Chapter 14: Chapter Fourteen: Tian Gang Talisman

He Laozhang knew indeed not much, but the news he spoke was not little either; after all, he had lived in Xiuyue County for over ten years, and whether listening to operas, reading books, or hearing street gossip, he had learned quite a lot.

The imperial court in his mouth was called the Great Ning Dynasty; whether the imperial court's territory was vast or how long the dynasty had been established, he naturally did not know these tidings; he only knew that this small mountain village belonged to Changping Prefecture, Xiuyue County, covering a radius of two or three hundred li.

This world has ghosts and also demons, has gods and also spirits; it is said the Great Ning Dynasty has national-protecting divine spirits, and also a national-protecting divine cult, and even various magicians patrolling the world, subduing demons and driving away ghosts.

"In earlier years, days were still relatively peaceful," He Laozhang sighed, "but starting over thirty years ago, incidents occurred frequently in the county, and there were even several ghost disturbances; this old man, being timid, returned to the village, and afterwards rarely went out."

"Did they not say magicians patrol the world?" Gu Zhao asked.

He Laozhang shook his head. "How many magicians can the imperial court have, and how many demons and ghosts are there in the world? Thirty years ago, it was heard that a river demon caused trouble in neighboring Wuhe County, nearly turning that place into a barren wasteland."

Speaking to this point, He Laozhang was still somewhat haunted by fear; evidently, the matter of Wuhe County played a decisive role in his decision to return to the mountain village.

The two chatted casually, and time reached the middle of the Si hour; the embroiderer had set out fragrant steamed rice and clear-stewed cabbage, radish, and cured meat casserole on the low table in the courtyard, and also cut two apples into small pieces and placed them aside.

"Young Master, this fruit is so sweet; it looks like a nai fruit, but it is bigger than a nai fruit and sweeter than a nai fruit too!" The embroiderer had just eaten the trimmings from cutting the apple; she had never eaten such a sweet fruit before.

The embroiderer's smiling face was very healing; Gu Zhao could not help but smile and say, "As long as it tastes good, that's fine."

"The meal is ready! Come eat quickly!" The embroiderer had set out the food and bowls and chopsticks, and called Gu Zhao and Grandpa to eat.

After the meal, those few children from yesterday came running again to find He Laozhang to read books; He Xiuniang also took some bamboo strips from the side room, listened casually on the side, and began weaving bamboo.

Gu Zhao, looking at some bamboo hats, bamboo baskets, bamboo sieves, etc., under the eaves of the surrounding houses, asked Xiuniang, "How are these things sold?"

Xiuniang lifted her small face. "Second Uncle Zhang goes to the county once every ten days, sells all the bamboo weavings from the village, then exchanges them for some food and items to bring back; occasionally there is leftover money, and everyone gets a share."

Listening to Xiuniang's words, this mountain village was not entirely cut off from the world; besides farming, everyone had their own skills to rely on, such as carpenters, stonemasons, and masons, and there was even one household that knew how to weave bamboo; they taught the craft to the villagers, enabling the women in the village to also contribute to supplementing household expenses.

"Not far outside the village is the official road; from time to time, traveling merchants or guests who missed their lodging stop come into the village," Xiuniang explained.

Gu Zhao shook his head. "Are these people not afraid of encountering mountain bandits?"

Xiuniang did not smile, but spoke with a slightly sorrowful tone. "Mountain bandits rarely appeared on the official road before, but last time Second Uncle Zhang returned, he said he saw two dead bodies on the official road; and not two days later, the village was raided by bandits."

The look in Xiuniang's eyes toward Gu Zhao was full of gratitude. "If not for Young Master, perhaps we would have been harmed by those mountain bandits."

"It should not be that extreme..." Gu Zhao shook his head and smiled. "If they killed everyone in the village, who would they rob afterwards?"

Xiuniang could not help but laugh out loud. "Young Master is truly kind; those bandits have one meal but not the next; how could they care about so many things?"

