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Chapter 322: Representatives from Various Forces Attend (Part 3)
🕑 Added 2024-10-11 05:02:48 +0000 UTCUpon hearing this, everyone present looked at Li Zhouxuan in surprise. Another matter? Liu Yunan and Qin Jianghe, though fully aware of the situation, also mimicked the expressions of surprise and curiosity like everyone else.
Once the conversations had quieted and all eyes were on him, Li Zhouxuan finally spoke, "I have here an order for the purchase of Quieting Talismans. The purchase price is set at five spirit stones per talisman. What do you all think?"
Hearing this, the representatives from the various sects began whispering among themselves. The Quieting Talisman was a basic talisman known for its ability to calm agitated spiritual energy. It could be used on oneself, on others, or even in the environment. However, due to its low level and limited effectiveness, it was mostly useful for cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage, and at best, somewhat useful for those in the Core Formation stage.
For the cultivators in the mortal realm, they knew of this talisman but rarely possessed any because the higher sects often bundled it with other necessary items, forcing them to purchase it. Moreover, this talisman was of little value in their world, where cultivation resources were already scarce. They would much rather exchange it for something that could more directly improve their cultivation.
However, the choice was never theirs to make.
If this talisman could be sold for spirit stones, even at just five spirit stones per talisman, it was still cheaper than the price the sects had to pay to acquire them from the higher sects. For these long-exploited sects, even a small profit from selling these talismans would be welcome.
Still, the price was a concern.
A hesitant elder from Yunyan Sect spoke up, "While the Quieting Talisman is not of great use to us, we did purchase them at a considerable cost. Five spirit stones... seems a bit low."
He was being polite; compared to what they had paid, five spirit stones was far too little. However, considering the royal family had just offered them such favorable terms for the purchase of resources, these normally proud elders restrained their dissatisfaction.
Li Zhouxuan smiled and replied, "Elder Xu has misunderstood. I am not asking you to sell us the few Quieting Talismans you have left. What I need is for your sects to regularly supply us with these talismans."
This raised further questions. Elder Lü from Qinghe Sect immediately asked, "What do you mean by that?"
The Quieting Talisman, while not particularly useful for cultivation, still required knowledge and skill to craft. Over time, due to its perceived uselessness, the knowledge of how to create it had gradually been lost in the mortal realm sects.
Everyone present understood that, over the years, both the royal family and the sects had quietly abandoned many cultivation arts that were not directly beneficial for cultivation. So Elder Lü and the others were puzzled.
What was the emperor implying? Surely, he didn't expect them to buy these talismans at a high price from the upper sects and sell them at a loss.
Li Zhouxuan, seeing their confusion, reached into his robe and produced a small booklet. "I have here the method for crafting the Quieting Talisman. If your sects are willing to take on this order, this method will be provided to you as a complimentary part of our cooperation. What do you think?"
Everyone was shocked, including Liu Yunan and Qin Jianghe, who made sure to show the appropriate amount of surprise.
Li Zhouxuan remained calm, despite the internal amusement he felt at their reactions, and explained, "Of course, to ensure the smooth execution of our transaction, if we reach an agreement, we will need to sign a contract, and the seals of your sect masters will be required."
The representative from Shangyang Sect hesitated for a moment before asking, "Is this method of crafting the Quieting Talisman genuine?"
In response to his doubt, Li Zhouxuan answered calmly, "It is indeed genuine. If you do not believe me, I can have one of our Li family cultivators demonstrate the crafting of a talisman right here."
Naturally, he wasn't referring to their ancestor, Li Zhanying, but to another Foundation Establishment cultivator from the royal family.
Upon hearing this, most of the attendees were already convinced but agreed to let him demonstrate the method. This matter was too significant to take lightly.
After all, with an order of this magnitude, there had to be assurance that the method was authentic. If they signed the contract only to find the method was flawed, what would they have to trade?
While there had been alliances and cooperation between the sects and the royal family over the years, there was always an undercurrent of rivalry, with each side hoping to outmaneuver the other.
Thus, they had to be cautious.
Li Zhouxuan, seeing their agreement, promptly sent for a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Li family. This cultivator had been trained as a talisman specialist within the Li royal family. Although his opportunities to craft talismans were limited due to resource constraints, and he had only learned the method for the Quieting Talisman the night before, this was just a demonstration, so precision wasn’t critical.
In the center of the council chamber, under the watchful eyes of everyone present, the Li family cultivator quickly drew a crude Quieting Talisman.
Despite the circumstances, no one attempted to secretly observe or memorize the method; the talisman was of little use to them, and there was no one else they could sell it to besides the royal family.
Moreover, before starting, the cultivator had set up a protective array around him, preventing anyone from spying on his technique. This array was of decent quality, making it impossible to learn anything by observation.
After the freshly made talisman was passed around for inspection, the attendees, who had initially been 70% convinced, were now 90%, if not fully, convinced.
Finally, someone spoke up, "Please, Your Majesty, tell us more about this order."
Seeing their interest, Li Zhouxuan explained, "As you all know, the Quieting Talisman is a niche item, so the demand isn't as high as for other, more common talismans. The order is for the regular monthly purchase of 500 Quieting Talismans. If any of your sects are interested, we can discuss how many you can supply."
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