Revealing His Talent a Second Time!

Inside the study.

Lu Changsheng turned the last remaining sheet of talisman paper into a first-tier, middle-grade talisman.

Drawing First-Tier Middle-Grade Talismans was still somewhat taxing for him.

It was not a matter of skill.

Talisman Making consumed a great deal of spiritual energy and mental strength.

Without his Second-Rank Talisman Master skills, he could never have drawn a first-tier, middle-grade talisman with his first-layer Chain Qi cultivation.

After resting for a while, he picked up the talisman and opened a locked cabinet beside him.

Inside the cabinet lay a neatly arranged, thick stack of talismans, over a hundred in all.

Nearly half a year had passed since he won his Talisman Making skills in the lottery.

These talismans were the fruits of his labor over those months.

"Ah, so many talismans, yet I have no way to sell them for money."

Looking at the talismans, Lu Changsheng could not help shaking his head with a sigh.

Of the twenty stacks of talisman paper he had bought, all had been made into talismans except for a few sheets he had wasted when he could not resist trying some more difficult First-Tier Middle-Grade Talismans and failed because his spiritual energy ran out.

Calling it a hundred-percent success rate would not have been an exaggeration.

Yet Lu Changsheng did not dare sell a single one of these First-Rank Talismans. He could only leave them here to gather dust.

After all, the last time he had taken just five basic Cleansing Talismans to the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, the shopkeeper had looked utterly shocked.

If he brought out First-Rank Talismans, he would probably alert the Lu Lineage's higher-ups outright.

As for secretly selling them elsewhere, that was not very practical either.

For one thing, he needed the Lu Lineage's permission to leave Green Bamboo Mountain.

Lu Changsheng was also rather afraid of traveling alone to an immortal town or market to sell his wares.

There were no laws to speak of in this cultivation world.

What if he encountered Bandit Cultivators who blocked his path to rob him, killing him for his possessions?

After all, he was merely a weakling at the first layer of Chain Qi who had not learned a single spell.

He was only a little more agile and fit than an ordinary person, and could rely only on talismans to protect himself.

"I can't rush this. One step at a time."

Lu Changsheng took a deep breath and reminded himself not to rush anything. Steadiness and caution were the surest path.

Then he picked up nine Cleansing Talismans, six Clean-Clothes Talismans, and three Dust-Avoidance Talismans that he had prepared long ago, and headed for the Myriad Treasures Pavilion.

He intended to exchange these eighteen basic talismans for spirit stones.

At the same time, he would reveal his talent for Talisman Making once more.

"Shopkeeper, please exchange these talismans for spirit stones."

Upon arriving at the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, Lu Changsheng called to the shopkeeper and placed the eighteen basic talismans on the counter.

"Gasp! You made eighteen talismans this time?"

"And besides the Cleansing Talismans from before, you've made Clean-Clothes Talismans and Dust-Avoidance Talismans too!"

The shopkeeper picked up the talismans and recognized the other two kinds at a glance, speaking in wide-eyed astonishment.

"I'm quite confident with Cleansing Talismans and Clean-Clothes Talismans now, but I'm still a little short when it comes to Dust-Avoidance Talismans. You were right before, sir. Talisman Making is too difficult and too expensive."

"At this rate, I don't know how long it'll take me to draw First-Rank Talismans and become a Talisman Master."

Lu Changsheng put on a somewhat dejected, sighing air.

Though all three kinds were basic talismans, their difficulty differed, increasing gradually from one to the next.

"You're already doing very well. You really do have a talent for Talisman Making. As long as you keep at it, you'll certainly become a Talisman Master."

The shopkeeper spoke with deep admiration, finding it quite incredible.

Now that Lu Changsheng could draw three kinds of basic talismans, he qualified as a Talisman Apprentice.

As long as he persevered, he was certain to become a Talisman Master.

The shopkeeper put away the talismans and handed Lu Changsheng six spirit stones, offering a word of encouragement. "Keep working hard."

"Thank you, shopkeeper."

Lu Changsheng took the spirit stones and left without buying anything else.

"Aren't you buying talisman paper this time?"

Seeing Lu Changsheng leave as soon as he received the spirit stones, the shopkeeper was a little surprised.

"My old talisman brush is too worn to use anymore, so I'm planning to wait a while and buy a new one once I have enough spirit stones."

Lu Changsheng shook his head, a bitter expression on his face.

Though his expression was feigned, his words were true.

The wolf-hair talisman brush was supposedly good for two hundred uses, but in practice, it had begun to give out after a hundred and eighty.

After that, only Lu Changsheng's second-tier skills had allowed him to keep crafting talismans with the damaged brush.

With his current income of three spirit stones a month, he could not afford a new talisman brush even if he saved every stone.

