Chapter 435 Materials for Red and Black Talismans
After exchanging for the new blessings, the well remained calm and still, as if nothing had happened.
Ouyang Rong was already used to it and calmly returned to his residence in Huaiye Lane for dinner.
Who knows how this blessing came about? Anyway, it's always quite mystical, and we can only speculate about it afterward.
Even after the 10,000 merits and blessings from the Pure Land Palace were redeemed, there was still a gap or interval.
In addition, based on Ouyang Rong's recent insights into dependent origination and emptiness.
Cause and effect, cause and effect, the cause does not directly lead to the effect.
There is also a "origin" in it.
A cause can have many effects, such as good effects and bad effects. How can we ensure that it will reach the specific effect?
Ordinary people cannot guarantee it; it can only be left to fate.
However, based on his experiments, he speculated that the merit points accumulated by the wooden fish were actually equivalent to "causal conditions," which he quantified.
The blessings obtained through good deeds are a great and special "causal relationship" that can influence cause and effect and change the course of events.
Simply put, it means, after encountering a corresponding cause, deriving an effect that benefits him/her...
The more you study this mysterious and abstruse stuff, the easier it is to get lost in it. Ouyang Rong rubbed his face and put his mind at ease for the time being.
After dinner, I returned to Yinbingzhai, took a bath and changed my clothes, then took a hot bath before going to my study to read late into the night.
As night deepened, seeing the white-haired maidservant asleep, Ouyang Rong took out an old, crumpled scripture, his expression serious, and continued to peruse it with lowered eyes.
It was that book, "Zhen Gao".
During this period, whenever he had free time at night, he would bury himself in studying and refining his ideas.
Thanks to the all-powerful purple mist of merit, it can replace the exclusive spiritual energy of a Taoist's lineage, deduce cultivation techniques, and practice this scripture.
He's almost finished with it and is now at the crucial final stage.
After exchanging the new blessings in the evening, the little wooden fish still had more than 800 merits left, so it simply used them all without leaving any behind, making the most of it all in one go.
No more hesitation.
At the desk, the handsome young man holding the "True Teachings" suddenly closed the book, shut his eyes, and began to mutter "The True Teachings of Human Love" in a low voice...
The autumn night was quiet with fewer insect chirps.
I don't know how much time passed.
A smile appeared on Ouyang Rong's closed face, his joy barely concealed.
My chest and abdomen feel warm, and the spiritual energy in my dantian is flowing smoothly through the unique meridians without any stagnation.
Having consumed over eight hundred merits, he had completely deduced the core techniques of the Shangqing Ancestral Hall.
All the prerequisites for performing the Shangqing secret art of "divine decree" have been met.
All that's missing is a red and black talisman.
The back of this book, "Zhen Gao," contains detailed records of talisman-drawing techniques and top-secret incantations that require further imperial authorization.
Ouyang Rong immediately opened his eyes, his face full of anticipation, and took out paper and ink to test it.
First, they drew the talisman by imitation, and then added a tongue-twisting incantation for the special red and black talisman.
Soon, a talisman appeared in his hand.
Ouyang Rong attempted to infuse the purple mist of merit.
But... nothing happened.
His once-proud brows gradually furrowed.
Why is that?
Go back and check again.
There were no problems with any aspect of the practice, such as the operation of the technique, the drawing of talismans, the incantation, etc.
After repeated confirmations, only the last step remained.
Ouyang Rong's slightly narrowed gaze fell on the ordinary paper and ink talisman lying quietly in his palm.
"Is the paper and ink not of good enough quality...?"
The next day, early in the morning.
Ouyang Rong went to Hanlei Mozhai, but surprisingly, he couldn't find Rong Zhenren anywhere.
"Has your Lady of the Palace not arrived yet? Did she oversleep?"
Ouyang Rong asked the female official who was guarding Hanlei Mozhai with curiosity.
"I don't know. Lady Historian's whereabouts have been unpredictable lately. If you need anything, please leave a message."
"Okay." He nodded thoughtfully.
Could it be that the case is simply too difficult to investigate, leading to complacency?
No, that doesn't seem like Rongzhen's style.
Something unusual must be going on. He kept a watchful eye on things and decided to leave it at that for the time being. He then went and called Yan Liulang out.
Yan Liulang was equally puzzled:
"This lady has indeed been arriving quite late lately. I thought she had important business to attend to and was preoccupied with something else."
Ouyang Rong nodded slightly:
"Otherwhere? I haven't seen her go to Xunyang Grottoes to supervise the progress... Tell me immediately if there are any signs."
"Yes, Your Excellency." Yan Liulang clasped his hands in a respectful gesture.
Ouyang Rong thought for a moment, then casually mentioned the matter of the Yangzhou merchants, and ordered Yan Liulang to send someone to keep an eye on it.
Blocking someone's path to wealth is like killing their parents. The looks in the eyes of some disgruntled merchants in Yangzhou served as a wake-up call for Ouyang Rong.
The position of Chief Secretary of Jiangzhou is not necessarily safe. People might have wild ideas when riding in a convertible, so he should be careful when riding Dongmei around town.
We need to guard against some underhanded tactics. Although Ouyang Rong is already an eighth-rank swordsman and not too afraid of these things, it's hard to say about the people around him.
As the male owner of the mansion in Huaiye Lane, he had to guard against risks and eliminate even the smallest ones.
After arranging this matter, Ouyang Rong went out and went directly to the Xunyang Prince's Mansion, where he found Lu Ya.
Ouyang Rong first asked about the Huang family father and daughter, and then exchanged pleasantries for a while.
