While I was lost in thought, my master suddenly spoke.
I quickly nodded,
"Yes, I bought them. The cigarettes and the cage."
After saying that, I took out the cigarettes and the cage.
My master was a heavy smoker. Seeing the cigarettes, he eagerly lit one and took a puff.
Then, he exhaled the smoke with a blissful sigh.
Yunxia Gu told my master to smoke less.
My master, however, laughed,
"Life and death are fated, wealth and honor are bestowed by heaven. Smoking a few cigarettes is nothing."
Yunxia Gu didn't say anything further.
She only asked my master to put on his clothes.
After my master put on his clothes, he saw the cage I had bought and smiled,
"It's passable. Little Qin, prepare the brush, ink, and yellow paper."
"Yes!"
I replied immediately.
I prepared the brush, ink, and yellow paper.
It was clear my master intended to draw talismans.
Such opportunities were rare, and being able to watch by his side was a chance to learn.
My master picked up the cinnabar brush.
He said to me,
"Little Qin, your master will teach you how to draw a sealing talisman today."
"Thank you, Master!"
I nodded in surprise, my eyes wide.
My master dipped the brush in cinnabar.
Then he said,
"Watch carefully!"
With that, my master picked up the brush and began to draw on the yellow paper.
"Start with the rune head, dot the eyes, the four formations of the talisman, the left yin and yang..."
As he chanted, his brush moved like flying dragons and coiling snakes, flowing like clouds and water.
And I was no longer a novice struggling with drawing talismans.
I had already mastered the three essentials of drawing talismans.
At the same time, I had also memorized the incantations recited during the drawing process.
Soon, my master finished the talisman with his last stroke.
"There, this is the sealing talisman. Have you memorized the incantations and the drawing method?"
My master picked up the talisman and asked me.
I silently recited a few phrases,
"I've memorized it, Master!"
"Good, then you try it!"
With that, he handed the brush to me.
Yunxia Gu, standing nearby, glanced at my master,
"Brother Gu, Xiao Mo is only at the Qi Condensation cultivation level.
This sealing talisman is a spell that can only be learned at the Soul Palace mid-stage. Is it too early to teach Xiao Qin now?"
My master smiled,
"Yunxia, don't underestimate my disciple."
Then, he said to me again,
"Little Qin! Don't disgrace your master. Draw it well.
Show off to your Yunxia Auntie."
I smiled without replying.
Although I had some talent in drawing talismans,
I could often quickly enter that peculiar state.
But I couldn't guarantee that I could successfully draw talismans above my level every time, could I?
However, since Master had said so, I could only try my best.
The three essentials of drawing talismans:
Calm mind, sincere heart, and connected spirit.
I didn't rush to draw. Instead, I first let myself enter that state.
Then, I silently recited the incantations my master had just spoken, and the amount of Dao qi to infuse into the talisman after each stroke.
I remained silent for about three to four minutes.
Yunxia Gu and my master did not disturb me.
Finally, I opened my eyes.
Picking up the brush, I began to draw, nodding along as I chanted; "Start with the rune head, dot the eyes. The four formations of the talisman, the left yin and yang..."
As I chanted, the cinnabar brush in my hand moved downwards continuously.
Each stroke was perfectly placed.
Each stroke was executed with complete control.
Especially the state I entered while drawing talismans, and the steady infusion of spiritual energy into the talisman.
Yunxia Gu watched with great surprise.
She could hardly believe that I was a newcomer to the Daoist path, only having been initiated for just over four months.
My master, however, nodded slightly, looking very pleased.
Finally, I touched the talisman's core,
"Chi!"
With a command, the talisman instantly unfolded.
All its creases flattened.
This meant the talisman was completed.
Seeing the sealing talisman finished, I was overjoyed.
"Master, it's done!"
I said with a smile.
My master nodded with satisfaction,
"Very good, very good. What do you think, Yunxia?"
He then looked at Yunxia Gu, who was clearly surprised.
Her expression was one of disbelief,
"My heavens! Xiao Qin is truly a genius.
Brother Gu, are you absolutely sure Xiao Qin is drawing this talisman for the first time, with no prior exposure?"
My master nodded,
"Why would I lie to you? How does my disciple compare to the disciples of the major Daoist sects?"
"Xiao Qin's talent, even among the disciples of the major sects, would absolutely make him a prodigy."
Yunxia Gu praised me without reservation.
She understood the difficulty of this sealing talisman.
Let alone a cultivator whose cultivation was below the Soul Palace mid-stage, even one who had reached it would likely take three to five days of continuous learning and practice to succeed.
Much less for me, whose cultivation not only didn't meet the academy's requirements but who had successfully drawn it in one attempt.
This not only required high talent but, more importantly, my ability to enter a state of rapid meditative stillness left Yunxia Gu dumbfounded.
Many senior practitioners of the Bai sect might not be able to enter this state in such a short time.
Hearing Yunxia Gu's praise, I felt a little embarrassed.
I rubbed my neck.
My master chuckled a few times and then said,
"Xiao Qin, don't get arrogant. Learning is endless."
"I understand, Master!"
I nodded heavily.
My master held me in high regard.
From the beginning of my apprenticeship, he had seen my diligent practice and my rigorous and earnest attitude.
Then, my master picked up the talisman he had drawn.
He said to me,
"Disciple, now go and release that big rat, and then put it into the cage..."