Chapter 10: Thanks for the Invitation, the Slash‑Career Youth Is Online

A thin little booklet lay tightly sealed at the bottom of the box.

Ji Ming fumbled for a long time, and only succeeded in taking it out after turning the whole box upside down.

He didn't know what material the booklet was made of; its texture was smooth and flexible, neither paper nor cloth, quite magical.

"Could it be some mysterious technique passed down from the ancient East?"

His heart warmed, and he hurriedly opened it to examine.

But as he kept reading, his eyes gradually went blank.

Because what was recorded inside was neither a technique nor a cultivation method, but the drawings of several talismans.

Calming, warding, breath sealing, samadhi true fire…

In terms of effect, each was more practical than the last, and each more potent.

Most importantly, making talismans required almost no professional rank.

On the contrary, because it demands insight into the laws of heaven and earth, it has high requirements for elemental affinity.

And his only talent happened to be the low‑profile "Wood Element Affinity·Excellent".

…

Just when he had just learned the art of stitching corpses, a patient needing sutures appeared.

Yesterday he wondered why he was pulling a boring stick, and this morning it finally came in handy.

He had just been pondering how to break a curse, and now he was holding a "Selected Talismans" manual.

Flipping to the first two entries, hey, they really are spirit talismans specifically for suppressing the bizarre.

He was numb.

Ji Ming sensed a coincidental malice in the fates.

When night falls and he goes to sleep, he'll have to ask that dog AI in reality whether it has any clue.

But before that,

the miraculous potion from the East had already made him an "unassailable famous doctor".

What if he added the miraculous patterns from the East as well?

He tidied the drawer, took out paper and pen, and began copying the diagrams from the book.

Yet after several attempts, the so‑called "talisman formation anomaly" never appeared.

"Could it be that the restoration wasn't precise enough?"

But the talisman characters he drew were already identical to the examples, even the tiniest stroke he replicated.

"Or perhaps a single stroke is needed during creation, or maybe one or two of the talisman records are erroneous?"

Ji Ming patiently repeated the experiments, and in the end all his efforts ended in failure.

It wasn't a huge blow, but disappointment was hard to hide.

Resigned, he could only attribute everything to the material.

Although he knew little, traditional talismans that carry cultivation methods are usually made of cinnabar and turmeric paper.

Staring at the simple charcoal pencil and coarse inferior paper in his hand, Ji Ming fell into distress.

Living in a magical world, where could he possibly find these things?

Does he have to make them himself?

Then his résumé would read—

【Ji Ming, male, 28, profession: mediocre doctor / champion of boiling excrement / professional papermaker / renowned ink‑making master】?

Ha.

He laughed at his sudden bizarre idea, stood up to stretch, and suddenly felt a pang of unbearable hunger in his belly.

Only then did he realize it was already past noon; he had been so immersed in drawing talismans that he forgot lunch.

"Damn…"

He straightened his gear, opened the iron gate, and walked south along the wall.

It was the hottest time of day, yet the sunlight still couldn't pierce the heavy gloom, only coating everything in a layer of cold iron‑gray.

Lowering his brim, Ji Ming tried to look as dangerous as possible, his right hand hidden under his coat continuously rubbing the axe handle.

Crossing bloodstains and urine marks, scaring off a leaping, eager, filthy beggar, he finally reached his destination.

He pushed open the heavy double doors of the Thunder Promise Tavern, and the bell hanging on the door jingled.

Strangely enough, pronouncing "Ji Ming" accurately seemed a challenge for the locals.

Thus most people simply called him "Doctor", or used the homophonic "Ji Mi".

Moreover, as his fame spread, the mispronounced "Ji Ming" turned into a sarcastic term, the so‑called "Ji Ming".

But the sleepy goblin behind the bar shouted his title perfectly.

"Um, Doctor Ji?"

He laughed, jumped onto a high stool, and warmly waved at Ji Ming.

"Long time no see, what have you been up to lately?"

When Ji Ming sat opposite him, two glasses of beer were already set on the table.

"This is the freshly arrived black rye beer from yesterday, consider it on me."

"Thanks."

Ji Ming smacked his lips, raised the glass, and downed it in one gulp.

"Lately I've been hustling for a living; I don't want debt collectors to gut me open."

"No, no, no…"

The goblin shook his head repeatedly, then said seriously.

"Only someone like me would be ripped open; someone like you would only be sold to Rat Tail Alley."

"Damn it, I don't want my pelvic bones crushed by boar-men."

"As soon as the words fell, the two burst out laughing together."

"Goblin Leinuo, owner of Leinuo Tavern, also the proprietor of Leinuo Winery and the village head of Leinuo Village."

"As a ruthless businessperson who controls everything from raw materials to processing, and then to the downstream market."

"Although he hasn't yet managed to break into the Inner City's three major powers, he is still a locally renowned tycoon."

"And according to life experience, the smarter a person is, the more often they are 'kind'."

"Someone as clever as Leinuo has already become so kind that he would generously smile at any beggar he meets on the street, let alone Ji Ming, who is full of utilitarian value."

"He raised his hand and poured another cup for Ji Ming, taking the opportunity to move closer and lower his voice."

"What's up? The people from the Business Alliance are pressing hard, wanting me to help with cash flow?"

"Ji Ming merely tapped the tabletop with a relaxed expression."

"No, that's not it; I just came today simply to have a meal."

"Hmm, you really want to eat?"

"Leinuo raised his eyebrows, took out a menu from behind him."

"Be careful, lately the wasteland has been chaotic, and many things have gone up in price."

"Ji Ming ignored him and casually ordered a few items."

"Honey white bread, cream mushroom soup, charcoal-grilled lamb chops…"

"Leinuo raised his head with a strange expression."

"How so, have you solved the money problem?"

"Ji Ming merely smiled, took out a pretty medicine bottle from his bosom, pushed it toward him, and made an exaggerated inviting gesture."

"Today's Ji Ming seems quite different from usual."

"His appearance and build are clearly unchanged, and even that strange medicinal scent on him hasn't changed…"

"The goblin's eyes flickered with light, he hesitated a moment before picking up the medicine bottle."

"First he waved it before his eyes to check its quality, then he boldly unscrewed the cap and took a sniff."

"The medicine liquid is transparent and pure, its fragrance fresh and hitting the nose."

"It's not yet perfect, but it's already made quite nicely."

"Leinuo even felt a strong urge to pour it over a veal steak and gulp it down in one bite—that's a goblin's instinctive craving for 'good stuff'."

"A hint of surprise appeared in the depths of his eyes."

"Have you worked out an improved formula for the Rejuvenation Elixir?"