Chapter Eighty: Talent

“Lead the way. Since you want to change names, let's change all three of yours,” Qu Yiqiu said.

Sansha was overjoyed and replied eagerly, “Alright!”

The two of them crossed the deep valley and hurried back to Mingde City.

In a quiet, secluded alley on the west street, two wooden doors stood wide open.

Yao Zhimei rested her chin on her hand, staring lifelessly at the empty shop, lost in thought.

“This shop isn’t as well-located as I imagined,” Qu Yiqiu remarked as she stepped inside.

Yao Zhimei suddenly turned her head, her face lighting up with delight. “Your Majesty! You’re finally back!”

The little ghosts sweeping the floor looked up and instantly knelt to greet her.

Qu Yiqiu glanced over the shop’s layout and smiled. “Thank you for your hard work. The location really isn’t ideal.”

Yao Zhimei shook her head. “It’s nothing, Your Majesty. The real issue is that Dashan and Ershan are hopeless. Otherwise, we’d have business here!”

She looked frustrated, clearly exasperated with their incompetence.

“What are Dashan and Ershan doing? How are they not living up to expectations?” Qu Yiqiu asked in confusion.

Yao Zhimei rubbed her temples, sighing. “Your Majesty, come see for yourself.”

Qu Yiqiu blinked, not understanding, and followed her with Sansha to the backyard.

The wooden door to the room was ajar; she could see the two inside, engrossed in their work.

“What are they looking at?” Qu Yiqiu was taken aback, her curiosity piqued.

“All right, you two, stop pretending. Look who’s here!” Yao Zhimei didn’t answer directly; instead, she kicked the door.

Dashan and Ershan looked up, terrified, eyes wide.

Anyone could see how much they feared Yao Zhimei.

Qu Yiqiu glanced at the jade slips and scrolls scattered on the floor: “Beginner’s Guide to Artifact Refining: The Supreme of Six Realms and Eight Wildernesses,” “Stories of Beast Tamers Who Move Heaven and Earth with Their Emotions,” and stacks of “Pill Refining Techniques That Shake the Four Directions,” “The Secret Tales Between Me and Spirit Plants,” “At Night, Talismans Turn into Spirits and Seek Me Out,” and many more…

Just a quick look and she already understood what the two were up to.

“Which craft are you most interested in?” Qu Yiqiu asked.

Yao Zhimei turned away, clearly resigned, unable to face them.

Dashan and Ershan, hearing Qu Yiqiu’s gentle tone, exchanged a glance and replied excitedly, “I like pill refining (talisman crafting) the most!”

Qu Yiqiu nodded slightly and continued, “After all this time studying, have you successfully crafted any pills or talismans?”

Dashan and Ershan’s faces reddened as they looked at her, their eyes darting nervously, unable to respond.

Yao Zhimei had no patience for their dithering. Thinking of all the resources and time wasted on them these past two months, she couldn’t help her temper and kicked them both.

“Your Majesty is asking you—hurry and show us your best pills and talismans!”

Qu Yiqiu saw the fresh footprints on their faces and suddenly understood their level of skill.

Since arriving with Qu Yiqiu, Sansha had been hiding behind her, silent, so he missed the others’ signals for help.

Dashan and Ershan pressed their sore cheeks, quickly pulling jade boxes from their pockets and handing them to Qu Yiqiu.

Yao Zhimei, seeing the two jade boxes, clutched her chest as if her heart were bleeding—her piles of spirit stones, all squandered by these fools!

Qu Yiqiu opened both boxes. One held two pitch-black pills; the other, three talismans with bizarre, scrawled symbols.

She picked up the pills and sniffed them, her expression darkening.

“This... is what you accomplished after two months?” she asked incredulously. Dashan had spent all his effort only to produce two useless Qi Supplement Pills.

Dashan seemed too ashamed to face Qu Yiqiu, or perhaps too afraid of Yao Zhimei’s furious expression, and kept his head buried.

Qu Yiqiu took out the strange talismans Ershan had drawn.

The design resembled a four-legged crawling creature—maybe a lizard—and the characters in the middle were so odd she couldn’t recognize them.

But...

She could feel a faint ripple of spiritual energy from them.

“Ershan, what are these talismans?”

Ershan, still cowering with Dashan, looked up slightly. “They’re Sword Control Talismans. I remember that was my specialty!”

“Nonsense! These talismans have caused no end of trouble!” Yao Zhimei’s anger boiled over.

Thanks to Ershan’s Sword Control Talismans, the only three customers she managed to attract had all been scared off!

“Your Majesty, what he drew are Stink Bomb Talismans! Aside from being unbearably foul, they’re completely useless!” Yao Zhimei raised her fist, as if itching to hit Ershan again.

Sansha snickered quietly, but when he caught Yao Zhimei and Ershan’s murderous glares, he clamped his mouth shut.

Qu Yiqiu’s mouth twitched. These two were truly gifted—in their own way.

Dashan and Ershan saw the disappointment in her eyes and lowered their heads.

Qu Yiqiu closed the jade boxes and put them in her storage ring, comforting them, “It’s all right. I brought back plenty of pills from my trip—enough for the shop to sell for some time. As for your pill refining and talisman crafting skills, don’t rush.”

Dashan and Ershan looked up in disbelief.

Yao Zhimei’s fist moved slightly as she stared, amazed, “Your Majesty, you’re being far too lenient with them!”

Was she really going to keep pouring resources into these two blockheads? Yao Zhimei glanced at their faces and shook her head vigorously.

No, no! She had to persuade Her Majesty—if they needed pill refiners or talisman makers, surely not these two!

But before she could speak, Qu Yiqiu revealed her plan.

“Not just them. The other ghost cultivators can also try learning a craft. If any show exceptional talent, I’ll give them more resources as rewards.”

Qu Yiqiu took the storage pouch from her waist and handed it to Yao Zhimei. “This has spirit stones and materials for their learning, along with finished pills and some magical artifacts for sale.”

Yao Zhimei was stunned as she took the pouch and looked inside, nearly losing her eyes in it.

“My goodness—Your Majesty is incredible!”

Sansha poked his head out, and along with Dashan and Ershan, stared with curiosity.

“Grandma Yao, what kind of pills did Her Majesty give you?” Dashan, stubborn as iron, dared to ask.

Yao Zhimei shot him a sidelong glance, raised her fist and said with a half-smile, “Are you sure you want me to answer that?”

Dashan swallowed hard, pulled his head back, and shook it fiercely. “No need, no need. We’re not worthy to know Her Majesty’s affairs!”

“Hmph!” With the heavy storage pouch in hand, Yao Zhimei’s mood improved and even these fools looked more pleasing to her eye.

She lowered her fist and turned to Qu Yiqiu. “Your Majesty, isn’t it a waste to use all these resources to train them? Should I go to the black market and buy a few pill refiners?”

—Author’s Note—

Thank you all for your support~ Heart~

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