Wang Ye, that kid, he's actually quite cunning.
He's an extremely intelligent person.
If he wasn't intelligent, he wouldn't have been able to get into Tsinghua University.
Of course, he's not just some bookworm who only knows how to study.
He can see through many things, but he's simply too lazy to get involved.
His abilities and his family background give him the confidence to say no.
If he were to truly think, act, and engage with the world seriously, Wang Ye might not necessarily do poorly. It's just that his moral standards are too high, and he can't be as slick and shameless as Zhang Chulan.
"What, you think I'm going to harm your Master Zhou?"
Qingshui said, putting his legs up.
Wang Ye gave an awkward smile, not answering.
"Don't worry, if I really wanted to deal with Senior Zhou Sheng, could you even leave right now? You'd already be a hostage. Alright, Zhang Lingyu will be at the school gate soon. Go quickly and come back quickly. I'll give you half the afternoon off."
"Got it!"
Wang Ye cheered, pushed his chair back, and ran out.
About ten minutes later.
"Teacher Zhuo, I've brought the person to you. I'll be off now!"
Wang Ye leaned against the doorway, waving at Qingshui.
"Get lost. Don't be late tomorrow."
Qingshui waved his hand, then looked at the apprehensive white-haired Daoist.
"True Man Lingyu."
"Lingyu greets Professor Zhuo. You can just call me Lingyu."
Zhang Lingyu bent at the waist, solemnly and respectfully bowing to Qingshui.
"Oh, you're quite polite. I've learned your Longhu Mountain Talisman Arts, so there's some camaraderie between us. I'm also the same age as you, so there's no need for this."
Qingshui simply brewed two cups of tea and offered one to Zhang Lingyu.
His Avatar had just passed its 28th birthday, making him the same age as Zhang Lingyu and Zhuge Qing.
"Lingyu performs this salute not because of age, but because of your great contributions to both the nation and its people. To be honest, Lingyu has another matter for which I've come to the Capital City this time: I wish to ask for your help in treating Uncle-Master Tian with Regeneration Serum."
Zhang Lingyu maintained his bowing posture.
"Alright, the Regeneration Serum still needs to pass inspections from the National Health Commission before it can be commercialized, but in reality, there are no issues left. When you go back, you can call Zhijinhua and have her bring her equipment to Longhu Mountain to give Elder Tian a check-up and collect blood samples. Once the serum is customized here, it will be sent over. If you're not at ease, you can send him to the Capital City yourself, or I can have Yan Qiu accompany them.
Please."
Qingshui extended a hand, gesturing towards the two cups of tea on the table.
"Lingyu, on behalf of Longhu Mountain, thanks Professor Zhuo. However, Lingyu cannot return to the mountain for now. Before I came down, my master instructed me to gain experience in the mundane world for a year or two before returning."
Zhang Lingyu bowed again before finally sitting down. He first took off his black shoulder bag and pulled out a box with golden cloud patterns on its surface. He held it with both hands and presented it to Qingshui.
"This is the Zhengyi Alliance Authority Scripture and Talismans that Master asked me to give to you. Inside, there are also summaries of notes and related techniques left by previous High Priests of Longhu Mountain."
Seeing Qingshui accept the box, Zhang Lingyu finally picked up a teacup from the table, took a light sniff, and then a sip.
He hadn't rested since arriving in Beijing by high-speed rail, taking a taxi directly to Peking University. He was quite thirsty.
Qingshui, meanwhile, opened the box and began examining its contents right in front of Zhang Lingyu.
Longhu Mountain Talisman Arts consists of thirty-six talismans and seventy-two registers, totaling one hundred and eight, corresponding to the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches.
In Water Margin, these one hundred and eight talismans were all inscribed on a stone tablet called the Hall of Subduing Demons on Longhu Mountain. The Tang Dynasty Heavenly Master, Daoist Dongxuan Zhang Chen, sealed the one hundred and eight demon lords of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches here, with a prophecy that they would be released when a flood occurred.
As a result, at that time, Grand Marshal Hong, under the emperor's command, went to Longhu Mountain to invite a Heavenly Master to pray for the disaster victims. When Grand Marshal Hong passed by the Hall of Subduing Demons, he didn't believe in evil and opened the main hall.
As soon as the stone tablet was opened, the one hundred and eight demon stars reincarnated and descended to the mortal realm.
While this is undoubtedly a novelist's tale, it illustrates a point:
The one hundred and eight talismans of Longhu Mountain are indeed very famous in the world of talismans.
The Dugong Talisman has sixty-four talismans, and the Mengwei Talisman has twenty-four. These eighty-eight talismans are already with Qingshui. Following these are the twelve Five Thunder Talismans, seven Three Caves Talismans, and one high-grade talisman hidden within the Heavenly Master's Degree.
"Hmm? Daoist Lingyu, why are there also secret scrolls for Lightning Technique here?"
