Meeting Two Misses Again

"So, talismans drawn with cinnabar on yellow paper are one-time use, and inscribing the runes onto wood or jade makes them magic artifacts?" Gu Zhao pondered.

He could sense the strong spiritual energy stored in the bracelet. Besides its long-lasting spiritual nourishment effect, it could activate the Heavenly Dipper Talisman's gang qi at least three to four times. And then...

And then, if he channeled his mana along the stroke order of the runes, could he reactivate this Heavenly Dipper Bracelet?

"It's a shame it can't automatically absorb spiritual energy from heaven and earth, otherwise it would be a proper magic artifact," Gu Zhao regretted slightly, then immediately shook his head, dismissing the thought. "May Heaven Bless You Boundlessly, one shouldn't be too greedy!"

"Indeed, and it's quite beautiful," Gu Qi said, looking at the bracelet in his hand.

The three bracelets were all different sizes.

The one he made for Li Man had 8mm beads, delicate and elegant. The one for his son had 12mm medium beads, highlighting individuality. And the one for himself had 15mm large beads, exuding a grand presence.

Small-leaf sandalwood truly lived up to its reputation as a top-tier wood. The grain was clear and distinct, ranging from purple to red, and a faint, pleasant fragrance could be detected with a gentle sniff.

On the string of purplish-red beads, one bead was slightly larger than the others. Its surface was inscribed with vermilion Daoist runes that shimmered under the light from different angles, appearing mysterious and noble.

"Here, take this to play with!" Gu Qi tossed one of the bracelets to Gu Zhao. Then, he retrieved an exquisite gift box from a nearby cabinet, carefully placed the bracelet meant for Li Man inside, and even arranged it in a certain pose.

"Is it really necessary?"

"Sense of occasion!"

Gu Qi ignored Gu Zhao and held the gift box. "Let's go! Home!"

"Thank you, husband! Mwah!" Li Man kissed Gu Qi and put on the bracelet, admiring it from side to side with a delighted expression. "It's so beautiful. You can't buy things like this on the market; they look so high-class."

Gu Qi said with a proud smile, "Of course. This is a work of art hand-carved by a Gu family master. It's much better than those made by machines!"

Li Man shifted her gaze and asked Gu Zhao, "What kind of talisman is this? I want to show it off to my girlfriends!"

Gu Zhao snapped his fingers. "It's a Heavenly Dipper Talisman from the Daoist sect's Upper Clarity Heavenly Heart True Method. It cures illnesses and averts disasters, brings the dead back to life, exterminates evil, and erases traces. That's why this bracelet is called the Heavenly Dipper Bracelet."

"I see, so it's for health, longevity, and warding off petty people," Li Man said.

Gu Zhao nodded speechlessly. "Pretty much."

"Heavenly Dipper Talisman, why not carve a Dipper Talisman too?" Li Man asked. "Aren't Heavenly Dipper and Earthly Dipper a pair?"

This question didn't even require Gu Zhao to answer. Gu Qi, although he hadn't trained under Gu Zhao's grandfather, had read those Taoist scriptures. "The scriptures only mention the Heavenly Dipper Talisman, not the Earthly Dipper Talisman. There is a Black Tortoise Black Fiend Talisman, used for subduing demons and monsters, but you wouldn't need that!"

"Alright." Li Man had only asked casually. After all, with today's advanced information, the terms Heavenly Dipper and Earthly Dipper were often linked together. She thought, who knows if the ancient person who wrote this Taoist scripture only knew about the Heavenly Dipper back then and not the Earthly Dipper?

Thinking this, she looked at the Heavenly Dipper Talisman in her hand and silently thought, "May Heaven Bless You Boundlessly, I was just thinking casually, I don't mean any disrespect to the ancestors!"

"Okay, go to bed quickly. We have a flight to catch tomorrow morning!" Li Man sent Gu Zhao off to sleep, then pulled Gu Qi upstairs.

Gu Zhao: "..."

Gu Zhao and Li Man flew back to Rongcheng on Friday and first visited Gu Zhao's maternal grandparents.

Gu Zhao's paternal grandparents were already quite old when Gu Qi was born and had since passed away. However, Gu Zhao's maternal grandparents were not yet very old and were still quite healthy.

