The four streets formed a square. To inspect the area thoroughly would inevitably involve walking through the alleys, which would waste time. Therefore, Sun Busan decided to act, startling the others slightly.
A strong wind whistled past their ears. The rooftops, usually towering above, were now beneath their feet. Everything around appeared dim and hazy. Facing forward, they saw the half-moon in the sky, but from this height, the moon seemed unusually large and round.
Yao Dingguo and Zhou Chang were both martial artists, and Yao, in particular, was renowned for his superb agility. Yet neither had ever witnessed such a cultivation technique before. For a moment, they nearly forgot why they were there, simply awestruck and secretly admiring the skill, thinking that this journey had been well worth it and feeling a deep sense of envy.
At this moment, Mei Qing’s thoughts were entirely focused on the talisman of movement that Sun Busan had placed on him. Mei had tried drawing talismans before, but without proper guidance, he had been merely guessing his way through. Eventually, he had been forced to rely on special techniques to create a tracking talisman. Strictly speaking, it wasn’t even a proper talisman—it had been formed purely through brute force of spiritual energy, without harnessing any natural cosmic energy. At the time, Sun Busan hadn’t examined it closely and had mistakenly assumed it was imbued with strong spiritual power. Had he taken a closer look, he might have looked down on Mei Qing in disdain.
Now that he had the chance to observe a true master’s talisman, Mei Qing seized the opportunity. While running, he diverted part of his spiritual awareness to probe the talisman, eager to uncover its secrets.
As soon as his spiritual sense entered the talisman, he felt a flow of true energy coursing through the lines of the talisman like water, following a mysterious and intricate path, looping and winding. His heart stirred, and his own energy subtly followed. But the moment his energy mingled with the talisman’s, there was a sudden hesitation in the flow, and his body jolted, slowing him down.
“Hmm? Your spiritual energy is rather strange, boy. It’s interfering with my talisman,” Sun Busan remarked as soon as he sensed the disturbance. He didn’t think much of it, assuming it was just a clash between Mei Qing’s unique energy and the talisman’s power. He then said, “Old Three, lend him a bit of your energy.”
Sun Bosi nodded, lightly placing his hand on the talisman on Mei Qing’s body. Without any obvious movement, Mei Qing suddenly felt himself propelled forward again.
This time, Mei Qing dared not experiment further. He withdrew his energy and focused solely on examining the talisman with his spiritual awareness. He studied the ancient cursive script on the talisman, analyzing the strokes—their starting and ending points, the pressure and turns. Fortunately, he was already familiar with ancient Chinese calligraphy and had studied the Shenzhao Thunder Method diligently, so understanding the structure and flow of the talisman’s script came naturally to him.
If others in the Talisman Sect had known this, they would have been astonished. After all, almost no one in the world could recognize the ancient cursive script, and the variations used in talismans were even more complex. Without a deep understanding, memorizing them would have been impossible, no matter how hard one tried.
Mei Qing’s knowledge of ancient calligraphy came from the Six Principles of Chinese Character Formation, giving him a clear understanding of how characters transformed. This allowed him to infer the meanings of unknown characters and grasp their essence. Moreover, he had no rigid constraints when it came to talisman study. When he saw others’ talismans, he naturally approached them by interpreting the meaning of the characters and analyzing the brushwork and energy flow.
In Mei Qing’s view, the difference between Sun Busan’s talisman and his own wasn’t in the writing style. The real distinction lay in the brushwork—Sun’s was fluid and spontaneous, creating a sense of vitality. The strokes connected seamlessly, allowing spiritual energy to flow smoothly, making the talisman feel alive.
His own talismans, by contrast, were barely talismans at all. Even if he had just poured spiritual energy mixed with cinnabar onto the paper without worrying about the shape, the effect probably wouldn’t have been much different.
The spiritual energy of the talisman writer and the form of the talisman must work in harmony to channel cosmic energy and manifest various magical effects with minimal personal energy expenditure.
At this realization, Mei Qing began to understand the flaw in his own talisman-making method.
The ancients said: “If you don’t know the secret of drawing talismans, you’ll only make ghosts and spirits laugh. But if you do know the secret, even ghosts and spirits will cry out in fear.” The key to drawing talismans lies in the harmony between the mind and the energy.
Mei Qing had never truly drawn talismans—he had merely copied them stroke by stroke, focusing only on their appearance while neglecting their essence. How could such talismans ever become alive?
Even Bi Zhen, who had taught him, belonged to the Golden Elixir Sect and was skilled in talismans. However, Bi Zhen herself was still a novice, and her understanding of the deeper principles was superficial. No wonder Mei Qing had struggled so much before. Now, with this rare opportunity to study a master’s talisman directly attached to his body, even if only briefly, he had gained invaluable insights.
