Hide in the world of gods and demons

Chapter 89 The War Ends
"Dad, everything's alright now, why are you sighing?"

Zhang Shuniang helped Zhang Yan into the bedroom, then poured him a cup of tea and handed it to him. Seeing him sighing from time to time, she couldn't help but offer some words of comfort.

"Ugh……"

Zhang Yan held the teacup, lowered his head, and subconsciously blew on the tea leaves, wanting to take a sip of hot tea, but found it was a cup of cold water. He put it aside and sighed:

"Owes a favor like you owe a debt. This time the debt of gratitude is huge, and I don't know how I'll ever be able to repay it... After thinking it over, the only skill your father can offer is the Lightness Talisman. It just depends on whether he wants to learn it?"

He sighed again as he spoke.

This is one of his most treasured skills.

They make a living off this.

Zhang Shuniang hesitated for a while before gritting her teeth and saying, "Father, actually Uncle has been learning how to draw lightness talismans for a long time. He's been learning how to draw protective talismans recently. I haven't dared to tell you, for fear of upsetting you."

Zhang Yan's expression froze, and he almost jumped up, saying in disbelief, "This...this is impossible! It's only been a short time! He only learned how to draw arrow-avoiding talismans last autumn. Drawing talismans isn't that simple!"

It took him half a year to learn how to use the arrow-avoiding talisman.

Then he spent another five years practicing repeatedly, day after day. During this time, he produced so many discarded talismans that they could be described as a mountain. He poured out countless drops of sweat and energy before gradually mastering the various tricks and key points of the arrow-avoiding talisman, and was able to draw talismans as if by magic.

With a single stroke, he could roughly tell whether the talisman would be successful.

The success rate is as high as 50%.

As for the Lightness Talisman, it takes even longer to obtain.

It took him nearly ten years to learn how to draw it, and only in recent years has his success rate stabilized at 35%, with one out of three drawings being successful. Even so, he never thought of researching amulets.

Firstly, his cultivation level was only at the sixth level of Qi Refining, so drawing a protective talisman would be a bit of a stretch in terms of spiritual power.

Secondly, the threshold for creating protective talismans is too high, it's really too difficult. He hasn't even mastered the Lightness Talisman yet, so he doesn't dare to create any new talismans that are even more difficult.

Even he hesitated to approach.

Chen Wen, a self-taught individual with many flaws, was even taught basic talisman-drawing skills by me. How could he possibly be qualified to learn about protective talismans? How dare he learn about protective talismans!

He's stronger than him.

He admitted it.

As a talisman master, he was not good at fighting.

His cultivation level is higher than his.

He also admitted it.

Their qualifications may indeed be inferior.

But when it comes to drawing symbols.

This old guy who's become so young is still a bit too young.

"I'll go take a look. I want to see how he draws the Lightness Talisman... Hmph, a tall building starts from the ground up. Don't try to run away before you've even taken your first steps!" Zhang Yan sneered, standing up to find Chen Li and clarify the truth.

Seeing this, Zhang Shuniang quickly stopped him, saying anxiously, "Father, why are you acting so impulsively? It's so late now, Uncle and Aunt Zhou are probably already asleep, and there are still corpses outside!"

It's unclear whether the first reason convinced him or the second.

"Then let's wait until tomorrow!" Zhang Yan was dragged back to sit down by Zhang Shuniang. He picked up his teacup, took a sip of water, glared at her, and said, "You'll drive me crazy sooner or later. You can't even make a cup of tea."

"Then I'll go boil water now!" Zhang Shuniang said weakly, not knowing what she had done to upset her father again.

"Never mind, it's so late, let's go and get some rest."

……

morning.

Inside the talisman-making room.

The table was covered with miscellaneous items.

Various discarded talismans are arranged in chronological order of when they were drawn, taking up almost half of the desktop.

Chen Li would go through the process before each time he drew a talisman.

As a modern person with higher education, his logical and analytical abilities surpass those of most natives of this era. In addition, he is diligent in summarizing and taking notes.

Although he may stumble and fall during his learning of talismans and spells, and his learning speed may not be ideal, he has been able to make steady progress and stay on the right path.

After reviewing the discarded talisman, Chen Li flipped through his research notes for a while.

He took a Qi-boosting pill, then closed his eyes and quietly regulated his breathing.

He quickly opened his eyes, picked up a pen, dipped it in ink, and began to draw talismans.

"laugh!"

The first one was scrapped.

Suddenly, a plume of smoke rose up, and the smell of burning filled the air.

Chen Li ignored him.

Continue drawing the second one.

failure!

The third one!
failure!

He kept moving quickly, writing with lightning speed.

If you draw enough, you'll eventually get lucky and find something you like.

Fifth

It was scrapped again.

Chen Li stopped when he felt that he only had one-third of his spiritual energy left.

He picked up the five discarded talismans, pondered them carefully, and frowned deeply.

