Chapter 462 Fu Cheng, A Prosperous Era
Looking at the objects on the table, Ouyang Rong squinted slightly, as if recalling something.
The room was quiet, and his heart calmed down as well.
A moment later, at the desk, the young man in a robe began to draw talismans.
He has always had a good memory, and not long ago he had a close look at a red and black talisman made by Master Yuan in the study of the Xunyang Prince's Mansion. Naturally, he had memorized the edict symbols on it.
Simply follow the example.
However, according to the "Zhen Gao", this talisman drawing process must be completed in one go, without interruption or redrawing.
However, the spiritual ink, like blood, "extracted" from a certain young female Taoist priest in Confucian robes was only a tiny bit.
There was only enough to draw one talisman; there was no room for him to waste.
In short, there is only one chance right now.
So the pressure is still quite high right now, even though Ouyang Rong usually has a good mindset...
Ouyang Rong picked up a snow-white whisk the size of a fingertip with two fingers, dipped it in the blood-red spirit ink without hesitation, and began to write.
over time.
His temples were gradually soaked with sweat after he had just taken a shower, as if he had just been pulled out of the water.
However, while drawing the talisman, Ouyang Rong did not raise his sleeve to wipe his sweat. He simply tilted his head slightly to prevent the drops of sweat from falling onto the precious spiritual ink talisman paper.
His eyes were fixed straight ahead, his gaze fixed intently on the ink marks on the talisman paper. His right hand held a snow-white whisk, steadily moving it forward to trace the marks on the paper...
Although he had never drawn talismans before, Ouyang Rong could easily enter a state of flow when doing things, which meant he could immerse himself completely in the task at hand. Before he started writing, he would always have a lot of thoughts, hesitate and waver, wanting to be fully prepared, but once he entered the field and started writing, he was already confident and his mind was free of distractions...
About an incense stick later.
The blood-red ink in the small golden bowl in front of Ouyang Rong had been drained.
The snow-white whisk he was holding between his two fingers was now stained bright red, and there were even red marks on his fingers.
Ouyang Rong, who had been watching intently, suddenly stopped moving.
The talisman is complete.
After finishing the last stroke, this thought inexplicably popped into his mind.
There were no extraordinary phenomena such as "the book becomes a talisman, radiating light and displaying great power," nor were there any key characteristics to remind him that the talisman was complete.
None.
But Ouyang Rong knew that the talisman was complete.
It's unclear whether this was a stroke of genius from the talisman drawer or if he truly possessed a talent for esoteric talisman drawing.
It's that simple.
Ouyang Rong leaned back in his chair and let out a long breath.
On the table in front of him, a brand-new red and black talisman lay quietly.
It is a highly confidential and strictly controlled secret within the Sanqing Taoist sect, and its contents are not to be leaked.
Now it lies obediently in front of Ouyang Rong, ready to be played with at will.
Lu Ya, who left in high spirits tonight, probably never imagined that someone would make a copy of the precious talisman he had used so carefully, so soon after he left.
Ouyang Rong wiped his temples with his sleeve.
He grabbed a towel, wiped the sweat from his head, and at the same time picked up the red and black talisman on the table with two fingers, examining it closely.
Apart from the different handwriting, it is almost identical to the posthumous inscription of that Mr. Yuan.
Ouyang Rong smiled slightly, but then quickly put the red and black talisman away.
We don't need it right now.
Because the merit-based purple mist is not yet sufficient.
Ouyang Rong currently only has a little over 800 merits, which is still a bit short.
He did not possess the corresponding spiritual energy of a Taoist lineage, so to activate such extraordinary skills and abilities, he could only consume a considerable amount of merit-based purple mist.
However, the red and black talismans have already been made, and as long as the merits are sufficient, a summoning decree can be used at any time.
So he began to prepare in advance, imitating Lu Ya's actions not long ago. He took a drop of blood from his fingertip, carefully put it into a porcelain bottle, and hid it together with the red and black talisman...
If a powerful and closely related descendant cannot be found, then he can only descend upon himself to refresh his full health.
Or perhaps it could be entrusted to a close relative, who could descend like a "god" at a crucial moment to turn the tide of battle...
Regardless, it's a trump card that can be used unexpectedly, so we should keep it safe.
Ouyang Rong rubbed his face.
"The divine decree... is somewhat similar to the craftsman's supernatural power of dependent origination and emptiness. The former requires a close relationship for a higher probability of descent and possession, and for a longer duration."
"Isn't this what requires a kind of dependent origination? Just like dependent origination and emptiness, um, no wonder the purple mist of merit can be used universally. In a sense, merit is a kind of dependent origination."
Having successfully drawn the talisman tonight and seeing that nothing serious had happened, Ouyang Rong tidied up and returned to his inner room to prepare for sleep.
"Hmm, what time is it?"
From the wardrobe next to the bed came the drowsy voice of a little ink spirit.
