The waiter contemplated for a moment, just about to speak, when a woman's voice suddenly came from within the restaurant.
"Settling the bill is one thing, but he insulted me, and I need an explanation."
Lu An looked towards the source of the voice and saw a graceful middle-aged woman slowly walking out. She was presumably the owner of Hundred Fragrant Building, and it was no wonder the old beggar had commented on her charm; she did have a certain attractiveness.
After a moment of thought, Lu An raised his head and asked:
"What kind of explanation does the owner want?"
The owner rolled up her sleeves and placed her hands on her hips.
"If the young master wants to settle the bill for him, I welcome that. But since he insulted me, just have him's tongue cut out so he can't speak any more foul language, and the matter will be settled."
Lu An frowned slightly. The woman was quite ruthless, wanting to cut out his tongue just for a verbal insult. Normally, he wouldn't involve himself in such trivial matters. However, since the old beggar had identified him as a cultivator and seemed to have some issues with his words and actions, Lu An decided to investigate further.
"If the owner does not want spirit stones, would you be interested in talismans? If you need, I can draw some talismans for you, and then this matter can be put aside. How about that?"
The owner looked at Lu An in surprise and said doubtfully:
"You are a talisman master?"
Lu An nodded.
The owner stared at him for a moment and suddenly chuckled.
"Trying to deceive me, are you? Don't tell me you're just a self-proclaimed talisman master."
Without wasting words, Lu An took out the talisman master certificate just issued to him and showed it to everyone.
"So you are indeed a talisman master."
The owner murmured and then, upon seeing the certificate, her eyes widened in shock.
"Second, second-grade?"
Lu An handed over the certificate and said:
"If you don't believe me, you can inspect it closely."
The owner hurriedly took the certificate, examined it carefully for a long time, and then returned it.
"I didn't expect such a young friend to have extraordinary skills in talismans."
"I apologize for my rudeness earlier; I hope you will not hold it against me."
"If you don't mind, please come inside and allow me to entertain you."
She had initially thought that Lu An's talisman master status, if true, would be at most a first-grade talisman master. She never expected him to be a second-grade.
What does this mean?
Elders of the Talisman Hall and the head of the Divine Talisman Pavilion are only second-grade talisman masters.
Could this person be from a prominent family in Yongning County?
The owner did not dare to delay and quickly invited Lu An into the restaurant.
Lu An, who intended to resolve the matter with the old beggar, naturally did not refuse.
But he did not head straight inside; instead, he asked the old beggar in front of him:
"Elder, have you had enough to eat? Why not join me for more drinks?"
The owner's lips twitched but she did not stop him.
The old beggar, planning to sneak away while the two were talking, seemed to have thought of something upon hearing Lu An was a talisman master, and decided to stay.
"Heh, you're quite considerate. As long as you serve me well, I'll look out for you in the future and ensure you live well."
Seeing his greedy attitude, Lu An couldn't help but smile. You're scamming for food and drink while getting beaten up; I don't want to get involved in this.
Lu An thought to himself.
The group entered the restaurant and, under the owner's lead, went to a private room on the third floor. This room was her private space and was never opened to the public, so most guests didn't even know it existed.
Soon, the table was filled with a variety of delicacies.
The old beggar's eyes gleamed. He grabbed a chicken leg with one hand and a bear paw with the other, eating heartily.
"This spirit-tail chicken is well-cooked; the chef has some skills. The bear paw is a bit greasy; adding some lime juice would make it better…"
He ate while giving detailed critiques, showing a deep knowledge of the ingredients.
The owner's face darkened, but she didn't look at him anymore and addressed Lu An:
"Friend, now that I know you are a talisman master, I actually have a favor to ask."
"If you help me with this matter, the old beggar's issue will be settled, and I will also offer you a small bag of spirit stones as a reward. What do you think?"
Lu An did not immediately agree but asked:
"First, tell me what you need."
The owner did not waste words. She stood up, went to a nearby cabinet, opened a drawer, and took out an ancient book.
"Please take a look."
Lu An took the book, which was wrapped in a piece of cowhide and well-preserved. However, the pages inside were yellowed, indicating it had been around for some time.
He opened the first page, revealing an extremely peculiar pattern. It resembled a talisman but was different from those he usually saw.
He was astonished; even with his current knowledge, he had never seen such a unique talisman before.
The old beggar glanced at the pattern and was immediately unsettled, dropping the food from his hands onto the table.
"Clang—"
The noise startled everyone, and they all looked at the old beggar. However, he had already put away his previous demeanor and was now pounding his chest and shouting:
"Bring me some wine quickly; I'm choking!"
After drinking a glass of wine, he sighed in relief and continued to eat and drink as if nothing had happened.
Lu An raised an eyebrow, refocused, and continued to examine the ancient book.
