Master counted the money with great speed.
Ten thousand yuan vanished in a flurry of “swish, swish, swish.”
Seeing me standing nearby, he directly pulled out five hundred yuan and handed it to me:
“Little Qin! Take this.”
I looked at the five hundred yuan my master handed me, a bit surprised:
“Master, what is this?”
Master smiled:
“You are my disciple, and also my employee.
You just left your previous job, and you might not have much left.
This five hundred yuan is for living expenses, and for occasionally helping me with breakfast and such!”
Master spoke casually, but I was touched.
Coming to this big city alone to make a living, I had done many jobs and suffered much.
I had tasted all sorts of human kindness and coldness.
Bosses would try to squeeze every last drop out of employees, deducting whatever they could.
My master, on the other hand, while making it seem like I was working to repay a debt, was actually saving my life. He was, in essence, paying me a high wage.
Having only worked here for a few days, he already found an excuse to give me money as a subsidy; he was truly a good person.
After a few days of interaction, I felt that this old man was genuinely kind.
Not only did he possess real skill without being arrogant, but he also had his own principles of conduct.
He would do his best to help those in need, and would ruthlessly fleece unscrupulous rich landowners.
He was also protective of his own.
I felt that staying by his side was indeed a very wise choice.
“Thank you, thank you, Master!”
Master simply smiled:
“Keep it. I’m in a good mood today, so I’ll teach you some real skills.”
Hearing that Master was going to teach me real skills, I became excited:
“That’s great, Master! What are you going to teach me?”
Master picked up the brush and yellow paper he had used for drawing talismans, and said in a hushed voice:
“I’ll teach you how to draw Daoist talismans. Watch closely, I’ll only draw it once!”
I widened my eyes and nodded repeatedly.
Without hesitation, Master dipped his brush in cinnabar ink.
His brush touched the yellow paper, and he softly chanted:
“Great Supreme Tai Star, ever-changing, never-stopping.
Expelling evil spirits and binding demons, protecting life and guarding the body.
Wisdom clear and bright, the mind at peace.
Three souls forever, the spirit never lost or scattered.”
Master’s brush moved like a dragon and snake, completing the drawing in one fluid motion.
As he finished chanting, a talisman was drawn.
After finishing, Master put down the ink brush!
He picked up the yellow talisman and said to me:
“This is the simplest of the evil-warding talismans.
When drawing talismans, your mind must be calm, sincere, and connected.
Once you put the brush down, there’s no turning back, complete it in one go.
Now, follow what I just chanted and draw one for me to see.”
I had seen what Master had just said in the “Compendium of Talismans” before, and had some recollection.
I murmured a few times to myself, trying to commit it to memory.
Nodding, I took the cinnabar brush and a brand-new sheet of yellow paper.
I took several deep breaths, but hesitated to start.
In my mind, I was constantly digesting what Master had said: calm, sincere, and connected.
Master didn’t rush me, just stood by, holding his pipe and striking a match to light it.
I adjusted myself for two or three minutes, repeatedly recalling Master’s actions and drawing method in my mind.
Finally, I took a deep breath and focused intently on the yellow paper.
I began to draw, following the talisman Master had made.
As soon as I put the brush down, Master’s gaze flickered over.
Though my speed wasn’t as fast as his, I was imitating him well.
I also softly chanted: Tai Star of Heaven, ever-changing, never-stopping…
From the head of the talisman to the tail, it was also completed in one go.
After finishing this talisman, I let out a sigh of relief.
It felt like I had just finished a hundred-meter sprint, my breathing slightly rapid.
Unsure of the quality, I looked at Master:
“Master, how did I do?”
Master, however, snatched the talisman I had drawn.
A hint of surprise appeared on his face as he said:
“Not bad, not bad at all. You truly have the makings for this trade, my boy.
Your first attempt at drawing a talisman, and you actually succeeded! Hahaha…”
Hearing Master’s words, I showed a surprised expression.
Master seemed very pleased with me.
He told me to keep drawing according to the talisman, aiming to be able to draw it with my eyes closed, as I went.
I grunted, picked up the brush, and continued drawing.
However, I failed the next two attempts.
Each time I reached the end, I felt a tightness in my chest.
The talisman either had smudges, or wasn’t completed in one go.
After drawing five consecutive ones, only three were successful.
At the end, I felt short of breath and was panting inexplicably.
Master said that the reason I was like this was because my ‘Qi’ was insufficient.
Drawing talismans wasn’t simply a matter of imitation.
One must achieve ‘calmness, sincerity, and connection’; a clear mind and abundant vital energy.
Following that, Master also taught me a breathing method of three long and three short breaths.
He told me to practice it whenever I had free time.
With consistent practice, my Qi would become abundant.
Then I wouldn’t experience shortness of breath and fatigue after drawing only four or five talismans.
I carefully remembered every word Master said.
After a short rest, I continued drawing talismans in the shop.
However, my success rate remained only around thirty to forty percent.
Even so, Master was very pleased with my performance.
He kept praising me.
Saying I had natural talent and that he hadn’t made a mistake in taking me as a disciple.
There wasn’t much business that afternoon.
I practiced in the shop for the entire afternoon.
Although it was just drawing talismans, this sort of thing was truly exhausting.
Despite having only drawn dozens of talismans, by the end of the workday, I felt more tired than if I had worked a night shift…