Although the mortuary was only a single courtyard, it was quite large. The side rooms on the left and right were for living, while the main room in the middle was used to enshrine the dead and store corpses. Master Four Eyes directed the zombies to stand against the wall, and then took three sticks of incense and bowed to the various memorial tablets enshrined in the main hall.
Jiang Liu looked around and saw more than ten coffins on one side and a simple bed on the other, where a young man was still fast asleep and snoring softly.
"Wencai, Wencai, it's time to get up!" Uncle Jiu was a little embarrassed, so he went over and woke him up.
"Master! It's not even dawn yet! Why are you up so early? I'm going to take a nap..." This young man had a bowl cut and looked a bit simple-minded; he was none other than Uncle Nine's apprentice, Wen Cai. As he spoke, he flopped onto the bed.
Uncle Nine was furious and shouted, "Guests have arrived! Go boil water and cook! All you do is sleep all day long. It seems all my skills will be taken to the underworld with you..."
Wen Cai then snapped out of his daze, saw Master Simu and Jiang Liu, greeted them, and then reluctantly went to start a fire and cook.
The two had traveled for many days, traversing mountains and rivers, and were weary from their journey. Jiang Liu had long wanted to take a good bath, so he washed himself with well water. Although it was bitterly cold, Jiang Liu's cultivation had been quite successful, so it wasn't a problem for him. After putting on Wen Cai's clothes, he and his fellow disciples were already sitting opposite each other, a pot of tea bubbling away in front of them, a small fire licking at the earthenware pot, the aroma of tea wafting around them.
"Fellow Daoist Jiang Liu, please have a seat!" Just then, the tea was ready. Uncle Jiu picked up the earthenware pot, poured three cups, and the tea was bright red and fragrant.
"Senior brother, you've finally decided to take out your treasured Pu'er tea. Tsk tsk, you're definitely getting different treatment!"
Chapter Seven: The Great General's Talisman (Seeking Recommendations)
Jiang Liu picked up the teacup and took a sniff. It had a unique aroma, and it was indeed aged Pu'er tea. He took a sip, and the fragrance lingered on his lips and teeth.
"Good tea. The brewed tea is bright red and crystal clear. It is sweet and fragrant upon tasting, with a jujube-like aroma, a sweet and mellow taste, and a long-lasting aftertaste."
Master Four Eyes drank like a cow, laughing as he said, "I'm a roughneck, I can't appreciate the art of tea, I only know whether it tastes good or bad. This tea can only be compared to the pot of tea that our master brewed for us when we graduated from our apprenticeship."
"Twenty-three years have passed in the blink of an eye. I'm over fifty now, and fifty is the age to know one's destiny! Junior brother, it's time for you to settle down, find a disciple, and pass on your skills!" Uncle Nine sighed, looking at Daoist Four Eyes' gray hair with some sadness: "Fellow Daoist Jiang Liu, I'm sorry to have made you laugh!"
"It's time to settle down, but taking on disciples... sigh! In this degenerate age, who would send their child to cultivate the Tao, especially a corpse-driving Taoist? Even if someone did, their talent would be extremely poor, and they would never be able to cultivate any magical power in their lifetime. What difference would it make if I took them on or not!"
"Master Four Eyes, you've traveled all over the country for so many years, haven't you encountered any truly talented people?" Jiang Liu asked.
Si Mu sighed deeply, his eyes filled with disappointment: "How could there not be? Zhang Li, the youngest son of the Zhang family in western Sichuan, is born with extraordinary talent and a spiritual body. If he were to cultivate my Maoshan corpse-refining technique, it wouldn't be impossible for him to create a golden-armored corpse! But they look down on my skills! Two years ago, I met a talented person in Jiujiang, Jiangxi, but unfortunately, Longhu Mountain beat me to it... Never mind! Never mind!"
