Chapter 336: Taiqing Talisman

Chapter 336: The Taiqing Talisman

The underground cemetery, serving as a large-scale mana production facility, saw a constant flow of corpse parts in and out each day.

As these corpse parts aged and became irreparable during the mana production process, the issue of how to handle them became increasingly important.

Zhang Pianpian explained, "Those with residual value are either used for blind box draws or sold as second-hand organs on the market. That’s one outlet."

"Many others are completely damaged and have no reuse value. They are often turned into bone ash and sold as waste."

"Bone ash is used in crafting certain magical remains, performing specific Taoist arts, or setting up formations."

"Some people even buy it for calcium supplementation—cheaper than buying medicine..."

Zhang Pianpian picked up a brick of flour from the ground and said, "Perfect. We’ll transport this flour out as bone ash."

A moment later, Yu Xinghan and Le Mulan stayed behind temporarily, tidying and arranging the scene under Zhang Pianpian’s guidance.

Meanwhile, Zhang Yu shouldered a large box of flour, preparing to leave the underground hideout.

Before departing, Zhang Yu watched a video of a man that appeared in his Eye Socket. His muscles rippled and shifted, gradually transforming into the man’s appearance.

This was the disguise Zhang Pianpian had chosen for him—a worker who frequently transported bone ash at Huilong Garden.

Changing his appearance was no challenge for Zhang Yu.

As early as his first year of high school, he had already mastered the ability to alter his looks by controlling his muscles.

After specialized training from Master Xinghuo, he could now transform into a target’s appearance in an instant.

At the same time, Zhang Pianpian cast another talisman on him.

Concealment Talisman—activate!

The Concealment Talisman Zhang Pianpian used now was far more powerful than the one she had cast on the first floor.

As her hand slowly passed over Zhang Yu’s body, the data displayed in others’ Eye Sockets—whether his displayed name, related information, or evaluations—all changed to match that of the transport worker.

Zhang Pianpian added, "This Concealment Talisman will last about ten minutes. Make the most of your time."

Carrying the large box of flour on his back, Zhang Yu left the hideout, feeling a tension greater than during his earlier fight with the gang members.

He took a deep breath, focusing his mind on the Residual Ox Shedding Body and Heart Technique. As the roars of a white ox echoed in his mind, his nervousness gradually faded.

When he reached the entrance without incident, a security guard stopped him and asked, "What are you transporting?"

Zhang Yu turned and saw, to his slight surprise, that the speaker was Sheng Jie, a Xian Du native.

The last time they had met was at the top-floor construction site.

Zhang Yu thought to himself, "Has he been assigned to duty here?"

Though surprised, he maintained a calm expression and replied evenly, "Bone ash."

As a cemetery guard, Sheng Jie naturally exuded a slight aura of authority when dealing with a bone ash transporter. He said arrogantly, "What’s it being transported for?"

Zhang Yu replied flatly, "To sell for calcium supplementation."

Sheng Jie nodded. "Open it. Let me see."

Zhang Yu placed the box in front of him and opened it for Sheng Jie’s inspection.

"Is this really bone ash?" Sheng Jie frowned. "You’re not smuggling flour, are you?"

As he spoke, he grabbed a handful of the powder from the box and declared, "I need to taste it."

Zhang Yu’s breath hitched slightly as he watched Sheng Jie take a large mouthful and swallow it.

Sheng Jie licked his lips, savoring the taste, then suddenly frowned. "This tastes like... pig demon?"

A moment later, he laughed. "You’ve got good taste."

"Go ahead."

Zhang Yu breathed a quiet sigh of relief, recalling Zhang Pianpian’s words before the operation.

"According to the intelligence I’ve gathered, the guards at the cemetery entrance are notorious for taking bribes and demanding favors. Even bone ash passing through gets a taste."

Zhang Yu thought to himself, *Thankfully, Zhang Pianpian prepared bone ash to cover the top layer, just for these guards.*

After leaving Huilong Garden, the rest of the journey proceeded without hindrance.

Following Zhang Pianpian’s directions, Zhang Yu arrived at a room on the 45th floor and set down the box filled with flour.

Looking around the empty room, Zhang Yu thought, *Did my sister secretly arrange this room?*

Shortly after, Zhang Yu returned to the secret passage in the cemetery and successfully reunited with Zhang Pianpian and the other two.

By now, most of the task was complete. Zhang Pianpian explained, "Although the flour has been transported out, we can’t convert it into money immediately."

"Once the heat dies down, I’ll find a way to sell it as quickly as possible."

"But finding buyers and going through the money-laundering steps will take time."

"It might be two to three months before the money reaches you."

Yu Xinghan and Le Mulan naturally expressed their understanding, both eagerly anticipating the day the funds would arrive.

Seeing their excitement, Zhang Pianpian reminded them, "Remember, no one else can know about this."

"So from now on, you must control your emotions. Don’t act overly proud or careless, and don’t discuss this even in private."

"Also, avoid any unplanned large expenses for now. Save where you can. In short, live exactly as you did before."

"Act as if nothing happened."

Soon after, as Zhang Pianpian proactively contacted them, the inspection team arrived at the scene.

The officer in charge, seeing the floor covered in flour bricks and the vast fields of Earth Qi Wheat in the cultivation room, grinned from ear to ear, lavishing praise on Zhang Pianpian.

As courageous and public-spirited citizens, Zhang Yu, Yu Xinghan, and Le Mulan were taken back for questioning.

With Zhang Pianpian’s assistance, the aftermath was handled cleanly. Eager to close the case and claim credit, the inspection team commended the three and soon released them.

