Gou in the world of comprehension

Chapter 1650 Anticipating with bated breath
At dawn, a faint ray of sunlight pierced through the misty night, quietly illuminating the deepest darkness before daybreak.

Yesterday it was still drizzling, but this morning the rain has stopped and the sky is clear. The sun has been shining brightly since early morning, and the clear sunlight has dispelled the gloom in the corners of the market, driving away the filth and dampness in the air.

Su Fan sat cross-legged on the floor couch in the back room of the shop, with a stack of neatly drawn talismans in front of him.

Although he deliberately went easy on the talismans and made them as rough as possible, even so, the talismans he drew were far beyond what ordinary low-level talisman masters could achieve.

In just a few months, his "Talisman Hall" had become famous far and wide, and even rogue cultivators from thousands of miles away came to visit based on the rumors.

Nowadays, the talismans in his shop are almost always snapped up as soon as they are put on the shelves.

This situation also greatly impacted the business of the other talisman shops in the "Gemstone Workshop".

Su Fan knew in his heart that continuing like this was definitely not a good idea.

He came here to hide away from the world; the meager profits from the shop were nothing to him.

Left with no other choice, Su Fan had to raise prices.

Even a low-level talisman costs nearly 30% more than in other shops.

However, this tactic was still ineffective, and the talismans at "Talisman Hall" remained in short supply.

Those rogue cultivators may be poor, but they're not stupid at all.

Although the price of talismans has increased by 30% now, the effects of the talismans drawn by Su Fan are far more than 30% higher.

Poor people are the best at calculating; sometimes, a powerful talisman can save their lives.

Later, Su Fan came up with a way to limit sales, selling only thirty talismans per day, but even so, it did not dampen the enthusiasm of the rogue cultivators.

Some independent cultivators even waited outside the shops before dawn, just in order to snatch a single talisman.

Having exhausted all other options, Su Fan proactively approached the owners of several other talisman shops in the market, offering to provide them with a batch of low-level talismans.

The price he offered was enough to ensure that several shops would make a profit, and he also promised to guarantee the quality and quantity.

Upon hearing Su Fan's suggestion, the shopkeepers were all dumbfounded.

They had lived most of their lives and had never seen such a fool.

Although this method seemed absurd to outsiders, it did have some effect.

Even so, the independent cultivators who came to "Gemstone Workshop" to buy talismans still flocked to Su Fan's "Talisman Hall" first, and only went to other shops after all thirty talismans were sold out.

In any case, Su Fan can finally live a peaceful life again.

His "talisman hall" is only busy for a short while in the early morning each day, and the rest of the time it is deserted.

Su Fan only spends half an hour each day making talismans, and the rest of the time he is completely idle.

He finished drawing another low-level talisman, put down his pen, picked it up casually, glanced at it, and immediately frowned.

Su Fan crumpled the low-level talisman into a ball and casually tossed it into the wastebasket next to him.

This talisman was drawn so perfectly that it didn't have the slightest flaw.

How can this be allowed?
Unqualified.

Su Fan shook his head helplessly, stood up from the floor, walked to the front hall, and removed the shop doors one by one.

As soon as the door panel was removed, a dozen or so rogue cultivators were already standing at the entrance. It was unclear how long they had been guarding the place.

Upon seeing the shop open, the group of independent cultivators quickly surrounded Su Fan, bowing respectfully in greeting.

Su Fan smiled slightly, said nothing more, and turned to walk into the shop.

Thirty low-level talismans were snapped up in the blink of an eye.

He took out a wooden sign and hung it at the door, on which was clearly written "Today's talismans are sold out".

After hanging up the sign, Su Fan sat behind the counter, took out a yellowed ancient book, and began to read it with great interest.

Before long, the owners of the three talisman shops in the market also arrived one after another.

Su Fan took out the talismans he had drawn beforehand and distributed ten to each family, without any favoritism. Even if they wanted more, there were no extras.

With just the sixty low-level talismans he drew every day, the overall business of "Gemstone Workshop" actually started to improve.

Most of the independent cultivators who came here because of its reputation traveled from far away. Since they rarely come, they naturally wouldn't just buy talismans and leave.

This has, to some extent, boosted business for other shops.

Although the impact wasn't too significant, the business recovery was a real and tangible result.

Putting everything else aside, there are now many more independent cultivators coming to the "Gemstone Workshop" than before.

After finishing these chores, there wasn't much else to do that day.

Su Fan returned to the back hall, sat cross-legged on the floor couch, leisurely sipped spiritual tea, and held a thick book in his hands, studying it carefully.

