Chapter 15: A Storm is Brewing
In the courtyard.
“This path of talisman crafting is easy to learn but hard to master. Though your spiritual roots are poor, cultivation arts emphasize comprehension above all else.”
In the sunlit courtyard, four Zhou Family youths with inferior spiritual roots stood resolutely at their desks, brush in hand, drawing talismans.
Especially after Lin Chang’an mentioned that drawing talismans relied on comprehension, it was almost as if he were encouraging them.
Their spiritual roots were already determined, but drawing talismans had only just begun.
“And this word ‘comprehension’ has stumped countless cultivators. Some experience a moment of enlightenment the first time they attempt it, while others study tirelessly for decades, only to suddenly achieve a breakthrough one day and then progress rapidly from there. Such examples are countless in the cultivation world.”
Dressed in a green robe, Lin Chang’an was like a scholarly teacher, earnestly instructing the Zhou Family’s four apprentices.
After all, he had accepted the Zhou Family’s benefits, so he naturally had to teach with sincerity. He wouldn’t hold anything back like others might.
Since he accepted their spirit stones, he would truly deliver.
After all, in the field of talismans, he relied on his innate talent, something others couldn’t imitate.
“Breadth is not as good as depth. This Golden Light Talisman…”
Lin Chang’an taught without reservation, even meticulously pointing out each person’s mistakes.
Until the sun reached mid-sky, after two hours had passed, the four Zhou Family youths at the early stage of Qi Refining, having exhausted much of their mental and spiritual energy, finally stopped.
“Talisman Master Lin, your teaching was excellent. We’ve listened to Master Huang before, but he didn’t explain things as thoroughly as you.”
The four of them stepped forward with joy to offer their heartfelt praise.
As youths with inferior spiritual roots, they matured more quickly than their peers, and naturally, they could discern who was teaching earnestly and who was merely going through the motions.
Facing their flattery, Lin Chang’an accepted it calmly and laughed as he offered more guidance:
“Don’t flatter me. I’m using your Zhou Family’s resources, so of course I have to teach seriously. Otherwise, I’d be kicked out by your Zhou Family.”
The four of them laughed. After two months of interaction, they had grown familiar—from initial nervousness to now being at ease—and had adapted to this easygoing Talisman Master Lin.
“Recently, the marketplace has become lively. Drifting cultivators keep arriving in waves. I heard the market is preparing to expand and construction has already begun on the outskirts.”
“Quite a few drifting cultivators have had good luck lately. Rumor has it that several have managed to purchase Black Wind Wolf cubs.”
“But some say those spirit beasts were raised by our Zhou Family.”
As their conversation faded into the distance, Lin Chang’an began to ponder.
“This marketplace is growing livelier. While pioneering brings some chaos, it’s also a good opportunity.”
Taking advantage of the situation, he could secretly sell talismans and earn some cultivation resources.
“Perhaps I can sell a few mid-grade tier-one Vajra Talismans. The marketplace is so bustling now that such talismans aren’t even considered rare.”
Just as Lin Chang’an was pondering, Erniu’s voice came from outside the courtyard.
“Brother Lin, guess what I brought you!”
With a beaming smile, Li Erniu walked into the courtyard carrying two bottles of spirit wine, prompting Lin Chang’an to chuckle.
“Erniu, this spirit wine isn’t cheap.”
“Brother Lin, you’re mistaken. These were rewards from the family. Every cultivator in the mid-stage of Qi Refining received a bottle of fine spirit wine.”
When he heard it was fine spirit wine, Lin Chang’an couldn’t help but smile. This was the benefit of joining a powerful clan—not only did he have backing, but during festivals and celebrations, the family also gave out rewards.
“This fine spirit wine isn’t cheap—at least one spirit stone a bottle. Did something good happen in the clan?”
“The clan leader just won two Black Wind Wolf cubs with second-rank bloodlines. If raised properly, they could become Foundation Establishment spirit beasts.”
