I am a wandering immortal in the mortal realm.

Shen Yuan hadn't expected the "insect-repelling talisman" to actually work. He turned to look at the incense sticks that were already half-burnt, and quickly bowed deeply, saying respectfully, "Thank you, Ancestral Master, for your miraculous response. Disciple Shen Yuan expresses his gratitude!"

As he spoke, he took out a new sheet of yellow paper and exclaimed, "Master, please don't leave yet! This disciple would like to draw some peace talismans; those are the main products of our Taoist temple in the future!"

Shen Yuan regretted it a little. If he had known that the patriarch was really willing to teach him step by step, he would have at least given him a couple of more difficult talismans first.

Now they've wasted the opportunity for a renowned teacher to provide in-person guidance, and all they've done is draw a "worm-repelling talisman"—what good is that?

He didn't think the people in Linquan Town would be willing to spend money on such miscellaneous items.

Wouldn't it be better to use that spare money to buy some mugwort to fumigate him?

No sooner had the Taoist priest finished speaking than a strange gust of wind suddenly swept through the main hall.

Unlike the gentle breeze that used to caress my face, this wind clearly had a "furious" feel to it.

Shen Yuan understood that his master had rejected his request.

That's true. It's said that the master leads you through the door, but the cultivation depends on yourself. The patriarch certainly didn't want him to become a useless person who could only ask adults for help in everything.

Shen Yuan smiled helplessly and did not insist.

He left the orphanage at the age of sixteen and has always been independent. Although he is not a hypocrite who would never ask for help, he never complains about others not helping him.

Moreover, having successfully drawn the talisman for the first time, Shen Yuan believed that as long as he put his heart into it, he would definitely be able to figure out the secret to maintaining that bit of spiritual light.

Otherwise, we can't ask the ancestral master for help every time we draw a talisman, can we?

Then he's such a useless abbot!

So, after the "insect-repelling talisman," the Taoist priest drew several more "peace talismans," but all of them ended in failure.

After a moment of silence, he suddenly remembered the few lines of the mantra sung by Old Chen, the laborer, and recalled the warm, comforting feeling that rose within him, the strength that seemed to originate from his feet…

Yesterday, by a twist of fate, the Taoist had already touched the boundary of cultivation. Although he had not yet broken through that barrier, now that he was only pursuing the power of "technique" without exploring the essence of "Tao," it was naturally not very difficult.

The Taoist felt a slight heat rising in his body, as if a force was about to burst forth from his chest, opening his Xuanqiao (a point in his body) to welcome the light of heaven!

It's now!

The Taoist suddenly opened his eyes, with only one thought in his mind—to find a vessel for this power!

So he raised his right hand, and with a flick of his pen, the inscription "Peace Talisman" instantly appeared on the paper.

The mysterious patterns firmly locked in that surging power, and in an instant, it transformed into an extremely strong, pure, and unyielding force of heaven and earth.

The Taoist even had a strange feeling—when the "peace talisman" was drawn, there seemed to be a faint golden light flowing over it, which gradually disappeared into the red runes after a few breaths.

However, unlike his previous nonchalant demeanor when drawing the "insect-repelling talisman," the Taoist priest was completely exhausted after finishing this "peace talisman." His body suddenly felt extremely tired, and he couldn't help but sit down on the futon.

It wasn't that drawing talismans was tiring, but rather that he did too much useless work in order to be clever, which made him look particularly tired.

The ancients said, "A single spark of inspiration is all it takes to create a talisman; people waste their cinnabar and ink in vain." Drawing talismans is essentially a process of borrowing the power of heaven and earth.

The foundation for communication between humans and the universe lies in that spark of innate spiritual light.

When Shen Yuan drew the "insect-repelling talisman," he was able to quickly enter that state of mind thanks to the help of his ancestral master.

It's like someone is leading you on a run, and you find your goal in no time.

But now that I'm doing it myself, things are different.

He was ultimately just a half-baked practitioner, unable to achieve enlightenment overnight. He could only learn from Old Chen, hoping to glimpse the spark of his true nature within himself by invigorating his spirit and blood.

It's like a running race; others can just lift their legs and start running, but you have to run three laps around the city to warm up.

The effort required is incomparable to that of a single day!

Shen Yuan rested for an unknown amount of time before slowly standing up as the sun began to set.

Wiping non-existent sweat from his forehead, he sighed, "Drawing talismans is truly strenuous work!"

After sighing, he picked up the "peace talisman" and examined it repeatedly. As soon as it came into view, an indescribable and mysterious aura rushed towards him.

The "Peace Talisman," also known as the "Protective Talisman," is one of the four major talismans of Taoism and is also the most practical type of talisman among the common people.

Its name is derived from the esoteric Buddhist concept of "protective wheel," and it is believed to have the effect of protecting the wearer, warding off disasters, and bringing peace and protection.

Nowadays, if any temple or monastery claims they don't know how to draw amulets, the common people will definitely think they are not authentic.