He particularly enjoys this near-retirement life, where he is completely relaxed, free from strife and fighting, and only enjoys a rare tranquility.

He couldn't help but think that if he could live a peaceful and quiet life in this inconspicuous little place, it wouldn't be a bad thing.

But Su Fan knew better than anyone that such peaceful days wouldn't last long.

He was never destined for such a life; his life was destined to be full of ups and downs, constant wandering, and he would never find a moment of peace.

As he was pondering, Su Fan suddenly raised his head, his brow twitching slightly.

He sensed that someone had stopped in front of the shop.

He put down the book in his hand, stood up from the couch, and slowly walked to the front hall.

Outside the shop stood an elderly man in the Golden Core realm, dressed in a plain Taoist robe. He looked up, his gaze fixed on the somewhat shabby "Talisman Hall" signboard above the shop, lost in thought.

Su Fan frowned slightly and walked behind the counter to sit down without making a sound.

He had just sat down when the old man pushed open the door and walked in, his steps steady, his body surrounded by a faint aura of a Golden Core cultivator.

Su Fan quickly stood up, cupped his hands in a salute to the old man, and respectfully greeted him, "Senior."

The old man nodded gently to him, his gaze slowly sweeping over the interior of the shop, carefully examining it.

The shop wasn't big; there were two rows of shelves against the wall, piled with all sorts of odds and ends, and nothing else.

Those items were left behind by rogue cultivators who were short of spirit stones, when they used low-level cultivation materials to pay off their debts.

Since the shop was too empty at first, Su Fan simply packed up these things and filled the shelves to make the shop look more lively and less deserted.

The old man withdrew his gaze and asked, "Besides selling talismans, does your shop sell anything else...?"

Hearing this, Su Fan gave a wry smile and said humbly, "There's nothing I can do. Besides drawing talismans, I have no other skills..."

Upon hearing this, the old man slowly said, "Our family is preparing to order a batch of talismans from you..."

Su Fan declined almost without thinking.

"I'm sorry, senior, but I can only refine a few dozen talismans a day at most. Any more than that, and I'm afraid I won't be able to manage..." He was joking. He had only been settled for a few days and didn't want to be bothered by trivial matters again.

The old man glanced at Su Fan with a half-smile, his eyes deep and unfathomable, as if he wanted to see right through him.

However, he ultimately said nothing, simply nodded slightly, and turned to leave the shop.

This old man was none other than the patriarch of the cultivation family who managed the "Gemstone Market." He was far more knowledgeable than the inexperienced younger members of his clan and the lowly rogue cultivators in the market.

Although Su Fan suppressed his cultivation level with magic and disguised himself as a Qi Refining stage cultivator, his Golden Core stage cultivator still sensed something extraordinary about him.

He had seen the talismans drawn by Su Fan before, and he could tell at a glance that they were extraordinary.

That level of skill is far beyond what an ordinary low-level talisman master could achieve.

The old man came today with the intention of recruiting Su Fan.

Such a talisman master is truly rare. If they could be recruited into the family, it would be a great help to the family.

But after seeing Su Fan in person, he completely gave up the idea.

This is no ordinary low-level talisman master; he is clearly a true dragon hidden in the shallows of the "Gemstone Workshop."

It's no wonder the old man was suspicious. Su Fan was a powerful cultivator in the late stage of the Integration Realm, yet he forcibly disguised himself as a Qi Refining Realm cultivator, which was somewhat far-fetched.

His aura and realm could be concealed by magic, but his temperament and demeanor, honed through years of holding high positions and experiencing countless battles, were deeply ingrained and difficult to hide.

In addition, his life was filled with countless killings, and the faint killing intent surrounding him would always inadvertently spill out a little bit.

Furthermore, there was an evil aura ingrained in his very bones. Even though he tried to conceal it, his every move inevitably revealed a hint of sinister nature.

After meeting Su Fan, the old man turned and left without saying a word.

He had come to terms with it and decided to pretend he had never met this person.

That kid's level is probably far, far higher than his.

Regardless of why the other party is living in seclusion here, the wisest choice is to pretend to know nothing and not provoke them.

Watching the old man's departing figure, Su Fan smiled slightly.

This old man was quite sensible; he knew his limits and how to advance or retreat.

Even though the other party was sensible, it still served as a warning to Su Fan.

There have never been any true fools in this cultivation world.

Even a Golden Core cultivator could sense his extraordinary nature; if it were any other high-level cultivator, they would probably be able to see through his disguise at a glance.

