Chapter 12: Hired Talisman Master
A flash of green light, blood splattered everywhere.
At this moment, one side of the burly cultivator robber’s cheek was torn by the green light, exposing his hideous gums, making him look terrifying.
“Damn it! I’ll slaughter you all!”
The burly cultivator robber was shocked and frightened. This sneak attack had nearly cost him his life. He no longer cared about the pain and immediately activated a Golden Light Talisman attached to his body, preparing for a head-on fight.
In an instant, golden light flickered around him, forming a magical shield.
“Erniu!”
But Lin Chang’an and Li Erniu didn't hesitate to abandon him, charging straight toward the five Qi Refining Stage early phase cultivator robbers who had been blasted black and blue by the Fireball spell.
“Ah…”
With a scream, Li Erniu and Lin Chang’an were like tigers entering a flock of sheep. With seamless coordination, they directly slew two of the cultivator robbers.
Li Erniu cultivated an earth-type technique, his heavy blade strikes carrying immense power, while Lin Chang’an’s Green Bamboo Sword in hand moved like a venomous snake striking.
Striking directly at vital points.
Furthermore, with mid-stage Qi Refining against early stage, it was a total overpowering.
“Damn it!”
The leader of the cultivator robbers, the burly man, shouted in shock and fury after seeing their ruthless methods:
“A misunderstanding! Fellow cultivators, this is just a case of friendly fire between allies, a misunderstanding!”
This burly man clearly mistook Lin Chang’an and Li Erniu for fellow robbers. After all, their ambush tactics were too seasoned, clearly veteran moves.
First using a spirit steed as bait, then suddenly launching a surprise attack from behind. After forcing him to use a Golden Light Talisman, they immediately abandoned him and turned to kill the others.
Because after using a Golden Light Talisman, movement became somewhat restricted.
These two were clearly more experienced than he was.
Yet in just a moment, four early-stage Qi Refining robbers were already slain by Lin Chang’an and Li Erniu working together.
One more had been burned into charcoal earlier by fire.
“Damn it! You local robbers are ruthless!”
Seeing their brutal, efficient strikes, the burly cultivator robber cursed, attached a Swift Talisman, turned around, and fled without another word.
Not a shred of hesitation.
Even while fleeing, the burly cultivator robber gritted his teeth and threw his storage pouch in another direction, leaving a message behind.
“Fellow cultivators, I admit defeat today!”
In a blink, five corpses lay on the ground.
Lin Chang’an and Li Erniu didn’t pursue, instead quickly collecting the spoils.
Lin Chang’an wrapped the enemy’s thrown storage pouch in his outer robe, took it, and the two rode their spirit steeds away from the scene.
...
Two hours later, after confirming no one was following them, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.
“Big Brother Lin, that guy’s a veteran.”
“Indeed, he didn’t run for our spirit steeds but instead escaped into the forest, showing his deep experience. If we chased him, we might’ve fallen into a trap.”
If they could ambush and counterattack, so could the other side.
After all, as drifting cultivators rising from the bottom, each one was battle-hardened.
Lin Chang’an felt a bit regretful. After all, he had also laid traps on the spirit steeds.
Having struggled in the cultivation world for years, though their cultivation advanced slowly, survival skills were deeply ingrained.
“Big Brother Lin, those five had forty-two spirit crystals, but not a single magic artifact.”
After confirming the spoils were trap-free, Li Erniu excitedly pulled out a handful of spirit crystals.
Lin Chang’an checked the storage pouch and indeed found it poisoned.
After using his mana to disperse the poison powder on it, and being mentally prepared, they found the pouch completely empty.
“Big Brother Lin, that guy’s treacherous.”
Li Erniu said bitterly, “He’s probably harmed countless people.”
Lin Chang’an nodded slightly. “He had Qi Refining Stage Fifth Level cultivation. If we fought head-on, we might not have had the upper hand.”
Indeed, robber cultivators were the fastest path to wealth, but danger always accompanied fortune.
Though the pouch was empty, the pouch itself was worth three spirit stones.
