Chapter 17: The Value of Talismans (Part 1)

Seeing Yang Ye nod, the rugged man let out a hearty laugh. With a single glance, he could tell that Yang Ye was most likely a disciple of a sect on a trial. And with a sword in Yang Ye's hand, he should be a disciple of the Sword Sect. Having a disciple of the Sword Sect join their team naturally delighted him.

The rugged man introduced himself, "Young man, I'm called Manzi, and I'm the leader of this team. There are four of us in this team, and with you joining, we'll be five."

"I'm Yang Ye!" Yang Ye smiled and nodded, feeling some goodwill toward the straightforward man before him.

Manzi led Yang Ye to his team. The team consisted of three men and one woman. Manzi pointed to the only woman and said, "Young man, this is my sister, Qing Hong, a Ninth-Rank Profound Realm cultivator."

Following Manzi's gesture, Yang Ye's gaze fell on the woman. He was slightly amazed. The woman appeared to be around twenty years old, dressed rather provocatively. She wore a short piece of beast skin that covered her chest, revealing a wheat-colored abdomen and even her navel without any reservation. As for her lower body, she wore a leather skirt that exposed her slender, fair legs.

On the woman's right shoulder hung a black profound iron longbow. She had an elegant and heroic bearing.

Yang Ye nodded politely to the woman and then withdrew his gaze. Although she was beautiful, it was enough to appreciate her briefly. Staring for too long would be impolite.

Qing Hong nodded amiably in response to Yang Ye's nod. Yang Ye didn't give her the same kind of gaze as the others, which made her develop a slight fondness for him.

Manzi then pointed to a man in his mid-twenties nearby and said, "Xiao Hei, a Ninth-Rank Profound Realm peak cultivator. He specializes in using daggers and is the main force of our team."

The man named Xiao Hei obviously didn't like to speak. He just nodded at Yang Ye and continued playing with the pitch-black dagger in his hand.

Manzi pointed to the last man and said, "Xiu Yuan also specializes in swordsmanship. He's a Ninth-Rank Profound Realm peak cultivator and has the greatest chance of becoming an Innate powerhouse among us."

Hearing this, Yang Ye looked at the last man. He appeared to be around twenty-three years old, with a somewhat handsome face. However, there was an undisguised arrogance on his face, and when he looked at Yang Ye, there was a hint of wariness in his eyes.

Yang Ye glanced at Qing Hong beside him, contemplating something, before nodding and withdrawing his gaze. He didn't want to get involved in these messy matters.

"Brother, what rank are you as a Profound Realm cultivator?" Xiu Yuan casually asked Yang Ye.

Upon hearing Xiu Yuan's question, the others also looked at Yang Ye. A young man daring to come to the Ten Thousand Mountains at such a young age meant that his strength shouldn't be weak.

"Seventh-Rank Profound Realm!" Yang Ye nodded honestly, speaking truthfully.

"Seventh-Rank Profound Realm?" Everyone, including Manzi, was stunned. They had assumed that a young cultivator like Yang Ye who came to the Ten Thousand Mountains and practiced swordsmanship should at least be a Ninth-Rank Profound Realm cultivator.

"You're not a disciple of the Sword Sect?" Xiu Yuan asked in surprise.

Yang Ye shook his head. At this point, he wasn't considered a disciple of the Sword Sect because he was still a miscellaneous disciple and not officially recognized as a member of the Sword Sect.

Upon seeing Yang Ye shake his head, Xiu Yuan let out a mocking laugh, a hint of ridicule appearing on his lips. His attitude took a complete turn as he said, "Kid, you're only a Seventh-Rank Profound Realm cultivator. Going into the Ten Thousand Mountains would be seeking death. You should go back and cultivate for a few more years before coming here!"

Manzi hesitated for a moment and spoke softly, "Young man, the Ten Thousand Mountains are filled with great dangers. It would indeed be quite risky for someone with your level of strength to venture in." He had initially thought that Yang Ye was a disciple of the Sword Sect, but now it seemed he had made a mistake.

Yang Ye smiled and replied, "Don't worry, I'll just follow you until we're out of the Wan She Forest. Once we're out, I'll leave."

"No, that won't do!" At this moment, Xiu Yuan's voice turned grave. "Each of us in this team is a Ninth-Rank Profound Realm cultivator, and we all have means to protect ourselves inside. Having a Seventh-Rank cultivator like you tagging along would only drag down the entire team. There's no way for you to go in with us and then find your way back out!"

"Xiu Yuan!" Qing Hong's eyebrows furrowed, and her face revealed a displeased expression. "We are a team, so why do you need to speak so cuttingly? Besides, considering his age and reaching the Seventh-Rank Profound Realm, his strength is already quite impressive. You're around sixteen or seventeen and haven't even reached the Fifth-Rank Profound Realm, right? There's no need for such sharp words." She was straightforward and spoke her mind, and she also held some goodwill toward Yang Ye. Seeing Xiu Yuan's sarcastic remarks, she couldn't bear it.

