Cultivation Starting from Full Talent-Chapter 244 - 242 The Unassuming Talisman Master Lin
Chapter 244: Chapter 242: The Unassuming Talisman Master Lin
Chapter 244 -242: The Unassuming Talisman Master Lin
After plundering all of Jing Xu’s treasures, Ning Daoran quickly finished up his work. He burned Jing Xu’s corpse and bones to ashes, feeding even Jing Xu’s Life Soul to Little Qing.
After that, he used Earth Escape to leave, perfectly repairing the prohibition gap that the Fire Devouring Ants had gnawed away before leaving, replicating the original Array Master’s technique without any difference. With the power of the Evergreen Technique, he forcefully removed any trace of the Fire Devouring Ants and his own aura.
He returned to his Cave Mansion and resumed his cultivation.
…
An hour later, there was a commotion outside the Cave Mansion.
The news that Golden Core Cultivator Jing Xu had died violently inside his Cave Mansion spread quickly through the city.
Ning Daoran frowned. He had been careful, and under normal circumstances, the news should not have spread so quickly. This could only mean that Jing Xu must have left a Divine Soul Life Plate somewhere, which shattered soon after Ning Daoran had killed him.
At dusk.
“Senior Ning…”
A Sound Transmission Talisman flew into the exterior of the Cave Mansion, carrying a message from a Late-stage Foundation Establishment City Patrol Cultivator, “Golden Core Stage Senior Jing Xu has died violently in his Cave Mansion. Do you know about this news?”
“Is that so?”
Ning Daoran replied, “I do not know…”
“I see, then I will not disturb Senior any further.”
By night, the streets remained noisy with many cultivators from Immortal White Dragon City and martial artists from Zhenxian Tower. They began to inspect the Cave Mansions throughout the city, especially those belonging to Great Cultivators with the ability to kill Jing Xu. Almost all were questioned.
If a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator like Jin Shan died, Immortal White Dragon City wouldn’t pay much attention. But the death of a Golden Core Great Cultivator like Jing Xu within the city was a major issue. Other Golden Core Cultivators were also panicking, so Immortal White Dragon City had no choice but to take the matter seriously.
Soon after, City Lord Long Zhuojun, accompanied by two other Golden Core cultivators and a Baodan Realm Martial Artist, inspected the Cave Mansions of Lin Man and Elder Tianshan before arriving at Ning Daoran’s.
Ning Daoran, dressed in a blue robe, served them Spiritual Tea, sat down in the pavilion, and said calmly, “If the City Lord has any questions, please feel free to ask, and I shall answer to the best of my knowledge.”
“Thank you for your cooperation.”
Long Zhuojun bowed his hands, “I have heard that there were some frictions between Fellow Daoist Ning and Jing Xu over Talisman Master Lin, even leading to verbal disputes. Is there any truth to this?”
“That is true.”
Ning Daoran replied, “Fellow Daoist Jing’s persistence with Talisman Master Lin is well known to the neighbors. On the day I returned from the sea, I happened to encounter them, and I spoke out. It wasn’t really a dispute; I just felt it was inappropriate for Senior Jing, a Golden Core cultivator, to pester Talisman Master Lin like that.”
Long Zhuojun nodded.
Beside him, the lips of the Golden Core cultivator moved silently, seemingly sending a sound transmission to Long Zhuojun.
“Fellow Daoist Ning.”
Long Zhuojun posed another question, “Senior Jing died in his Cave Mansion this afternoon. Where were you at that time?”
“At Qingfu Square.”
Ning Daoran replied, “I spent almost the entire day at Qingfu Square, discussing the purchase of Array materials with Workshop Master Zhao Yuanlong, and didn’t return to my Cave Mansion until after sunset.”
Saying this, he took out a Storage Bag and spilled the materials he had bought at Qingfu Square: “These are the materials I purchased at Qingfu Square. Workshop Master Zhao Yuanlong can testify that I did not leave the Workshop all day.”
“I see…”
Long Zhuojun nodded, exchanged a glance with the Golden Core cultivator beside him, stood up, and said, “I have asked everything I needed to. I will leave now, not to disturb Fellow Daoist’s cultivation anymore.”
