Seeing that it was already past the hour of the Rabbit, Xu Qingtong abandoned any thought of sleeping. He sat cross-legged on his bed and meditated, resting and recovering his depleted divine sense and stamina.
Two hours later, Xu Qingtong emerged from meditation, got out of bed, hurriedly washed his face, and headed to work full of energy.
"Qingtong, how are you getting on with that Talisman-Making Method?" Wu Zheng asked with a smile when he saw him.
Xu Qingtong yawned and rubbed his eyes. "I spent all last night studying it and gained a general understanding of Talisman Crafting. I put particular effort into learning how to make Fireball Talismans. I feel I should have a very good chance of making one now."
Wu Zheng had intended to tease Xu Qingtong, only for Xu Qingtong to announce that he had already learned Talisman Crafting and was quite confident he could produce a Fireball Talisman.
Wu Zheng found this hard to believe. After a moment's hesitation, he asked, "How confident are you that you can make a Fireball Talisman?"
Xu Qingtong replied, "I haven't actually tried drawing one yet, so some things may differ from what I imagined. But I feel that once I've tried it out, I should have at least a seventy-percent chance."
Wu Zheng studied Xu Qingtong. Seeing that he did not seem to be boasting, he said, "Wait a moment. I'll report this to the shopkeeper." With that, he turned and ran upstairs.
A short while later, Shopkeeper Gu came down to the ground-floor hall with Wu Zheng. "Qingtong, Wu Zheng tells me you've learned Talisman Crafting. Is that true?"
Xu Qingtong quickly bowed and answered, "Shopkeeper, I took the shop's Jade Slip on Talisman Crafting yesterday and studied it all night. I gained some insight and understanding of the principles behind Talisman Crafting. I also know the method for making Fireball Talismans by heart, but I haven't had a chance to try it myself yet. So I wouldn't dare claim that I can succeed."
Shopkeeper Gu turned to Wu Zheng. "Fetch a Low-Grade Talisman Brush, some cinnabar, and ten sheets of Talisman Paper. Give them all to Qingtong."
After giving Wu Zheng his instructions, the shopkeeper said to Xu Qingtong, "Consider these ten sheets of Talisman Paper my gift to you. If you can make three Fireball Talismans, the shop will provide all the Talisman Paper you need from then on."
"However, you must hand the talismans you make over to the shop. I'll pay you according to how many you produce. If you can't make three talismans from these ten sheets, you'll have to spend your own spirit stones to buy any Talisman Paper you use in the future."
Xu Qingtong accepted the Talisman Paper and Talisman Brush from Wu Zheng, then bowed to Shopkeeper Gu in thanks.
Shopkeeper Gu added, "Wu Zheng will look after the shop's business for now. Qingtong, you can go to your room and practice Talisman Crafting. Come and fetch me once you've used up all ten sheets."
After hearing Shopkeeper Gu's arrangements, Xu Qingtong bowed again and ran back to the rear courtyard.
Back in his room, Xu Qingtong sat at the table without rushing to begin. Instead, he picked up the Jade Slip and reviewed the Talisman-Making Method once more. Then he closed his eyes and went through the entire process again in his mind.
Only when he felt there were no problems did he pick up the Talisman Brush, dip it in cinnabar, and begin drawing on the Talisman Paper. Everything went just as he had imagined: spiritual power flowed into the Talisman Brush and passed through the cinnabar onto the paper.
The more Xu Qingtong drew, the more naturally the brush answered his hand, and his strokes inevitably grew faster. Suddenly, with a whoosh, the Talisman Paper caught fire without warning and turned to ash in the blink of an eye.
Brushing the ashes off the table, Xu Qingtong could not help wincing at the loss. Just like that, he had wasted one of his ten sheets of Talisman Paper.
He recalled the process, particularly the instant it had failed. He had let success go to his head and poured in spiritual power too quickly, causing it to spread unevenly across the talisman and ultimately leading to failure.
Once the sting had passed, he reflected on its cause and worked through exactly what had gone wrong. Xu Qingtong took out another sheet of Talisman Paper, steadied his mind, dipped the brush in cinnabar, and began drawing again.
Having learned from his previous mistake, he drew very carefully this time. But just as success came within reach, a ripple of emotion stirred in his heart.
After all, he was only an eleven-year-old boy. The thought that he was about to successfully make a talisman capable of unleashing an Immortal's spell inevitably filled him with excitement.
Yet that tiny shift in emotion caused his second failure.
With a whoosh, the Talisman Paper once again burned, sending up wisps of bluish smoke. Xu Qingtong felt dejected. He knew perfectly well that he could allow no distractions while practicing Talisman Crafting, yet he had failed to control his own emotions. He wanted to slap himself!
Xu Qingtong stood motionless for a while, silently encouraging himself. What does this little setback amount to? Compared with all the suffering I've endured, it's hardly worth mentioning. If I'm afraid to move forward whenever I meet a little difficulty, when will I ever become an Immortal?
Once he had thought this through, Xu Qingtong hesitated no longer and began drawing again.
This time, he learned from his first two attempts and drew with complete concentration, meticulous in every stroke. Just as success was in sight, however, another unexpected problem struck-he ran out of spiritual power.
This failure did not trouble Xu Qingtong much. He knew it had not resulted from a mistake in his technique, but from misjudging his own capabilities.
As it turned out, the spiritual power in his body was only enough to make two talismans at most.
Gathering himself, Xu Qingtong sat cross-legged on his bed and began recovering his magic power.
A long while later, he finally returned to his peak condition and began making talismans again.
Nothing in the world was too difficult so long as one refused to give up. With his unyielding determination and drive, Xu Qingtong finally succeeded in making the first talisman of his life.
Looking at the talisman before him, he smiled with heartfelt satisfaction.
Then, riding that momentum, he made another Fireball Talisman. He needed only one more to meet Shopkeeper Gu's requirement.
Xu Qingtong spent another long stretch of time restoring himself to peak condition, then made two more Fireball Talismans.
He now had four Fireball Talismans, exceeding Shopkeeper Gu's requirement, and still had three blank sheets of Talisman Paper left.
By late afternoon, the three sheets of Talisman Paper in Xu Qingtong's hands had become two Fireball Talismans. The failed attempt had come from his desire to increase the talisman's power: he had deliberately poured in more spiritual power, only to lose control as he finished the final stroke.
Xu Qingtong had spent an entire day using up all ten sheets of Talisman Paper and produced six Fireball Talismans.
Filled with delight, he took the six Fireball Talismans to the shop and handed them to Wu Zheng with a triumphant air.
At the sight of the talismans Xu Qingtong handed him, Wu Zheng's mouth fell wide open. For a long moment, he could not utter a word.
Once he recovered, he hurried upstairs to fetch the shopkeeper. Shopkeeper Gu was equally astonished and looked over this mere boy who had given such a shock after only one day at the shop.
The shopkeeper wondered inwardly, When did Talisman Crafting become so easy? Even a little boy who has only just arrived can do it!
"Good, good! Well done, Qingtong!" Shopkeeper Gu restrained his excitement as he praised Xu Qingtong. "From now on, whenever the shop isn't busy, go to the rear courtyard and practice Talisman Crafting. The shop will supply the materials, and I'll pay you one spirit stone for every ten Fireball Talismans."
Xu Qingtong was overjoyed to hear this. Then, looking a little embarrassed, he asked, "Shopkeeper, could you pay me one spirit stone in advance? I don't have much spiritual power. I can only make two talismans at most before I have to meditate to recover, and that recovery is very slow. With a spirit stone, I could recover my magic power faster and make more talismans."
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