Chapter 76
Zhou Qianyuan waved his hand, unable to suppress a smile. After a moment of thought, he added, “I still have a bit of face in front of those senior brothers. If Brother Zheng has any requests, just let me know, and I’ll mention it to them.”
Zheng Fa felt a bit puzzled; those few people had been indifferent to him.
“When Senior Brother Sun sent me off to the ship, he entrusted a few words to those senior brothers,” Zhou Qianyuan explained.
...Does your Senior Brother Sun still need junior brothers?
Sister Zhang, just look at how well your senior brother is doing!
Thinking of Sister Zhang, who had run off a few days ago, Zheng Fa couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy.
...
The ship wasn’t just there to pick up Zheng Fa; it took three days to gather all the new disciples of the Jiu Shan Sect.
During this time, Zheng Fa kept to himself on the ship, practicing the Ling He Body technique in his room and hardly interacting with anyone.
One day, there was a sudden knock on his door. When he opened it, he found Zhou Qianyuan standing there.
“Brother Zheng, those three senior brothers have invited us to discuss some principles.”
“Discuss what principles?” Zheng Fa was taken aback; he hadn’t learned anything yet.
“I’m not sure either, but everyone else has gone.”
Zheng Fa nodded and followed Zhou Qianyuan downstairs. Sure enough, in the main hall on the first floor, dozens of cushions were laid out, with men and women sitting on them, all looking somewhat puzzled.
The three senior brothers who had come to greet them were seated at the front, smiling warmly at the newcomers, their expressions much friendlier than before.
As Zhou Qianyuan led Zheng Fa in, the three of them even nodded kindly at him. The slightly plump senior brother pointed to the cushion at the front, clearly showing that they valued Zhou Qianyuan more than the others.
Watching Zhou Qianyuan take a seat on that cushion, Zheng Fa found a spot on a cushion further back.
“Dear junior brothers and sisters, it’s a stroke of fate that we are here to guide you. Now that you are about to join the Jiu Shan Sect, we are all family,” the slightly plump senior brother began.
Zheng Fa thought their previous behavior didn’t quite match that of a family.
“As senior brothers, when we see you, it’s like looking at our younger selves when we first entered the sect—back then, we were just like you, knowing nothing. After joining, we took many wrong turns, hoping for a senior brother or sister to guide us. Now that we’ve become senior brothers, we want to help you remember those days.”
The crowd listened quietly.
Zheng Fa glanced around at the obediently seated new disciples and then at the closed cabin door, suddenly feeling a sense of familiarity.
“Once you enter the Jiu Shan Sect, you will understand that mastering talisman techniques is the foundation for establishing yourself here.”
“But talisman techniques aren’t easy to learn,” the senior brother said with a wry smile. “The art of talismans is vast and profound; without a renowned master to guide you, it’s hard for an ordinary person to get started. But finding a renowned master isn’t easy! When I first joined the sect, I spent a full ten years without becoming a Yellow-grade talisman master, and even making a living was difficult.”
As he spoke, the two other senior brothers beside him also showed expressions of shared understanding.
“But you junior brothers are fortunate!” The slightly plump senior brother’s tone grew passionate as he pulled out a stack of books from behind him. “Our Jiu Shan Sect’s talisman genius, Zhang Zhenren (Zhang the True Person), has compassion for you new disciples struggling to learn talismans. He specially revised a book titled *Zhang Zhenren on Talismans*, which can be said to be the best aid for you newcomers in learning talisman techniques!”
...Who?
“Now, we three have a connection with you. The original price of this book is twenty taels of gold, but today we only ask for ten taels! For just ten taels, you can acquire the hard work of a genius talisman master. After today, you won’t have such a good opportunity again!”
“Right, no more chances!” one of the senior brothers chimed in.
Another added, “Senior brother, why not stick to twenty taels per book? We’re not exactly flush with cash!”
Zheng Fa finally understood why everything felt so familiar.
So you’re the legendary black market tour guide?
---
**Chapter 86: Family**
In a closed cabin on the ship.
A group of bewildered new disciples in the world of cultivation.
Three not-so-friendly senior brothers.
Zheng Fa was quite suspicious of their intentions.
Not just him; the expressions of the new disciples looking at the three senior brothers were filled with doubt.
They weren’t fools; the previous attitudes of these three had been anything but friendly.
The plump senior brother didn’t seem angry at their expressions; he simply waved his hand, and a stack of books flew to the front of Zheng Fa and the others.
“Words alone won’t convince you. Since you can enter our Jiu Shan Sect, most of you must have studied talisman techniques. I believe you have some discernment.” He spoke confidently. “Once you read the book, you’ll know I’m not lying.”