Even though this kind of talisman is so common that it's easy to draw, it's difficult to master. Not to mention, like Shen Yuan has now, imbued it with spiritual power.

Looking at this amulet now, it still looks ordinary, but anyone with normal bodily senses will soon feel its extraordinary nature after wearing it.

Shen Yuan happily folded the talisman into a triangle and put it away. He then checked his physical condition and found that his spirit had recovered. So he drew another one in one go.

This time, the Taoist priest was truly pushed to his limit.

With a deathly pale face, he expressionlessly put away the talisman that was emitting spiritual energy in front of him, and then began to think about other things.

Based on my production capacity, I can only draw a maximum of two peace charms a day.

This makes pricing more difficult.

After all, things are valued for their rarity. This is a Taoist talisman with genuine magical power, which is incomparable to those counterfeit products outside.

If you sell it too cheaply, you'll definitely lose a lot of money; but if you sell it too expensively, there's no guarantee that anyone will buy it!

"How about we mix them in and sell them?"

Shen Yuan considered that possibility. In any case, some worshippers were just seeking psychological comfort and did not necessarily need the talismans to have magical power. He could simply draw some ordinary, inexpensive talismans and sell them.

Those who truly need talismans can simply resell them at a higher price.

But then I thought, there are countless famous temples in the world nowadays. Even if someone needs a genuine talisman, their first reaction wouldn't be to come to Yiyuan Temple, right?

Furthermore, if you mix and match products, some of them might work and some might not. If something goes wrong, won't it ruin your own reputation?

After much thought, the only viable path seems to be maintaining a high-quality product strategy.

As for whether worshippers can buy talismans, that depends on whether we are destined to meet!

However, before that, Shen Yuan planned to stock up on some talismans in order to avoid fainting in front of the worshippers when he had to draw them.

Just as I was pondering this, I suddenly heard a strange howl, and then I saw the takin strolling slowly back from outside.

It would sometimes chew on a tender leaf from the treetop, sometimes sniff the sand at its feet, stopping and going as it pleased, appearing very leisurely.

But as soon as it stepped into the Taoist temple, it suddenly stopped, then shook its head, looking left and right, and a look of doubt appeared in its wet eyes.

For some reason, it always felt that the Taoist temple today was somewhat different from the past.

It seems... quieter now?

Animals are born and raised in nature, and their senses are keen. In the past, when it returned to the Taoist temple, it would always hear some insect chirping sounds that ordinary people could not hear.

But today, the Taoist temple is eerily quiet.

Even those mosquitoes that usually target it for bites, I didn't see a single one today.

Could it be that the Taoist priest is behind this again?

The takin's straightforward mind couldn't handle overly complex questions, but without the annoying mosquitoes, it seemed quite happy. It barked and, covered in mud, tried to burrow into the Taoist's arms.

The Taoist priest quickly braced the ox's horns, shouting, "Brother Ox, wait! Brother Ox, wait!"

"Woof!"

The takin responded to him with a call, then raised its head and tried to lick the Taoist's face with its tongue.

It felt that the Taoist's aura had inexplicably become very approachable today, and it couldn't help but want to lean on him and get close to him.

The Taoist priest was quite helpless, so he quickly took out a talisman to distract the other party.

"Brother Niu, take a look!"

The cow stopped licking, opened its eyes wide, and stared at what he was holding.

Shen Yuan chuckled: "Today, I, the Taoist priest, have made a stroke of genius and drawn two peace talismans, each imbued with magical power. Once the time is right, our Taoist temple will surely be revitalized!"

The takin couldn't understand the cake the Taoist priest was drawing. Having had two previous culinary experiences, it thought the priest was holding something delicious.

Then, to the Taoist's astonishment, he swallowed the peace talisman in his hand.

"No, you..." The Taoist priest hurriedly tried to pry its mouth open, shouting, "You spendthrift ox, do you know how difficult it is for me to draw a single talisman?"

But the ox was much stronger than the Taoist. Once it was determined to fight him, it only needed to raise its head high to make the Taoist helpless.

Suddenly, the takin barked and let out a loud burp.

The Taoist priest became even angrier and was about to draw his sword to scold it when he saw the ox suddenly kneel down on all fours, its face full of pain.

His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly stepped forward with concern: "Brother Niu, what's wrong?"

"Woof~"

The takin's call was weak and feeble.

The Taoist priest grew anxious, and a thought suddenly flashed through his mind: Could it be that there was something wrong with his talisman?

Suddenly, he remembered that the takin could breathe fire, and thought to himself: Could it be that my talisman mistook it for a demon and warded it off?

Lost in thought, the takin's expression of pain deepened.

The Taoist priest was in a state of utter confusion, and unfortunately, he knew nothing about veterinary medicine, so he didn't know how to offer any help.

Moreover, it was already late, and there was no time to go down the mountain to find someone to help. After thinking about it, I could only go to the backyard to prepare a basin of salt water to induce vomiting in the takin.

He stroked the takin's head and said gently, "Brother Takin, I won't force you to drink the water. Just drink it yourself, and vomit it out after you're done. You'll feel better then."

