Secret Surveillance

Lin Fan blinked in surprise. He'd already positioned himself in a far corner, yet he was somehow still noticed.

As all eyes turned to him, Lin Fan felt too awkward to remain silent.

He scratched his head and said, "This disciple is slow-witted. I was still contemplating Senior Brother Yun and Senior Brother Wang's words and hadn't come up with… an answer."

Master Ruan's brow furrowed slightly, but then smoothed out quickly.

"You, come here."

Lin Fan lowered his head and stepped forward, like a student who had made a mistake.

Master Ruan's expression grew solemn, and he suddenly said sternly, "Everyone here was engaged in a lively discussion, yet you were spacing out. You truly deserve a scolding."

With that, he reached out and gave Lin Fan's shoulder three heavy pats.

Lin Fan: …

Why did this scene feel so familiar?

Yun Peng, standing nearby, chuckled and interjected, "Master, please don't be angry. This person comes from the servant class, and he's only here to observe. It's normal for him not to understand our discussion."

"Hurry up and apologize, then get out of the way."

Lin Fan quickly said, "I was wrong. I beg Master Ruan not to be enraged."

As he spoke, he shrewdly moved to the side.

Master Ruan didn't glance at Lin Fan again. Instead, he continued to explain the key points of observing demonic beasts' divine forms to the others.

That night, Lin Fan tossed and turned. If he wasn't mistaken, Master Ruan wanted him to find him at the third watch.

I come from the servant class. In terms of status and aptitude, I'm practically at the bottom of this group.

Why would Master Ruan specifically notice me?

It's better to just sleep soundly.

Lin Fan shook his head, decided not to dwell on it, and fell into a deep sleep.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Master Ruan sat cross-legged. His beautiful and charming wife had already fallen into a deep sleep and wouldn't be waking up anytime soon.

He waited and waited. As dawn approached, Master Ruan let out a soft hum. "What a patient young man."

The next day, the Blood Talisman Gathering at Roaming Cloud Valley continued. Master Ruan didn't speak to Lin Fan again, and Lin Fan remained in the corner, seemingly without any presence.

Five days later, the Blood Talisman Gathering concluded entirely. The flying boat carried Lin Fan back to Blackwood Cliff.

Zhao Wang was already waiting there. Upon seeing Lin Fan, he wore a strange expression and suddenly said, "Junior Brother Lin, I heard you were spacing out at the Blood Talisman Gathering and got reprimanded by Master Ruan?"

Lin Fan was taken aback and gave a wry smile. "Master Ruan's attainments in talismans are profound. I truly couldn't understand…"

"I understand. After all, it was too difficult for you." Zhao Wang didn't blame him but patted his shoulder as if in understanding.

Lin Fan asked curiously, "By the way, Senior Brother, how did you know about this?"

"Of course, I know. The entire Blackwood Cliff is buzzing about it now. You were the only one Master Ruan reprimanded at the Blood Talisman Gathering."

Zhao Wang spread his hands, saying.

Lin Fan had truly become famous now, though it was a rather unsavory reputation.

"Don't say I didn't warn you. You'd best go and apologize to Senior Brother Shi."

"After all, the one most embarrassed by this isn't you, but Senior Brother Shi who strongly recommended you for the Blood Talisman Gathering."

Lin Fan's thoughts raced, and he quickly realized something.

Yun Peng and Wang Zhaofeng were both vying for Master Ruan's inheritance. They instinctively rejected and looked down on him, a disciple from the servant class of Blackwood Cliff. The fact that this matter had spread so quickly was likely due to the two of them adding fuel to the fire.

Once the news spread, Lin Fan was completely out of the running, and Blackwood Cliff had lost face.

There was nothing he could do about it. Who told him he had no background and no strength?

How despicable.

Lin Fan lamented inwardly and immediately went to pay his respects to Shi Tao.