Uncle Jiu took a sip of tea and said, "The Zhang family of Western Sichuan? If I remember correctly, the Zhang surname is one of the twenty-seven Miao-Western Chinese surnames, including Wu, Long, Zhao, Ou, Teng, Hu, and Xiang. Although it's not one of the three oldest surnames in Miao-Western China, it has been passed down for over a thousand years. Especially among the Miao-Western Chinese surnames, it is said that the Zhang family has held the lineage of witchcraft since ancient times. You took on a disciple who was someone else's true disciple. I'm very curious how you got back?"
Master Four Eyes' lips twitched slightly. He picked up his teacup to hide his embarrassment. Seeing the two looking at him, Master Four Eyes curled his lips and said in a low voice, "How else could I have come back? I pretended to be crazy and escaped back, of course. I will never go to that place again in my life!"
At this moment, Wencai walked in from outside carrying chicken, fish, and other dishes. Smelling the aroma of tea, he threw the dishes on the ground and said, "Master, it smells so good! Give me a cup, just one cup!"
Wencai drank like a glutton, and after finishing, he pursed his lips, still wanting more, and said, "Master, tomorrow Master Ren is inviting us to drink foreign tea. I wonder what it tastes like?"
"Have you finished drinking? If you have, go cook!"
"Yes, Master!" Wencai muttered as he went to the kitchen.
"I'm sorry to have made you laugh, young master!" Uncle Jiu looked at Jiang Liu, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping himself.
Jiang Liu took a sip of tea. It seemed that Master Simu had already explained the whole story, but Uncle Jiu was hesitant to speak due to his pride. So he said, "Uncle Jiu..."
"Just call me Lin Jiu, little master!"
Jiang Liu said earnestly, "Daoist Master, you are thirty years older than me, so it's easier to call me Uncle Nine! In this degenerate age, Daoist arts are waning, and the art of firearms is rampant. Perhaps in a few years, Daoist arts will be lost, becoming mere topics of idle conversation. We cultivators must not only learn methods to subdue demons and monsters, but also carry on and promote Daoist arts. We may not establish sects, but at least we cannot allow these things left by our ancestors to be lost. Uncle Nine, I have a Daoist technique called the Purification Mantra, an important means of practicing Daoist arts. With diligent study, even those lacking talent and unable to cultivate magical power can strengthen their physique through the mantra's body-refining effects. If possible, I would like to exchange this mantra for another Daoist technique from you, Uncle Nine!"
Uncle Nine nodded and said, "My junior brother just told me about it, and I've already read half of the Cleansing Mantra. It is indeed a superior cultivation method in Taoism. However, without your permission, my junior brother dares not give me the whole thing!"
"Both Uncle Nine and Master Four Eyes are gentlemen, so naturally they wouldn't covet this piece of my Taoist magic!"
Uncle Jiu stood up, lit three incense sticks, bowed to the ancestral tablet, turned around, and looked intently at Jiang Liu, saying, "Our Maoshan sect has a long history, passed down from the Shangqing Lingbao Celestial Master. It originated in the Western Han Dynasty when the three Mao brothers founded the sect on Maoshan Mountain. Later, it split into the Northern and Southern Maoshan sects. The Northern Maoshan sect is the ancestral temple, which was popularized by Tao Hongjing of the Southern Liang Dynasty. The Southern Maoshan sect was founded on Luofu Mountain, with Ge Hong of the Eastern Jin Dynasty as its patriarch. However, Maoshan truly flourished in the Northern Song Dynasty, becoming one of the three major talismanic sects of Taoism, along with Longhu Mountain and Gezao Mountain, known as the Three Mountains of Talismanic Arts. What I have learned is the way of Maoshan talismans, the true and genuine way of Maoshan."
Jiang Liu already understood that Uncle Nine had decided to exchange Taoist techniques, and immediately bowed and said, "Please teach me, Uncle Nine!"
