Chapter 105: I Shall Assist You in Preserving Qingliu County!

"I have done everything I could; I have fulfilled my duty to the utmost. The rest is now up to you."

Exiting the Qingliu County Magistrate's office, Qi Xiu channeled his Water Patrol escape light, transforming into a faint mist of water. He wove through the streets and alleys, making his way back home.

However, just as he reached his doorstep, a wretched-looking shadow with its rump stuck out and arched was crouching before his door, apparently attempting to pick the lock.

A thief?

Qi Xiu’s brow arched. He curled his fingers, condensing a wisp of energy, and raised his hand, intending to give this burglar a taste of "shattered chrysanthemum." But just as he was about to strike, the black shadow with its backside exposed suddenly turned around with uncanny timing, its round, bead-like eyes locking directly onto him.

He discovered me?

Qi Xiu’s expression shifted slightly in surprise. He hadn't expected a mere thief to be capable of sensing his movements, and a hundred thoughts raced through his mind in an instant.

No! This person is no thief; they come with ill intent! How could an ordinary thief detect the movements of an In-Tao cultivator?

Qi Xiu’s face tightened. With a flick of his wide sleeves, his fingers danced in the air. He rapidly wove and stacked "Suppression Talismans," which gradually merged into a dazzling, heavy-pressured golden character: "Suppress."

Talismanic Seal of Suppression!

Possessing the ability to draw talismans in the void, he could cast this spell without the constraints of paper talismans. It had become a potent sealing art!

The golden character manifested in mid-air, and chains of golden light spiraled out, aiming to bind and seal the shadow firmly.

"Hahaha, you’ve finally returned!"

Seeing the golden chains coiling toward him, the shadow showed no fear, only delight. He laughed loudly and walked straight into the Talismanic Seal of Suppression.

"Not bad, not bad at all. Talismans linked together, condensed into a technique—this carries the distinct charm of the medieval Talisman Array Path."

As the golden chains transformed by the seal bound him like a rice dumpling, the shadow did not stop his praise for a moment. As the golden light of the talisman illuminated him, it revealed his true appearance: a middle-aged Taoist with a ruddy, plump face, wearing a dark green robe with a wooden sword tucked into his belt. He bore a striking resemblance to the Taiyi Zhenren from a certain Nezha film in Qi Xiu’s past life.

"Little brother, where did you learn this talismanic technique?" The fat Taoist asked with wide, sincere eyes.

"Taoist priest, it is hardly polite to be found at my door in the middle of the night and immediately demand to know my lineage. By the rules of etiquette, you should introduce yourself first."

Qi Xiu noted that although the Taoist’s behavior was suspicious, his aura contained no trace of demonic or evil energy. Furthermore, his own [Suppression Talisman] had no adverse reaction, confirming he was not of the demonic path.

"The little brother is right. I was simply too excited and forgot my manners." The fat Taoist chuckled, his cheeks wobbling, and he gave his sleeve a slight shake. The golden chains binding him vanished instantly.

*Good heavens, he’s hiding his true strength.* Seeing the fat Taoist shatter the seal so effortlessly without even needing to summon protective energy, Qi Xiu felt a chill. *We are not on the same level...*

The fat Taoist placed his palms together before his chest and recited a title: "Immeasurable Heavenly Lord. I am Qingya, a disciple of the Lingguang Treasure Sect."

The Lingguang Treasure Sect? Such a coincidence? Qi Xiu’s eyes revealed his astonishment. He hadn't expected this eccentric, chubby Taoist to be a practitioner of the legendary talismanic sect. When he was in Baohe County, he had even impersonated a disciple of this very sect.

"To be honest, while passing through Qingliu County tonight, I suddenly sensed a brilliant, dazzling light of talismans below. I couldn't help but come to your residence to observe. Please forgive any rudeness. In truth, I have studied the talismanic path for half my life and have never seen such a novel technique. May I ask who your master is..." Taoist Qingya rubbed his hands together with a wide smile.

As a great talismanic sect, the Lingguang Treasure Sect might not claim to have the world's absolute best techniques, but they were certainly among the top three. Yet, passing through this county, he had been shocked to discover a system of talismanic arts completely alien to his knowledge. How could he not be itching with curiosity to get to the bottom of it?

"My sect is a small, single-lineage school—three or five people per generation, as small as they come. My master has a rule: his name and the name of our sect must not be revealed to outsiders. I hope you will forgive me, Taoist Qingya."

Qi Xiu cupped his hands, nodded slightly, and moved to walk past the fat Taoist.

"This..." Unable to discern the roots of this novel technique, Taoist Qingya looked pained. His eyes darted, and he shifted to block Qi Xiu’s path again. "If you cannot say, that is fine. But could you please take me to meet your master?"

"My master has no fixed abode and wanders the four seas. He is impossible to find. I suggest you stop obsessing over it, Taoist." Frowning slightly, Qi Xiu changed direction to bypass him again.

Another plan foiled. Taoist Qingya’s face flushed red; he scratched his head and rubbed his face, then suddenly asked, "Little brother, are you in a hurry?"

"Ah? Er, yes. A great hurry." Qi Xiu looked back at Qingya with confusion, rolling his eyes internally. *If you weren't making trouble here, I would have already packed up and run away. You have the nerve to ask.*

"If you are in a hurry, then things are easy to handle..." A sinister smile spread across the fat face. Taoist Qingya stomped his foot, his figure blurred, and he moved with a sudden, rapid shift. He lunged forward, sat down on the ground, and grabbed hold of Qi Xiu’s leg with a death grip.

