Immortality and cultivation begin with drawing talismans.

Chapter 13 Old He is back
Day two.

The main reception hall of the Zhou family.

"Young friend Lin, could you draw a talisman on the spot to verify this?"

In the main seat, Zhou Antai, dressed in the finest Dharma robes, radiated a kind and approachable smile, without the slightest airs.

Lin Chang'an knew this person. Despite his kind old appearance, he had personally witnessed the imposing figure he had during the land reclamation twenty years ago.

"Old Zhou, I'll make a fool of myself."

Lin Chang'an knew that the other party also wanted to see his true worth, which suited him perfectly.

Only by demonstrating one's talent in talisman making can one obtain better conditions.

Of course, it shouldn't be too much, otherwise it would be abnormal. Just showing some talent is enough.

Lin Chang'an didn't hesitate. He walked directly to the table that had been prepared, but instead of starting to eat, he closed his eyes to rest.

Old Master Zhou didn't find this strange at all. Instead, he raised his hand and gestured to the other two young Zhou family cultivators in the room, asking them to watch carefully.

Half an incense stick later, no one present was impatient.

Just then, Lin Chang'an slowly opened his eyes, looking as if he had adjusted his energy and spirit to their best, and picked up his brush to dip it in the special cinnabar used to draw golden light talismans.

Swish!

Lin Chang'an, holding his breath and concentrating intently, moved with effortless grace as he wrote with the brush on the talisman paper.

Zhou Antai nodded secretly at this scene.

After a while.

The eight golden talismans shimmered with spiritual light, especially two of them, whose spiritual light was noticeably more intense.

"Well done, young friend Lin's skills are indeed extraordinary."

Even Old Zhou couldn't help but exclaim in admiration. Lin Chang'an took the towels handed to him by the two young men, wiped the sweat from his brow, and humbly bowed, saying:
"It's all thanks to this superior talisman brush and cinnabar; otherwise, how could we have created two first-grade low-quality golden light talismans?"

Lin Chang'an's words were not genuine modesty; rather, the spirit brush and cinnabar provided by the other party were indeed of a higher grade than those he used.

"I don't like these empty formalities. My Zhou family can provide you with the crafting inheritance of the next level of the first-tier Golden Light Talisman. If your skills improve further in the future, my Zhou family will also have the inheritance of the first-tier high-grade talisman master."

"But young friend Lin must guarantee to provide a certain number of first-tier mid-grade talismans each year, and at the same time, train one or two juniors for my Zhou family..."

Lin Chang'an thought to himself, "The Zhou family, the Beast Taming Clan, truly lives up to its reputation as a Foundation Establishment clan in the market. These conditions are indeed within a reasonable range."

The Zhou family provides the crafting method for a mid-grade first-tier talisman, and also offers cultivation resources every month.

He only needs to pay a certain amount of talismans each year, and incidentally help the Zhou family train two juniors who are preparing to focus on drawing talismans because of their poor aptitude.

To put it simply, the Zhou family paid his salary in advance, and he was to work for the Zhou family as a long-term employee.

"Mr. Zhou, isn't fifteen years a bit too long? I'm already over forty..."

"At least ten years. You should know that we also provide Lin Xiaoyou with a cultivation ground rich in spiritual energy, and we are even responsible for all the materials needed to make talismans."

"Elder Zhou, could the annual amount of talismans delivered be reduced by 20%? I'd be willing to mentor two more junior disciples..."

Lin Chang'an only made a token attempt at bargaining, but in reality, he was already extremely pleased.

You should know that the Zhou family will provide some of the materials for drawing talismans in the future, and he will be able to maintain his best condition.

Doesn't that mean that by using the Zhou family's materials to draw talismans, aside from the amount paid, he earns everything else himself?

He even had the Zhou family as a powerful backer.

After discussing it for a while, Lin Chang'an and Old Zhou both showed satisfied smiles.

"We'll be in trouble with Master Lin from now on."

"I dare not accept such praise. I will do my best to teach and instruct you."

Except for a slightly smaller number of talismans delivered in the first six months, the amount delivered thereafter was the same. In addition, as agreed, he would do his best to train talisman masters for the Zhou family.

The Zhou family is such a large family that there are many people with inferior spiritual roots within the clan. These people can only linger in the early stage of Qi Refining for their entire lives.

Aside from family affairs, they mostly learn a skill to continue serving the family.

After all, inferior spiritual roots are even worse than his low-grade spiritual root.

……

"A low-grade robe. I didn't expect to get one so quickly."

After being personally escorted out by Erniu, Lin Chang'an looked at his robes and patted them a few times with satisfaction.

It feels silky smooth to the touch. This thing is not just simple dust-repellent and good-looking; it also has a certain degree of defensive capability.

If this were placed in the mortal realm, it would be an impenetrable, gold-threaded soft armor, impervious to swords, spears, water, and fire.