After Gu Zhao secretly drew a Heavenly Dipper talisman on their bed boards, their health would surely improve even further.

The wedding the next day proceeded without any incidents. Li Man and her "plastic" girlfriends had a wonderful time, and Gu Zhao did not actually try to steal the bride.

"I'm going shopping with my girlfriends, you're free to do as you please!"

Since it was rare to be back in Rongcheng, Li Man naturally wanted to meet up with her old friends. Their children were either adults or nearly adults by now, so they had plenty of free time. Plus, she wasn't too old herself, making it the perfect time for shopping and gatherings.

Gu Zhao, now without any tasks, wouldn't be bored either. His first stop was Qingyang Palace, known as the foremost Taoist temple in western Shu.

It wasn't the summer vacation yet, so there weren't many tourists. Gu Zhao presented his student ID, paid five yuan, and upon entering the mountain gate, the first thing he saw was, as usual, King Lingguan.

Compared to the pure gold divine statue at Yuanfa Palace, Qingyang Palace's King Lingguan was a colored sculpture. Clad in armor with fiery red hair, he exuded divine might with his glaring eyes. The upper couplet read, "[Commandments summon thunder and lightning, the profound Dao is vast; Qingyang is solemn]," and the lower couplet read, "[The divine lord expels filth and evil, the heavens investigate; the Dharma realm is solemn]."

Gu Zhao looked up and saw the four large characters "[Lord of Thunder and Fire]" on the plaque.

"Quite good. Although the title 'Lord of Thunder and Fire' isn't from the original text, it fits his identity. At least they didn't use a title from Journey to the West, which would have broken the immersion at first glance," Gu Zhao chuckled.

Qingyang Palace still had a bit more style than Yuanfa Palace, but not by much.

This wasn't Gu Zhao's first time at Qingyang Palace; he remembered that the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Heavenly Origin Sect were enshrined in the Three Pure Ones Hall later on!

"I wonder if Investiture of the Gods and Journey to the West will become orthodox Daoist texts in the future," Gu Zhao mused internally. He bowed three times to King Lingguan, then walked around the altar and received three free incense sticks from the side.

Ignoring the public tour guide's introduction, Gu Zhao took the incense and walked out of the mountain gate. He passed a rather long path and arrived at the Hunyuan Hall.

Gu Zhao wasn't in a hurry to offer incense. After all, Hunyuan Hall only enshrined Taishang Laojun, and it was more cost-effective to offer incense in the Three Pure Ones Hall later, directly paying respects to the three patriarchs.

Gu Zhao: (ω)

After paying respects to the Hunyuan Patriarch in the front hall and then to Zhenren Cihang in the back hall, Gu Zhao passed by the Bagua Pavilion and decided not to disturb Laojun again. Instead, he went directly to the Three Pure Ones Hall to offer incense.

Gu Zhao lit the incense, first bowing to the Three Pure Ones, then to the four directions. After placing the three incense sticks in the censer, he felt someone approach him. "Hey, handsome boy, what a coincidence, it really is you! How did you end up in Shu Province?"

Gu Zhao turned his head, and his vision was filled with a pair of ample bosoms.

He took a step back for a clearer view, then looked up again and finally saw the person's face. It was the "Miss Shuoguo" who had spoken up for him at Yuanfa Palace.

The other slightly shy "Long-legged Miss" was still by her side.

"Quite a coincidence," Gu Zhao replied. "My maternal grandparents are from Shu Province, and I happened to be back for something. What about you guys...?"

"We're performing in Rongcheng and came to Qingyang Palace to pray for blessings," Miss Shuoguo said with a smile. "It was the same in Yangcheng. I didn't expect to run into you again. You're not here to buy Cinnabar and Yellow Paper again, are you?"

"Of course not," Gu Zhao replied with a shake of his head and a smile. "I've been to Qingyang Palace many times before. This is just a revisit."

Miss Shuoguo's eyes lit up. "You've been here many times?"

"Yes," Gu Zhao nodded.

"Then let's tour together! You can be our guide, and we'll treat you to a Vegetarian Meal," Miss Shuoguo said with a smile.

Gu Zhao looked at the two of them, finding them pleasing to the eye, and happily agreed. "Alright!"