Chapter 106: Preparation

Murong JiuXiu fished out one odd-looking thing after another from the bracelet on her wrist, and began drawing lines on the relatively flat ground. "Is this cinnabar?" Bai Lang said, looking at the red pigment in a cup—he still knew that drawing talismans and formations required cinnabar, so this wasn't just red paint on radish skin. As for what she was drawing, aside from Murong JiuXiu, everyone else present seemed unable to understand.

Bai Lang watched curiously as Murong JiuXiu handed out sheet after sheet of paper to Ma RuLong and Murong Ronghua, then gestured for them to use cinnabar, following the patterns on the paper, gathering true qi to draw the designs with the cinnabar brush. "You must circulate true qi, directly infusing it into the cinnabar brush in your hand!"

"Does this give it spirituality?" Bai Lang asked, but no one answered him; he really couldn't help in his current state. The formation really isn't small—he saw it span about three zhang, and there was also incense ash scattered on it. "Incense ash too? Did you get that from the city? I doubt Miss Murong would be bored enough to put incense ash in her bracelet." Bai Lang muttered, but no one paid him any heed.

Bai Lang watched the formation gradually take shape; it was actually drawn quite quickly, and the materials used weren't particularly exotic—just cinnabar, incense ash, and at most a line flicked from the Lu Ban measuring cup. Finally, Murong JiuXiu produced a large bundle of incense, asking everyone to burn a stick. "That'll do; this formation should at least give us some advantage," Murong JiuXiu said.

"This should make that yin entity hard to see us……but given the materials used for the formation and my cultivation level, I'd say it can't block its probing; come the fourth watch, it's likely to be broken." Murong JiuXiu was still rather proud, for she then produced a stack of yellow-mounted paper: "These are all anti‑evil talismans, but unfortunately your internal force is hard to use with them, so you'll have to protect me."

Everyone laughed; seeing the little girl act cute was still quite fun. "Bai Lang, come over—can Senior Sister Qin take off his bandages?" Murong JiuXiu asked. Qin Lianer nodded: "Senior Brother Bai trains in external hardening kung fu; his physique is tough, so even broken bones and strained tendons would improve considerably in this short time, and with my Medicine King Valley's medicated ointment, circulating qi and blood should allow the bandages and splints to be removed."

Bai Lang still didn't get what was happening, when he saw Murong JiuXiu flash the small sword in her hand and all his bandages fell off. "What a fast sword!" Bai Lang exclaimed in astonishment; this sword technique was extremely swift and precise, merely cutting the bandages without nicking his skin. "Look at them—the Murong family's swordsmanship is better than yours, Murong Hua, Senior Brother Murong."

Murong Ronghua just smiled, refusing to explain himself; it seemed he didn't deign to show off in front of Bai Lang. Bai Lang also smiled, moving his limbs a bit: "Condition's not bad—well, I really haven't seen much exquisite kung fu. By the way, Miss Murong, what do you want me to do?" The shirtless Bai Lang saw Murong JiuXiu show no shyness, instead producing a cinnabar brush, eager to try.

In the next moment she began drawing ghostly talismans on Bai Lang's upper body. "Don't move! What I'm drawing for you is a Yang Fire Talisman; it will maximize the effect of your internal force and blood in harming yin entities, and at the same time it can block their attacks." Like Qin Lianer, once Murong JiuXiu entered her professional domain she became utterly serious and stern. "I say, Miss Murong, is your family famed as Daoist ghost‑hunters?"

Ma RuLong spoke first: "Not exactly; it's just that Miss Murong isn't only inheriting the Murong family's martial arts—she probably found her preferred direction in the Murong family's 'Armory'." Bai Lang watched Ma RuLong, while Murong JiuXiu, as if she hadn't heard, continued focusing on drawing talismans on his body. Ma RuLong chuckled: "From now on, just ask Miss Murong." Bai Lang gave a hum, and stopped bothering Murong JiuXiu as she drew on him.

Do we even need to ask? Bai Lang isn't a fool and is well‑read; with all those web novels online nowadays, after Ma RuLong said that, Bai Lang could already guess the cause and effect. "Speaking of the Murong family……in Tian Long Ba Bu there's already something like Lang Ya that collects all martial arts under heaven. So in this world, the so‑called 'Armory' storing all kinds of extraordinary skills would be even more normal. And the 'preferred direction'? Most likely Murong clan disciples can have the chance to go into the Armory to find extraordinary arts that suit their nature and interests to cultivate…"

Bai Lang is actually quite smart……so why does everyone see him as a brute? They also say his attire doesn't match his style. Now Murong Ronghua is saying this set of treasure armor suits Bai Lang's style, and this weapon is even more fitting. Bai Lang's body, daubed with cinnabar, looks "a complete mess," but it seems hard to wipe off? At least when Murong JiuXiu tried rubbing it with her fingertip, the cinnabar seemed to have been stamped into his flesh and wouldn't come off.

"Hey hey! Miss Murong, you're not really going to make this impossible to wash off, are you? You just want to give me a tattoo—at least a dragon‑tiger Asura or even an arhat‑king, right? Like……Mahavira Tianlong Buddha Earth Store?" Bai Lang said. Murong JiuXiu snorted, "Cut the chatter; this talisman only lasts a day, from midnight to noon. You're still thinking about a tattoo? Go find someone to do it later—just don't end up tattooing a little bug, hahaha."

The Murong maiden seems more uninhibited than Qin Lianer; seeing Bai Lang shirtless, she didn't even blush. "Bring out your weapons—everyone's!" Murong JiuXiu said, then slapped out a flat thing, quickly set up an altar, covered it with yellow and red cloth, and placed a spirit tablet like those ghostly talismans. There were plenty of incense burners, candles, three‑animal offerings, and wine.

Murong JiuXiu also took up a gold‑coin sword, placing Ma RuLong's and Murong Ronghua's swords on the offering table, then began her rites. Bai Lang watched Murong JiuXiu perform the spirit dance; finally she took a piece of yellow‑mounted paper and wiped it over the two swords. A flame sprang from the tip and ran all the way to the hilt before dying out. His steel‑tip spear was treated the same way, except because the weapon is longer she used three talismans: "Last time I didn't get a chance to consecrate your weapons, but now, whether facing yin entities or monsters, it'll give you twice the result for half the effort."

Bai Lang put on his inner cotton robe, then donned the treasure armor, but was still required to wear an outer robe. "Too bad there's no official or battle robe—really unsuitable!" everyone said, and Bai Lang was already used to it… He hefted the steel‑tip spear; it wasn't hot at all, and this spear from head to toe is forged steel: the shaft is a hollow steel tube, the tip is a triple‑edged blade, the edge is about a chi and two cun long, the whole spear is seven chi two cun long, weighs sixty‑four jin, and feels quite handy.

"Now we just wait for something to come crashing in…" Everyone watched the sun gradually set, having made their preparations.