"No wonder mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators can have such a crushing advantage over early-stage cultivators."

Lin Chang'an was filled with emotion. The difference between the early and middle stages of Qi Refining was not only in terms of mana and spells, but also in terms of magical artifacts.

Many cultivators in the early stages of Qi Refining don't even have a single inferior magic weapon; they mostly use divine weapons.

However, these divine weapons and artifacts of the mortal realm could not even break through the defenses of a low-grade magic robe.

"Even cultivation grounds are assigned. If I had broken through in talisman drawing earlier, I wouldn't have only broken through to the fourth level of Qi Refining at this age." Although he was sighing, Lin Chang'an was beaming as he hurried home.

He went back to pack his things; he was moving.

There was also the corvée tax, but under the Zhou family's protection, he only needed to pay half of it.

Indeed, the old saying is true: it's good to have a big tree to lean on for shade.

……

"Bang bang!"

Just as I got home and was getting ready to tidy up, there was a knock on the door.

"Old He?"

After disappearing for more than two months, Old He reappeared with an even more haggard face, but now it glowed with a ruddy complexion.

Upon seeing Lin Chang'an open the door, Old He's old face broke into a wide grin.

However, Lin Chang'an had already noticed that Old He was missing four fingers on his left hand, as if they had been bitten off by a monster.

"Young Lin, this time we really owe you a lot for your Golden Light Talisman, otherwise this old man would almost not have made it back."

Old He didn't try to hide his injured left hand at all; instead, he grinned, revealing his old, yellowed teeth that were missing several teeth.

"You brat, why don't you pay your respects to your Uncle Lin?"

At this moment, a handsome young man named He Yan, dressed in fine silk, walked out from behind Old He. His usual humble smile seemed somewhat perfunctory this time.

However, Lin Chang'an keenly noticed that He Yan was also wearing a Dharma robe.

"Uncle Lin."

Before Lin Chang'an could think further, Old He, grinning with his yellowed teeth, couldn't stop smiling.

"This kid is lucky. He not only caught the eye of the Wang family, a powerful Foundation Establishment clan, but also passed the entrance exam for the Li Huo Palace."

No wonder! Lin Chang'an suddenly realized. Looking at He Yan's expression now, wasn't it just youthful arrogance?

"Congratulations, Old He!"

"You can't hit a smiling face," Lin Chang'an said with a smile, offering his congratulations. Old He also looked smug, grinning excitedly as he spoke.

"grandfather."

It was obvious that He Yan, who had allied himself with the Wang family and become an outer disciple of the Li Huo Palace, had changed his mindset, and his expression showed some impatience.

He was destined to become an inner disciple of the Li Huo Palace, and this place was no longer the quagmire that had trapped him, so naturally he didn't want to talk to these peasants.

Old He was somewhat embarrassed, and when he suddenly saw Lin Chang'an's robe, he couldn't help but show a look of astonishment.

"Young man Lin, is this the Zhou family?!"

The robes bestowed by the Zhou family naturally bear the markings representing the Zhou family cultivators' identities.

Old He, with his sharp eyes, naturally noticed it immediately, and Lin Chang'an nodded with a smile.

"Yes, this level of mid-grade talisman inheritance is extremely rare; only these families possess it."

It's quite clear now that he's joined the Zhou family.

"I see. Congratulations! By the way, these are the spirit stones from the Golden Light Talisman."

Old He also smiled broadly and offered his congratulations. When he took out the two spirit stones and his original Swift Travel Talisman from his pocket, it was obvious that he was still a little unaccustomed to using his left hand.

"What I've done is nothing compared to Xiao Yan's ability to join the Li Huo Palace. His future is truly promising."

Listening to Lin Chang'an praise his grandson, Old He couldn't stop smiling. Wasn't this the result of his persistence over the years?

After exchanging congratulations, Old He couldn't wait to go and show off to the other neighbors.

"That old man He is still so stingy."

Lin Chang'an smiled and shook his head. As he was about to put the spirit stones away, he narrowed his eyes when he looked at the Swift Travel Talisman.

"This is!?"

On this talisman, there were clearly a few fine hairs, and a few drops of blood on one corner.

"This is the downy fur of a Black Wind Wolf cub."

Lin Chang'an couldn't help but mutter to himself, "This old man He is really bold. He actually managed to sneak up and discover a wolf den."

No wonder he looks so radiant even though he's injured; this little monster cub alone is enough for old man He to live comfortably in his old age.

This made Lin Chang'an both envious and somewhat sentimental.

He also had good personal opportunities.

As for He Yan, the young man with a mid-grade spiritual root?
If it were him in the past, he might have envied others for their good start, but now he has a bright future ahead of him and won't let a few people affect his mood so easily.

The road ahead is long; the previous forty years were merely the wind and snow on his way here.

(End of this chapter)