“You have a heart for the Dao, and at such a young age you have already cultivated magical power. You also have a desire to uphold the righteous path, so it's not too much for me to teach you. I have just invited the patriarch to teach you a talisman first!” Uncle Nine took out a piece of yellow paper, bit his index finger, and quickly wrote on it. In three seconds, a talisman was completed:
"This is the Great General Talisman, also known as the Corpse-Suppressing Talisman. It was drawn by Zhong Kui when he attained enlightenment and can suppress demons and monsters. The order for the Great General to arrive here means that the Great General who governs the underworld holds great power and can command all ghosts. Once the Great General arrives, all ghosts will submit. It can also be used to suppress zombies that are born from the resentment and filth of heaven and earth."
Following Uncle Nine's hand, one could see that the row of zombies had "General's Talisman" pasted on their foreheads.
Copying a talisman is not difficult, but drawing a talisman continuously using vital energy is quite challenging.
If it were Jiang Liu from his previous life, it would definitely have taken him a long time to familiarize himself with writing talismans. Fortunately, having absorbed the memories of Jiang Liu from Journey to the West, he was extremely familiar with talismans. After breakfast, under Uncle Jiu's guidance, he finally succeeded after drawing ten talismans incorrectly.
According to Jiang Liu's calculations, each talisman consumes about 30% of his vital energy. Even if he succeeds in drawing every talisman, he can only draw a maximum of three consecutively. No wonder Uncle Nine doesn't easily use talismans in battle; without magical power and vital energy, Uncle Nine is just an ordinary person.
After drawing the "Great General Talisman" once again, Jiang Liu was completely exhausted and his energy was depleted. Without the support of spirit stones, he would never have been able to draw more than ten talismans in a day in this Dharma-ending Age.
Looking up at the sky, the moon was already high in the sky.
Jiang Liu stretched his limbs in the courtyard and then heard a commotion coming from the main house. He then saw Wen Cai running out in a panic.
He ran while shouting, "Master, help! Master..."
Chapter Eight: The Way of Talismans
By the time Uncle Nine and Master Four Eyes heard the noise and rushed over, the main room of the mortuary where the bodies were kept had already fallen silent.
Wen Cai cautiously peeked out and saw that the zombies were already standing against the wall, seemingly without having moved at all. However, the talismans on the foreheads of each zombie had fallen off.
Qiu Sheng, dressed as a zombie, stood pitifully to one side, head down and silent.
"Incredible, incredible! Fellow Daoist Jiang Liu, your corpse-driving technique has reached such a level! You can suppress eight zombies at the same time with just a peach wood sword! In just four days! Your corpse-driving technique is already close to mine. You're a monster, truly a monster..." Daoist Four Eyes looked at Jiang Liu as if he had seen a ghost.
Jiang Liu smiled and put away the Thunder Tribulation Sword. A divine object is easily defiled; this low-grade peach wood sword was nothing special in the Journey to the West world, but in this Dharma-ending Age, it was a supreme treasure. The Four-Eyed Daoist thought it was just ordinary peach wood, and Jiang Liu didn't point it out, laughing, "I've just gained some insight! I'm still far from reaching the Daoist's level!"
In just a few days, the information revealed in Jiang Liu's sea of consciousness has changed significantly:
Jiang Liu (Qi Cultivator)
[Cultivation Level: First Stage of Refining Essence into Qi]
[Taoist Techniques: Nine Heavens Thunder Orthodox Method (Beginner); Purification Mantra (Advanced): Cleansing the body with the sun and refining the form with the moon, achieving the acquired state of the physical body; Maoshan Corpse Refining Technique (Advanced); Maoshan Talismans (Initial Understanding): Comprehending the Great General Talisman]
[Martial Arts: Lacking mastery of the methods for circulating qi and blood, and generating power]
[Equipment: Peach wood sword, two Profound Essence Pills, three Blood Qi Pills, one Soul Nourishing Pill, one mid-grade spirit stone, and three low-grade spirit stones]
"Alas! Senior brother, Master Jiang Liu, it's time for me to go too." Master Simu sighed deeply, looking somewhat saddened.
Seeing that Master Simu was beginning to put on his Taoist robe, Jiang Liu advised, "Why don't you stay a few more days, Master? Let's have some more exchanges!"
