Chapter 3: The Psychotic Who Sells Charms

Translator: Tim; Editor: Tehrn/Carolin

After thanking Wang Ying, Ye Mo returned to school; it was his only option. He was unfamiliar with the city, but the school offered learning opportunities. Furthermore, while spiritual chi was scarce elsewhere, it seemed more abundant on campus.

After his last class, he skipped his English teacher. Passing or failing held no consequence for him; he saw no reason to endure her lectures. Though uncultivated, his memory was exceptional, allowing him to learn directly from the library.

In the following days, Ye Mo frequented the library when not cultivating, occasionally attending classes that interested him. He remained unconcerned about failing due to poor attendance.

His dormitory, originally housing four, was mostly empty. One roommate frequented internet cafes, another lived with his girlfriend, and the third resided in the city center. Ye Mo often cultivated in the small forest outside the university, frequently spending entire nights. He returned to the dorm every three days for sleep.

Although he knew his cultivation progress would be slow in this location, habit dictated his actions. Fortunately, his exceptional memory allowed him to absorb information quickly.

Maintaining the low profile he'd adopted in his past life, Ye Mo remained inconspicuous. However, the "love letter incident" earned him the nickname "lover outside the bedroom," a label he ignored.

Initially, his apathetic presence in the dining hall and library surprised people, but eventually, he became invisible, a drop in the ocean.

After two months of relentless cultivation and using Wang Ying's 20,000 yuan on herbs and tonics, Ye Mo barely reached the first stage of Chi Gathering. He realized that without further assistance, this would likely be his peak.

While his cultivation progress was minimal, his library studies yielded significant results. In two months, he mastered primary and secondary school curricula and extensively researched medicine and metaphysics.

He found the world's metaphysical knowledge superficial, investing minimal time in it, given his low cultivation level.

Summer vacation arrived, and the school library closed for renovations, leaving Ye Mo with nowhere to go and dwindling funds—about 2,000 yuan. Without a summer job, even his meals would be at risk. Cultivation, however, remained a necessity, providing a sense of purpose. A regular job would leave insufficient time for cultivation, creating a difficult choice.

He knew how to concoct pills, but his current cultivation level prevented it. Moreover, spiritual herbs and pill cauldrons were unavailable. He decided to make charms [1]. He could create low-level spirit cleansing, ghost repelling, protection, and even simple fireball charms.

He purchased charm paper, weasel hair, cinnabar (a special red pigment), etc. While superior charms utilized spiritual beast materials, such were unavailable on Earth. He used cinnabar and chicken blood as substitutes, capable of producing sub-level 1 charms.

Using high-quality Huang Biao paper [2] and herbs, he nearly depleted his remaining 2,000 yuan.

The cinnabar, rooster blood, and inexpensive herbs yielded approximately 30 charms, accounting for material waste. Though a master charmer in his past life (capable of level 5 charms), his current skills produced unranked charms. From enough material for 30 charms, he produced only eight: two each of spirit cleansing, ghost repelling, protection, and fireball charms. A stroke of luck resulted in one near-level 1 mind-clearing charm.

This took him half a month—approximately one charm per day. He needed to sell them. While considered metaphysical, charm-selling wasn't explicitly illegal. Ning Hai's "Sea Treasures and Ancient Relics Trading Market" (or "Sea Treasure Garden") sold various antiques and esoteric items, including charms.

Ye Mo observed the other charms—made with ordinary Huang Biao, lacking spiritual chi, and selling for mere tens of dollars. He couldn't compete at those prices.

To avoid recognition and potential capture, Ye Mo wore sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat. He set up a stall in Sea Treasure Garden, mimicking fortune tellers, displaying his charms on a black cloth.

Ning Hai's city guards avoided Sea Treasure Garden, leaving Ye Mo undisturbed. He knew he couldn't rely on sheer volume; only discerning buyers would appreciate his charms' quality.

"Hm, a ghost repelling charm How much?" a couple asked, surprising Ye Mo. "All charms are 10,000 yuan each—" he began, before being interrupted.

"You're psychotic!" they retorted, walking away.

[1] These charms resemble paper bombs, typically single-use consumables.

[2] Huang Biao: Yellow paper used for inscribing runes.