Starting as a Talisman Master

Upon hearing the words "Lady Qin of Qixia Sect," the light in Shen Yuanheng's eyes sharpened slightly.

The smile on his lips hadn't faded, but the temperature had quietly dropped a little.

He's an old fox after all; if one plan fails, he immediately has a backup plan. He summoned Lu Chi here precisely to have two options. It would be best if he could devour him whole; if not, he absolutely couldn't let go of this money tree that could be used to draw top-grade talismans.

"Since you have a long-standing relationship with the Qixia Sect, I naturally cannot take what belongs to you."

"As for the matter of guest elders, I will pretend I never mentioned it. However, many of my Shen family members will be traveling around recently, and they urgently need high-level talismans for protection."

Shen Yuanheng raised his eyes and looked at Lu Chi.

"Since we're all making a living in this area, young friend, besides the share you provide to the Qixia Sect, could you privately allocate a batch of the superior talismans you draw each month to my Shen family? As for the price, I'll decide; I'll buy them at a 10% premium."

Lu Chi sneered inwardly. If he couldn't make a living by eating people, he would turn to business. Profit was always his top priority.

Well, it's a waste not to make money.

"It is an honor for me to serve the Shen family. As long as I have enough money, I will definitely prioritize serving the elders first."

Seeing that he readily agreed, Shen Yuanheng tapped his thin fingertips lightly twice on the rosewood table.

Thump. Thump.

Two soft sounds seemed to strike the hearts of Zhou Jinyan and Shen Yanqiu, who were listening nearby, causing them to hold their breath simultaneously.

Shen Yuanheng looked at Lu Chi with a half-smile.

"Young friend Lu, if you can't stand the rules of my Shen family, I suppose you also won't be willing to cross the thresholds of the Han and Luo families."

"I hope that the Han family and the Luo family of the west of the city will never produce any high-level talismans using your talisman-making techniques, young friend. Otherwise, it would be jeopardizing the livelihood of my Shen family's descendants..."

"At that time, I may have to personally seek an explanation from you, young friend."

The true intentions are revealed when the map is unrolled; if you can't have someone, you shouldn't let your enemy have them either. You, as a lone cultivator, can be independent, but you must never defect to the enemy.

Lu Chi sneered inwardly, but on the surface he became even more fearful and respectful, bowing without hesitation: "Elder, please understand, this junior only seeks to live a peaceful life in a remote corner, making a living by drawing talismans, and dares not get involved in trouble."

"Very well. I've taken note of what you said today, young friend." Shen Yuanheng concealed the coldness in his eyes, picked up his teacup, and adopted a gesture of seeing him off. "Go. Today is a celebratory banquet; don't waste the spirit wine outside."

"Thank you for your understanding, Elder. I will take my leave now."

Lu Chi performed the junior's greeting properly without any hesitation, then turned and left the inner hall.

Zhou Jinyan felt as if she had been granted a pardon. She quickly bowed and followed Lu Chi out.

Shen Yanqiu also wanted to leave, but heard Shen Yuanheng on the main seat say in a low voice, "You may stay."

Shen Yanqiu froze, and had no choice but to remain where she was, head bowed and eyes lowered.

Lu Chiqing's green figure disappeared completely around the corner of the corridor, and the heavy curtains in the inner hall fell down again.

"You old acquaintance, your ambition is higher than the sky."

Shen Yuanheng withdrew his gaze, coldly snorted, and glanced at Shen Yanqiu, who stood with his head bowed. "He even dares to turn away opportunities for Foundation Establishment. Just watch how far he can go in this market."

Shen Yanqiu's body trembled slightly, but without the slightest hesitation, she lifted the hem of her wedding dress and knelt down straight.

"Elder, you are wise. Now that I have joined the Shen family, I will only abide by the clan rules and will not be concerned with past relationships. That Lu Chi is ungrateful and ignorant. I am just an ordinary acquaintance with him. From now on, we will treat each other as strangers and have no further dealings with each other."

Shen Yuanheng looked at his new son-in-law kneeling on the ground, and the coldness in his eyes gradually dissipated, turning into a satisfied expression of appreciation.

He's definitely a smart person.

Get up.

Shen Yuanheng raised his hand, his tone becoming gentle and kind again, "You are a perceptive child. As long as you wholeheartedly serve the clan, the 'Crimson Palace Condensing Yuan Technique' is just the beginning. The Shen family's resources will never fail you in the future."

"Thank you for your guidance, Elder! I will serve you with my life, even unto death!"

Shen Yanqiu kowtowed deeply to express his gratitude, then stood up and lowered himself to an extremely low position.

However, neither Shen Yuanheng nor the blue-robed steward beside him saw it.

Beneath that lowered face and feigned fear, Shen Yanqiu's eyes were as cold as a stagnant pool.

There was no humiliation, nor resentment at being insulted. Only a bottomless ruthlessness.

……

……

The deafening sounds of string and wind instruments and the clamor of clinking glasses outside flooded my ears like a tidal wave.

Zhou Jinyan let out a long breath, and her shoulders, which had been tense the whole way, suddenly slumped.

"I'm so suffocating!"

He raised his hand to wipe the fine sweat from his forehead, glanced back at the inner room, and muttered in a low voice:

"These aristocratic lords act more high and mighty than the main peak of Qingque Mountain. When they try to win someone over, it's like a court trial, every word they utter is barbed and sarcastic."

After uttering a couple of complaints, Zhou Jinyan turned her head away.

His gaze fell on Lu Chi, and his expression suddenly became extremely strange. His eyes looked as if he were looking at a mysterious old monster, with a hint of excitement at having found something to hide.

