Chapter 74: Beacon Smoke Rises

Lady Tree Immortal has always been cold, and Li Lin was used to it.

His eyes lit up afterward, for he noticed that Lady Tree Immortal's lips were glossy, pale pink on the sides with a vivid red spot in the middle.

It looked extremely aesthetic.

So this was 'Xue Sui Zhu'.

"Lady, you've used rouge; it looks truly beautiful."

The coldness emanating from Lady Tree Immortal lessened somewhat.

Then she twisted her snake tail, turned around, and left.

Li Lin actually wanted to say 'I want a taste', because it really looked delicious.

But he dared not; he believed that if he said it, he would most likely be whipped into paste by Lady Tree Immortal's long snake tail.

After Lady Tree Immortal left, Li Lin continued studying the book 'Dao Gong Xi Shu'.

He had already finished learning Paper Crafting, as it only recorded two Paper Crafting techniques.

This was quite normal; Dao Gongs were merely folk shamans who did not need great abilities, and knowing the basics of Paper Crafting was sufficient.

Next was talisman making; 'Dao Gong Xi Shu' also contained basic cultivation methods for it.

Li Lin had already purchased the materials, so he immediately began drawing them according to the book.

【Talisman Art +1】

【Talisman Art +1】

With the continuous text prompts, Li Lin finally completed his first talisman after wasting several sheets of yellow paper.

Calming Talisman.

This was a talisman and incantation that every Dao Gong must learn.

During funerals, many filial sons and daughters, or lovers, would weep until they nearly died.

If not handled carefully, this could leave a lasting illness; if one became too agitated, sticking a Calming Talisman on their back would prevent them from grieving too deeply.

Looking at the Calming Talisman, Li Lin nodded in satisfaction, then stood up and stretched.

Upon turning around, he found the Soul-Guiding Paper Man running down from the mountain.

This time it did not swing on the trees, probably knowing that with the bamboo basket on its back filled with medicinal herbs, jumping around wildly would cause them to spill out.

Soon, the paper man arrived before Li Lin and set the bamboo basket down.

Li Lin crouched, checked the basket, and found that all the herbs were correctly gathered and of excellent quality.

He was satisfied; looking at the paper man standing quietly, he formed a plan in his mind.

Since it could gather herbs, could it also light fires and cook, or perhaps manage household chores?

He reached out, infused the Soul-Guiding Paper Man with Yin Qi again, and issued an order.

Indeed, the idea was correct.

This Soul-Guiding Paper Man could indeed perform these tasks.

It just could not wash rice; before cooking, it put the rice in the pot and handed it directly to Li Lin for him to do.

It seemed to possess a certain level of intelligence and was not very foolish.

Then why were the small paper men so stupid? Was it because they used Lady Tree Immortal's image?

Li Lin did not know, nor did he care; as long as the thing worked, that was enough.

For the next two days, he lived very comfortably.

Having a paper man to help with chores indeed made things much easier for him.

Even alchemy became much easier; he immediately used the alchemy furnace to brew two batches of Beauty-Enhancing Pills.

Next, he would cultivate slowly according to the plan.

Martial arts must be practiced, pills must be brewed, mental techniques must be cultivated, and talisman art must be cultivated even more.

He gave himself almost no idle time.

He thought such a fulfilling life could continue for a while longer, but on the noon of the third day, while he was eating Blood Rice, he saw a column of green smoke shoot into the sky in the distance.

Beacon smoke!

Judging by the location, it should be in the direction of the Bobai Military Town.

Enemies are invading.

Li Lin swallowed several mouthfuls of Blood Rice, took out his bundle, placed the Life-Restoring Pills, two bottles of Beauty-Enhancing Pills, and the mask inside, and slung it over his shoulder.

He then picked up his long spear and broke into a light jog out the door.

At this moment, a large crowd of villagers had already gathered at the village entrance, pointing and discussing the beacon smoke, with everyone's expression very heavy.

The villagers were not stupid; they knew what the beacon smoke signified.

Li Lin used the Lightness Technique to sprint; a journey of half an hour, he covered in just over the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, arriving at the county town.

