128: The meaning of the talisman is not pure, and the meaning of the sword is not pure either.

Qin Wangchuan was startled, taking the Talisman and carefully sensing it.

“The Lihuo pattern is crooked?”

“That shouldn’t be, I checked it before…”

“So that’s it… Fire patterns are strong, there should be enough space between the lines.”

There wasn't the slightest displeasure on his face from being troubled; instead, he showed a look of sudden realization, muttering to himself, “If Lihuo overlaps, it burns; if separated, it flourishes…”

As he spoke, he immediately picked up a Talisman brush and began modifying it on a new Talisman paper, instantly creating a Fire Talisman that glowed with spiritual light and far surpassed the previous one.

Qin Wangchuan handed this new Talisman and three High-Grade Spirit Stones to the young Cultivator, his tone sincere: “My apologies, my skill is lacking, and the Talisman had a problem. The Spirit Stones are returned, and this new Talisman is a gift as compensation.”

The young Cultivator was stunned by his actions. Looking at the new Talisman, which was clearly not an ordinary item due to its abundant Spiritual Qi, and the recovered Spirit Stones, his anger instantly vanished, replaced by a touch of embarrassment:

“Uh… actually, you don’t have to return all of it…”

“It’s only right,” Qin Wangchuan said calmly, as if returning Spirit Stones and giving a better Talisman were natural things to do. His clear eyes showed no hint of reluctance to part with the Spirit Stones.

The young Cultivator stammered his thanks and left.

Qin Wangchuan watched the retreating figure, then suddenly chuckled softly, picking up a discarded Talisman with his fingertips and gently rubbing it in his palm.

“The Dao of Talismans… is more interesting than I imagined.”

He lowered his gaze to the charred patterns on the Talisman paper, a hint of interest flashing in his eyes.

—Drawing Talismans is like Cultivating the Dao; every stroke is a principle of heaven and earth.

—One mistake, and the whole thing is ruined.

—But if one comprehends…

He suddenly picked up his brush, dipped it in cinnabar, and with bold, flowing strokes like a Dragon and Phoenix, drew a fire pattern on the yellow paper—this time, the Talisman paper’s surface glowed with a soft, moist red light, like the reflection of an evening glow, shining brightly.

This Fire Talisman had already transcended the scope of merely lighting a fire, becoming a powerful killing Talisman.

“So that’s how it is.”

Qin Wangchuan’s lips curved slightly as he gently placed this newly completed Fire Talisman in the most prominent position on his stall, replacing the previous defective one.

Although there were also powerful Talisman masters in his family, it was more interesting to explore on his own.

Without others’ ideas mixed in, he could also better develop his own Dao.

—Though the Dao of Talismans is small, it is also a Great Dao.

—Perhaps these millions of tribulations should begin with these strokes.

A little while later, even the old woman who had bought the Dust-Dispelling Talisman earlier returned, holding the discarded Talisman paper, saying with a wry smile:

“Young Master, your Talisman’s effect is really good. A gust of wind swept away all the fallen leaves and dust in my courtyard…”

Before Qin Wangchuan’s smile could fully spread, the old woman’s words took a sharp turn, as she gestured with a wry smile:

“But that wind, it, it didn’t stop! After sweeping away the leaves, it even overturned the iron pot on my stove, and now the bottom of the pot is still embedded in the roof beam!”

“Is this a Dust-Dispelling Talisman or a House-Demolishing Talisman?”

Upon hearing this, Qin Wangchuan showed no embarrassment on his face.

Instead, his eyes, holding a galaxy within them, suddenly brightened, as if through the residual Spiritual Qi traces on the Talisman paper, he glimpsed deeper patterns.

“Spiritual patterns surge, flowing out like a torrent, yet without ‘intent’ to restrain and guide them…” he murmured softly, as if enlightened.

That uncontrolled whirlwind, with its chaotic and disorderly trajectory, subtly resonated with the vast, boundless immortal essence within him, which, however, was always difficult to command at critical moments.

It wasn’t a matter of power level, but rather… the intent was not pure.

The Talisman Intent was not pure, and neither was the Sword Intent.

