Thoughts and Reflections

The open space outside the market was crowded with people. Wen Zheng met everyone's gaze and said to the fat man, "Senior brother, please."

The fat man snorted, took out a longsword from his storage bag, and slashed at Wen Zheng. His movements were extremely clumsy, and he didn't look like a swordsman.

Qu Hong and Mo Xin had just arrived when they saw him make his move. They were shocked. Mo Xin quickly took out the sword he used for practice and threw it over, saying, "Wen Zheng, catch!"

The sword flew towards Wen Zheng, but was kicked away midway. The fat man looked at the sword he had kicked away and kicked it again, sending the sword flying even further.

The crowd present utterly despised his behavior, pointing and whispering, but he remained unmoved and continued his attack on Wen Zheng.

Qu Hong picked up the sword, intending to throw it again, but was stopped by the fat man's companion: "Can't you see they're fighting one-on-one? You want to help them?"

Being targeted like this, Qu Hong trembled with anger. Mo Xin walked over and stood in front of her, glaring at the group.

Wen Zheng dodged the fat man's attacks while keeping an eye on Qu Hong and Mo Xin. Seeing that they were being harassed, she was about to speak when the fat man's sword came flying at her.

"Don't you even know how long I've been selling talismans in this market? You're a newcomer, yet you dare to steal my business."

The fat man kept wielding his sword and talking, "If I don't teach you a lesson today, you really don't know your own limitations."

Wen Zheng had been dodging using the Flying Goose Treading Snow technique. As he became more and more outrageous, she took out the Azure Spirit Brocade Brush, drew a Five Thunder Talisman, and threw it at the fat man.

The Five Thunder Talisman struck the fat man squarely and exploded, the purple lightning forcing him to take two steps back.

Wen Zheng didn't stop; she continued drawing talismans: Speed ​​Talisman, Fiery Talisman, Vajra Robe, Rejuvenation Talisman...

The fat man, holding his sword, watched as Wen Zheng's movements quickened, producing so many talismans that he couldn't hold them all in one hand. His expression changed drastically, and he forced himself to say, "I don't believe any of these talismans you've drawn will work."

The success rate of talismans has been answered by talisman cultivators in the cultivation world.

The fat man himself is also a talisman master. The talismans he sells are all collected and sold by his fellow disciples. Sometimes it takes a whole day to draw a single talisman.

"Believe it or not, try it and you'll see." Wen Zheng took out a Fiery Talisman and threw it over. The talisman stopped in front of the fat man and burst into flames. The fat man was so frightened that he took a step back and fell to the ground.

Wen Zheng didn't stop. She took out a Rejuvenation Talisman and used it herself. The spiritual energy that had disappeared while drawing the talisman slowly returned. After she finished regulating her breathing, she looked at the fat man on the ground and asked, "Do you want to try again?"

A genius who can draw talismans with 100% success rate—only a suicidal fat guy would dare to try that.

He quickly threw down his sword and kowtowed to Wen Zheng, saying, "I was blind and didn't recognize your greatness. Please spare me."

Wen Zheng was stunned when someone kowtowed to her for the first time. She was so frightened that she stepped back and waved her hand, saying, "Are you trying to morally blackmail me?"

It's just a competition, why is she acting like she's going to kill someone?

The situation was too difficult to control, so Wen Zheng looked at Qu Hong and Mo Xin outside the arena, her eyes sending out a distress signal.

Qu Hong and Mo Xin were equally shocked by Wen Zheng. They knew of Wen Zheng's talent in talismans, but apart from the first time, they had never seen Wen Zheng draw in front of them again.

Watching her effortlessly draw various talismans on the field this time, I felt both complicated and gratified.

When Wen Zheng's pleas for help went unanswered, she looked at the others present. They also stared at Wen Zheng in silence, no one saying a word. Even the fat man's companions came over to apologize, looking rather embarrassed.

Wen Zheng felt a chill run down her spine as she was stared at by the crowd's complicated gazes. She said to the fat man kneeling on the ground, "Alright, get up. I didn't say I was going to kill you."

