Chapter One: Chen Tang

  Nanjiang, Songyancheng.

  The dusk is deep, and the sunset is like fire.

  As usual, Chen Tang pushed open the door and walked into Zhang's grocery store.

  The Zhang's grocery store is just an ordinary shop in Songyancheng, not large in scale, relying on self-made and self-sold talismans that practitioners need daily to maintain business. The most sold are first-class and second-class talismans, which is also the lifeline of Zhang's grocery store. Business is not big, but it can barely make a living in Songyancheng with a small but steady stream of income.

  "Seals, talismans, brushes and ink are all indispensable; it seems simple, but the intricacies within are quite complex. From today on, you will first learn how to identify talismans, use ritualistic brushes, and understand the composition of ink. Once your foundation is solid, I will then teach you how to create seals."

  Chen Xiao only then discovered that the store had recruited seven or eight new, tender-faced apprentices. Boss Zhang Dayong was lecturing them, his dry voice echoing through the grocery store.

  "I'm giving you a month's time, and if I'm not satisfied after a month, then go back home and play with mud. Finally, remember that to become a qualified symbol master, diligent study and bitter practice are your only way out - no one can succeed easily!"

  The seven or eight newly recruited apprentices were filled with excitement and longing in their eyes, eager to try.

  "Ah, Chen Xiao has arrived."

  Zhang Dayong turned his head and saw Chen Tai, smiling and waving at him.

  "Uncle Zhang, here are today's thirty Fire Cloud Talismans." Chen Xiao pulled out a stack of pale blue talismans and handed them over.

  "Never mind, since you're here, help me teach these little guys first. The wages will be calculated separately, um, let's say three yuan per hour, how about that?"

  After a moment of contemplation, Chen Tang nodded: "Alright!"

  Thirty Fire Cloud Talismans could be sold for ten yuan, but it took him nearly five hours to make them. Calculating the cost this way, the price was indeed quite generous.

  Zhang Dayong smiled, turned around and looked at the new batch of Fu disciples, his expression turned serious, and he said in a low voice: "The way of making talismans is vast and profound. In order to let you newcomers start better, your senior Chen Tang will demonstrate how to make a first-class fire cloud talisman for you. I don't dare say anything else, but if it's about the basics of making talismans, there's no one in Songyancheng who can surpass Chen Tang, and even I am inferior to him in this aspect. You must watch carefully and learn well, don't miss this opportunity."

  Splash!

  Seven or eight pairs of eyes fell on Chen Tang, but when they saw that the other party was just a pale and thin youth, even younger than themselves, the youths' eyes involuntarily floated up with a hint of doubt. Is this guy really as formidable as Zhang Shu said?

  Chen Xiao's expression didn't change, as if he hadn't noticed the subtle atmosphere around him. He walked straight to the symbol-making table, picked up a light blue symbol paper from beside the table and spread it out on the desk. Then, he dipped his brush in ink and started writing.

  The action is smooth and fluent, as if it were second nature.

  The boys saw this and hurriedly gathered around.

  With the brush in hand, Chen's temperament changed, his eyes sank and became clear, his wrist moved like a snake, the tip of the pen was light and lively, swishing... The delicate and beautiful crimson arc lines spread out on the talisman paper, as if wisps of smoke were rising, like clouds flowing water, comfortable and natural.

  The newly arrived apprentice's eyes widened, staring unblinkingly at Chen Yao's wrist, the brush pen, and the faintly emerging pattern on the pale blue talisman paper, a wave of shock slowly rising in his heart.

  The nine-grade talismans, the first grade is the Huo Yun Talisman, which is just one of the most basic talismans. Naturally, it is also the lowest-grade talisman. The young people originally didn't think much of Chen Tai, who was only a few years older than them. However, when they saw Chen Tai making talismans with their own eyes, although it was just a few movements, it was full of beautiful and precise control, and their hearts were instantly conquered.

  Chen Xiao's expression was focused, completely forgetting himself, and didn't notice the changes in the surrounding gazes at all. Once he started drawing talismans, he became immersed in a profound and quiet state, with only the fine and dense lines on the talisman paper in his eyes.

  Looking at the surprised look on the young men's faces, Zhang Dayong couldn't help but smile. To say nothing of these newcomers, even he himself couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder every time he witnessed it with his own eyes. As he said, Chen Yao had indeed reached an extraordinary level in terms of basic symbol magic skills.

  The pen tip points, sweeps, hooks, draws, and rotates, with a sharp and precise force. A thin sheet of shallow green cypress-patterned paper, under the brushstrokes of Chen Yu's pen, gradually forms a dense and intricate pattern.

  After burning one stick of incense.

  Wow!

  The talisman suddenly shone brightly for a moment, as if it had taken a breath, and then returned to its original state.

  Chen Xiao put down his pen, his whole body felt like it had fallen apart, and he was unbearably bloated. His thin and pale face turned white as if it were about to become transparent.

  Before coming to the grocery store, he had already made thirty-one fire cloud talismans. The true yuan had been consumed by 78 and not a word was said, and his mental strength had also been greatly exhausted. At this time, completing this talisman had thoroughly drained his true yuan, and his mental strength was exhausted.

  The newly recruited young Fu Tu worker didn't notice these, seeing Chen Yu so smoothly complete a talisman, instantly bursting into laughter.

