Not long after.
Yuan Ying finalized the types and quantities of talismans she wanted to purchase.
"Seventeen Gale Talismans, thirteen Frost Sword Talismans, eight Flowing Flame Talismans…"
She recited slowly.
"Your Highness is really going to buy this many third-rank talismans?" Wei Tu asked, a little uncertain.
All together, Yuan Ying's order of third-rank talismans came close to fifty pieces.
That number of talismans, if used sparingly, was enough to support four to five Golden Core cultivators in a full-scale battle.
For reference, after all these years, Wei Tu had only managed to accumulate just over seventy third-rank talismans.
—Because the materials required to craft them were extremely hard to find.
And just like that, Yuan Ying's request was going to take up more than half of his entire stock.
"What's wrong? Is Alchemist Wei short on talismans?"
"Or… is it that you're reluctant to part with them?" Yuan Ying teased.
For the shop's opening day, Wei Clan Pill and Talisman Hall had discounted not only pills by thirty percent, but talismans even more generously.
"You're joking, Your Highness."
Wei Tu shook his head. Even with the discount, there was still profit to be made.
The only difference was how much.
In fact, large-volume purchases like Yuan Ying's were even more welcome.
It meant faster cash flow.
"So, how does Your Highness intend to pay?" Wei Tu asked plainly.
Even with the discount, over fifty third-rank talismans still amounted to around one hundred thousand spirit stones.
Wei Tu couldn't help but worry she might try to leverage her status and offer a verbal promise instead.
This sort of thing happened not only in the mortal world—it wasn't rare in the cultivation world either.
"No need to worry, Alchemist Wei."
Yuan Ying seemed to pick up on his concern. She let out a soft laugh, then flipped her hand, revealing a few spirit stones of varying color.
"Supreme spirit stones?" Wei Tu was taken aback as he looked at the stones she placed on the table.
Compared to ordinary spirit stones, these were larger—about the size of a baby's fist—and radiated far purer spiritual energy.
"These seven supreme spirit stones should cover the cost of the talismans," Yuan Ying said with a light smile.
It takes ten low-grade spirit stones to equal one mid-grade.
Ten mid-grade make one high-grade.
But—
It takes one hundred high-grade spirit stones to equal one supreme spirit stone!
Which meant one supreme spirit stone was worth ten thousand spirit stones.
That was just the standard market rate.
In truth, supreme spirit stones were priceless. Thinking you could simply trade for one with ten thousand spirit stones was pure fantasy.
Why? Because while a supreme spirit stone didn't contain the same total spiritual energy as ten thousand ordinary ones, the quality of its energy was vastly superior.
It could be used to fuel high-tier formations and even help cultivators break through bottlenecks.
That alone made them treasures all cultivators dreamed of owning.
So, receiving seven supreme spirit stones in exchange for talismans worth one hundred thousand was not just fair—it was a sweet deal for Wei Tu.
"Of course." Wei Tu quickly masked his delight and pulled a talisman box from his storage pouch, handing it to Yuan Ying.
He didn't know why the Right Virtuous King's estate would use supreme spirit stones to pay today.
But one thing was for sure—he wasn't about to let those seven stones go.
Payment made, goods delivered.
After receiving the talisman box, Yuan Ying winked playfully at Wei Tu, then swayed her hips and walked out of Wei Clan Pill and Talisman Hall.
Before leaving, she warned Wei Tu to keep quiet about the Right Virtuous King's estate purchasing talismans. If word got out, he'd suffer the consequences.
Clearly, Yuan Ying still believed Wei Tu was the same weak Golden Core cultivator who once backed down from Wolfslayer Daoist's extortion.
'Paying with supreme spirit stones… maybe the Right Virtuous King's estate is short on regular spirit stones and had no choice but to use something more valuable,' Wei Tu thought.
He even guessed that the large order of third-rank talismans was probably aimed at targeting Yuan Jie for killing the Second Prince.
"Yan Yu, has the royal court announced the schedule for the next Golden Tent election?"
"How much time is left?"
Wei Tu called for Yan Yu and asked directly.
The reason the Right Virtuous King's estate was hostile toward Yuan Jie was simple—Yuan Jie was a rising star of Ying Ding Tribe, and likely to be elected as the next Right Virtuous King in the upcoming Golden Tent election, replacing the current aging king.
That was the root conflict between the hereditary estate and Yuan Jie—impossible to reconcile.
After the Second Prince was killed by Yuan Jie a few years back, the feud intensified.
"High Priest, there's less than four months until the Golden Tent election," Yan Yu replied after a brief pause.
Due to her status and perspective, Yan Yu didn't realize how significant the election was for Wei Tu. Plus, with him having been gone for a year, she had brushed it off as a minor matter.
After all, the Golden Tent elections in Ying Ding Tribe had always been a formality. The Right and Left Virtuous Kings were basically chosen by inheritance.
"Four months…" Wei Tu murmured, understanding now why the Right Virtuous King's estate had been in such a rush to purchase talismans.
He figured that with the Second Prince dead, the conflict between Yuan Jie and the estate had boiled over. The secret power struggle had turned open. Backed by Divine Masters, Yuan Jie's supporters had likely pressured the royal court into holding the election early—trying to push Yuan Jie onto the throne in one stroke.
At the end of the day, whether it was Ying Ding Tribe, She Ri Tribe, or Feng Wu Tribe, the ones really in charge were the Divine Masters—not the kings.
The royal court simply ruled on their behalf.
Wei Tu hadn't expected to feel the undercurrents of this power struggle so soon after arriving in Hujie Immortal City.
"I'm heading back to the residence. Remember—what happened today stays between us."
He warned Yan Yu, then left Wei Clan Pill and Talisman Hall and returned to his rented cave residence, Lark Abode.
Half a day later.
Using the top-tier sensory technique Know Heaven Crossing, Wei Tu confirmed that no one was watching nearby. He changed his appearance and flew straight toward Yuan Jie's residence.
As for Princess Yuan Ying's warning—
Wei Tu wasn't worried in the slightest.
How many Golden Core cultivators did the Right Virtuous King's estate even have?
He wasn't afraid of beings like Gui Luo the Demon Lord. Would he fear a mere noble household?
If the estate really had the power to assassinate him, the Divine Masters of Ying Ding Tribe wouldn't be so eager to support Yuan Jie's rise—they'd fear weakening their power base.
Besides, Yuan Ying had it wrong.
Wei Tu had already boarded Yuan Jie's ship long ago. The grudge between him and the Right Virtuous King's estate was soaked in blood, not some political neutrality repaid by favors.
—Both Wolfslayer Daoist and the Second Prince had died with Wei Tu's direct involvement.
"What? The Right Virtuous King's estate bought a huge batch of talismans from you?" Yuan Jie was shocked and pleased when he heard this.
Shocked that they were really preparing to go to war.
Pleased that Wei Tu had clearly chosen to side with him.