Chapter 15: Talisman Drawing

Xiao Hua knew the county town better; after confirming that Pan Yun would indeed take Qie Qie away, he hid a steamed bun in the firewood pile and ate one himself.

Seeing Pan Yun watching him, he smiled shyly: "Leave one behind—in case anyone who wasn't taken away manages to run back, they'll have something to eat."

Pan Yun nodded, unusually kind: "We'll take you to the Zhangs."

Xiao Hua hesitated, "Now? What if the government office Runners see us…"

If they got caught and driven out on the way, it would be too unfair—he wanted to wait until nightfall to leave.

Pan Yun looked at his face and said, "Trust me—it's safer to go now. You lead, I'll escort you."

With Pan Yun beside them, they slipped past patrols of officials, soldiers hunting beggars and refugees, and hangers-on, turning three alleys and two streets until they reached the alley where the Zhangs lived.

Pan Yun stopped, holding the child's hand, and nodded to Xiao Hua: "Go on."

Xiao Hua walked to the Zhangs' door, couldn't help glancing back at them, then, eyes welling, reached out and knocked.

The door opened, revealing an older woman standing there.

At the sight of her, Xiao Hua dropped to his knees with a thud, bowing his head and sobbing, "Mother—"

She was startled, then overjoyed, quickly pulling him up and calling inside, "Husband, come quick—we've got a son!"

A middle-aged man rushed out, saw Xiao Hua's tattered clothes and tear-streaked face, and was both shocked and delighted—he embraced him tightly: "Good, good, come in, come in— from now on, we're your parents, you're our son."

Xiao Hua nodded and called, "Father," then glanced back at the alley entrance—only to find it empty, both of them gone.

Xiao Hua's tears fell again in a rush, but before they reached his cheeks, a gentle hand wiped them away.

He looked up with wet eyes at Zhang Niangzi—this was the first time in his memory anyone had wiped his tears.

His fear and sorrow lessened; the young boy finally felt a quiet, steady joy.

Pan Yun led the child onto the main street—this time, she made no effort to avoid the government office Runners.

But strangely, when she didn't avoid them, she didn't encounter any.

It seemed they simply had no luck with soldiers.

So Pan Yun deliberately led the child to the county magistrate's gate, silently repeating in her mind several times: I am delivering this child to the county office—and then she studied his face.

The child stood there, bewildered, completely unaware why they were standing here.

Pan Xiaohei meowed beside them, mocking: "Because someone's skills are half-baked—still a top graduate of the National Academy, ha! His face-reading technique is so crude…"

【Shut up,】 Pan Yun thought in her mind: 【Keep blabbering and I'll put you down and let you walk yourself.】

Pan Xiaohei shifted his injured leg, meowed once, then lay still.

Pan Yun took the child's hand and walked away from the magistrate's gate, no longer thinking of handing him over to the government office Runners to find his family.

Pan Yun: "Do you know where the bookstore is?"

"I do!" the child replied happily—he could finally help his sister.

Pan Yun led him to the bookstore.

It was no surprise the child knew her gender—children have a peculiar intuition, untouched by external appearances.

Adults are different.

The bookstore clerk, seeing Pan Yun's male attire, automatically assumed she was a boy; then, noticing their filthy, disheveled clothes—Qie Er's garment even had a tear, making them look more ragged than beggars—he automatically labeled them as beggars.

As they drew near, the clerk waved them off impatiently: "Go away, this isn't your place—get out."

Pan Yun wasn't offended by being looked down upon; she simply pulled out a small piece of silver: "I'm buying something."

The clerk's face flushed at the sight of her money, yet his attitude didn't change—he frowned and asked, "What do you want?"

Pan Yun led the child inside and asked, "Do you have talisman paper and cinnabar?"

These items were indeed sold at bookstores.

The clerk frowned: "We have some—but it's expensive. How much do you want?"

Pan Yun said, "Show me first."

After a pause, she added: "I want to see all qualities."

The clerk grumbled: "Only one kind—we only have a little cinnabar, it's too precious."

He quickly brought out a stack of talisman paper, studying Pan Yun's expression.

Pan Yun frowned—the talisman paper came in three grades; this two-chi-nine-cun size was called Bing Paper, but she wanted the three-chi-six-cun Jia Paper. She glanced at the clerk and swallowed her words.

After asking the price, she bought a bundle of Bing Paper—she didn't absolutely need talisman paper; many things could serve as talisman substrates: bamboo slivers, jade pieces, metal sheets…

But cinnabar was essential.

She didn't have enough Qi to form talismans midair.

"How much for the cinnabar?"

The clerk lifted his eyelids: "One liang per liang."

Pan Yun frowned—was this the quality?

She examined it closely, then chose: "Give me one liang."

She already had brushes and inkstones stored in her Spirit Realm—only cinnabar and talisman paper were missing, because she'd had no cultivation and knew she couldn't draw talismans, so she'd never thought to buy them at home.

Pan Yun pulled out the fragment of silver and handed it to the clerk; he weighed it—it was exactly one liang. He lifted his eyelids again: "Total: eighty cash for the talisman paper."

