Qingzhu Villa, within a courtyard.
"Uncle Gui, how come you've taken an interest in Lu Changsheng?"
Uncle Fu had thought his good friend had come to drink and chat but hadn't expected him to bring up serious matters.
He was somewhat surprised to hear about Lu Changsheng's talent in talisman making.
They were both elders in the Lu Family but had mostly retired, only handling some simple affairs in Qingzhu Villa.
"Since this child is in our Lu Family and possesses such talent, it naturally must not be wasted."
"Aren't you aware of our family's current situation?"
"The condition of the Lu Family Ancestor is getting worse by the day, and the Chen Family is always looking for opportunities to make a move. If this continues..."
"The boy has an exceptional talent for talisman making; if he's given some cultivation, gaining a talisman master for our Lu Family would indeed be a good thing."
The shopkeeper of Hundred Treasures Pavilion let out a sigh as he said this.
Hearing these words, Uncle Fu's face also showed a hint of gravity.
In the past few years, the strife between the Lu Family and the Chen Family had not only led to significant casualties among the Lu Family's younger generation, but the Lu Family Ancestor had also sustained severe injuries in that battle.
Since the Lu Family Ancestor was already advanced in years, with the addition of these injuries, he probably didn't have many years left.
Now the Lu Family had only one Foundation Establishment Cultivator — the Lu Family Ancestor. If the Lu Family Ancestor passed away, without another Foundation Establishment Cultivator to stabilize the scene, the family would be unable to protect their current estates and the blessed land of Qingzhu Mountain.
He nodded and said, "That's true, if this child can indeed become a talisman master, it would indeed elevate our Lu Family's foundation."
"Let's go, I'll accompany you to see the Patriarch. Let the Patriarch make the final decision."
Straightaway, the two made their way towards Qingzhu Valley.
Qingzhu Valley is the core area of the Lu Family of Qingzhu Mountain.
Below it lies a Second Grade Spiritual Vein suitable for Foundation Establishment Cultivators to cultivate.
People like Lu Changsheng, a son-in-law brought in by marriage, and ordinary Lu Family disciples typically didn't qualify to enter.
However, as elders of the Lu Family, they indeed had the privilege to enter.
The two arrived at a villa.
"Uncle Gui, are you saying that Lu Changsheng has a great talent for talisman making?" The Patriarch of the Lu Family, Lu Yuanding, was quite surprised upon hearing the words of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion shopkeeper.
"That's right, Family Head."
"About half a year ago, Lu Changsheng bought a set of talisman-making materials at the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, saying he wanted to practice talisman making. At that time, I didn't take it seriously."
"Unexpectedly, a few months later, out of the one hundred sets of talisman-making materials he bought, he actually made five successful talismans."
"And this time, he made eighteen successful talismans out of a hundred sets of materials."
"Although I'm not versed in the art of talisman making, even I can tell that this boy has an innate gift in this field," the shopkeeper of Hundred Treasures Pavilion said, his voice tinged with a sense of admiration.
"Before this child joined our Lu Family, he hadn't started cultivating, nor could he possibly have had any exposure to talisman making. Under such circumstances, this indeed qualifies as a rare talent."
Lu Yuanding nodded thoughtfully.
"This Lu Changsheng is truly commendable. During this year within our family, he has proven to be diligent."
"While other promising youths are still not willing to have children, Lu Changsheng has already impregnated five women in our Lu Family."
At this point, Uncle Fu spoke up as well.
"Lu Changsheng comes from a peasant background. Before he began cultivation, it would have already been an achievement for him to marry one wife."
"Given such an opportunity now, faced with the allure of women, how could he restrain himself?"
Lu Yuanding laughed lightly without much concern.
He continued, "However, since this child comes from a peasant background and is willing to marry and have children, it shows that he is relatively simple and easy to control."
"Since he also possesses such talent for talisman making, we can consider officially accepting him as a disciple of the Lu Family."
"Uncle Fu, go find Miaoge and let her assess Lu Changsheng's talent and skills in talisman making."
"If he is indeed as worthy as Uncle Gui suggests, then we shall nurture him accordingly."
"Still, this child has been with our Lu Family for just over a year and certainly hasn't developed a deep allegiance yet, so we need to observe him more."
Lu Yuanding muttered thoughtfully.
"Yes, Family Head,"
Uncle Fu responded, bowing his hands in acknowledgement.
....
That day.
Lu Changsheng was practicing his cultivation when he heard from his wife Lu Lanshu that Uncle Fu and the young mistress had come to visit; he immediately got up and went to the hall.
Inside the hall, two figures were seated.
One was the manager of Qingzhu Villa, Uncle Fu.
The other was a woman about eighteen or nineteen years of age.
The woman's jet-black hair was tied up simply, and she wore a pure white-on-snow dress.
