Old Man He Returned

The next day.

The Zhou Family's main reception hall.

"Young Lin, could you draw some talismans on the spot for us to verify your skill?"

Seated in the place of honor, Zhou Antai wore a superior Dharma robe and a kindly, approachable smile, without the slightest hint of arrogance.

Lin Chang'an knew this man well. Though he looked like a benevolent old man, Lin Chang'an had personally witnessed his awe-inspiring bearing during the Land Reclamation twenty years ago.

"Elder Zhou, then this junior will make a fool of himself."

Lin Chang'an knew they wanted to see what he was made of, and that suited him perfectly as well.

Only by displaying his talent in talisman crafting could he obtain better terms.

Of course, he could not go too far either. Otherwise, it would be abnormal. It was enough to show a bit of talent.

Lin Chang'an did not hesitate. He walked directly to the table they had prepared, but instead of beginning at once, he closed his eyes to calm his mind.

Zhou Antai did not find this strange. Instead, he raised a hand and signaled for the other two young Zhou Family cultivators in the room to watch carefully.

Half an incense stick later, no one present had grown impatient.

Then, Lin Chang'an slowly opened his eyes, looking as though he had adjusted his essence, energy, and spirit to their peak. He picked up the brush and dipped it into the special cinnabar used for drawing Golden Light Talismans.

Swish, swish!

With his breath held and his mind focused, Lin Chang'an's gaze was intent and serious. The brush tip danced across the talisman paper like dragons and snakes, his movements flowing like drifting clouds and running water.

Zhou Antai secretly nodded at the sight.

After a while.

Eight Golden Light Talismans gleamed with spiritual light. In particular, the spiritual light on two of them was clearly richer.

"Excellent. Young Lin's craftsmanship is indeed extraordinary."

Even Elder Zhou could not help praising him. Lin Chang'an accepted the towel handed over by the two young men, wiped the sweat on his forehead caused by expending his mental energy, and modestly cupped his hands.

"It was all thanks to this superior talisman brush and cinnabar. Otherwise, how could I have produced two Fine Golden Light Talismans of the First Tier Low-Grade Bloodline?"

Lin Chang'an was not truly being modest. The spirit pen and cinnabar they had provided really were of a higher grade than what he normally used.

"This old man does not like empty formalities. My Zhou Family can provide you with the crafting inheritance for First-Rank Mid-Grade Talismans, including the Golden Light Talisman. If your skill improves further in the future, my Zhou Family also possesses the inheritance of a First-Order High-Grade Talisman Master."

"However, Young Lin must guarantee a certain annual quantity of First-Order Mid-Grade Talismans, while also training one or two descendants of my Zhou Family..."

Lin Chang'an thought to himself that the Beast-Taming Zhou Family truly deserved to be a Foundation Establishment clan of the Market. These terms were indeed reasonable.

The Zhou Family would provide the crafting method for First-Rank Mid-Grade Talismans, as well as monthly cultivation resources.

All he had to do was deliver a fixed number of talismans every year and help the Zhou Family train two juniors with poor aptitude who intended to focus on talisman drawing.

To put it simply, the Zhou Family was paying him in advance, and he would work for them long-term.

"Elder Zhou, isn't fifteen years a little too long? I am already over forty..."

"Ten years at the minimum. You should know that we will provide Young Lin with a cultivation Dao Field rich in spiritual qi, and we will even cover all the materials needed for talisman crafting."

"Elder Zhou, could the annual talisman quota be reduced by twenty percent? I am willing to teach two more juniors..."

Lin Chang'an bargained symbolically, though inwardly he was overjoyed.

After all, the Zhou Family would provide part of the materials for his future talisman drawing, while he could remain in his optimal state the entire time.

Did that not mean that, aside from the required quota, every talisman he drew with the Zhou Family's materials would be his own profit?

He would even have the Zhou Family as a backer behind him.

After Lin Chang'an and Elder Zhou discussed matters for a while, both wore satisfied smiles.

"Master Lin, we will have to trouble you from now on."

"You flatter me. I will certainly teach with all my heart."

Other than the lower talisman quota during the first half-year, everything afterward was the same. At the same time, as agreed, he would wholeheartedly train Talisman Masters for the Zhou Family.

Such a large family naturally had many members with poor Spiritual Roots. These people could almost only wander around the Qi Refining Early Stage for their entire lives.

Aside from handling family affairs, most of them learned a trade in order to continue serving the family.

After all, poor Spiritual Roots were even worse than his Low-grade Spiritual Root.

"A low-grade Dharma robe. I never expected to have one so soon."

After Er Niu personally saw him out, Lin Chang'an looked at the Dharma robe he wore and lightly patted it a few times in satisfaction.

It felt smooth as silk. This thing was not merely Dust-Repelling and good-looking; it also possessed a certain degree of defensive power.

If it were placed in the mortal world, it would be a golden-thread soft armor immune to blades, spears, water, and fire.

"No wonder Qi Refining Mid-Stage cultivators could utterly crush those in the early stage."