Auspicious Qi Talisman, Wealth Gathering Talisman, Feng Shui Talisman… various talismans appeared before him.
After finishing, his eyes were filled with intense shock.
This ancient book was actually a True Method for talismans.
Moreover, the recorded talismans were entirely different from the usual ones; they were all auxiliary-type talismans, with over twenty kinds.
He lowered his head in silence, while the owner continued:
"I asked you to come because I want you to draw this Wealth Gathering Talisman."
"Although the business of Hundred Fragrant Building is doing well, we still have a few competitors."
"If this Wealth Gathering Talisman can indeed be as miraculous as described, our business should improve even further."
She did not hide anything and immediately laid out her thoughts.
Lu An did not immediately agree but instead asked:
"May I ask where this True Method for talismans comes from? Can you tell me, Madam Owner?"
The owner was not surprised by his attitude. The True Method for talismans was of immense importance to a talisman master.
"There is nothing to hide. This True Method was passed down by my ancestors and has been around for seven or eight hundred years. Even though we have taken good care of it through generations, it is somewhat damaged now."
"Fortunately, the materials used in this ancient book are exceptional, which is why it has survived to this day."
Lu An nodded and was about to ask further when the old beggar suddenly slammed his hand on the table and stood up.
"You're talking nonsense! Back then, I…"
His voice abruptly cut off. The old beggar realized he had misspoken and immediately stopped talking, focusing on his drinking instead.
The owner's anger flared up. The old beggar had provoked her multiple times. She had refrained from confronting him earlier due to Lu An's presence, but now she could not let it go and decided to teach him a lesson.
"You old beggar, you truly don't know what's good for you."
"Go outside and ask around; when has Yue Shuanghua ever lied?"
"Since you refuse to accept the good wine and only want to drink the punishment wine, don't blame me for being rude. Come in!"
The door to the private room crashed open, and a group of burly men in black rushed in.
The old beggar, however, paid no attention. His eyes widened, and he trembled as he pointed at the owner and asked:
"What, what is your surname?"
"I haven't changed my name or my surname. It's Yue Shuanghua. What do you want?"
Upon hearing this name, the old beggar appeared dazed and repeatedly muttered to himself.
"Yue, her surname is Yue?"
"Impossible, absolutely impossible."
"When I left home, Qing'er was not pregnant at all. How could there be descendants?"
"It's fake, it's all fake, it's all fake…"
He kept shouting "fake," acting as if he was mad, and ultimately broke a window and disappeared without a trace.
Lu An was startled. He had intended to ask the old beggar about his earlier remarks, but he suddenly ran away?
Yue Shuanghua was also extremely angry. With a stern shout, she commanded:
"Chase after him!"
The black-clad men all jumped out of the window but soon returned.
"Madam Owner, the old beggar, he, he's disappeared. We don't know where he went."
Among the black-clad men, one stepped forward and spoke quietly.
Yue Shuanghua cursed under her breath, "Useless," and then waved her hand to dismiss everyone.
She collected herself and forced a smile, turning to Lu An:
"I apologize for the disturbance. However, what I mentioned earlier still stands. How have you considered it?"
Lu An's attention was drawn back, and he set aside thoughts about the old beggar, responding:
"Yue, may I ask if this True Method for talismans is for sale?"
"Do not even think about buying it. This item was passed down by my ancestors and is absolutely not for sale."
Lu An did not give up and advised:
"You are not a talisman practitioner yourself. Keeping this True Method here is indeed a waste."
"Why not trade it to me? Not only will I get you the Wealth Gathering Talisman, but I will also draw several other talismans for you as part of the exchange."
Yue Shuanghua was somewhat moved. Lu An's reasoning was sound; keeping the item was indeed of little use to her. However, after thinking for a long while, she shook her head.
"There's no need to persuade me further. If my ancestor returns and sees that I have sold the family heirloom, they would probably slap me to death. No matter what, I cannot sell it."
Lu An's eyes showed a hint of confusion, and he asked curiously:
"Forgive my curiosity, but since you said this book has been around for seven or eight hundred years, is your ancestor still alive?"
Yue Shuanghua waved her hand and replied slowly:
"I am not sure. However, according to family records, my ancestor had reached the Nascent Soul stage and lived for over a thousand years. It is not impossible for them to still be alive."
Lu An was slightly surprised. The Nascent Soul stage was at the pinnacle of the Myriad Mountains Continent.
He did not expect the Yue family to have been so prominent in the past. He wondered why they had ended up in their current situation.
Seeing that Yue Shuanghua was firm in her stance, he did not press further.
As the saying goes, "what is lost to me is fortune; what is gained is luck." Since it was like this, he decided to be straightforward.