"What is there for me to discuss, Fellow Daoist Jiang Liu? You are already close to surpassing me in the art of corpse driving!"
At this moment, Uncle Nine had just reprimanded his two disciples, saying, "Junior Brother, why are you leaving in such a hurry? Did these two wretches upset you?"
"You two little rascals, still so playful! Sigh... Five years ago I found a good disciple in Qimen, Huizhou, but he was still young, and should be around ten years old now. If heaven blesses me, I'll bring you back a junior brother. Little Master, Senior Brother, I'm off!" Master Four Eyes shook his bell and called out loudly, "Brothers, let's go!"
The zombies jumped up and followed him.
Jiang Liu thought for a moment, then chased after him, took out a low-grade spirit stone, and said, "Master Simu, our meeting is fate. This time we part, and by the time you return, I may no longer be here. Please take this spirit stone..."
Looking at the spirit stone brimming with spiritual energy, Master Four Eyes immediately waved his hand and declined, saying, "It's too precious, too precious! This is a divine object, I am unworthy to accept it! Little Master Jiang Liu, the purification spell already gave me a great advantage."
"Consider this a gift from me to my junior disciple, for his foundation-building." Jiang Liu stuffed the spirit stone directly into the pocket of the four-eyed bright yellow Taoist robe.
Master Four Eyes did not refuse again. He clasped his hands in thanks and said, "I am deeply grateful and will thank you again in the future!"
Watching Master Si Mu walk away, Jiang Liu returned, only to hear Uncle Jiu scolding Qiu Sheng: "Why aren't you home yet? What are you doing? Otherwise, your aunt will ask me for you. Go home!"
Qiu Sheng lowered his head, then looked at Jiang Liu as he approached, and mustered his courage to say, "Master, I want to learn Taoist magic!"
"Learn Taoist magic? Have you learned what I taught you before? How can you learn it if you only work sporadically?" Uncle Nine looked at Wencai, Qiusheng, and then Jiang Liu who had just entered. He sighed and said, "Come at dawn tomorrow. If you don't show up without a reason, you don't need to call me master anymore! I don't have a disciple like you."
Seeing Wencai's gloating expression, Uncle Jiu was furious: "Wencai, you're the same!"
“Master…” Wen Cai immediately frowned into a bitter face.
"Fellow Daoist Jiang Liu, these are my two unworthy disciples, Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai. Come, let me formally introduce you. This is Daoist Jiang Liu. All Daoist sects under heaven are one family. You can call him Junior Uncle."
"Junior Uncle!" Wen Cai was somewhat absent-minded, but Qiu Sheng was very respectful and even bowed. He had witnessed Jiang Liu's methods of subduing zombies.
Jiang Liu clasped his hands in a fist salute and said to Uncle Jiu, "Uncle Jiu, since Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai want to learn Taoist magic, why don't you use my Cleansing Mantra to build your foundation first!"
"Hurry up and thank your junior uncle!"
"Thank you, Uncle-Master!"
It was late spring, the moon was high in the sky above the willow branches, and the sounds of cicadas and frogs filled the air, giving the river a unique and rustic charm.
Uncle Nine glanced at the sky, took out cinnabar and yellow paper, and said, "Fellow Daoist Jiang Liu, since you can now draw a corpse-suppressing talisman on your own, you have already entered the realm of talismans. There's no time like the present, so tonight I will explain the way of talismans to you in detail. Qiu Sheng, Wen Cai, you two must also study diligently!"
"Talismans and incantations may seem independent, but they are unified. Only when talismans and incantations are combined can their true power be unleashed! Let's start with talismans..."
"Talismans are magical tools for communicating between humans and gods, so they cannot be drawn haphazardly. Hence the saying, 'If you draw a talisman without knowing the trick, you will only invite the laughter of ghosts and gods; if you draw a talisman with the trick, you will startle the ghosts and gods.' There are hundreds and thousands of methods for drawing talismans. Some require hand seals and visualization of the gods following the brush, while others require stepping on the Big Dipper and chanting incantations... Even the preparation of paper and ink, and the handling of the brush, are very particular. More importantly, the continuity of vital energy and magical power is crucial..."