Ouyang Rong tucked the blanket around the sleeping Ye Weilai, then lifted the covers to get into bed, casually remarking:
"The sun is shining on my butt."
"Yay, I can sunbathe again."
With a loud thud, the cabinet door seemed to be forcefully flung open, and a figure in a scholar's robe shot out, flying towards the windowsill like a wisp of smoke. However, upon rushing out, he seemed to have not expected the dark environment and overshot his target, letting out a cry of pain as he fell into the grass outside the windowsill, startling insects.
"Ouyang Rong, where's the sun? Who's getting its sun on? It's so dark outside!" Miao Si complained.
Ouyang Rong pretended not to hear.
A moment later, the door was pushed open, and looking out from inside the room, besides the stern-faced young woman in Confucian robes, one could also see the brilliant starry sky outside the long corridor.
Miao Si plucked the weeds from her Taoist hat, ran back to the inner room, jumped onto the bed, pulled back the covers covering someone's eyes and face, shoved his shoulder, and shouted loudly in his ear:
"Hey, don't sleep, the sun's already high in the sky."
"Hmm, what do you mean, 'your butt' is all sunburnt?" Ye Weilai turned over, raising her little white-haired head, but Ouyang Rong pressed her down, covered her with the blankets again, and covered her ears. The sleepy girl nestled in his arms and fell back asleep.
Ouyang Rong turned his back to Miao Si.
The young woman in Confucian robes lay sprawled on the pillow where he had rolled over to his side, quiet for a moment, then muttered:
"This fairy misses Xiaoxuan."
“Alright, I’ll send you to the Three Mountains of Talismans tomorrow,” Ouyang Rong replied with his eyes closed.
"No!" Miaosi immediately shouted.
She looked up, glanced at Ouyang Rong's expression, and muttered to herself:
"Just kidding. How come the Great Sword Immortal isn't humorous at all? That won't do. I once met one who was open-minded and cheerful. He spent his days hoeing the fields and drinking wine, but his memory wasn't very good. He still owes me two coins. Unfortunately, even if I have an IOU, it's useless now. There's no way to prove it now that he's dead."
Ouyang Rong didn't laugh.
After listening quietly for a while, he suddenly asked, "Who is he?"
"Who? Who?" Miao Si looked confused, then suddenly laughed and said, "Hehe, I was just kidding. I met her in my dream."
Ouyang Rong pursed his lips and didn't ask any further questions.
The tiny ink sprite, no bigger than a palm, rolled around on the pillow a few times, finally landing next to Ouyang Rong's head. It grabbed his ear, shook it, and shouted into the ear canal:
"Hey, Ouyang Rong, where are we going next?"
"What do you mean 'we'? You're going too?"
"Of course, didn't we agree that you'd be my follower? So naturally we should share the good times and the bad, and eat and drink well together, hehe."
"Alright, let's go to Luoyang and Chang'an then."
"I don't want Luoyang. Chang'an is alright, the name is nice, Chang'an, Chang'an."
"Then don't go."
"You shouldn't go either, at least not now. It's chaotic over there right now, why would we go and join in the fun?"
"What's the meaning?"
"The Great Zhou Dynasty at present lacks the aura of a golden age."
"Can you still see the aura of a prosperous era?"
"Nonsense, what prosperous era doesn't have a touch of literature? If it's not rich in literature, what kind of prosperous era is it? Hmm, I heard that the current emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty is an empress, who is already eighty years old and has a bunch of male lovers. Power is truly the most potent aphrodisiac. I forget who said it, but tsk tsk, this fairy has lived for so long and this is truly the first time I've ever seen anything like it."
Ouyang Rong nodded: "I hope there won't be a second time."
"Who knows? Wait, are you cursing me?" Miao Si muttered nonchalantly.
Ouyang Rong, who had been keeping his eyes closed, suddenly said:
"When I take you to Luoyang or Chang'an in the future, I will naturally take you to see the prosperous times."
How do you know there will be a golden age in the future?
Ouyang Rong remained silent. He couldn't very well say directly that, following this familiar trajectory, and referring to a familiar period of history from his previous life, once the political chaos caused by the female ruler's autocracy in the Wei Zhou dynasty was cleared up, a golden age comparable to the Kaiyuan era might very well arrive.
Moreover, was everything truly peaceful during the Kaiyuan era?
If it were still when Dragon City had just awakened, facing the grand era that was about to unfold, Ouyang Rong would probably be incredibly excited.
But now, after what happened in Longcheng...
Even in times of prosperity, there are crises. This is not something that can be caused by the incompetence or ambition of one or two people, but rather by the ills of the entire empire. The roots of these problems may have been sown as early as the Wei Zhou Dynasty.
The handsome young man, who had been sleeping soundly with his eyes closed on the bed, opened his eyes at some point and stared at the curtains on the ceiling.
“Some people believe because they see, while others see because they believe,” he said softly.
Miao Si asked curiously, "Ouyang Rong, do you believe there will be a golden age to come?"
