Listening to Uncle Ma's explanation, I realized how naive I had been!
Yes, I was thinking too one-sidedly and never considered the pros and cons involved.
This further convinced me that Uncle Ma is a truly capable person.
Such skillful methods, such clear logic, and such comprehensive analysis of the pros and cons are all levels I have yet to reach.
I even wonder how I would deal with an opponent like Uncle Ma if I were to start working after graduation!
I shook my head with a wry smile: "I'm still too naive. If it were me, I wouldn't have chosen to help him. I really have no liking for people like that."
Uncle Ma grinned and said, "Haha, your idea is what most people think, right?"
“But I am a Taoist priest, and a Taoist priest must follow the ways of ordinary people.”
Immediately, Uncle Ma's expression turned cold: "But this Sun Mengcai is a real scoundrel; he will get his comeuppance."
Seeing Uncle Ma's face suddenly darken, I quickly asked, "Uncle Ma, what's wrong? Are you saying Sun Mengcai is hiding something? Or do you already know something?"
Uncle Ma clenched his fists tightly, like a pair of pliers: "Hmph, it would be a miracle if he didn't hide it. After all, how could he dare to tell me something like this!"
"Based on Sun Mengcai's appearance, I just did a quick mental deduction, and I think the death of the female ghost he mentioned is probably related to him!"
"No wonder he was so scared, now it all makes sense!"
I was completely confused when a terrifying thought suddenly popped into my head: "What? You mean, Sun Mengcai killed him?"
However, Uncle Ma shook his head: "He didn't kill the person, but you could say he died because of him. We'll have to wait until tonight to find out the specifics."
"Alright, it's time to teach you how to draw talismans. First, give me a strand of your hair; I'm going to use a substitution technique."
I reached behind my back, pulled out a strand of my own hair, and handed it to Uncle Ma.
Uncle Ma took the hair, took out a package from his backpack, and inside were cut-out paper figures.
He wrapped strands of hair around the paper figure, tore off a corner of it, then took out a talisman from his backpack, held it between two fingers, and muttered:
"Deceive your superiors and conceal your faults; follow the way of Heaven; seek good fortune and avoid disaster; put the substitute first; so be it!"
Then the talisman was placed on the paper figure's head, and the talisman remained firmly in place as if glued on.
I asked in surprise, "Uncle Ma, why is the talisman stuck on it? There's clearly no glue on it."
Uncle Ma said calmly, "A talisman is a tool that uses one's own spiritual power to trigger something. In other words, a talisman only needs one target."
"The place where your mental energy is focused is where the talisman is attached."
"There are many types of talismans, from low to high. The higher the level of the talisman, the greater its effect."
“These substitute talismans, exorcism talismans, and the antidote talismans you need to learn are all low-level talismans.”
“I can draw dozens of talismans to break curses at any time, but none of them are compatible with yours and cannot break the curse of death. That’s why I have to make you draw them yourself.”
“If it were my master, he could use the Source Tracing Talisman, but I can’t find him right now.”
I couldn't help but wonder: "What is the Source Tracing Symbol?"
Uncle Ma, with a look of great admiration, described: "The Source-Tracing Talisman, as the name suggests, traces the origin of things. Everything has a cause and effect, and the Source-Tracing Talisman can trace all the people on the cause-and-effect line, including their stories."
"This kind of talisman is so terrifying that it has been exceptionally listed as one of the top-tier talismans."
"There are only five top-tier talismans, all of which are terrifyingly powerful enough to turn the tide of battle."
"Someone as dull-witted as me can only draw high-level talismans at most, with a success rate of about one in five."
I couldn't help but twitch my lips: Does it have to be this Versailles-like? This is what you call dull-witted? Does that make me an idiot?
Of course, I would never say such a thing out loud.
Uncle Ma then rummaged through his backpack again: "Drawing talismans requires brush, ink, cinnabar, and yellow paper. At the same time, beginners should wash their hands and face and calm their minds as much as possible."
"Go wash your hands and face, then come over and practice."
I listened to Uncle Ma's advice, went into the bathroom, removed my light makeup, and washed up.
After I finished tidying up and came out, Uncle Ma had already placed everything on the reception table.
I looked at the brush, ink, cinnabar, and yellow paper on the table, unsure of where to begin.
Uncle Ma then picked up another book from the side, which was titled "Complete Collection of Talismans" and looked quite old.
Uncle Ma turned to one of the pages, which read: Calming Talisman
"Try drawing this calming talisman first. It is the most basic talisman in the talisman system, used to calm the mind and soothe the nerves. It is one of the talismans that beginners must try."
I looked at the talismans in the book, and they seemed very simple, consisting of only five simple strokes.
I picked up the brush and prepared to give it a try, since I used to practice calligraphy at home quite often.
He skillfully picked up the brush and began to draw on the yellow paper.
Just as I was halfway through drawing the character, my hand suddenly trembled, and the character on it became crooked.
Uncle Ma gestured to me that it was alright and told me to continue.
I nodded, switched to a different sheet of yellow paper, and continued drawing. This time, I cleared my mind and focused intently on the words in front of me.
I carefully drew the lines, and after finishing, I felt a little tired.
Uncle Ma was somewhat surprised: "Oh? The second one is enough?"
"Great, really great. I knew I hadn't misjudged him. He's even exceeded my expectations."
I asked doubtfully, "Uncle Ma, have I finished drawing it?"
Uncle Ma nodded approvingly: "Yes, it's done. You should already feel that your mental energy has been depleted, right?"
"Since you've just started learning, your mental strength is clearly insufficient, and you should be able to feel the loss of your mental strength very clearly."
Upon closer reflection, it's true; I felt somewhat tired after drawing the talisman.
Uncle Ma then picked up the talisman I had drawn: "Calm your mind and spirit, may your will endure, go!"
I saw Uncle Ma ignite the talisman in his hand after activating the incantation, and it flashed in front of my eyes.
After the talisman burned out, the feeling of fatigue in my body vanished instantly.
I was genuinely amazed by the magic of this talisman. Judging from what Uncle Ma just said, this talisman was only a basic, introductory talisman.
That looks like the top-tier talisman that Uncle Ma just mentioned. What must it look like?
It's as if a door has opened in my heart, and I feel a strong urge to go inside and take a look!
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