Uncle Jiu dipped his food in cinnabar and began drawing a talisman on yellow paper. He completed it in one go, saying, “A talisman consists of five parts: the head, the presiding deity, the belly, the feet, and the core. If we use a person as an analogy for a talisman, the head is like a person's head; the presiding deity is like a person's thoughts and heart; the belly is like a person's stomach and intestines, where we write the talisman's function; the feet are like a person's feet; and the core is like a person's liver and gallbladder. A talisman without a core is like a door without a lock; bad people can enter at will. Therefore, the core is of paramount importance to the talisman…”
"As for the fasting, altar setting, and sacrificial rites before drawing talismans, these are only for calming the mind and returning to one's origin. Fellow Daoists, with firm Daoist hearts and unified primordial energy, naturally do not need these to clear away distracting thoughts. However, there are also many taboos. For example, there are four days each year when talismans should not be drawn randomly. If talismans are drawn on these four days, they will not only be ineffective but also harmful. These four days are the ninth day of the third month, the second day of the sixth month, the sixth day of the ninth month, and the second day of the twelfth month... Moreover, if you want the talisman to have the greatest effect, its power is greatest at the moment it is drawn. As time goes by, the primordial energy dissipates, and the talisman loses its effect."
What Uncle Nine said was the true essence of the talismans, and Jiang Liu immediately understood many things he didn't understand.
"As for the incantation..." Uncle Nine glanced at Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai, then said to Jiang Liu, "Fellow Daoist, come closer..."
"...Fellow Daoist, just keep the incantation in your heart. Just choose one or two sentences to recite and it will take effect!" After saying that, Uncle Nine said to his two disciples, "Drawing talismans randomly will only make ghosts and gods laugh. Reciting incantations randomly will only harm yourself and others. If you two want to learn real talismans, you should draw them first."
Then Uncle Nine taught Jiang Liu three more talismans. Among them, the Zhang Tianshi Zhenzhu Sha Zongfu (Zhang Tianshi's Talisman for Subduing All Evil Spirits) had the effect of suppressing evil spirits and driving away ghosts; the Qilin Talisman could help people concentrate and focus their energy; and the third talisman that excited Jiang Liu the most was the Thunder and Lightning Talisman!
The way of talismans is the great path of cultivation. The six-syllable mantra used by Buddha to suppress Sun Wukong was a talisman, which suppressed the Great Sage Equal to Heaven for five hundred years, demonstrating its power!
However, Uncle Nine's talisman skills are naturally incomparable; they are merely human-level supernatural abilities!
Chapter Nine Drinking Western Tea
The Thunder and Lightning Talisman, as the name suggests, is used to summon lightning to attack evil spirits. However, the spell Uncle Nine gave Jiang Liu was called the Five Thunder Spell, and in Jiang Liu's opinion, its power was less than satisfactory!
"Boom!" At dawn, a thunderclap exploded over the mortuary, waking Uncle Nine and Wen Cai. Wen Cai muttered, "It's going to rain," and went back to sleep, but Uncle Nine frowned, got up, and pushed open the door to look at the sky.
"A thunderclap from a clear sky! The thunder technique has been perfected!" As he spoke, he looked towards the room where Jiang Liu was.
At this moment, Jiang Liu looked at the huge hole above his head and at the stars in the sky. Although he was still shaken, he was overjoyed: "The lightning talisman was integrated into the Nine Heavens Thunder Orthodox Method, and it actually had such great power. But with just this one strike, my vital energy is already depleted. It seems that I can only use it as a last resort."
After sensing his own information, Jiang Liu couldn't help but smile.
Jiang Liu (Qi Cultivator)
[Cultivation Level: First Stage of Refining Essence into Qi]
【Taoist Techniques: Thunder Techniques (Entering the Inner Chamber): This technique uses thunder and lightning talismans to perform the Nine Heavens Thunder Orthodox Method, but it has many flaws;