Trap

"Fellow Daoist Jiang, have you been waiting here for me?" Zhou Er asked.

"No, I went to do some other things. I thought Talisman Master Cang should be back by now. I happened to have some Green Plum Spirit Wine and Golden Silkworm Pupa, so I thought I'd come find Talisman Master Cang for a drink together." Jiang Liyue took out a small gourd and a small plate of fried silkworm pupae from her Storage Ring.

The silkworm pupae exuded a fried aroma, making Zhou Er's Taotie Heart stir. However, Zhou Er, having lived two lives, knew not to casually accept things from strangers. He said solemnly, "Fellow Daoist Jiang, we are not related, and there's nothing much to talk about."

"Talisman Master Cang, please don't misunderstand. I greatly admire you and wish to get to know you. If you don't trust me, we can talk elsewhere. You can choose the place, Talisman Master Cang." A hint of melancholy flashed in Jiang Liyue's eyes, accompanied by a seductive allure, as if good things would happen if Zhou Er agreed.

"It's too late today. If Fellow Daoist Jiang truly wants to be friends with me, you shouldn't act like this. If you need something from me, just say it directly, no need to be secretive," Zhou Er said sternly. Although he could feel the seductive aura emanating from Jiang Liyue, her every move and even the faint fragrance drifting from her body stirred his desires. However, Zhou Er knew that women who come to him like this were very dangerous. Having lived two lives, he had seen many powerful figures in his previous life fall due to such scandals. This kind of situation required extreme caution. Zhou Er vaguely sensed that Jiang Liyue was trying to set a trap for him.

"Talisman Master Cang, actually, I want to learn talisman crafting from you," Jiang Liyue finally revealed her purpose when she saw Zhou Er's reaction.

"Fellow Daoist Jiang, it's too late today. We'll talk about it tomorrow!" Zhou Er pointed at the darkening sky and said.

Seeing Zhou Er's attitude, Jiang Liyue could only say, "Then I will come to find Talisman Master Cang tomorrow. I hope Talisman Master Cang can give me an answer. I am willing to pay tuition."

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist Jiang, for giving me a day to consider." Zhou Er breathed a sigh of relief, having finally sent Jiang Liyue away.

Back in his room, Zhou Er adjusted his state, cleared his mind, and began to cultivate with focus. After cultivating for two hours and completing his daily tasks, Zhou Er began to seriously ponder Jiang Liyue's motives. It was definitely not just because of his talisman crafting Skill.

Without a doubt, Jiang Liyue approaching him must have another purpose, just like how he approached Gu Jiu the Talisman Master.

Most adult friendships are not purely for the sake of friendship.

It was just that Zhou Er couldn't figure out what about him could attract Jiang Liyue.

Looking at Jiang Liyue, she could wear a Storage Ring on her hand, and her magic robes also seemed extraordinary. She didn't look like she was lacking Spirit Stones.

Could it be that she really wanted to learn talisman crafting from him?

If that were the case, Zhou Er might not be unable to teach her, after all, it was a matter of earning more Spirit Stones.

Moreover, Zhou Er had taught two young children from the Lu Family, so he had plenty of experience.

After Jiang Liyue left Zhou Er's house, she returned to her rented Courtyard with an unpleasant expression.

"Sister! How did it go?"

In the courtyard, a Fox-eyed Male Cultivator asked.

"His vigilance is too high. Even when I used a bit of Charm Technique, I couldn't ignite his lust."

Jiang Liyue frowned.

To avoid arousing Zhou Er's suspicion, she had been very restrained, but she didn't expect Zhou Er to be completely unfazed.

If it were anyone else, a beauty who understood him coming to his door, with the moonlight hazy and the atmosphere romantic, something would have happened that night.

Then, she could have proceeded according to her plan.

"Even Sister can't do anything to him. Could it be that he doesn't like women, but men?"

The Fox-eyed Male Cultivator guessed.

"Not necessarily."

Jiang Liyue shook her head, negating the guess.

She still believed that Zhou Er's vigilance was too high and that he was wary of her.

"Then what should we do now?"

The Fox-eyed Male Cultivator asked, seeing that the plan was not going smoothly.

"You continue to scout for other targets, and I'll try him again. If it doesn't work, I'll have to give up."

Jiang Liyue planned to try other methods. If none of them worked, she would have to switch to another target. There was no need to waste too much energy on Zhou Er.

For people in their line of work, the most important thing is not to hang themselves on one tree. If this target doesn't work, switch to the next one.

The next day, Zhou Er saw Jiang Liyue again.

Jiang Liyue still had the demeanor of a devoted fan. Upon seeing Zhou Er, she flashed a radiant smile and asked:

"Talisman Master Cang, have you decided? Are you willing to teach me your talisman-making skill?"

Zhou Er pondered for a moment, then said:

"If it's just teaching you talisman making, I have a Talisman Making Insights manual. I can sell it to you at a discount. You can buy it and study it yourself."

"Talisman Master Cang, I want to buy the Talisman Making Insights, but I'm slow-witted. The manual alone might not be enough. I still need Talisman Master Cang's personal guidance."

