Starting as a Talisman Master

The surrounding clamor of voices seemed to be abruptly cut off by an invisible force.

The other cultivators at the table were so frightened that they sat up straight, their bamboo chopsticks hanging in mid-air frozen in place, silent as cicadas in winter.

Someone's wrist trembled slightly, and they almost knocked over the celadon wine cup on the table.

They had assumed that the Shen family's elder in charge of foreign affairs was simply making a routine visit to the banquet to demonstrate the family's power and influence. However, to their surprise, the elder ignored all the guests and walked straight through the crowd to stand in front of their inconspicuous side table.

Zhou Jinyan was stunned for a moment, her gaze shifting back and forth between Shen Yuanheng and Lu Chi, and her heart suddenly skipped a beat.

This aloof old monster came not out of politeness or to inquire about etiquette, but specifically to see Lu Chi.

Shen Yanqiu, who was standing to the side of the table, also had his expression change in an instant.

When he was offering the toast just now, there was a hint of pride in his eyes, a sense of self-importance that seemed to be a secret rivalry.

But now, seeing Shen Yuanheng condescend to his position, the light in his eyes suddenly dimmed.

Shen Yanqiu was a shrewd man. He knew all too well the Shen family's social standing and ways. They were able to use cultivation techniques and pills as bait to lure him, a mere mid-grade spiritual root, into their scheme.

Having just encountered a top-tier talisman master with an impeccable background, it goes without saying how eager he is to recruit them.

Shen Yanqiu remained silent, his five fingers clenching silently in his sleeve. The smile that had just been on his lips had turned into an inescapable, obscure expression.

He suddenly realized that the high position and good fortune he had barely managed to climb onto by sacrificing half his life's pride and flattering others were probably nothing more than a piece of cake that his old acquaintance in blue robes could easily obtain with a slight nod from him.

In the surrounding deathly silence, Lu Chi sat motionless.

Hearing that call, a ripple stirred in his heart, his thoughts racing. Yet, his face remained impassive, his demeanor unchanged.

Lu Chi calmly stood up, smoothed the slightly wrinkled fabric of his sleeves, and bowed respectfully, saying, "This junior is Lu Chi. I am indeed a talisman master. May I ask what instructions Elder Shen has?"

Shen Yuanheng stopped in his tracks, his gaze sharp as he looked him up and down.

The characteristics match up; I didn't pick the wrong person.

Once he confirmed the identity of the person in question, his previously imposing expression immediately softened somewhat.

"Gentlemen, please don't stand on ceremony. Today is a celebratory banquet for the Shen family. Please enjoy yourselves to the fullest. I merely happened to encounter a talented individual in the art of talismanic arts and was simply intrigued."

After calming everyone down, Shen Yuanheng looked at Lu Chi again.

His gaze swept casually across the room, then landed on Shen Yanqiu and Zhou Jinyan beside him. The changes in their expressions just now clearly indicated that they had a close relationship with Lu Chi.

"This place is too noisy for conversation. Master Lu, would you mind following me to the back room for a cup of tea?"

He paused, then looked at Shen Yanqiu and the other person: "Yanqiu, and this young friend as well. Since we're acquainted, let's bring them along as well."

Lu Chi lowered his eyelashes slightly, his gaze becoming subdued.

In front of a large audience, the esteemed elder of the distinguished family personally extended the invitation.

To offend them directly would be to humiliate the Shen family.

The other party is, after all, in the late stage of Qi Refining, and has powerful backing. It would be best if they could politely decline.

"I dare not refuse such a gift from an elder." Lu Chi nodded in agreement, "Please, Elder."

The four of them, one after the other, passed through the partition screen and quickly entered the inner hall corridor, disappearing from everyone's sight.

Like cold water dropped into boiling oil, it immediately caused an uproar at the table.

"Lu Chi... His name is actually Lu Chi?" A rogue cultivator who also lived on Qingque Mountain stared wide-eyed and gasped.

Someone nearby, puzzled, stepped forward and asked, "What's the mystery behind this name? Is it worth Elder Shen personally coming to invite you?"

The rogue cultivator lowered his voice, "A while ago, a newly promoted talisman master appeared in the market who drew a superior-grade ice arrow talisman! That person... his surname is Lu!"

After he finished speaking, the group of rogue cultivators looked at each other, and for a moment no one responded.

The path of talismanic arts is the most grueling. This rising star, Master Lu, was not some white-haired, aloof, and unapproachable reclusive master.

Instead, it was that young man who had been sitting next to them just now, all smiles and gentle, who hadn’t even taken more than a few sips of the spirit wine.

……

……

The inner hall was quiet and secluded, completely isolating it from the noisy gongs and drums outside.

The Boshan incense burner was filled with the finest calming incense, its smoke curling upwards.

The group took their seats according to their status as hosts and guests. Besides them, a servant in blue robes from the Shen family also stood in the hall.

The steward carried a mahogany tray and stepped forward to serve tea.

The clear tea liquor is poured into a white porcelain cup, exuding a spiritual aura.

The steward handed the first cup to Lu Chi with both hands, his face beaming with a very friendly smile.

As he stepped down, his gaze swept over Shen Yanqiu, who was sitting at the end of the table. He nodded slightly without making a sound, a hint of appreciation in his eyes.

Rogue cultivators are like rootless duckweed. Since this new son-in-law is an old acquaintance of Master Lu, with this relationship as a guarantee, the elder's recruitment today is already more than half done.

