Ji Yuan nodded in agreement, and by the time he got home, the sky had already turned dark.
Just as he was taking out the key to open the yard gate, the gate of the neighboring Lin Family's yard suddenly opened, and Wu Qin poked out half of her body.
"Ji... Brother Ji," Wu Qin called out softly.
"What's wrong?"
"Lin Hu, Lin Hu went to Zengtou City tonight with Deng Yunliang, and he said he won't be coming back tonight..."
As Wu Qin spoke, her voice grew softer and she even lowered her head deeply after finishing her words.
Ji Yuan was also taken aback, pausing even as he was about to open the door, but he quickly reacted.
"Perhaps there's something going on."
Ji Yuan smiled and then proceeded to open his own yard's door.
"No... it's not that, Lin Hu always keeps things from me, I'm worried they are up to no good."
"Then just try to persuade him more," Ji Yuan replied and then entered the house closing the door. He could tell Wu Qin had more to say, but he didn't want to get involved, nor could he afford to.
What's happening in this Zengtou City that's not good?
There's a whole lot of it.
Besides, everyone has the right to choose their own path to development, Ji Yuan wouldn't point fingers at others' choices.
Looking at the locked yard gate next door, Wu Qin remained silent for a long time, finally just sighing quietly as she closed the gate without a sound.
Back at home, Ji Yuan first checked the condition of the house, confirming that the building remained unchanged, he then took out the book "Initial Understanding of Talisman Dao".
He hadn't slept at all last night, but Ji Yuan didn't feel anything.
With both cultivation and body tempering practices, not sleeping for two nights was a minor matter.
After reading for half the night, he finally gained some understanding of the Talisman Painting in the Cultivation Realm.
Talisman painting consists of three steps, first is drawing the talisman head, fixing the spirit pivot.
Then comes the Talisman Horn Locking Spirit Rune.
The last and most critical step is the Spirit Awakening.
It seems simple... in fact, it really doesn't seem too difficult either. Ji Yuan promptly took out his brush and ink from the storage bag, turned to the "Calm Heart Talisman" page in the book.
He repeatedly looked at it several times, then practiced on ordinary paper over and over again to ensure accuracy before taking up the cyan bamboo brush.
The paper was cyan hemp paper, the ink was ink mixed with cinnabar.
After laying it out properly, Ji Yuan infused some spiritual Qi into the cyan bamboo brush, and in an instant, the brush exuded a faint cyan glow.
He calmed his mind and began to lay down the brush according to the book's pattern.
Steady and stable, then started outlining following its pattern, spiritual power continually flowing from the brush, painting dragon and serpent strokes beneath.
Ji Yuan was inevitably a little pleased, it seemed he had some talent in talisman making.
Yet, with a slight lapse in focus, the brush stroke broke, and the entire sheet of cyan hemp paper ignited spontaneously.
Watching the talisman paper turn into ash and scatter.
Ji Yuan immediately calmed down, realizing that it's not just paper burning, it's money burning!
After a long while, Ji Yuan calmed down again, before taking up the brush once more.
With the experience from before, this time his heart was as calm as still water.
He held the cyan bamboo brush and finished it in one go.
Looking at the half-finished Calm Heart Talisman placed on the table, Ji Yuan finally smiled slightly.
It seemed indeed, in talisman painting, he did have a bit of talent.
Only the last step remained... the Spirit Awakening.
Spirit Awakening involves infusing spiritual Qi into the talisman paper, activating the spiritual power left behind earlier, making the talisman paper come alive, completing the talisman.
After calming his mind, Ji Yuan once again raised the brush, gently tapped, infusing spiritual Qi.
The talisman... burned.
"Damn!"
Looking at the burst of dazzling sparks on the table, Ji Yuan couldn't help but curse.
There was no other way, he could only try again.
Fortunately, this was only the second piece of talisman paper, Ji Yuan wasn't too distressed over it.
But then the third, the fourth, the fifth... until he burned through ten consecutive pieces, and Ji Yuan began to feel the sting.
Something's not right, there's definitely a problem somewhere.
Ji Yuan paused the talisman brush, pondering silently over what he'd just experienced, he was sure there was no problem with the talisman painting step.
The problem was only with the Spirit Awakening step.
When in doubt, consult a book.
Ji Yuan opened "Introduction to the Talisman Dao" again, carefully going through the contents word by word... Well, there's nothing wrong with this.
Not long after, as morning light filled the room, Ji Yuan tried drawing a few more talismans, but the result was the same.
Looking at the small pile of ashes on the table, Ji Yuan finally came to terms with the situation.
No wonder the Cultivation Realm places so much emphasis on teacher-student relationships. Without a master, you can't even get started with talisman painting... Ji Yuan rubbed his temples.