Before they left, the inspection team informed them that each would receive a bonus of 1 spirit coin, which would be deposited into their accounts in a few days.

Returning to their dormitory together, the three finally began to relax.

Exchanging glances, they burst into laughter the next moment.

Yu Xinghan thought to himself, *Ninety spirit coins... Damn, it would take me years of scrimping and saving to earn that much.*

"Even split four ways, it’s still a huge sum."

"No wonder they say wealth comes from unexpected windfalls."

Le Mulan thought, *With this money, I should be able to secure a decent ranking when I transfer to the Foundation Establishment class next semester.*

Meanwhile, Zhang Yu was already browsing through websites displayed in his Eye Socket, thinking, *What should I spend the spirit coins on next?*

Thanks to Wang Yin’s earlier sponsorship, Zhang Yu’s savings had already surged, leaving him with over 26 spirit coins.

Adding the proceeds from the flour sale in two to three months, his disposable income could reach 40 or even over 50 spirit coins.

But this thought also made him sigh inwardly. *Even life-risking ventures can’t compare to the speed of fraud, let alone the wealth of someone like Wang Yin, a rich second-generation heir.*

After the night’s exhaustion, Zhang Yu found himself missing Wang Yin even more, longing for the ease of his livestreaming work.

*Even when the poor break the law, they still can’t earn as much as the rich do legally.*

Hearing Zhang Yu’s lament, Fu Ji replied matter-of-factly, "Obviously. How could low-level work like robbery compare to fraud? Even selling flour is far less profitable. Otherwise, why would gangs bother with it? Fraud is the ultimate shortcut on the path of immortality. Once you help me find more colleagues and restore more of my power, I’ll show you how to scam the wealthy. Then you’ll truly understand what it means to make money."

As for this time, if it weren't for the convenience and Zhang Pianpian's protection, I definitely wouldn't advise you to earn this money.

Zhang Yu shook his head, feeling as if Fuki was swindling him right now. He suppressed his thoughts and continued pondering the uses of spirit coins.

With such a huge sum of money in the future, Zhang Yu immediately began entertaining many ideas he had never dared to consider before.

For example, the Soul-Flesh Unity journey at Hammerheart Residence, which claimed to guarantee success for 30 spirit coins, with a refund if unsuccessful.

This was a higher realm of mental cultivation, where even if one lost consciousness, a glimmer of spiritual light in the mind's sea would remain unextinguished, sustaining the operation of the mental technique.

It was also a prerequisite for practicing a second mental technique after reaching a Dao Heart level of 15.

"According to Teacher Feng Jiu, to achieve Soul-Flesh Unity, one must cultivate diligently, grinding it out bit by bit."

"Aside from that, there's the Soul-Flesh Unity journey at Hammerheart Residence."

Zhang Yu's current Dao Heart level was getting closer and closer to 15. Originally, he thought he could only rely on his own diligent cultivation, grinding out Soul-Flesh Unity bit by bit before practicing a second mental technique.

This might take an extremely long time, as many Foundation Establishment students hadn't even achieved Soul-Flesh Unity by the time they reached a Dao Heart level of 20.

"If it can be solved with spirit coins, then using spirit coins is definitely faster."

However, spending over 30 spirit coins was a huge expense, and Zhang Yu's current savings hadn't yet reached 30 spirit coins. He planned to try cultivating Soul-Flesh Unity on his own for now.

"If I still haven't broken through to Soul-Flesh Unity after the spirit coins arrive, I'll make a trip to Hammerheart Residence."

After a burst of excitement, the three roommates suppressed their emotions once again.

They all kept Zhang Pianpian's reminder in mind: they must not let success go to their heads.

For the rest of the night, none of the three went to work or took on extra shifts. They simply cultivated silently in their dormitory.

By the next day, after a night of cultivation, all three had shifted their emotions, and no trace of excitement could be seen on their faces.

When Zhang Pianpian returned to the dormitory, Zhang Yu's eyes lit up as he looked at her chest.

Zhang Pianpian looked at Zhang Yu and sighed, "Thanks to your keen observation at the construction site this time, with this merit and my previous preparations, I'll likely be promoted to deputy team leader next month."

"You might not fully understand, but this matter is truly important to me."

Zhang Yu smiled slightly, "Senior, you've helped me so much. I'm really happy I could help you too."

As he spoke, Zhang Yu focused more of his attention on the Dao Seed that had manifested on Zhang Pianpian's chest.

During his previous interactions with Zhang Pianpian, although he could occasionally sense the Dao Seed within her, it always flickered in and out, never feeling truly tangible.

Zhang Yu could only barely discern that Zhang Pianpian's Dao Seed was called the Taiqing Talisman, but he knew nothing about how to activate it or what its uses were.

But now, whether it was because of this mission, the time they had spent together, or his deeper understanding of his senior sister... in any case, when Zhang Yu looked at her now, it was like looking at Yu Xinghan and Le Mulan—he could truly and continuously sense the Dao Seed within Zhang Pianpian.

As Zhang Yu focused his attention on this Dao Seed, he sensed something profound and indescribable—a feeling or information that defied words.

As the duration of his perception increased, more and more information gathered, eventually coalescing into something Zhang Yu could comprehend.

"To activate this Taiqing Talisman... requires 50 spirit coins?"

Zhang Yu stared blankly at Zhang Pianpian, thinking to himself that this requirement was both difficult and simple. For the wealthy, it was incredibly easy, but for the poor, it was incredibly difficult.

Sensing Zhang Yu's fixed gaze, Zhang Pianpian asked in confusion, "Is something the matter?"

Zhang Yu inquired, "Sis... senior sister, are you really short on money?"

(End of Chapter)