The fat man stood up straight in a panic, bowed his head and said, "I'm sorry for what happened just now. It was all our fault. We apologize and promise we will never come to the market again."

The fat man dared not try to experience the consequences of offending a genius.

Wen Zheng glanced at the fat man and waved to Qu Hong, beckoning her over. Qu Hong, looking bewildered, pushed through the crowd and walked towards Wen Zheng.

As soon as Qu Hong arrived, Wen Zheng pulled her to stand in front of the fat man: "The person you should apologize to is not me, those words are useless to me."

The fat man glanced at Qu Hong, then brought his junior brother, who had stepped on the man, over to apologize.

Seeing the two of them behaving humbly in front of her, Qu Hong tugged at Wen Zheng's hand and whispered, "Why don't we let them go?"

There are too many of these people. They can earn some spirit stones by selling talismans at the market. If they are offended, they will easily be targeted.

Wen Zheng nodded, agreeing with that, and said to the fat man, "Get lost. If you dare to cause trouble again, see how I deal with you."

The fat man and his group quickly ran away, and the crowd dispersed as well, seeing that the excitement had died down.

Having successfully sold the talisman and defeated the people who came to provoke them, Wen Zheng smiled and took out her money bag, saying to the two, "Let's go down the mountain and have some good food."

After the three walked away happily, Mu Qing, disguised, came out from her hiding place and looked at Wen Zheng's departing figure, feeling a mix of emotions.

Unexpectedly, Wen Zheng's cultivation speed was so fast after her meridians were repaired, and she was also very familiar with the application of talismans.

If a genius like her hadn't had her sword bone stolen and her meridians damaged, her future achievements would surely have been extraordinary.

Who exactly stole the sword bone? And what are they planning to do?

Filled with doubt, Mu Qing returned to Aoxue Peak.

Shan Yixia Pinju.

The three of them had already ordered their food and sat down at a table by the window.

The continuous rain outside the window was oppressive and made people feel irritable. The drizzle drifted in with the wind, and Wen Zheng reached out her hand.

Qu Hong smiled and pulled her to a spot where it wasn't raining, closed the window, and said, "Your cultivation level has increased so quickly."

Is this a single-element mutated wind spirit root? It's truly impressive.

Wen Zheng finished her tea in one gulp, her brows furrowing slightly: "It's fast, but I don't think it's very useful."

As someone who draws talismans, the wind spirit root doesn't seem to be of much use to her.

Qu Hong and Mo Xin fell silent after hearing her words. They exchanged a glance and then looked at her. "How do you usually draw talismans?"

“Just use spiritual power to draw it.” Wen Zheng demonstrated it to the two of them.

Qu Hong and Mo Xin fell silent again. After a long silence, Mo Xin asked, "Wind spirit root is a light and swift spirit root, capable of riding the wind and flying. Have you never tried to use it in talismans?"

He explained the wonderful uses of the wind spirit root to Wen Zheng, who narrowed her eyes and asked, "So the wind spirit root represents speed?"

Neither of them answered her; neither of them possessed the wind spirit root and therefore could not answer Wen Zheng's question.

While Wen Zheng was thinking, the waiter served the dishes, and the three of them began to eat.

After a satisfying meal, the three of them waited for the rain to stop at Yipinju Restaurant.

The rain outside was getting heavier and heavier. They could use hand seals to block the rain, but the distance to the sect was too far, and they were afraid that their spiritual energy would be exhausted halfway there.

Qu Hong and Mo Xin chatted about cultivation, while Wen Zheng pondered the matter of spiritual roots.

If the Wind Spirit Root represents speed, could she use it on Flying Goose Treading Snow to increase her speed back to Proud Snow Peak? Similarly, could she use it when throwing talismans to make them fly faster and catch enemies off guard?

If she used it when drawing talismans, wouldn't she be able to draw even faster, producing more talismans in the same amount of time to sell at the market and earn more money?

