18: The change in the talismanic path, a meeting at the Prince's Palace

“Have you heard? The Heaven and Earth Merchant Guild has been making big moves recently. For some reason, they’ve started recruiting Talisman Masters.”

“Talisman Masters? Who even studies that anymore? It’s expensive and useless. With that kind of money, you’d be better off apprenticing at a martial arts school, or at least going to a literary academy to study the Literary Dao.”

“With the Heaven and Earth Merchant Guild’s reputation, they wouldn’t trick people, would they?”

“They’re recruiting long-term Talisman Masters with relaxed conditions and excellent benefits.”

“A Talisman Master who’s just started can enjoy the same treatment as an Innate Realm guard.”

“Experienced Talisman Masters with a high success rate are on par with the True Martial Realm, and Talisman Path Great Masters can even directly become a second-class Guest Elder of the Heaven and Earth Merchant Guild!”

“A second-class Guest Elder, wow. They can sit as equals with a third-rank minister of our Wu Dynasty, right? And with the Heaven and Earth Merchant Guild as their backer, they’ll be treated with respect everywhere they go across the Four Seas and Five Regions and all the Imperial Dynasties.”

“Say no more, I’m going back right now to make my son add another subject: the Talisman Path.”

After obtaining the Talisman Legacy, the Heaven and Earth Merchant Guild announced it to the world the very next day, extensively recruiting Talisman Masters.

From the nobles and aristocrats to the common people of the Great Wu Dynasty, everyone was curious and paid close attention.

There were even already some in court who advised the Emperor to establish a Talisman Path Academy to satisfy the people’s demand.

Xia Xuan had not expected that the Talisman Legacy he sold would first affect not the major powers, but the common people at the grassroots level.

Because there were simply too few Talisman Masters in the current era, the Heaven and Earth Merchant Guild had no choice but to lead this tide of change.

It is foreseeable that in the future, people in the Four Seas and Five Regions will have the option of the Talisman Path when choosing between the literary and martial Dao.

【Increased the people’s learning burden, gained inexplicable resentment, tyrant points +1, +1...】

Xia Xuan was surprised to discover a new way to play the System.

It turned out that making people learn more could also generate huge profits.

This unexpected gain completely opened up new ideas for him.

However, he currently did not have the power to influence the world, so he would save it for the future; then he could try it out properly.

“Fengxian, how effective is the calamity crossing divine pill?”

Xia Xuan asked the materialized Lü Bu.

These past few days, he himself had consumed six creation divine pills like candy, and with the daily Lie flat (lying flat) rewards, his Cultivation had already reached True Martial seventh-level.

This was still because the main effect of the creation divine pill was to enhance talent, and secondarily to improve Cultivation; otherwise, he could have advanced even higher.

The calamity crossing divine pill was specifically for Breakthroughs in the Divine Martial Realm, which he did not need for now, so he prioritized supplying it to Lü Bu.

“Thanks to Your Lord’s grace, Fengxian’s strength has greatly advanced!”

Lü Bu, having restrained his aura, respectfully said: “The first calamity crossing divine pill had the best effect, directly helping this subordinate Breakthrough one Realm.

Later, from seventh-level to eighth-level, it took two calamity crossing divine pills.

From eighth-level to ninth-level, it took four calamity crossing divine pills. Upon touching the barrier of the Dharma Aspect Realm, this Medicinal Pill became useless.”

Xia Xuan nodded; this effect was indeed as described by the Heaven and Earth Merchant Guild.

Only the first use of the calamity crossing divine pill had the best effect; after Medicinal Pill resistance appeared, the cost of each subsequent Breakthrough doubled.

Generally speaking, the calamity crossing divine pill was only used by old monsters stuck at Divine Martial Realm sixth-level or seventh and eighth-levels when they couldn’t advance.

There were almost no people like Lü Bu, who would eventually Cultivate to the Peak of the Divine Martial Realm, using it simply to save some Cultivation time.

Such an extravagant waste would cause people to be envious and secretly curse if it got out.

Soon after, a hidden Guest Elder of the Heaven and Earth Merchant Guild quietly arrived at Prince Chu's Mansion and completed the handover of the first batch of talisman jade with Xia Xuan.

He also received another ten million yuan stones.

With the fu yu mountain in hand, coupled with the previous profit-sharing agreement, as long as the entire Heaven and Earth Merchant Guild continued to do business in spirit talismans, it was equivalent to Xia Xuan raising a golden-egg-laying old hen.