As the two walked together along the corridor, chatting idly, he casually asked:
"Master Lu is a disciple of Maoshan Mountain. Is he the only core disciple of Maoshan Mountain at the foot of the mountain right now?"
Lu Ya nodded, paused, and sighed softly: "Strictly speaking, there is another person?"
"who?"
Lu Ya shook his head: "You could say I'm half a junior brother to you."
"Half?"
"Because Master was not very willing to accept him as a disciple, and teaching him Taoist magic was out of necessity, because... he was Master's flesh and blood, but he had no talent, and he was also eccentric, causing trouble everywhere, which did not conform to Master's views... Moreover, he always disobeyed Master's arrangements."
"What arrangements?"
“My junior brother wanted to inherit all of Master’s mantle, but Master refused. He didn’t give it to him before he passed away, and didn’t even call him back. As for joining the Ancestral Hall, Master never agreed to it until his death. My junior brother went down the mountain in anger and even complained to me, saying that I stole his things.”
Ouyang Rong, recalling the frivolous Taoist priest he had casually killed who had looted gold coins, coughed and looked concerned:
"Master Lu, aren't you going to go and look for him? After all, he's our junior brother."
"No need. My master told me to leave him alone and let him die on his own. It was my master's ill-fated destiny, and he deserves his retribution..."
Lu Ya, his face expressionless, hesitated for a moment:
"Actually, I came to Xunyang to look for him. He knew that I was here to assist the Prince's Mansion and might cause trouble, but when I came here, I didn't see him, so I let it go."
"I see." Ouyang Rong remained calm, recalling a certain frivolous Taoist priest in his mind, which made him even more certain.
Trying to cause trouble? Sorry, I've already taken care of it for you. I didn't see anyone, because they were burned to ashes.
Ouyang Rong finally understood why this person possessed the Shangqing core cultivation technique, "Zhen Gao".
Moreover, he did indeed go against Lu Ya's advocacy of helping the Xunyang Prince's Mansion, and turned around to help the Wei family. What a bizarre thought process! No wonder that old Mr. Yuan did not recognize him as his closed-door disciple, even though he was clearly his own flesh and blood, just like his junior sister and mentor Xie Xun.
Ouyang Rong was unsure whether killing this man meant making enemies of Lu Ya and the Shangqing Sect.
Looking at it from another angle, maybe it's a way to rid the scourge? Anyway, it's definitely not easy for them to make a move against the ancestral hall of the Shangqing Sect. They might even have to thank him, since even the Celestial Master Yuan said it was a karmic entanglement. He can be considered to have helped the Celestial Master sever this karmic entanglement.
Ahem, so it's perfectly fine for your Shangqing Sect to send me a few red and black talismans. Well, if you don't, I'll learn them myself. Your silence is my tacit agreement, okay?
Ouyang Rong nodded shamelessly, then suddenly asked:
"I have long admired the Three Mountains of Talismans. I have heard that the reason why the Three Pure Ones are called the Three Mountains of Talismans by outsiders is because each of them possesses a type of precious talisman. Hmm, like Master Lu's sect, what kind of talisman is it again?"
"It's a red and black talisman."
"What's the use?"
"Talismans are the most precious treasures of the Three Mountains. They can command gods and ghosts, suppress demons and evil spirits, cure diseases and bring blessings... They are generally not passed on to outsiders. As for their uses, it is not convenient to tell you."
Ouyang Rong remained calm and said, "Oh, speaking of making this kind of precious talisman, the talisman paper, pine ink, and the like must be very expensive, costing a lot of money."
“It’s not about whether it’s expensive or not.” Lu Ya said softly, “The finest talisman paper and spirit ink in the world cannot be bought with money. Talisman paper can be nurtured slowly, but spirit ink requires good fortune.”
"What kind of good fortune?"
Lu Ya's answer was vague: "Young Master Ouyang, have you ever heard of any spirits or ghosts?"
Ouyang Rong thought for a moment:
"My junior sister mentioned that there are actually foxes and birds in the world that can speak human language, and warned me not to be fooled by the little fox spirit. It seems that fox spirits are indeed fond of handsome scholars like myself... But what does this have to do with the ink needed for talismans?"
"Never mind if you haven't heard of it. If Young Master Ouyang is really curious, you can go to Maoshan in the future and I can get you a red and black talisman to take a look. It's not convenient now."
He blinked: "Master Lu didn't bring one with him when you went out?"
Lu Ya remained noncommittal: "This is a priceless treasure, and the Ancestral Hall does not bestow it lightly."
Without another word, he took his leave, leaving Ouyang Rong alone, lost in thought.
"Special talisman paper, and spirit ink... This kid is not only quiet, but he also likes to be a riddle teller. But then again, it's a treasure of the sect. It's already a lot of face for him to talk so much to an outsider like me and satisfy his curiosity."
He frowned and muttered to himself:
"Learning the ultimate techniques of Shangqing is really troublesome. I'm just one step away from mastering them. Where can I find the right opportunity? Good fortune? Sorry, I only have good fortune, but that's random."
"However, according to Lu Ya, if we can obtain the corresponding paper and ink, wouldn't that mean that not only the Shangqing Sect's unique techniques, but also the two types of sect-protecting talismans needed for the Taiqing and Yuqing Sects' unique techniques could be made? After all, the three sects of talismans are considered one family, though from different lineages..."
This chapter is a bit short... I'll write another one around midnight! Brothers, get some sleep, we'll read OR2 during the day.
(End of this chapter)
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