Starting as a Talisman Master

Chapter 82 Han Changlin (Tenth Update)

Several days passed in the blink of an eye.

In the quiet room, Lu Chi concentrated his mind and breath, his spirit brush dipped in the essence blood of a demon beast and cinnabar, moving across the talisman paper in one smooth stroke.

As the last stroke was made, a flash of light appeared on the talisman paper, then vanished, leaving only a dark red talisman quietly emerging.

Lu Chi finally let out a slow breath, put down his spirit brush, and the tension between his brows eased slightly.

In his previous battle with Ge Jiuzhang, he used up several top-grade talismans in order to play it safe.

For him, once his hand weakens, he will never feel at ease.

Therefore, he has hardly left the house these days. Apart from circulating the "Taiyuan Xuanshui Scripture" every day to nurture the "Xuanyuan" flying sword, he has spent most of his energy on replenishing the talismans.

Only now, seeing the increasing abundance of talismans on the table, the readily available magical artifacts, and the increasingly solid foundation of his cultivation, did Lu Chi feel a sense of reassurance.

He moved his slightly sore wrists, then with a thought, he summoned the career panel deep within his mind.

The progress bars for each profession are clearly displayed:

[Job Panel]

Name: Lu Chi

[Realm Level: Qi Refining Level 6]

【职业：符师Lv.3（58/100）、灵农Lv.2（2/50）、炼丹师Lv.2（5/50）、炼器师Lv.1（6/30）、阵师Lv.1（0/30）】

Looking at the progress charts on the panel, Lu Chi's eyes flashed with genuine satisfaction.

As he put away the panel, his divine sense suddenly detected two people approaching from outside.

Sure enough, a familiar voice suddenly came from outside the courtyard wall a short while later: "Brother Lu, are you at home? I apologize for disturbing you."

Lu Chi's expression turned slightly somber. Calculating the days, today was indeed the day he had agreed to deliver the talisman to the Han family.

However, the moment Han Jingxing spoke, his divine sense keenly detected that besides Han Jingxing, there was another rather profound and undisguised spiritual pressure aura outside the door.

"Eighth level of Qi Refining?"

Lu Chi narrowed his eyes slightly, and instead of immediately answering to open the door, he glanced around the courtyard.

Having confirmed that there were no remaining traces of array energy around him, he loudly replied, "Brother Han, please wait a moment," and with a wave of his sleeve, he slowly stepped forward and opened the courtyard gate.

Besides Han Jingxing, a thin old man wearing a gray-brown brocade robe stood side by side outside the door. The old man had long, narrow eyes and a long, steady spiritual pressure emanating from him without any attempt to conceal it.

"Brother Lu, I apologize for disturbing you."

Upon seeing the courtyard gate open, Han Jingxing forced a slightly strained smile and quickly cupped his hands in greeting, introducing, "Today happens to be the day for delivering the talismans. This is Han Changlin, the third elder of my Han family. Hearing that Brother Lu's talisman skills are superb, the third elder specially accompanied me to pay a visit."

"So it's Elder Han, my apologies for my rudeness." Lu Chi politely cupped his hands in greeting.

Han Changlin merely glanced at him indifferently, nodded casually, and let out a soft "hmm" through his nose, his expression carrying an air of condescending arrogance that he made no attempt to conceal.

This kind of behavior made Lu Chi feel a chill in his heart and he was very displeased. So he didn't say much and just stepped aside half a step: "Please come in, both of you."

After they entered and took their seats, Lu Chi poured them some coarse tea.

Han Changlin held his teacup but didn't drink. His cloudy yet sharp eyes brazenly scanned the small courtyard with his eyes.

Lu Chi keenly sensed that the old man seemed to be probing something.

Even a clay figure has some temper; such unbridled probing of a cultivator's private residence is a great offense in the cultivation world.

The coldness in his eyes deepened, and he took out two stacks of well-sealed talismans from his storage bag and pushed them to the center of the stone table: "Brother Han, these are the agreed amount of talismans for this month. Please inspect them."

Han Jingxing coughed lightly, glanced at Han Changlin beside him, and a hint of embarrassment and awkwardness flashed across his face.

Han Changlin casually reached out and grabbed the talisman, glancing at it casually. A barely perceptible glint of greed flashed in his previously murky eyes.

"Master Lu's craftsmanship is indeed excellent." Han Changlin put the talisman into his sleeve, then flipped his hand and threw a heavy cloth bag full of spirit stones onto the stone table with a dull thud.

After settling the payment with spirit stones, Han Changlin showed no intention of getting up to take his leave.

He picked up the now-cold tea and took a sip, his gaze sweeping over the small, simple courtyard once more. His tone carried a hint of condescension as he slowly spoke, "Master Lu, although this place is in the heart of the market, it's still rather cramped. The spiritual energy isn't abundant, and there's no systematic protective method in the courtyard. If we were to encounter a cultivator seeking revenge, I'm afraid we wouldn't even have enough time to maneuver and defend ourselves. With Master Lu's talisman-making skills, staying here for so long is truly a waste of your talent."

"How about this, Master Lu, after you've made some preparations, come with me to the Han family's mountain gate? Our Han family has its own spiritual vein cave for quiet cultivation, and its protection is far superior to that of the marketplace. It's much better than staying here and suffering all this turmoil for nothing."

