Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

"With these items you've brought out." Shen Wang frowned, picking and choosing, "The cinnabar is impure, the yellow talismans lack spiritual energy, hardly different from plain paper, and you have the nerve to ask for fifty thousand? Fifty is already too much."

The shopkeeper's gaze towards Shen Wang changed upon hearing the first part of the sentence, and at the last part, he became surprisingly angry: "Fifty? How can you even say that? Are you here to buy or to cause trouble?"

Shen Wang pondered for a few seconds: "Then, five hundred?"

The shopkeeper glared at Shen Wang with fury, squeezing out a few words through gritted teeth: "Get out!"

"…Five thousand? That's the most I can do." Shen Wang looked pained.

The most important elements in talisman drawing are the paper and cinnabar. The paper, crafted using special techniques and infused with spiritual energy, allows the talisman master to achieve more with less effort, significantly enhancing the power of the talismans. Cinnabar, naturally repelling evil entities, is ideal for drawing talismans.

The shopkeeper sized up Shen Wang back and forth: "Alright, alright, let's settle at five thousand."

He wore an expression of taking a big loss.

The two exchanged money for goods, with Shen Wang also insisting the shopkeeper include a brush for free. As he left with his items, the shopkeeper waved him off: "There's another shop next door selling magical instruments. Go there next time."

Shen Wang turned back with a smile: "Don't worry, I'll be sure to visit your shop often."

After saying that, he ran off in a flash, leaving the shopkeeper hopping mad in the store.

Watching Shen Wang's retreating figure, the shopkeeper muttered to himself in confusion: "Since when did the mystical sect have such a character? Completely ignorant about the prices, yet with spiritual energy around him. I wonder which school or lineage he belongs to…"

Specially made talisman paper isn't expensive, especially these low-spiritual-energy yellow talismans, costing only about a hundred each.

The shopkeeper initially asked for fifty thousand, hoping to fleece a novice, but unexpectedly, the customer saw through his tricks, leaving him uncertain.

When Shen Wang returned to his dormitory, he was warmly welcomed.

Not just by his roommates like Li Pingping, but also by a person and a ghost from the next room. They watched in awe as Shen Wang pulled out a stack of yellow paper and a glass bottle filled with red powder from his pockets.

"Is this the legendary yellow talisman? I thought it would be rough, but it's surprisingly smooth."

"What's in the bottle? Black dog's blood?"

"I think it should be rooster's blood..."

Shen Wang retrieved the talismans and cinnabar from the curious bunch, casually using Li Pingping's cup to mix the cinnabar, and started drawing: "Be bold, what if it's boy's urine?"

At this remark, everyone jumped back in shock, before realizing Shen Wang was joking.

Just as they were about to protest, they became mesmerized by Shen Wang's actions.

Shen Wang dipped his brush in the red paint, brought it to the yellow paper, and fluidly drew a rune as if painting.

As the brushstroke finished, everyone clearly saw a faint white light flash, and the ordinary yellow paper suddenly took on an ancient charm.

Had they not seen it with their own eyes, no one would believe such a miraculous event.

After drawing a simple protective talisman, Shen Wang folded the rectangular talisman into a neat little triangle, handing it to the person standing closest behind him.

Wang Kai held the magical protective talisman carefully, his eyes shining with joy: "Shen Ge, does folding it into this shape increase its power?"

"Shen Ge, does folding it into this shape make it more powerful?" Wang Kai asked cautiously, holding the miraculous protective talisman, his eyes brimming with delight.

"No," Shen Wang replied as he began drawing another protective talisman, speaking casually, "It’s just more convenient to carry around. If you like, you could even fold it into a thousand paper cranes."

Wang Kai: "…Thank you, a triangle is great."

After swiftly completing five protective talismans, Shen Wang easily earned one thousand four hundred and four.

Despite depleting his limited spiritual energy, there wasn't a hint of fatigue on Shen Wang's face. If pushed, he might even be able to draw a few more.