Due to the beacon smoke, Yulin County Town had already begun martial law, prohibiting ordinary people from entering or leaving.

Li Lin ran over; the village guards at the city gate saw him and immediately opened the gate a crack to let him in.

After all, almost all the village guards guarding the city recognized Li Lin.

Entering the county town, Li Lin felt the heavy atmosphere once again; there were far fewer pedestrians on the streets.

He did not run directly to the county government office but went to the Huang Residence to knock on the door.

The vermilion door opened; the gatekeeper looked at Li Lin, paused for a moment, and respectfully said, "Inspector Li, have you come to visit the Master? He has already gone to the county government office."

"No, is Hong Luan here?"

"She is!"

"Please ask her to come out, preferably quickly."

"Hong Luan," the gatekeeper called out toward the inside.

Soon, a little girl walked out quickly; her face wore a look of puzzlement, but the moment she saw Li Lin, her expression instantly turned joyful.

"Young Master Li, why have you come?" Hong Luan asked curiously, her cheeks slightly flushed.

Li Lin took the Beauty-Nourishing Pill from his bundle and said, "Help me deliver this to Huang Damei; it is a Beauty-Nourishing Pill, very effective."

"Oh!" Hong Luan accepted it, patting her full chest and saying, "Rest assured, I will personally hand it to the Young Lady."

"Trouble you."

Li Lin turned and left, heading to the county government office not far away.

Hong Luan quietly watched Li Lin's back, her eyes also holding a special emotion.

The gatekeeper chuckled beside her, "Stop looking; the person is already gone. Following the Young Lady, you are also considered fortunate."

Hong Luan shot a reproachful glance at the old gatekeeper, holding the two porcelain bottles, and returned to the courtyard.

Meanwhile, Li Lin had now arrived at the county government office's public hall.

Huang Yan was already seated above; seeing Li Lin, he nodded slightly toward him.

At this time, the people had not yet all arrived; the Hunt Spirit People had arrived, and even Zhao Xiaohu had arrived, but a few Patrol Captains and Commandants had not yet come.

After waiting a while longer, several people arrived successively; two of them still carried the scent of alcohol, but judging by their consciousness, they were still relatively sober.

"The people are finally all here." Huang Yan's facial expression and demeanor looked no different from usual, but his eyes still held a look of concern: "You must have all seen the beacon smoke sent from Bobai Military Town; we do not know if Bobai Military Town can still be held, but regardless, we must send troops. Commandant Shi, how many local militia under your command are available for battle?"

Commandant Shi stepped forward, clasped his hands in salute, and said, "Four hundred: one hundred archers, one hundred sword-and-shield men, and two hundred spear soldiers."

"Then assemble immediately and set out to reinforce Bobai Military Town; if it cannot be held, withdraw immediately to the county city to hold the position."

"Yes!" Commandant Shi returned to the ranks.

Huang Yan looked toward his left side: "Patrol Captain Qiu, take twenty men and immediately ignite the beacon tower."

"As ordered."

Huang Yan continued: "Deputy Patrol Captain Mo, take thirty men to patrol the streets and maintain order; if you see any lawbreakers, arrest them immediately; those who dare to resist shall be killed without mercy!"

"Yes!"

Huang Yan then looked at the Hunt Spirit People: "All Hunt Spirit People will follow Commandant Shi to Bobai Military Town, assisting Commandant Shi in his affairs as much as possible, but at critical moments, you may make your own decisions, under the command of Li Xunshou Su Huafang!"

Yes!

The Hunt Spirit People clasped their fists in unison and accepted the order.

Huang Yan picked up the gavel and slammed it heavily on the table: "Set out immediately!"

The people in the public hall dispersed very quickly.

A large number of government office Runners also left the county government office, and the place suddenly became quiet.

Huang Yan sat motionless for a while, then sighed softly.

His eldest son, Huang Qi, had previously led the local militia to reinforce Tang Qi's border army; there had been carrier pigeon contact, but now... no news from him had been received for several days; he did not know how his situation was.

Let us hope he is safe and sound.

Huang Yan sat motionless for a while longer, then stood up, planning to go home and rest a bit.

(End of this chapter)