Mei Qing’s success in drawing the talisman had already exceeded Zhang Shisan’s expectations. In Zhang’s mind, it might have been a coincidence, a lucky fluke that Mei Qing had managed it once.
But Mei Qing’s subsequent success in using the talisman could no longer be dismissed as mere chance.
At present, Mei Qing had not yet officially become Zhang Shisan’s disciple, so naturally Zhang could not directly inquire about Mei Qing’s cultivation method. However, Mei Qing’s golden elixir circled smoothly within him, and he had clearly chosen the dual cultivation path, unmistakably belonging to the Dan Ding sect.
Zhang Shisan himself cultivated the orthodox Fu sect, naturally holding certain biases against the Dan Ding sect. Yet his temperament made him reluctant to openly criticize. Instead, he planned to make things difficult for Mei Qing during instruction, hoping Mei Qing would recognize the strengths of the Fu sect and the shortcomings of Dan Ding, thus voluntarily choosing the Fu cultivation method.
In truth, the Fu and Dan Ding paths shared many commonalities. However, in terms of proficiency in using talismans, the Fu sect was naturally far superior.
Why? Because the Fu sect cultivated qi, while the Dan Ding sect cultivated elixirs. The Fu sect drew upon the essence of heaven and earth, sun and moon, channeling it into the body. When drawing and using talismans, the practitioner’s true energy flowed through the brush tip. As the saying goes, “the essence of Dao is inscribed on paper and ink, harmonizing the essence of all things,” creating a natural resonance and continuity. The Dan Ding sect, however, relied entirely on internal cultivation—every ounce of true energy was refined into elixirs. Unless reaching the ultimate stage of mastery, how could one possibly draw upon such energy to wield talismans?
Therefore, those cultivating golden elixirs found drawing talismans and chanting spells especially difficult. Zhang Shisan, seeing this, believed that although Mei Qing had somehow succeeded in drawing a Water Spirit Talisman, without the Fu sect’s qi cultivation method, it would be absolutely impossible for him to smoothly release its power.
Yet life often defies expectations. Just moments ago, Zhang Shisan had been poised to lecture Mei Qing, but now, watching Mei Qing effortlessly complete the Water Spirit Talisman, he could no longer maintain his aloof demeanor. His right hand stiffly pulled out several strands of beard without him even realizing it, muttering in disbelief: “How… how is this even possible?”
After much contemplation, Zhang suddenly cried out, grabbed Mei Qing, and examined him from head to toe. He opened his mouth to ask something but couldn’t find the words. With a sigh, he let Mei Qing go, then snatched the paper and brush, swiftly drawing a Fire Spirit Talisman. With a hand seal and incantation, the talisman transformed into a small flame, flickering and vanishing. Fixing his gaze on Mei Qing, Zhang commanded: “You try it now.”
Puzzled, Mei Qing had no idea what Zhang was up to. In his mind, talisman drawing was simply a matter of imitation—once the intent was correct, success was natural. He had no idea how challenging it was for beginners.
Since Zhang asked him to try, Mei Qing didn’t hesitate. He had carefully observed Zhang’s earlier drawing of the Fire Spirit Talisman and memorized it clearly. Now, he took the paper and brush, imitating the strokes with ease. A faint flame seemed to rise from the talisman, indicating another success. Then, he calculated the timing and direction, recited the incantation Zhang had used, and channeled his true energy into the talisman. As expected, another fire talisman soared into the air, igniting into a small flame.
“This is absurd!” Zhang’s eyes nearly popped out. He slapped his head repeatedly, grabbed his hair, shaking it wildly until it was a mess, muttering: “Why? Why is this happening?!”
A simple Fire Spirit Talisman was nothing special. Yet Mei Qing had drawn it without proper meditation, posture, brushwork, or formal technique—and it still worked. And to top it off, he was a half-baked golden elixir cultivator. Such a thing was simply unbelievable.
Unable to find an explanation, Zhang gave up thinking and grabbed the brush again, rapidly drawing various talismans, then urging Mei Qing to test them one by one.
One talisman after another followed—Lower Tier, First Grade talismans of Yin-Yang, Four Symbols, and Five Elements—all of which Mei Qing handled effortlessly. Zhang, alternating between exclamations of “Marvelous!” and “Strange!”, continued drawing Lower Tier, Second Grade talismans—Invisibility, Purification, Divine Movement, and Object Storage.
The Second Grade talismans were far more numerous and complex than the First Grade ones. Fortunately, Zhang had indeed trained rigorously since childhood, carrying all these talismans in his mind. One after another, he tested dozens of talismans. Mei Qing succeeded in nearly all of them, failing only a few due to momentary lapses in concentration. His success rate was astoundingly high, his execution effortless, leaving Zhang utterly stunned.
