The convoy was passing between two mountains when a cultivator in gray clothes stopped in front of the team.
The cultivator’s face was riddled with scars, and he was not easy to get along with at first glance.
The convoy suddenly stopped.
Bai Yunxi frowned and said to Ye Fan, “Who is it? Could it be that we’ve been exposed?”
Ye Fan shook his head and said, “I don’t know.”
The old housekeeper beside Situ Jiaojiao came out and asked with a sullen face, “Who are you, and why are you blocking our convoy?”
”My assistant is dead and I need to find a few new ones. I originally captured the bandits who waited to ambush people here, but they don’t have any talisman talent, so I can’t use them. However, that group of people told me that there is a talisman-making genius in this team!” The scarred cultivator said calmly.
Bai Yunxi frowned. There were bandits lying in ambush here before? If there were bandits lying in ambush here before, who were they waiting to ambush?
Ye Fan blinked and said to Bai Yunxi through sound transmission, “Is he talking about me? How does he know that I am a genius in talisman-making? Ordinary people only know that I can refine alchemy.”
Bai Yunxi: “…”
Ye Fan was an idiot. Naturally, the other party was not looking for Ye Fan. This guy should be looking for Princess Jiaojiao. This Princess Jiaojiao was extremely talented and had amazing talisman skills. Bai Yunxi’s ears had already grown calluses from constantly hearing this along the way.
On the way, in order to win the favor of the princess, many cultivators deliberately said good things about the princess when chatting.
Situ Jiaojiao had a hot temper and was domineering, but she was essentially a girl with chuunibyou* syndrome who was easy to fool. When she was in a good mood, this woman would also reward the accompanying cultivators with talismans.
The old housekeeper looked at Scarface and said, “If Your Excellency wants some talisman masters to help you, after we leave, I will arrange it for you immediately. I guarantee that they will all be the best talisman masters.”
Scarface said coldly, “No need. Ordinary talisman masters are useless. I heard that there is a princess in this team who has good comprehension of the art.”
Situ Jiaojiao came out, looked at Scarface, and said arrogantly, “This princess’s talisman skills are amazing, and I will become a holy*-level talisman master in the future. You want a genius like this princess to assist an ugly monster like you, keep dreaming in your next life.”
Situ Jiaojiao’s arrogant words echoed in the mountains. Bai Yunxi was shocked when he heard Situ Jiaojiao’s words.
Bai Yunxi always thought that Ye Fan was an idiot. Bai Yunxi suddenly discovered that he really couldn’t blame Ye Fan for being an idiot. This was a matter of education. It turned out that cultivators who were pampered in the cultivation world would indeed be raised to be brain-dead. Compared with this princess, Ye Fan was only mildly mentally deficient, which was really nothing.
Scarface looked at Situ Jiaojiao, but he was not angry. Instead, he said with admiration, “Holy-level talisman master. Not bad, you are ambitious.”
Bai Yunxi twitched the corners of his mouth and thought secretly: The cultivators from other worlds really couldn’t be judged using common sense. This guy was actually not angry.
Scarface opened his hand and grabbed at Situ Jiaojiao.
”Bold.” Wang Chenxiao, Situ Jiaojiao’s flower protector*, ran out, but was slapped away by Scarface.
Ye Fan looked at Wang Chenxiao who was sent flying, and blinked.
Wang Chenxiao was the disciple of the vice president of the Talisman Masters Association, and he liked Situ Jiaojiao very much.
During this period of time, Ye Fan had often seen this guy acting like a lackey in front of Situ Jiaojiao. Situ Jiaojiao was very irritable and would whip him away when she was unhappy. Ye Fan always felt that Wang Chenxiao was a masochist.
……
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
The old housekeeper faced Scarface, but after only three moves, Scarface overthrew him with a talisman.
”What a powerful fire talisman! It must be at the heaven level,” Ye Fan said with his eyes wide.