Earning vast sums daily, with wealth flowing in from all directions... At dusk, the afterglow painted the sky.

The Prince Who Guards the North’s carriage finally arrived in the Imperial Capital, traveling on the cleared streets.

The five hundred Snow-Treading Dragon Cavalry responsible for the escort were settled in the post station, the twenty thousand Winged Dragon Army returned to the Northern Great Camp, and the Prime Minister and others excused themselves to attend to matters upon entering the city.

Some officials who came on behalf of the Crown Prince or the Second Prince, wanting to get close to and win over the Prince Who Guards the North, were all driven away by Xu Tianlang.

“Welcome, Your Highness!”

The carriage stopped at Prince Chu's Mansion, where Madam Pei and a host of servants had been waiting for a long time.

Xu Tianlang waved his hand, disregarding the formalities, and asked directly: “Where is Xia Xuan?”

“Reporting to Your Highness, Prince Chu is currently studying spirit talismans in the study,” Madam Pei replied.

Xu Tianlang’s expression did not change upon hearing this.

Madam Pei was an undercover guard he had placed in Prince Chu's Mansion, so he was well aware of all of Xia Xuan’s past absurdities and recent changes.

However, he always had a question in his heart that needed Xia Xuan to answer personally.

“Lord Ye.”

As Madam Pei prepared to lead the way, three people descended from the carriage. One of them, she had seen at the Prince Who Guards the North’s Mansion, and even His Highness treated her with great courtesy.

Her cloud-like hair hung low, dressed in a palace gown, her figure graceful, her features picturesque, elegant and composed, holding a lazy White Cat, she stood apart from the world, like a beautiful painting, exuding an immortal aura detached from the mundane.

The other two were also women.

One was dressed in a white martial attire, with skin like ice and bones like jade, standing with a sword, her aura sharp, like a female Sword Immortal.

The last one was in a red dress, her figure alluring, naturally charming, with small, exquisite bells tied around her waist.

Madam Pei’s heart skipped a beat. Lord Ye was one thing, but as for the Realm of the other two, she could only vaguely sense that they were both stronger than herself.

At such a young age, with such strength, calling them Prodigies would not be an exaggeration, would it?

At this moment, the Prince Who Guards the North’s entry into the mansion interrupted Madam Pei’s thoughts. She apologized and led the way.

“Sister White Plain is so boring. All this way, you haven’t been willing to open your heart to me, little sister. We are both going to serve the same lord in the future. Now that we’ve entered Prince Chu's Mansion, what are your thoughts, sister?”

The red-clad woman, at the end of the procession, chuckled playfully, teasing the white-clad female Sword Immortal.

“Are all the people from your Wonderful Sound Pavilion this noisy? What do my thoughts have to do with you?” The white-clad female Sword Immortal, with a face like cold jade, replied coldly, then fell silent.

“The Prince’s Mansion is like a deep palace. Little sister is afraid that elder sister alone won’t be able to win Prince Chu’s favor. Wouldn’t it be better if we joined forces?”

Seeing that White Plain ignored her, Red Bell wasn’t disheartened. Her face was full of smiles, and she observed the environment within the Prince’s Mansion with an open and natural demeanor... Inside the Prince’s Mansion study.

“Your Lord, they have arrived.” Lü Bu reminded him.

“Mhm, you may withdraw.”

Xia Xuan put down the half-finished talisman jade in his hand and looked up towards the door.

An old man, not particularly tall, dressed in ordinary fine clothes, with a kind face and slightly graying temples, stood at the entrance.

Grandfather and grandson met, speechless for a moment.

The old man smiled with relief.

“Three years unseen, Xia Xuan has grown into an adult... You really resemble your mother.”

“Xu Tianlang! Why did you come back?”

“When Imperial Concubine passed away back then, you didn’t come back. Why didn’t you wait for me to die before coming back to collect my corpse?”

Xia Xuan’s eyes showed bloodshot, and the words of accusation blurted out, surprising even himself with this sense of familiarity.

When he Transmigrated, not only did he gain an extra memory, but his Soul also underwent an unknown change.

At this moment, it was as if a fragment of his Soul belonging to this world was voicing the long-held knots and resentments in his heart.

These words made the old man, who had suppressed the entire Northern Plains Royal Court into submission, fall silent again, not even daring to retort.