Qingshui finished flipping through the topmost book, then looked at a thin booklet behind it, asking Zhang Lingyu.
"Professor Zhuo, that's because the later talismans of the Celestial Master's Mansion require the use of Lightning Technique. Taking the Five Thunder Talisman as an example, this talisman is the foundation for all talismans of the Zhengyi Dao. It is categorized into five grades and is widely circulated among various Daoist traditions. However, in the secret teachings of the Celestial Master's Mansion, the Jade Pivot Secret Script is subtly inscribed within this talisman. When activated with Lightning Technique, it can become a fourth-grade talisman.
It can be further upgraded, like the Shenxiao Five Thunders of the Shenxiao Sect. In our Celestial Master's Mansion, it's the Purple Mansion Five Thunder Talisman, which requires the Three Dantian Lightning Cultivation Method. This involves circulating the Qi of Lightning Technique within the upper, middle, and lower Dantians. When drawing the talisman, this Qi is infused into the ink, cinnabar, and paper, transforming into a lightning pattern.
For the second-grade Taiyi Five Thunder Talisman, one needs to use the Qi of the five viscera to activate the Crimson Palace Thunder, Filthy Thunder, Green Yu Thunder, Wuji Thunder, and Haohua Thunder. With these five thunders, each forms its own lightning pattern, and when combined into a single talisman, it forms the Primordial Taiyi."
Zhang Lingyu explained it in a very complex way, but it essentially boiled down to one or two sentences.
To continue learning the advanced Talisman Arts of Longhu Mountain, the prerequisite is to master Lightning Technique.
Qingshui continued to flip through the pages.
Both the Yin Five Thunders and Yang Five Thunders cultivation methods were included. It seemed the Old Heavenly Master wasn't sure if he was still a virgin, so he sent both sets of Lightning Techniques, Yin and Yang.
However, only half of each was provided.
This was normal. Neither Zhang Chulan nor Zhang Lingyu had learned the complete Lightning Technique.
Only a Heavenly Master was qualified to learn that.
Even a High Priest from Longhu Mountain would only learn half.
Zhang Lingyu was drinking tea, while Qingshui was flipping through the two books in his hands.
After quickly browsing and roughly memorizing the content, Qingshui put the books back in the box and placed it on the table.
"True Man Lingyu, the Old Heavenly Master sent you down the mountain for experience. What do you plan to do next?"
"I was just about to ask Professor Zhuo. People say you're the smartest person in the world. Could you perhaps offer Lingyu some guidance?"
"What were your original plans?"
"I grew up on the mountain and don't have many other skills. But luckily, I have certifications. I know Six Yao Divination, Six Ren Divination, and Four Pillars of Destiny. I could set up a stall and tell fortunes."
"How about you tell my fortune, then?"
Qingshui grew a little interested.
It was his first time having someone tell his fortune.
He could actually use Qimen Dunjia to tell fortunes as well, but it was quite complex, requiring deductions based on Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, Eight Trigrams, and Nine Palaces. He had only just started learning it, so his predictions would likely not be very accurate.
Zhang Lingyu asked, "Would you like to use Six Yao Divination or Coin Divination, or perhaps Six Ren Divination, Face Reading, or Palmistry?"
"You know all of them?"
"They're all taught on the mountain. Any Taoist who has properly received a Talisman will know some of these."
"I happen to have a few coins here. You can use them for the divination."
Qingshui took a few one-yuan coins from the drawer.
"Then let's do Coin Divination."
Zhang Lingyu glanced at the four coins on the table and picked up three of them.
Six Yao Divination and Coin Divination are quite similar. Both use the heads and tails of coins to divine the Eight Trigrams, combining them in pairs to form one of the sixty-four hexagrams of the Later Heaven. The judgment is then made based on the hexagram and its changing lines.
The former was Chen Jinkui's specialty. Whenever he was in a Qimen Formation, he would decide which technique to use and how to fight based on the results of throwing six large coins.
Coin Divination is slightly more complex. Each throw of three coins counts as one line, and repeating this six times forms a hexagram.
There were only four coins here. Although Coin Divination takes a little longer, only three coins are needed.
Actually, other objects with two sides that can represent yin and yang would also work, but since there were coins, there was no need to add more trouble.
Zhang Lingyu first took out paper and a pen from his bag, then tossed the three coins one by one, letting them spin and fall on the tabletop. He repeated this six times, drawing a line on the paper each time.
Zhang Lingyu looked at the hexagram on the paper and then looked up at Qingshui, saying:
"Upper Li, lower Qian. This is the Da You Hexagram. Only the ninth third line changes, so you should focus on that line."
"Oh? Then, in True Man Lingyu's opinion, is this hexagram good or bad?"
"Of course, it's a good hexagram. 'Da You: Original success, prosperity.' Upper Li, lower Qian. Fire in the sky, illuminating all directions. This fire in the sky naturally refers to the sun. You are currently like the sun in the sky, so bright that others cannot open their eyes, and even the stars and moon dare not appear at the same time.