"Shen Ge," Zhou Xiangbei, who had been watching from the side, huddled in a corner, on the verge of tears, said, "Could you ask them to put away the talismans? I..."

To ordinary eyes, the folded triangular talismans were neat and petite, but to Zhou Xiangbei, they emitted a scorching white light, painfully searing his soul.

The others, still excited, quickly put away their treasured protective talismans: "Sorry, senior, we forgot you were still here."

But seeing Zhou Xiangbei's reaction actually made them feel more at ease.

Zhou Xiangbei let out a deep sigh and hesitated before speaking to Shen Wang: "Shen Ge, could you help me contact my parents? I can pay..."

Shen Wang: "???"

Why is it that others use money to make the spirits turn the millstone, but when it comes to him, it’s about using money to make him turn the millstone?

Seeing Shen Wang's confused expression, Zhou Xiangbei quickly explained: "My family isn't short of money. If my parents still remember me, they should be willing to pay you..."

Zhou Xiangbei's voice trailed off, getting softer.

As a ghost, trying to bribe a Daoist priest, Zhou Xiangbei felt like he might have drifted for too long and lost his mind.

While he was regretting his request, he heard Shen Wang’s voice: "Just contacting your parents, huh? That's a small matter."

Zhou Xiangbei's eyes suddenly brightened.

When calling his parents, everyone kindly left for the next room, giving Shen Wang and Zhou Xiangbei some privacy.

Unable to touch the phone, Zhou Xiangbei watched as Shen Wang dialed his mother's number and put it on speaker. After a few beeps, the call connected: “Hello?”

Hearing the familiar voice, Zhou Xiangbei's eyes reddened.

Shen Wang sighed inwardly: “Is this Mrs. Luo? I am Zhou Xiangbei’s friend…”

There was a long silence on the other end, but the call wasn't disconnected.

Shen Wang continued, “Before Zhou Xiangbei left, he asked me to convey a message to you, but I couldn't find your contact information until now.”

After a long pause, Zhou's mother spoke in a hoarse voice, “What did he want to say to me?”

“He said,” Shen Wang relayed Zhou Xiangbei's words, “he hoped you and Mr. Zhou could soon move past the sorrow, forget the misfortune and start a new life. Perhaps have another child, one who would be more obedient and smarter than him, not causing you anger like he did…”

“Enough!” Mrs. Zhou interrupted, sobbing, “I know he hated me. He hated us for being strict, for constantly comparing him to others. He chose to die suddenly just to spite us…”

“I believe you are his friend because only someone who hates me would say such heartless words.”

Shen Wang looked at Zhou Xiangbei, unsure of what to say next.

Zhou Xiangbei smiled bitterly, “They are my biological parents. Whether they hate me or not…”

Zhou Xiangbei’s parents were professors at a prestigious university in the capital. His parents, grandparents, all graduated from top universities and stayed to teach, a true family of scholars.

But Zhou Xiangbei, the academic underachiever, not only failed to get into that top university but rebelliously went to study in City C.

In stark contrast to Zhou Xiangbei were his cousins of the same age. Every time there was an exam, Mrs. Zhou would compare Zhou Xiangbei to them.

In the eyes of his parents, Zhou Xiangbei was inferior in every aspect, clumsy and lazy. Even his last virtue, obedience, faded after he went to study in City C.

“Do you hate them?” Shen Wang asked.

Zhou Xiangbei shook his head, “I failed to meet their expectations. I never hated them, only myself. I wasn't born smart. Others easily top the class, but I struggle just to keep from falling behind.”

Shen Wang relayed this to Mrs. Zhou. Over the phone, he couldn't see her reaction, only hearing her choked sobs.

Zhou Xiangbei's eyes reddened as he suddenly remembered a long-past memory.

As a child, other kids would be praised by their parents for scoring ninety, but if he didn’t score a hundred, he’d be chastised. His parents took turns probing whether he was distracted by studies, or if he was just thinking about playing…

In middle school, the difficulty of studies increased, and there were more intelligent kids around him.

