Chapter 4

"Is it so precious? Selling just one of them would be enough to live a carefree life, wouldn't it? I'd be rich." Jiang Le muttered to himself, barely able to contain his excitement.

He had suffered from a young age, and now his mother's illness required money, his education required money, moving to a better place required money, and getting married in the future would also require money. In short, money was the only thing that could fill the gaps in his life. With so many treasures in hand, his mind naturally raced with thoughts.

Mao Xiaofang calmly said, "You're such a failure. If you want to be sick for the rest of your life, then go ahead and sell them."

Jiang Le's head instantly cleared. He quickly said awkwardly, "I was just joking, how could I sell them so easily? I'm not that kind of person."

No matter how much money there was, nothing was more important than his own body. Only a healthy body could ensure a bright future. He knew the difference between what was important and what was not.

Jiang Le quickly dismissed the idea of selling the items and tried to act like a gentleman who treated money as dirt.

Mao Xiaofang ignored Jiang Le's antics and introduced the items one by one.

After listening to Mao Xiaofang's introduction, Jiang Le finally understood why he said these were good things. It wasn't about their monetary value, but their value as precious talismans in the Daoist tradition, which were very hard to come by.

For example, the bell, called the Soul-Shaking Bell, was made from copper that had been aged for a hundred years, forged with the fire from the earth's veins, and engraved with spells to capture and shake the soul. It was then nurtured with Daoist techniques, gradually becoming more spiritual. When it encountered evil spirits, it would ring automatically, and the sound it produced would harm the souls of evil spirits.

The red string was called the Evil-Binding Thread. It was woven from silk from a spirit worm that had lived for over ten years, then soaked in pure black dog blood, and nurtured in a place with strong yang energy for forty-nine days. It was extremely yang and had a particularly effective effect on zombies and other evil beings.

As for the yellow paper, cinnabar, and talisman pen, they were all of the highest quality and would produce better talismans.

Of course, the copper coins that Jiang Le coveted were also very valuable. However, these coins were ancient coins with spiritual energy, collected by the old man over many years. They had been touched by countless people over the centuries, imbuing them with a great deal of human energy, which had the effect of driving away evil spirits. They were also well-preserved and were the best material for making copper swords.

With this explanation, Jiang Le's desire to explore the value of the items was naturally dispelled.

It seemed that he would be entering this field in the future, and these items would be essential for survival. It was best to keep them in hand.

"Jingle, jingle."

"Hey? Master, look, the bell is ringing by itself, how amazing!" Jiang Le said in surprise, taking out the Soul-Shaking Bell.

Mao Xiaofang's expression changed, and he said irritably, "What's so amazing? The Soul-Shaking Bell ringing means the old man is about to turn into a zombie. This old man must have visited some terrifying tomb in the past, and the yin energy in his body is rapidly transforming his corpse."

"Turning into a zombie? No way, how can it happen so quickly?!" Jiang Le was startled and quickly turned to look at the old man's body.

At this moment, the old man lying on the ground was trembling slightly, as if he were having a terrible nightmare.

His face had turned green, looking very frightening.

"Don't just stand there. While the moonlight is not yet strong enough and the transformation is not complete, quickly use the Evil-Binding Thread to tie him up," Mao Xiaofang said solemnly.

Jiang Le did not hesitate and quickly took out the red string from the yellow cloth bag. He looked at it and asked worriedly, "This string is too thin, won't it break? Should we use a thicker nylon rope instead?"

Mao Xiaofang was speechless and did not want to argue with Jiang Le. He said directly, "I'm just saying, do it or not, it's up to you. But if he turns into a zombie, he won't be able to harm me."

Jiang Le's face stiffened. Why did his master suddenly become cold? Could it be that his greed had misled his master's impression of him? No, he wasn't purely greedy; he was forced by life, Master.

But now, it was best to resolve the danger of the zombie transformation first and talk about other things later.

Without further ado, Jiang Le took out the red string and quickly ran to the old man's side, tying his hands and feet tightly. The Evil-Binding Thread was only ten meters long, and after tying the old man's body, there was still some left over. He thought for a moment and tied the Soul-Shaking Bell to the remaining part.

Jiang Le remembered what Mao Xiaofang had said: the Soul-Shaking Bell could warn of evil spirits and had a certain killing power.

Using the Soul-Shaking Bell to suppress you, let's see if you dare to move.

Mao Xiaofang nodded in approval at this scene.

A good student, able to apply what he has learned, indeed has the wisdom to practice Daoism.

Sure enough, as the Soul-Shaking Bell trembled, the old man's body suddenly stopped trembling. However, he suddenly opened his eyes, which had turned blood red, revealing a sinister and vengeful glow. A low, animal-like growl could be heard from his throat.

Jiang Le was frightened and quickly moved away.

Zombie transformation was indeed terrifying, and most people couldn't handle it.

After seeing Jiang Le finish, Mao Xiaofang continued, "Now open the yellow cloth bag, find a small bamboo tube, pour out a little spiritual spring water, then take a piece of cinnabar and grind it into a red liquid with the black mirror."

Jiang Le searched for a while, found the items, and began to operate according to Mao Xiaofang's instructions.

These items reminded Jiang Le of the zombie movies he had seen before. The atmosphere felt very similar, and he couldn't help but think that being an exorcist, a Daoist master, might not be so bad.

