Chapter 32: Drawing Talismans

"Hey! Found it, why is it hidden here." Young Master Wang, drunk, took a wooden box and opened it; inside was a pair of gold bracelets inlaid with red agate, glowing brilliantly.

Actually, the box she had packed from Hu Ye's residence was stuffed with silver taels, banknotes, and precious jewelry, so she wasn't lacking these things now, but since it was Young Master Wang's kind intention, Ruan Xing smiled and thanked him.

Young Master Wang forcefully put the two bracelets on Ruan Xing, then said with some pride: "Beautiful, I just felt this suited you. Right, there's a surprise."

He swiped the wooden board beneath the wooden box away, revealing a row of small gold ingots.

Ruan Xing was surprised for a moment, widening her eyes slightly; there were twenty gold ingots, each weighing one tael, and added to the heavy gold bracelets on her wrists, this gift was undeniably precious—a rough estimate suggested it must have cost over four hundred taels of silver.

She had only found a little over two thousand taels of cash when she raided Hu Ye's home, and while the person in charge of Young Master Wang's household was still Lady Wang, he had spent four hundred taels in one go; he was truly generous.

Ruan Xing's expression was somewhat complex as she said: "You've gone to great expense."

"Why are you being so polite with me, Sister Ruan? But I won't hide it from you, my mother knows me too well; she guessed right away that someone had given me the idea. Although I refused to admit it even if it killed me, this gold was given to me by my mother for me to express my thanks, Sister, please don't be angry."

"It's fine." Ruan Xing accepted the gift and said calmly, "I didn't intend to hide it for long anyway. There is one more thing I want to ask you; that day you looked to be chatting and laughing with Hu Ye, quite close, and now that Hu Ye's entire household is dead, will you feel a sense of shared sorrow and grieve for him?"

Young Master Wang drank a few more cups, his body already slumped on the table, his arms barely supporting his head, and he sneered: "How many years has the Red Head Gang been established? How close could I be to him? It was just a show of face. You're still young and don't understand these things in gangs. Right now, the Gang Leader manages things strictly and doesn't allow infighting, otherwise, those Guan would have been at each other's throats with blades every three days due to various frictions..."

As he spoke, Young Master Wang's voice grew quieter and quieter, his head lowered, and he slumped over the edge of the table, snoring loudly without any regard for his image.

That was true; Ruan Xing had forgotten that the Red Head Gang was only established six years ago. After more than a year of massive expansion, it only became the top dog in Jiangning City five years ago. Five years ago, Young Master Wang was twelve, already a half-grown youth.

"He's drunk, and the night is deep. I'll open a room upstairs and send him to rest." Young Master Liu stood up; he had also drunk quite a bit of wine, but not as much as Young Master Wang, and at this moment, he could still stand straight with clear eyes and a steady voice.

"What about you? Sister Ruan, will you stay here for now or shall I send you home?" He asked Ruan Xing with his eyes.

"Don't worry about me, you two go ahead. Just have Hu San send me back later." Ruan Xing packed up the wooden box of gifts from Young Master Wang and prepared to go downstairs.

Young Master Liu didn't say anything more, and together with a servant, they supported Young Master Wang on either side and went up to a room on the upper floor.

"Miss, shall we go back now?"

Ruan Xing did not answer, but instead asked: "Hu San, how is your Internal Strength training coming along?"

"Just entered the entry level, barely able to use True Qi." Hu San said. He raised his palm and channeled his Internal Strength; a faint layer of white light appeared on his skin, very weak, flickering in and out of existence.

"I'll give you two days. You can use up all the remaining Medicine Liquid at once if you have to; reach Internal Strength Small Success as soon as possible. Also, tomorrow buy two bundles of Yellow Paper, three deer skins, one writing brush, and two catties of beast blood. It must be blood from wild beasts; blood from domestic chickens, ducks, cows, or sheep won't work. After buying them, keep them at your place, and I will come find you tomorrow." Ruan Xing got into the carriage, "Let's go, take me back."

Expecting Hu San to train with focus while also making him do chores—she was truly a black-hearted capitalist.

There was no help for it; she had too few people she could use, and currently, the only one who could unconditionally focus on following her orders was Hu San. If only she could have a Puppet as obedient as the Pure White Youth.

Using too much Medicine Liquid at once would damage her meridians and affect her foundation, but Hu San agreed without a moment's hesitation.

With the 【Break】 and 【Speed】 Talismans, plus her own Acquired Realm martial arts level, Ruan Xing was confident she could clash with the Pure White Youth. But since the opponent could turn invisible and the enemy was in the dark while she was in the light, she still needed a 【Guard】 Talisman and a bait candidate who could help her trap the opponent.

It could only be Hu San.

Although she lacked Spiritual Power, basic Talismans could barely be activated using True Qi. She had to get Hu San to reach Internal Strength Small Success before she could use Talismans on him.

