Nanli noticed his expression and imdiately knew the talisman had worked. Raising an eyebrow, she touched Xuanyuan Che’s hand again. "Not bad, not bad. This Warmth Talisman can even regulate temperature. Fortunately, it doesn’t take much energy to create. I’ll draw more of these later for ergency use."
It turned out he was just her test subject for the new talisman.
However, Xuanyuan Che was deeply moved. To him, it was an imnse honor that the ruler would think of him first after creating a new talisman! Overwheld with emotion, he didn’t even notice the icy glare Ye Siheng cast his way.
Clasping his fists in gratitude, he declared, "Ruler, I swear to fulfill this heavy responsibility to the best of my ability!"
With that, he strode out grandly, as if marching to war.
To an outsider, it might seem like he was heading to a battlefield, when in truth, he was rely tasked with selecting Black Armor Guards for grain delivery.
As soon as Xuanyuan Che left, Ye Siheng approached Nanli, grabbing her hand and wiping it with a handkerchief. He looked displeased. "If you wanted to test a new talisman, why not try it on ?"
Nanli held his hand. Despite the cold weather, his hand was warm, without a hint of chill.
She shrugged. "This talisman wouldn’t have worked on you. Don’t be jealous. I need to draw more talismans, so co help grind cinnabar."
Under such circumstances, her speed at drawing talismans was astonishing, and the consumption of cinnabar was equally high.
Luckily, her second brother doted on her. Beyond buying her rare treasures and jewelry, he had stockpiled plenty of cinnabar and talisman paper for her, which now proved invaluable.
Ye Siheng sighed lightly. "If only I knew how to draw talismans, I could be more helpful to you."
After obtaining his inner core, he had tried drawing talismans, but as soon as his brush touched the paper, the talisman would ignite and burn.
He didn’t understand the reason behind it, and Nanli was equally puzzled.
Thinking for a mont, Nanli said, "You can’t help with this, but there’s soone else in the manor who can."
"Who?" Ye Siheng frowned.
"Chong Jiu." Nanli replied, "I’ve been so busy lately I almost forgot about him."
Ye Siheng raised an eyebrow. "True enough. He’s been eating his fill in the manor. It’s about ti he earned his keep."
He imdiately instructed Qing Feng to summon Chong Jiu.
Ever since Chong Jiu helped Nanli seize Yao Sheng’s treasure vault, he had been quietly staying in the manor, keeping a low profile. His goal was simple: to remain obedient so that if Nanli ever needed his help again, he could negotiate terms to have her aid in restoring his eighth senior brother’s soul.
Thus, as soon as Qing Feng called for him, he promptly appeared.
Under Yao Sheng’s personal tutelage, Chong Jiu’s skills were decent, and drawing teleportation talismans was no problem for him.
By the end of the night, they had produced a significant number of talismans, enough to et the imdiate need. Even if they ran out, it wouldn’t be an issue because Nanli decided to oversee matters personally in Ye State, making it easier to replenish supplies.
Disaster relief was an urgent matter.
Early the next morning, Chu Shuo had already delivered the funds allocated for grain purchases. In addition to the Black Armor Guards Xuanyuan Che had selected, Chu Ye, Chu Yang, and Chu Yan also brought their own troops to assist.
This was part of a plan devised by their sixth sister, requiring trustworthy individuals to oversee the grain delivery to prevent corruption or theft. Naturally, they volunteered to help.
Nanli briefly explained the plan and the usage of the talismans. Due to the urgency of the situation, it was impossible to train everyone on how to use them. Thus, each team would be accompanied by a young Taoist priest who would manage the talismans and ensure their effective use.
With twenty-one counties, twenty-one teams were needed.
Even with Chong Jiu and her three brothers, they were still short one Taoist priest.
"Senior Sister!" Soone braved the snowstorm and entered the Xuanzheng Temple.
Stepping through the snow, Zhi Mi hurried over. "How could you forget ? At a ti like this, I have to help!"
Nanli glanced at him, frowning slightly. "You’re staying in the capital. I don’t need you for this trip."
"Why? My abilities are decent! I can draw talismans on the spot and handle ergencies," Zhi Mi protested, clearly anxious.
Nanli pulled him aside, her tone serious. "There’s a shadow of death on your face. Rember, no matter what happens, you must not leave the capital."
Zhi Mi froze. "I... I have a shadow of death? How is that possible?"
"I noticed it the last ti I saw you—your glabella had already darkened slightly, and now it’s even worse. I’ve calculated it: staying in the capital is the safest option for you. That’s why I didn’t call on you," Nanli explained earnestly.
"Senior Sister, but with this great calamity, I truly want to help," Zhi Mi said, his voice tinged with grievance.
"You silly boy, once you survive this ordeal, you can help as much as you like in the future." Nanli’s expression turned somber, her tone heavy. "I expended considerable rit to divine this fate for you. You wouldn’t waste my efforts, would you?"
Zhi Mi imdiately shook his head. "I’ll listen to you, Senior Sister! I won’t take a single step outside the capital!"
She was doing so much for him—how could he let her down?
But seeing the deathly aura still lingering on his face, Nanli remained worried.
Her divination hadn’t revealed what his calamity would be. She had done all she could to warn him. Whether Zhi Mi could escape his fate would depend on his own choices.
With one person short, Ye Siheng ultimately led a team himself.
In the blink of an eye, the mbers of the Xuanzheng Temple had used teleportation talismans and departed.
Zhi Mi stood in the now-empty courtyard, feeling a hollow emptiness in his heart.
Chu Shuo approached and patted him on the shoulder. "Young Master Zhi Mi, look—both the Ninth Prince and Sixth Sister have left the capital. Now you’re the only one here who knows Daoist arts. The safety of everyone in the city depends on you, so pull yourself together!"
Zhi Mi forced a smile. "Second Young Master, Senior Sister has already set up many talisman formations. Even if demons or monsters cause trouble, I won’t need to act."
Chu Shuo grabbed him by the arm and dragged him out of the Xuanzheng Temple. "That’s perfect. Co with to patrol the shops and set up so fortune-bringing Feng Shui arrays!"
"..." Zhi Mi was at a loss. "Second Young Master, there’s a snow disaster going on. Even if shops open, there won’t be any custors."
"Maybe not now, but I can’t just slack off! If there’s no business today, there will be tomorrow!" Chu Shuo’s expression turned serious. "If I do more and move faster than others, I’ll be the one making money when the ti cos!"
Zhi Mi blinked, looking at him with admiration. "Second Young Master, what you said makes a lot of sense!"
"See? I might not have read many books, but I understand plenty of principles," Chu Shuo replied with a cheeky grin.
"You’ve inspired ! I’m going back to the manor to study!"
"Huh? Why? If I’ve inspired you, shouldn’t you follow to set up Feng Shui arrays?"
Zhi Mi clenched his fists. "Even if I can’t help this ti, I’ll train hard and improve my talisman-drawing skills. If I grow stronger, I’ll be able to help even more next ti!"
He bowed to Chu Shuo, then used a teleportation talisman to return to the Duke’s Manor without delay.
Chu Shuo, despite his outward optimism, felt heavy-hearted.
He looked at the snow covering the ground and rooftops, letting out a long sigh. "Officials don’t understand how hard it is for us businesspeople. There’s no way to do business in this weather, yet I still have to pay wages. Thankfully, I’ve got a solid foundation, and the shops are mine; otherwise, I wouldn’t survive this."
Why was the snow falling so heavily, for so long?
When would it finally stop?
Reviews
All reviews (0)