Soon, Jiang Le had ground the cinnabar into a perfect consistency, which he found very satisfying.

As a calligraphy enthusiast, Jiang Le had once sought guidance from a skilled calligrapher in Qingyang City. After much pleading, he finally got the chance to grind ink and observe. He worked for more than three months, and his skills became quite proficient.

"The ink is ground well, it's clear you've practiced calligraphy," Mao Xiaofang said, his eyes sharp, noticing Jiang Le's skilled movements. He was very satisfied.

In Daoist talisman drawing, wrist strength and vigor are essential to create talismans with iron-like strokes. This is a basic requirement and cannot be overlooked.

"Hehe, just a hobby, what's next?" Jiang Le, though praised, was not proud. Calligraphy was his hobby, not something to show off.

Mao Xiaofang nodded and said, "Draw the talisman."

"Oh! Ah?" Jiang Le was about to start but then hesitated.

Draw a talisman? He didn't know how to do that.

Mao Xiaofang said, "I didn't say for you to draw, move aside."

Jiang Le quickly stepped back a few steps and watched Mao Xiaofang with wide eyes, eager to see how the talisman was drawn.

Mao Xiaofang's expression became solemn. He formed a sword finger, took a stance, and began to chant. Then, with a wave of his sword finger, the ink Jiang Le had ground began to spin, transforming into a red stream of water that floated in the air, continuously swirling.

Then, five sheets of yellow paper flew out of the yellow cloth bag, positioning themselves in the air.

In the next moment, the swirling ink shot out, forming talismans on the yellow paper, quickly taking shape.

It seemed like an optical illusion, but when the talismans were completed, Jiang Le saw a golden glow emanate from them, and the talismans felt different.

So amazing!

Jiang Le was deeply moved and his mouth was dry.

Is this Daoist magic? In the past, he thought it was all fake, but today he experienced things that defied science, completely breaking the scientific claim that ghosts and demons were superstitions.

Thinking about mastering such Daoist magic in the future, Jiang Le became incredibly excited.

Going to university was nothing compared to this. Even the most talented students would eventually have to work hard, flatter others, and take many steps to succeed.

Once I learn Daoist magic, I'll be a high-ranking Daoist, rising to the top, living a carefree and happy life.

The talisman, once completed, fell into Jiang Le's hands from the air.

Mao Xiaofang, seemingly exhausted from the magic, looked weak and said, "Quickly, stick the exorcism talisman on his forehead to prevent him from absorbing the moonlight and completing the transformation."

Jiang Le came to his senses and quickly followed Mao Xiaofang's instructions.

However, as soon as Jiang Le approached, the old man suddenly opened his mouth and roared, revealing two sharp fangs.

Then, the old man began to thrash violently, rolling back and forth. Even the Soul-Shaking Bell's ringing couldn't suppress him.

The Evil-Binding Thread, though emitting red light, seemed unable to hold him, as if it might break at any moment.

"Bad, this old man must have entered a thousand-year-old zombie cave, and is infected with extreme yin energy," Mao Xiaofang said, drawing a sharp breath when he saw the fangs.

"So vicious!" Jiang Le was equally shocked, but he gritted his teeth, picked up the talisman, and charged forward.

Mao Xiaofang was alarmed, "What are you doing?"

"Dealing with him, if I don't, I'll be the one to die," Jiang Le said, jumping and pressing down on the old man.

Mao Xiaofang was stunned. This boy, who seemed greedy and afraid of death, actually had some courage when faced with danger.

Slap!

Jiang Le landed, but the old man dodged, causing him to fall and feel intense pain in his internal organs, with blood in his mouth.

He licked his tongue, which had been bitten by his teeth.

Damn, so painful, and he even dodged.

Jiang Le's eyes turned red, and he got up and pounced again. This time, he grabbed the old man's legs and held on tightly, refusing to let go no matter how much the old man struggled.

"Ao!"

The old man let out a low growl, and his body began to slide, dragging Jiang Le around the room, making him dizzy.

Jiang Le held on tightly, gritting his teeth and enduring.

This scene shocked Mao Xiaofang. This boy, when he got serious, was truly terrifying.

Seeing that he couldn't shake Jiang Le off, the old man suddenly stood up, turned around, and opened his mouth to bite Jiang Le.

Jiang Le snorted, his eyes sharp and calm. As the old man's face approached, he raised his hand and quickly slapped the talisman onto the old man's forehead.

Slap!

The talisman stuck to the old man's forehead, immediately emitting a golden glow.

Jiang Le laughed triumphantly, "Want to bite me? First, taste the power of the talisman."

With the talisman on him, the old man's body froze, like a statue.

Jiang Le looked at Mao Xiaofang with pride and said, "Master, how did I do?"

Mao Xiaofang praised, "Calm under pressure, brave and determined, a good candidate for Daoist practice."

"Hehe, just okay."

"However, you should come over quickly. The extreme yin energy in his body is too strong, and the exorcism talisman's power is not enough to control him for long," Mao Xiaofang sighed.

Jiang Le was startled and quickly turned to look. He saw the talisman on the old man's forehead suddenly catch fire without a flame, and the old man's mouth emitted a low, animal-like groan.

Damn, all my efforts were in vain.

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