Ye Fan had long known that the old housekeeper next to Princess Jiaojiao was not simple. When the other party showed his power, he realized that the other party was a Golden Core cultivator who had hidden his cultivation. However, he should only be in the early stage of Golden Core. The gap between Golden Core cultivators at different stages was huge. The uninvited guest blocking the road had already reached the peak of Golden Core.
”Your Excellency is Sheng Zhihao of the Divine Talisman Sect?” The old housekeeper asked.
Ye Fan frowned and suddenly felt that the name Sheng Zhihao was familiar. Ye Fan quickly thought about where he had heard this name.
The first place on the bounty list was Sheng Zhihao. Although Ye Fan’s bounty was rising rapidly, it was not easy to catch up with Sheng Zhihao’s bounty.
Ye Fan had also heard fellow cultivators mention this guy, Sheng Zhihao. Ye Fan’s bounty was jointly initiated by all the major sects.
However, there was only one sect that had announced a bounty for Sheng Zhihao. It was the largest sect in the Eastern Continent, Tianyi Sect. This Sheng Zhihao had killed the young master of Tianyi Sect.
Although the Sect Master of Tianyi Sect was a Nascent Soul, he couldn’t stop Sheng Zhihao from killing. Several disciples of Tianyi Sect had been killed. This Sheng Zhihao seemed to have a blood feud with Tianyi Sect. Every once in a while, he would go to Tianyi Sect’s territory to cause trouble. The senior management of Tianyi Sect hated this guy to the core, but this guy’s talisman skills were so superb that Tianyi Sect could do nothing against this guy.
Tianyi Sect once dispatched a Nascent Soul cultivator to hunt down this person. This guy relied on talismans to block the pursuit of the Nascent Soul cultivator, and then escaped.
Scarface grabbed Situ Jiaojiao and said, “Go up.”
With a flick of his hand, Scarface threw the furious Situ Jiaojiao into the flying boat on the side.
Ye Fan looked at the flying boat and his eyes widened. There was the insignia of Tianyi Sect on the flying boat, and it was obvious it was stolen goods at a glance.
This guy was so brave, running around with stolen goods in broad daylight.
”Where are you going to take Her Royal Highness? The Situ royal family will not let you go, and neither will the Talisman Masters Association,” Wang Chenxiao shouted.
”You are wearing a spiritual-level talisman master’s robe. You are also a spiritual-level talisman master. I’ll just make do with it.” Sheng Zhihao grabbed Wang Chenxiao and threw him into the flying boat on the side.
”There are still two errand boys needed,” Sheng Zhihao murmured.
Ye Fan looked at Bai Yunxi with bright eyes and said, “He said he wanted two more errand boys.”
As soon as Ye Fan finished speaking, Sheng Zhihao’s hand reached for Ye Fan and Bai Yunxi, and they were also thrown into the flying boat.
……
The flying boat rose into the air and headed toward the Cangshan Sea of Clouds. Ye Fan looked in the direction the flying boat was flying and felt secretly happy in his heart.
Situ Jiaojiao swung her whip angrily. The whip passed by and all the furnishings in the cabin were smashed to pieces.
”Let me out. I have to go back to see the ancestor.”
Ye Fan blinked and said, “Your Highness, if you want to go back to see your ancestor, you have to defeat that old monster.”
”Presumptuous! How dare you talk to me like that.” Situ Jiaojiao looked at Ye Fan with anger.
Ye Fan blinked and said, “I’m telling the truth!”
Bai Yunxi pulled Ye Fan and said, “Stop talking.”
……
Sheng Zhihao walked in with a gloomy face. He gave off a strong coercion that made several people breathless.
Situ Jiaojiao bit her lip, calmed down her anger, and said, “Senior, why are you detaining me?”
Sheng Zhihao looked at Situ Jiaojiao coldly and said, “I heard that you were born with a natural talisman physique and restored an ancient talisman diagram*.”
