Vol 2 Chapter 8: No Regrets
Looking at Zhou Qianyuan’s slightly aggrieved expression, Zheng Fa couldn’t help but ask, “Junior Brother Zhou… is there something troubling you?”
He truly couldn’t fathom what Zhou was after.
If you’re giving money to request something, you should make your intent clear. Without that, how can anything get done?
“I just want to learn talisman arts from you,” Zhou said gloomily.
“That’s all?”
Zheng Fa glanced at the 40 spirit stones in Zhou’s hands, surprised by such a show of respect for knowledge.
It wasn’t that he thought talisman arts from the White Nascent Soul’s lineage were worthless—it was just that in the current world, spirit stones were invaluable, while knowledge was relatively cheap, especially talisman knowledge.
Consider Han Qi and his group.
They caused a stir in the market by merely increasing the price of Senior Zhang’s Talisman Treatise by two taels of gold. And now? They were practically throwing themselves at him in remorse.“Who told you it costs this much spirit stone to learn from me?”
“Zhao… something. Zhao Jianfan? That Zhao family kid,” Zhou replied, his memory seemingly poor.
“What did he say?” Zheng Fa asked calmly.
“He said he spent a fortune learning talismans from you,” Zhou recounted. “Said he worked like a slave, humbled himself completely, and endured endless humiliation…”
What is this? A legendary tutoring package salesperson?
Zheng Fa looked at Zhou, confused. “And you believed him?”
“Not entirely…” Zhou glanced at the box of spirit stones in his hands. “But can you really go wrong giving money?”
Behind him, Han Qi and his companions nodded in unison.
Zheng Fa fell silent. That logic was… hard to argue with.
“Senior Brother Zheng…” Zhou nudged the box forward.
After a long pause, Zheng Fa finally spoke. “Junior Brother Zhou, you’re a disciple under a Nascent Soul cultivator. Why come to me for talisman arts? Our lineages…”
“My master agreed to it.”
“…What?”
Han Qi and his companions exchanged incredulous glances.
Spread the word: Master Pang thinks Zheng Fa teaches better than he does.
“My master said he’s not afraid of comparisons,” Zhou explained. “Whether it’s Senior Sister Zhang or you, as long as you want to learn, you should. Only by learning will you understand he’s right.”
“…”
Though Zheng Fa had never met Master Pang and, given the rivalry between their lineages, didn’t have a favorable impression of him, he couldn’t help but admire such open-mindedness.
“And in the Talisman Hall…”
Recalling the chaotic talisman duel from before, Zheng Fa still couldn’t make sense of it.
“My master said, as long as no one dies, it’s not worth worrying about.” Zhou seemed to anticipate his question.
Seeing the complicated expressions on Han Qi’s group, Zheng Fa felt a twinge of discomfort himself.
He had speculated about why the sect’s upper ranks allowed such conflicts—
Perhaps they were preparing for future turmoil in the immortal world, honing real combat skills.
Maybe they saw these controlled disputes as a way to vent frustrations among lower-ranking disciples.
Or, perhaps, they genuinely viewed it as a method to refine their understanding of talisman arts.
But… don’t worry about it?
Looking out the window, Zheng Fa seemed to glimpse a few unseen eyes high above the Jiushan Sect, watching the world below. Their gaze lingered only on a select few exceptional talents, disregarding everyone else.
“Junior Brother Zhou, I don’t need the spirit stones. If you’re free in the future, we can exchange ideas.”
He pushed the box of spirit stones back toward Zhou.
“Hmm?” Zhou looked at him, understanding dawning in his eyes.
“Master Pang’s talisman arts also intrigue me,” Zheng Fa said, meeting Zhou’s gaze.
Zhou froze for a moment before breaking into a smile, his tone tinged with a deeper meaning. “Senior Brother, you’re ambitious… I didn’t expect you to have such lofty goals.”
Zheng Fa understood the implication.
For most Qi Refining cultivators, 40 spirit stones far outweighed any knowledge of talisman arts. Only someone truly devoted to pursuing the craft would make the choice Zheng Fa just did.