However, in the next moment, Lin Chang’an tossed the cleaned storage pouch over.
“Big Brother Lin, this!”
Holding the pouch in his hand, Li Erniu scratched his head awkwardly, while Lin Chang’an teased:
“Didn’t you say before, maybe one day you’d get a storage pouch? Look, now you have one.”
Facing the joke, Li Erniu scratched his head shyly, but still grinned from ear to ear at the pouch, playing with it fondly.
This kind of thing was too expensive to buy, but picking one up like this was different.
“Erniu, remember to swap this pouch when we get back, in case someone recognizes it.”
“Don’t worry, Big Brother Lin.”
They had been traveling in disguise, so they weren’t too afraid of being recognized.
But the pouch was different—who knew if it had hidden markings, potentially recognizable by someone familiar.
That’s why anything gained through robbery had to be spent quickly, lest someone trace it.
Li Erniu got the pouch and gave all forty-two spirit crystals to Lin Chang’an.
Lin Chang’an accepted without protest. Between people, even close friends, it was better to be clear when it came to profits.
Exchanging spirit crystals for spirit stones already carried a markup.
Just as Erniu was about to return the Golden Light Talisman and Swift Talisman, Lin Chang’an didn’t accept them. Instead, he said:
“Better be careful until we’re back at the marketplace. Also, Erniu, please ask about the Zhou Family’s conditions for hiring talisman masters.”
Li Erniu scratched his head awkwardly. As a live-in son-in-law, he had no authority to negotiate.
“Then Big Brother Lin, I’ll help you inquire when I return.”
Lin Chang’an nodded with a smile. He understood that his own abilities might be admirable among common drifting cultivators, but they were nothing before a well-established Foundation Establishment clan like the Zhou Family.
Only if he could produce high-quality First-Grade talismans would he be treated as a guest elder.
There was a clear difference between a guest elder and a hired talisman master.
...
Eventually, they returned safely to Qingzhu Mountain Marketplace.
This time, Lin Chang’an noticed even more cultivators had gathered in the marketplace.
Strangers filled the streets. While this brought more hustle, business, and excitement, it also brought instability.
After returning the spirit steeds to the Zhou Family, Erniu headed straight to the family management hall.
A Qi Refining Stage Fourth Level cultivator—even a mid-grade First-Grade talisman master—wasn’t qualified to disturb the clan’s Foundation Establishment ancestors.
“Lin Chang’an, the drifting cultivator who came with you to the marketplace twenty years ago…”
Zhou Antai, a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator, over eighty years old, with white hair and beard, was now in charge of Zhou Family affairs.
Faced with this elder, Li Erniu respectfully nodded repeatedly.
“Grandpa Zhou, Big Brother Lin recently managed to produce high-quality First-Grade low-grade Golden Light Talismans. He’s also reached the Qi Refining Stage Fourth Level.”
Li Erniu reported everything in detail. After all, clans like the Zhou Family wouldn't casually recruit outsiders.
Even the most basic identity verification would not be neglected—unless one was a top-tier First-Grade talisman master.
Only with ability could one enjoy special treatment.
“This man’s background is clean.”
Zhou Antai stroked his white beard and nodded silently. The man had cultivated quietly for twenty years, without stirring trouble.
After verifying his identity, Zhou Antai nodded and instructed:
“Alright. If he’s interested, have him come tomorrow.”
“Thank you, Grandpa Zhou.”
Li Erniu beamed with joy and cupped his fists in gratitude.
This made Zhou Antai smile as well. Among the sons-in-law, his favorite was Erniu—not only because one of his descendants had married him.
But more importantly, Erniu had a simple and honest nature, without guile.
Just as Erniu was about to leave, Zhou Antai reminded him:
“Erniu, the marketplace has been unstable lately. If you don’t need to go out, stay inside. And replace that storage pouch with one from the family, so you don’t get targeted at a sensitive time.”
“Yes, sir.”
Erniu withdrew happily. More than the pouch, what truly mattered was that Lin Chang’an now had a way forward.