"If you do not wish to sell it, then so be it. Just give me the True Method for the Wealth Gathering Talisman separately. Once I have completed it, I will have someone deliver it to you."
"I am a local of Guyang County and reside at Lingfu Residence in the market. You need not worry about me running away."
Yue Shuanghua smiled slightly and said:
"There is no need to worry. With your status as a second-grade talisman master, you would certainly not engage in fleeing with the True Method."
"Moreover, such a talisman True Method is not worth much to me."
She copied the True Method for the Wealth Gathering Talisman onto a jade slip and handed it to Lu An.
Lu An nodded and took his leave.
After exiting Hundred Fragrant Building, he first took out a communication jade slip and asked the county guard to help find the old beggar's whereabouts. He then headed towards the Li family.
He had initially planned to visit the Li family to inquire about the situation, but was interrupted by the earlier incident, so he was only now finding the time.
Arriving at the Li residence, he noticed that although the number of guards had increased, their expressions were normal, and the residence was not adorned with white mourning ribbons. Lu An breathed a slight sigh of relief.
He stepped forward but was stopped by a guard who drew his sword.
"Who are you? The Li residence is not receiving visitors. Leave immediately."
As Lu An was about to explain, the head guard came running over.
"This is a distinguished guest of the young clan leader. Quickly step aside."
He scolded the other guards and then turned to Lu An:
"Mr. Lu, it has been a long time."
Lu An recognized him after a few glances. He was the guard who had previously stopped him when he visited the Li residence. It was surprising to see that he had been promoted to a supervisor.
Lu An asked him to lead the way and inquired:
"How is the situation at the Li residence?"
The guard shook his head, showing a troubled expression.
"The situation is not very good. Please ask the young clan leader directly. I am not too clear on the specifics."
Instead of leading him to Li Ziyou's quarters, the guard took him to the conference hall.
In the hall, the elders were seated on the left side, while the younger generation, including Li Ziyou, occupied the right side.
The main seat was empty, and the head of the Li family was not present.
The group was discussing matters when they turned their heads to see the new arrival.
Li Ziyou's eyes lit up, and he came forward to greet Lu An.
"Brother Lu, long time no see. I have been busy with clan affairs lately and haven't had a chance to visit you."
"It's fine. I came to see you proactively."
He noticed a young man standing behind Li Ziyou. It was Yuan Zong, the scattered cultivator who had participated in the array competition representing Li Ziyou during the succession struggle.
Li Ziyou smiled slightly and introduced:
"Brother Yuan has joined our Li family and now serves as my advisor."
Lu An nodded and hesitated:
"I see. However, it seems I've come at an inconvenient time. Your Li family is discussing important matters. I will visit again tomorrow."
Li Ziyou quickly stopped him.
"Brother Lu, there's no need to be so formal. You are not an outsider; it's no trouble for you to observe."
The Elder sitting in the top position on the left side also stood up and said to Lu An:
"Ziyou is correct. Lu Xiaoyou is a distinguished guest of our Li family, and it's fine for him to listen in."
He still remembered how influential Lu An's connections had been during the succession struggle. Now that the Li family was facing a crisis, Lu An's presence might bring some useful ideas.
Seeing this, Lu An did not refuse. If he could help, he was willing to do so.
After taking his seat, the Li family Elder continued the previous discussion.
"As everyone knows, our Li family is at a critical juncture. The patriarch's health is deteriorating day by day, and he may not last for many more years."
"Rumors from the outside are rampant, with some even claiming that our patriarch has already fallen."
"Previously friendly families, such as the Wang and Lin families, are now becoming restless and have been probing us frequently."
"If we hadn't firmly countered their provocations, we might already be at war with them."
"The situation is as such. Do you all have any good solutions?"
The attendees began to discuss the matter, each offering their opinions.
After listening for a while, Lu An understood the current situation. The Li family was divided into two camps. One faction believed that the Li family should reduce its power, abandon some family assets if necessary, and retreat completely after the patriarch's demise. After all, the Li family still had two Foundation Establishment cultivators and was not a soft target.
The other faction believed that while the patriarch was still alive, they should demonstrate their strength and firmly counter any provocations. This way, the rumors would naturally dissipate, and the Li family would not suffer major losses. They should then seek change in the final years of the patriarch's life, hoping for a turnaround.
Both approaches had their advantages, but their execution was entirely different, representing two completely different paths.
Seeing the argument among the crowd, the Elder was also troubled. He suddenly noticed Lu An deep in thought.
His expression changed, and he asked:
"Lu Xiaoyou, do you have any opinions?"
Lu An, hearing his name, hesitated for a moment and said:
"I do have an idea, but it might be a bit bold for the Li family. I'm not sure…"
"It's fine. Just speak your mind."
Lu An looked around the hall and then asked the crowd:
"Does your Li family have any intention of merging with a sect?"
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