Chapter 300 - 149: Clues to 3 Daoist Talismans, Scripture, Martial Domain, Filthy Rich, Buying Horse Bones for 1000 Gold

"The Prefecture Examination is a momentous affair. It's not just for the Jiangyin Martial Mansion; several surrounding prefectures are involved. There will be no shortage of successors from True Sects and young masters from Noble Clans. Once they've built a sufficient foundation, they too will come to claim Merit and Fame for themselves."

"Your foundation is still shallow, and you're so young. Why not take more time to build it up, to bide your time?"

Ji Xiu shook his head, his expression turning sharp and resolute:

"There are countless geniuses in this world. Young Lady Heir, you began your Qi Cultivation at twenty. If you had taken the examination to become a Prefecture Official, would it have been any different from plucking something from your own pocket?"

"If my goal were merely to stand out in a single Prefecture, then I could certainly afford to wait. But..."

"Ambition isn't a matter of age!"

"The Great Xuan has nearly a thousand years of history. I've heard of youths being granted the title of Marquis. I haven't even had my capping ceremony—I'm only seventeen. Becoming a Prefecture Official..."

"Let's not even talk about whether I'll succeed yet. Even if I do, it's hardly anything to boast about, is it?"

Xiao Mingli's legs were covered with a snow-mink fur blanket. Dressed in a moon-white, wide-sleeved palace gown, her skin looked as pale and cool as fresh snow.

She listened quietly. Her dark hair was half-pinned, with a few strands falling loose, making her appear delicate.

But after hearing Ji Xiu's words...

For the briefest moment as she raised her eyes, a flash of the sharp brilliance that had once shattered the 'Four Great Limits' appeared. She glanced at Ji Xiu, and then it vanished as quickly as it came, replaced by a languid air.

A gentle smile played on her lips.

"Good."

"In that case, you should hurry up and become a Prefecture Official. Then you can catch more Treasure Fish and aquatic wonders for me to raise in this Cold Jade Spirit Pool."

"In the past, relying on the meager haul from the Fishing Trade was nowhere near enough. I would suffer a backlash every few days."

"However, thanks to the Jade Marrow Cold Lotus and Profound-Scaled Dragon Carp you've provided these past two months, I might actually feel a bit better this spring, at the very least."

As he looked at Xiao Mingli sitting quietly in the mechanical palanquin—forged not from common wood but from Profound Iron—she resembled an exquisite porcelain doll.

Ji Xiu thought of how Granny Shi had driven back the Dragon Tiger Water Attendants from the Water Monarch's Mansion. He also recalled all the support Xiao Mingli had shown him since he joined the household...

His expression immediately grew serious:

"It is my undeniable duty."

"Young Lady Heir, what kind of Spirit Fish do you need?"

"Just because the Fishing Trade failed doesn't mean I will—not when I have the 'Mountain and Sea Search' Daoist Talisman."

'The Fishing Trade was, without a doubt, an enemy.'

'And Xiao Mingli was his current Gold Master.'

'His Gold Master was already crippled, relying entirely on Spirit Fish and Treasure Materials to sustain her life. But her perspective and background remained. Anything she let slip through her fingers would be far more precious than any ordinary Spirit Fish.'

'Having already had a taste of the benefits, Ji Xiu understood this point perfectly.'

'If nothing else...'

'Just to spite the Fishing Trade... '

'He would make sure that Chen Jing, one of the Nine Lords and the Great Lineage Master, would never have a moment's peace!'

His words made Xiao Mingli's eyes dance with a faint, unceasing smile:

"We're talking about Spirit Fish. A single one is worth a fortune, comparable to a Spirit Grade Great Pill Treasure Medicine. Doesn't that make your heart ache?"

"My Beicang Marquis's Mansion isn't a treasury, you know. That Nirvana Flower came from my old personal storeroom. After all I've consumed over the years, there's not much good stuff left."

"So there might not be any reward for you, okay?"

Ji Xiu's expression remained unchanged:

"Between friends, we don't speak of money, only of affinity."

"But I have to ask... Miss Xiao, do you happen to have any news of other Daoist Talismans, besides the 'Mountain and Sea Search'?"

At the mention of this, Ji Xiu's heart filled with curiosity and fervent excitement.

'His greatest asset for establishing himself in this world, his ultimate cheat, was the Primordial Daoist Talisman.'

'And when he obtained the 'Mountain and Sea Search' Daoist Talisman, his Primordial Daoist Talisman had actually leveled up. It didn't just add another 'advance' slot; it also allowed him to comprehend its deepest Truths. It was now leagues beyond its initial, introductory version.'

'Based on this point alone...'

'Even setting aside the Divine Techniques contained within them, Ji Xiu knew he had to make a conscious effort to collect these Daoist Talismans.'

'He had a feeling.'

'If he could allow the Primordial Daoist Talisman to keep patching up its deficiencies...'

'One day, he too could be like one of those Pioneer Ancestors—achieving enlightenment on myriad techniques in a single night. Whatever I behold, I will instantly bring to Perfection!'

Hearing Ji Xiu's question, Xiao Mingli seemed unfazed. Her long, slender index finger tapped rhythmically against the armrest:

"Daoist Talismans are exceedingly rare. They came into existence when the various Celestial Universes first began to link together."

"But throughout history, those able to find them and inherit the Divine Techniques within have been incredibly few, as if they were the chosen of Heaven itself."

"Furthermore, this inheritance process follows no discernible pattern. It all comes down to affinity."

"In the beginning, they caused many Great Powers to scramble and fight over them."

"But over time... they discovered that Daoist Talismans are merely one form of evolved Magic Technique. Some are strong, some are weak; they aren't all necessarily precious. Worse, if you obtain one but can't comprehend it, it's like drawing water with a bamboo basket—a complete waste of effort."

"You might fight to snatch one, only to find your own disciples and children can't make use of it, while some menial servant or Outer Sect disciple has the fated opportunity to comprehend it instead. As time went on, unless a clear affinity was present, even Great Powers stopped deliberately seeking them out."

"However, if you insist..."

Xiao Mingli tilted her chin thoughtfully:

"Right here in the nearby Three Mansions' Land, the Elder Martial Saint of the Dragon Elephant True Sect obtained one sixty years ago."

"Sixty years ago, that old man had only a single, precious disciple. He was once considered one of the top talents in all of Beicang, a true chosen one, and was being groomed from the very beginning to be the next Sect Leader of the True Sect."

"Unfortunately, that disciple of his later boarded a sinking ship, so to speak, and dragged the entire True Sect down with him. It forced the Elder Martial Saint to cut his losses to survive, and he went into complete seclusion for a full sixty years before finally re-emerging."

"Even if he hasn't ascended to a higher realm by now, he must be among the absolute strongest of the Martial Saints."

"You want to get a Daoist Talisman from the hands of such a figure... let's not even talk about whether you could comprehend it..."

Xiao Mingli pondered for a moment:

"Given your background with the Celestial Blade School, if he were to hear of it, he'd probably have the urge to slap you dead on the spot."