Chapter 41

After Su Jiu returned to her room, the courtyard fell silent again.

Ever since saying those words, Han Jia had felt awkward about continuing to share a room with Su Jiu, so she had moved in with Sun Wei. Mu Zihan still shared a room with Xia Meng. Yu Ying had moved away, leaving the house where she and Yu Yin had lived empty.

The other four people in the courtyard had noticed Su Jiu practicing her sword earlier, but her moves had been so fierce that none of them had dared come out.

"Zihan, I suddenly realized that Su Jiu seems different from us. She seems so much stronger." Even though Xia Meng knew nothing about sword arts, she had recognized how formidable Su Jiu's swordsmanship was.

Mu Zihan's lips twitched. Xia Meng's reflex arc really was long.

She looked toward the window opposite her, lost in thought. Could Su Jiu have a "Treasure Box" like Bai Su? By now, Mu Zihan had vaguely deduced that Bai Su possessed a "Treasure Box" whose contents seemed inexhaustible. Yet she could not discover where Bai Su had hidden it.

She was certain that Bai Su's rapid progress in Cultivation Level was largely due to the resources in that "Treasure Box," so she reasonably suspected that Su Jiu had one too, only she was more discreet about it. But then she thought again: if Su Jiu truly had a Treasure Box, why had she not replaced her magical artifact? The flying sword she used was still the one given to her by the senior who guarded the Library Pavilion. And when she had shopped at the market that day, she had looked utterly impoverished. Thinking it over carefully now, Su Jiu really was a superb actress. To be so calculating at such a young age—one truly could not underestimate anyone in the cultivation world.

At that moment, it never occurred to Mu Zihan that Su Jiu really was poor.

Chu Luohen was meditating with his eyes closed when a weightless sheet of talisman paper drifted down from above. He caught it between his index and middle fingers and slowly opened his eyes, looking somewhat displeased.

As he examined the unfinished talisman before him, a flicker of surprise passed through his eyes.

Beside him, Chu Mojin leaned against an Ice Pillar in the Ice Veil Hall, his arms folded. "Well? What's the problem?" he asked languidly.

Chu Luohen held his right hand above the talisman. It glowed faintly, then went still again.

Only after a long silence did he speak. "The person who drew this used too much spiritual energy. Her spiritual energy is exceptionally pure to begin with. She cannot draw talismans using the same methods as ordinary people."

Chu Mojin seemed to understand what his younger cousin meant. "You mean that because her spiritual energy is too concentrated, first-tier talismans simply cannot withstand the spiritual energy she puts into them?"

Then a trace of disbelief flashed through his eyes. "Doesn't that mean she can skip first-tier talismans altogether and make second- and third-tier ones directly?"

"Her Cultivation Level is insufficient. That is impossible," Chu Luohen said coldly.

"But what about when her Cultivation Level is sufficient? Once it is, wouldn't she be a born master of talismans?"

Chu Luohen said nothing, offering no denial of Chu Mojin's words.

"In that case, her talent is no less than yours." A spark seemed to light up Chu Mojin's eyes.

Chu Luohen, however, felt that Su Jiu's talent might surpass his own.

"Did you ask about the Water-Wisdom Sword Art?"

Chu Mojin shook his head. "I hinted at it to the Sect Leader. Judging by his expression, he genuinely seemed unaware. Besides, he isn't the only one who knows this sword art. Doesn't the Jade Sword Sect's Library Pavilion have it too? Perhaps the little girl had some other fortuitous encounter."

Chu Luohen frowned, feeling that it was not so simple. Still, everyone had their own destined opportunities. If she did not wish to speak of hers, there was no point dwelling on it.

The next day, when Su Jiu stepped outside, she discovered a small booklet lying right in front of her door, as though someone had deliberately left it there.

Wariness immediately appeared on her face.

She first looked around. Only after confirming that no one was there did she pick up the booklet.

The booklet's cover bore nothing at all; it was completely blank. Su Jiu casually leafed through it and discovered that it recorded the various stagnation points encountered by talisman masters.

Now she was almost certain that someone had deliberately placed it there.

Could it be Xiang Li? But if it was him, why hadn't he simply given it to me yesterday?

Su Jiu soon dismissed that guess. Even setting aside whether Xiang Li could find her among the Outer Gate's hundred thousand disciples, this method did not seem like something he would do.

A chill crept over Su Jiu. If she still could not realize that someone was watching her, she would have lived those hundred years for nothing. Still, the senior lurking in the shadows seemed to bear her no ill will. Otherwise, they would not have left such a booklet at her door.

She wondered whether that person had also witnessed all her practice of the Water-Wisdom Sword Art over the past year. If they recognized it, that would likely bring a host of new troubles.

Su Jiu's head ached. She felt that she had grown increasingly careless about her surroundings. She had thought no one in the Outer Gate would recognize the Water-Wisdom Sword Art, which was why she had practiced it without restraint.

Now it seemed she had been naive.

Su Jiu sighed softly, clinging to a little hope. Perhaps that senior did not recognize the Water-Wisdom Sword Art. Otherwise, they should have already leaped out and seized her.

Watching the little girl's vivid succession of expressions from the shadows, Chu Mojin laughed uncontrollably.

The little girl had probably realized that someone was watching her from the shadows. Otherwise, she would not have looked so conflicted.

Su Jiu stopped agonizing over whether that person recognized the Water-Wisdom Sword Art. In any case, whether they recognized it or not, they truly had no intention of harming her. Holding the booklet, she returned to her room with her mind at ease.

She silently warned herself to be more cautious from now on. She no longer had Golden Core-level Cultivation Level, and she could not guard against the probing of high-level cultivators. It was fortunate that this one meant her well. If a high-level cultivator bore her ill will, she would practically be handing over her life. She must not lose her life to some foolish mistake after receiving a second chance at living.

Back in her room, Su Jiu opened the booklet and began reading it carefully.

Only after reading it did Su Jiu learn how difficult life truly was for talisman masters. Some even encountered more than one stagnation point.

They might encounter as few as one or as many as four or five. However, the booklet stated that anyone who encountered more than four stagnation points was unsuited to continue drawing talismans.

After thinking it through carefully, Su Jiu could understand why. After all, Xiang Li had spent twenty years overcoming a single stagnation point. How many twenty-year spans did a Qi Refining cultivator have? Even for a cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Realm, twenty years was far from a short time.

The booklet explained the causes of various stagnation points and described in detail which kinds of people were suited to drawing talismans and which were not.

Two days passed before she knew it.

Su Jiu's gaze settled on the final page.

This particular stagnation point was extremely unusual. Many talisman masters would not even consider it a stagnation point.

The reason was almost laughable. This situation typically occurred in cultivators whose Spirit Root aptitude exceeded ninety percent. Because the spiritual energy they controlled was too concentrated, they needed to change their talisman-drawing method, diluting that spiritual energy before they could draw low-tier talismans.

Su Jiu closed the booklet with a helpless smile. That person in the shadows had probably only wanted to tell her this final sentence.