Shi Tao, wearing a golden mask, cast a cold glance at Lin Fan and questioned, "Lin Fan, do you know your mistake?"

"This disciple did not perform well at the Blood Talisman Gathering and instead caused Blackwood Cliff to lose face. This disciple knows his mistake."

Lin Fan lowered his head and said.

Shi Tao was silent for a moment, then suddenly said coldly, "Actually, you are not mistaken."

"The mistake lies with Yun Peng and Wang Zhaofeng. In order to compete for Master Ruan's inheritance, they cannot tolerate any other variables."

"In their eyes, you are nothing more than an ant they can crush with a flick of their wrist. Even if Master Ruan hadn't reprimanded you, they would have fabricated other incidents to disgust you."

"Do you know why they dare to play with you and look down on you like this?"

Lin Fan: …

Shi Tao continued, "Because you have no strength and no background. Anyone can manipulate you. Not only can they step on you, but they can even take your life at will."

Lin Fan lowered his head, remaining silent, but his thoughts raced. Senior Brother Shi seemed to be deliberately provoking him.

His mind churned, as if grasping something. Suddenly, he spoke indignantly, "If Senior Brother doesn't mind, I, Lin Fan, will be your man from now on."

Shi Tao's eyes lit up. He nodded, "You truly are a smart person."

"Don't worry. Since you've chosen to stand by my side, few will dare to mess with you anymore."

He laughed heartily, his tone filled with boundless arrogance.

"Thank you, Senior Brother," Lin Fan said gratefully.

"You may go," Shi Tao waved his hand, signaling Lin Fan could leave.

After walking out of Shi Tao's cave dwelling, a cold wind blew, and Lin Fan realized his back was soaked with sweat.

This Senior Brother Shi has great ambitions, Lin Fan thought to himself.

From what Shi Tao had said, he didn't fear Yun Peng or Wang Zhaofeng. Recalling how Shi Tao had sent him to participate in the Blood Talisman Gathering, it seemed this Senior Brother Shi truly had considerable influence.

An inner disciple had limited power. If he wasn't mistaken, Shi Tao must have a powerful backer, perhaps an elder, or someone even higher up like a peak master.

Being a Formal Disciple isn't that easy, Lin Fan shook his head, feeling like he had been dragged into some factional struggle.

If not for the Bone-Gnawing Pill preventing him from leaving the sect, he would have truly wanted to escape as far as possible.

On the stone wall, a gecko, about the size of a palm, quietly watched Lin Fan leave.

The gecko was entirely black, its aura blending into the surroundings. Even if a cultivator were close by, they wouldn't easily discover it without careful investigation.

Upon returning to his cave dwelling, Lin Fan, who had been holding back for days, kept the two women occupied for most of the night.

Only after the two women fell into a deep sleep did Lin Fan get up. With a thought, he communicated with his panel.

[Do you wish to expend forty years of lifespan to pre-emptively advance the Talisman Secret Tome to Great Accomplishment?]

A line of small text, visible only to him, appeared before Lin Fan.

Lin Fan said without hesitation, "Agree to pre-empt."

Soon, deeper insights into the "Talisman Secret Tome" flooded into Lin Fan's mind.

A scene unfolded: a young man was drawing talismans. However, it was vastly different from last time. This time, he wasn't sketching ordinary talisman patterns, but vibrant, blood-red talisman patterns.

As the talismans appeared, a strong demonic aura emanated from the light.

"This is... a Blood Demon Talisman!" Lin Fan exclaimed in surprise.

During his few days in Roaming Cloud Valley, while he appeared oblivious, he had actually gained a great deal.

He recognized at a glance that the ink the young man was using was a mixture of demonic beast blood and cinnabar. Combined with the vivid talisman patterns, he was clearly crafting a Blood Demon Talisman.

Lin Fan watched intently. In the end, he unconsciously took out talisman paper, mixed some demonic beast blood obtained from the Blood Talisman Gathering with cinnabar, and began to sketch on the talisman paper, mimicking the young man's actions.