Her slender and curvaceous figure sat on the chair with elegance and dignity.
She was extremely beautiful, pure as snow, adorned in a snow-white dress, combined with her ethereal aura, she resembled a Tianshan snow lotus, sanctified and flawless.
This woman was none other than the one Lu Changsheng had met and remembered by name when he came to Qingzhu Mountain a year ago.
Lu Miaoge.
She was also the very Miss Lan Shu had referred to.
The other party looked exactly the same as when Lu Changsheng had seen her a year ago, not a single change had occurred.
Lu Changsheng glanced at her and then diverted his gaze.
Now that the system's effects were beginning to show, and with the skills of a Second Grade Talisman Master, Changsheng's thoughts were clear.
He believed that through hard work, his future achievements would not fall short.
In the face of this Miss, unlike the first time he met her when he felt she was out of reach, now she seemed within grasp.
He clasped his hands in a bow and said, "Uncle Fu, Miss!"
He felt a bit strange in his heart that Uncle Fu would come over.
But what could the daughter of the Family Head, the Miss of the Lu Family, possibly want by coming here?
Someone like Lu Miaoge would ordinarily reside in the core area of Qingzhu Mountain and would not bother coming to Qingzhu Villa at all.
"Lu Changsheng, I heard from Ah Gui that you've been learning talisman-making recently and are now an apprentice in talisman-making?"
Upon seeing Changsheng arrive, Uncle Fu started to speak.
"Ah Gui?"
Lu Changsheng was taken aback when he heard the name.
"It's the shopkeeper from the Hundred Treasures Pavilion."
Uncle Fu reminded him.
The shopkeeper from the Hundred Treasures Pavilion is named Ah Gui?
Lu Changsheng found this quite odd and also had a vague understanding of what was going on.
It must be because of the talent he had shown in talisman-making.
He immediately replied, "I only have a Ninth Grade Spiritual Root and am well aware that cultivation is hopeless for me. I thought it would be better to learn a craft, so I've been practicing talisman-making all this while. Currently, I can draw three basic talismans."
"It's very good that you have this mindset."
"Your performance over this past year since you joined the Lu Family has not escaped my attention,"
"Therefore, the Miss and I have come to see how your talisman-making skill is."
"If it's as Ah Gui has mentioned, and you possess a talent for talisman-making, the family will naturally provide certain support and cultivation,"
Uncle Fu praised and said.
Lu Changsheng thought to himself, as expected.
He immediately showed a grateful expression and clasped his hands in thanks, "Thank you, Miss, and thank you, Uncle Fu."
"Which talismans can you draw now?"
At this moment, Lu Miaoge, who was seated elegantly on the side, turned her beautiful eyes towards Lu Changsheng and asked. Her voice was as refreshing as a flowing spring, very pleasing to the ear.
"Reporting to the Miss, the talismans I can draw are the Cleansing Talisman, Garment Purification Talisman, and Dust Avoidance Talisman," Lu Changsheng replied with his hands clasped.
"Show me how you draw the Garment Purification Talisman and the Dust Avoidance Talisman."
Lu Miaoge stood up, displaying her svelte figure wrapped in a snowy white dress, took out a set of talisman-making tools and materials from her storage bag, and laid them out on the table.
"Yes."
Lu Changsheng pursed his lips, approached the table, and immediately smelled a faint fragrance, which was the body scent of the Miss.
He suppressed his distractions and picked up the brush from the table.
This brush wasn't the same as the wolf hair brush he had bought before.
It was a golden yellow brush.
The handle and the tip emitted a pale yellow light, and the end of the handle was engraved with the words "Golden Bamboo."
Lu Changsheng recognized at a glance that it was an exquisite brush.
Without a second thought, he lightly dipped the tip in the ink beside him and began to draw the Garment Purification Talisman.
During this moment, Changsheng did not draw as he usually did while making talismans—fast and fluid like a swift wind. Instead, he appeared very tense, and his drawing was rigidly slow.
Soon after, a Garment Purification Talisman was completed.
Lu Changsheng glanced at Lu Miaoge, who stood gracefully tall, and continued to draw the Dust Avoidance Talisman.
Just as he was about to finish the almost complete Dust Avoidance Talisman, his hand trembled slightly at the moment of concluding the lines, interrupting the spiritual mechanism and causing a wisp of blue smoke to rise from the talisman paper.
"I'm sorry, Miss, I was a bit nervous just now,"
Lu Changsheng quickly said.
Of course, he was acting.
He had previously told the shopkeeper from the Hundred Treasures Pavilion that he was only about thirty percent confident with the Dust Avoidance Talisman.
Under the current circumstances, he was about to succeed, but due to excessive nervousness, he ultimately failed. Isn't that quite normal?