As she thought about it, her gaze fell on someone who had come in to take shelter from the rain.

It was the person who bought her talisman.

The man also saw her, looked around but didn't find any empty seats, paused for a moment, and then walked towards her.

Seeing the person approaching, Wen Zheng gave up her seat and sat down next to Qu Hong. Her action caught the attention of the two people who were talking, and they looked up at the newcomer.

Qu Hong saw that the customer who came was buying talismans, so she didn't say anything and continued chatting with Mo Xin. Wen Zheng sat to the side listening, her gaze unconsciously drifting towards the person.

After being stared at for a while, the person grew annoyed and asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

He knew he was handsome, and the newly transformed demons in his clan would often sneak over to see him. But now he had disguised himself. Could she see through his disguise and reveal his true appearance?

Wen Zheng coughed and leaned slightly towards him. "How did you feel after using my talismans?"

Realizing he had misunderstood, the man turned his head away. "I used a few talismans, and the effect was quite good, but the appearance was terrible."

Wen Zheng knew this herself and promised to correct it next time, then continued to ask him, "Do you think there's anything else that can be improved in the talisman?"

The man didn't speak, but tapped his fingertips on the table: "Aren't all talismans like this?"

He seemed to be holding back. Wen Zheng thought for a moment, poured him a cup of tea, and took the initiative to explain: "Actually, I have only been learning talismans for a short time, and my master can only teach me a little. Today is the first time I have come out to sell talismans. It just so happens that you bought a lot, so I wanted to ask you."

Hearing that she hadn't studied talismans for long, the man's eyes darkened, and he asked, "How long have you been studying them?"

Wen Zheng: "Less than three months."

His hand holding the teacup paused. He had used those talismans before, and they were more effective than other talismans. He never expected that these would come from the hands of a cultivator who had just learned how to make talismans.

While marveling at the emergence of a new genius in the cultivation world, he took the initiative to introduce himself, "My name is Xiao Ze, an ordinary rogue cultivator. Fellow Daoist's talisman is very effective. If we're talking about improvements, I do have an idea. I wonder if Fellow Daoist would like to hear it."

Wen Zheng gestured for him to speak.

Xiao Ze: "Ordinary talisman cultivators draw all their talismans on paper. When they encounter enemies, it is too conspicuous and they are easily destroyed by their opponents. It would be great if there were some inconspicuous talismans, or something like a storage bag, so that the talismans could be stored and taken out directly when needed."

He said a lot, and Wen Zheng's eyes darted around, a vague idea forming in her mind. "Then next time I'll try drawing talismans on ordinary objects?"

Xiao Ze nodded, pondered for a moment, and continued, "If talisman cultivators could draw talismans by hand in front of you without using talisman paper, like array cultivators, wouldn't the effect be even better?"

"Or you can draw most of the talisman in advance and save the last stroke for the crucial moment. Another option is to combine two talismans into one, which reduces the number of times you need to draw the talisman when you need to use it..."

Xiao Ze talked on and on, and Wen Zheng looked at him with sparkling eyes.

She felt that what Xiao Ze said seemed feasible. The runes of the talisman were fixed, so why couldn't she integrate the runes and reassemble them into new runes?

Through systematic statistics and analysis, qualitative change can lead to quantitative change, and perhaps she can find a new path.

Wen Zheng was lost in thought for a long time, not even noticing that the rain outside had stopped, until Qu Hong waved her hand in front of her, bringing her back to her senses.

"Let's go, the rain has stopped." Qu Hong pulled her to leave.

Wen Zheng told them to go first, then turned to Xiao Ze and said, "I'll still be at that stall in ten days. I'll bring out new talismans then, and you can come and take a look if you have time."

Xiao Ze nodded in agreement. He had some business to attend to during this time and would be staying here for a while.

After the three of them had eaten and drunk their fill, they leisurely returned to their sect.

The few talisman cultivators, dejected after being dealt with by Wen Zheng, returned to their residences, only to bump into their master.

Elder He Qing looked at his miserable disciple and asked sternly, "Where have you been gallivanting off to this time?"

