Wizards begin with Occlumency.

"Master Lin?"

Miss Jiang was startled when she heard the title "Master Jingxu".

Could it be that her intuition was correct, and the person standing under the apricot tree was indeed her son?

"What do you mean, 'True Man'?"

Ms. Jiang gripped her sleeves tightly with both hands, her voice trembling, her tone full of anticipation.

"Miss Jiang will know shortly."

Master Jingxu offered a reassuring remark and then fell silent.

After hearing Master Jingxu's call, Link calmly entered the meditation room.

The changing expressions in the Sanqing Hall were all intentional on his part.

The Taoist priest, intimidated by the imposing manner, dared not speak. He then went to ask the True Man Jingxu to intervene, which was also done through his own means.

After exchanging a few words with Master Jingxu and confirming that Master Jingxu was only cultivating his mind and not practicing martial arts, Link secretly guided Master Jingxu's thoughts.

Thus, without harming the two Taoists' bodies or minds, Link got a fairly suitable opportunity to appear.

"Thank you, Master."

Link stood in front of the low couch, first thanking Master Jingxu, then looking at the single mother who was overwhelmed with emotion but was forcibly restraining herself.

Without hesitation, Link dropped his disguise and revealed his true colors.

"Kerr!"

The single mother immediately cried out emotionally, raising her hand to touch Link's face, but then stopped herself.

For the past ten years, she had always known that Link was at the Bajiquan Martial Arts School in Fuli County.

However, due to pressure from his family and the Zhong family, he was unable to leave the county town even a step, let alone leave Tianshui County to find his son.

However, whether it was her own intention or not, the fact remains that she abandoned her son.

Jiang Yu'er felt deeply guilty!

"How has Mother been all these years?"

Link was neither overly excited nor overly indifferent.

Human emotions are peculiar; sometimes they are related to memory, and sometimes they are not.

At this moment, Link faced his birth mother, Jiang Yu'er, and his emotions were even more complex and strange.

The mystery of the womb, though present, is not entirely clear, and Link experiences an incomplete rebirth.

His feelings for Jiang Yu'er, a single mother, were more of sympathy and pity than much of the deep bond between mother and child.

After all, he possessed a certain level of wisdom from the moment he was born into this world.

Before the age of seven, his intelligence had been fully restored.

In terms of temperament, she was more like a mature adult than Jiang Yu'er was at that time.

Out of sympathy, pity, and an intuition he had developed since birth, Link never shied away from the fact that he was Jiang Yu'er's son in this life.

Lin Ke fully acknowledged his mother-son relationship with Jiang Yu'er, and of course, he didn't shy away from using the term of address.

"Okay, I'm doing well. How about you, Ke'er?"

Although Jiang Yu'er had learned some of Link's deeds through the Jiang family, she still wanted to hear Link say "You're doing well" in person after seeing her grown-up son.

Perhaps, this is what a mother is.

"My son is doing very well."

Link nodded, his answer both gratifying and making Jiang Yu'er feel guilty.

It was a mix of emotions, with all sorts of feelings piling up in my heart.

After a few brief exchanges, Jiang Yu'er suddenly didn't know what to say.

Link didn't say anything more, just stood there quietly.

After recognizing Jiang Yu'er, he could clearly sense that, in the darkness, a thread binding him had been completely severed.

This was a sensation that had never occurred in the previous seventeen years.

Link frowned slightly, and with a thought, he seized this perception and traced its source.

A moment later, Link actually found the source, and his consciousness entered a rather peculiar state.

His "eyes" seemed to "see" two different scenes.

The left eye sees a person entangled in threads and chains, while the right eye sees a door with a large lock on it.

After "seeing" the two scenes clearly, Link had an epiphany.

By severing all the threads and chains binding you, you can cut yourself off from this world and leave without regret.

By breaking the lock on the door, one can completely unlock the sea of ​​consciousness and restore the wizard's realm and strength.

Upon closer inspection, there were five silk threads and one chain.

The broken thread represents the mother-child bond between Link and Jiang Yu'er.

and so……

"Ke'er, you should go now. I'm so glad to see you one more time. But you can't stay here any longer."

Jiang Yu'er, having recovered from the overwhelming emotions of reuniting with her son, immediately realized the dire consequences: "If the Jiang and Zhong families discover your whereabouts, they are very likely to attack you. You must leave!"

Why?

Link snapped out of his daze and asked in confusion.

He spent ten years at the Bajiquan Martial Arts School, never concealing his identity.

As powerful clans with advanced martial arts lineages, the Jiang and Zhong families of Tianshui County would certainly know Link's identity and whereabouts.

Having not made a move for the previous ten years, Lin Ke is now openly a martial artist at the peak of the Condensation Realm, and has repeatedly displayed strength above the Unity Realm in the provincial capital.