Jiang Liyue looked at Zhou Er with affection in her eyes.

Zhou Er could feel the passion in her gaze and said:

"I can teach you, but the fee is not low. It will cost you five Spirit Stones per hour. Are you willing?"

Zhou Er had set the fee a bit high, hoping to dissuade Jiang Liyue.

Instead of being deterred, Jiang Liyue's face lit up with joy. She said:

"Talisman Master Cang's fee is reasonable."

Afterward, Jiang Liyue took out a small bag of Spirit Stones from her Storage Ring and said:

"I'll pre-book Talisman Master Cang's time for the next month."

Zhou Er looked at the Spirit Stones Jiang Liyue provided. There were nearly forty in total, an astonishingly generous amount.

Seeing that he couldn't get rid of her, Zhou Er could only accept the Spirit Stones and said:

"When do you want me to teach you?"

"Why wait for a better day? How about today, Talisman Master Cang?"

Jiang Liyue looked at Zhou Er, and then produced a Spirit Brush from her hand. She said:

"See, I've even brought my own tools."

Seeing her like this, Zhou Er couldn't quite figure her out. She seemed genuinely here to learn talisman making, and her tools were quite complete.

Coincidentally, he needed to set aside some time to make talismans that afternoon, so he said:

"Since you're in such a hurry, I'll teach you for an hour today."

"That's wonderful!"

Jiang Liyue beamed with joy.

Zhou Er brought her to his room. The valuables inside were all stored in a Storage Bag. Zhou Er didn't mind.

There was no one in the Courtyard, so he didn't close the door. He left it open, preparing to make Talismans while teaching.

Zhou Er saw that Jiang Liyue had talked extensively about Talisman knowledge yesterday and thought she truly understood Talisman making. He was planning to teach her some small tricks to improve her Talisman success rate.

Who knew, when it came to practical application, he discovered this woman couldn't even fully recall the runes within the Talismans.

In that case, Zhou Er had nothing to teach. He said:

If you find this book good, remember to add it to your bookshelf to avoid losing it next time.

"Fellow Daoist Jiang, go back and properly master the rune knowledge first, then come find me to learn!"

"Fellow Daoist Cang, are you looking down on me? I've caused you trouble."

Jiang Liyue said with a tone of self-reproach.

"Not at all, it's just that you only have a superficial understanding of the runes. I want to teach you, but I'm helpless."

Zhou Er said helplessly.

The current situation was like Zhou Er wanting to teach Jiang Liyue advanced calculus, but Jiang Liyue hadn't even memorized the multiplication table. How could he teach her?

The gap in Talisman making would only be greater.

Back then, when teaching the two children of the Lu Family, Zhou Er had them memorize runes first, and he would only check their rune memorization each time.

Now, Zhou Er had accepted Spirit Stones, so he naturally couldn't be as perfunctory as before. He had to be more serious.

"Fellow Daoist Cang, I'm too stupid."

Jiang Liyue said.

"Then I'll return the Spirit Stones to you!"

Seeing that he couldn't teach her, Zhou Er didn't intend to keep the Spirit Stones.

"Fellow Daoist Cang, it's okay, I can learn slowly."

Jiang Liyue forced herself to study for a long time, listening a lot, but she didn't know how much she understood.

Zhou Er looked at her expensive Talisman Brush and immediately felt like a poor student with too many stationery items.

However, Jiang Liyue still listened attentively.

Zhou Er taught for over an hour. Jiang Liyue learned some things, seemingly understanding yet not understanding. Then she said:

"Fellow Daoist Cang, let's stop here for today. How about I treat you to a good meal?"

Zhou Er nodded. He was indeed tired from teaching and planned to reward himself.

Moreover, Zhou Er realized Jiang Liyue had other matters to discuss with him.

Jiang Liyue let Zhou Er choose a location, and Zhou Er picked the Spirit Restaurant he frequented.

Upon arriving, Jiang Liyue requested a private room.

Once all the dishes were served, Zhou Er ate earnestly while Jiang Liyue observed him and made small talk.

Jiang Liyue subtly revealed her background, hinting that she was the legitimate daughter of a Golden Core family with immense influence.

After a few cups of spirit wine, Jiang Liyue suddenly said:

"Fellow Daoist Cang, your talent is no less than any Talisman Master in Bashui Immortal City. However, Bashui Immortal City is controlled by the four great families: Wang, Xie, Gu, and Liu. If you remain in Bashui Immortal City, you will inevitably face obstruction from these four families when you try to establish your foundation. Putting aside other matters, if you were to join my Jiang Family, with me here, I can guarantee you will establish your foundation."

Hearing this, Zhou Er stopped his actions and looked at Jiang Liyue, saying:

"Fellow Daoist Jiang, are you trying to poach me to your Jiang Family?"

"Yes! Fellow Daoist Cang, I admire you greatly. You are the most talented and promising Talisman Master I have ever seen. Our Jiang Family is willing to invest in you. As long as you come with me to the Jiang Family, you will immediately receive a Foundation Establishment Pill."

Jiang Liyue said with conviction.

