Gentle Breeze Talisman and the Maze Formation
Professor Eleanor Silverstalker staggered out of the "Eastern Secret Medicine" shop, clutching her head. Her meticulously styled hair was now disheveled, her eyes behind her gold-rimmed glasses were unfocused, and she kept muttering broken phrases like "This is unreasonable," "Energy node reversal," and "Stability has actually increased?" as if she had been hit hard on the back of the head with a hardcover copy of "The Complete Book of Potions."
For a scholar like her who had dedicated her life to rigorous magical science, Ling Yao's casual modifications were no less than a hammer called "unreasonable" wielded against the solid wall of her worldview, leaving it cracked and on the verge of collapse.
Finn watched the professor's dejected figure, shrank back, and whispered to Ling Yao, "Miss Ling, it seems you... have really upset Professor Yinrui..."
Ling Yao shrugged indifferently, continuing to toss her red magic core. This is nothing, and she can't even handle it? If she were to witness her master's book, "One Hundred Wonderful Uses of Reverse Energy Nodes for Furnace Explosions," wouldn't she immediately stage an out-of-body experience?
After this experience, Finn's admiration for Ling Yao only intensified, like a surging river overflowing its banks. He looked at the empty shelves in the store (although now only a few lonely bottles of amber-colored potion were displayed on them), his eyes burning with fervor and full of enthusiasm.
"Miss Ling! Let's start mass production of 'Ling's No. 1' stamina potion right now! It's sure to be a bestseller!" He rubbed his hands together, eager to transform into a potion-making machine.
Ling Yao, however, showed little interest. Repeating the same labor with that broken crucible and alcohol lamp? Too beneath her. She'd rather use that time to devour a couple more magic cores and try to recover as much immortal power as possible.
She casually grabbed a piece of cheap parchment Finn had bought from the corner, picked up a charcoal pencil, recalled the modified "micro-stabilizing array" she had just drawn, simplified it again and again, keeping only the most core part that could be driven by the meager elemental energy of this world, and sketched it down in a few quick strokes before tossing it to Finn.
The meaning is clear: if you carve this array on the bottom of the crucible and activate it with a trace of magic during the alchemy process, the effect will be about one-tenth of what it would be if she did it herself? That should be enough.
Finn was overjoyed, holding the parchment that looked like it was covered in scribbles, his hands trembling: "This...this is a magic circle? Miss Ling, you created your own magic circle?!" The big boss casually tosses out treasures!
He immediately found some tools and began painstakingly copying the design on the bottom of the small bronze crucible. However, drawing a magic circle was far more complex and precise than he had imagined, especially this kind of array that Ling Yao had modified, which required extremely high precision in its lines. He drew and erased, erased and drew again, finding that either this part was crooked or that the magic conduction nodes were not handled properly.
Having finally managed to sketch a rough outline, he excitedly infused it with a wisp of magic, attempting to activate it—
"puff!"
A slight energy turbulence flashed by, and a wisp of blue smoke rose from the array lines at the bottom of the crucible, which then completely obliterated itself.
Finn: "..." He didn't believe it, so he changed to another piece of parchment and continued drawing and exploding.
For a moment, the small shop was filled with the sound of popping and burning, accompanied by the smell of burning and Finn's frustrated mutterings, making it as lively as setting off dud firecrackers during the Chinese New Year.
Ling Yao was getting annoyed by the noise. She glanced at Finn's appalling drawing mess and shook her head helplessly. This year's students have such poor basic skills. They can't even do the most basic "concentration and calming of mind, intention following the movement of hand," and their energy guidance is a complete disaster. It's no wonder it exploded.
She recalled when she first started learning to draw talismans, she also blasted her master's cave into a cloud of smoke and was chased and beaten by the fat old man with a broom for three whole years...
For the sake of her own peace and quiet, and also for that insignificant "teacher-student relationship" (mainly because she disliked the noise), Ling Yao unusually had the idea of "giving guidance".
She walked over, pulled out a new parchment, and this time instead of drawing a complicated magic circle, she drew the core of the simplest "Gentle Breeze" rune—a simplified rune with a beautiful structure and containing a faint rule of "drawing airflow".
She slapped the parchment in front of Finn, pointed to the runes, and blew on his forehead, which was feverish from repeated failures.