As Mei Qing’s thoughts raced and he probed the secrets of the movement talisman, his feet never stopped. He continued with the group, circling the square area, spiraling inward from the outside.
At this moment, Sun Bosi beside him said, “Apologies, young master, but could you please bring out the original talisman? It will help us track the target.”
Still somewhat puzzled, Mei Qing obediently took out the original talisman. Without slowing his pace, Sun Bosi began to form hand seals and chant incantations. Instantly, the cinnabar lines on the tracking talisman turned a vivid red, shimmering with a faint glow as if the talisman were about to come alive.
Sun Bosi smiled and said, “With your talisman’s power, I’ve enhanced its sensitivity. The one who cast the counter-charm may not understand what’s happening and might react, making them easier to detect.”
Mei Qing was startled as he felt his own spiritual energy within the original talisman burning intensely, its tracking power far exceeding what he had originally achieved. He couldn’t help but glance at Sun Bosi in amazement, wondering how he had managed such a feat.
“Apologies again,” Sun Bosi explained with a wry smile. “This technique greatly enhances the talisman’s sensitivity, but it will burn through its energy quickly. Even if the target talisman isn’t destroyed, this one won’t last long. Please be careful not to miss the moment when it responds.”
Sun Busan, who had been propelling them forward with the movement talisman, probably knew that his brother was accelerating the original talisman’s energy consumption. He gave a sharp command: “Forward!” and their speed increased once more, spiraling inward toward the center.
Mei Qing felt the original talisman in his palm pulsing rapidly, as if in urgent anticipation, as if calling out to something. Several times, he thought he had sensed a response, but upon closer inspection, found nothing.
Just as the group passed over a courtyard house, they saw that the small yard was in a state of disrepair. Except for a narrow path in the center, the yard was overgrown with weeds. The doors and windows were broken, and the mud walls were on the verge of collapse.
At that very moment, Mei Qing suddenly felt a strong vibration from the original talisman in his hand. It then lifted into the air, flying straight toward the courtyard. But just as it began to rise, a gust of wind blew, and the talisman disintegrated into ashes, vanishing in an instant.
At the same time, Mei Qing sensed a lingering ripple of uncomfortable spiritual energy from within the house. He quickly pointed his finger toward it and signaled to Yao and Zhou behind him. Without hesitation, the group landed in the courtyard.
Sun Bosi landed a step ahead of Mei Qing, his figure soaring like a wild crane. In two swift steps, he entered the courtyard. At some point, he had already taken a jade pendant from his waist and was now holding it in one hand while forming a strange hand seal with the other. He silently chanted something—his lips moved, but no sound was heard. Then, the jade pendant began to spin rapidly, shooting upward into the sky.
Five small talismans suddenly appeared in the air around Sun Bosi, each in a different color—black, yellow, blue, white, and red—each bearing a mysterious talismanic symbol. They immediately scattered in different directions, except for the yellow one, which fell straight down and vanished as soon as it touched the ground.
The group had just landed when a furious voice erupted from the dilapidated main house: “Who dares intrude here? Heaven and earth, gods and ghosts, destroy all directions—now!”
As the incantation ended, a deafening explosion sounded. The crumbling mud walls shattered into pieces, and massive bricks and debris flew like lightning toward the people in the courtyard.
Caught off guard, Mei Qing and the others were momentarily stunned, but Sun Bosi remained calm, continuing to control the jade pendant in the sky as if the flying debris were nothing but illusions.
Mei Qing felt the earth energy surge violently around him, and then he heard Sun Busan’s sharp voice: “Lin!”
With that single word, a giant copper bowl suddenly appeared in the air, glowing with several talismanic symbols. A massive, bowl-shaped light barrier expanded instantly, shielding Mei Qing and the others. The flying debris struck the barrier, creating visible ripples that spread outward in layers, illuminating the surroundings before finally fading away.
Just as the dust began to settle, a sharp whistle pierced the air. The roof of the main house had been torn open, and a black beam of light shot out, curving through the air like lightning.
Without a sound, Sun Bosi simply pointed his finger. The jade pendant in his hand spun rapidly, emitting a hazy green light that enveloped the entire courtyard, blurring the scene before them. The black beam, caught in the green glow, suddenly slowed as if weighed down by an invisible force. It struggled several times before finally plummeting to the ground with a dull thud.
The group looked closer and saw a small cloth doll still chirping and writhing, trying desperately to stand up.
“Whoever you are, honored guest, why have you come to my humble abode? If you wished to visit, why not come through the front door like an honorable guest? Why resort to underhanded tricks to seal this courtyard? Such cowardly behavior is unworthy of a cultivator,” a cold, sinister voice finally spoke after a long silence.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage