhu turned to depart, Xu Changshou halted her.

He tapped his Storage Bag, extracting a single Windwalk Talisman, and presented it to her with an impassive smile.

This was no ordinary Windwalk Talisman meant to fill a Sect quota. This was born of his own brush-a treasure capable of traversing three thousand li in a single day.

"Is this.. a Windwalk Talisman?"

Ye Shanhu stared at the object, her features marred by bewilderment.

Xu Changshou nodded. "It is a Windwalk Talisman, though far removed from the mundane. It can cross three thousand li in a single day."

"What!"

Hearing this, Ye Shanhu's jaw dropped.

Crossing three thousand li in a day-what sort of terrifying concept was that?

She instinctively swept it with her Divine Sense, only to discover that the Spiritual Qi surging within this parchment was exactly three times denser than a standard Windwalk Talisman.

"Heavens, such a miraculous Windwalk Talisman exists? Why have I never laid eyes on one before?"

Ye Shanhu's composure shattered completely.

One must understand, traveling three thousand li a day mirrored the speed of an early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator engaging in Sword Riding.

Even though it was a fleeting, one-time consumable that would burn out after a single day of use.

Yet Ye Shanhu instantly recognized its immense value. Possessing such explosive speed meant that, if used to flee for one's life, the user would be practically invincible against anyone beneath the Foundation Establishment realm.

Xu Changshou spread his hands, adopting a calm facade. "This talisman is a supreme creation of my Green Ink Peak. Refining it is ten times more grueling than drafting an ordinary Windwalk Talisman. These are reserved strictly for our own use and rarely leak into the outside world."

Xu Changshou's underlying message was crystal clear: if drafting this talisman was ten times more arduous, its price must be proportionally steep.

"For how many Spirit Stones will this sell?" Ye Shanhu's eyes practically glowed with avarice.

Xu Changshou answered with cold tranquility. "The price is neither yours to dictate nor mine.

"Let us do this. Take this talisman back to your clan's Elders. See how many Spirit Stones they are willing to part with for such a treasure.

"Once you have a figure, return to me. I will then ask the Senior Brother who drafted this if he deems the price worthy of his brush."

"With a talisman of such peerless quality, would your Senior Brother truly be willing to part with it?" Ye Shanhu's tone wavered.

Xu Changshou's voice was utterly steady. "If the price is sufficiently staggering, my Senior Brother will absolutely sell. He currently stands at the twelfth layer of Qi Condensation and desperately requires vital supplies for his breakthrough."

"I understand!"

Ye Shanhu's mind clicked into place: Xu Changshou's mysterious Senior Brother was undoubtedly gathering funds to acquire the exorbitant spiritual herbs needed to refine a Foundation Establishment Pill. Only a desperation of that magnitude would compel a cultivator to sell such a life-saving treasure.

"By the way, Senior Sister Ye, I also have a trifling matter that requires your assistance."