As for the damaged meridians, she would just have to compensate him if there was an opportunity in the future.

The next morning, Ruan Xing first checked the updated Simulator and her own panel.

Name: Ruan Xing

Age: Six years old

Skills: Gambling Entry, Talisman Entry Level, Dance Basics, Weaving Basics; Cultivation Method: Blood Refining Art; Realm: Acquired Realm

Points: 167923. The functions hadn't changed, only the points required for a Simulation had risen to 100 points per time. Ten wen for one point, so 100 points was one tael of silver.

It was fortunate that she had decisively decided to raid Hu Ye's home after meeting him, otherwise, she really wouldn't have been able to afford this Simulator for much longer.

By the time she arrived at Hu San's home, Hu San had already bought the items and placed them in the room. His efficiency was still as high as ever; Ruan Xing nodded in satisfaction.

"The deer skin is stock from the general store, and the blood is wild boar blood killed just this morning." Hu San explained.

The room was filled with the stench of wild boar blood. Ruan Xing pinched her nose, "Very good, well done. Go practice your arts, don't worry about me."

"Yes."

Only Ruan Xing remained in the room. She poured a small bowl of pig blood onto the table, spread out the Yellow Paper, picked up the brush, and began the Simulation.

She didn't know how to draw the 【Guard】 Talisman yet, so she had to use the Simulator to increase her proficiency in Talismans first.

【Simulation in progress】

Six years old, you use Yellow Paper and wild boar blood to practice Talismans, but the next day you hear terrible news: the Patrol Security Division Inspector died suddenly on the street while leading a patrol. You want to find Young Master Liu to ask about the situation, but discover he has also disappeared. Afterwards, you seek help from Young Master Wang, and the two of you search everywhere, but there is never any news.

Three days later, you are following Shi Shifu to practice Gambling at Qiye's hall when a strange man and a dozen people break in, but no one stops them. They capture you and send you to Qiye's study. You don't see Qiye but see the old man from the cave and the Pure White Youth. You sense danger and suddenly lash out in a counterattack, killing several big men holding you while they were off guard, preparing to flee, but you are suddenly pierced through the body by the Pure White Youth who appeared behind you using White True Qi. You die.

【Simulation ended】

Please choose the reward for this simulation: 1, Memories at six years old.

2, A random item on your person at six years old.

3, A random skill mastered at six years old.

4, The cultivation realm reached at six years old. Ruan Xing stared at the result for a long time before choosing option one.

Originally, she had planned to use the Simulator to hole up in Jiangning City and practice Talismans for seven or eight years, so why did this old man suddenly run into the city? Ruan Xing pondered: was the Patrol Security Division Inspector in the simulation killed by the old man? Was Young Master Liu also captured by the old man? And finally, coming to capture her—did Young Master Liu sell her out? No wonder she felt it was suspicious when she heard Young Master Liu talk about it yesterday; how could the Gang Leader so easily agree to such a disadvantageous condition? So that was what he was planning.

Aside from maintaining the gang's operations, the profits from the Red Head Gang's businesses were likely all becoming the old man's research funding. The demands made by the Patrol Security Division Inspector were practically digging into the old man's scalp; no wonder he suddenly ran out from the cave.

But... there were only three days left, and her 【Guard】 Talisman wasn't practiced well yet.

Sigh, if only that Inspector hadn't been so greedy; he should have just taken some silver, why did he have to touch the man's assets?

Things having reached this point, no amount of regret would help, Ruan Xing could only think of another way.

She must learn the 【Guard】 Talisman first.

【Simulation in progress】

Six years old, you and Hu San take the remaining silver and flee the city, settling down under assumed names in a village in Huaining City. You practice Talismans diligently every day.

Three months later, you draw the 【Guard】 Talisman, but the success rate still needs improvement. However, you gradually feel your energy failing, feeling drowsy every day.

Seven years old, you spend most of your time sleeping, with only a little time each day to practice Talismans.

Eight years old, while practicing Talismans, you suddenly feel unable to keep up, unable to hold the brush, and everything goes black as you lose consciousness. You die.

【Simulation ended】

Please choose the reward for this simulation: 1, Memories at eight years old.

2. A random item possessed at age eight.

3. A random skill mastered at age eight.

4. The cultivation realm attained at age eight.

Ruan Xing darkened her face and chose option three.

【Congratulations, you have obtained the Talisman experience from age eight.】

This old man is like a lunatic; even after she ran away, he still wouldn't let her go. She knows the method of death this time; it is a type of curse from the Nether Ghost Record, using her birth date and the blood of her closest kin as a guide. The effect varies from person to person; the higher the caster's strength compared to the target's, the more effective it is.