The Black Wind Wolf species had a major advantage: a short maturation period. Unlike the Zhou Family’s current guardian beast, the Xuan Shui Turtle, which had taken nearly two hundred years to reach maturity.
It had already outlasted two or three generations of people.
“Two second-rank bloodline spirit beasts—this really is a great event.”
As Lin Chang’an smiled and took the spirit wine, a flash of insight suddenly crossed his mind, and his expression stiffened slightly.
Old He, Black Wind Wolf cubs, the Zhou Family acquiring two second-rank spirit beast cubs—none of these alone meant much, but together, they seemed... off.
As if he had realized something, Lin Chang’an suppressed his doubts and casually asked:
“Erniu, I heard there’ve been quite a few Black Wind Wolf cubs for sale in the marketplace recently?”
Li Erniu didn’t think much of it and instead nodded with a laugh.
“Yeah, even the black market has them. Lots of late-stage Qi Refining cultivators have already bought some. I even suspect the clan is using this chance to sell off spirit beasts.”
At this point, Li Erniu’s expression turned wistful, and he sighed:
“If I ever break through to the late stage of Qi Refining, I’ll buy a spirit beast cub from the clan for that rascal son of mine.”
Looking at Erniu’s expression, Lin Chang’an seemed to grasp something, his brows furrowing tightly.
“Erniu, did you just say it’s the Zhou Family selling spirit beasts outside?”
Hearing this, Li Erniu instead grinned proudly.
“Though the clan hasn’t officially admitted it, who in Qingzhu Mountain Marketplace doesn’t know about the Beast-controlling Zhou Family’s golden reputation?”
Looking at Erniu, the smile on Lin Chang’an’s face grew even more rigid. Even the Zhou Family’s own people believed it—his sense of unease grew stronger.
He had only just joined the Zhou Family and was happy to have a solid backer, yet now it felt like he had stepped into a swirling conspiracy.
…
At the Zhou Family.
“Father, are you saying that recently there have been many Black Wind Wolf cubs for sale in the marketplace?”
Zhou Renmao, the Zhou Family patriarch, had just returned from purchasing two second-rank spirit beast cubs at auction. The joy on his face had completely vanished, replaced by grim seriousness.
“That’s right. Almost immediately after you withdrew spirit stones from the clan to buy those two spirit beasts, the cubs started appearing in the marketplace.”
The Zhou Family’s Foundation Establishment ancestor, his face aged and his hair and beard white, also showed a trace of solemnity.
“The Wang Family!”
The father and son compared their notes and exchanged glances, then bitterly uttered the name of the culprit behind it all.
“Damn it, that Wang Family is truly like a lingering ghost.”
Though Zhou Renmao was furious, as the Zhou Family patriarch, he soon calmed down and came up with a countermeasure.
“Raising spirit beasts takes time, especially second-rank ones. With the pioneering about to begin, the Wang Family is clearly trying to deplete our clan’s foundation—just like fifteen years ago.”
“Using the pioneering effort to drain the Zhou Family continuously. These second-rank spirit beasts could even become the final straw that breaks us.”
At this point, Zhou Renmao gritted his teeth and said, “That Wang Family is still as vicious as ever.”
Second-rank spirit beast cubs were already expensive. If the Zhou Family got mired and missed the best time to raise them, the beasts would be wasted.
“Let’s stabilize things first. No matter what, acquiring two second-rank spirit beast cubs is a good thing for the family. This time, we’ll make a bigger show of force and take this chance to win over more drifting cultivators from outside.”
The Zhou Family’s Foundation Establishment ancestor thought for a moment. At this point, their clan could only defend passively. After all, there was still a gap in strength between the two major families.
Though the Zhou Family had two Foundation Establishment cultivators, his lifespan was only about thirty years more. Even if they included their guardian beast, they had only three Foundation Establishment forces.
The Wang Family, by contrast, had five Foundation Establishment cultivators in one lineage. The two oldest ones still had fifty or sixty years of life left, and the other three were in their prime.
They could only resist passively, like earth blocking water.