He was extremely focused, and every stroke he made was painstaking.

In just a moment, Lin Fan was already sweating, and half of his Internal Breath was consumed. Yet, he persisted.

After a long while, with the final stroke, a talisman pattern radiating a demonic aura appeared on the paper.

"It's done, a Blood Demon Talisman pattern," Lin Fan's eyes brightened.

To create a true Blood Demon Talisman, one must master at least one complete Blood Demon Talisman. Compared to ordinary talisman patterns, even just sketching a Blood Demon Talisman pattern increased the difficulty severalfold.

Lin Fan quickly summoned his panel to check his status.

[Name: Lin Fan]
[Lifespan: 1265]
[Talent: Pre-emptive Dao Fruit]
[Realm: Meridian Condensing Realm (Second Grade)]
[Cultivation Method: Intermediate Demonic Arts (Novice), Blood Gathering Art (Minor Accomplishment), Talisman Secret Tome (Great Accomplishment)]

"Once the Talisman Secret Tome reaches Perfection, I'll be able to craft a complete Blood Demon Talisman and become a true Blood Talisman Master," Lin Fan murmured softly.

Blood Talisman Masters were a rare technical profession within the Demonic Sect. Not only was their status elevated, but they also received more resources than ordinary disciples.

Most importantly, Blood Talisman Masters could sell their crafted blood talismans, greatly increasing their supplementary income.

Even with the help of his panel and the Pre-emptive Dao Fruit, Lin Fan was currently most pressed for contribution points.

But the contribution points the sect provided monthly, plus what he earned by transcribing texts daily, were nowhere near enough for Lin Fan's expenses.

He needed contribution points for the antidote to the Bone-Gnawing Pill every month, for supporting Zhou Wanqing and Wang Yuyao, and for acquiring powerful cultivation methods. Contribution points were needed everywhere.

If you wanted to live comfortably in the Demonic Sect, you absolutely needed contribution points.

For the next few days, Lin Fan continued as before, transcribing talisman patterns on the second floor of the Hidden Scripture Pavilion, and then crafting talismans in his free time.

From time to time, he would let Zhao Wang catch a glimpse of his improved talisman skills.

Of course, Lin Fan had his own explanation: he had gained some insights at the "Blood Talisman Gathering."

Whether Lin Fan was in his cave dwelling or on his way to the second floor of the Hidden Scripture Pavilion, that black gecko would follow him like a shadow.

This was no ordinary creature, but a Black Demon Gecko condensed by a Blood Demon Talisman, a creation of Master Ruan himself.

Lin Fan had deliberately held back his true abilities at the Blood Talisman Gathering. While he could fool others, he couldn't fool Master Ruan.

Master Ruan had dedicated most of his life to talismans and was incredibly knowledgeable. The first time he saw Lin Fan, he had a vague feeling that the boy was somewhat unusual.

Before, when Lin Fan couldn't answer his question, he had assumed the boy was simply dull-witted. But thinking back, shouldn't a normal person be utterly ashamed if they couldn't answer?

Yet, at that moment, the young man had simply walked to the side amidst the laughter of the crowd, his extreme calmness baffling.

So, to figure out what was going on, Master Ruan activated a Blood Demon Talisman of a Black Demon Gecko to secretly monitor Lin Fan's every move.

He had devoted his life to the path of talismans but had achieved little in terms of cultivation. His remaining lifespan was short, and his greatest wish was to find a suitable successor.

In his cave dwelling, Lin Fan was sketching with his Talisman Brush. On the pristine talisman paper, a Blood Demon Talisman pattern emerged, radiating a dense demonic aura.

Compared to last time, Lin Fan only took half an hour to complete the full Blood Demon Talisman pattern this time. Furthermore, he consumed less Internal Breath, which meant he had improved again.

On the stone wall of the cave dwelling, the gecko saw this and its eyes instantly lit up.