Just then, there was a gentle knock on the door, and Zhou Hong's voice came through: "Fellow Daoist Zhang, I've come to see you."

Chen Li's eyes lit up upon hearing this.

“Call him here!” Chen Li said.

Zhou Hong quickly led Zhang Yan to the talisman-making room: "You two chat slowly, I'll go make you some tea."

"Sister-in-law, no need, I'll just sit for a bit and then leave," Zhang Yan quickly said.

She chuckled softly, said nothing, turned and left, closing the door behind her.

Zhang Yan paused for a moment, preparing to say some polite words to warm up the atmosphere before getting to the point.

However, before he could speak, Chen Li interrupted him.

"You've come at the right time. Help me see what's wrong." Chen Li didn't stand on ceremony and pulled Zhang Yan to the talisman-making table.

Zhang Yan stared blankly at the table full of discarded talismans: "You're really learning how to use talismans?"

“Shuniang told you, right… Let’s not talk about that for now. My foundation is rather weak. I’ve been pondering this amulet for almost ten days, but I still haven’t figured it out. Can you take a look for me?” Chen Li said.

Almost ten days...

Weak foundation...

Zhang Yan muttered to himself, his mind filled with countless complaints, but he didn't know where to begin.

"It's best to learn talisman drawing step by step, first solidify your foundation!" Zhang Yan said earnestly. If it weren't for the life-saving grace he owed, he wouldn't have said so much to others. As he spoke, he picked up a discarded talisman that was still emitting blue smoke: "Wait until you've mastered the Lightness Talisman before learning...learning..."

He suddenly stopped mid-sentence.

He stared wide-eyed at the discarded talisman.

These smooth lines, these intricate patterns.

The entire talisman is filled with spirituality.

It gives people a wonderful charm.

Although this is just a discarded talisman, one can still see the profound skill involved, as if it were the work of a master.

Compared to what I saw last autumn, the difference between the two is like heaven and earth.

He couldn't help but glance at the other discarded talismans on the table.

Same style.

The same spirituality.

The same charm.

Many of them were still emitting wisps of smoke, indicating they had only been painted recently.

For a moment, he began to feel somewhat dazed.

what am i doing?
Why did I rush here so early in the morning?

Wait, we can't lose face.

He quickly bit his tongue, and with a sharp pain, he suddenly felt a surge of energy.

He stared intently at the discarded talisman, examining it inch by inch, trying to find a mistake.

Even a trace.

however,
No!

No!

No!

……

He couldn't find it at all.

The entire talisman was flawless, with no obvious errors or omissions. The opponent had even completely surpassed his level, reaching a realm that was beyond his reach.

Moreover, he had never studied amulets at all.

“This talisman…this talisman…” Zhang Yan’s forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat: “Generally, the leakage and burning of spiritual energy is due to…these are the reasons. First, the output of spiritual energy is too strong. Second, the lines drawn are too close together, causing the spiritual energy to interfere with each other. Third…”

He started talking in generalities, but the more he talked, the more sweaty he became, and the more guilty he felt.

Chen Li listened intently, lost in thought, and soon his eyes lit up.

Before Zhang Yan could finish speaking...

He picked up a pen, dipped it in blood ink, and quickly drew a talisman.

Upon seeing this, Zhang Yan immediately stopped speaking, subconsciously held his breath, and stared intently at the scene.

Unfortunately, Chen Li wrote very quickly.

His brushstrokes are swift as the wind, flowing like dragons and snakes.

It was all done in one go.

The talisman flashed with spiritual light, then gradually dimmed, and finally its spiritual power was completely withdrawn.

"Haha, it's done!" Chen Li put down his pen, laughed heartily, and said in high spirits, "Thanks to your guidance, fellow Daoist, you helped me a lot. Otherwise, I definitely wouldn't have succeeded so quickly, saving me a lot of time!"

"Haha!" Zhang Yan forced a few dry laughs, feeling his back soaked with sweat. "I only mentioned it briefly, I dare not take credit... Oh dear, I almost forgot the meat is still stewing on the stove, I have to go back and check, goodbye!"

Chen Li watched Zhang Yan's hurried departure and felt something was off.

He then stopped thinking about it.

The three best-selling talismans during the Qi Refining stage.

Today I finally mastered it all.

I doubt there are many people like that in the entire Green River Square.

……

Zhang Yan returned home dejectedly, closed the courtyard gate, went into the inner room, plopped down in a chair, and sighed.

"Dad, why are you sighing again? Didn't you go to Uncle's house? Why are you back so soon?" Zhang Shuniang asked as she came out after hearing the noise.

Zhang Yan ignored his annoying daughter and sighed again.

My chest feels so tight!
uncomfortable.

When he was twelve years old, he became an apprentice of a famous master and learned talismans.

Thirty-three years have passed since then.

Yet he couldn't compare to a self-taught amateur who had even given him some pointers.

In just one year, it was overtaken.

