“Chapter 64”

"Chapter 64"

"The table was casually strewn with dazzling talismans."

"In today's declining world of cultivation, it was rare to see talismans brimming with such abundant spiritual energy - and even if there were, they would be treasured and carefully preserved by their owners."

"Now, these exquisite talismans that even Tang's father had once coveted, seemed like blazing flames, scorching his eyes."

"How is this possible! Tang's father's gaze was vacant, with only one thought in his mind."

"If Shen Wang was such an extraordinary genius, what had he done?"

"He had personally driven this genius out of his house, severed their blood ties, treated him as an enemy, scheming, targeting, and viewing him with hostility... pushing his own son further and further away."

"To the point where now, their relationship was irreconcilable, with no chance of easing."

"Tang's father had been single-mindedly focused on reviving the Tang family, resorting to any means necessary, sacrificing everything, only to realize that a soaring opportunity had always been before his eyes, yet he had been blind to it."

"Disturbed and disoriented, Tang's father let out a muffled grunt, a trickle of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth."

"Observing this, Shen Wang raised an eyebrow, considerately reminding Shi Yan beside him: 'Director Shi, there's surveillance in here, right?'"

"We can't afford to be falsely accused by someone."

"Shi Yan's gaze swept over Tang's father, nodding with a smile: 'Of course.'"

"There was no chance of being wrongly accused."

"Their exchange, loud and clear, showed a complete disregard for Tang's father."

"Tang's father's frustration grew. He glared at Shi Yan, his gaze then shifting to Shen Wang, a complex look in his eyes. He stuttered, trying to speak: 'Shen Wang...'"

"'Don’t.' Shen Wang cut him off sharply, 'Mr. Tang, we're not acquainted, nor do we have any past to discuss. Speak to Director Shi if you have something to say.'"

"Saying this, he stood up, casually picking up the talismans from the table."

"Tang's father's face turned from ashen to white, then to a purplish hue, finally settling on a mix of anger and regret. His eyes fixated on Shen Wang and the talismans in his hand."

"Not just Tang's father, everyone in the room was eyeing those talismans. Qin You Rong swallowed hard: 'You’re taking these talismans with you?!'"

"Shen Wang, surprised: 'The talismans I drew, why wouldn’t I take them? Am I supposed to leave them here for you?'"

"Qin You Rong instinctively looked towards Shi Yan."

"These spiritually imbued talismans, clearly powerful and rare, especially the attack talismans, could significantly increase a cultivator’s odds against even formidable ghosts."

"A glint flashed in Shi Yan's eyes."

"He had heard from Qin You Rong that Shen Wang was proficient in both talismans and formations."

"Having witnessed Shen Wang’s mastery in formations, Shi Yan had assumed that formations were his main focus, with talismans as a secondary skill."

"Now, seeing Shen Wang draw talismans, Shi Yan realized how greatly he had underestimated him."

"Not only was he an expert in formations, but his talisman skills were also exceptional. Such a genius in both fields... Shi Yan's smile widened slightly, signaling Qin You Rong."

"Qin You Rong watched with a pang of regret as Shen Wang stuffed the spiritually abundant talismans into his pocket, dejectedly escorting him out."

"As Shi Yan turned back to Tang's father, his expression grew more meaningful: 'Mr. Tang, regarding Dao Qingzi, I’ve uncovered some additional information...'"

"Shen Wang, used as a tool to break through Tang's father's mental barriers, was not upset but rather felt refreshed."

"Seeing Tang's father full of regret yet unable to swallow his pride and admit his mistakes made the trip worthwhile!"

"In both his past and present life, Tang's father had never been kind to him, never hiding his disdain and scorn. Forget having any emotional attachment to Tang's father, if there had been any, it would have been worn away long ago."

"Clearing the clutter of thoughts from his mind, Shen Wang suddenly remembered something and abruptly stopped."

"Qin You Rong, following closely behind, was caught off guard and nearly bumped into his back: 'Shen Ge, what’s wrong?'"

