External Talisman Master

Green light flashed, and blood sprayed in all directions.

The flesh on one side of the burly cultivator bandit's cheek was sent flying by the green gleam, exposing his ghastly gums. He looked terrifying.

"Damn it! I'll slaughter you!"

The burly cultivator bandit blanched in horror. That sneak attack had nearly taken his life. He could no longer care about the expense and directly activated a Golden Light Talisman worn close to his body, preparing to fight them head-on.

In an instant, a mana shield formed around him beneath flickering golden light.

"Er Niu!"

Yet Lin Chang'an and Li Erniu abandoned him without the slightest hesitation, charging together toward the five Qi Refining Early Stage cultivator bandits in the distance, their faces blackened and dirtied by the Fireball Technique.

"Ah..."

Amid a scream, Li Erniu and Lin Chang'an were like tigers among sheep. With their skilled and seamless coordination, they directly slew two cultivator bandits.

Li Erniu cultivated an Earth-Attribute Cultivation Method. Every sweep of his broadsword carried tremendous force, while the Green Bamboo Sword artifact in Lin Chang'an's hand struck like a venomous snake flicking out its tongue.

It hit directly at vital points.

On top of that, Qi Refining Mid Stage cultivators fighting Qi Refining Early Stage cultivators was simply a one-sided crushing battle.

"Damn it!"

Seeing their ruthless methods, the burly leader of the cultivator bandits behind them cried out in shock and fury.

"A misunderstanding! Fellow Daoists, this is a flood crashing into the Dragon King Temple—we're all on the same side! A misunderstanding!"

The burly cultivator bandit had clearly mistaken Lin Chang'an and Li Erniu for fellow bandits. After all, their experienced ambush methods marked them as old hands.

First, they had used the Spirit Horse as bait. Then they had suddenly launched an attack from behind. After forcing him to use a Golden Light Talisman, they had abandoned him without hesitation and turned to kill the others.

After all, activating a Golden Light Talisman restricted one's movements to some extent.

These two were clearly cultivator bandits even more experienced than he was.

Yet in that brief instant, the four Qi Refining Early Stage cultivator bandits had already been slain by Lin Chang'an and Li Erniu working together.

The remaining cultivator bandit had been burned into charcoal by the flames earlier.

"Fuck! You local cultivator bandits are ruthless!"

Seeing the pair's savage, blade-falling methods, the burly cultivator bandit roared. Without another word, he slapped on a Godly Travel Talisman, turned, and fled.

He did not hesitate in the slightest.

Even as he fled, the burly cultivator bandit gritted his teeth and viciously threw his Storage Bag in another direction, leaving behind one sentence.

"Fellow Daoists, I admit defeat today!"

In the blink of an eye, there were five more corpses.

Lin Chang'an and Li Erniu did not pursue him. Instead, they immediately began gathering the spoils.

Lin Chang'an used his outer robe to pick up the Storage Bag the man had thrown out. Then the two mounted the Spirit Horse and left the scene.

Two hours later, after confirming that no one was following them, the two finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Big Brother Lin, that man was an old hand."

"Indeed. When he fled, he did not go after our Spirit Horse but instead escaped into the mountain forest. That shows how experienced he was. If we had pursued him, there might have been a trap."

They could set an ambush and turn the tables; their opponent could likewise lay traps.

After all, they were both Rogue Cultivators who had clawed their way up from the bottom. Which one of them lacked experience in slaughter and battle?

Lin Chang'an found it somewhat regrettable as well. After all, he had also set a trap on the Spirit Horse.

After struggling through the Cultivation World for so many years, their cultivation had risen slowly, but the way to survive had long since been carved into their bones.

"Big Brother Lin, those five had forty-two Spirit Crystals. Too bad there wasn't a single artifact."

After checking that the spoils contained no traps, Li Erniu excitedly pulled out a handful of Spirit Crystals.

Lin Chang'an also inspected the Storage Bag. Sure enough, it was poisoned.

After using mana to blow away the poisonous powder on the Storage Bag, the two found, just as they had expected, that it was completely empty.

"Big Brother Lin, that man was truly crafty."

Li Erniu looked resentful. "You can tell at a glance that he must have harmed countless people."

Lin Chang'an nodded lightly. "He was at the Qi Refining Fifth Layer. If we had fought him head-on, we might not have gained any advantage."

Cultivator banditry was indeed the first choice for getting rich, but wealth and honor were sought amid danger—and lost amid danger as well.

Although the Storage Bag was empty, the bag itself was worth three Spirit Stones.

