Chapter 4

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Xu Ziyyan’s gaze swept over the talisman, and her expression froze. She clearly saw that the talisman in the middle-aged man’s hand was merely a first-grade paper talisman. Such a talisman was worth five hundred taels of silver, and it wasn’t even the top-grade among first-grade paper talismans; it could only be considered a high-grade one. Since she had inherited the knowledge, she had practiced the process of making first-grade talismans countless times in her mind, fully comprehending the art of first-grade talisman making. Although she had never made a talisman herself due to the lack of talisman paper and a talisman brush, Xu Ziyyan was confident that, with her understanding and the countless times she had practiced in her mind, she could certainly make a better talisman than the one before her. Therefore, when Xu Ziyyan clearly saw the paper talisman, she couldn’t help but curl her lips, her eyes showing disdain, and she said lightly:

"Do I need to steal such a paper talisman? I can make it myself."

Xu Ximei, who was kneeling on the ground, heard this and became furious. She raised her head and shouted, "What are you boasting about? Aren’t you afraid of the wind blowing your tongue off? Do you know that only my Uncle can make such a talisman in the entire Central Capital!"

That Uncle, on the contrary, was amused by Xu Ziyyan’s words. He chuckled and said, "Girl, if you can make a first-grade paper talisman, it doesn’t have to be better than mine. As long as it’s a first-grade talisman, even a low-grade one, I’ll admit you’re not a thief."

"Fine, untie me!" Xu Ziyyan said straightforwardly.

"Untie her!" Uncle said calmly.

The two people standing next to Xu Ziyyan, with mocking expressions, untied her. Xu Ziyyan moved her arms, which had gone numb from being tied, and suddenly remembered that she didn’t have talisman paper or a talisman brush. She stood there, dazed. Xu Ximei, seeing Xu Ziyyan’s dazed expression, was even more convinced that Xu Ziyyan couldn’t make talismans and was lying. She sneered and said:

"What? Do you need us to prepare talisman paper and a talisman brush for you?"

Xu Ziyyan nodded awkwardly and weakly said to Uncle, "I don’t have talisman paper or a talisman brush."

Uncle’s expression didn’t change at all. He just waved his hand at Xu Ximei’s Fourth Uncle and said:

"Fourth Brother, prepare talisman paper and a talisman brush for her."

The Xu family’s shop, of course, sold talisman brushes and blank talisman paper. Without a word, Fourth Uncle went behind the counter, took out a talisman brush and a blank talisman paper, and placed them on the counter, then looked at Xu Ziyyan calmly.

Xu Ziyyan slowly walked to the front of the counter, smoothed out the talisman paper with both hands, picked up the talisman brush, took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and slowly calmed her mind. In her mind, she replayed the familiar process of making talismans. When she opened her eyes again, her eyes were clear. She evenly channeled the spiritual energy in her body to the tip of the brush, and with a fluid motion, she drew a talisman without any hesitation. The paper talisman glowed with a faint spiritual energy. Xu Ziyyan sighed lightly, checked it, and found that making a first-grade paper talisman had consumed one-tenth of her spiritual energy. With her current cultivation at the first level of the Qi Condensation stage, she could only make ten first-grade talismans a day.

Xu Ziyyan was still sighing in dissatisfaction when the originally calm Uncle’s eyes almost fell out. He was a master of talisman making in the Xu family. How could he not recognize that Xu Ziyyan had made a top-grade first-grade paper talisman?

With trembling hands, he carefully picked up the paper talisman from the counter, held it close to examine it, and finally confirmed it was a top-grade first-grade paper talisman. He looked up at Xu Ziyyan, who was standing in front of him, with excitement, took a deep breath, gently placed the paper talisman on the counter, and bowed to Xu Ziyyan respectfully:

"Master, I am Xu Haobo, the head of the Talisman Hall of the Xu family. May I ask how you should be addressed, Master?"

"Senior, I am not worthy of the title of Master." Xu Ziyyan waved her hands and said, "I am called Xu Ziyyan."

Upon hearing Xu Ziyyan’s name, Xu Haobo’s eyes lit up. He sized up Xu Ziyyan and asked in confusion:

"Do you have the surname Xu? Are you a member of our Xu family? Which branch are you from? Why have I never seen you?"

"I am not a member of your Xu family."

Xu Ziyyan immediately denied Xu Haobo’s words. She didn’t want to contribute to the Xu family selflessly when she had no means to protect herself. Besides, she didn’t know much about the Xu family and didn’t want to return to the family blindly. She felt that sometimes, being an outsider was more free than being a member of a family.

"Then... where is Master from?"

"Far away!" Xu Ziyyan answered ambiguously.

"Oh~~" Xu Haobo, being worldly-wise, didn’t press further but remained polite, with a respectful tone, "Is Master planning to settle in the Central Capital?"

"Originally, I had that plan, but now it seems that settling in the Central Capital is not safe." As she said this, Xu Ziyyan’s gaze swept over Xu Ximei, who was still kneeling on the ground, and a look of disgust flashed in her eyes.

