Chapter 83
Han Qi seemed quite accustomed to the situation.
He stood in front of the hall, his face flushed with excitement, waving his right arm in the air as he shouted to the others in the room, “We are all of one lineage! How can we just watch Brother Zhuang fight alone?”
“No way!”
“Then let’s go, junior brothers! Follow me to support him!”
With that, he charged boldly toward the battlefield where Brother Zhuang was engaged.
As he rushed forward, half the people in the room followed suit, especially a few senior disciples who were quick on their feet, pulling out talismans as they went, their faces lit up with excitement.
It seemed that some disciples from the opposing side had also arrived, their expressions reflecting a kind of satisfaction, as if they had come to class just for this moment.
Zheng Fa remained still, observing the scene from within the room, mainly gauging the intensity of the battle.
If things escalated into a real fight, he would have to go to Sister Zhang for reinforcements.
But after watching for a while, Zheng Fa concluded that this was a fierce yet united competition.
How to describe it?
The special effects were impressive, with minimal losses.
The sounds were loud, but the impact was lacking.
The two senior brothers were using all their skills but were careful not to go too far, ensuring the match was thrilling while keeping the participants safe.
Zheng Fa understood that this kind of sparring at the Talisman Law Pavilion was probably a tradition—almost like they were fighting for friendship.
Most importantly, they hadn’t used any lethal talismans.
The ones who hadn’t followed Han Qi out were all new disciples, caught off guard by the sudden turn of events, looking a bit lost.
The more significant reason was that these newcomers weren’t foolish; they knew their limited cultivation would only drag everyone down.
Zheng Fa thought for a moment, took out a piece of talisman paper, and began to draw.
He created a Water Prison Talisman, and soon his spiritual energy was completely drained.
After all, he had only a small amount of spiritual energy left, having already used most of it practicing the Golden Armor Talisman.
He tucked the Water Prison Talisman into his sleeve and began to meditate on the spot.
Seeing his actions, the others exchanged glances and also pulled out talisman paper, starting to prepare for battle, no, to create their own talismans.
Once his internal mana had recovered to about ten percent, Zheng Fa stepped out of the room and headed toward the battlefield.
…
The sky above the Talisman Law Pavilion was filled with the shimmering light of talismans flying through the air, while below, figures darted back and forth, the intensity palpable.
Upon closer inspection, he saw Brother Zhuang was taking hits.
He was really taking hits. Zheng Fa realized that when it came to talisman skills, Brother Zhuang was not inferior to the opposing senior brother.
But Brother Zhuang had one significant disadvantage—he had too many useless teammates.
Most notably, those new disciples who had rushed out with Han Qi.
Earlier, Zheng Fa had noticed that about twenty new disciples had joined Brother Zhuang’s side for this Talisman Day—more than half of the new disciples from the Jiu Shan Sect.
It made sense; Sister Zhang’s reputation attracted a large number of newcomers.
In normal circumstances, having more people would be a good thing, but not now.
These individuals were easily riled up by Han Qi’s words, charging forward with enthusiasm.
However, when they reached the front lines, they realized they were nothing more than targets, with no other role to play.
Instead of aiding Brother Zhuang, they had become a burden.
On the other hand, while the opposing side seemed to have fewer people, they had a comparable number of new disciples and two more senior disciples.
This shift in numbers made their disadvantage even more apparent.
Zheng Fa saw Brother Zhuang, clad in a Golden Armor Talisman, shielding a somewhat bewildered new disciple, taking a hit from a Withered Vine Talisman.
Not only was he using his body to shield, but he also cast a Golden Armor on another new disciple who was frozen in confusion.
He was both on the offensive and defensive, clearly overwhelmed.
Seeing this, Zheng Fa shouted, “Those without talismans, fall back!”
The new disciples, who had been flailing about like headless chickens, finally snapped out of their confusion and began to retreat.
At that moment, other new disciples who had prepared their talismans in the room also rushed out. Although their talismans were freshly drawn and weak, they still provided a much-needed boost, quickly stabilizing Brother Zhuang’s side.
Zheng Fa didn’t rush forward but crouched at the back of the crowd. Then, he spotted a familiar, somewhat sneaky figure squatting in front of him, peeking forward.
“…Weren’t you charging ahead just now?”
He looked at Han Qi, puzzled.
You were shouting so loudly and charging so fiercely; I thought you were leading the charge.