"Yeah, it's like you believing the sun shines on your butt."
"..."
After a short while, a brilliant idea struck him:
"But after I believed you, you led me into a trap, and I fell flat on my face."
In the darkness, Ouyang Rong whispered:
"Who knows if I'll fall into a trap after believing in it? Who can predict what will happen in the future?"
You'd better say the sun is shining on your butt.
"I hope so."
Ouyang Rong grinned.
Miao Si held his ear, stared blankly for a moment, then turned to his earlobe and whispered something:
"From now on, when you're out in public, try not to recite poems or show off your literary skills."
Why?
"Last time in Xiaoxuan's yard, you wrote so many wonderful poems on the red leaves. It was enjoyable, but it was too ostentatious. Your literary talent was overwhelming. Be careful that you don't get caught by that money-owing fairy again next time."
"Oh right, and those female cultivators from Wu and Yue, hey, how come I keep running into them in every era? What generation of Yue Chuzi are they now? The last time I woke up, that generation of Yue Chuzi, with a sword, killed the famous Confucian sage. Hehe, let's see if those Confucian scholars still dare to say that only women and petty men are difficult to deal with."
Ouyang Rong turned around:
“It’s not good to keep it hidden forever. Like last time when the poem was exposed by the oil-paper umbrella, luckily you saw it and helped cover it up… You are an ink spirit, naturally close to literature. Is there any way you can help me cover it up on ordinary days?”
"She is the Fairy of Ink."
"Okay, Little Fairy Mo."
Miao Si pointed to her lips with her finger: "Hmm, it's difficult to cover it up, but it can be shifted."
"Transfer, what does that mean?"
"It means transferring it to someone else, pretending it's someone else's literary energy, so that the people at the Imperial Observatory can't find you..."
"I don't really understand, but it'll be fine. Then I'll trouble you, Fairy Lady, to keep an eye on things for me."
"Of course, you'll be my ninety-ninth glorious follower, and I won't treat you badly."
Miao Si patted his chest, a hint of pride in his voice, before solemnly adding:
"But you're not allowed to lie to me about the sun being high in the sky again next time."
"Transaction completed... wait, you're already ninety-ninth? You're practically a pro at that."
"This fairy maiden just said it offhand."
Ouyang Rong smiled, then, as if remembering something, asked again:
"By the way, last time you commented that apart from a poor, pedantic official living in a temple, the others in Xunyang City weren't very cultured. Who is this poor, pedantic official?"
"He seems to be from Chang'an, a demoted official, named Yuan something, I forgot. He's quite discerning, he loves Hanlei ink, so I can sense his literary style, it's very familiar. Oh right, last time I gave him face and stole a few of his ink sticks."
"Okay, I thank you on his behalf."
"What, you know him?"
Ouyang Rong said calmly, "I guess we know each other."
"What do you mean by 'calculate'? Oh right, I almost forgot you're some kind of historian in Jiangzhou. You must be a high-ranking official. Hmm, does that mean you can buy me Hanlei ink sticks every day?"
"No, I'm an honest official, and my salary isn't enough. You should go eat at Yuan Huaimin's place. He's rich and powerful, and he doesn't even blink an eye if he's late. I'll give you directions tomorrow, so you can patronize him often."
Miao Si looked doubtful:
"An honest official? Aren't all officials the same? What's the point of being honest or corrupt? Aren't they all from aristocratic families? Why would they care about a measly salary? You're some kind of historian in Jiangzhou. You seem to be quite influential. I don't believe you don't have some connections."
Ouyang Rong's face hardened:
"Don't talk nonsense, I didn't, I didn't."
"Now it's the Great Zhou Dynasty, and I entered officialdom through the imperial examination, so I'm just a poor scholar."
"It's different now, hmm, you can understand it this way: an honest official is a poor official."
Miao Si patted his ear:
"A poor scholar? A poor official? Then hurry up and make some money. I thought you had a fortune and thousands of acres of fertile land, so you would have time to speak up for the people."
"So you're just a penniless wretch. If you're poor, what are you trying to clean up? Humph, if you keep being this poor, you'll lose me, the fairy maiden. I don't take in poor followers."
"..."
"Wait a minute, you from a humble background, how could you manage to hook up with the eldest daughter of the Xie family of Chen County? Has the Xie family gone from a noble family to a poor one? No, that Miss Xie doesn't seem to be lacking in nutrition at all."
Ouyang Rong turned around: "Flirting? I'll give you another chance to rephrase your words."
Miao Si instantly became serious, raised her finger to the south and retorted: "They are a perfect match, a match made in heaven, how dare you, a mere member of the Xie family, object!"
Ouyang Rong nodded, covered the little ink spirit on the pillow with the blanket, and said:
"It's not like we can't produce ivory."
"Oh dear, this world is so chaotic. It's not the same as before. It's so annoying."
Ouyang Rong squinted and shouted:
"My Lady Immortal, times have changed."
(End of this chapter)
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