The Talisman Way

"Bought them, bought them! The finest Crane-Crest Cinnabar, and this Azure Frost Paper too."

Yu Meng's smile vanished at once. He hurriedly took a jade bottle the size of a bowl and a stack of blue paper from his robes, raising them with both hands as he offered them over.

He looked somewhat nervous, secretly peering through the gap between his hands at the old man as though gauging his expression.

Shen Luo casually swept his gaze over the items in Yu Meng's hands, and his heart stirred.

He was very familiar with that paper. It was talisman paper used for drawing talismans.

However, this blue talisman paper was thicker than the yellow paper he used and was clearly of a much higher grade.

With a one-handed gesture from the old man in golden robes, the items in Yu Meng's hands rose into the air. Drawn by an invisible force, they crossed a distance of three or four zhang and landed directly in the old man's hand.

Distant Object Retrieval! Shen Luo's eyes widened slightly as he cried out inwardly.

He had once read a description of this technique of retrieving objects from afar through magic in a miscellaneous volume at Spring Autumn Temple. He had longed for it then, though he had never known whether it was real. Now, seeing someone perform it from so close by, his heart could not help but race.

The old man barely glanced at the green talisman paper, but he seemed quite concerned with the jade bottle. He pulled out the stopper and looked inside.

He then used the nail of his little finger to pick out a tiny bit of the red powder, sniffed it, and finally tasted it with his tongue. Only then did he give a satisfied "Mm."

Yu Meng visibly relaxed at the sight.

"The cinnabar you bought this time is not bad. Keep it to this standard in the future. Don't bring me inferior goods again, or just see how Laozi deals with you... Hm, who are you?" Halfway through speaking, the old man finally noticed Shen Luo standing behind Yu Meng.

"Father, this is Brother Shen Luo. He fought the wolf pack alongside me on the city wall today. He only arrived in the city recently and has yet to find a place to stay, so I invited him to stay at our home for a while. Brother Shen, this is my father, Yu Yan. You already met him during the day," Yu Meng hurriedly introduced.

"Shen Luo greets Uncle Yu." Shen Luo stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

Yu Yan cast Shen Luo a sidelong glance, nodded casually, and tucked the talisman paper and jade bottle into his robes.

"I was fortunate enough to witness Uncle and several immortal masters in action on the city wall today. It truly opened my eyes. Uncle's Talisman Arts in particular were astonishingly powerful, and this junior admires you greatly." Shen Luo wanted to build a rapport with the immortal master before him. Seeing Yu Yan's cold demeanor, he shifted the topic to talismans.

"You understand Talisman Arts?" Sure enough, at the mention of talismans, Yu Yan's brows stirred. He glanced at Shen Luo's tattered Spring Autumn Temple Daoist robe.

"This junior only knows a little. My aptitude is dull, and despite practicing for many years, I have achieved nothing on the Talisman Way. I cannot compare to Uncle's divine abilities in the slightest." Shen Luo cupped his hands as he spoke.

"Talisman Arts differ from other Daoist arts. They are obscure and tedious, requiring a great deal of time and painstaking practice bit by bit before one can accomplish anything. If you have truly persevered until now, then such resolve is indeed rare." Yu Yan nodded slightly, shooting Yu Meng a glare as he spoke.

Yu Meng scratched the back of his head and guiltily looked away.

Seeing this, Yu Yan snorted heavily.

"You flatter me, Uncle. This junior was once possessed by yin energy and sought medical treatment everywhere without success. Fortunately, I was saved by an expert using talismans. Since then, I have yearned for the Talisman Way and wished to achieve something in it." Shen Luo took in the expressions of the two men and replied humbly.

"There are countless mediocrities in this world. Most are shortsighted and believe talismans to be a laborious, thankless branch of trivial learning. How could they know that once one masters Talisman Arts, the power to summon gods, command ghosts, suppress demons, and subdue monsters far surpasses most Daoist arts in this world?" Shen Luo's words seemed to stir some emotion in Yu Yan, and he spoke indignantly.