“You’re too courteous, City Lord.”
Watching Long Zhuojun and the others leave, Ning Daoran frowned and continued his cultivation.
…
In the streets of the city.
A Golden Core cultivator with his face hidden in a cloak sent a sound transmission, “Jing Xu once mentioned to me that this Array Master Ning might be harboring many secrets, and he was very close to Lin Man. The likelihood of his involvement in Jing Xu’s death is the highest.”
“You heard too.”
Long Zhuojun sent back a sound transmission, “He was in Qingfu Square purchasing materials all day long. We have already investigated this, and indeed, Zhao Yuanlong was with Ning the entire day. After all, he is a Golden Core, not a Nascent Soul; he couldn’t possibly send an avatar to kill Jing Xu.”
“If not him, then who else could have killed Jing Xu?”
The Golden Core cultivator’s voice was low, “City Lord, no matter what, Jing Xu was working for you. His death… I hope the City Lord will consider this carefully. No one should be allowed to kill so brazenly within the city.”
Saying this, he frowned, “City Lord, could it be someone from Slaying Immortal Tower?”
“Impossible, right?”
Long Zhuojun’s pace hesitated slightly, “Although Jing Xu’s conduct was reprehensible and he was widely criticized, his name was not on Slaying Immortal Tower’s Bounty List. There is no reward for killing him. Besides, Jing Xu’s body was burned to ashes; the purpose was not for a bounty but more likely just revenge.”
The Golden Core cultivator fell silent.
“Remember, try to avoid trouble with Slaying Immortal Tower.”
Long Zhuojun spoke indifferently, “Slaying Immortal Tower has a group of Nascent Soul-stage old monsters at its helm, the strength of which is considered the best in Eastern Wilderness, and it’s not something our Immortal White Dragon City can afford to provoke.”
“Rest assured, City Lord. How could I dare?”
“That’s good.”
Long Zhuojun glanced back and a sliver of chill passed through his eyes.
…
Months later.
Jing Xu’s death appeared to sink into the depths of the ocean, leaving no trace to be found. As such, it was gradually forgotten by people.
On this day, on Dragon Boat Festival,
Lin Man sent a Sound Transmission Talisman, inviting Ning Daoran to visit her residence for a chat. She claimed that she had made a whole table of food with her own hands, which made both Ning Daoran and Big Stupid Deer extremely nervous. Lin Man indeed possessed exceptional talent in the Talismanic way, but as for cooking… it really left one at a loss for words. Her cooking was even similar to alchemy…
Once, Lin Man had stewed pig trotters for Ning Daoran, but when the dish was served, he saw only chunks of charred black. He fumbled through the black lumps with his chopsticks, but unfortunately, Lin Man’s cauldron had not yielded a Golden Core.
Better safe than sorry, Ning Daoran and Big Stupid Deer made some preparations before visiting.
In the evening, a man and a deer boldly entered Lin Man’s Cave Mansion.
Ning Daoran carried two bamboo baskets, one in each hand, both filled with freshly made and still steaming dishes.
Big Stupid Deer had strings of zongzi hanging from its antlers, swaying back and forth with its steps.
In the long and dry years of cultivation, Ning Daoran took festivals quite seriously. If he lacked even this sense of ritual, he, a cultivator, would soon forget the passage of time.
“Fellow Daoist Ning, you’ve gone to such great lengths?”
Lin Man welcomed the man and deer into her Cave Mansion, where a table of culinary disasters was set up in the pavilion.
The corners of Ning Daoran’s mouth twitched as he almost detected the fragrance of herbs and Dan from the dishes. He almost couldn’t help himself from congratulating Lin Man for her progress on the Alchemy Dao.
“Old Lu and I also prepared some food. Talisman Master Lin, please don’t be so formal.”
Ning Daoran added the dishes he and Big Stupid Deer had cooked to the table, finally making it possible to eat something edible.
Lin Man smiled warmly, not minding at all, and began tasting the zongzi Ning Daoran had made.
