Chapter 23: Mother

"This talisman is really been blessed?" someone asked.

Elder Hui Bin instinctively clenched the talisman paper.

Daoist Master Yihong nodded, "Yes, but its power has already faded—probably won't work in another one or two months, which is why I assumed some high cultivator gave it to him one or two years ago."

Elder Hui Bin exhaled in relief, yet felt a tinge of disappointment.

"Can a blessed artifact only last one or two years?" another asked.

Daoist Master Yihong pointed at him with his finger, "Greed blinds men—one or two years is already excellent. Maybe peach wood, jujube wood, bronze, or jade might last longer, but blessing them takes far more time and effort, delaying your cultivation."

The man bowed his head in shame, daring not to ask again.

Yet even so, many hearts had already begun to stir.

Although this protective talisman's effect would last only one or two months, that didn't mean the young man wasn't powerful—he'd merely drawn it casually and handed it to Elder Hui Bin.

If he'd taken the time to properly bless it, wouldn't it be easy to make the talisman last one or two years?

Daoist Master Yihong, old and sharp-eyed, glanced at the crowd and knew exactly what they were thinking—he suddenly regretted speaking too plainly, elevating the young man too high.

"I've been too lonely," Daoist Master Yihong sighed inwardly, then instructed, "This young man is close to nature, young yet deeply attuned to the Dao—a natural-born cultivator. If you find him, notify me immediately."

"Of course, of course."

"Absolutely, absolutely."

"Such a young man might be from a renowned family."

"Given how skillfully he drew the Five Thunder Talisman, perhaps he's a Daoist Priest initiated at Longhu Tianshan."

"If he ever returns to Yuanfa Palace, we'll call you the moment he arrives."

Some had thought to check surveillance footage, but quickly abandoned the idea.

Why? Even if they identified his face from the footage, they had no manpower, resources, or information to pursue further—could they really go to the police and say, "This man can bless artifacts—he's a natural-born cultivator, please help us find him"?

Even religious people now spoke of traditional culture and believed in science—no spreading feudal superstition, please!

"Good then," Daoist Master Yihong chuckled, "We've drunk our tea and told our stories—let's go browse the scripture hall."

"Yes, yes!"

"After you!"

……

Gu Zhao had no idea what was happening at Yuanfa Palace, nor that his useless Five Thunder Talisman, still faintly lingering on the cinnabar-dipped paper, had been mistaken for a protective charm.

After hanging up with Zhang Hang, he was about to cross into the other world to continue his cultivation when his mother called again.

"Son! Have you found a job yet?"

"No."

"Still looking?"

"Not anymore."

"Wonderful!" came a cheer from the other end.

Gu Zhao:???

"This weekend, come back to Rongcheng with me," said Gu Zhao's mother, Li Man—a woman of decisive action.

Gu Zhao asked, "Is something wrong with Grandpa and Grandma?"

"No," Li Man replied. "My best friend's son is getting married—she invited me to the wedding."

"Won't Dad go with you?" Gu Zhao asked instinctively.

"If your father were going, would I be bringing you?" Li Man snorted. "Don't we want our own couple time?"

Gu Zhao, "..."

"Clean yourself up nicely—outshine the groom!" Li Man ordered. "She's always bragging to me about how tall, fair, handsome, and married-to-a-white-rich-beauty her son is—how proud she is!"

"That's your best friend..."

"Plastic best friend! My son's taller, fairer, and handsomer than hers—and yet..."

Li Man sighed here, unable to hide her worry, "... but he spends all his time cultivating the Dao. If I hadn't found normal study materials on your computer, I'd have thought those summers in Rongcheng corrupted you."

Gu Zhao was stunned. "You went through my computer? How did you know my password?"

"79531—Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth—what's hard about that?" Li Man said dismissively.

Gu Zhao: Σ(っ°Д°;)っ

Li Man ignored Gu Zhao's embarrassment and continued, "Oh, by the way—there's this thing online where you hire a fake girlfriend. Why not interview a few these next few days and pick one with great looks to bring back? If you're shy, I'll pick for you."

"If you pick for me, I won't go!" Gu Zhao snapped.

"Then you pick yourself?" Li Man asked.

"I won't bring a girlfriend—how about I seduce the bride at the wedding?" Gu Zhao growled.

"Ssshh—" Li Man was stunned. "I think I saw a similar question in your study materials!"

Gu Zhao felt his face burning, his hands trembling. "You read them all?"

"Not yet," Li Man admitted honestly. "There were too many."

Here, Li Man's jest carried a faint undercurrent of worry: "I noticed your study materials have more 2D than 3D content—you can't turn into one of those fat otaku from Sakura-guo!"

Gu Zhao took a deep breath and spoke sincerely: "Mom, I'm perfectly normal. I'll definitely find you a normal daughter-in-law."

"Good," Li Man sighed in relief. "I always said your grandfather and father married normally—your line doesn't forbid this stuff!" She added, "Hurry up—I can't wait to go shopping and get my nails done with my future daughter-in-law."

……

After hanging up, Gu Zhao wiped the faint sweat from his forehead.

Talking to his mother felt more tense and thrilling than fighting the ghostly creatures from a few days ago.

"No wonder Dad's completely under her thumb," Gu Zhao sighed. "These days, even mooching off your parents isn't easy!"

With a sigh, Gu Zhao checked the time, then went downstairs to the tea restaurant, bought a pound of braised beef, and packed a braised pork knuckle.

Gu Zhao discovered that perhaps due to years of lacking oil and grease, He Laozhang's family and the white fox both had relatively strong tastes, preferring northern-style meats; five-spice roasted chicken was more popular than poached chicken.

And perhaps influenced by the tastes of his mother's hometown, Gu Zhao had a special fondness for Sichuan and Hunan cuisine.

Having crossed into another world, Gu Zhao carried two portions of ingredients out of the mountains and saw the embroiderer standing beside the large tree at the village entrance, occasionally rising on her tiptoes to gaze in his direction.

A snow-white fox lay on her shoulder, its tail swishing to lift the maiden's hair, and it let out a bored yawn.

The sun behind the village slanted westward, casting ten thousand rays of Jin Guang; through the wisps of cooking smoke rising from the scattered houses in the village and the gaps in the branches and leaves of nearby trees, it shone upon the maiden, enveloping her in a halo of orange-yellow light, as if she were part of a warm-colored two-dimensional painting.