At this point, everyone present knew that Xu Ziyyan was a master of talisman making. How could a master who could make top-grade first-grade talismans steal a paper talisman? Xu Ximei, who was still kneeling on the ground, couldn’t help but tremble, her face turning pale. She knew very well that she had falsely accused Xu Ziyyan and slapped her, and now she understood that this was Xu Ziyyan’s revenge. Thinking about the fifty first-grade paper talismans she had lost from the family, she felt her head buzz and fainted.

Xu Haobo glanced at the unconscious Xu Ximei, then turned to glare at the nervous Fourth Uncle, and coldly hummed. The Fourth Uncle’s body trembled, and cold sweat trickled down his forehead. He hurriedly bowed deeply to Xu Ziyyan and said:

"Master, I was blind and offended you. I beg for your forgiveness."

"Wasn’t it you who ordered me to be tied up just now?" Xu Ziyyan said angrily.

"Master," Xu Haobo bowed deeply and said, "We, the Xu family, are willing to make amends for our offense. Would Master consider staying as a guest in our Xu family?"

Xu Ziyyan looked up at Xu Haobo and saw a complex look in his eyes. She was immediately on guard and quickly calculated in her mind. It seemed that in the Central Capital, first-grade talisman masters were extremely rare. From Xu Haobo’s attitude, it was clear he was willing to invest a lot to keep her. If she refused, he might not let her be recruited by another family, and might even kill her.

Thinking of this, Xu Ziyyan couldn’t help but sigh. Being a small person without power was full of helplessness and sorrow. After considering everything, Xu Ziyyan knew she had to join the family, but she didn’t want to agree so easily. Actually, she didn’t have much resistance to joining the family; she just didn’t want to be constrained. Now that she had to join the family, she wanted to gain as much freedom as possible. So, pretending not to see Xu Haobo’s complex look, she said calmly:

"How will your Xu family compensate me?"

Hearing Xu Ziyyan’s tone soften, Xu Haobo quickly said:

"Master, we will hand over Xu Ximei to you for you to deal with as you see fit. As for my Fourth Brother Xu Haomiao tying you up, the Xu family is willing to offer fifty thousand taels of silver for your forgiveness."

At this point, Xu Ximei, who had fainted, had already woken up. Hearing that her Uncle was handing her over to Xu Ziyyan to deal with as she pleased, her heart sank, and she trembled with fear. She knew that for someone like her, living at the bottom of the Xu family, if Xu Ziyyan killed her on the spot, the Xu family would treat her like a dead dog. Struggling to get up from the ground, she raised both hands and started slapping herself while kneeling in front of Xu Ziyyan, pleading:

"Master, spare my life! Master, spare my life!"

Seeing Xu Ximei’s face turn purple from the slaps and blood flowing from her mouth, Xu Ziyyan frowned in disgust, extended her index finger, and hooked it upward. Xu Ximei stopped in confusion, stood up from the ground, and looked at Xu Ziyyan with a pleading look. Xu Ziyyan swung her right hand and slapped Xu Ximei hard, making her spin around and fall to the ground. Then she lightly shook her hand and said calmly:

"It’s more satisfying to do it myself!"

Xu Haobo’s eyes narrowed, seemingly gaining some understanding of Xu Ziyyan’s character, and he felt a mix of emotions. He really wanted Xu Ziyyan to join his family. If she did, the Xu family’s strength would immediately rise to a new level. A top-grade first-grade talisman master not only meant an increase in combat strength but also a significant source of wealth. If Xu Ziyyan joined another family, it would pose a huge threat. In the Central Capital, there were not only the Xu family but also the Xiao family and the Wu family. Recently, the Xiao family and the Wu family had just formed an alliance, hinting at a plan to suppress the Xu family. Xu Haobo secretly resolved that if he couldn’t recruit Xu Ziyyan, he would have to kill her and prevent her from joining the Xiao family or the Wu family.

At this moment, Xu Ziyyan’s gaze turned to Xu Haomiao, and Xu Haomiao’s heart tightened, his eyes showing fear. Xu Ziyyan’s gaze swept over Xu Haomiao and looked at Xu Haobo calmly:

"Do you think I would lack money with my skills?"

Xu Ziyyan was short of money, very short of money. But she couldn’t show it; she needed to appear strong to gain more benefits. Hearing this, Xu Haomiao became even more nervous, fearing that Xu Ziyyan would also beat him in public, which would be a huge embarrassment. Xu Haobo also felt awkward, as he couldn’t bear to see his Fourth Brother beaten by Xu Ziyyan, even if it was just a slap. After all, he was his Fourth Brother, and they had always been close. The two of them exchanged glances, and Xu Haobo considered whether to risk losing Xu Ziyyan and kill her here. Xu Haomiao considered whether to slap himself to gain Xu Ziyyan’s forgiveness. Just as they were at a loss, they heard Xu Ziyyan’s voice again:

"I can join the Xu family, but it’s not impossible!"