She understood too well the temptation a Foundation Establishment Pill held for a Late-stage Qi Refining cultivator.

She herself was a Late-stage Qi Refining cultivator, racking her brain for ways to obtain more Foundation Establishment Pills to increase her chances of establishing her foundation.

Each realm was like a different world.

Foundation Establishment cultivators had lifespans exceeding two hundred years, could project their Spiritual Sense, and their mere imposing aura could terrify Qi Refining cultivators.

No Late-stage Qi Refining cultivator did not yearn for Foundation Establishment.

Hearing Jiang Liyue's words, Zhou Er indeed showed some interest.

These days, he had been racking his brain for a Foundation Establishment Pill.

Now, this opportunity was right before his eyes.

As long as he left Bashui Immortal City with Jiang Liyue, he could obtain it.

For Zhou Er, this was not a difficult matter.

He was not originally from Bashui Immortal City, having only moved there a month ago, and had no sense of belonging.

To him, moving to the Jiang Family was no different from staying in Bashui Immortal City; it was merely changing his cultivation location, and he would also get a Foundation Establishment Pill.

However, Zhou Er still had some reservations.

Jiang Liyue went to great lengths to approach him. If she wanted to poach him, while logically it made sense, there were still some strange aspects.

Although Zhou Er couldn't pinpoint the strange part, he just felt something was off.

"Fellow Daoist Jiang, I just moved to Bashui Immortal City, and you're asking me to leave already. That's a bit too hasty," Zhou Er said.

"Fellow Daoist Cang, I know this might be sudden, but I don't want your precious talent to be wasted in Bashui Immortal City."

As she spoke, Jiang Liyue reached out to hold Zhou Er's hand, but he dodged it.

"Fellow Daoist Jiang, please allow me some time to consider."

Zhou Er said.

"Fellow Daoist Cang, if you return to the Jiang Family with me, I can give you a Foundation Establishment Pill and the status of Guest Elder. Our family also has Second-tier Talisman Masters who can teach you Second-tier Talismans. I will be leaving Bashui Immortal City in five days. During this time, if you've made up your mind, you can find me in the West Courtyard."

Jiang Liyue gave Zhou Er a look that was both distant and intimate, then left the private room, leaving Zhou Er to his thoughts.

Zhou Er finished the rest of his meal while recalling Jiang Liyue's words.

Judging by her attitude when she left, it seemed like this was his last chance.

After eating and drinking his fill, Zhou Er meandered back to his courtyard.

His mind was now largely occupied by the Foundation Establishment Pill.

It felt like his only chance.

A voice in his heart told him that if he didn't agree to Jiang Liyue, he might never get a Foundation Establishment Pill in his lifetime.

But if he agreed to Jiang Liyue, a simple matter of speaking, he could obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill, and Foundation Establishment would be within reach.

Because he was constantly troubled by this matter, Zhou Er's cultivation was not going smoothly.

Fortunately, Zhou Er's Spiritual Sense was slightly stronger than that of ordinary people, otherwise, his cultivation might have gone awry.

After completing his daily cultivation, Zhou Er was still troubled by Jiang Liyue's matter.

Jiang Liyue's attire was extraordinary, worth at least several hundred Spirit Stones. The Storage Ring in her hand also looked very high-class and valuable.

If one were to judge solely by her attire, there was a high probability that Jiang Liyue was telling the truth.

Furthermore, she was generous, spending dozens of Spirit Stones casually. It seemed unlikely she would deceive a small Talisman Master like him.

As Zhou Er pondered, he drifted off to sleep.

In his dream, he dreamt of news he had seen in his previous life, and he suddenly woke up.

The telecom fraud park lures ordinary people abroad with high salaries. As soon as they leave the country, the fraudsters reveal their fangs, harvesting organs and threatening them to join the park.

Many highly educated talents, facing such high-paying scams, ultimately couldn't guard against them.

In his previous life, Zhou Er didn't take this seriously, thinking that normal people wouldn't be deceived, and those who were deceived were simply not very bright.

"Greed!"

Zhou Er thought of this. Jiang Liyue wanted to use his greed for the Foundation Establishment Pill to lure him away from Bashui Immortal City.

After realizing this, Zhou Er calmed down.

This Jiang Liyue was by no means a good person. She was probably just pretending to be a daughter of a noble family.

But the Foundation Establishment Pill was still too tempting. After all, it was an opportunity to upgrade one's status and double one's lifespan.

Even knowing Jiang Liyue's scheme, Zhou Er couldn't help but think about the Foundation Establishment Pill.

Desire, indeed, was not so easily suppressed.

Fortunately, Zhou Er's mood had already calmed down.

"I have an Equipment Slot. Even if it takes a few more years, Foundation Establishment is inevitable. There's no need to take the risk for an empty promise."

Finally, Zhou Er made up his mind and decided to ignore Jiang Liyue, this person with ulterior motives.

Instead of wasting time on Jiang Liyue, it was better to cultivate relationships with other Talisman Masters in Bashui Immortal City. The opportunity to obtain the Foundation Establishment Pill would be even greater.

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