If their strength is similar, it takes effect slowly. If the target's strength is far higher than the caster's, the target might only feel like they were bitten by a mosquito, while the caster would be left on the verge of death from the backlash.

Judging by this, since she lasted three years before dying, the old man likely only has the strength of Internal Strength Great Success. From the corrosive Medicine Liquid earlier, it can be inferred that the old man has not practiced any Body Refining techniques; he must have spent all his time on crafting Puppets and Alchemy.

If the old man himself is only at Internal Strength Great Success, then within the Red Head Gang he suppresses, it is impossible for anyone to reach Transformation Strength; at most, they would be at External Strength Perfection plus Internal Strength Small Success.

Unexpectedly, without realizing it, Ruan Xing's own strength has already surpassed the entire Red Head Gang.

If not for the Pure White Youth being too ghostly, she could have dominated Jiangning City long ago.

On the panel, her Talisman skill is still at the Entry Level; she probably won't reach the Basic Stage until she has learned all mortal-grade Talismans. Unfortunately, the difficulty of the 【Guard】 Talisman is much higher than 【Break】 or 【Swift】, and her success rate is currently only twenty percent.

Anyway, there are still over one hundred thousand points left, enough for over a thousand attempts; let's continue the Simulation.

Ruan Xing simulated this route dozens of times before raising the success rate of 【Guard】 to ninety percent, only then did she heave a sigh of relief, having gained some confidence to kill the old man and his companion.

Little did she know, her Talisman skill had already headed in another direction. Many Cultivators proficient in Talismans have at most a fifty percent success rate when drawing low-grade Talismans, and for a Talisman beginner, succeeding seven or eight times out of a hundred is already considered talented; it is common for one hundred sheets of Yellow Paper to yield only a single Talisman. It is just that she has not yet met a proper Cultivator and does not know these common facts.

Ruan Xing dipped her brush into the blood ink in the bowl, spread out the Yellow Paper, and drew a 【Break】 Talisman in one go.

Not bad, success on the first try; a good omen.

Usually, she only practiced in the Simulator; this is the first time she has drawn a Talisman in reality.

She gathered her courage and drew the remaining two stacks of Yellow Paper into Talismans. Out of two hundred sheets of Yellow Paper, she only wasted a dozen, resulting in 183 finished Talismans: 135 【Break】 and 48 【Swift】.

Fear stems from a lack of firepower; she cannot be like the old man, stingy and only using one at a time.

Next is the deerskin. Ruan Xing rested for a quarter of an hour to recover her energy before focusing intently on carving the Talisman patterns onto the deerskin.

【Break】 and 【Swift】 only need to be made into Talisman paper and activated with True Qi when used, but 【Guard】 is different; it needs to be drawn on protective gear and even involves the scope of artifact refining. In the future, when crafting dharma robes, 【Guard】 will also need to be inscribed on them; this is the most basic refining technique.

Unfortunately, Ruan Xing has no materials containing Spirit Qi on hand and can only use wild animal hide as a substitute.

The complex and mysterious patterns were drawn stroke by stroke by Ruan Xing using wild boar blood. Once the vibrant colors dried, they became dull markings, appearing on the deerskin in a shape that seemed to have no pattern.

As the final stroke was completed, the entire deerskin still looked unremarkable, but Ruan Xing knew that wearing this deerskin would not only be impervious to blades and spears but could also resist ordinary True Qi; even a 【Break】 Talisman could be blocked once to save the wearer's life.

Although the Talisman is a mortal item, it is still a product of the Cultivation world; no matter how powerful True Qi is, it is merely a mortal technique.

Immortal and mortal—a difference of one word, a world of difference.

It's just a little ill-fitting... Ruan Xing sighed. She was too rushed; she should have made the deerskin into leather armor before drawing the Talisman. But now, having leather armor custom-made is both time-consuming and draws attention. She doesn't have much time, so she will make do for now.

Moreover, it is very strange that this world has no standardized things like military leather armor; the people here haven't even heard of what military service is. In Jiangning City, a city of tens of thousands, there is only the Patrol Security Division with three to five hundred armed personnel.

Perhaps one could count the thousands of ordinary gang members of the Red Head Gang with their uneven skill levels? If it were due to Body Refining techniques, External Strength Perfection still cannot face blades and spears head-on! Unless one has Internal Strength Consummation and True Qi Body Protection.

Why are there no government troops? Why are there no standardized military weapons or armor? Why are there no regulations regarding horses and plow oxen? What Ruan Xing finds most difficult to understand is why the literacy rate among commoners is nearly seventy percent. Not to mention scholars like Ruan Fu who study for the sake of official titles, even Hu San read books for a few years when he was young. In a feudal dynasty, aren't they afraid that enlightening the people will make them hard to manage? Ruan Xing knows nothing of these things and can only wait for an opportunity to explore them in the future.

Thanks for the "shot like a gun" tip~(End of chapter)