This son-in-law is quite lucky; as soon as he entered the family, he unintentionally made a small but significant contribution to the clan.

But this admiring gaze felt like a thorn in Shen Yanqiu's back.

This humiliating contrast made his mouth taste bitter.

"Good tea." Lu Chi took a small sip, gently put the teacup down, and remained calm.

"Young friend Lu, I don't like formalities, so let's get straight to the point." Shen Yuanheng, sitting at the head of the table, also put down his teacup.

The bottom of the cup collided with the table, making a dull thud.

"My Shen family is in dire need of a guest elder from another clan to take charge."

"Young friend, you are so young yet you can draw high-grade talismans. Your future is limitless. But the waters of Qingque Mountain Market are too shallow, and the lives of rogue cultivators are uncertain. It would be a pity if you were to waste all your skills on such petty profits."

He raised his hand, tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, and tossed out a chip.

"Although the Shen Clan is not a major sect in the cultivation world, it can still provide shelter for talented individuals in Dongyue County. If you agree, you can choose any cave dwelling on the second-tier spiritual vein. All the talisman-making materials you need will be allocated by the clan at the base price."

"Not only that. You may freely peruse all the Foundation Establishment methods within the Shen family's Scripture Pavilion. If one day your cultivation reaches the Qi Refining stage, the clan will even provide you with a Foundation Establishment Pill."

"Young friend, would you be willing to accept this offer?"

Lu Chi's mind was as clear as a mirror.

When people address him as "Master Lu" to outsiders, it's for show, demonstrating the respect and deference of a prestigious family towards its members; when they call him "Young Friend Lu" behind closed doors, it's to display the authority and benevolence of an elder in mentoring a junior.

This combination of soft and hard tactics, coupled with the heavy bait of the Foundation Establishment Pill, truly demonstrates the utmost sincerity.

Lu Chi said, "Elder, your kindness is truly admirable, but the rules of the cultivation world emphasize settling accounts after the fact. Since the Shen family is willing to offer such a heaven-reaching opportunity... may I ask, Elder, what do you require in return?"

"Young friend, you are overthinking it. My Shen family recruits guest advisors, not assassins." Shen Yuanheng picked up his teacup, moistened his throat, and spoke in an increasingly gentle tone, revealing the magnanimity of a prominent family.

"If you join the clan, you only need to pay a fixed amount of talismans to the clan each month. You can arrange your own time as you wish, and we will not interfere with you."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Lu Chi's handsome face, his smile deepening.

"Furthermore, there are still quite a few eligible young women in my Shen family. If you find one you like, you are welcome to become her Daoist partner. You don't need to marry into the family; you only need to leave your children in the future and teach them carefully in the Shen family."

Lu Chi lowered his eyes, listening quietly and carefully choosing his words: "May I ask, Elder, if I accept this position of guest elder, am I required to move into the Shen family's territory and reside within the clan?"

Shen Yuanheng nodded as a matter of course: "Young friend, your reputation has risen so high that countless eyes are watching you. The place is teeming with all sorts of people, and there are lurking cultivators lurking in the shadows. It is truly dangerous."

"You are not only a guest of the Shen family, but also a rare top-grade talisman master. With such a precious body, the Shen family will naturally protect you."

"Only by residing in the heart of my Shen family's territory, protected by the clan's grand formation, and with a Foundation Establishment ancestor overseeing things, can you, young friend, rest assured and focus on crafting talismans."

Hearing these high-sounding words, Lu Chi remained calm on the surface, but his heart was cold and clear.

Once you move into the second-tier spiritual vein in the heart of the Shen family, it's equivalent to stripping yourself naked and placing yourself under the watchful eyes of those Foundation Establishment ancestors.

Moreover, the other party is being polite now because he is in the market and is a free person without any constraints.

Once you truly step into the Shen family's territory and close the door, your life or death will depend entirely on the decision of that Foundation Establishment ancestor.

Once you're a caged bird, how can someone with a low-grade spiritual root expect to ask for a Foundation Establishment Pill? They'll probably have their very marrow drained.

The lessons learned from the past are still fresh in our minds.

When we first met Madam Qin of the Qixia Sect, how warm and gentle she seemed! But after he politely declined his attempts to get to know her better, didn't her eyes immediately reveal a hint of coldness and a warning?

Such a powerful force, with its profound foundation and far exceeding our own strength, must never be openly drawn into.

As his thoughts raced, Lu Chi's expression grew even more respectful: "I'm afraid I'm not fortunate enough to receive such a blessing from the elder."

He let out a long sigh, a hint of struggle and bitterness appearing in his eyes, which eventually turned into dejection.

"I am naturally carefree and have a low-grade spiritual root. My current level of skill in talisman drawing is entirely due to my unwavering dedication. If I were to join a prestigious family and be bound by rules, I fear my mind would become chaotic, and my inspiration for drawing talismans would be lost."

"Furthermore... I have already made a long-term contract with Madam Qin of the Qixia Sect. The talismans I have are already in short supply, and I am truly overwhelmed. I dare not jeopardize the important affairs of the Shen family for the sake of greed for good fortune, and I hope the elder will forgive me."

The hall was so quiet that one could hear the sound of breathing.

The light in Shen Yuanheng's eyes sharpened slightly, the smile on his lips remained, but the temperature of his expression quietly cooled a little.