But what you are doing now can also benefit all directions, maintaining abundance and ensuring peace."
Zhang Lingyu explained.
"That's quite accurate. What I'm doing right now is trying to create a sun on Earth, just like the one in the sky—well, not as hot, but equally powerful, a sun that can bring great change to this world. Anything else?"
Qingshui raised an eyebrow and said to Zhang Lingyu.
Zhang Lingyu thought for a moment, then took out an annotated I Ching from his bag, flipped through it, found the corresponding section, and pointed it out to Qingshui.
"Your changing line is in the ninth third line. The text for this line is 'A duke uses it to offer to the Son of Heaven; a small man cannot.' The commentary's explanation is only two words different: 'A duke uses it to offer to the Son of Heaven; a small man will harm.' So you do need to be careful about this."
"You mean a small-minded person will try to harm me? But you're right, when I release my next achievement, those who can't get what they want from me might indeed try to harm me."
It's quite accurate, but how does it feel so useless?
Zhang Lingyu blinked, as if he sensed something. He frowned slightly, then closed his eyes.
"Hm?"
Qingshui also frowned, looking at Zhang Lingyu. He stomped his foot, settled his center, and opened his Qimen Formation.
His Qimen Dunjia had just entered the introductory stage. It might still be a bit lacking for practical combat, but he could already activate the Qimen Formation and discern some things from its patterns.
Zhang Lingyu's current state was a bit strange, as if he had entered some kind of Heavenly Heart Resonance.
In this state, one's inner landscape resonates highly with the external world. Similar to how a sorcerer can divine within their inner landscape and break that light sphere, one can obtain information from heaven and earth about things that have already happened, or are destined to happen and cannot be changed.
However, just as a sorcerer might get injured or even perish in their inner landscape if careless, Zhang Lingyu's current state was also somewhat dangerous.
At best, his cultivation would be damaged; at worst, his lifespan would be shortened or he would die.
Why did something like this suddenly happen?
Is it because of the Butterfly Effect I caused?
Qingshui frowned deeply but didn't intervene.
He didn't understand the intricacies of divination within Coin Divination and Six Yao Divination, but he could tell that Zhang Lingyu's Qi formation was subtly connected to heaven and earth, and he couldn't rashly interrupt it.
So, he made a call, asking someone knowledgeable to come over.
"Master Zeng, I need your help with something."
"Professor Zhuo, tell me."
Qingshui briefly explained the situation, then took a short video, about ten seconds long, and sent it to Zeng Jiucheng via Weixun.
Zeng Jiucheng, as mentioned before, was another sorcerer he knew who had connections with the Imperial Palace. He was a contemporary descendant of Yao Guangxiao, well-versed in Qimen Dunjia, Fengshui Geomancy, and I Ching Divination.
"Heavenly Heart Resonance, this is a good thing. It usually only happens to High Priests with profound cultivation, pure thoughts, and the heart of a child. Only those with exceptional talent can enter this state. True Man Lingyu truly lives up to being the Old Heavenly Master's personal disciple. If he can overcome this hurdle, it will be a blessing, not a misfortune. Not only will he be able to divine some things, but he will also gain some other insights during the process, which is very beneficial for improving cultivation."
"What if he fails?"
Qingshui messaged, asking.
Zeng Jiucheng didn't reply immediately, but the "typing" indicator in the chat box showed he was writing a rather long message.
"You have Regeneration Serum, so even severe injuries can be healed. However, if his innate Qi is damaged, then you'll need to find a spiritual elixir that can nourish innate primordial Qi. I recall you have a Golden Turtle Earth Origin Pill? If he fails and it's particularly severe, just cut it in half and use half. You'll also need to consume the remaining half today to avoid wasting its medicinal properties."
"I already used it last week to increase my cultivation."
Another long "typing" indicator appeared.
"Then it depends on luck. However, as a direct descendant of the Heavenly Master, True Man Lingyu certainly knows how to handle such situations. If it doesn't work out, he can also minimize the loss. It should only be a reduction in cultivation, and his internal organs might suffer from the Qi formation's backlash, leading to a mild or severe illness. This depends on the significance of the divination you're doing. As long as it's not a major issue like the rise and fall of the nation, it should be fine."
Looking at the message from Zeng Jiucheng, this time it was Qingshui who didn't reply immediately.
Because Zhang Lingyu had already woken up from that state.
"Daoist Lingyu, are you alright?"
"Thank you, Professor Zhuo, for your concern. Lingyu is fine, and even feels much lighter. Many things I couldn't understand before, I've managed to grasp through this opportunity, things my master mentioned in the past that I could never truly comprehend."
Qingshui nodded slightly.
It's good that he's alright.
"I've divined a few lines of prophecy here, and I hope Professor Zhuo will keep them in mind."
"Then please write them down."
Qingshui pushed a pen and paper towards Zhang Lingyu.
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