"You little rascal, you were patting your chest on the way here, saying that you and Madam Qin from the Qixia Sect were completely innocent. You were just trying to fool me."

Lu Chi paused, his brows furrowing slightly, a genuine look of doubt in his eyes: "What do you mean?"

Zhou Jinyan glared defiantly, gesturing as she spoke: "That's a second-tier spiritual vein! That's the path to Foundation Establishment Pills! You didn't even lift an eyelid when a female cultivator from a noble family was offered for free, just refusing her like that."

"You're turning down such immense wealth? Clearly, the Qixia Sect has offered you an even greater reward!"

Zhou Jinyan moved closer and nudged Lu Chi with her shoulder.

He raised an eyebrow, a mischievous smile playing on his lips, his lowered voice dripping with ambiguity: "Tell me the inside story. What 'other benefits' did that still-attractive Madam Qin promise you that made you so infatuated?"

A moment of silence swept through Lu Chi's heart.

But then his thoughts shifted slightly. This seemingly absurd arrangement actually became an excellent shield.

Rather than explaining vague notions like "seeking the Dao" or "not wanting to be controlled by others," the worldly logic of romantic love and the entanglement of interests was far more convincing to these independent cultivators and aristocratic families.

So he lowered his gaze slightly, and simply shut his mouth, offering no rebuttal.

This ambiguous attitude, in Zhou Jinyan's eyes, naturally confirmed this romantic affair.

The two walked along the corridor, about to turn towards the brightly lit wedding banquet outside.

Lu Chi suddenly stopped in his tracks: "Let's go, let's get out of the city."

His true colors were already revealed during the meal. Now that he's back, he'll inevitably have to engage in another round of insincere social niceties and small talk, which will only cause him more trouble.

More importantly, he had just rejected Shen Yuanheng, and who could guarantee that the other party wouldn't go back on his word?

The gentleman does not stand under the wall.

Lu Chi twitched his sleeve slightly, his fingertips flipped, and two talismans, shimmering with pale blue spiritual light, were already between his fingers.

He was extremely cautious on this trip, and naturally had plenty of backup plans for escaping.

The talisman paper is as smooth as jade, with profound spiritual patterns.

It was he who painstakingly drew the [Superior Swift Travel Talisman] specifically for this trip.

"This...you're even willing to take out such a good thing?" Zhou Jinyan's eyes widened, and she was about to exclaim.

Lu Chi didn't give him a chance to ramble on.

With a backhand slap, he slammed a Swiftness Talisman hard into Zhou Jinyan's back.

Immediately afterwards, another one was stuck directly onto his leg.

"Buzz—"

A flash of inspiration, and a gentle breeze stirred.

A dense aura of wind-attribute spiritual energy instantly enveloped the two of them. Before Zhou Jinyan could even utter a cry of surprise, Lu Chi had already grabbed his arm tightly.

The two transformed into two extremely concealed blue afterimages, silently scaling the high walls of the Shen family's villa, and fled through the night, disappearing directly into the mountains outside Shenfan City.

……

……

"call--"

Zhou Jinyan grabbed onto a withered willow tree by the roadside, panting heavily.

"Damn it. This trip has really broadened my horizons."

"When I arrived, the grand spectacle of welcoming the groom made me envious, and I wished I could join in the fun. But now that I've seen Shen Yuanheng's behavior with my own eyes, I've finally come to my senses."

He straightened up and spat heavily on the ground.

"No matter how many spirit stones you are given, or how good your method is, it's still just a leash for a dog. Our lives as independent cultivators are tough, but we can earn the freedom of a spirit sand by earning one. There's no need to go to a wealthy family's mansion to be someone's stud or a suicide bomber."

Seeing Zhou Jinyan's enlightened expression, Lu Chi's eyes flashed with surprise.

Zhou Jinyan's expression turned serious, then she hesitated: "That brat Shen Yanqiu is still in the manor. The Shen family suffered a setback; won't they take their anger out on him?"

Lu Chi faced the gentle breeze, lightly brushed the dust off his sleeves, and gently shook his head.

Given Shen Yanqiu's character, he would certainly know how to go with the flow and feign flattery. Making a show of distancing himself is a facade; his true intention is to leverage the Shen family's resources to pave his own path to advancement.

Lu Chi said, "Brother Zhou, follow the small path and hurry back to Qingque Mountain Market overnight. Do not stop along the way."

Zhou Jinyan was taken aback, realizing the underlying meaning in his words: "Aren't you coming back with me? Where else do you want to go in this desolate wilderness?"

Lu Chi said, "I have some personal matters to attend to and need to stay here for a while."

Zhou Jinyan opened her mouth, wanting to ask again. But after glancing at Lu Chi's calm and unwavering eyes, and recalling his unmoved demeanor even when faced with the Foundation Establishment Pill tonight, she swallowed her words.

The secrets surrounding Lu Chi are beyond what someone at the fifth level of Qi Refining can easily inquire about.

"Alright. Take care of yourself." Zhou Jinyan was a decisive person, and immediately cupped his hands in a fist salute, "See you at the market."

After saying that, he determined the direction, activated the remaining spiritual power in his body, and quickly disappeared into the vast night.

Until Zhou Jinyan's figure completely disappeared into the darkness, only the rustling of the reeds remained around her.

Lu Chi then slowly turned around, reached into his robes, and gently stroked the slightly warm Listening Tide Token with his fingertips.

The Shen family's karma has been settled; now, the real highlight of this trip begins.