If the Jiang and Zhong families had always wanted to deal with Link, why did they choose this time?

Something must have happened that Link hasn't heard about yet.

Jiang Yu'er explained somewhat anxiously:

Three days ago, rumors about "Dead Man's Valley" suddenly spread throughout the martial arts world.

Historical records confirm that fruits that can prolong life do exist in the Valley of the Dead.

The entire martial arts world, including the imperial court, reacted to the news, all plotting to enter "Dead Man's Valley" and reap the rewards.

The Jiang and Zhong families were no exception.

"If they knew you had broken away from your master's protection and appeared here alone, they would definitely try to capture you and force Lin Nantian into the valley to reap the rewards!"

"Lin Nantian?"

Upon hearing the name, Link couldn't help but let out a disdainful sneer.

How could Link not investigate his origins in this life?

Jiang Yu'er, his birth mother, had lived with him for seven years and had raised him.

His biological father in this life, Lin Nantian, was a complete stranger whom he had never even met.

Link sensed the causal threads and shackles binding him, and they had nothing to do with Lin Nantian.

What this signifies is self-evident.

"If the Jiang and Zhong families really do that, they'll be incredibly foolish."

A mocking smile played on Lin Ke's lips as he spoke with murderous intent, "Lin Nantian has gone mad in his pursuit of martial arts breakthroughs, becoming ruthless and heartless. How could he possibly be coerced? Besides, the Jiang and Zhong families wouldn't dare confront Lin Nantian directly, but they dare to face 'Divine Spear' Li Shuwen? I don't believe it! Moreover, I'm not made of clay. I'm already being lenient by not causing trouble for the Jiang and Zhong families. If they dare to come, I dare to kill and bury them!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yu'er's pupils contracted, and she was extremely shocked.

Even after reading a lot of information about Link's deeds over the past ten years, including footage of Link representing the Bajiquan martial arts school to fight against those who came to challenge him.

In Jiang Yu'er's heart, her son is still that cute little boy who is full of helplessness but can never refuse her various unreasonable demands.

The sudden change in temperament and chilling aura of the young hero Lin made Jiang Yu'er realize that she should re-evaluate her son.

"How arrogant!"

Suddenly, a voice filled with extreme anger entered the quiet room.

However, it was Jiang Demiao, the third young master of the Jiang family, who rarely stepped into the gate of Qingyun Temple, who appeared outside the Jingshi for some unknown reason.

Link turned slightly to the side and looked in the direction of the sound.

Ten years later, Jiang Demiao's face still exuded a fierce aura, and her eyes had changed to triangular eyes that leaned towards a vicious and sinister look.

Jiang Demiao held his sword, his whole body radiating murderous intent: "I want to see what you've learned from Li Shuwen that makes you dare to look down on the Jiang family of Tianshui like this."

Having said that, he raised his sword with his right hand, pointing it directly at Link, as if he were ready to attack at the slightest provocation.

"Third brother."

Jiang Yu'er quickly got up, stood between Link and Jiang Demiao, with her back to Link and facing Jiang Demiao, and called out in a pleading tone.

"Mother, don't worry. I'm not a heartless person like Lin Nantian. I would never do something like killing my own uncle."

Before Jiang Demiao could respond to Jiang Yu'er's plea, Lin Ke spoke first.

As soon as the voice rang out, Link's figure had already disappeared from the spot.

Under Jiang Demiao's sudden, horrified gaze, he made a sword-like gesture with his right hand and gently tapped Jiang Demiao's Adam's apple, leaving a red dot.

"I'm staying at the Sitong Hotel. If you want to get revenge, I'm ready anytime."

Hearing the voice but seeing no one, Link had vanished without a trace.

The quiet room fell silent; you could hear a pin drop.

When Link entered the meditation room at his invitation, Master Jingxu had already closed his eyes and was chanting scriptures, showing no interest in what was happening inside.

Jiang Yu'er stared blankly in the direction of the door, tears streaming down her face like broken pearls.

At that moment, her heart felt like it was being clenched, and she felt a deep sense of loss.

No, it's not just a sense of loss, it's a complete loss.

She could feel that she had lost her son forever.

Their relationship has come to an end.

It's a very strange feeling.

Jiang Yu'er, who was once a famous martial arts genius in Tianshui County and became a Guiyi Realm expert before she was twenty, and who had the nickname "Female Sword Immortal", knew that this sudden feeling was real!

However, it's better to cut ties completely.

To avoid this complicated relationship affecting Ke'er's future development and martial arts.

Jiang Demiao stood there in a daze, unable to believe that she had been "instantly killed".

On what grounds?

On what basis?

Jiang Demiao, a dignified martial artist at the peak of the Guiyi Realm who roamed Tianshui County, was so easily "instantly killed"?

