Chapter 737 - 740 Talisman [1st Update]
Hua’er had thought revealing this matter would worry Wu Tian and the others. She especially expected Wu Tian’s calm expression to change, at least a little.
But she found Wu Tian was still as calm as ever. He smiled faintly and said, "So what?"
"You..." Wu Tian’s composure left Hua’er taken aback.
A man like that is undoubtedly the most attractive. A sense of admiration bloomed in Hua’er’s heart.
But this was also why she worried about him, fearing that his demeanor might draw the enmity of Grandpa Tian Wen.
Wu Tian shook his head slightly. His indifference stemmed from two things. First, of course, was his own strength. Second, Wu Tian felt that if this Tian Wen was truly a capable and profound person, he would understand the principle that listening to only one side leads to ignorance, while listening to both brings enlightenment.
If he couldn’t grasp even a simple principle like that, then Wu Tian would have no desire to speak with him.
Now, Hua’er led Wu Tian and the others into the fenced courtyard. A donkey immediately came forward to greet them.
"Elder Donkey, is Grandpa Tian Wen home?" Hua’er asked respectfully, treating the donkey with great courtesy.
"Rest assured, the master is home," the donkey replied in a surprisingly gentle tone. "You’re a polite one, unlike the other villagers who just barge in. Sigh, it’s a good thing the master has such a good temperament."
Hua’er nodded. As a child, she had also bargged in without thinking. It was only after she ventured into the outside world that she realized just how important manners were.
"Follow me," the donkey said, leading the way.
Hua’er nodded and beckoned for Wu Tian and the others to follow.
Wu Tian had already discerned that this donkey was at the Ninth Grade of the Heavenly King Realm, a cultivation no less than that of the Great Heavenly King of Dogs.
Upon entering the thatched cottage, Wu Tian and his companions discovered it was a world unto itself. A seemingly small cottage on the outside contained an astonishingly large interior, with a capacity more than ten times what it appeared.
Wu Tian walked toward a wall and saw that the earthen surface, kneaded from clay, was plastered with talismans. The characters on them were drawn with exquisite beauty. The moment Qin Yuhan and the others saw them, they could sense that these talismans were anything but ordinary.
"Spatial talismans. They’ve altered the space within this house, haven’t they?" Wu Tian mused aloud.
"Correct... You’ve studied talismans?" the donkey asked, turning its head to fix its gaze intently on Wu Tian.
"A little," Wu Tian chuckled.
These talismans were not unfamiliar to him. Within the Doushuai Temple in the Heavenly Emperor’s Treasure House, there were volumes of celestial scriptures written by Lord Lao Zi of the Great Monad. According to myth, Lord Lao Zi, also known as Laozi, was the founder of Taoism. The celestial scriptures in the Doushuai Temple included records of talismans and spells. After all, drawing talismans was a Taoist’s signature skill.
"My master lives in seclusion here, wholeheartedly dedicated to researching the Art of Talismans and Spells! Wait here, I will go call him," the donkey said with a nod before departing.
Wu Tian and the others stood and waited. Inside the small cottage, Wu Tian swept his Spiritual Sense across the area and discovered there were more than a dozen large rooms. This Art of Talismans and Spells certainly had its merits. It was a shame that no one had strived to advance it over the last ten thousand years. Otherwise, Talisman Masters today could rival Array Masters.
With nothing better to do, Wu Tian began examining the talismans on the clay wall. The more he looked, the more he found himself comparing them to the ones in the Doushuai Temple.
These talismans are no match for the ones in the Doushuai Temple. He couldn’t help but shake his head.
"What’s the matter?" Hua’er couldn’t help but ask when she saw his reaction.
Just as Wu Tian was about to speak, a sneering voice cut in. "Pretending to know what you don’t."
Si Lin emerged from an inner room, full of confidence. He had already explained his situation to Grandpa Tian Wen, who had promised, "If the other person is in the wrong, I will make him apologize to you." Si Lin was certain that the fault lay with someone else.
"How can you say that? How do you know this gentleman doesn’t understand?" Hua’er said, displeased with Si Lin’s words.
"Look at him! He’s so young and pampered. How could he possibly understand something as profound as talismans? Rich kids like him usually have no real skills. All they know how to do is play around with girls. They’re all flash and no substance," Si Lin retorted through clenched teeth, growing even angrier when he heard Hua’er defending Wu Tian.
"You’re talking nonsense! My daddy isn’t like that!" the little one in Wu Tian’s arms piped up indignantly. "My daddy knows everything! His power is beyond anything a frog at the bottom of a well like you could ever comprehend!"
Qin Yuhan and Si’er nodded in agreement.
"A frog at the bottom of a well? Me? Haha, I can’t help that I’m poor! If I weren’t, I could be a Nine Heavens Dragon too!" Si Lin spat, his voice dripping with bitter envy. "It was Heaven’s decision."
"That’s right, everyone has a different starting line, but you can choose to run hard," Hua’er countered. "There’s always a chance to surpass others. But what about you? You’re just standing at the starting line, not moving at all. That’s the most terrifying thing."
"You..." Si Lin didn’t want to argue, nor did he know how. But in his mind, that wasn’t how things were at all. It wasn’t that he was too lazy to move from the starting line; it was that Heaven wouldn’t let him move! If Heaven wanted him to succeed, why hadn’t it given him a better family background? As the saying goes, one must first establish a family to establish a career. So, before letting him move, shouldn’t Heaven have granted him a beautiful wife? And of course, he’d need a powerful backer! Otherwise, what would he do if he offended someone important? But as it stood, he had no wife, no backing, and no family fortune. It was Heaven that wouldn’t let him move. Heaven was making him lazy, so what could he possibly do about it?
At that moment, footsteps sounded, and a figure arrived, led by the donkey.
He was an old man who looked quite disheveled. Some of his hair and beard were matted together, clearly untended for a long time. He was the spitting image of the type of scientist from Earth City who neglects sleep and food in the pursuit of research.
And he was Tian Wen, one of the five great Immortal Emperors and the teacher of the Undead Martial Sovereign.
"Grandpa Tian Wen." Hua’er immediately greeted him.
"The donkey just told me there’s someone here who knows a bit about the Art of Talismans and Spells, which made this old man quite curious." Upon arriving, Tian Wen’s gaze fell on Wu Tian. To the mortal eye, Wu Tian’s aura was quite ordinary. But to Tian Wen, that was not the case at all.
"Grandpa Tian Wen, it’s this guy! He deceived Hua’er, and he’ll just toy with her feelings and abandon her..." Si Lin said in a panic when he saw Tian Wen’s gaze fixed on Wu Tian.
"No, he is not that kind of person," Tian Wen stated.
"Grandpa Tian Wen, you can’t be deceived by him!" Si Lin pressed on, refusing to give up.
"Say no more. This is unbecoming," Tian Wen said, raising an eyebrow.
"I..." Si Lin felt wronged. He hadn’t expected things to turn out this way. Grandpa Tian Wen had said that if the other person was wrong, he’d make them apologize. But where was that apology now?
After sizing up Wu Tian, Tian Wen became curious about his identity. With a mind to test him, he asked, "What do you think of this old man’s talismans?"
Qin Yuhan, Si’er, and Hua’er all looked at Wu Tian. The question wasn’t difficult—the expected answer was, of course, that they were excellent.
Yet Wu Tian simply furrowed his brow, shook his head, and said, "Not worth a second glance."