"If you don't take me to your master, I won't let you leave. Besides, I am not in any hurry." Lifting his chin, Taoist Qingya looked smug, as if to say, "What can you do to me?"

Staring down at the Taoist clinging to his leg like a dead dog, Qi Xiu’s pupils trembled. *Is there really someone in the cultivation world with so little integrity?*

"Taoist, please get up. This... this is quite unseemly." Qi Xiu tugged at the Taoist’s sleeve, trying to pull him up. But the fat priest shook his fleshy shoulders, shrugging off Qi Xiu’s hands.

"What is 'seemly'? I have no shame. If you don't take me to your master, I will show you what the 'Seven-Day Dead-Skin-and-Face Lock' is all about!" As he spoke, he gripped Qi Xiu’s leg even tighter, acting exactly like a stubborn adhesive plaster.

"Taoist, I really am in a hurry."

"I know! If you weren't in a hurry, this move wouldn't work!"

"Taoist, the Golden Flower Mother Sect is about to attack. If we don't leave now, it will be too late." Looking at the man clutching his leg, Qi Xiu said with helpless frustration. Truth be told, if he weren't certain he couldn't beat this fat Taoist, he would have rolled him up and stuffed him into a flowerpot just to show him what a "vegetative state" really meant.

"The Golden Flower Mother Sect? What is there to fear from a bunch of women?" Taoist Qingya didn't even look up, speaking with utter indifference. It seemed that the massive cult, which plagued several provinces, was nothing more than a rabble in his eyes.

"Oh." Seeing that the Taoist clearly held the cult in contempt, Qi Xiu asked, "Then, Taoist, could you intervene and force them to retreat?"

"Certainly not." Still acting as if his refusal were common sense, he noticed the look in Qi Xiu’s eyes and shrugged, explaining, "There is a regulation: cultivators above the Blood-Stained Realm are not allowed to interfere in secular conflicts."

"A regulation?" Qi Xiu was stunned. A regulation—whose regulation? The Great Xuan Dynasty was fractured by warlords, with tigers occupying every mountain; the imperial court’s authority was almost non-existent. Who could have the power to set such rules that the entire cultivation world would obey?

"Whose regulation is so overbearing?" Qi Xiu glanced at the man clinging to his leg and asked tentatively.

"It is none other than..." Taoist Qingya started to answer, then suddenly looked up at Qi Xiu. "You take me to see your master, and I will tell you."

"I told you, my master wanders the four seas. He cannot be found."

"That is not my concern."

Stuck in an impossible impasse, Qi Xiu looked at the man who refused to let go, noticing that dawn was already approaching.

"Taoist, how about we go inside and talk? This really is losing face." Unable to shake off the "plaster," Qi Xiu decided to invite him in. Otherwise, once day broke and people emerged, the sight of two grown men in this position would be truly unsightly.

Considering it for a moment, Taoist Qingya nodded and released Qi Xiu, though he continued to chatter incessantly: "Little brother, just take me to meet your master."

As soon as they entered the courtyard, Taoist Qingya’s voice lowered; his attention was caught by the [Medicine Talisman] beneath the [Suppression Talisman].

"Hiss! What kind of talisman is this? It actually contains a trace of the wonders of the alchemical path. How strange, how curious, how exquisite!" With a wave of his large hand, countless blobs of ink flew from his sleeve, transforming into fine, swimming threads that forcibly "plucked" a [Fish-Scented Soft-Muscle Talisman] from the void.

Holding the talisman, Taoist Qingya looked as if he had found a treasure. This new type of talismanic art, which completely shattered traditional systems, was like a new continent, leaving the old talisman-enthusiast ecstatic.

Watching Taoist Qingya study the [Fish-Scented Soft-Muscle Talisman] with rapt attention, Qi Xiu’s expression turned subtle. A thought stirred, and an idea blossomed in his mind.

"Taoist, what do you think of this talisman?" Qi Xiu asked, smiling as he approached.

"Excellent. Though the power is lacking, the concept is unique. Traditional talisman arts use one's own internal wonders to draw upon the power of heaven and earth to achieve effects like killing, trapping, escaping, or illusion. But this talisman is different. It directly evolves the wonders of other traditions. It is as if... as if..." He paused, his brow furrowing, unable to express it clearly.

"As if one is doing the work themselves, while the other is hiring someone else to do it, right?"

"Yes, exactly!"

"Then look at this." Qi Xiu reached into his robes and handed him a [Ghostly Shadow Invisible Talisman].

"This talisman... eh? Hm? Oh? My goodness..." His face changed as rapidly as a revolving lantern. The more he looked, the more shocked he became. "Martial path..."

"Are there more? Are there more?" Hooked, Taoist Qingya’s eyes shone with greed.

"There are, and plenty more. But Taoist, you must guarantee my safe departure from Qingliu County. How about it?" Qi Xiu smiled. With a Blood-Stained Realm expert as a bodyguard, what could the mere Golden Flower Mother Sect do to him?

Taoist Qingya’s eyes flickered. He tucked the two talismans away without a trace, and after some thought, he spoke with rare seriousness: "Very well. I can take it upon myself to grant you a great opportunity. But after this, you must tell me who taught you this talismanic art."

"A great opportunity? What opportunity?" Qi Xiu’s eyes narrowed. An expert like Taoist Qingya would not make such a promise lightly.

"I will assist you in protecting this Qingliu County."