“By the Three Pure Ones! This is simply… preposterous!” By midnight, Zhang was still shouting in his room, nearly pulling out all his remaining beard and scratching his scalp raw.
“You… you may go now. Review the talismans I’ve taught you. I need some time to think,” Zhang finally said, slumping into a chair, eyes vacant, his voice lifeless.
Mei Qing was exhausted. Though he felt a sense of novelty and accomplishment in learning talismans, it had drained his true energy and mental focus. While concentrating, the fatigue wasn’t obvious, but once he relaxed, dizziness, emptiness, and weakness overwhelmed him.
As he staggered out of Zhang’s room, he nearly collided with a figure standing motionless in front of the door. The figure had a smooth, shining head under the moonlight, wore monastic robes, and bore a face like a baby’s, smiling gently—none other than Master Ku.
“Ah… Master Ku? Why are you standing here so late at night instead of resting?” Mei Qing asked, yawning.
Master Ku remained silent, simply smiling and joining his palms in greeting.
That smile was like blooming flowers, conveying unspoken meaning. Mei Qing stammered: “It’s an honor to receive your guidance, of course. But… look at the time. I’ve been learning talismans with Master Zhang all night… Ah, Master Ku, what are you doing now…”
Though Mei Qing tried to refuse, Master Ku’s gentle smile rendered him powerless to resist. Before he knew it, he was following Master Ku to his room. Panic surged in Mei Qing’s heart as he recalled Zhang’s words about Ku’s talent for “kidnapping” people. Indeed, with his Six Phases technique, Ku was perfectly suited for human trafficking.
Though Mei Qing protested verbally, he followed Ku into his room, sat cross-legged opposite him, and then Ku uttered a sharp “Hmph!”—Mei Qing’s mouth snapped shut, his mind drifted, and suddenly he was enveloped in a strange, indescribable aura. Thoughts flooded his mind, overwhelming him completely.
The next morning.
Hou Shen awoke and noticed Mei Qing had not returned, secretly admiring his dedication. After tidying up, he stepped outside to stretch his legs. A servant brought water for washing, but Mei Qing still hadn’t returned, causing some surprise.
“Has Mei Qing been in Master Zhang’s room all night?” Hou Shen asked casually.
The servant respectfully replied: “Mei Qing was taken by Master Ku for cultivation. As for Master Zhang… he’s been muttering to himself all night…”
Hou Shen was puzzled. As he stepped outside, he saw Shi Mengzhu supporting Mei Qing out of a room. Mei Qing’s eyes were red, his gaze dull, his mind clearly unfocused, causing Hou to startle.
“It’s nothing serious,” Shi explained, wiping sweat discreetly. “Mei Qing just got a bit too immersed in learning and stayed up all night. He’s just tired.”
The servant hurried over, helping Mei Qing into the room. As soon as he saw the bed, Mei Qing collapsed onto it and immediately began snoring loudly.
“What happened?” Hou asked anxiously.
Sighing, Shi replied: “Last night, Master Zhang taught Mei Qing for half the night. Just as they finished, Master Ku intercepted him and taught him the other half of the night… If I hadn’t heard about it this morning and rushed over to rescue Mei Qing, Ku might still be going at it.”
Hou Shen shuddered involuntarily, recalling: “I’ve heard that the Jinyiwei have a particularly cruel interrogation method for stubborn prisoners—rotating teams of interrogators who never let the prisoner sleep. Now I’ve encountered two old monks like that…”
Before he could finish, a hoarse voice suddenly shouted from behind: “Mei Qing! Mei Qing! Have you slept enough? I’ve been thinking all night and finally figured something out. Come, let’s try again!”
Shi Mengzhu hurriedly stepped forward to block him: “Old cow-nose, Mei Qing just fell asleep…”
Zhang Shisan ignored them completely, rushing straight to Mei Qing’s bedside and pulling him up: “Come on, let’s go!”
Mei Qing showed no reaction, even snoring again, turning his head slightly, still fast asleep with his eyes closed.
“Ding Mao, born in Kan, Water Spirit, activate!” Without even holding a talisman, Zhang chanted, and with a splash, a large volume of water suddenly appeared above Mei Qing, drenching him from head to toe.
“Ahh!” Mei Qing jolted awake, soaked and dazed: “What happened? Did it rain?”
“Rain? I’ve had an insight! Come, let’s try again!” Without waiting for Shi and Hou to intervene, Zhang chanted “Activate!” and dragged Mei Qing away, vanishing without a trace.
In the room, Shi Mengzhu and Hou Shen stared at each other, then turned to look at the soaked bed, both sighing helplessly.
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