Like this Talisman, it could summon a gale, but it couldn’t make the wind only brush away dust without harming the pot and stove.

Similarly, his sword could cleave the sky, yet it was difficult for it to precisely cut off a single leaf from a tree without harming the slightest bit of the rest.

“Power is not always better when it’s greater.”

“The most complex returns to the simplest; ultimate power also requires the most subtle control.”

A realization, like water naturally finding its course, rippled through his heart.

The pinnacle of power was not merely a boundless outpouring, but more so, in the flow of one’s thoughts, the precise carving and guidance of every ounce of force.

This principle applied to the Dao of the Sword, the Dao of Talismans, and indeed, all methods.

Qin Wangchuan retracted his gaze, the aloof immortal aura in his eyes seeming to fade a little, replaced by a clearer sense of having entered the Mortal World.

He looked at the old woman, offering a faint, apologetic smile: “It was my oversight; you were affected.”

He returned a Spirit Stone, then once again picked up his brush.

This time, when he put brush to paper, there was an added sense of calm intent. It was no longer simply infusing Spiritual Qi, but rather incorporating a trace of the recently comprehended ‘guidance’ into his brushwork.

The cinnabar flowed, the Talisman lines formed naturally, and the spiritual light was gentle and restrained. A new Talisman, with a completely different aura, quietly took shape.

“This Talisman should be suitable,” Qin Wangchuan said, handing out the Talisman, his tone calm.

Although the old woman was not entirely satisfied, she didn't continue to make trouble. She took the Spirit Stone and the new Talisman and left.

After she departed, Qin Wangchuan’s fingertips once again unconsciously traced patterns in the air.

This time, what he brought forth was an extremely condensed, freely controlled, subtle Sword Qi, which was soft around his finger and did not disperse.

“A bit interesting.”

He murmured softly to himself, finally developing a genuine interest in this Mortal World experience.

Thus, a morning passed. People came and went from Qin Wangchuan’s stall. Not many Talismans were sold, but quite a few Spirit Stones were returned, and new Talismans were given away.

He seemed to care nothing about whether he could earn Spirit Stones, only immersing himself in the comprehension and correction of various subtle intricacies of the Dao of Talismans.

His indifference to Spirit Stones and his incredible speed of improvement made some old Cultivators observing in secret click their tongues in wonder.

They only felt that this young man was unfathomable.

‘He must be a Young Master from some Talisman Dao family out for experience!’

The sun gradually set in the west, and there were only a few Talismans left on the stall.

Although not many, he had still earned six or seven Spirit Stones, enough for the day’s lodging.

Qin Wangchuan prepared to close his stall and return to digest what he had gained today.

Just then, a small boy, about ten years old, dressed in patched coarse clothes, timidly walked up to the stall.

His small face was dirty, but his eyes were large and bright, and he tightly clutched a Spirit Stone in his hand.

“Little… Little Immortal…” the boy’s voice was as faint as a mosquito’s buzz, “Do you have a Talisman that can kill people?”

Qin Wangchuan looked up at the boy.

His gaze swept over the faint purple bruises visible beneath the boy’s faded collar, and the fear and anticipation hidden in those large eyes.

He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he leaned down slightly, his gaze calmly fixed on the boy: “Why do you want a Talisman to kill people?”

“Of course, to kill someone!” The boy’s tone was no longer timid; his voice was childish but resolute.

“Wanxing Xuan of Qingxiao Holy Land, ever since my father died in the Yao Beast tide…” His small hands clenched until they were white, “He comes to my house every day, saying… saying he wants to take my mother as a concubine…”

“I want to kill him!”

The copper bell on the cloth banner rang crisply, moving without wind.

Qin Wangchuan gazed at the boy’s eyes, filled with hatred, his own gaze as deep as a cold pond. Then, he picked up a crimson Talisman from the table.

“This Talisman can kill people,” he said, handing over the Talisman, and reminded him, “But I must tell you.”

“Killing cannot stop killing.”

The boy shook his head ignorantly, his expression stubborn: “Little Immortal, I don’t understand all those grand principles. I only know that my father told me to protect my mother.”

“As long as I kill him, my mother won’t have to cry anymore.”

“Even if I have to pay with my life, I accept it!”