No, we can't keep stubbornly clinging to this market town.

As the saying goes, a cunning rabbit has three burrows.

He needed to find another secluded place nearby for any eventuality.

Thinking of this, Su Fan immediately hung a wooden sign at the entrance of the shop with only the words "The shop owner has something to do" written on it. Then he turned around and left the gem shop, his figure quickly disappearing at the end of the market.

At the same time, more than ten Nascent Soul Realm cultivators from the Great World finally arrived at Xuan Guangtian.

Previously, high-level cultivators from various planes of Xuan Guangtian gathered at the airport outside Lingyun Immortal City to welcome these cultivators from the Great World with the most solemn ceremony.

The leader of the cultivators from the Great World was a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator named Liu Biehan.

Upon arriving in Xuan Guangtian, the first thing he did was inquire about Su Fan's whereabouts, wanting to personally meet this legendary ruthless man.

But to his utter surprise, Su Fan had already left Xuan Guangtian and returned to Zheng Yuantian.

Left with no other choice, Liu Biehan had to give up for the time being.

Although before he came, Senior Brother Wunian specifically instructed him to make sure he saw Su Fan in person.

However, he had many important matters to attend to in Xuan Guangtian and could not immediately set off for Zheng Yuantian.

The first priority is to hold a grand celebration to commemorate Xuan Guangtian's successful defeat of the invading demons, to appease the people, and to boost morale.

Following this, all the cultivators who participated in the battle will be generously rewarded, and those who have made contributions in this great war will be commended.

This celebration is of paramount importance, concerning the morale of the entire Yuanmang constellation human race, and must not be treated lightly.

Therefore, the meeting with Su Fan had to be put on hold for the time being.

Liu Biehan planned to personally visit Su Fan in Zhengyuan Heaven after the celebrations and commendations were all over.

Before I knew it, more than a month had passed in this flurry of activity.

Liu Biehan bid a hasty farewell to the cultivators gathered in Xuan Guangtian and then led his group to Zhengyuantian.

He was accompanied by Peng Shidao and others.

The group traveled in a grand procession, speeding along the way, and finally arrived at the Su family's old residence near the "Demon Sun Divine Palace".

However, after some questioning, they were told by the Su family that their patriarch, Su Fan, had been away from home for several months and had not yet returned.

Left with no other choice, Liu Biehan and the others could only temporarily take refuge in the Demon Sun Immortal City and patiently wait for Su Fan's return.

As a result, they waited and waited, and another two or three months passed.

Even after the Purple Sun God Venerable hurriedly arrived at the Demon Sun Immortal City, Su Fan was still nowhere to be found and never stepped back into the Su family's old residence.

Since Xuan Guangtian's great victory, the situation of the great war in the cultivation world has undergone earth-shattering changes in the past year.

The demon race launched countless surprise attacks, invading over a hundred planes of the Yuanmang constellation's human race.

Today, the human race remains deeply mired in a predicament and struggles to make progress in this unprecedented war against the demon race.

So far, apart from Xuan Guangtian's resounding victory, the battle situation in all other planes controlled by the Yuanmang Constellation Human Dao Sect has stagnated without any progress.

The passive situation of human cultivators on the battlefield also made Liu Biehan, Ziyang Divine Venerable and others anxious like ants on a hot pan, unable to sit still.

Currently, the entire human race in the Yuanmang constellation has launched a large-scale war mobilization, with everyone from high-ranking leaders to low-ranking cultivators on high alert.

Even those extremely remote and rarely visited territories have made preparations to meet the enemy and fight.

Xuan Guangtian's great victory had just ended, and most of the cultivators who participated in the battle had not yet had a chance to rest properly before they were urgently dispatched to other planes to provide support and throw themselves into a new battle.

This naturally caused great anxiety for Liu Biehan, Ziyang Shenzun, and others.

They eagerly awaited Su Fan's arrival, hoping he would appear soon and provide a safe haven for humanity.

But right at this critical juncture of life and death, Su Fan, who had single-handedly turned the tide and reversed the battlefield situation in Xuan Guangtian, vanished without a trace.

Unfortunately, before leaving Xuan Guangtian, Su Fan made it clear that he had used the Bloodstained Secret Technique, which had overdrawn his cultivation foundation, and that he needed to go back to seclusion to heal his injuries.

This reason is so valid that no one can find fault with it.

Therefore, Liu Biehan, Ziyang Shenzun, and the others could not say anything and could only patiently wait for Su Fan to emerge from seclusion.

(End of this chapter)