10: Money is a man's courage

The two choices Hall Master Lin gave were very simple. The first was equivalent to a buyout; Liu Xuan would not need to worry about anything else and could focus entirely on learning Talisman Drawing.

As long as Liu Xuan agreed, he could maximize the development of his talent for Talisman.

The second choice was equivalent to being a Guest Elder; the Lin family would provide Liu Xuan with a platform and a certain amount of startup resources.

The drawback was that he would be responsible for his own profits and losses, needing to earn money through Talisman Drawing early on, which would prevent him from focusing on study and improvement. The benefit was freedom and lack of restrictions.

"Thank you, Hall Master Lin. This Disciple chooses the second one."

Liu Xuan did not hesitate and said directly.

Talisman Master Li felt that Liu Xuan might not understand the difference between the two choices, so he advised:

"You might not understand the path of a Talisman Master. It is not smooth sailing just because you become one."

Although Talismans make money, the cost of practice is extremely high.

If a First-Rank Low-Grade Talisman Master wants to learn First-Rank Medium Grade Talismans, they not only need to spend a large number of Spirit Stones but also need a significant amount of time to practice.

The time spent practicing will reduce the amount of Spirit Stones earned. Without the support of a major power, it is very easy to waste one's talent."

Liu Xuan understood this logic, but he didn't need to learn!

His level of Talisman Drawing was rewarded by the System; he didn't need to learn at all, he just needed to find a way to justify it.

"Thank you for your guidance, Talisman Master Li, but this Disciple still chooses the second one."

"Why?" Hall Master Lin asked.

"Talisman Drawing is merely a skill; Cultivation is the foundation. This Disciple still has aspirations for the Dao. If I choose the first condition, I fear I would fail to live up to Hall Master Lin's cultivation."

"Ambitious!"

Hall Master Lin was not angry; on the contrary, he was even more satisfied with Liu Xuan. He took out a token and tossed it to Liu Xuan, saying:

"This is the token for a High-Grade Outer Sect Disciple of the Talisman Hall. Take it to the General Affairs Hall to update your identity information."

Then, he took out another white token and tossed it to Liu Xuan, explaining:

"Take this token to the warehouse, and you can claim Talisman Drawing Materials with a total value of one hundred Spirit Stones, including a First-Rank Medium Grade Talisman Brush."

One hundred Spirit Stones!!

Liu Xuan swallowed hard, shocked by Hall Master Lin's generosity.

"Thank you, Hall Master Lin!" Liu Xuan thanked him sincerely.

Before leaving, Hall Master Lin promised: "If you can become a true First-Rank Low-Grade Talisman Master within three years, I will guarantee you a spot as an Inner Sect Disciple."

Liu Xuan was somewhat overwhelmed by the favor. An Inner Sect Disciple was completely different from an Outer Sect Disciple; it was equivalent to being promoted from an outsider to being part of the System.

How could someone like Hall Master Lin give him so much preferential treatment? Was it just because of his bit of talent for Talisman?

'Hall Master Lin, the Lin family! Could this Hall Master Lin be a member of the Lin family?'

Liu Xuan did not know much about the details of the Lin family's upper echelons, so he thought he would ask Lin Xue'er when he got home.

Hall Master Lin left, and Talisman Master Li also left for other matters. Before leaving, he instructed Qin Yun to teach Liu Xuan the basic knowledge of the Dust-Avoiding Talisman over the next few days.

Qin Yun arranged Liu Xuan's seat next to her, then took out several notebooks filled with dense notes from her desk and handed them to Liu Xuan.

"These are the notes from when I learned the Dust-Avoiding Talisman. Take a look at them when you have free time. After you finish reading them, I will teach you how to draw them specifically."

"Thank you, Senior Sister Qin!"

Liu Xuan picked up the notes and started flipping through them with interest.

...

Evening.

The class ended.

"Brother Liu, please take care of me in the future."

"That's right, Brother Liu has superb talent for Talisman. I'm afraid you will become a true Talisman Master very soon. Can I ask you for advice if I have questions in the future?"

