Chapter 49: Can

Pan Yun drew many talismans and decided to take them down the mountain to sell; besides talismans, she also dug out several books on physiognomy.

There were few books on physiognomy at Mount Sanqing—only two—but the Lingjing contained abundant knowledge on physiognomy.

For the first eight years, Pan Yun had never worried about livelihood, so she never seriously studied physiognomy; but from Xu Miao’s experience in the Zhou Prince’s mansion, she realized physiognomy earned more than alchemy or medicine.

Of course, she had also observed Tao Ji’s role in the Zhou Prince’s mansion: though physicians competed, combining even basic alchemy and medicine with physiognomy made even more profit.

Besides, Mount Sanqing’s greatest strength was alchemy.

Each day’s lessons devoted one session to physiognomy and talismans; the rest were entirely devoted to alchemy and medicine.

Moreover, the permanent Daoists at the temple were Wang Feiyin, Tao Ji, and Xu Miao.

Xu Miao had long been in seclusion and had not stepped outside since; their knowledge of physiognomy and talismans came from Wang Feiyin’s most basic teachings, and so far, she could draw every talisman he had taught.

Tao Ji frequently took Tao Yanbai down the mountain to practice medicine; when he stayed on the mountain, it was only to gather herbs—his alchemy and medicine master was still Wang Feiyin.

Truly, every morning she opened her eyes to Senior Brother, and every night she closed them to Senior Brother.

No wonder Tao Ji said it made no difference who one took as master, since all teaching came from Wang Feiyin.

Pan Yun stirred her rice and vegetables together, making the rice seem tastier, then ate heartily, as she did daily: “Has Fourth Sister emerged from seclusion?”

Miao Zhen said: “I’ve calculated with my fingers—Fourth Auntie will emerge this afternoon.”

Pan Yun said: “Then I’ll go down the mountain with Fourth Sister tomorrow.”

Miao Zhen and Miao He turned their heads together to look at Senior Brother seated facing the cliff nearby.

This remark from Little Auntie clearly wasn’t meant for them—it was meant for Senior Brother.

Indeed, Senior Brother, who had been eating intently, turned to glance at them and asked: “Why go down the mountain?”

“One, to collect letters; two, to earn money for Master.”

The first was fine—Tao Ji and others could handle it—but the second…

The reason was too legitimate; Wang Feiyin could not find an excuse to refuse.

But then he thought: this child was unlike Miao Zhen and Miao He—she matured early and possessed a hodgepodge of skills; her cultivation could not follow the same path as theirs. So he nodded: “Fine, go.”

Upon hearing this, Miao He immediately set down her bowl and squeezed beside Wang Feiyin, gazing hopefully: “Senior Brother, I want to go down too—I’ll guide Little Auntie and keep her company.”

Miao Zhen said nothing but also brought her bowl forward, joining Miao He in gazing hopefully at Wang Feiyin.

Wang Feiyin: … He knew it all along—Pan Yun’s arrival was the greatest challenge to his teaching; one of humanity’s hardest problems was not scarcity, but inequality.

Meeting the two children’s gazes, Wang Feiyin gritted his teeth: “Fine, all of you go.”

Miao He and Miao Zhen cheered, returned to their seats, and sat beside Pan Yun, happily eating together.

Miao Zhen’s calculation was precise: that afternoon, Xu Miao indeed emerged from seclusion.

She ate something, then bathed and changed clothes; only after evening rituals did she learn she was to take three children down the mountain tomorrow.

Xu Miao: …

Wang Feiyin said: “Old Man Qian of Yushan County is ill and won’t recover; Third Brother took Yanbai to treat him and won’t return these days, so this task falls to you. Besides, the three children are grown—take them out to see the world.”

Xu Miao: “I didn’t plan to go far—only to Dayuanwu.”

Dayuanwu was the largest village nearby, the township seat, with major markets every fifth and tenth day; tomorrow was the tenth, perfect for a market.

There was an urgent courier station there—letters from this region were all sent there.

Bringing Pan Yun along was good too—this trip was meant to gather news about the Pan family’s second branch.

Going down the mountain meant rising early; before the hour of Mao, the three children were woken, washed briefly, then shouldered their packed baskets and descended.

Xu Miao made Pan Yun walk last, while she led at the front, explaining: “We are elders, and our cultivation surpasses theirs.”

“I know—it’s about protecting the young, guarding the weak,” just as when she ascended, Tao Ji and Xu Miao had shielded her in the center.

The four of them descended the mountain, baskets on their backs.

Though Miao Zhen and Miao He were young, they had trained in martial arts since childhood; their skill rivaled Tao Yanbai’s, and they often gathered herbs in the mountains, so their footwork was no worse than Pan Yun’s, even with her cultivation.

