In a quaint, old-fashioned courtyard.

The gentle breeze stirred the hem of a blue skirt, carrying with it a slight chill.

Qing Dai, who was brewing tea, asked cautiously, "Is something on your mind, my lady?"

"Everyone outside thinks I’m a widow. How could I possibly be calm?" Meng Qiewei said, looking up at Qing Dai.

Hearing this, Qing Dai immediately replied, "Then wouldn’t it be better if you just told them who your husband is, my lady?"

Meng Qiewei stared at Qing Dai with cold eyes.

Forcing Qing Dai to lower her head.

’You won’t explain yourself, and your reputation is already terrible,’ she thought. ’It’s no wonder people are letting their imaginations run wild.’

But she only dared to think it, not say it aloud.

"What are you thinking?" Meng Qiewei asked softly.

"Nothing," Qing Dai replied, shaking her head at once.

"I know what you’re thinking," Meng Qiewei said coldly, her eyes downcast.

"What do you think I’m thinking, my lady?" Qing Dai asked.

As soon as she finished speaking, Meng Qiewei raised an eyebrow slightly, her icy gaze falling upon Qing Dai.

Seeing this, Qing Dai immediately lowered her head and changed the subject. "My lady, a young prodigy has brought the entrance to a Secret Realm to the Wuyun Sect, but opening it won’t be easy."

"So, some of the Elders are requesting an audience with you."

"An audience with me?" Meng Qiewei’s gaze fell to her teacup as she spoke calmly. "Are they coming to ask if I’m a murderer, or to ask if I’m a widow?" 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Qing Dai shook her head. "They wouldn’t dare ask you that to your face."

After all, killing a husband is still killing. Killing an Elder would be, too.

And no one would dare say a thing about it.

"Let him in," Meng Qiewei said.

A moment later, a middle-aged man walked into the quaint little courtyard, trembling with fear.

Upon seeing Meng Qiewei, he immediately bowed respectfully. "Eldest Miss."

Meng Qiewei didn’t speak, merely watching the man before her with cold eyes.

The middle-aged man kept his head bowed, his back already soaked with cold sweat.

’Miss Qing Dai said she already knows about the rumors we’ve been spreading.’

Her silence, in particular, terrified him even more.

"You aren’t a newly promoted Elder. Must you also call me ’Eldest Miss’ when you see me?" Meng Qiewei said flatly. "Anyone who didn’t know better would think you were a visiting Guest Minister."

"The Eldest Miss is naturally different from others. Our respect for you is like a mighty, ceaseless river," the middle-aged man said.

Meng Qiewei looked at him. "It must be difficult for you, saying such things at your age."

’It’s not difficult at all. It’s what my subordinates always say to me,’ the middle-aged man thought to himself.

"Did your subordinates only teach you those two lines? Do they not continue after that?" Meng Qiewei asked suddenly.

Her voice was laced with a chilling frost.

The middle-aged man shivered, lowering his head and not daring to speak rashly.

"Speak. What is it?" Meng Qiewei asked.

"Recently, a prodigy has appeared in the clan. He wishes to seek greater opportunities within the Secret Realm. We’ve exhausted all known gains from this particular Secret Realm, but we are certain it still holds other secrets."

"This is also for the good of the clan."

"To open the Secret Realm now, we need a secret token. I’ve come to request one," the middle-aged man said.

Meng Qiewei was silent for a moment before asking, "The Five Elements Secret Realm?"

"Yes," the middle-aged man nodded.

It was unclear what Meng Qiewei was thinking, but she finally nodded. "Very well."

Hearing this, the middle-aged man breathed a sigh of relief.

Afterward, Qing Dai escorted the man out.

As they walked out of the quaint courtyard, the middle-aged man whispered, "Miss Qing Dai, how on earth did word of the rumors reach the Eldest Miss’s ears?"

"I have no idea. Perhaps the Eldest Miss was bored and decided to observe the outside world?" Qing Dai suggested.

"Are you sure it wasn’t you who told her, Miss Qing Dai?"

"It couldn’t have been me. I’m on your side."

"Miss Qing Dai, you aren’t very convincing."

"It’s true! You have to believe me."

Meng Qiewei watched the two of them leave with a cold gaze.

The chill in her eyes seemed to reach them from a distance.

They shivered and quickened their pace.

Meng Qiewei poured herself a cup of tea, took a sip, and put it back down.

’Too bitter. It’s not good.’

Still, the opening of the Secret Realm held some benefits for her.

She had placed her own measures within the secret token.

’If everything goes smoothly for my dear husband, he should be entering the Secret Realm soon, right?’

* * *

The Old Yellow Ox had been studying the Talisman Book for half the day.

Jiang Man wasn’t in a hurry. He focused on his own Cultivation.

Just like with Qi Refining, he started with the Visualization Skill.

The first step was to raise his Spiritual Level.

This aspect should be the easiest to improve.

Since he was about to start buying God Strengthening Pills, Jiang Man took stock of his remaining Spiritual Source.

He originally had 36,000, but he had collected another 12,000 over the past two months.

That brought him to 48,000. To get their names out of his little book, An Rong and the others had each given him 1,000 Spiritual Source.

Bringing the total to 50,000.

Last month, he had spent 1,000 to set up an Array to absorb more Spiritual Qi. It also cost 100 Spiritual Source each month for Array Stones.

This left him with 49,000.

Today, he spent 500 on registration, leaving him with 48,500.

He also bought ten God Strengthening Pills.

The cost was 6,000, but a discount saved him 300.

So, the final price was 5,700.

That left him with 42,800.

’Still quite a lot.’

Jiang Man did a quick recount and found he actually had 41,600.

He had also spent a fair bit on food.

"That should do it," came the voice of the Old Yellow Ox.

Jiang Man immediately walked over. "Can you teach me now?"

"I can teach you the Beginner basics. For the Entry Level, you will still need to buy the relevant books," said the Old Yellow Ox.

Jiang Man then began to listen to the Old Yellow Ox’s explanation.

Talisman Making wasn’t difficult. It was mainly about the drawing process. For a Beginner, once you learned the nine types of Outlining Skills, you could start trying to make Talismans.

Of course, it required coordination of Spirit, strength, and Spiritual Qi.

A Beginner could draw three types of Talismans.

The first was the Divine Movement Talisman, which was similar to the Divine Step technique. In an age where everyone pursued Immortal Cultivation, this Talisman was completely useless.

The second was the Gravity Talisman, which could reduce an object’s weight. Similarly, it was useless in an age of Immortal Cultivation.

The Strength Talisman was the same.

They were all basically toys for children.