Chapter Twenty-Five: The Talisman of Banishment

For the first attempt at crafting a spirit talisman, it was best to choose those of lower grade—start simple and progress to the complex. After all, this was just for practice; if they could actually be sold for a bit of money, that would be an unexpected bonus.

The making of a spirit talisman was not as simple as picking up a brush, dipping it in cinnabar, and doodling on yellow talisman paper. If it were that easy, anyone could carelessly churn out a hundred or more in a day; with machines, production could reach into the tens of thousands.

Ling Tian glanced at the nearby stall displaying prices. The spirit talismans there were crafted with exquisite detail. Some looked especially striking, clearly handmade, with a touch of artistry about them.

But spirit talismans weren’t meant as decorations. Such pretty yet useless things, even if someone gave Ling Tian ten thousand for free, he wouldn’t take them. Talismans with no effect served no purpose other than to take up space.

“Young man, is this your first day here?” an old man nearby asked with a friendly smile, offering Ling Tian a cigarette.

Ling Tian smiled, accepted the cigarette, helped the old man light it, then lit his own and took a puff before saying, “Sir, at your age, why are you still out here running a stall?” That was Ling Tian’s nature: return a favor threefold. If someone showed him a bit of courtesy, he would be even more courteous in return.

But if someone tried to show off, then sorry—he’d give them a slap so hard even the wall wouldn’t yield them back.

The old man was clearly a talkative type. After a puff, he narrowed his eyes and laughed. “I’m retired now and have nothing much to do. Besides, I like these sorts of things.” He glanced down at the talismans on his stall and continued, “It’s stuffy at home, so I come out here for fun. Young man, are you planning to make them on the spot?”

Ling Tian chuckled. “Just picked up a bit of the craft and wanted to give it a try.”

At that moment, a burly-looking middle-aged man to Ling Tian’s left jeered, “With your shoddy stuff? And you think you can sell it?”

Ling Tian frowned and turned to look. The speaker was a middle-aged man wearing a thick gold chain around his neck—about as thick as a pinky finger. But it looked fake. Real gold gleamed, but his was a sickly yellow, almost nauseating to look at.

“No need to mind him,” the old man said unhurriedly.

“Sir, once I’m done, I’ll give you one. My talismans aren’t just pretty fakes,” Ling Tian replied with a smile.

“Haha, young man, I believe you.” The old man laughed, narrowing his eyes and staring intently at Ling Tian’s hands. In truth, he didn’t quite believe Ling Tian. He’d been in this area for seven or eight years and had never seen a real spirit talisman. He’d seen a few said to be consecrated by eminent monks and bought them to try, but they hadn’t had much effect.

Before Ling Tian began, the old man suddenly asked, “Young man, what kind of spirit talismans can you make?”

Ling Tian replied, “Just a few simple ones. Sir, why don’t you tell me what you’re looking for, and I’ll see if I can manage it?”

The old man pondered for a moment, then said, “Can you make an Exorcism Talisman? Daoist and Buddhist masters can make them, or so I’ve read in ancient books, but I’ve never seen one in real life.”

The middle-aged man burst out laughing, “Old man, you really believe that? He’s just a kid—never mind making an Exorcism Talisman, I bet he doesn’t even know what one looks like. Why not buy one from me? I paid a high price for this from out of town; it’s been consecrated by a great monk.”

The old man shot him a glance and snorted.

Ling Tian paid the man no mind; to him, he was just trash.

He spread out the yellow talisman paper neatly—six sheets in a row. Six was considered an auspicious number for talisman crafting, though whether it actually worked was another matter. Ling Tian silently recited a calming incantation to focus his mind, and at the same time, released his spiritual consciousness.

He dipped his wolf-hair brush lightly into the cinnabar, then slowly began to move it across the yellow paper—sometimes fast, sometimes slow. At first his motions were awkward, but soon he grew adept. The brush danced like a dragon or serpent, every stroke powerful and vigorous...

At first, the old man was merely curious about Ling Tian’s process, but now he found himself captivated by his technique. The old man sold talismans and made them himself; he’d even visited Mount Wudang to learn from a Daoist priest, so he had some experience.

Yet, he realized now that after five or six years of diligent practice, his own technique didn’t measure up to this young man’s. Suddenly, Ling Tian’s earlier words didn’t seem so laughable, but rather quite credible.

To craft a spirit talisman required the union of essence, energy, and spirit. Under the guidance of spiritual consciousness, true energy was channeled from the brush through the cinnabar and onto the yellow paper, forming miniature arrays that temporarily stored the energy. Then, the fire of the dantian was needed to refine it... Thus, making spirit talismans was extremely taxing on both mental and physical strength.

To outsiders, it looked as though Ling Tian was simply drawing on yellow paper with a brush, and very slowly at that. But if one looked closely, one might spot faint flames at the tip of his strokes, though the deep red of the cinnabar mostly concealed the fire.

A full ten minutes later, Ling Tian finally completed his first talisman—an Exorcism Talisman.

He felt a surge of excitement—his first attempt at talisman crafting, and it was a success! The result was impressive, nearly equivalent to a first-grade spirit talisman. According to what he had learned from the jade slip, spirit talismans were ranked from grade one to grade nine, above which were celestial talismans, divine talismans, and even saintly talismans. The jade slip only described spirit talismans in detail; the higher ones had but a few lines, yet those few words filled Ling Tian with longing.

“Young man, is it done?” the old man asked in surprise, gazing at the Exorcism Talisman. On the surface, it looked no different from other talismans—perhaps even simpler. Yet the old man sensed something different, though he couldn’t quite put it into words.

Ling Tian exhaled deeply and replied, “It’s done. What do you think?”

The old man smiled, “It feels special, though I can’t say exactly why. It’s a strange feeling.”

Ling Tian laughed heartily, “Two words: spiritual charm.”

At those words, the old man clapped his hands in excitement, “Exactly! That’s it—it has a spiritual charm I hadn’t noticed before. Your talisman is livelier, more spirited than the others.”

“This one’s for you.” Ling Tian picked up the Exorcism Talisman and handed it to the old man.

The old man was taken aback—he hadn’t expected Ling Tian to actually give it to him. He hurriedly waved his hands, “I can’t accept this.” Though he didn’t truly believe the talisman would be effective, it certainly felt extraordinary—at the very least, a work of art.

Ling Tian smiled, “Sir, I promised to give it to you. You wouldn’t have me go back on my word, would you? Please accept it.”

The old man, being a straightforward person, did not decline further. He respectfully extended both hands and carefully received the talisman, a gesture meant to show his respect for Ling Tian.

The middle-aged man, unable to bear the sight, sneered, “You’re treating a worthless piece of junk like it’s treasure.”