"Shen Wang pulled out the hastily stuffed talismans, handing one to Qin You Rong: 'This is for the special department.'"

"Qin You Rong brightened up, but then looked disappointed after seeing the talisman: 'Why this one?'"

"'This talisman was drawn on your high-grade paper, the rest were drawn on my own low-grade paper,' Shen Wang chuckled. 'I only wasted a bit of cinnabar ink and gave you a successful talisman, why the disappointment?'"

"Qin You Rong glanced at Shen Wang, then at the talisman again: 'Well, that’s true...'"

"'The talisman drawn on 'quality paper' is actually quite good, definitely better than many others I’ve seen.'"

"If he hadn't seen the other talismans drawn by Shen Wang, he might have accepted this one with great joy."

"There's always a 'just in case'."

"Compared to Shen Wang's 'inferior talismans', the 'quality talismans' had a weaker spiritual essence, their energy constantly leaking, appearing less potent."

"Qin You Rong couldn't help but mutter to himself: It seems the Tang family's much-touted special talismans aren’t that superior after all."

"Seeing Qin You Rong looking at him with puppy eyes, Shen Wang generously pulled out another talisman and tossed it to him."

"Qin You Rong was overjoyed, cradling the two talismans preciously, his words tumbling out excitedly: 'Thank you, Shen Ge! You’re really great! Truly the unparalleled genius in both talismans and formations in our cultivation world...'"

"He was in full flattery mode when suddenly he heard Shen Wang laugh mischievously, asking, 'Isn’t Gu Dongting considered the number one genius in the cultivation world? Tell me, between me and Gu Dongting, who is the real top genius?'"

"Qin You Rong gasped in shock, frozen on the spot."

"One was a genuine leader in the righteous path, a master swordsman; the other, an emerging talent in both talismans and formations. Both geniuses, but to rank them as the top…"

"Qin You Rong’s mind raced, nearly sparking as he blurted out: 'Brother Gu is the top genius in swordsmanship, and Shen Ge, you’re the top in drawing talismans and formations. You're in different leagues, incomparable!'"

"After answering, Qin You Rong let out a sigh of relief, feeling his response was quite clever."

"Then, he saw Shen Wang smiling over his shoulder, teasingly saying, 'Brother Gu, the top in swordsmanship, your junior brother here got swayed by just one of my talismans.'"

"Feeling a chill down his spine, Qin You Rong nervously turned around and almost cried out: 'Brother!'"

"Gu Dongting glanced at Qin You Rong indifferently, then shifted his attention to Shen Wang, greeting him: 'Shen Dao You.'"

"Shen Wang stepped forward to walk alongside Gu Dongting, casually asking, 'Any results from the investigation?'"

"The two men walked shoulder to shoulder, leaving behind Qin You Rong holding the talismans, standing bewildered: 'How did they become so familiar with each other?'"

"And more surprisingly, his traditionally stern and upright Brother Gu, was actually going along with Shen Wang's playful antics?"

"Qin You Rong's eyes widened, muttering to himself in disbelief: 'Has the sun risen from the west? Since when does Brother Gu play along with jokes?'"

"Previously, whenever he tried to joke with Gu Dongting, he was always met with a cold demeanor, at most getting a 'Don’t be foolish' in response. But now..."

"Qin You Rong couldn't shake the feeling that something was off!"

"From Gu Dongting, Shen Wang learned that Dao Qingzi, the one casting curses, had been active for over a decade, involved in numerous cases. Only a part of his connections were traced, and he had only recently been in contact with the Tang family."

"The people he had cursed and harmed before had no ties to the Tang family."

"Shen Wang, who knew that the Tang family wouldn't easily fall with Tang Jiu, the 'son of destiny' around, was not disappointed: 'Thank you for the information, Dao You Gu.'"

"Noticing Shen Wang's composed demeanor, Gu Dongting's gaze softened: 'Dao You Shen, your mind is clear and unattached, a remarkably calm nature. No wonder your talents are so extraordinary.'"

"Shen Wang, usually unflustered by others' flattery, felt unexpectedly shy at Gu Dongting's praise."