They followed Xu Miao smoothly to the mountain’s foot, moving swiftly.

It was still dark when they descended, but villagers had already risen; Xu Miao led them through the village, where roosters crowed and dogs barked incessantly.

A household by the roadside poked out a head, glimpsing Xu Miao in the dim dawn light and called out: “Master Xu Miao, are you leaving?”

Xu Miao replied: “Going to Dayuanwu for the market.”

“Oh! So early?” Xu Miao nodded and quickly led the three children through the village.

Once dawn broke, daylight came swiftly; in moments, they could clearly see the path ahead.

By the time they reached Dayuanwu, the sky was fully bright.

Pan Yun had never been to Dayuanwu—she had not passed through it when she arrived.

Many others had come early for the market; by the time they entered the village, the bazaar was already bustling, with people continuously arriving from all directions, carrying loads on poles.

There were many food stalls.

Few shops existed here—the roads were flat earth and grass, open to anyone, so food vendors arrived before dawn to claim spots; now steaming baskets of buns and mantou released fragrant white flour scents into the air.

The noodle stall’s broth boiled; the vendor kneaded dough vigorously.

A separate stall sold meat pies: the vendor stretched dough wide, then chopped braised meat before customers’ eyes, waiting for buyers.

Miao He stopped dead at the meat pie stall.

Xu Miao said: “First, have breakfast.”

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She sat at the noodle stall, then handed Miao He a handful of copper coins: “The three of you go buy other food.”

Miao He happily agreed, set down her basket, grabbed Miao Zhen’s hand in one, Pan Yun’s in the other, and walked off.

She shared her private insight with Pan Yun: “I love going down the mountain with Master and Fourth Auntie—Master is soft-hearted, ask him and he takes us everywhere; Fourth Auntie is generous, she pays for anything we want to eat.”

Pan Yun: “What about Senior Brother?”

Miao He: “Senior Brother is good too, but he has no money.”

Seeing Pan Yun’s confusion, Miao Zhen explained: “Senior Brother has no fortune—he always loses money the moment he holds it.”

“Really?” For some reason, Pan Yun felt a faint unease.

Cultivation, cultivation—it brings one infinitely closer to the Dao; Daoists especially trust intuition, for they believe it is Heaven’s hint.

Pan Yun grasped this feeling, but could not fathom its source.

Only after eating and drinking her fill did she set out her folded talismans beside Miao He and Miao Zhen’s small stall.

Passersby glanced once, then walked on.

But Miao He and Miao Zhen’s bundled herbs sold well, steady income flowing in.

Pan Yun sat beside them, chin propped on her hand, watching.

Miao He generously split half her earnings with her.

Pan Yun refused—she wouldn’t take money from children—pushing it back: “No one buys talismans here?”

Miao Zhen: “No illness, no disaster, no ghosts or anomalies—why spend money on talismans?”

Pan Yun looked at their herbs: “Then these herbs…”

“They’re detoxifying and fever-reducing herbs—eaten in summer to refresh the mind and prevent heatstroke,” Miao Zhen said. “We sell them every summer; even the Yushan County apothecaries buy from us. Locals know them well, so they buy.”

“Besides, Mount Sanqing disciples often come down to treat people—they know our medicine and herbs are excellent,” Miao He added. “Little Auntie, I think your talismans won’t sell—we have no demons or ghosts around here. No one needs them.”

Pan Yun: “Why are there no demons or ghosts?”

Both replied as if stating obvious truth: “Because the Mountain God protects us.”

This surprised Pan Yun.

In her past life, ghosts and demons ran rampant—talismans sold best.

Her talismans were excellent; online, they’d sell out in no time. Here, they wouldn’t sell at all!

Pan Yun lifted her head, infused her spiritual power into her eyes, and used her innate talent to observe the villagers—there wasn’t a trace of black aura.

Even the suffering were not victims of misfortune—they were simply poor. Such people needed a strengthening talisman to reduce illness and bodily harm from hardship; even a luck talisman would be useless.

Because overall poverty meant no one could find silver on the street, no matter how lucky—besides, such luck relied on others’ misfortune, which she never drew.

Her luck talismans only helped avoid misfortunes, never granted fortune out of nowhere.

But poverty itself was not misfortune.

If a talisman couldn’t show immediate results, who would pay for it?

Even if bought, disbelief would halve its effect.

Pan Yun silently packed away her talismans: “I was wrong—I shouldn’t sell them here. I should go to big cities—like Kaifeng Prefecture, Guangxin Prefecture.”

Today and tomorrow’s lucky numbers end in 1—screenshot as proof

(End of Chapter)