Zhou recognized this because he was the same kind of person.
But Zheng Fa didn’t consider it ambition.
With Old Man Bai’s guidance as his foundation, trading for Master Pang’s talisman arts was a bargain.
“I’ll need to ask my master,” Zhou said, surprisingly hesitant about Zheng Fa’s request despite having offered the spirit stones so freely.
Senior Sister Zhang’s Backyard.
Senior Sister Zhang sat cross-legged on a large boulder by the waterfall, her eyes closed in meditation.
Watching her, Zheng Fa couldn’t help but sigh—she still loved being around water.
“What do you need?”
“Senior Sister, I’d like to ask about the Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Technique.”
Senior Sister Zhang opened her eyes, an unusual hesitance in her gaze that Zheng Fa had never seen before.
“You’ve tempered your skin with the Five Thunder Talisman Body?”
“Yes.”
“In three days?”
“…Yes.”
Zheng Fa knew this was courtesy of Senior Sister Yuan’s loose lips.
“You don’t have to practice the Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Technique,” Senior Sister Zhang said suddenly.
“Hmm?”
Zheng Fa was taken aback.
Senior Sister Zhang, who had always been supportive, seemed to change her stance.
“Practicing it will lead to the same difficulties I faced,” she said softly. “If you lacked talent for the Five Thunder Talisman Body, that’d be one thing. But since you have it, even if the Divine Thunder Commanding Technique isn’t possible right now, there are other lightning techniques in our sect.”
Zheng Fa understood her meaning.
Previously, his value lay in his talisman talents, making the Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Technique a natural fit. But now, with his newfound potential, she wanted him to reconsider—a different kind of mentorship.
“Senior Sister Zhang?”
“I’m giving you the chance to choose again,” she said, her tone calm.
How could he choose anything else?
Regardless of her support, protection, or the goodwill he felt toward her, Zheng Fa knew better than anyone what his so-called talent truly was.
Three days to temper his skin? Without modern tech, it would’ve been seven.
Besides, the Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Technique was essential for his safety in the modern world.
“I choose the Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Technique!”
“Even if the path ahead is blocked, will you regret it?”
“I won’t!” Zheng Fa replied firmly.
Senior Sister Zhang’s gaze softened, warmer than he’d ever seen it before.
Feeling slightly guilty, Zheng Fa suspected she believed his choice was motivated by loyalty to her.
Without dwelling on it, she shifted topics. “Do you have any questions about the technique?”
“I was wondering if there are any restrictions on the choice of talisman patterns.”
Senior Sister Zhang paused before standing. Her robes shimmered with a soft blue light, like rippling water, until the light faded, leaving her figure a transparent blue outline.
At her dantian, a composite talisman pattern glowed faintly.
“This is my Yuan Talisman Foundation,” she said.
The pattern resembled two lotus platforms joined at their bases. Each lotus had five petals, with a talisman inscribed on each petal.
“What do you see?”
“Yin and Yang, Five Elements.”
“Exactly.” She reappeared, nodding. “The specific talisman patterns don’t matter, but their arrangement does. Each pattern aligns with Yin-Yang and the Five Elements.”
She explained how talismans could be categorized into ten types: Yin and Yang for each of the five elements. The Talisman Dao Foundation Establishment Technique required one talisman from each category to complete the foundation.
“Do you understand?”
“Yes,” Zheng Fa replied, marveling at her unique system.
Noticing his wonder, Senior Sister Zhang chuckled. “Do you know what Dao Body I have?”
“No.”
“The Yuan Spirit Dao Body,” she said. “I can temporarily transform my spiritual energy into talisman patterns within my body. My Yuan Talisman Foundation is the result of condensing patterns thousands of times.”
Zheng Fa was stunned.
He had dreamed of building a modern lab for his research. But Senior Sister Zhang was the lab!
One month later, back at his home, Zheng Fa took out a Condensing Yuan Pill.
Tossing it into his mouth, he swallowed it whole.
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