The fat man quickly explained, "I wasn't messing around, I wasn't messing around, I just went looking for trouble and got beaten up."

Fortunately, the other party did not physically assault them, which allowed them to return unharmed.

Elder He Qing snorted, scolded them a few times, and then asked, "Who was so blind as to punish you?"

He Qing was, after all, an elder. His disciples had been dealt with, and as their master, he had to vent his anger.

"N-no, I don't know." The fat man scratched his head. He had been setting up a stall at the market for so long, and this was the first time he had seen Wen Zheng come. He really didn't know.

Elder He Qing was so angry that he slapped his head hard and scolded him, "If you don't know, go find out! You've made your teacher lose all face!"

His roar made even the servants outside the door tremble.

The fat man and his companions were kicked out to look for someone. While wandering around the sect at a loss, they encountered a female cultivator crying under a tree.

The nun was beautiful, and her eyes were red and swollen from crying. She looked so pitiful that the fat man stared at her, completely mesmerized.

"Junior sister, why are you crying so sadly?" The fat man stepped forward and asked in the gentlest voice.

The female cultivator ignored him, burning paper money in her hand, tears streaming down her cheeks.

The fat man tried to strike up a conversation, but failed to attract the female cultivator's attention. He sighed and walked towards his fellow disciples who had just returned.

"Have you found out anything?" They've been gone for so long, they should have some leads by now.

The group shook their heads. "We asked several people from Feng, and they all said they didn't know him."

The fat man scratched his head and muttered, "That shouldn't be the case. With her powerful talisman cultivation, there's no way no one knows about her."

Upon hearing the words "powerful talisman cultivator," the female cultivator paused in her burning of paper money, her swollen eyes looking at him. "Who are you looking for?"

The sudden sound startled the fat man, who cleared his throat and said, "We're looking for a female talisman cultivator, and she's quite powerful."

After hearing the last sentence, the female cultivator lowered her head and continued burning paper money.

Seeing that she only asked one question and then didn't ask any more, the fat man leaned closer and asked, "Junior sister, have you seen that talisman cultivator? She seems to have a wooden bracelet on her wrist, and her eyebrows and eyes are bright and flamboyant, just as beautiful as you. Her cultivation level is probably at the Golden Core stage."

The fat man only remembered this much from his brief encounter with Wen Zheng.

After he finished speaking, the female cultivator slowly raised her head, pursed her lips slightly, and said, "I do know a handyman disciple. She is also a talisman cultivator and has only recently entered the sect. Her name is Wen Zheng."

"A menial disciple?!" The fat man was somewhat surprised. Wen Zheng's talent and strength far surpassed his own; how could she possibly be a menial disciple?

The female cultivator hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Actually, I heard about it from my friend. After Wen Zheng entered the sect, she found that her meridians were damaged and her cultivation was slow. She was assigned to be a menial disciple. However, after going to the Ghost Clan, her cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds. I heard it was related to a secret technique."

Her voice softened, prompting the fat man to lean closer. "Secret technique? It's not something shady, is it?"

“I don’t know either.” The female cultivator shook her head. “My friend had a personal grudge against her. He took a mission to the Ghost Clan and never came back.”

After saying that, she started crying again, scattering the paper money in her hand all over the ground.

The fat man was lost in thought and couldn't catch him immediately.

He clicked his tongue at what the female cultivator said. If she wasn't lying, how could Wen Zheng be so powerful? Could it be that she killed someone to steal their cultivation?

This is a major taboo in the cultivation world.

The fat man, realizing he had discovered the conspiracy, shuddered and thought of an excellent way to get revenge. He didn't even need his master to lift a finger; with just a little trickery, he could make it impossible for Wen Zheng to stay in the sect.

With that thought in mind, the fat man left with his fellow disciples.

The female cultivator picked up the paper money from the ground with tears in her eyes, and murmured softly, "Xiang Hutian, I will avenge you. You will not have died in vain."

Wen Zheng, just you wait.