Chapter 30

Just as the old Chinese medicine doctor had said, there was indeed a smaller willow tree in front of the municipal government building, looking only two or three years old, like a child among a crowd of adults.

The reason this tree appeared small was mainly because the two willow trees beside it were so tall. Among this row of willows, only these two seemed exceptionally high, with lush branches and leaves.

These few trees were all located to the left of the municipal government’s main gate. The government building had no walls, only a row of flower beds around it, making it easy to see from inside the office building.

Ding Ning walked around the small willow tree twice, confirming he was in the right place, then focused his attention on the two larger trees nearby.

The municipal government compound had been built fifteen years ago, and the flower beds looked somewhat dilapidated. The cement ground and the flower beds were almost one, indicating that the willows had been there since the building was constructed.

The spirit array here gathered spiritual energy from all directions, though slowly. However, because this was the entrance and exit of the array, the concentration of spiritual energy was relatively higher. The municipal government compound had been built for fifteen years, and the willows had grown for fifteen years.

After watching for a while, Ding Ning approached the willow tree and released his divine sense to investigate carefully.

When the divine sense was concentrated on a single point, it could penetrate deep into objects, but the range would be greatly reduced. Even with Ding Ning’s full effort, he could only probe a few centimeters into the willow tree.

When his vision started to blur, the divine sense finally detected a hint of green.

The severely depleted divine sense instantly received some replenishment, and Ding Ning immediately confirmed that this large willow tree had definitely formed a Green Heart.

The other willow tree didn’t need much investigation; it was almost certain to be the same, as only these two trees were unique.

A Green Heart willow could provide enough materials for three batches of Spirit Gathering Pills. With two trees, the materials would be sufficient for Ding Ning to use for some time.

Overjoyed, Ding Ning caressed the two Green Heart willows, pondering his next move.

At this point, the three-leaf clovers were relatively scarce, but they could be harvested for seeds and planted, growing quickly. The Green Heart willows, however, were more difficult to handle. The biggest challenge was how to remove them from the municipal government compound.

Removing the willows from the municipal government compound was more difficult than pulling teeth from a tiger’s mouth, and Ding Ning didn’t want to use force.

After circling the area several times, the old guard of the municipal government came out.

"Hey, young man, what are you doing? If you’re here to petition, go to the petition office. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. If you dare to rush in, the guards will definitely catch you."

Ding Ning chuckled and left the municipal government compound. Although he was determined to get these two willow trees, he needed to think of a way to do it.

*****

By the time he returned to the Tianqiao market, it was already noon. He first bought some brushes and engraving knives, then returned to Jin Yumantang, where the jade balls were already finished.

Each jade ball was about the size of a glass ball, with a small hole in the middle, allowing them to be strung together.

This morning, they had said they could polish 120, but Ding Ning counted 132.

Thanking the jade polisher, Ding Ning packed everything into a large backpack. This backpack was bought when he purchased the herbs, and it was already full with seven types of auxiliary herbs. Adding over a hundred jade balls made it quite heavy for Ding Ning to carry.

After taking a taxi back to his rented house, Ding Ning brought the backpack inside.

The little fatty Lin Xuan was nowhere to be found. Ding Ning first checked the three-leaf clovers in the flower bed, seeing that they were still fresh and green, before returning to the house.

He closed the door, ensuring that even if Lin Xuan returned, he wouldn’t suddenly barge in and see what he was doing.

Picking up a jade ball, Ding Ning took a brush and began writing the character "Lei" (thunder) on a yellow paper.

The first few "Lei" characters he wrote were ordinary, with no special qualities. Ding Ning then began to recall his insights during thunderstorms.

After a while, Ding Ning found the state of mind for writing talismans, and his brush moved swiftly, the character "Lei" leaping onto the paper!

When he wrote the thunder talisman, the paper and brush could not withstand the power of the lightning and instantly turned to ashes.

Ding Ning was not concerned. Seizing the moment, he picked up the engraving knife and began carving on a white jade ball.

This engraving skill came from the memories of a cultivator. Each cut sent jade chips flying!

With no distractions, even if someone knocked on the door, Ding Ning wouldn’t hear it.

After a minute, Ding Ning completed the final stroke!

"Clack!"

Placing the jade ball on the table, a brilliant golden light accompanied by an electric arc flashed across the surface of the jade ball, then returned to calm.

Ding Ning picked up the jade ball and examined it carefully, overjoyed. He had finally succeeded!

The jade ball was indeed a suitable medium. Under the influence of the earth’s primordial energy in Ding Ning’s engraving knife, the lightning talisman was finally fully embedded in the jade ball, altering its internal structure.

The method of using this jade ball was simple: just aim at the target, rub the jade ball with your hand, and think about using lightning to strike the target.

Or, if the wearer encountered something with spiritual energy, it could trigger the lightning inside the jade ball. However, due to the poor quality of the jade and Ding Ning’s low cultivation level, this jade ball could only be used once before breaking, making it a one-time use item.

The power of this lightning was far from that of true heavenly lightning, but for Ding Ning, it was currently his strongest means, more powerful than a one-yuan coin.

Putting this jade ball aside, Ding Ning picked up another and began engraving with the knife.

With the earth’s primordial energy in his body depleted, Ding Ning absorbed more in the room. This was a spirit spot, and the primordial energy was abundant, quickly replenishing his consumption.

After about two hours, Ding Ning finally put down the engraving knife.

He had successfully engraved thirty jade balls, with about forty more being scrapped, giving him a success rate of about forty percent.

There were still over fifty jade balls left unengraved, but he decided to take a break.

He didn’t just engrave lightning balls; among them, he engraved eighteen lightning balls, and the characters "Jing" (calm), "Zhen" (suppress), "Xi" (joy), and "Quan" (spring) were each engraved three times.

Each different character had a different use, and the auxiliary characters "Jing" and "Xi" were not one-time use. Wearing them long-term would greatly benefit a person’s mind and body.

Picking up a red string, Ding Ning arranged the "Xi," "Jing," "Zhen," "Lei," and "Quan" balls in order and strung them into a small bracelet.

The five simple jade balls and a common red string made the bracelet look unimpressive, but if someone who knew its value got it, the bracelet’s worth would be immeasurable.

The first character "Xi" would make the wearer feel happy and optimistic, with no thoughts of suicide.

The second character "Jing" would keep the wearer calm, preventing them from getting angry easily or suffering from insomnia.

The third character "Zhen" would repel evil. Even if something strange approached, the jade ball could withstand one attack.

The fourth character "Lei" would generally not be triggered easily unless the "Zhen" character was consumed. It would only activate when the wearer was in real danger, transforming into lightning to attack.

The last character "Quan" had less practical use and was less likely to be triggered, but wearing it would provide long-term benefits to the skin and body, similar to the effects of a cosmetic that claims to hydrate 24/7 and has excellent beauty effects.

Ding Ning was very satisfied with the bracelet and planned to give it to his mother.

"There’s also An Xiaoyue, a nice girl I met today. I don’t have much time to teach her, so I’ll make a bracelet for her too."

Ding Ning quickly strung together the second bracelet. Just as he finished, he heard the front door open, and Lin Xuan returned, panting.