Pan Yun rummaged in her satchel, pulled out a string of coins, counted out eighty cash, and gave them to him.

Pan Xiaohei had been holding back—he stretched out a paw to swipe the money as the clerk took it, but Pan Yun caught his paw mid-motion, gripping it firmly and giving him a warning look. Pan Xiaohei meowed frantically: "You can just tolerate this?"

Pan Yun: 【I'm not that easily provoked. Why let the emotions of irrelevant people affect me? I only need to achieve my goal.】

"Meow, he looked down on you, insulted you…"

Pan Yun calmly packed up her purchases and led the child out: 【You're wrong—he looked down on me, but he didn't insult me.】

Pan Xiaohei: "Looking down is insult! It's unfair—you're so narrow-minded and cruel to me…"

【That's because you've deceived me!】

Pan Xiaohei fell silent.

It once again witnessed Pan Yun's emotional stability—aside from matters concerning the safety of the Pan family, she rarely let external things disturb her composure.

It…was slightly pleased.

With a companion so mentally strong, won't she surely achieve success in cultivation?

It feels as though the path to breaking the seal is not far off.

Please…Your Excellency…collect_(!)

Pan Yun disliked trouble, so unless absolutely forced, she never provoked it herself.

If you can buy what you need quickly, don't stir up unnecessary complications.

Naturally, buying clothes and staying at inns was the same.

Spending these past days with Tao Ji and Master Xuanmiao had taught her much.

After asking the child where the pawnshop was, she took him there to buy him secondhand clothes that fit.

The pawnshop's clothes were far cheaper than those in the tailor shops; families of modest means preferred to shop there, and the selection was vast and varied, comparable to the secondhand markets of her past life.

The pawnshop clerk was far more courteous, never looking down on them for their youth or shabby clothes—he kindly guided them to choose secondhand garments.

All these stored secondhand clothes had been washed and neatly folded together; apart from being worn, they had no flaws.

Pan Yun bought two sets for the child, and two suitable male outfits for herself.

The two of them changed into the clothes right there in the pawnshop, tidied their hair and faces, then stepped out.

After leaving the pawnshop, she headed straight for the inn the child had mentioned—the one where the owner was kind and always gave them leftover food.

The innkeeper frowned at their age and asked in great detail, "Where are you from? Where are your parents and family?"

Pan Yun lied effortlessly: "Our ancestral home is Kaifeng. My father worked as a manager at a trading house in Jingcheng. Last year, he vanished with a caravan when attacked by bandits. My mother passed away from illness last year. We brothers could no longer survive in Jingcheng, so we decided to return to Kaifeng to seek relatives."

The innkeeper, deeply sympathetic, immediately arranged for them a quiet, secure room.

As soon as they entered the room, Pan Yun checked the doors and windows, confirmed they were secure, then placed the black cat on the table: "You're on watch tonight."

Pan Xiaohei lay on the table, as if it hadn't been on watch last night.

The child stared at the black cat with bright eyes: "Sister, can a cat keep watch?"

"It's called Xiaohei. From now on, when we're outside, call me brother," Pan Yun instructed, then added: "All things have spirit—especially cats. It can not only keep watch, but fight too."

The child's eyes sparkled as he stared at the black cat, cautiously reached out to touch it; seeing no resistance, he placed his hand gently on its back…

Pan Xiaohei glanced at him coolly, lifted its head, and looked down upon the world with disdain.

It was about to deign to meow—when the child suddenly snatched it into his arms.

This child was too fast.

Pan Yun had already packed her belongings and retrieved her brush and inkstone from the Spirit Realm.

Seeing the black cat held close, she nodded in satisfaction—perfect, the table was now free for her.

She laid out her items one by one on the table, then looked up at the child, who wore a look of contentment: "Do you remember your surname?"

The child: "I'm Qie'er."

Fine, he didn't know his surname.

Pan Yun wasn't good at physiognomy, but her talisman and array skills were strong.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have been chosen to study the sealed Three Jade Spirit Realm.

Talismans channel one's own Qi to gather the Qi of heaven and earth onto paper, manifesting spiritual intent to invisibly guide fortune and fulfill wishes.

No talisman was more suitable for their current situation than the Peace Talisman.

Life is full of accidents; the Peace Talisman helps one avoid misfortune—a feat requiring immense fortune.

Thus, the Peace Talisman brings good luck.

Pan Yun knew this talisman intimately; in her past life, after beginning cultivation, her side income came entirely from talismans.

The talismans she drew most often were the Peace Talisman and the Wealth Talisman.

Now, seated at the table, she calmed her mind, lifted her brush, and completed the talisman in one fluid stroke—the Peace Talisman appeared at the tip.

The surrounding Qi flowed toward the brush tip; when she finished, a spiritual light flashed, and the talisman's markings seemed to stir alive before settling still upon the paper.

Pan Yun was astonished—this talisman…was far too perfect.

Was she more talented than in her past life?

Pan Yun's lips curled upward in delight.

(End of Chapter)