As soon as the Human Emperor Banner came out, I became the Lord of the Old Ones

Chapter 54 The Road to Legend
The evil forces such as the gangs, mercenary groups and the Black Dream Organization that roam the wilderness often recruit "Old Investigators" without setting any requirements and accepting all who come.

But all they need are cannon fodder and guinea pigs, and they don't care about the safety of investigating the echoes of the past.

Not to mention the chaos and danger of the Echo Land itself, and how simple and crude their method of opening the Gate of the Ancients was.

Even if you really discover something in the depths of the past, you can easily be backstabbed by your "companions" and "bosses", which is simply courting death.

I want to participate in a formal, legal, organized, disciplined and secure old-time investigation.

You must pass the review and test of the Old Days Foundation, obtain a license, and become a "Registered Old Days Investigator."

Because of the danger and complexity of the Land of Echoes, the ability of a registered investigator is secondary; loyalty and reliability are the most important.

The Alliance of Heroes stipulates that only citizens of the Alliance are eligible to join the Old Ones Foundation.

In planned areas like Rolling Stone Castle, local residents are merely "quasi-citizens" of the Heroic Alliance and cannot easily enter the safe zone.

Even if you enter the safe zone, you can only do low-level jobs that are dirty, tiring and hard.

Not eligible to join official organizations such as the "Old Days Foundation", "Strange Spirit Museum", "Doomsday Research Institute", etc.

And Xu Yan is not even a "quasi-citizen".

Just a wanderer in the wilderness without an identity.

They are barbarians, infected, and unstable factors eroded by the old.

"It won't be long before I get citizenship and step into Dawn City."

Xu Yan vowed solemnly.

"Haha, Dawn City."

Li Tong sighed, "There are tens of thousands of poor souls living in the wilderness and planned areas. They are all trying their best to get into the safe zone and become city dwellers, but how many of them succeed?
"Come on, look outside, towards Dawn City. Do you see that tall wall on the horizon? The wall surrounding Dawn City isn't just there to keep out monsters from the past, it's also there to keep out us!"

"Uncle Li, we're back again."

Xu Yan's smile grew even brighter, his teeth gleaming with sharpness like sharp sabers, "That's why I want to make money, a lot of money, and use it to carve out a golden avenue leading to Dawn City.

"I know you have good intentions, and I also know that there are thousands and thousands of poor boys like me who were born in the wilderness, with nothing, and who have all suffered bruises and bloodshed under the walls of Dawn City.

“However, my determination will not change.

"Born in the wilderness, living at dawn, even if I die, I will die on the legendary road to the past!"

……

After lunch, it is teaching time as usual.

Xu Yan is no longer the same as he was when he first arrived, and Li Tong needs to start from scratch.

Most of the time, he was flipping through textbooks, the Lingka Society's annual journal, and academic monographs such as "From Puppets to AI".

Only when I encounter problems occasionally do I need Li Tong's guidance.

In recent days, Xu Yan's questions have become more and more tricky, often leaving Li Tong unable to cope.

Fortunately, Xu Yan didn’t need an answer.

Just an idea, an inspiration.

Many times, before Li Tong even opened his mouth, he would slap his forehead and suddenly realize something.

Seeing him drawing two drafts of talisman arrays at the same time, Li Tong couldn't help but sigh.

I really don’t know how this little guy’s brain and hands look, and how many secrets he hides.

Of course, snakes have their own ways, and rats have their own ways. It is hard to believe that a second-hand spiritual card store has been open for more than ten years in a place like Rolling Stone Castle where all kinds of people mix.

Li Tong also has his own unique techniques.

Now the tendons in his hands are broken, and even if they are healed, they will never recover as before. Someone is needed to support the Star Shop.

He also got along well with Xu Yan, so he naturally told him everything he knew.

Time flew by as the two of them taught and sparred. At the stroke of one in the afternoon, Xu Yan's proficiency in the Elementary Talisman Making Technique had increased by another 0.3 percentage points.

Dr. Hyde's card-making skills also shone brightly in the depths of his mind, becoming clearer.

Li Tong packed up his tableware with a smile and went to the clinic for physical therapy.

Xu Yan listened to the cheerful music from the music box and entered a state of focused work.

However, the first customer who came to the store in the afternoon had a bit of an "uninvited guest" vibe.

"It's just the simplest maintenance for the Iron Card. Can you 'Stars' do it?"

Seeing Xu Yan's solemn expression, he rubbed a dull black iron card between his fingers, even blew on it heavily, and put it to his ear to listen carefully to the vibration of the card.

The customer became impatient and urged more in a rough voice.

Xu Yan looked at the card and then at the customer.

I noticed that the other person had his hat brim pulled very low and his collar pulled very high, covering most of his face, leaving only a pair of slightly nervous and sarcastic eyes exposed.

"Of course I can."

After pondering for a moment, Xu Yan smiled slightly, "Jelly, swallow this card, and let's practice the move we just practiced yesterday!"

The crystal slime mold reluctantly crawled over, squeezed out its nose-like synapses, sniffed the card, and looked at Xu Yan again.

"Don't worry, I will protect you from behind."

Xu Yan comforted the guardian spirit, "If there's even the slightest sign of trouble, I'll have 17 or 18 guys over there to deal with it."

"..."

The crystal slime mold has an expression that says "Anyone who believes this is a fool."

"I believe that the most important thing between a Master and a Guardian Spirit is trust and bond!"

Xu Yan narrowed his eyes. "Could it be that until now, you have only been playing along and have not considered me a true partner at all?"

The crystal slime mold shuddered deeply.

The remnant soul would not suffer a loss. It put on a cheerful look, swallowed the black iron card in one gulp, and placed it in the center of its transparent body.

Contrary to the client's expectations, Xu Yan did not use the talisman pen, nor did he take the eyedropper, or the quill pen that some old-school card makers like to use.

Instead, he directly poured the seven or eight kinds of talisman inks needed to maintain the black iron card onto the surface of the crystal slime mold.

Then, he pressed the crystal slime mold with both hands, from his arms to his palms and then to his ten fingers, and his muscles vibrated at a high frequency.

The trembling force that is invisible to the naked eye dissolves the talisman ink, turning it into countless strands of light, flowing within the crystal slime mold and wrapping around the black iron card.

No matter the impurities attached to the surface of the black iron card or deep in the structure, they will be peeled off, decomposed and removed bit by bit with the vibration of the crystal slime mold.

This technique of adding talisman ink is gentler and more delicate than the traditional method of using talisman pens, droppers, and quill pens. It hardly causes any disturbance to the sealing talisman array, nor will it awaken the spirits sealed inside.

In just thirty seconds, the Iron Card looked brand new.

The texture became extremely clear, and a rainbow-like luster faintly rolled on the surface.

"Any question?"

Xu Yan leaned back in his chair and squinted at the stunned customer. "Or are you really looking forward to seeing something go wrong during the simplest maintenance of your Black Iron card?"

The client shut up.

He took back his Iron Card, paid the money without even trying, and left.

"So, this is how you injured your uncle?"

Xu Yan's voice came coldly from behind him, "Into a black iron card with an aging membrane, clogged patterns, and a loose seal, three incompatible residual souls were stuffed.

"If the card maker is careless and follows the normal process of cleaning, engraving, and infusing the talisman ink, these residual souls will be like hibernating venomous snakes awakened and bite the card maker fiercely!"

(End of this chapter)