Am I also going to need to find a Talisman Master?
Talisman... Suddenly, a name flashed in Ji Yuan's mind.
Lu Wan!
She's the talisman prodigy of Zengtou City and is a disciple of the renowned Master Wu Wenbin from Zengtou City. Asking her for help with such a small matter should be no problem.
I'm not sure if this involves any teacher-student protocols... Still, I'll go and ask.
If it doesn't work out, then I'll consider finding a master.
Just as Ji Yuan finished feeding the Cyan-Hued Chickens and Spirit Dolphins and was preparing to leave after collecting Spirit Eggs, he heard the laughter of Deng Yunliang and Lin Hu outside the door.
The two had spent the whole night in Zengtou City and had just returned now that it was morning.
Judging by their appearance, they seemed to have had quite a good time?
Exactly what they'd been up to was anyone's guess.
Ji Yuan deliberately waited in the courtyard for a while, only leaving stealthily once he heard the doors of the neighboring courtyards close.
He first went to Lu Wan's house and met Uncle Lu, Lu Song, who he had seen before.
Perhaps it was the many years of comfortable living, or because it had been a long time since he swam, but Lu Song, once dark and thin in Ji Yuan's memory, had become a rather affluent middle-aged man.
Seeing Ji Yuan arrive, Lu Song was naturally a bit taken aback.
"Looking for Wan'er? She's gone to Master Wu's and won't be back until evening."
The two families had interacted in the past, and Ji Yuan's relationship with Lu Wan had always been good, so Lu Song didn't hide anything and spoke frankly.
Ji Yuan understood and then chatted with Lu Song for a while before politely declining the invitation to stay for lunch and taking his leave.
Lu Song stood by the door, hands tucked into his sleeves, watching him as he left.
After a moment, a woman's voice sounded from inside the house, "Ji Qingyun's son? Quite handsome, but unfortunately, looks don't pay the bills."
The speaker was naturally Lu Wan's mother, Li Qiuling, Lu Song's wife.
Compared to Lu Song, who still maintained a semblance of relations, she couldn't be bothered to show herself, so even though she saw Ji Yuan, she didn't come out.
The elegantly dressed Lu Song just shook his head.
"Without parents, yet still able to break through to the mid-stage of Qi Cultivation at such a young age... It's probably worth something."
Lu Song had reached the fifth level of Qi Cultivation early on, and over the years, he had even approached the threshold of the sixth level.
Being a detail-oriented person, someone who grows more adept with age, he noticed a hint of something unusual about Ji Yuan, despite Ji Yuan's well-concealed aura.
A person reaching mid-stage Qi Cultivation at such a young age either has significant skills themselves or has guardians behind them.
Either way, it means Ji Yuan is not simple.
"What? He's at the mid-stage of Qi Cultivation?"
Li Qiuling asked in surprise.
The mid-stage of Qi Cultivation was normal, but being at the mid-stage before twenty was quite uncommon in Zengtou City.
Couple that with Ji Yuan's rare good looks, and calling him a young and handsome talent in Zengtou City wouldn't be an overstatement.
Ji Yuan, of course, was unaware of this. After some inquiries, he finally stopped in front of a large and prominent mansion in Zengtou City.
Only those who are either wealthy or noble could afford such a place in Zengtou City.
Wu Wenbin, as a Talisman Master capable of producing first-level upper grade talismans... naturally counts as a wealthy and noble household, not to mention he has a slew of talisman-drawing disciples who bring him substantial offerings every month.
It's said his talent with talismans could allow him to join the Water Dragon Sect, but he hasn't gone.
Everyone has their own way of living; if he joined the Water Dragon Sect, he'd be just another foot soldier, a pawn, at someone's beck and call.
Unlike now, where he can throw his weight around in Zengtou City.
Ji Yuan knocked on the door of the Wu Mansion, without a porter, he was greeted by one of Wu Wenbin's disciples.
"Who are you looking for?"
"I'm looking for Lu Wan," Ji Yuan said with a slight bow.
"Looking for Junior Sister Lu?"
The white-robed man who answered the door immediately gave Ji Yuan a few more scrutinizing looks, and even his eyes weren't as friendly.
Ji Yuan didn't want to get caught up in some drama over a female cultivator, and besides, he had no ulterior motives towards Lu Wan, so he added extra clarification.
"Indeed, she's my sister."
Sure enough, as soon as the words were out, the white-robed man's eyes became much more earnest.
"I see... Please come in, Fellow Daoist. Junior Sister Lu has been attempting to craft middle grade talismans recently, truly prodigious talent."
"Master is already preparing to have her participate in next year's Water Dragon Sect selection."