Burial Furnace

Old Man Xia's breakfast shop.

Zhang Yuan sat in the corner eating breakfast.

It's just a bowl of steaming hot wontons, with thin wrappers, generous fillings, and a delicious broth, topped with a few sprigs of bright green cilantro and a few drops of sesame oil.

Zhang Yuanzheng was eating with great relish when Old Man Xia leaned over, lowered his voice, and said mysteriously:

"Boss Zhang, have you heard? The new manager of Lingfu Pavilion has arrived."

Zhang Yuan paused slightly in his spoon, then looked up: "Oh? When did you arrive?"

"He arrived early this morning. I heard he's a cultivator at the early stage of the Golden Core realm, surnamed Zhou, named Zhou Lie. People at the Spirit Talisman Pavilion are saying that this new manager has a bad temper and is ruthless. As soon as he arrived, he scolded all the shop assistants and said that all the previous rules were null and void, and everything would be done according to his rules."

Zhang Yuan put down his spoon. The aroma of wontons still lingered in his nose, but he had lost his appetite.

A new manager has arrived.

In the early stages of the Golden Core realm, one is short-tempered and uses harsh methods.

These four words were like four huge stones, pressing down on his heart.

After thinking it over carefully, he bought some fruit and headed to the Spirit Talisman Pavilion.

As the saying goes, reach out and don't hit the smiling person.

Visiting someone in person with some gifts at least shows your attitude.

No matter how domineering the other party is, they can't just kill the person who gave the gift for no reason, right?

Zhang Yuan walked up to the counter and said to a clerk, "Excuse me, is Manager Zhou here? I'm Zhang Yuan from the crematorium, and I've come to pay a visit."

The shop assistant glanced at him, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Manager Zhou is in the talisman-drawing room in the backyard. I'll go and inform him."

"Thank you for your trouble." Zhang Yuan nodded.

The man turned and went to the backyard.

After a while, he came out and said to Zhang Yuan, "Manager Zhou wants you to come in."

Zhang Yuan followed the waiter through a corridor to the backyard.

The backyard is spacious, paved with blue bricks, and kept very clean.

In the center of the courtyard stands a tall osmanthus tree, its lush branches casting a cool, green shade.

Under the tree was a stone table and several stone stools, and on the table was a pot of tea, the aroma of which wafted out.

To the north of the backyard is a row of blue brick and tile houses.

One of the rooms had its door open, revealing a large wooden table covered with talisman paper, a talisman brush, and talisman ink.

A middle-aged man was sitting at a table, holding a talisman pen, and was concentrating on drawing talismans.

He looked to be in his early forties, tall, with a square face, thick eyebrows, big eyes, and a short, stiff stubble on his chin.

He was wearing a gray robe with the sleeves rolled up, revealing his strong arms.

He exuded a sharp aura, like a drawn sword, making people afraid to look him in the eye.

Zhang Yuan walked to the door, stopped, and bowed respectfully, saying, "Junior Zhang Yuan greets Senior Zhou."

Zhou Lie did not look up; the talisman brush in his hand continued to slide across the talisman paper, leaving behind smooth lines of runes.

Zhang Yuan wasn't in a hurry; he just stood at the door and waited quietly.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Zhou Lie finished drawing the last rune. A faint light flashed on the talisman paper, and the talisman was successfully drawn.

Zhou Lie put down the talisman brush, picked up the talisman, blew on the ink, and then looked up at Zhang Yuan.

His gaze was sharp, carrying a scrutinizing quality, as if he were examining a piece of merchandise.

"You're Zhang Yuan, the one who runs the crematorium?" Zhou Lie asked, his voice low and slightly hoarse, exuding an undeniable authority.

"It is indeed I, the junior," Zhang Yuan replied respectfully, placing the fruit in his hand on the table. "I heard that Senior Zhou has taken over as the new manager, so I prepared some small gifts to express my gratitude."

Zhou Lie glanced at the bags of fruit, a cold smile playing on his lips: "Fruit? You think you can fob me off with this?"

"I am just a poor old man who runs a crematorium, and I really don't have anything valuable to offer. These fruits may not be worth much, but they were all carefully selected by me and are fresh and delicious. I hope you won't find them too cheap."

Zhou Lie snorted coldly and didn't reply.

He leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms, and coldly looked at Zhang Yuan, slowly saying, "I know why you're here. Let's be frank, you're not qualified to talk to me. Send Liu Ruxue. If she comes and satisfies me, I'll allow you to continue operating the crematorium. Otherwise, I have a thousand ways to shut it down."

Zhang Yuan's heart sank.

He's definitely a formidable character.

"Senior Zhou," Zhang Yuan forced a smile and said cautiously, "I have an agreement with Boss Li—"

"Buy ten intermediate-level talismans every month, right?" Zhou Lie interrupted him, sneering, "That agreement is null and void from now on."

He paused, then chuckled and said, "Your business is doing quite well. Last night you cremated five corpses, three Foundation Establishment cultivators and two Qi Refining cultivators. You earned six mid-grade spirit stones and four low-grade spirit stones. Don't deny it, I sensed it with my divine sense."

A storm raged in Zhang Yuan's heart.

The divine sense of a Golden Core cultivator is terrifying!

Even from such a great distance, he was able to clearly sense what was happening in his backyard!

Every move I make is under his surveillance!

Zhang Yuan took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

He said softly, "Senior Zhou, there is another agreement between me and Boss Li."

Zhou Lie raised an eyebrow slightly: "Oh? What agreement?"

"Boss Li saw that I had some talent in talismans, so he encouraged me to learn how to draw them," Zhang Yuan said calmly. "He said that once I can successfully draw the Concealing Breath Talisman, he will supply this kind of talisman exclusively to the Spirit Talisman Pavilion."

He paused, then continued, "He also sold talisman-making tools to the younger generation and personally taught them how to draw concealing breath talismans. Now, after a period of practice, the younger generation has been able to successfully draw concealing breath talismans."

Zhou Lie's eyes flickered, clearly somewhat surprised by the news.

He pondered for a moment, then said, "Draw one for me to see."

Zhang Yuan walked to the table and spread out a blank sheet of talisman paper. He picked up a talisman brush, dipped it in talisman ink, and then held his breath, concentrating all his mental energy on the tip of the brush.

The pen tip falls.

His wrist was steady and powerful, and the tip of the pen glided smoothly across the talisman paper, leaving behind mysterious rune trails.

True essence flowed into the talisman ink from the tip of the brush, leaving lines on the talisman paper that emitted a faint glow.

Although his movements weren't exactly fluid and graceful, they were quite skillful, without the slightest hint of awkwardness.

The whole process lasted about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

As the last stroke was made, a faint light flashed across the talisman paper before fading away.

Zhang Yuan put down his talisman brush, picked up the talisman, and presented it with both hands: "Please take a look, senior."