From being first to fifth, then to tenth, each slip in rank led to Zhou Xiangbei being interrogated, fearing he was influenced by early romance or bad company.

Eventually, his parents accepted that their child was average and started enrolling him in numerous coaching classes, filling every spare moment.

After the college entrance exams, choosing a university in City C secretly was Zhou Xiangbei’s first and only act of rebellion.

Even in City C, far from the capital, Zhou Xiangbei never relaxed. He studied incessantly, appearing to outsiders as a top student, but only his roommates saw the effort he put in behind the scenes.

Who would have thought that he would ultimately die from overstudying?

And in his short life of twenty years, apart from studying, he had no other memories.

“He’s there with you, isn’t he?” Zhou's mother said after crying, startling both Shen Wang and Zhou Xiangbei.

Shen Wang laughed awkwardly, “Why would you think that?”

“I know there are things in this world that science can't explain. Xiao Bei passed away a year ago, and you contacting me now doesn’t make sense…” Zhou’s mother took a deep breath, “I’ll book a flight to City C as soon as possible. Can you let me see him one more time? Money is not an issue.”

Shen Wang thought for a moment, trying to deflect: “I only managed to get your contact recently.”

Zhou's mother replied, “My contact information has always been on the school's official website.”

…The world of the famous, something Shen Wang didn’t understand.

After consulting Zhou Xiangbei, Shen Wang agreed to Zhou's mother’s wish to come to City C to see her son for the last time.

After hanging up, he was full of thoughts. Indeed, as professors of a scholarly family, they were sharp and intelligent.

Meanwhile, Zhou's mother immediately contacted Zhou's father, and after a brief discussion, they didn’t book a flight immediately but drove in another direction of the capital.

In the prime area of the capital, the Gu family's villa was so large it couldn’t be seen in one glance. Even Zhou's father and mother were profoundly shocked during their first visit.

On visiting the Gu family again, they were distracted until they saw the family head, Gu Shanhe, and quickly got up, rubbing their hands: "Mr. Gu."

Gu Shanhe had a child about to take college entrance exams and had intersected with the Zhou family while hiring a home tutor.

Zhou's parents, having lived in the capital for decades, vaguely knew about the metaphysical community, but didn't know the specifics, only hearing of the Gu family's connection to it.

This was also why they were visiting the Gu family for the first time.

Anxiously, they recounted everything truthfully to Gu Shanhe, and Zhou's parents tentatively asked, "Mr. Gu, do you think this matter is credible?"

They waited with expectant eyes and tense expressions, almost holding their breath for an answer.

"Without witnessing it myself, I can't make a definitive judgment," Gu Shanhe said with a slight frown, knowing that a few words weren't enough for anyone to give an accurate response.

Zhou's parents exchanged a glance, slightly disappointed.

Just then, a clear voice came from outside the door, "Uncle, it so happens I'm going to C City. I'll check it out."

Soon, a young man in a white, long-sleeved robe entered. Not only was he dressed in snow-white, but he also had waist-length hair, dark as ink, half-tied behind his head, resembling a cold, otherworldly immortal from a TV drama.

His striking attire was overshadowed by his looks; his face alone embodied descriptions like 'unparalleled beauty' and 'peerless elegance.'

The youth's gaze swept over Zhou's parents, his eyes deep and serene, his cold, detached aura overpowering his striking features, exuding an untouchable nobility.

Gu Shanhe's usually stern face softened upon seeing the young man, "Since it's on the way, you might as well check it out."

He introduced him to Zhou's parents with a hint of pride, "This is my nephew, Gu Dongting."

Beyond that, there were no other embellishments, as if the name Gu Dongting itself was the highest praise.

Gu Dongting smiled politely, but even his smile seemed cold, only his faintly red lips betraying a trace of vitality, "When will you be leaving?"