He was still with a bastard child whom he looked down on the most and couldn't stand the most!

Jiang Demiao suddenly felt a sense of shattered Dao heart, and his whole being was lost and dejected.

After a while.

Jiang Yu'er composed herself with extremely complex emotions, stopped her tears, turned to Master Jingxu who still had his eyes closed, and said apologetically, "Master, because of my family's affairs, I have disturbed your peace and quiet in the temple. I apologize to you here."

"Ugh!"

Master Jingxu sighed deeply, opened his eyes, and slowly handed the bamboo slip to Jiang Yu'er. He said in a heavy tone, "Everything is the will of Heaven. This slip is peculiar; it can be either auspicious or inauspicious. If it is auspicious, then as we are now, Layman Jiang and Layman Lin recognize each other, but ultimately part ways. If it is inauspicious, the two will still recognize each other, but there will be a bloody disaster. As for who will suffer this disaster, I cannot say for sure."

After a pause, Master Jingxu continued, "However, based on my humble opinion, it will most likely fall on the Jiang family, and perhaps also on the Zhong family."

"Thank you, Master."

Jiang Yu'er had no time to worry about such things. After going through some formalities, she pulled the still dazed Jiang Demiao away from the quiet room.

Upon entering the courtyard, a gust of wind woke Jiang Demiao up, the veins on his right hand bulging, and the hilt of his sword being slightly deformed from his grip.

"Third brother, don't be impulsive. Let's go back to the manor and wait for your elder brother to make a decision."

Seeing this, Jiang Yu'er didn't directly advise Jiang Demiao to let go, but instead took a different approach.

"snort!"

Jiang Demiao grunted reluctantly, but did not refute or go straight to the Sitong Hotel to cause trouble for Lin Ke.

The siblings hurriedly left Qingyun Temple and returned to the Jiang family residence.

"Mr. Lin, please have a seat."

In the quiet room, Master Jingxu changed the teacup, poured a cup of clear tea, and extended an invitation to the air where Link had been standing.

"You have such good self-control."

Link sat down on the low cushion as instructed and gave a thumbs-up.

"The lay Buddhist has good methods."

Master Jingxu shook his head, indicating that he dared not accept such praise. "This kind of technique is already close to the descriptions of various mysterious arts recorded in the scriptures. When I saw it, I was immediately amazed."

It turns out that Link didn't actually leave the meditation room; he was just using a trick.

The clone makes the illusion of leaving, while the real body remains hidden in place, allowing only Master Jingxu to see it clearly.

"Oh?"

Upon hearing the words "mysterious arts," Link immediately became interested and made a request, "Could you please explain in detail how these mysterious arts are related to or different from 'magic arts,' 'ancient witchcraft,' and 'evil witchcraft'?"

"Of course."

Master Jingxu agreed to Link's request, pondered for a moment, organized his thoughts, and began to speak in a gentle and detailed manner.

"The mysterious arts of Taoism have the same origin as the ancient 'magical arts,' both of which developed from the worship of heaven, earth, and nature."

At that time, the Taoist concept had not yet taken shape, or even appeared. Those who held the power and authority over sacrificial rituals were called shamans.

A shaman is someone who communicates with heaven and earth.

As time went by, the status and power of shamans diminished considerably.

In an effort to regain their former glory, some shamans began to implement reforms.

Some pursue longevity and immortality to establish themselves and develop their careers; these are the "fangshi" and "fangshu".

Some believe in following the natural way, balancing worldly and otherworldly pursuits; these are the Taoists.

Later, the "Fangshi" (masters of magic) suffered misfortune, and their "Fangshu" (magical arts) were lost. However, some Taoists advocated absorbing the "Fangshi's" ideas of longevity and the "Fangshu" of extraordinary abilities.

Through fusion, it became the "mysterious arts" of Taoism, also known as "Taoist arts".

Later, due to several disturbances caused by "witchcraft", the Taoist sect, whether actively or passively, banned the transmission of "Taoist arts".

From then on, "Taoist arts" became merely "mysterious" records in scriptures, without any practical application.

After listening, Link seemed to understand something and asked, "So, ancient witchcraft or evil witchcraft is actually more in line with the primitive 'witchcraft' mastered by shamans in ancient times and even prehistoric times than 'magical arts' and 'Taoist arts'?"

Master Jingxu nodded and said, "So-called ancient witchcraft and evil witchcraft are all witchcraft. In ancient times, even in the distant past, humans ate raw meat and drank blood; how much morality could they possibly have? A very important reason why shamans lost power was precisely because too many witchcraft practices and rituals required human sacrifice!"

"Very likely."

Link agreed with Master Jingxu's opinion, then abruptly asked,

"Is the method of interpreting divination slips by a true master a form of Taoist magic?" (End of Chapter)