บท 21: Chapter 21: Second Half of the True Method
Could it be that the task I gave him is completed?
Seeing Lu An return, Lei Er hurriedly approached.
"Steward, you're back."
He had already sent people to investigate Gu Chuanfei's identity, and upon receiving the news, it nearly scared him to death. Since Lu An could be with Gu Chuanfei, his status as steward was beyond doubt.
Lu An didn't offer any explanation and said calmly, "Have you found the True Method of the Talisman Script?"
Lei Er nodded quickly and replied, "I found it. I had to exert tremendous effort to obtain this Talisman Script True Method from a wandering cultivator, but..."
Lu An furrowed his brow slightly.
"But what?"
"It's just that this Talisman Script True Method is only half of it. I've searched everywhere, and whenever I hear even the slightest clue, I personally go to inquire."
"This half was found only after hearing that a wandering cultivator had it, and after investigating for a long time, I finally located it."
Lu An's expression remained unchanged, not believing Lei Er's complaints one bit.
"Let me see it."
Lei Er, unsure of Lu An's satisfaction, nervously took out a bamboo slip from his pocket and handed it over.
Lu An's gaze swept over it, and he was immediately startled.
"The Second Half of the 36 One-Stage Talisman Script True Method."
Wasn't this the second half of the Talisman Script True Method the Ding family had traded to him? Such a coincidence?
He marveled inwardly, feeling as though fate had a hand in this.
It was said that this True Method had been lost after the decline of a family of talisman masters. Whether any descendants remained was unknown.
Since he now had the full text of this True Method, he felt he had been fortunate. If there were any descendants, he might have to offer them some assistance out of gratitude.
With this thought in mind, he asked, "From whom did you purchase this Talisman Script True Method?"
Lei Er was puzzled. The True Method was already in hand; why ask this now?
Not daring to hesitate, he quickly replied, "The man's name is Bai Sheng, a poor wandering cultivator who now lives in the slums of the southern part of the city."
Lu An contemplated. The southern part of the city wasn't far from the market. He could visit tomorrow.
Back at home, Lu An took out the Talisman Script True Method and combined it with the first half he had acquired earlier, then began to study it.
As the name suggested, the True Method contained 36 one-stage talismans. Among them were the Purification Talisman and the Concealment Talisman, which he had already mastered.
In addition, there were the Wind Talisman, the Break Evil Talisman, the Water Escape Talisman...
Each new talisman expanded Lu An's knowledge. As long as he honed his skills, he could begin drawing and selling them.
With this in mind, Lu An eagerly started practicing.
The next day, Lu An went to the location Lei Er had mentioned—a muddy dirt road lined with dilapidated thatched huts.
Many gaunt, poorly dressed beggars lay along the roadside.
It was Lu An's first time in this slum, though he had heard about it. The people here were said to be those who had once suffered severe injuries, their foundations ruined, and now had no way to support themselves.
Seeing this, Lu An shook his head.
People had their own fates. While he felt some sympathy, he wasn't about to go out of his way to help them. As long as those close to him were safe, his path would be secure.
He stopped an old man coming his way. The man was dressed in rags, one arm missing, and the other seemed barely functional.
"Old man, do you know where Bai Sheng lives?"
The old man glanced at him with vacant eyes but said nothing, continuing on his way.
Lu An frowned slightly and took out a few low-grade spirit stones.
"If you can lead me there, these will be yours."
Upon seeing the spirit stones, a glimmer of light flashed in the old man's eyes. He hadn't eaten in two days. If he could get those stones, it would be enough to feed him for half a month.
Just then, a beggar lying by the roadside suddenly leaped up, trying to snatch the spirit stones from Lu An's hand.
"Looking for death!"
Lu An snorted coldly, and with a single point of his finger, a massive fireball flew out, striking the man.
With a loud "bang," the man's body was flung far away, landing motionless on the ground.
Ignoring him, Lu An scanned the remaining beggars. Seeing that no one dared meet his gaze, he let it go.
"Lead the way."
The old man, now trembling, had thought Lu An was an easygoing person. But seeing how he killed without blinking, he immediately discarded any ill intentions and focused on guiding him.
Soon, they arrived in front of a thatched hut.
"Bai Sheng lives here. He was beaten a few days ago and is likely still recovering, not going out."
Lu An's heart stirred, and he asked, "Oh? Do you know who did it?"
The old man shook his head slowly, replying, "I don't know the specifics, but it's said to be someone from the Juyuan Casino in the city."
Lu An understood—most likely Lei Er's doing.
He made no comment. This was the way of the world now: the strong prey on the weak. If you carry treasure but can't protect it, you have no one else to blame.
However, he had his principles. After all, this matter had arisen because of him, so he couldn't completely ignore it.
"Take this and don't let it get snatched."
He handed the spirit stones to the old man, who quickly grabbed them and tucked them away.
After glancing around to make sure no one had seen, the old man scurried off, disappearing into the distance.
Watching this, Lu An shook his head. Life in the slums was worse than that of most wandering cultivators.
He approached the hut and knocked on the door.
"Is anyone there?"
No answer.
Seeing the door was unlocked, Lu An stepped inside.
The lighting inside was poor and dim, with a musty odor in the air. From the bedroom, the sound of coughing occasionally drifted out.
Entering, Lu An saw a pale young man, about fourteen or fifteen years old, lying on a wooden bed. There was blood on the floor beside the bed, clearly unattended.
"You must be Bai Sheng?"
Startled by the sound, Bai Sheng turned his head sharply.
"Who are you, and why did you barge into my home uninvited?"
Bai Sheng had a third-level Qi cultivation, and with all his limbs intact, he made a modest living selling talismans to local shops, supporting himself without much difficulty.
Bai Sheng had been born here and was very familiar with the slum, which was why he hadn't moved away.
A while ago, a group of strong men had barged into his home, demanding he hand over the ancestral Talisman True Method. He didn't know how the news had leaked, but the True Method was crucial to him—how could he just give it up?
As a result, he was beaten badly, and the True Method was stolen. Only recently had his injuries begun to improve somewhat, but he had no healing elixirs. Otherwise, he should have been moving around more freely by now.
"My name is Lu An. Your Talisman True Method is in my possession."
Upon hearing this, Bai Sheng's face showed anger.
"So it's you. You stole it and now you come to find me? What is this, flaunting it in front of me?"
However, Bai Sheng didn't expect Lu An to say this next.
"Though it's not my intention for you to be in this state, it is also partly my fault."
"But the Talisman True Method is extremely important to me and cannot be returned. How about I offer you some compensation instead?"
Bai Sheng was puzzled. Could this person be so kind? First, he sent people to forcefully seize it, and now he was pretending to be kind.
He stared coldly at Lu An, saying nothing.
Seeing this, Lu An didn't waste words. He took out a medicinal pill from his pocket, stepped forward, and forced it into Bai Sheng's mouth.
Only when Bai Sheng swallowed did Lu An release him.
Bai Sheng sneered, glaring at Lu An as if he wanted to devour him alive.
"So you've finally shown your true colors. If you want to kill me, why bother with poisoning me? I'm heavily injured; it would be easier to just kill me outright."
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