"Father..." The latter's hands trembled slightly, his eyes filled with disbelief, and he took it somewhat blankly.
Lin Biqiu and Du An's expressions also changed, and they nervously looked at the talisman.
"You say it's a flying Flight-Evasion Talisman Flight-Evasion Talisman, so it really is? How can you prove it?" Lin Biqiu said, his brows furrowed.
"Both of you young masters are worldly-wise, you should know that high-level talismans can only be drawn using high-grade talisman paper, right? Do you recognize the Purple Cloud Talisman Paper used for this Flight-Evasion Talisman? Can you discern the spiritual energy contained within the runes?" Shen Luo seemed to have expected this, and asked unhurriedly.
"Of course we recognize the Purple Cloud Talisman Paper, and we can tell that the talisman is extraordinary, but that doesn't mean it's Flight-Evasion Talisman, does it?" Lin Biqiu snorted and said.
"That's right! We'll only know if you activate the talisman and let us see it," Du An quickly agreed, a hint of nervousness in his expression.
"How can that be? Once the talisman's core is ignited, it will consume and deplete spiritual energy. Who will compensate for this loss?" Bai Xiaoyun immediately retorted.
Lin Biqiu hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "I'll compensate you. As long as you prove that this is indeed Flight-Evasion Talisman, I'll add five Immortal Jade as compensation."
"You're not afraid of wasting your money, but I can't bear to see this precious talisman damaged! Let's each take a step back and call off this bet, shall we?" Bai Xiaoyun said after hesitating for a moment. He was now fairly certain that the talisman was indeed the Flight-Evasion Talisman, and naturally did not want it to suffer any loss.
Upon hearing this, Shen Luo felt even more admiration for Bai Xiaoyun. This guy might seem carefree and irresponsible, but he actually knew what was important and what was not.
However, his compromise suggestion immediately brought Lin Biqiu and the other person back to their original intentions.
They already found it suspicious that a mere guest elder could bring Flight-Evasion Talisman, so they naturally assumed that the talisman in Bai Xiaoyun's hand was fake and dared not Mingzheng.
"I think Young Master Bai is feeling guilty. Since he's afraid to try, he might as well just admit defeat." Du An felt a little relieved and smiled.
Although Lin Biqiu did not speak, there was a hint of provocation in his eyes, implying that Bai Xiaoyun should demonstrate on the spot.
Bai Xiaoyun frowned, hesitant.
"Second Young Master, let's give it a try. Anyway, the patriarch allowed me to bring the talisman, which means he assumed you could use it. Although this talisman is precious, five Immortal Jade are enough for one use," Shen Luo said with a smile.
"Alright, let's give it a try. Lin Biqiu, Du An, you two open your eyes wide and watch carefully." Bai Xiaoyun said, finally calming down after hearing this.
Shen Luo then stepped forward, holding the Flying Talisman with one hand and grabbing Bai Xiaoyun's wrist with the other.
"Rise!" he uttered softly.
A burst of azure light suddenly surged from the purple talisman, enveloping the two figures. Before anyone else could react, they had already risen from the ground, their figures soaring into the sky, flying away at high speed like immortals riding the wind.
Bai Xiaoyun felt light and agile, with the wind whistling in her ears and her eyes slightly blurred by the gale, but she felt an unprecedented sense of joy in her heart.
He looked down and saw that Jianye City, dozens of feet above the ground, seemed to be crawling at his feet. Even the tall city walls in the far distance looked much smaller.
Unlike him, Shen Luo did not look at the scene below. Instead, he focused his mind and carefully sensed the consumption of spiritual energy on the Flying Talisman and the changes in the speed of flight.
He had only tried it once before in a dream, when he was at the Out-of-Body Stage. Now, with his Qi Refining Stage cultivation, there seemed to be no significant difference in effectiveness, and the Magic Power consumption was still within an acceptable range.
On this side of the alley, Lin Biqiu and the others were still looking up at the sky, their faces full of disbelief.
"He actually brought out Flight-Evasion Talisman..." Du An's apple bobbed, his face instantly turning grim as he muttered to himself.
Lin Biqiu's gaze was distant, and it was unclear what he was thinking.
That's a full fifteen Immortal Jade, which is by no means a small sum even for scions of aristocratic families like theirs.
At this moment, a beam of azure light descended from the sky, and Shen Luo and the other person had flown back and landed in front of them.
Bai Xiaoyun held a food box in her hands. After opening it, six neatly arranged, exquisite pastries were revealed. She smiled and said:
"To prevent you from accusing me of cheating, I specially went to Clear Moon Studio in the east of the city to buy their unique osmanthus cake. Would you like to try some?"
"You win," Lin Biqiu said without any intention of denying it.
"Haha, it's good that you admit defeat. From now on, when you see me, you'll obediently call me 'Big Brother'." Bai Xiaoyun's face was beaming with joy; he hadn't been this happy in a long time.
Lin Biqiu opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
"Big... Big Brother." At this moment, a somewhat awkward voice weakly rang out. It was Du An had resigned himself to his fate and spoke up.
He preferred to endure this temporary humiliation rather than offer ten Immortal Jade as compensation.
"Haha, second brother, not bad, not bad. Lin Biqiu, you're a step too late, you can only be third now." Bai Xiaoyun felt refreshed and laughed loudly when he heard him call him "elder brother".
"You wish! I don't have any Immortal Jade on me right now. I'll owe you some for now. I'll give it to you in a few days," Lin Biqiu said coldly, his face ashen.
Upon hearing this, Bai Xiaoyun wasn't angry. Instead, she looked at Shen Luo with some surprise and said:
"Brother Shen, you were absolutely right. These two guys' reactions were exactly as you predicted."
Shen Luo had observed the two men's words and actions beforehand and had roughly figured out their personalities, so it wasn't surprising that he knew how they would react.
As soon as he said this, Lin Biqiu and Du An both focused their attention on Shen Luo. A hint of resentment flashed in both of their eyes, but the former made no attempt to hide it, while the latter was much more subtle.
"Young Master Lin, words are no proof; let's put it in writing." Shen Luo didn't care at all, and with a smile, he took out the pen and ink that he had prepared beforehand from behind his back and handed them to Lin Biqiu.
Upon seeing this, Lin Biqiu was speechless, a flash of anger crossing his eyes.
Du An glanced at Lin Biqiu with a resentful expression, while Bai Xiaoyun secretly gave Shen Luo a thumbs up.
Lin Biqiu indeed used the food box as a stepping stone to give Bai Xiaoyun an IOU, but without even glancing at Du An, he turned and left with his entourage.
"Big... Big Brother, I'll be going now." Du An gave Bai Xiaoyun an awkward smile, then turned around and ran away as if he were fleeing.
Bai Xiaoyun watched their dejected figures as they walked away, feeling extremely relieved, all the gloom of the previous day swept away.
"Brother Shen, I admire you to the core this time!" he said happily, looking at Shen Luo.
Just as Shen Luo was about to speak, his expression suddenly changed. He grabbed Bai Xiaoyun, ran forward a few steps, then pinched a Flying Talisman between his two fingers and soared into the air once more, disappearing into the distance.
No sooner had they disappeared than a figure flashed in the alley, revealing an old man with pale skin and a gray robe—it was Lu Ying, the Lin Family's retainer from before.