Writing the characters "Kui" and "Gang" on the ground, stepping on Gang with the left foot and Kui with the right, holding an imprint and a sword, concentrating on chanting a spell.

To make the talisman paper effective, it must be stamped with the imprint to work.

"In the Fourth Realm of Dao Skills, only when the Divine Soul is gathered, roaming by day without hindrance, and imitating the Visualization Aspect, can one perform magic without any reliance.

Before that, one can only rely on talisman paper, spells, and other means like invoking 'deities'."

Bai Qi appeared thoughtful. When Qi Yan and Lv Nan finished casting their spells, he shook the reins with his right hand, and the Wind Chasing Horse raised its hooves, galloping away instantly.

The Maoshan brothers wearing Daoist robes also moved as if stepping on the wind, resembling flying on clouds, not inferior to the speed of a galloping fierce horse.

"Daoist skills are indeed marvelous. I should seek out a Daoist scripture tomorrow and study it well. Now, I have the realm but do not understand the techniques, wasting all the efforts spent in daily meditation."

The fierce wind brushing his face, under Bai Qi, the fierce horse was like a dragon, kicking up billowing dust clouds, as skills like the Clothes Cleaning Skill, Blinding Skill, and Water Walking Skill were indeed quite practical.

Of course, if truth be told, he was more interested in the "Five Ghosts Wealth Transfer Technique" and the "Stone-to-Gold Technique."

But according to Qi Yan and Lv Nan, these seemingly simple methods are not easy to cultivate, with many constraints.

Moreover, if one had such a great ability, they could be supported by a noble family or secure a position as a Daoist Official.

Mundane gold and silver are endlessly available, so there's no real need for crooked thoughts.

...

...

"Truly a rural place, not a single decent restaurant or theatre to be found."

Tao Yun spat out the tea he had just sipped and slammed the coarse porcelain tea bowl heavily onto the table.

This second eldest son of the Rice Shop Tao Family's main branch had thick eyebrows and big eyes, appearing quite heroic, but once he spoke, his profligate nature was exposed.

"Brother Tao, this is not like the County City, where one can eat, drink, and play to their delight. You'll have to endure a little."

Guan Tingqing consoled helplessly, taking out a few taels of loose silver and tossing them to the tea house owner.

"Besides, there's no fortune to be found in the County City, and you can't compete with the Daoist School students."

A small square table seated three people, besides Tao Yun and Guan Tingqing in their luxurious robes.

There was also an old man in black, thin and nondescript.

He chewed the bitter and coarse tea leaves with relish:

"The good stuff in these hills, the treasure light is faintly visible, almost shooting up to the constellations."

Guan Tingqing was the third son of the main branch of the Jade Shop Guan Family.

He fondled the jade ring on his thumb, respectfully saying:

"Brother Tao and I owe our gratitude to Elder Zhou for his righteous assistance in this journey. Both the Guan Family and the Tao Family will remember this favor."

Even the usually arrogant Tao Yun spoke humbly:

"Indeed, indeed. The Celestial Fiend Day when the Four Elements are out of order is a rare event that occurs once in a hundred years. We were fortunate to meet Elder Zhou; otherwise, we might have lost our lives out there!"

The Yihai Prefecture's Thirteen Trades, except the four destroyed, Su, Mao, Han, and Fang.

There still remain the Porcelain Shop Zhu Family, Pawnshop He Family, Broker Feng Family, Cloth and Clothing Shop Wu Family, Antique Shop Lu Family, Rice Shop Tao Family, Paper Craft Shop Shi Family, Weapon Craftsman Guild Zheng Family, Wine Shop Jiang Family, Stationery Shop Cai Family, Jade Shop Guan Family, Medicine Shop You Family, and Miscellaneous Trade Lv Family.

They each control the various trades within and outside the County City.

These young masters of the main branches, living a life of luxury, mostly look down on others, having high aspirations.

Even if some are well-educated and cultivated, their inherent arrogance is hard to conceal.

In He Jingfeng's words, they are those who flatter superiors and bully subordinates, fearing the strong and oppressing the weak.

Like a house dog wagging its tail for the master, like a man-eating tiger for the common folk, he is no exception.

The grander the family background, the more they like to parade around bragging about family status, all the more so.

Having rooted in Yihai Prefecture for decades, only one person made the Thirteen Trades fully experience the terror of a commoner's wrath.

That fiend is called "Ninghai Zen."

"I've calculated it, Bing Fire is thriving, Ren Water is rampant, Wu Earth is crumbling, Geng Metal clashing, each nurturing peculiar treasures about to emerge.

You two young masters have fortune on your side, having consecutively obtained 'Three Yang Fire Essence Qi' and 'Green Mysterious Water Qi,' with fortune at its peak. Once you enter the mountains again, you will undoubtedly encounter a great opportunity."

The old man in black chuckled and said:

"Three Yang Fire Essence Qi is extremely beneficial for cultivating Fire Dao Techniques. Gathering ten strands can save three years of hard work. Not to mention Green Mysterious Water Qi, which is even more extraordinary and was one of the essential great medicines for the Celestial Dao Foundation Establishment before its loss."

Joy appeared on Tao Yun's face. His story was quite turbulent; he and Guan Tingqing left the city after hearing that on Celestial Fiend Day, one could easily strike it lucky. The two young masters set out with a retinue of family slaves and robust men, taking a boat to Nu Yun River.

As luck would have it, they stumbled upon consecutive fortuitous encounters, with the sun's essence falling and causing mountain fires to ignite along the shore.

As the villagers were extinguishing the fires, they found several crystal stones containing fire essence, and Guan Tingqing offered a hundred taels to buy them.

This third son of the Jade Shop Guan Family had a sharp eye and recognized their extraordinary nature, planning to study and appreciate them. Midway, however, a gang of thieves appeared, their eyebrows painted bright red, each of them vicious and fierce.

They hid among the villagers, suddenly attacking, cutting down most of Tao Yun and Guan Tingqing's attendants.

Even the Third-Practice Expert they had hired to escort them took a significant loss as a result of carelessness.

These Red Eyebrow Bandits were clearly after the treasures Guan Tingqing had purchased, showing no mercy, and even declaring the Thirteen Trades' name was of no use.

Just as the two young masters were in dire straits, the old man in black rode in on the wind, cast spells, and easily subdued the Red Eyebrow Bandits, saving the lives of Guan Tingqing and Tao Yun.