Situ Jiaojiao nodded and said somewhat proudly, “Yes, I have restored one.”
Although Situ Jiaojiao was young, she had a special background and was not weak in talent.
The veterans in the Talisman Masters Association would not put on airs in front of her, and would often compliment Situ Jiaojiao. Situ Jiaojiao was praised to the heavens by a bunch of old men, and she inevitably became prouder and prouder.
”Perhaps you can help me restore the talisman diagram of my Divine Talisman Sect,” Sheng Zhihao said.
”Senior, will you let me go if I help you restore the diagram?” Situ Jiaojiao asked.
Sheng Zhihao nodded and said, “Yes, as long as you can do it, you can go wherever you want.”
Situ Jiaojiao nodded and said casually, “Okay, what kind of talisman diagram do you want me to restore? Show it to me. After I complete the talisman diagram, I will go back to celebrate the birthday of my ancestor.”
Sheng Zhihao took out half of a talisman diagram and handed it to Situ Jiaojiao.
Situ Jiaojiao looked at Sheng Zhihao and said with displeasure, “What kind of ghostly talisman diagram is this?! Are you trying to fool this princess?”
Sheng Zhihao gave Situ Jiaojiao a serious look and said, “If you don’t understand, study slowly. If you can’t figure it out, just die.”
”You……”
Situ Jiaojiao still wanted to act out, but Sheng Zhihao grabbed her by the neck, “I don’t care about your bad temper, but if you have a bad temper, you need ability to back it up. If you have the ability to restore the talisman diagram for me, I don’t care if your arrogance reaches the sky. But if you are an incompetent waste, just die for me.”
Sheng Zhihao threw Situ Jiaojiao aside. Situ Jiaojiao covered her neck and looked at Sheng Zhihao in horror and anger.
Situ Jiaojiao wanted to say something, but Wang Chenxiao stopped her. Wang Chenxiao quickly said through sound transmission, “Your Highness, you have to bow your head under the eaves*, so please bear with it for now.”
Seeing Sheng Zhihao leave, Situ Jiaojiao stomped her foot unwillingly.
Ye Fan glanced at the talisman diagram in Situ Jiaojiao’s hand, and a bit of surprise flashed in his eyes.
……
Situ Jiaojiao looked at the talisman diagram in her hand, shook her head angrily, and said, “What is this? How can this be a talisman diagram?”
Ye Fan glanced at Situ Jiaojiao and said, “Your Highness, can you show it to me?”
Situ Jiaojiao glanced at Ye Fan impatiently and said, “Go, go, what’s the matter with you?! Are you from the Talisman Masters Association?”
”I’m not from the Talisman Masters Association.”
”I knew you weren’t,” Situ Jiaojiao said disdainfully.
Ye Fan: “…” Just because he was not a member of the Talisman Masters Association, didn’t mean he didn’t know the art of talisman making!
Situ Jiaojiao looked at the talisman diagram in her hand and gritted her teeth and said, “This thing is really a talisman diagram? That ugly guy can’t be playing with me, right?”
Wang Chenxiao looked at Situ Jiaojiao and said, “Your Highness, this really should be a talisman diagram.”
Situ Jiaojiao looked at Wang Chenxiao and sneered, “Why, you understand it? You understand things that even this princess cannot understand?”
Wang Chenxiao smiled awkwardly and said, “I don’t understand, but I know something about this Senior Sheng. Senior Sheng was born in the Divine Talisman Sect. This sect had been in decline for a long time. Two hundred years ago, it was exterminated. However, it is said that there was once an ancestor of the Divine Talisman Sect who reached God Transformation.”
Situ Jiaojiao said somewhat suspiciously, “God Transformation?”
Ye Fan blinked. The resources in the Eastern Continent were scarce. It was said that there were no current God Transformation cultivators in existence.