"Hall Master Lin came to see you personally. Brother Liu is the person with the best talent for Talisman I have ever seen."

...

At the entrance of the small building, several fellow Talisman apprentices stepped forward to chat. Regardless of Liu Xuan's attitude, it wouldn't hurt to get on familiar terms.

"You are all too kind. You are the Seniors. If I have anything I don't understand, I hope you will not hesitate to teach me."

More friends mean more paths. Liu Xuan did not refuse anyone; it was just polite social talk, and he didn't lose anything either.

Yan Qingyao watched Liu Xuan's receding figure and always felt that something was not quite right with him.

It was too much! The change was too great. Could a person really change so much in such a short time?

'Could it be that the incident at the Illusion Heart Platform was such a huge blow to him that it caused Liu Xuan to change into a different person?'

Yan Qingyao shook her head and headed toward her Inner Sect residence on the mountainside. She was just a little curious about it and had no intention of digging deeper.

...

Liu Xuan's small courtyard.

"Really?!"

"You're not lying to me, are you!"

After hearing Liu Xuan's description, Lin Xue'er still found it hard to believe. Was talent for Talisman really that easy to possess?

When she originally gave Liu Xuan ten Spirit Stones to go to the Talisman Hall, she had actually considered those ten Spirit Stones as gone...

When Liu Xuan asked her for Spirit Stones for the first time, she couldn't refuse.

Spending ten Spirit Stones to let Liu Xuan give up his unrealistic thoughts and just focus on his Cultivation in the future was fine.

But now Liu Xuan was telling her that he possessed top-tier talent for Talisman and had even gained the regard of Hall Master Lin of the Talisman Hall.

No matter how she looked at it, it felt like a dream—a wild, impossible dream!

Liu Xuan took the two tokens Hall Master Lin gave him and showed them to Lin Xue'er. "I might lie, but these tokens must be real!"

The more Lin Xue'er didn't believe him, the more pleased Liu Xuan felt. The way this girl's eyes widened in disbelief was especially cute.

"High-Grade Outer Sect Disciple of the Talisman Hall!"

"Warehouse transfer order, one hundred Spirit Stones!"

Lin Xue'er read the words on the tokens one by one and said in disbelief: "It's real!!"

"Husband, are you really a Genius at Talisman Drawing?"

"Could this be fake?" Liu Xuan smiled and said.

Lin Xue'er stared at Liu Xuan in a daze, standing there as if stunned, not knowing what she was thinking.

"What's wrong? Are you stunned with joy?"

Seeing that she hadn't reacted for a long time, Liu Xuan reached out and pinched her little face.

"Oh right!" Liu Xuan suddenly remembered that Hall Master Lin and asked: "That Hall Master Lin holds me in high regard; does he have any relationship with your Lin family?"

Lin Xue'er came back to her senses and said: "His name is Lin Tianyue. If you count it up, he is from my eldest uncle's generation, but we aren't close, and there hasn't been much contact before."

"I see!"

Now that he knew Hall Master Lin was truly a member of the Lin family, Liu Xuan felt relieved. Otherwise, he would have been worried if the other party had ulterior motives toward him.

Liu Xuan had never believed in kindness without a reason.

Night.

The couple celebrated properly.

On the bed, taking advantage of this good day, Liu Xuan gently stroked Lin Xue'er's slightly protruding belly and said:

"Xue'er, you are pregnant now, and many things are inconvenient. How about going to the Dual Cultivation Hall to buy two servant girls to serve you?"

Liu Xuan had wanted to say this for a long time, but because he had always been living off his wife, he was embarrassed to bring it up.

Money is a man's courage. Now that he had one hundred Spirit Stones in his hand and a bright future as a Talisman Master, the matter of taking concubines and having children must be put on the agenda.

The ability of a Peak First-Rank Talisman Master was given by the System; Liu Xuan had not forgotten that.

Developing the Many Children, Many Blessings Gift System was the key. All other things served this purpose, and Liu Xuan had not forgotten that either.