The takin endured the pain, staring intently at the Taoist priest with its bull-like eyes. After a long while, it finally lowered its head and slowly licked the salt water from the basin.

In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, it had drunk most of the salt water.

Suddenly, there was another loud gurgling sound. The Taoist priest looked closely and saw the takin's belly begin to swell and bulge.

He was overjoyed, knowing that this was a sign that the takin was about to vomit. He hurriedly stepped aside, and then heard a "plop" as a glob of filth sprayed at the Taoist's feet.

"Brother Ox!"

The Taoist priest's eyes lit up, and he hurried forward to observe the ox's condition.

The takin barked, seemingly regaining some strength, licked the Taoist's hand twice, and then lowered its head.

The Taoist gently soothed it twice, and seeing that it had closed its eyes, he got up to look at the puddle of vomit.

Strangely enough, the vomit didn't smell rotten; instead, it had a faint, fresh scent of grass and wood, and in the dim light of the main hall, it was steaming with wisps of hot water.

Next to the vomit was a yellow talisman that was already soaked.

The ox had swallowed the talisman whole without tearing it, and now it looks perfectly intact.

The Taoist priest had a sudden thought. Without caring about the dirt, he picked up the talisman, unfolded it, and was shocked to find that the originally clear and bright cinnabar color had become extremely dull and old.

The mysterious spiritual energy that originally belonged to the talisman has now completely disappeared, turning into an ordinary piece of yellow paper.

Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow, as if he had thought of something, and then turned his gaze to the vomit.

I poked at them with a stick and found they were all some unknown grasses.

The Taoist priest didn't recognize it, and although he was suspicious, he didn't bother to care.

He glanced at the takin again, and seeing its listless appearance, the Taoist felt a pang of sympathy. After cleaning up the vomit, he held the takin's head and hummed the nursery rhyme that the orphanage director loved to sing when he was a child.

Before anyone knew it, the takin had fallen into a deep sleep, leaving only its heavy breathing echoing in the hall.

Shen Yuan smiled and, too lazy to make a bed, leaned against the wall and pretended to sleep, so that he could easily observe the takin's condition at night.

In a daze, he seemed to hear a noise coming from the doorway, like someone was talking, but the voice was high-pitched and thin, unlike a human voice.

"Big sister, that stupid ox seems to be asleep. It shouldn't wake up if we go in, right?"

"Don't worry, it ate so much 'Moon Grass,' even Grandma would need a full day and night to wake up. This bull demon who just entered the Dao won't wake up for at least three days!"

"That's a sheep demon, isn't it? Big sister, you've got it wrong!"

"Forget about any demons, let's get down to business!"

"Big sister, is this Taoist priest any good?"

"Even the Mountain Lord dares not approach this place, so this Taoist must be a person of great fortune; he will surely succeed!"

"Oh no, what if the Taoist priest takes us in? Big sister, I'm so scared!"

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained! We'll take them by surprise, grab them, and run. We'll be fine; otherwise, we'll never amount to anything!"

"Big sister..."

"Shut up!"

Suddenly, a gust of cold wind swept through the main hall, sending a chill down the Taoist's spine. He couldn't help but squint towards the source of the sound.

Under the moonlight, outside the window, there seemed to be an eerie atmosphere. A long shadow slipped in through the crack in the door and quietly approached Shen Yuan.

"Taoist!"

"Taoist!"

Two strangely sung calls brought Shen Yuan back to a more alert state.

He then saw a strange man in a long robe, with pale skin, standing in front of him, a stiff smile on his face, and green light in his eyes.

His body swayed unsteadily, his robes seemingly ill-fitting. Twisting and turning, he suddenly appeared before Shen Yuan, grinning widely to reveal two sharp canine teeth, and uttered a strange sound from his throat:

"Taoist priest, do I look like an immortal?"

Shen Yuan chuckled to himself, thinking to himself, what kind of immortal looks like this?

Just as he was about to speak, his eyes met the eerie green light, and his consciousness suddenly sank into oblivion.

His lips moved as if he were about to speak, but in his hazy state, he suddenly became alert and wanted to shut up, but his body wouldn't obey him.

The Taoist priest groaned inwardly. The wooden sword was right beside him, yet he felt as if he were bound by an invisible shackle, like a puppet on strings, unable to break free.

Just as he was about to give the answer the other person wanted to hear, a sudden warmth rose in his chest, and he felt a jolt of clarity wash over him.

"It's a peace charm!"

The Taoist's mind stirred, and he regained control of his body. Everything before him became clear and visible.

Only then did he realize that there was no human figure at all, but rather two foxes with skulls on their heads, stacked on top of each other in front of him, twisting and turning.

"Taoist priest, do I look like an immortal?"

"Taoist priest, do I look like an immortal?"

After being asked several times, the Taoist priest flew into a rage, drew his wooden sword, and slashed down fiercely.

"What kind of monster are you? You dare to mess with even a Taoist priest? You think you're some kind of monster!"