Upon seeing Qing Hong speaking up for Yang Ye, Xiu Yuan's expression soured. He said, "Qing Hong, we are a team. Why do you need to support an outsider? Moreover, his strength is already low, and having such a burden with us would only drag us down." His tone was straightforward, paying no regard to Yang Ye's presence.

Hearing this, both Manzi and Xiao Hei fell silent. Although Xiu Yuan's words were a bit harsh, they also shared the same thoughts at the moment.

Qing Hong glanced at Xiu Yuan, then looked at Yang Ye, who had remained silent throughout. She sighed softly and said in a low voice, "Young man, it is indeed dangerous for you to enter the Ten Thousand Mountains with your current strength. How about this: you can follow us and help us clean up the battlefield. Once we come out, we'll give you a share of the gold coins from the items we sell. However, it might not be much. What do you think?" In her eyes, a young man like Yang Ye coming to the Ten Thousand Mountains to hunt Profound Beasts at such a young age must be in desperate need of wealth. Otherwise, he wouldn't have come with only a Seventh-Rank Profound Realm cultivation level.

Yang Ye glanced lightly at Xiu Yuan and looked at Qing Hong, who had spoken up for him. He developed some goodwill toward this kind-hearted woman. With a smile, he nodded and said, "Sure, I'll help you clean up the battlefield."

Seeing Yang Ye agree to clean up the battlefield, Xiu Yuan's disdainful expression grew stronger. He looked down upon someone like Yang Ye, but he didn't say anything. They did need someone to handle that task, and having an extra pair of hands wouldn't hurt.

Manzi nodded and said, "Since that's settled, let's go in. Young brother Yang, stay close to us and don't wander off." With that, he led the way toward the Ten Thousand Snake Forest.

As they walked, Qing Hong walked side by side with Yang Ye. She turned her head and glanced at Yang Ye, thinking he might be angry. She said, "Youngster, don't be upset. Besides being a bit arrogant, Xiu Yuan isn't a bad person. Don't take his words to heart!"

Hearing this, Yang Ye was momentarily surprised, but then he shook his head, smiled, and replied, "I didn't take his words to heart, but I appreciate your support, Sister Qing Hong." He still had some goodwill toward the woman who had consistently spoken up for him. As for Xiu Yuan, he didn't care about such a person. Although Xiu Yuan was a Ninth-Rank Profound Realm cultivator at the pinnacle, Yang Ye didn't feel any fear.

"It's good that you're not upset," Qing Hong smiled and said, "When we go in later, be careful and stay behind us. The Ten Thousand Snake Forest is teeming with snakes, and many of them coil up in the trees. If you're not careful, you could be ambushed."

"You guys are not hunting Profound Beasts in the Ten Thousand Snake Forest?" Yang Ye curiously asked.

Qing Hong shook her head and replied, "No, the Ten Thousand Snake Forest mostly contains low-grade Profound Beasts without Inner Cores, so they're not valuable at all. Our target is a place outside the Ten Thousand Snake Forest called the Gloomy Wolf Valley. The Gloomy Wolf there has a higher grade and possesses Inner Cores. Moreover, the wolf's fur is quite valuable!"

"In that case, how much do you expect to gain from this trip to the Ten Thousand Mountains?" Yang Ye became interested in the lives of these mercenaries.

"If we're lucky, we might make around five to six thousand gold coins," Qing Hong responded. "If luck isn't on our side, it could be one or two thousand. Some even lose their lives. Originally, our team consisted of five members, but one of them died during the hunt for an Earth Bear inside the Ten Thousand Mountains." As she spoke, a touch of sadness appeared on Qing Hong's beautiful face.

Seeing Qing Hong's sorrowful expression, Yang Ye changed the subject and asked, "Sister Qing Hong, do you know the price of talismans made by a Rune Master?" He knew that talismans were expensive, but he didn't have a rough estimate.

"Talismans," Qing Hong's expression changed upon hearing those words. "For ordinary Five-Element talismans, the lower-grade ones cost about ten thousand gold coins, the middle-grade ones are around thirty thousand gold coins, and as for the top-grade ones, they are basically priceless. They only appear in some large-scale auction events, and if the bidding is intense, they can go for over a hundred thousand, or even more!"

Over a hundred thousand!

Upon hearing that number, Yang Ye's eyes twitched. He finally understood why Bao'er was so wealthy and extravagant. With such a vast collection of talismans, she could sell a few and have enough to support an ordinary person for several lifetimes!

"We're entering the Ten Thousand Snake Forest now. Stay close to me and don't stray too far!" Just as they entered the forest, Qing Hong pulled Yang Ye to her side, her face filled with seriousness.