  "Wow, impressive! The speed, flexibility and accuracy of your brushstrokes are really frightening!"

  "Wow, Chen Xiao's senior made a one-shot success, such a success rate can only be described as perfect!"

  "I'll definitely have to learn from Senior Chen Xiaofei in the future, such a skilled brushwork, I must also practice it!"

  ……

  Just then, a strange and eerie voice suddenly echoed at the entrance of the store.

  "Hmph, what's so great about mastering the basic talismanic symbols? Give you five years and you'll be able to play with them like Mian Tan Chen. Why don't you ask Mian Tan Chen when he can create a second-grade talisman? With his level of skill, he can only fool around with you rookies."

  At the entrance of the grocery store, a young man with a nonchalant attitude stood there at some point. He had a narrow and long face, his arms were crossed over his chest, and his golden fish-shaped eyes showed disdain.

  At these words, all the applause suddenly disappeared without a trace. In the eyes of the young men who had originally been fiery and reverent, there was an added hint of doubt and strangeness.

  It took five years to master just one basic talisman?

  What kind of qualification is this!

  Bell's palsy Chen, haha, what a vivid nickname...

  Wait, it's him!

  The new servant finally remembered who Chen Xiao was and looked at him with a strange expression.

  In Songyancheng, Chen Zhen's name is well-known to every household and he is undoubtedly the number one Sweeper Star.

  The day he was born, the Chen family, which had been a first-class family, was destroyed overnight by the enemy's house, leaving only his grandfather, father and mother.

  At the age of one, his grandfather fell ill and became bedridden, losing all his cultivation base and becoming a useless person. The family of four was also forced to move into the commoner district of Songyuan City.

  When he was two years old, his younger brother Chen Hao was born. His mother, Zuo Qiu Xue, disappeared without a trace. It is said that she was disgusted with the decline of the Chen family and could not bear this life of poverty, so she eloped with a young and handsome nobleman.

  At the age of three, his father Chen Jun left home and never returned.

  At the age of four, Nanjiang Su's family, who were originally sworn to be relatives by pointing at their belly, sent more than a dozen top masters led by Huang Tingjing, standing in the sky above Tianshui City, tearing up the marriage contract in front of everyone, and drifting away.

  For five consecutive years, the unfortunate events that occurred to Chen Yu, one after another, each more sensational than the last, quickly spread throughout Songyancheng, a city not too large, and soon Chen Yu's name became known to every household, with even women and children talking about it.

  Because Chen Yao has been taciturn and expressionless since childhood, who has ever seen him smile, coupled with some busybodies' propaganda, the nickname "Facial Paralysis Chen" resounded throughout Songyuan City.

  "Uncle Zhang, I'll come again tomorrow."

  The atmosphere was eerie, Chen Xiao could feel it. In other words, he had grown up in this kind of gaze over the years and was already used to it. He nodded at Director Zhang and calmly turned around to leave.

  "Hmmph!"

  Not long after Chen Yu left, Zhang Da Yong glared at the young man by the door and shouted: "Yun Hong, come with me!"

  "Uncle, I..."

  The young man named Yunhong was taken aback, opening his mouth to explain, but saw that his uncle had already walked into the back hall, and hurriedly followed after him, muttering to himself: "It's inexplicable, I just told a bit of truth about Chen's facial paralysis, why take it so seriously?"

  As soon as the two of them left, a group of newly recruited apprentices couldn't help but start discussing.

  "Alas, it's actually Facially Paralyzed Chen. If I had known earlier, I wouldn't have come. Learning talismans from him, who knows if I'll be affected by his bad luck."

  "Ah! I'm in trouble. Just now when I was making obeisance to Chen Zifu, I accidentally touched him... No good, I have to hurry back home and take a bath."

  "Haha, look at you guys getting scared. I heard from Father that Mian Tan Chen this unlucky star only harms the Chen family members, and has nothing to do with us."

  ……

  The night is as black as ink, with countless stars twinkling.

  In the cold wind, Chen Tang silently loosened his clenched fists, which had turned white at the joints, tightened his thin clothes and walked home quickly.

  As he approached his home, he suddenly saw a thin figure sitting in front of the door. With the help of the starlight, he could vaguely make out that it was his own brother Chen Hao.

  "Brother, you're back." Twelve-year-old Chen Hao stood up and shouted happily, then seemed to realize it was inappropriate and quickly lowered his head.

  "Look up." Chen Xiao walked forward, his voice carrying a hint of coldness.

  Chen Hao looked like a child who had done something wrong, but he stubbornly refused to look up and muttered: "Grandpa is waiting for you to eat, let's go in first." As he spoke, he turned around and was about to enter the house when Chen Xiao grabbed him from behind.

  "Got into another fight with someone?"

  Chen Xiao raised Chen Hao's chin with his hand, looking at the red and swollen wounds on his little brother's face, his eyebrows furrowed slightly.

  Chen Hao suddenly broke free from Chen Yu's hand, raised his head, and with a stubborn gaze as usual, shouted loudly: "They scold me for being a wild species, scold brother for being a broom star, scold our family to die out sooner or later, of course I want to beat them up."

  Chen Xiao was taken aback, looking at his stubborn younger brother, seeing the anger and resentment on his young face, a surge of indescribable pain suddenly welled up in his heart.

  ————

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