A cool and comfortable breeze swept by, and Finn's anxious mood calmed down considerably.
He stared blankly at the rune, then felt the gentle breeze, his eyes widening suddenly: "This...this is...a rune that can generate wind?! No incantation needed?!"
Ling Yao nodded and made a "copy" gesture.
Finn's heart pounded with excitement. He quickly focused his mind, held his breath, picked up his charcoal pencil, and carefully began to copy the image.
However, the seemingly simple runes require an extremely stable wrist and a firm grasp of the "intention" to draw. Finn either drew them crookedly and without spirit, or he couldn't control the strength and rhythm when infusing them with a small amount of magic.
"Pfft!" — The line broke, failure.
"Sizzle!"—The magic was too strong, and the parchment burned through.
"Buzz..." - The runes twisted, producing a small gust of hot air that spun wildly and almost set his hair on fire.
The "plop" sounds in the small shop became even more varied and interesting.
Ling Yao sighed and rubbed her forehead. It was hopeless; the child was too rough to be good at drawing talismans. She decided to give up and let him fend for himself.
But Finn was completely determined to master this "Gentle Breeze Talisman." The template personally drawn by the boss was right in front of him, and he had personally experienced its effects. If he couldn't learn it, how could he still have the face to call himself the boss's number one henchman?
So, for the next few days, the "Eastern Secret Medicine" shop was basically closed during the day (since it didn't have any business anyway), and various failed energy fluctuations and Finn's strange cries kept emanating from inside. Occasionally, curious passersby would try to come closer to take a look, but they would often be scared away by a sudden gust of wind or a small spark coming out from under the door.
Ling Yao didn't bother with him much, spending most of her time holed up in the back room, absorbing the pitiful energy from those few magic cores, or studying the magic books Finn had acquired, trying to understand the rules of this world more deeply. Occasionally, when she couldn't stand the noise of Finn's explosions, she would come out and kick him, then throw him a bottle of "Ling's No. 1" to restore his energy so he could continue his reckless behavior.
Hard work pays off (or rather, quantitative change leads to qualitative change). After consuming enough parchment and charcoal pencils to bankrupt an ordinary student, Finn finally... succeeded once!
The "Gentle Breeze Talisman" he drew emitted a steady, faint light the moment it was activated by magic, and then continuously generated a weak but clear airflow! Although the wind was so weak that it could only blow the bangs on his forehead and lasted for only a dozen seconds, it was undoubtedly a historic breakthrough!
"I did it! Miss Ling! I did it! Look!" Finn held up the precious talisman, his face flushed with excitement, jumping and bouncing around the shop, almost knocking over the only table.
Ling Yao lifted her eyelids and glanced at it. Hmm, the talisman's structure was loose, its energy utilization rate was ridiculously low, and the breeze was weak and listless... Oh well, at least it didn't explode, so it's still progress.
She unusually gave her approval and nodded.
That single nod ignited Finn's confidence, and he immediately began fantasizing about even more complex runes: "Miss Ling! Do you have any runes that can start fires? Runes that can cleanse? Runes that can make people run faster?..."
Ling Yao simply turned her back on him, too lazy to bother with this brat who was pushing his luck.
Perhaps it was because the energy fluctuations Finn had been creating these past few days were too frequent and chaotic, or perhaps it was because the "Eastern Secret Medicine" had been too "lively" and attracted attention these past few days. In any case, the shop had been targeted by some people with ill intentions.
That night, the moon was dark and the wind was high... Well, actually, the security in Academy Town is not bad, but there are always a few idle guys who want to make some extra money.
A thin, dark figure, under the cover of night, silently crept to the door of "Eastern Secret Medicine." He had been observing for several days. The new shop looked dilapidated, the owner was a strange mute woman, and only a loud and boisterous magic apprentice frequently came and went, seemingly having concocted some somewhat effective potions. Perhaps he could steal something valuable or the recipe.
He skillfully used tools to pry open the flimsy wooden door and slipped inside.
The shop was pitch black and empty (Ling Yao was resting in the back room), with only some simple tables and chairs and a small copper crucible on the counter.
The thief was secretly delighted and began rummaging through the shop. However, he soon discovered that the shop was incredibly poor; apart from a few bottles of strangely smelling potions, there was practically nothing of value. Undeterred, he glanced at the curtain leading to the back room.