Lu Chi's expression was calm, his tone devoid of any warmth, yet exuding a cold indifference that kept people at a distance: "Thank you for your kindness, Elder Han. However, I am used to a leisurely life, and I find it quite peaceful and comfortable to draw talismans and pass the days in this small blue stone courtyard. I'm afraid I am not worthy of your esteemed family's mountain gate."

If Han Changlin truly meant well, worried that he was being secretly targeted by the Shen and Luo families, then his kind words of advice would be understandable.

But this old guy acted arrogantly and gave orders, and there was not a trace of respect in his words.

Hearing this unequivocal refusal, Han Changlin did not get angry. He narrowed his cloudy old eyes slightly, slowly stood up, and brushed the dust off his sleeves.

"Since Master Lu is reluctant to part with the liveliness of this market, I will refrain from saying more."

"But rogue cultivators are without support, ultimately like duckweed adrift on water. Once a storm arises, whether they can stand firm depends entirely on their own fate. Now that I've said this, Master Lu is always a wise man, and I believe he understands the importance of this matter."

After saying that, he didn't wait for Lu Chi's response, nor did he even glance at Han Jingxing beside him. He went straight out of the courtyard and strode away.

The courtyard returned to silence.

Lu Chi watched Han Changlin's disappearing figure silently, a cold glint flashing in the depths of his eyes.

He turned his head and looked at Han Jingxing, who was still standing stiffly to the side with an extremely awkward expression. He picked up the cold tea on the table and took a sip.

"Brother Han, it seems that not everyone can easily find shelter under the noble tree."

Han Jingxing gave a wry smile, his face flushed red, and quickly bowed deeply to Lu Chi: "Brother Lu, please calm down! What happened today was indeed my fault."

He sighed softly, his face full of helplessness, and slowly said, "Brother Lu, please forgive me. There has never been a true consensus within the Han family on how to get along with you."

"My lineage believes that harmony is paramount in all matters. We should build good relationships through trade and business dealings, which is the best long-term strategy. However, the Third Elder's lineage has always acted forcefully, and their thinking is different from ours."

At this point, Han Jingxing paused slightly, his expression becoming even more embarrassed.

"In their eyes, Brother Lu has neither a family to rely on nor a sect to protect him, yet he possesses such a talent for making talismans, so he should not continue to wander outside."

"Rather than letting others try to win Kai over, it would be better to bring him back to the clan as soon as possible, establish a long-term agreement, and make him exclusively for the Han family's use."

"Today, the Third Elder insisted on coming along, and my influence within the clan is limited; I truly could not dissuade him."

"However, Brother Lu, you can rest assured. The head of my Han family and the Foundation Establishment ancestor in our clan have always valued Brother Lu's talisman-making skills and have a goodwill towards him."

Lu Chi's expression remained noncommittal.

Having lived two lives, his mind is incredibly insightful.

If the Han family patriarch and that Foundation Establishment cultivator were truly determined to befriend him, how could they sit idly by and allow another voice in the clan to be so openly displayed, or even allow a late-stage Qi Refining elder to personally come to their door to exert pressure?

Ultimately, those few who truly held power in the Han family mostly just stood by and watched.

I can't say I valued him highly, nor can I say I harbored any ill intentions; I simply wanted to test his character and reaction.

If he truly believed Han Jingxing's words and unknowingly stepped into the Han family's mountain gate, whether he would be treated as an honored guest or trapped like a caged bird would no longer be something he could easily control.

However, the calculations among these high-ranking family members were clearly not of much concern to Han Jingxing in front of him.

Although this person is a direct descendant of the Han family, he is ultimately only at the sixth level of Qi Refining, and may not hold much weight in the clan.

The fact that the Third Elder, who is at the eighth level of Qi Refining, brought me here today is probably because I am caught up in the situation and have little control over it.

Lu Chi therefore did not dwell on the matter, smoothly moving on and softening his tone: "I understand Fellow Daoist Han's difficulties. We are not on the same path, so let's not bring this up again in the future."

After saying that, he personally poured some tea for Han Jingxing, and then changed the subject, asking, "Judging by the time, has the grand selection for the Xuandu Sect's opening ceremony a while ago been finalized?"

Seeing that Lu Chi was no longer pursuing Han Changlin's offense, Han Jingxing breathed a sigh of relief, and a genuine smile finally appeared on his face.

"I must thank Brother Lu for the help of the talisman!"

Han Jingxing repeatedly cupped his hands in greeting and exclaimed, "The journey to Xuandu Gate is long and fraught with danger. When the elders of our clan escorted the group, it was all thanks to Brother Lu's talismans that we were able to scare away the cultivators and arrive at the mountain gate without any major incidents."

He paused, his tone brimming with undisguised pride: "The general election concluded a few days ago. Among the disciples sent by my Han family, two stood out for their exceptional talent, successfully passing the assessment and officially becoming outer disciples of the Xuandu Sect."

"Oh? That's certainly cause for celebration." Lu Chi nodded slightly and offered his congratulations with a cupped hand.

He casually and naturally inquired, "Now that the Xuandu Sect's once-a-decade grand selection has concluded, I wonder what opportunity awaits those who wish to join the equally prestigious Taiqing Palace and Qinglian Temple?"

>