Wang Chenxiao nodded and said, “Yes, it is God Transformation. That God Transformation cultivator later disappeared and it is said that he ascended. That senior left behind a Talisman Classic. It is said that if you can understand the Talisman Classic, you will have a chance to reach God Transformation.”
”The Talisman Classic aroused the greed of many cultivators. During a fight, the Talisman Classic was torn into two halves, and one half was destroyed.”
Situ Jiaojiao narrowed her eyes and said, “So there’s still half of it left!”
Wang Chenxiao nodded and said, “Yes, there is still half of it left, but it is not the first half or the second half of the Talisman Classic that is left. The Talisman Classic was split into halves, leaving both parts incomplete. In addition, the other half of the book was blown into ashes, and no one can understand the remaining half of the book*, so the matter was left behind.”
Situ Jiaojiao frowned and said, “So, is this diagram the remaining half of a talisman diagram from the Talisman Classic?”
Wang Chenxiao nodded and said, “It should be.”
”There is only half of this thing left. How can anyone restore it?! That…” The word “ugly” circled around her mouth, and Situ Jiaojiao eventually said dully, “That senior. Why would he study this thing?”
Situ Jiaojiao was full of depression. She had restored a talisman diagram, but it was a relatively simple talisman diagram. Moreover, it was actually her master* who worked hard to restore the talisman diagram. However, her master put all the credit on her head to improve her prestige in the association.
Situ Jiaojiao touched her neck, feeling a little aggrieved in her heart.
***
T/N: Omg I love Bai Yunxi’s thoughts on pampered “geniuses” in the cultivation world lol – having read so many cultivation novels, it’s true… so-called geniuses are all raised to be brain-dead. Because they are constantly told they are geniuses from birth, they really think they’re the best with no equal or something… and get a rude awakening when they finally leave their family’s shelter (most end up dead after offending someone they shouldn’t). This princess is a perfect example – the talisman diagram of the Divine Talisman Sect that even Sheng Zhihao can’t restore and she really thinks it’s easy peasy at first. What an idiot – thinks because she can’t comprehend it, no one can and it must be a fake or something. Then you find out at the end that her reputation is false and she was actually given credit for something her master did… yet she has the nerve to feel aggrieved.
Also, the amount of typos in this chapter was insane…it took me forever to translate. The author kept going switching between Wang Chenqi and Wang Chenxiao (the characters for 器 qi and 嚣 xiao are very similar) and couldn’t decide if she meant talisman diagram, map, formation or some other word. I went with talisman diagram for consistency.
*Chuunibyou syndrome – a Japanese term usually used to describe early teens with delusions of grandeur. Literally middle school second year syndrome.
*All the cultivation arts follow the same levels, so same as alchemy that was explained last chapter, it goes: ordinary, mysterious, spiritual, heavenly, and holy (Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul and God Transformation).
*Flower protector – usually used in a derogatory manner in novels and more commonly seen in BG novels. It’s basically men who think of themselves as protectors of the fairer sex (but never actually get the girl).
*The talisman diagram is like a guide – once you understand it, you can draw and produce the talisman recorded. This talisman diagram is only half complete, so they need to restore it to produce the talisman it records.
*Bow your head under the eaves – restrain yourself when living under someone else’s roof.
*Hopefully everyone understands this – the Talisman Classic is a book, but when it was ripped in half, it wasn’t from the spine where you get halves with complete writing. It was ripped down the middle from the face, meaning you just get a bunch of incomplete sentences (or diagrams in this case), so it’s not surprising no one can understand.
*Situ Jiaojiao actually refers to her master (shifu) as 导师 (daoshi), which means “teacher” here, so I originally thought he was just her teacher and not her master (in cultivation, you can learn from someone without recognizing them as your master. Recognizing a master is a serious matter). However, in future chapters, it’s clarified that the president of the Talismans Masters Association is her shifu (master) and not just her teacher, so I’ve changed it here for consistency.