Yet the next moment, Lin Chang'an tossed the cleaned Storage Bag over to him.

"Big Brother Lin, this..."

Looking at the Storage Bag in his hand, Li Erniu awkwardly scratched his head. Lin Chang'an teased him instead.

"Didn't you say before that maybe one day you'd have a Storage Bag? Well, look at that. Here it is."

Faced with the teasing, Li Erniu scratched his head awkwardly. But when it came to the Storage Bag, he still broke into a wide grin and fondled it with such delight that he could barely put it down.

He could never bear to buy something like a Storage Bag himself, but one picked up for free was different.

"Er Niu, remember to exchange this Storage Bag after we return. Otherwise, someone may recognize it."

"Don't worry, Big Brother Lin."

The two had traveled in disguise the entire way, so they were not afraid of being recognized.

But the Storage Bag was another matter. Who knew whether it carried some hidden mark that an acquaintance might recognize?

Therefore, anything obtained from cultivator bandits had to be spent quickly, lest someone with ulterior motives trace it back to them.

Having received the Storage Bag, Li Erniu handed the forty-two Spirit Crystals from the spoils to Lin Chang'an.

Lin Chang'an did not refuse. Between people, even the best of friends should keep matters of interest clear.

Exchanging Spirit Crystals for Spirit Stones inherently came with a premium.

Just as Er Niu was about to return the Golden Light Talisman and Godly Travel Talisman as well, Lin Chang'an did not take them. Instead, he said,

"We should still be careful on the road. We'll discuss it after we return to the Market. Also, I'll have to trouble you to ask about the Zhou Family's conditions for hiring external Talisman Masters."

Li Erniu scratched his head awkwardly. As a live-in son-in-law, he had no ability to negotiate terms.

"Then, Big Brother Lin, I'll go back and ask around for you."

Lin Chang'an smiled and nodded. He naturally knew that his little bit of ability might inspire envy among ordinary Rogue Cultivators, but before an old Foundation Establishment great lineage like the Zhou Family, it amounted to nothing.

Unless he possessed the ability to make First-Order High-Grade Talismans, he could earn the Zhou Family's courtesy and be hired as a retainer.

A retainer and an external Talisman Master were not to be confused.

The two finally returned safely to Green Bamboo Mountain Market.

This time, upon returning, Lin Chang'an discovered that there were considerably more cultivators in the Market.

Cultivators with unfamiliar faces gathered everywhere. While they brought greater bustle and more business opportunities to the Market, they also brought instability.

After Er Niu returned to the Zhou Family and handed back the Spirit Horse, he headed straight for the lineage's management office.

A Qi Refining Fourth Layer cultivator, even a First-Order Mid-Grade Talisman Master, was not qualified to disturb the lineage's Foundation Establishment Ancestor.

"Lin Chang'an, the Rogue Cultivator who came to the Market with you twenty years ago..."

Zhou Antai was a Qi Refining Late Stage cultivator, over eighty years old, with white hair and beard. He was currently a Zhou Family Manager.

Facing the old man, Li Erniu nodded respectfully again and again.

"Grandpa Zhou, Big Brother Lin was already able to make fine First-Order Low-Grade Golden Light Talismans some time ago, and he has now broken through to the Qi Refining Fourth Layer."

Li Erniu reported every detail. After all, a Foundation Establishment great lineage like the Zhou Family would not casually recruit outside cultivators.

At the very least, they would not be lax in checking one's identity—unless one was a First-Order High-Grade Talisman Master.

Ability earned privilege.

"This man's background is indeed clean."

Zhou Antai stroked his white beard and nodded inwardly. For the past twenty years, Lin Chang'an had focused on cultivation and had not caused trouble.

After verifying his identity, Zhou Antai nodded and instructed him,

"Very well. Since he is interested, have him come tomorrow."

"Thank you, Grandpa Zhou."

Li Erniu beamed with joy and repeatedly clasped his hands in thanks.

Seeing this, Zhou Antai smiled. Among the live-in sons-in-law, Er Niu was his favorite. It was not merely because one of his descendants had married Er Niu.

More importantly, Er Niu had an honest nature, without all those twists and turns.

Just as Er Niu was about to take his leave, Zhou Antai reminded him,

"Er Niu, the Market has been rather unsettled lately. If there is no need, go outside less often. And that Storage Bag of yours—exchange it for one from the lineage after you leave, lest someone set their sights on you at such a critical time."

"Yes."

Er Niu withdrew with a heart full of joy. It was not only about the Storage Bag; more importantly, Lin Chang'an's matter had finally been settled.