Speaking to this point, Xiuniang was indeed somewhat terrified; although those bandits might indeed not slaughter the entire village, and that Bandit Chief only focused on that Green-robed Woman, she had noticed that several bandits' gazes at her were very wrong.

"Later, weren't they all killed by that female ghost?" Gu Zhao spread his hands and smiled.

Xiuniang was at a loss between laughter and tears. "The female ghost is even more terrifying!"

Thinking of the villagers' behavior when they learned the female ghost wanted to absorb Gu Zhao's primal energy, Gu Zhao could not help but want to laugh; when people face unknown forces, fear is amplified to the maximum.

Even He Laozhang's speed had broken through the limit.

Speaking of the female ghost, Gu Zhao thought of his achievements from yesterday; he reached into his robe with his hand, took out two yellow triangular paper talismans, and stuffed them into Xiuniang's hands.

"These are two protective talismans; one for your grandpa, and one for you to carry close to your body; if you encounter demons or ghosts, they can protect your body and save your life in a moment of crisis," Gu Zhao said.

Upon hearing this, Xiuniang was startled and instinctively wanted to refuse. "This is too precious..."

Gu Zhao stopped her, grasped Xiuniang's hand, and clenched the two paper talismans in her palm; with his other hand, he patted her head and teased with a smile. "Take them; there are so many demons and ghosts in the world; if you really encounter one next time, at least you won't be scared like rabbits."

This was the Tian Gang Talisman from the Shangqing Tianxin Orthodox Method; it was also a talisman that could be activated autonomously without magic power; wearing it long-term strengthens the body and prevents all diseases; at critical moments, it destroys evil and protects the body and saves life; but it mainly targets yin and evil types of qi, and does not defend against weapons.

There was no way; among the Daoist scriptures Gu Zhao had learned, there were temporarily no such talismans or Spell Arts.

"It is said that cultivating Jin Dan can achieve a Vajra indestructible body; the Zhengyi Orthodox Sect has the Vajra Xuan Talisman," Gu Zhao pondered. "As for the Vajra indestructible body, let that be; as for the Vajra Xuan Talisman... should I go to Long Hu Tianshan and exchange ideas with the Daoist Priests there?"

Although the Daozang could be looked up online, the versions there varied, missing illustrations and characters, with inconsistent editions; who knows whether each school and sect concealed anything when presenting Secret Arts to the imperial court at that time.

For example, the three Daoist scriptures Gu Zhao had learned differed greatly from the content in the online Tianxia Daozang, and included many more details similar to breathing, hand seals, and the circulation of magic power.

So if one wanted to learn the Vajra Xuan Talisman, one would probably have to go to Long Hu Tianshan.

Gu Zhao was not worried about not being able to learn it, because...

Thinking to this point, Gu Zhao could not help but smile with a roguish grin. "If I publicly cast a Palm Thunder spell at Long Hu Tianshan, will they directly drape a purple robe on me and invite me to serve as the current Celestial Master?"

Whatever "ghosts take a detour," whatever "subduing demons and eliminating evil," whatever "flying on a sword," were all internet memes played by netizens online; if someone could truly cast Thunder Methods in reality, it would absolutely cause a sensation across the entire nation.

Gu Zhao was laughing, but Xiuniang could not laugh.

With Gu Zhao holding her hand, Xiuniang's face flushed red, both shy and joyful; but as soon as Gu Zhao's words left his mouth, her face turned somewhat pale.

She did not think Gu Zhao's words were unfunny, nor did she mind his teasing; rather, she heard another layer of meaning permeating those words.

Xiuniang forcibly suppressed the panic in her heart; when she lifted her head, it was a happy smile. "I will carry it; I will carry it always!"

Gu Zhao nodded; he did not notice the stiffness at the corners of Xiuniang's lips, because he suddenly realized he had not returned home all day.

He must hurry back through the crossing; otherwise, he would become a missing person.

"I am going to the back mountain to cultivate; I will return tonight," Gu Zhao said to Xiuniang, then turned and left in a hurry.