Chapter 22: Preparing To Learn Drawing Talismans
Xuan Xia drank some water and rested for a moment, already recovering normally.
But Yan Xiaowen was still very worried.
After returning to school, no matter what, she had to get Xuan Xia back to sleep and rest well; she didn’t even need Xuan Xia to get out of bed for dinner, as she would take care of it all.
Thus, Xuan Xia could only accept graciously.
She did indeed need to quietly think about why such a thing had happened.
Could it be related to what happened the day before yesterday?
Exactly who was targeting her like this.
There had been no message from Daoist Master Qin, until the scenic area ended business operations, when she finally received his call.
Daoist Master Qin’s voice on the phone was a few degrees more low than usual; his tone didn’t sound urgent, but it was concerned, “Miss Xuan, are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” If there was something wrong, she couldn’t possibly answer the phone now.
Daoist Master Qin gave an “mm” and asked: “What exactly happened? Can you tell me about it?”
“I… seem to have entered illusionary scenery again,” Xuan Xia said.
She couldn’t tell him truthfully about that dream and the events, so she vaguely said that in the illusionary scenery there were two versions of herself: one moment she was the bound one, the next she was the unbound one.
The unbound one couldn’t move, while the bound one was weeping tears of blood.
After hearing her evasive and vague account, Daoist Master Qin pondered for a moment and said: “It’s fine, you don’t need to worry.”
Really fine? Xuan Xia felt Daoist Master Qin was talking nonsense with a straight face.
“Daoist Master Qin, your talisman changed,” she reminded him.
Rather than saying it changed, it was more accurate to say it had been consumed.
A bit of laughter crept into Daoist Master Qin’s tone, and he explained as if coaxing a child: “The day before yesterday was your first time entering illusionary scenery, so your soul aspect was affected a bit, and your vitality flow was weak too. These past few days, it’s indeed easy to encounter similar situations again.”
“Subway stations are inherently places that trap wind and gather dampness, most prone to carrying baleful energy; though crowded with vigorous vitality, it’s inevitable to bump into it.”
“That’s why I drew that talisman for you. It was best if it wasn’t needed, but now that it was used and helped you escape the illusionary scenery smoothly, that’s good too.”
Xuan Xia grumbled inwardly: Good what good. Would anyone want such fortune?
“So just because I was affected, that’s why I entered that strange illusionary scenery?” Xuan Xia still wasn’t quite convinced. “Is it really just that? Could it not be related to the owner of that bell the day before yesterday?”
Xuan Xia was just short of directly saying she thought someone from the mystic sect was trying to harm her.
Daoist Master Qin gave an “mm” as if guaranteeing it.
After a second, he suddenly asked her: “How’s the weather in Jiangshi these past few days?”
Xuan Xia was stunned for a moment before answering: “All clear skies, and the temperature is getting hotter.”
“Get more sun these next couple of days,” Daoist Master Qin said. “In two or three days, your soul aspect will stabilize. It’ll be fine.”
Just like that…?
“I’ll draw another talisman for you; carry it with you these couple of days. Avoid dark places if you can,” Daoist Master Qin instructed again.
But upon hearing he wanted to draw another talisman for her, Xuan Xia hurriedly refused.
“No need for the talisman.” Was she going to trouble his people to send it all the way over again? That would be too much hassle.
Daoist Master Qin knew what she was thinking and half-coaxed, half-insisted: “It’s just a small matter; don’t worry about it.”
Xuan Xia realized Daoist Master Qin was a stubborn person too; she didn’t know what to say and could only thank him.
Then she asked: “Daoist Master Qin, did you learn drawing talismans from my great grandfather too?”
Without waiting for Daoist Master Qin to answer, Xuan Xia asked again: “Can I learn? If I learn and draw talismans, will they be as effective as yours?”
She could rely on others, but she also needed to be able to rely on herself.
That afternoon, looking at the dim cinnabar talisman, Xuan Xia had the thought of learning to draw talismans.
If someone really wanted to harm her, who knew how many more such situations there would be in the future? She couldn’t wait for Daoist Master Qin to send equipment from afar every time; the best way was for her to learn it herself.
Daoist Master Qin wasn’t surprised by her thinking this way and gave an affirmative answer.
“Mr. Xuan’s early notebooks also record matters on learning talismans. I’ll find the notebook later and send it to you tomorrow along with the rest.”
This was exactly what Xuan Xia wanted.
But she wanted to push her luck a bit more. “Are there incantations or incantation formulas and such? I want to learn those too.”
“Sure.”
With Daoist Master Qin agreeing to everything she asked, Xuan Xia’s mood lightened quite a bit.
After chatting a few more sentences, Xuan Xia suddenly changed the subject to the bell from the day before yesterday.
“Daoist Master Qin, could it really not be the bell’s owner having a grudge against me? Have you found even a little clue about the bell’s owner?”
The turn was so abrupt that Daoist Master Qin’s wheelchair almost flipped.
Daoist Master Qin replied with a helpless laugh: “Don’t overthink it. I’m investigating the clues.”
After all, it had only been two days of investigation, and the clues weren’t clear yet, so he didn’t say more.
Xuan Xia thought about it and said: “Then whatever you find, you have to share it with me. Let me have some peace of mind.”
Daoist Master Qin agreed.
A little later, Yan Xiaowen and the others returned with takeout to feed Xuan Xia.
Xuan Xia then ended the call with Daoist Master Qin.
With her mood lightened, her appetite opened up too.
Watching Xuan Xia eat, Yan Xiaowen concluded: “Xiaxia, I think you’re really fine now.”
Look at that great appetite, eating so heartily.
Xuan Xia, who was about to reach for the chopsticks, silently pulled them back: “I think I’m full.”
“Don’t stop, eat a bit more.”
“No, no.”
She needed to cultivate an artist’s memory now and not overeat.
***
The next day arrived.
Xuan Xia thought Li Xinze would still arrive at noon, but she was woken up early in the morning.
Li Xinze had actually come early in the morning to deliver things to her.
Xuan Xia was stunned at the time.
Rushing to finish washing up and getting to the school gate, Li Xinze still had that same energetic look from yesterday.
“Brother Li, you’re so early today?”
She strongly suspected that after Li Xinze returned to Ningzhou yesterday, he hadn’t rested at all and had rushed back to Jiangshi.
Li Xinze smiled without speaking and handed her the handbag he was carrying.
The handbag contained not only the new talisman drawn by Daoist Master Qin, but also the notebook he had promised to find for her.
Daoist Master Qin was probably worried she might enter illusionary scenery again and had prepared a full seven talismans for her this time.
Each was in a waterproof little case, and interestingly, the strings on each case were different colors.
Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, purple—all complete; Xuan Xia suspected she could summon a divine dragon with them.
Seeing Xuan Xia check the items, Li Xinze spoke: “Mr. Qin was afraid you’d be waiting to use them, so he had me deliver them right away.”
“Thank you, Daoist Master Qin.”
Today’s thanks were even more sincere than yesterday’s.
How to put it? Xuan Xia suddenly felt a sense of being cherished and valued that she’d never experienced before.
Like when she was a bit younger, if Wen Xizhi forgot something, her parents could deliver it to school right away.
But she couldn’t; she didn’t dare forget anything, because no one would specially deliver it to her at school.
Now, she was feeling that sensation.
Even stronger.
Because from Ningzhou to Jiangshi was much farther than from her home to school.