And now you’re just squatting here?
“Ahem…” Han Qi straightened up, his face slightly flushed. “You wouldn’t understand; I’m employing a strategy! Clearly, we’re at a disadvantage, so I need to wait for the right moment, to strike when they show a weakness, and then we’ll turn the tide!”
“Is that so?” Zheng Fa looked at him skeptically.
“Of course!” Han Qi held his head high. “Wait, why are you here too?”
“Looking for an opportunity to strike when they show a weakness, and then we’ll turn the tide!”
“…”
Zheng Fa wasn’t mocking Han Qi.
He only had one talisman, so of course, he had to wait for the right moment to throw it.
---
**Chapter 96: Bias**
The power of Sister Zhang was evident.
As soon as she arrived, the expression on the face of the elder from the Discipline Hall turned wary.
“Sister Zhang? What brings you here?” His gaze involuntarily flicked toward Zheng Fa.
“Uncle Wang.”
Sister Zhang greeted him with a precise bow.
She turned to Brother Li and returned to the earlier question, “May I ask what this junior brother said about me?”
“…”
Brother Li’s face fell, clearly aware he was in the wrong.
However, the elder beside him chuckled awkwardly, “It’s just a war of words. Sister, you’re magnanimous; why bother with it?”
“I care.”
“…”
The elder was momentarily taken aback, his expression souring. “While Brother Li may have spoken carelessly, your regard for Zheng Fa is indeed excessive! The rumors within the sect are not without reason!”
Zheng Fa glanced at Sister Zhang.
Her face showed little emotion as she looked at the elder, seemingly not understanding his words, and slowly replied, “How so?”
“This Zheng Fa has just entered the sect, and the resources you’ve allocated to him are equivalent to those of a master talisman maker… Given the scarcity of spiritual materials, don’t you think that’s biased?”
“That’s my own property.”
“Junior sister, you are managing the Affairs Hall on behalf of Master Huang. In such a position, it’s easy to raise suspicions,” the elder sneered.
“…”
Zheng Fa realized he had become a target for those aiming at Sister Zhang.
The focus wasn’t on the spiritual materials but rather on Sister Zhang’s special status.
Sister Zhang remained silent, while the elder began to elaborate.
“The Affairs Hall is crucial for the distribution of spiritual materials within our Jiu Shan Sect. You oversee it and should be impartial; favoring one person like this…” Uncle Wang let out a cold laugh, “Shouldn’t others have a say?”
Once he finished speaking, the disciples present exchanged glances, their expressions revealing some unease.
After all, the responsibilities of the Affairs Hall were too sensitive.
“What does the elder mean?”
“To demonstrate fairness, Zheng Fa’s allocation should be the same as everyone else’s. Since he has talent, he will surely become a master talisman maker easily—then his allocation can be adjusted accordingly, and the rumors will naturally die down.”
“But…” Just as he was speaking, a hesitant voice came from behind him, “Brother Zheng is already a master talisman maker!”
“?”
Everyone turned to look at the speaker—Zheng Fa recognized him as Zhou Qianyuan, a not-so-familiar acquaintance.
“He’s a master talisman maker?”
The elder from the Discipline Hall was taken aback, looking at Sister Zhang.
To his surprise, Sister Zhang also looked at Zheng Fa with a puzzled expression, as if she were unaware of this fact.
“Yeah!” Zhou Qianyuan affirmed. “I was just watching Brother Zheng; that Water Prison Talisman was thrown by him.”
Zheng Fa: … No, I was just hiding here; why are you looking at me?
Brother Li lowered his head, slowly glancing at his soaked clothes, then looked back at Zheng Fa.
“You’re the one who knows the power of that Water Prison Talisman best, right, Brother Li?” Zhou Qianyuan asked him.
Brother Li: “…”
He seemed reluctant to admit it.
“You just said it was a master-level Water Prison Talisman.”
Zhou Qianyuan pressed on.
Brother Li opened his mouth, glancing at the not-so-pleased Uncle Wang, but remained silent.
“Brother Li, you’re a Foundation Establishment cultivator; you can’t possibly be trapped by a Yellow-level talisman, right? That would be too embarrassing, wouldn’t it?”
Zhou Qianyuan’s tone was sincere, filled with trust in Brother Li’s abilities.
“Exactly!”
Brother Li gritted his teeth.
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