"Touching his nose, Shen Wang modestly replied: 'Oh, it's nothing much, all trivial skills. Dao You Gu, you're the one with extraordinary sword energy and a firm mind.'"

"Standing at the entrance of the special department, they looked at each other and couldn’t help but smile."

"Shen Wang said with a laugh: 'Calling each other Dao You feels so formal, just call me by my name. After all, we are friends now, aren’t we?'"

"Gu Dongting opened his mouth, then closed it, finally saying: 'In that case, Shen… Shen Wang, you can also call me by my name.'"

"As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Wang spontaneously responded: 'Dongting.'"

"Gu Dongting was startled, his eyes widening slightly, softening his typically aloof demeanor into something akin to a surprised cat, all flustered."

"After a few seconds of silence, Shen Wang casually smiled and said, 'Calling you by your full name still feels a bit distant. Can I call you Dongting?'"

"Gu Dongting lowered his eyes."

"In fact, aside from his family, very few people referred to him so affectionately. Even those seeking intimacy would at most call him 'Brother'."

"However, Gu Dongting didn’t mind being called this way by Shen Wang."

"After all... Gu Dongting lifted his eyes again, bright and almost smiling: 'A name is, after all, meant to be used by others.'"

"He had a considerable appreciation for Shen Wang."

"During the time Shen Wang was busy catching people, the talismans he had sold and given away in raffles mostly ended up with fans."

"Some, truly believing in Shen Wang's metaphysical skills, took photos of the talismans and treasured them like precious keepsakes."

"Others were merely fans of Shen Wang's looks, buying talismans as if they were merchandise, without expecting much of their mystical effects."

"Lan Yue was one such fan."

"A medical student overwhelmed with knowledge to memorize, her only relaxation was to spend spare moments watching videos and live streams."

"After learning about Shen Wang’s experiences and seeing his flawless face, Lan Yue became one of his admirers."

"When a roommate noticed the talisman in Lan Yue's hands, they curiously asked, 'When did you get a peace talisman? Weren’t you skeptical about these things before?'"

"Lan Yue blushed: 'I bought it online…'"

"Her roommate was surprised: 'You can buy these online? Which temple are they from? Have they been consecrated? What are they supposed to do? Did you get an exam-passing talisman or a love charm?'"

"For modern college students, their primary concerns are usually just these two things, rather utilitarian indeed."

"'One for sleep, one for repelling insects,' Lan Yue admitted, slightly embarrassed. She didn’t really believe in such things and had chosen them randomly."

"With summer bringing a swarm of annoying insects and her own stress causing sleep issues, these choices seemed apt."

"Her roommate paused, then remarked, 'That’s actually quite practical, more so than the exam success or love charms.'"

"After a brief chat, both of them returned to their studies, opening their books almost in unison."

"After a while, her roommate stood up cursing, grabbing mosquito repellent and spraying it wildly: 'There are too many mosquitoes, look at all these bites on me.'"

"Lan Yue looked up in surprise: 'I haven’t noticed any mosquitoes today...'"

"She used to attract mosquitoes a lot, but sitting there for half an hour, she hadn't been bitten once."

"'How can that be? Look at these bites on my legs!'"

"Upon closer inspection, Lan Yue saw several mosquito bites on her roommate's legs."

"Looking at her own unblemished arms and legs, she was puzzled, her eyes landing on the insect repelling talisman she used as a bookmark. A thought struck her: 'Could it be... it actually works?'"

"'What did you use today, Moon? The mosquitoes are leaving you alone.'"

"Amid her roommate's muttering, Lan Yue picked up the sleep talisman and climbed into bed: 'I’m going to sleep now, keep studying if you want.'"

"'Sleep now? Can you even fall asleep?' Her roommate was puzzled. 'Don’t you need complete darkness to sleep?'"

"It was well-known in the dorm that Lan Yue, with her fragile sleep quality, was usually the last one to fall asleep."

"Holding the sleep talisman, Lan Yue felt both nervous and inexplicably hopeful: 'Maybe I'll be able to sleep now.'"