They were filled only with glutinous rice, but the reeds used for the leaves had grown on the edge of the Spirit Garden Cave Heaven, abundant in spiritual energy and with a fragrance of herbs and wood, making each bite extremely delicious.
Lin Man ate three in a row, not fretting over eating a little more despite fasting for many years as a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Ning Daoran, who never practiced fasting, treated eating and drinking as a major event in his and White Deer’s life. He energetically wielded his chopsticks, eating heartily.
After the meal, as usual, Big Stupid Deer washed the dishes.
Ning Daoran and Lin Man started to discuss business matters.
…
“Talisman Master Lin.”
Ning Daoran nursed his cup of Spiritual Tea. Although he was well over a hundred years old, he still looked like an eighteen-year-old, thanks to years of refinement by the Evergreen Technique, which gave him a particularly noble and Immortal Charm appearance.
“I have some materials here, and I was wondering if Talisman Master Lin might be capable of crafting some third-tier high-grade talismans for me?”
“Oh?”
Lin Man’s eyes lit up, and she said with a smile, “Third-tier high-grade talismans require an extremely high-quality Talisman paper, which must be made from the materials of a Third-tier Late Stage Demon Beast if there is to be any hope of crafting third-tier high-grade talismans. If Fellow Daoist truly has such materials from a Third-tier Late Stage Demon Beast, I may be willing to give it a try.”
Ning Daoran couldn’t help but secretly sneer to himself, ‘Well done, Lin Man! You really have reached third-tier upper grade in the Talismanic way!’
He simply wanted to test the waters, never expecting Lin Man to actually take him up on the offer.
From Ning Daoran’s years of understanding Lin Man, she would never say that she might give it a try if she weren’t completely confident.
“Fine.”
He waved his hand, and various demon beast materials flew out from his Storage Bag—a large chunk of green demon beast hides and indigo scales that shone like glaze—all from that Third-tier Late Stage Green Jiao Demon King.
“This…”
Lin Man’s bright eyes widened. She had never seen so many high-level demon beast materials. These materials were extremely precious; in the markets and auctions of the past, they had only been sold in pieces. For Ning Daoran to pull out half of a Third-tier Late Stage Demon Beast in one breath was unprecedented.
“There are more.”
Ning Daoran also took out some of the Red Carp’s tough skin and scales. The dual attributes of water and fire spiritual energy swirled around them. Although not as potent as the Green Jiao’s, these were still materials from a Third-tier Late Stage Demon Beast—all considered treasures throughout the Immortal White Dragon City.
“Fellow Daoist Ning…”
Lin Man blinked her beautiful eyes. “To think Fellow Daoist trusts Lin Man to such an extent… to just take out the materials from the Green Jiao Demon King and the Red Carp Demon King without worry. Aren’t you afraid that Lin Man might disclose the information and bring trouble upon you?”
“No need to worry.”
Ning Daoran sat up straight, saying, “First, I trust your character, Talisman Master Lin. If you were the kind of person who coveted wealth and status, I wouldn’t have dealt with you so frequently.
Second, if I can kill two Third-tier Late Stage Demon Beasts at once, then I’m not afraid of trouble. If Talisman Master Lin were to truly betray me, with my ability, I believe it would be no difficulty to locate and annihilate Talisman Master Lin.
You, Talisman Master Lin, are intelligent. Why would you commit such shortsighted actions? On the contrary, cooperating with me, in fact, would benefit your progress in the Talismanic way.”
Lin Man’s smile blossomed. “Fellow Daoist Ning surely sees things clearly. To be honest, I’ve only recently reached third-tier high-grade in the Talismanic way. Just as you said, working with you does help improve my Talismanic way.”
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“If that’s the case, I hope Talisman Master Lin won’t swindle my Spirit Stones anymore. For these third-tier high-grade talismans, I will still offer five hundred Spirit Stones per piece. What do you think, Talisman Master Lin?”
“…”
Lin Man pursed her lips, her beautiful eyes expressing helplessness. She was about to develop some fondness for the man, but with his single remark, he returned to his True form—that Black Heart Array Master. Yes, it was still him!