Unless he sold the enchanted robe he was wearing.

But Lu Changsheng had worn this enchanted robe for so long that he had grown quite fond of it and did not want to sell it.

The shopkeeper also recalled how long Lu Changsheng had been using that talisman brush.

After a brief moment of thought, he asked, "Lu Changsheng, what's your success rate with basic talismans now?"

"I'm already familiar with Cleansing Talismans and Clean-Clothes Talismans, so I have a seventy- to eighty-percent chance of success."

"With Dust-Avoidance Talismans, it's about thirty percent. As for Peace Talismans, which come after those, I've tried a few times and failed every time."

Lu Changsheng did not know why the shopkeeper was asking, but there had to be a reason. He thought it over before answering.

One level above Dust-Avoidance Talismans in difficulty were Peace Talismans.

Once someone had a seventy- to eighty-percent chance of making Peace Talismans, they could attempt First-Tier Lower-Grade Talismans.

"Good."

The shopkeeper nodded at his answer and said nothing more.

Lu Changsheng cupped his hands in farewell, then turned to leave.

Just then, a pretty, fair-skinned girl in a long green dress approached the Myriad Treasures Pavilion with a delighted expression, passing right by Lu Changsheng.

The girl gave Lu Changsheng a casual glance, a trace of disgust appearing in her eyes.

Then she walked straight into the Myriad Treasures Pavilion and called joyfully to the shopkeeper, "Grandpa, I've broken through to the Chain Qi Third Layer!"

At these words, the shopkeeper's aged face immediately filled with smiles. "You've already reached the Chain Qi Third Layer! Good, good, good! What reward would you like? Grandpa will give it to you."

"Grandpa, I want a flying sword!"

The girl immediately voiced her request.

"No problem. You can wield magical artifacts at the Chain Qi Third Layer. Grandpa prepared one for you long ago."

Chuckling, the shopkeeper took the girl to get her flying sword.

"Thank you, Grandpa!"

The girl beamed with delight.

Then she asked casually, "Grandpa, what was that live-in son-in-law doing here just now? He didn't seem to buy anything, but he was talking to you for quite a while."

"Heh, he's practicing Talisman Making. He brought some basic talismans here to sell."

The shopkeeper answered.

"Talisman Making? A live-in son-in-law like him thinks he's worthy of practicing Talisman Making?"

The girl could not help sneering when she heard this.

Most of the Lu Lineage's younger

The members of Green Bamboo Manor usually looked down on Lu Changsheng and the other outside Immortal Seedlings, and the girl was no exception.

Even Lu Changsheng's reputation for constantly taking wives and concubines and having children filled her with disgust.

Now that she heard he was actually practicing Talisman Making, she naturally felt disdain.

"Yue'er, what have I always taught you?"

Hearing this, the shopkeeper's smile faded somewhat. He looked at his granddaughter and said, "Although Lu Changsheng is a live-in son-in-law and an outsider, he's been diligent and practical over this past year or so. He's done right by our Lu Lineage. If your words spread, they would only make our Lu Lineage seem petty and unwilling to accommodate others."

"Besides, Lu Changsheng is far from ordinary. He has a great talent for Talisman Making and is already a Talisman Apprentice. As long as he perseveres, he'll certainly become a Talisman Master in the future!"

"So you mustn't say such things again. You can be friendlier with him when you meet him in the future. Once he truly becomes a Talisman Master, it will benefit you too!"

That was what the shopkeeper told her.

"Really?"

"That live-in... Lu Changsheng is a Talisman Apprentice? He can become a Talisman Master?"

Hearing her grandfather's words, the girl froze, then exclaimed, her face full of disbelief.

After all, the Lu Lineage had only two First-Rank Talisman Masters.

One was the Lu Lineage Fourth Elder, and the other was the eldest young lady.

Yet now her grandfather was saying that a live-in son-in-law was actually a Talisman Apprentice who could become a Talisman Master.

She found it very hard to believe.

"Of course it's true. Why would Grandpa lie to you?"

The shopkeeper rubbed his granddaughter's head, her hair tied in a bun.

"Why him? Besides, where would a live-in son-in-law get the money to buy materials and practice Talisman Making?"

The girl still did not quite believe it, muttering resentfully.

She had tried Talisman Making before as well, but had no talent for it.

Hearing her grandfather say that a live-in son-in-law whom everyone usually looked down on possessed such talent dealt her a blow. She felt outdone, and it rankled.

"Spiritual roots don't determine everything. Some people simply have talent in certain areas. No one can predict that."

"All right, when you meet him in the future, I'm not saying you need to flatter him or anything. Just be a little more courteous."

The shopkeeper instructed and soothed his granddaughter.

As he spoke, he took a low-grade magical artifact flying sword from the cabinet and handed it to the girl.