Seeing his confidence, Zheng Fa became a bit interested in *Zhang Zhenren on Talismans*.
He picked up the book that had landed on his lap and began to flip through it.
As he read, he was genuinely surprised and began to understand why this senior brother seemed so self-assured—the quality of the book far exceeded his expectations.
*Zhang Zhenren on Talismans* was indeed written for beginners in talisman techniques.
The book was roughly divided into two parts: the Yuanfu (Fundamental Talisman) section and the Zhi Fu (Talisman Crafting) section.
The Yuanfu section didn’t have much to say; Zheng Fa felt it wasn’t particularly beneficial to him, but the content was precise, and he couldn’t find any faults.
The Zhi Fu section, however, was much more intriguing and valuable to him.
It contained a wealth of information, from how to select good talisman brushes and papers to the proper postures and mental adjustments before drawing talismans, and even how to summarize and improve after crafting them. It was detailed and comprehensive.
It was simple yet practical, which was no small feat.
In Zheng Fa’s view, the simpler something seemed, the deeper the foundational knowledge often required.
The author of this book had considerable skill in talisman techniques.
After skimming through it, Zheng Fa felt a twinge of guilt—had he misjudged these three senior brothers? Did they really see them as family?
Can’t you just sell this book properly?
Although this book was certainly considered basic knowledge in the world of cultivation, it was absolutely genuine.
Thinking back to the *Ling He Body* that had taken Xu Jiaotou twenty years to master, and then looking at *Zhang Zhenren on Talismans* in front of him.
The price of ten taels of gold was indeed not high.
In fact, it seemed a bit cheap.
He looked up and noticed something was off; the new disciples, after receiving the books, were all turning to look at him.
Zheng Fa was confused. Why are you looking at me?
The plump senior brother was even more bewildered—“I asked you to check the goods, not to read the book! We’re not selling it!”
He sensed something was amiss; this group of new disciples seemed to be waiting for Zheng Fa’s opinion.
It appeared that, compared to what the senior brothers said, these junior brothers and sisters trusted this unknown junior brother a bit more.
“What do you think of the book, Brother?” the plump senior brother asked Zheng Fa directly, a knowing smile on his face that seemed to carry a hint of threat.
Zheng Fa put down the book, thought for a moment, and although he didn’t have a good impression of the three senior brothers, he still said objectively, “I don’t know about the prices in the cultivation world, but to me, this book is worth the price.”
“I’ll take one!”
Zhou Qianyuan was the first to speak up, and the other new disciples surprisingly followed suit, with most of them eagerly reaching for their purses.
The plump senior brother was even more confused.
You haven’t even read the book!
You’re buying it just because of his word?
Watching his prepared books being snatched up, the plump senior brother looked at Zheng Fa with a conflicted expression, as if he was hesitating whether to have a moment of conscience and give this junior brother a share of the profits.
...
Zheng Fa also bought a copy. He took the book and headed back, planning to study the Zhi Fu section carefully.
The plump senior brother watched Zheng Fa’s departing figure, furrowing his brow as he pulled Zhou Qianyuan aside.
“Junior Brother Zhou, I noticed you all were looking at that junior brother. What’s the reason?”
“Senior brother doesn’t know?” Zhou Qianyuan was taken aback.
“Know what?”
“In this session of the Immortal Talent Conference, Brother Zheng ascended to the Jiu Shan and is said to be the number one talent in talisman techniques in ten thousand years. We new disciples all witnessed it; we have no doubt about his talent in talismans—if he says it’s a good book, then it must be good,” Zhou Qianyuan explained.
“…” The plump senior brother finally understood the reason behind it. His cheeks twitched, and he looked rather frustrated. “We small fry can’t hear news from the Immortal Talent Conference so quickly. The number one talent in ten thousand years? No wonder you all listen to him so much.”
His expression showed he didn’t care much for this so-called talent.
He even joked with Zhou Qianyuan, “I heard from Senior Brother Sun that you have astonishing talent too. I thought you’d be the top of this Immortal Talent Conference… They say the quality of new disciples this time is very high; it’s no wonder there are some senior brothers and sisters who aren’t too happy.”
As he spoke, although there was some displeasure, there was more of a calmness as if he were watching a show.
This made Zhou Qianyuan unable to resist asking, “Then what about you, senior brother…”
“Me? I certainly don’t like having more new disciples in the Jiu Shan Sect,” the plump senior brother admitted candidly. “The more people there are, the less I can take for myself. If it weren’t for wanting to sell books, I wouldn’t bother with you all. But I’m not too worried about it.”
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