Lin Chang'an sighed with emotion. The gap between the Qi Refining Early Stage and Mid-Stage was not merely one of spiritual power and spells, but also of magical artifacts.

Many Qi Refining Early Stage cultivators did not even possess a shoddy magical artifact. Most used only divine weapons and sharp tools from the mortal world.

Yet those mortal divine weapons and sharp tools could not even break through the defense of a low-grade Dharma robe.

"They even assigned me a cultivation Dao Field. If I had broken through in talisman drawing earlier, I would not have reached the Qi Refining Fourth Layer only at this age."

Though he sighed, Lin Chang'an's face was glowing as he hurried home.

After returning to pack up, he would be moving.

There was also the corvée tax. Under the Zhou Family's protection, he only needed to pay half.

Sure enough, the ancestors had been right: with a great tree at one's back, it was easier to enjoy the shade.

Bang, bang!

Just as he returned home and prepared to pack, someone knocked on the door.

"Old Man He?"

Old Man He, who had vanished for more than two months, had appeared again. His aged face was even more haggard now, yet it glowed with vigor.

When he saw Lin Chang'an open the door, Old Man He grinned broadly.

However, Lin Chang'an sharply noticed that Old Man He's left hand was missing four fingers, as though they had been bitten off by a demonic beast.

"Young Lin, this time I truly have your Golden Light Talisman to thank. Otherwise, this old man almost would not have made it back."

Old Man He did not hide his injured left hand at all. Instead, he bared his old Yellow Tooth, missing several teeth, in a grin.

"You brat, why haven't you greeted your Uncle Lin?"

At that moment, He Yan, a handsome young man dressed in fine silk behind Old Man He, stepped forward. His usual humble smile seemed somewhat perfunctory this time.

Yet Lin Chang'an keenly noticed that He Yan was also wearing a Dharma robe.

"Uncle Lin."

Before Lin Chang'an could think any further, Old Man He, grinning with his Yellow Tooth exposed, beamed with delight.

"This brat had good luck. Not only did the Foundation Establishment Wang Family take a liking to him, he also passed the entrance examination for Li Fire Palace."

So that was why. Lin Chang'an suddenly understood. Looking at He Yan's expression now, was this not exactly the recklessness of youth?

"Then congratulations to you, Old Man He."

One did not strike a smiling face. Lin Chang'an smiled as he offered his congratulations, while Old Man He looked as though he were showing off and spoke excitedly through his grin.

"Grandfather."

It was clear that after attaching himself to the Wang Family and becoming an outer disciple of Li Fire Palace, He Yan's mindset had changed. There was a trace of impatience in his expression.

He would become an inner disciple of Li Fire Palace in the future. This place was no longer the mire trapping him, so naturally he was unwilling to speak much with these mud-legged commoners.

Old Man He was somewhat embarrassed. Then, upon suddenly noticing Lin Chang'an's Dharma robe, he could not help revealing a look of astonishment.

"Young Lin, this is from the Zhou Family!?"

The Dharma robes awarded by the Zhou Family naturally bore markings representing the identity of Zhou Family cultivators.

Sharp-eyed Old Man He naturally spotted them at once, and Lin Chang'an smiled and nodded.

"Yes. The inheritance for First-Rank Mid-Grade Talismans is hard to come by. Only such families possess it."

That made it obvious enough: he had joined the Zhou Family.

"I see. Then congratulations indeed. Oh, right, here are the Spirit Stones for those Golden Light Talismans from before."

Old Man He congratulated him with a smile as well. When he took out two Spirit Stones from his robes along with the Godly Travel Talisman he had originally received, it was obvious that he was still unaccustomed to using his left hand.

"What I have is nothing. Little Yan joining Li Fire Palace is what truly promises a bright future."

Hearing Lin Chang'an praise his grandson, Old Man He smiled so broadly that he could not close his mouth. Had this not been what he had persisted in for all these years?

After the two congratulated each other, Old Man He could not wait to go show off to the other neighbors.

"This Old Man He is still as stingy as ever."

Lin Chang'an smiled and shook his head. As he prepared to put away the Spirit Stones, he narrowed his eyes at the Godly Travel Talisman.

"This is!?"

Several tiny strands of fur were clearly visible on the Godly Travel Talisman, along with specks of blood at one corner.

"This is fur from a Black Wind Wolf Cub."

Lin Chang'an could not help muttering to himself. This Old Man He was truly bold enough to discover a wolf den in secret.

No wonder he looked so vigorous despite being injured. That demonic beast cub alone would be enough to provide for Old Man He in his old age.

While this made Lin Chang'an envious, it also left him somewhat reflective.

As for personal opportunities, he was not lacking either.

As for He Yan, that youth with a Mid-Grade Spirit Root?

If it had been the Lin Chang'an of the past, he might have envied such a starting point. But now, he possessed a beautiful tomorrow and would not casually let others affect his mood.

The road ahead was still long. The forty years that had come before were merely wind and snow upon the road he had traveled.