Just as he was tiptoeing into the back room, he suddenly felt as if he had stepped on something and stumbled!
He was startled and quickly steadied himself, only to find that a thin, almost imperceptible mist had somehow spread around him. The scene inside the shop began to blur and distort; the curtain that had been so close suddenly seemed to have receded into the distance.
"What's going on?" The thief felt a chill and quickened his pace toward the curtain.
But after walking for a while, he found that the curtain was still so far away from him, and the surrounding shelves (although empty) and tables and chairs seemed to move, always blocking his way. He felt like he was going around in circles.
"A ghost wall?!" A terrifying thought popped into his head, sending chills down his spine. He refused to believe it and started running, dashing left and right, but no matter how he ran, he would inexplicably return to the center of the shop, facing that cold, hard copper crucible.
Fear gradually gripped him. He shouted, but found his voice seemed to be absorbed by the surrounding fog and couldn't carry. He desperately pounded on the walls, but it was like hitting soft cotton; he couldn't get any strength in.
In this tiny space, he paced around frantically like a headless fly until he was utterly exhausted and on the verge of a mental breakdown...
In the back room, Ling Yao turned over, frowning impatiently. Where did these flies come from, buzzing around and disturbing her sleep? The simple "maze" she'd hastily set up in the shop before bed seemed to be working alright? It was just a bit noisy.
She casually cast a simple soundproof spell to block out outside noise and went back to sleep.
The next morning, Finn, sporting dark circles under his eyes (from staying up all night studying runes), excitedly ran to the shop, ready to report his new idea to Miss Ling.
He was stunned by what he saw as soon as he pushed open the shop door.
A haggard-looking man, his eyes glazed over and his clothes soaked with sweat, was staggering around the table in the center of the shop, muttering, "Where's the door...where's the exit...let me out..."
Behind the counter, Ling Yao was leisurely wiping her face with a cloth dampened with water, completely ignoring the extra "spinning top" in the store.
“Miss Ling… Miss Ling? This… this is?” Finn stammered, pointing at the nearly exhausted thief.
After wiping her face, Ling Yao tossed the cloth aside, pointed to the broken door lock, then to the thief, and made a "spinning" gesture.
Finn froze for a few seconds, then suddenly realized: "A thief?! And then... he was... trapped by something? And wandered around all night?!" His eyes as he looked at Ling Yao were instantly filled with immense awe and... a hint of fear.
The big boss didn't even lift a finger, and the thief managed to keep running around all night? What kind of divine intervention is that?!
Ling Yao was too lazy to explain the principles of the formation. She walked up to the almost insane thief and lightly tapped a spot on the ground with her foot.
The invisible fog that had trapped the thief all night instantly dissipated, and the store returned to normal.
The thief felt a blur before his eyes, and the terrible cycle finally ended! He collapsed to the ground with a thud, and seeing Ling Yao and Finn before him, he was as if he had seen his saviors, crying out, "Spare me! My lord, spare me! I'll never do it again! I just wanted to steal some potions... This shop is too eerie!"
Finn then realized it was Miss Ling's unpredictable tricks again! He immediately became arrogant and kicked the thief: "Hmph! Daring to steal from Miss Ling's shop? Serves you right! Wait for the guards to arrive!"
After dealing with the thief, Finn's gaze towards Ling Yao had completely changed. Before, he admired her for her fighting prowess and alchemy skills; now, he was in awe of her ability to create such bizarre and unbearable methods that left people wishing for death.
"Miss Ling... was that... also... a rune array?" he asked cautiously, his voice dropping eight octaves.
Ling Yao glanced at him, picked up a charcoal pencil, and drew a few simple basic array nodes on the table to represent confusion and bewilderment, then casually connected them.
Finn was dazzled by the sight, feeling that the lines were incredibly profound, far more complex than the Qingfeng Talisman!
He swallowed hard, completely abandoning any thought of learning this skill in a short time. He'd better just stick to drawing his own Qingfeng talismans... at least that's safer.
After this commotion, news of the "Eastern Secret Medicine's" mysterious protective mechanisms will likely spread quickly within a small circle. Ling Yao doesn't seem to care; her peaceful days are probably over. But trouble might also mean new opportunities?
She stared thoughtfully at the fading charcoal marks on the table.
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