Shen Luo had only recently come into contact with talismans and knew even less about the cultivation world. Hearing of the status of Talisman Arts in that world surprised him, though he showed just the right hint of agreement on his face.

"Talisman Arts emphasize diligence overcoming inadequacy. Continue to work hard in the future, and your achievements will surely be limitless." After venting, Yu Yan quickly regained his composure. He patted Shen Luo on the shoulder and offered encouragement.

"Yes. Thank you for your guidance, Uncle." Shen Luo nodded solemnly.

"Nephew Shen will be staying here tonight, correct? Once you are here, consider this your home. Don't stand on ceremony." Yu Yan laughed heartily, completely changing his earlier cold attitude.

"Meng'er, your father still has matters to attend to. Entertain Nephew Shen properly on my behalf," Yu Yan said to Yu Meng.

"Yes, Father. Don't worry." Yu Meng hurriedly agreed.

Yu Yan turned and entered the inner hall. Shen Luo and Yu Meng escorted him forward for several steps before stopping.

"Not bad, little brother. You're the first person who has ever coaxed my father into being this happy! You have no idea—whenever I bring friends home, he will not even spare them a proper glance!" As soon as Yu Yan left, Yu Meng seemed to receive a pardon and immediately returned to his lively self.

"I truly admire Uncle's Talisman Way. I never expected Brother Yu to be the son of an immortal master." Shen Luo smiled. Recalling the various divine abilities Yu Yan and the other immortal masters had displayed on the city wall, he felt quite envious.

Spring Autumn Temple might also possess similar techniques and divine abilities. Unfortunately, his aptitude was poor, and he had only barely begun the Minor Transforming Yang Art. Not to mention whether he was qualified to cultivate such arts, he had no access to them at all.

"What's there to envy? Holding a brush and drawing talismans is unbearably boring. I really can't do it. Wielding blades and shooting arrows suit me better." Yu Meng hurriedly waved his hands.

"If so, that is truly a pity." Shen Luo shook his head.

"Enough of that. Look at us, covered in blood and sweat. Let's go change clothes first." Yu Meng seemed unwilling to discuss the matter further. He waved his filthy sleeve and changed the subject.

"In the chaos earlier, I lost my bundle." Shen Luo looked down at his clothes and frowned slightly.

"They're only a few clothes. Wear mine for now. Why be so formal?" Yu Meng waved a hand and replied without hesitation.

The two came to the rear side rooms. Yu Meng went off to bathe, while Xiao Shunzi led Shen Luo to the room next door, where a bathing tub had already been prepared and filled with hot water.

Holding a leather pouch, Xiao Shunzi poured some pale green liquid from it into the tub. The water in the tub quickly turned pale green.

"This is medicinal liquid prepared by my master. Bathing in it is very beneficial to the body. The young master ordered this," Xiao Shunzi explained upon seeing Shen Luo's surprised expression.

"Thank you for the trouble." Shen Luo spoke calmly, though inwardly he marveled at it.

"Young Master Shen, there is currently only one maidservant in the residence, Xiao Hua. She is bathing the young master right now. If you need her, you may wait a while. The young master will be done soon," Xiao Shunzi asked again.

"No need. I can manage on my own." Shen Luo shook his head.

Xiao Shunzi answered, set a clean set of clothes to one side, and withdrew.

Shen Luo undressed and jumped into the bathing tub. As he scrubbed himself, his mind replayed what had happened earlier.

Although the place he had entered in this dream was entirely different from the mountain village he had visited in his first dream, he felt that the two seemed connected in some way.

He simply had not yet figured out what that connection was.

With these thoughts turning through his mind, Shen Luo's hands never stopped moving. He quickly finished washing, dried himself, and changed into clean clothes.

When he looked into the mirror, he saw fair skin and handsome features. He looked every bit like an elegant young gentleman, carrying several degrees more spiritual vitality than his real self.

Not only that, but the fatigue in Shen Luo's body seemed to have been completely swept away, leaving him feeling refreshed and invigorated.

He recalled the medicinal liquid Xiao Shunzi had poured into the water, understanding dawning in his heart as he walked out of the room.