“Father, did Uncle upset you again? Don’t always compare yourself to Uncle.” Zhang Shuniang said earnestly, “Uncle is already in the late stage of Qi Refining. He is expected to be a Foundation Establishment cultivator in the future. If he hadn’t been delayed when he was young, he would be a Foundation Establishment Grand Cultivator now.”

"Your Uncle Chen told you that," Zhang Yan said, raising his eyelids and glancing at him.

“Aunt Zhou told me, and I think so too. Uncle is very capable; he’s good at everything he does!” Zhang Shuniang paused, then added after a moment’s thought, “Oh, and he also knows a lot of magic, very profound magic that even you, Dad, don’t know!”

Zhang Yan suddenly didn't want to talk anymore.

Ugh.

This daughter was raised in vain!

I was born just to annoy him.

It's so hard on him, raising her with all his love and care.

Now everyone's starting to dislike him.

……

Another seven or eight days passed.

In the quiet room.

Chen Li silently chanted incantations while his fingers rapidly formed hand seals.

One second later.

He pointed.

A pale beam of light shot out from the fingertip and struck the mud wall opposite.

"Crack..."

As soon as the light touched the mud wall, it turned into a cloud of extremely cold light mist that rapidly spread in all directions.

Chen Li felt a chill run down his spine and retreated several steps.

It only stopped when it was pressed against the wall.

In just a few seconds, the mud wall in front of him was completely frozen. Even though he was standing ten meters away, it was as if he were in a snowy wonderland, and his eyebrows were covered in frost.

After waiting quietly for a while, Chen Li stepped forward.

He drew his sword and touched the wall with the tip, finding it as hard as steel and sticky.

Especially where the ice ray hit, white steam was still rising from the spot, and the chill was biting. Even the water vapor nearby condensed into fine ice crystals, which fell from the sky like snowflakes.

Chen Li used his spiritual energy to strike the mud wall.

The result was that only a small hole the size of a wine cup was created.

"As expected of a first-tier, seventh-level spell."

This power... even if it doesn't freeze an ordinary first-tier demon beast to death directly, it will definitely affect its mobility.

If it hits a cultivator.

They'd probably just turn into frozen corpses.

"I won't have to worry about preserving monster meat anymore," Chen Li thought to himself.

……

"Last night someone encountered an evil spirit while relieving themselves and was almost scared to death. They've been talking about it since early this morning..."

During dinner that evening, Zhou Hong chatted and said with a smile.

He paused upon hearing this, swallowed the meat, and asked, "On this street?"

“Yes, it’s not far from here,” Zhou Hong said.

Chen Li remained silent.

In some ways, the natives of this world are incredibly bold.

Especially evil spirits.

You're saying you don't care?
They definitely still care.

After all, talismans for warding off evil have always sold well.

But to say I'm terrified wouldn't be an exaggeration. Despite the recent spate of evil spirits, I haven't shown much panic. However, considering that everyone living here is a cultivator, I can understand why.

Maybe I'm overreacting.

He wondered if he should try to get in touch with them and broaden his horizons.

He had never actually seen this ghost before. Most fears stem from the unknown. He used to be afraid of demonic beasts, but now he felt nothing at all towards a first-tier demonic beast.

He was still somewhat confident in his own safety.

Whether it's a talisman for warding off evil, a rebuke technique, or a palm strike, they all naturally suppress evil spirits.

late at night.

Chen Li took ten talismans to ward off evil spirits and put them close to his body.

Then he quietly walked out the door.

Before leaving, he was wondering whether he would encounter a female ghost or a male ghost this time.
If you encounter a male ghost, kill him immediately.

If you encounter a female ghost... if she looks pitiful, then mercifully let her go.

If they are repulsive, kill them on sight.

However, after walking back and forth along the street several times, and even daring to go to the woods and various secluded places, apart from the talisman inexplicably getting hot a few times, he didn't see a single hair of the pitiful female ghost, let alone anything else.

They ultimately returned disappointed.

……

The days passed by.

After autumn arrives, the weather turns cold very quickly.

Although the large trees on the street tried their best to retain their leaves, they could not withstand the ravages of time and became balder day by day.

Just when Chen Li thought he was going to spend another cold winter here.

A piece of news suddenly spread throughout the streets and alleys.

The Yu family, who moved here not long ago in the spring, are leaving.

Upon hearing the news, Chen Li was first stunned, then overjoyed.

Clearly, the chaos outside has ended!
Finally, I can leave this rotten, godforsaken place.

"Is this really the time to leave?"

night.

afterwards!

When Chen Li and Zhou Hong talked about this, she felt a little lost and uneasy about the future.

“Of course it’s true. We’ll be safe with the Yu family’s group.” Chen Li said, gently stroking the hair of the woman in his arms. “I estimate that quite a few people will be leaving this time.”

“Okay, I’ll listen to you. Wherever you go, I’ll go with you.” Zhou Hong hugged him tighter and was silent for a while before saying, “Let’s have a child.”

(End of this chapter)