From a paper-making apprentice to a celestial master

Chapter 29 Qingxu Temple Talismans

"The craft of paper making cannot be rushed."

If you practice for an hour every day, you'll gradually become skilled.

Liu Quan stood up, patted the crumbs off his hands, and said, "Alright, you guys keep bandaging yourselves. I'm going to town to see how the shop is being cleaned up."

After saying that, he picked up a small cloth bag and went out the door.

The courtyard quickly quieted down, with only the sound of bamboo strips rubbing together and Liu Hu's occasional pointing.

Qin Shuang made two more small paper figures. The first one was crooked and could barely stand up, while the second one was already quite decent. Although it was still far from her master's skill, at least it looked like something.

"Junior brother, you learn things really fast," Liu Hu exclaimed sincerely. "I spent half a month practicing acupuncture before I reached your level."

"Senior brother is too modest."

Qin Shuang quickly replied.

"Xiao Shuang, you should still call me Brother Tiger. 'Senior Brother' sounds too formal."

Liu Hu smiled and waved his hand, still feeling that calling him Brother Hu was more affectionate.

"it is good."

Qin Shuang responded and then asked, "Brother Tiger, do you know where Master keeps the things he uses to draw talismans?"

"Drawing talismans?"

Liu Hu scratched the back of his head. "Master doesn't draw talismans."

Those talismans we usually use are just for fooling people.

I asked my master about it before, and he said it was all just for show, as long as it could fool people.

Authentic talismans are all passed down through generations.

Master usually keeps these things in a cabinet under the altar in the main room; he doesn't know how many are left.

"Thank you, Brother Tiger."

Qin Shuang nodded, but of course she wouldn't go and take it directly.

Next, the two of them kept making paper. Liu Hu was in charge of the main frame, while Qin Shuang played the drums and learned the craft from the side.

time flies.

Soon, Zhou Wan came over again to cook dinner, and then her master returned shortly after.

After dinner.

Qin Shuang and Liu Hu stood in their stances, while their master, Liu Quan, sat on a small stool at the entrance of the courtyard, fanning himself with a fan. Occasionally, an old man would pass by and they would greet him casually.

Six Yang Stance Skill +1

Qin Shuang was drenched in sweat, and felt her strength increase slightly once again.

But at the same time, his stomach was rumbling, and he felt hungry.

The practice of stance training consumes qi and blood, which are obtained from food.

Seeing this, Qin Shuang dared not practice anymore.

Otherwise, the bigger the deficit, the hungrier you'll get.

Are you hungry?

Liu Quan was sitting not far away, so he naturally heard the sounds coming from his stomach.

Qin Shuang gave an awkward smile.

"That was my oversight. I didn't expect your stance training to improve so quickly."

"Come with me to town tomorrow. I'll get you some Qi and Blood Tonic to help you recover."

Liu Quan said with a smile.

"Thank you, Master."

Qin Shuang quickly thanked him, but then hesitated slightly before asking, "But Master, how much does a packet of this Qi and Blood Powder cost?"

I knew in my heart that this should be a medicinal herb that increases qi and blood.

And these kinds of things are usually quite expensive.

"One tael of silver."

"But you don't need to worry about that, your master has money."

Liu Quan waved his hand dismissively.

"Then consider it a loan from your master."

Qin Shuang knew she couldn't afford it, and her family's financial situation was also limited. Every year, they would send him to private school, and all their income would go towards that, leaving them with no money left over.

Therefore, I can only keep this feeling in my heart.

"This child just overthinks things."

I also provided for your senior brother's share.

From now on, just be more filial.

Liu Quan said with a smile.

"Master, please don't worry."

Qin Shuang responded with a sound of agreement, then asked with slight hesitation, "Master, do you also know how to draw talismans?"

"Drawing talismans?"

Liu Quan was taken aback, then smiled awkwardly while fanning himself and said, "Years ago, I found a book on talismans in the ghost market and practiced it for a while."

They didn't really develop any special skills.

But those drawn talismans couldn't be wasted, could they? So they would simply stick them on while dealing with the matter.

But what you just said has reminded me.

I'm running low on stock, so I need to draw some more.

This stuff is actually quite popular. As soon as you put it on, people feel much more at ease, and you can even get an extra charge for it…”

As Liu Quan spoke, a shrewd look appeared on his face.

Then he realized what was happening, looked at Qin Shuang, and asked, "What? You want to learn?"

"I want to learn!"

Qin Shuang nodded honestly.

Of course, I don't want to learn the talisman books that my master found out from who-knows-where, but rather the two truly effective talismans taught by my cheap master in my previous life.

"Then I'll leave the task of drawing the talisman to you."

I've put everything under the altar in the inner room. You can take it all.

I can't teach you much in this regard. You just need to follow along and draw neatly, making it look somewhat realistic.

Liu Quan didn't care about any of that and waved his hand dismissively.

"Yes, Master!"

Upon hearing this, Qin Shuang nodded quickly.

Then they entered the main room, lit incense, performed the normal worship, and then opened a drawer under the altar.

"Yellow paper, cinnabar, and even a talisman brush?"

Qin Shuang took out the contents of the container, and then took out a book from it.

"The Talismanic Book of Qingxu Temple"

Qin Shuang glanced at the book title.

He raised an eyebrow.

I do know the name of this "Qingxu Temple". It is the most famous Taoist temple within a hundred miles. It is said that there are enlightened masters inside, and the incense is very effective. In particular, the talismans inside are very effective.

In particular, the ninth day of the tenth lunar month is the day for burning incense, and almost every household will go to the nearest Taoist temple to burn incense and worship.

On that day, the incense at Qingxu Temple was at its most abundant, with many high-ranking officials and nobles traveling from afar to personally burn incense, offer sacrifices, and request talismans for their homes.

"If this talisman book is indeed the talisman book in Qingxu Temple, then it must have some exquisite features."

However, thinking about it, if this were real, it's impossible for my master to have obtained it. It must have been abridged, the book incomplete, or it might simply be fake, not the true transmission.

Qin Shuang muttered to herself, but couldn't help but start flipping through the pages.

"Clear your mind and calm your spirit, clear your mind... This incantation sounds quite convincing."

Qin Shuang flipped through a few pages and found that the contents of this book, "The Book of Talismans of Qingxu Temple," were quite extensive. It described in detail everything from the selection of talisman brushes and the grinding of cinnabar to the breathing rhythm and mental state when drawing talismans. It even included illustrations of more than a dozen talismans, such as talismans for protecting the house, calming the mind, exorcising evil spirits, and attracting wealth. The variety was quite complete. Each type was accompanied by detailed illustrations and incantations.

But upon closer inspection, the strokes, rises, falls, and turns of these talismans, though complex, were quite different from the two talismans drawn by the old Taoist priest in his memory.

"Similar in form but not in spirit."

Something crucial is missing.

Qin Shuang quickly realized the problem and understood.

If this talisman book were the true transmission, Qingxu Temple would not have allowed it to end up in the ghost market.

However, for him, this is actually a good thing.

In this way, he could legitimately use this talisman book to draw talismans that he could truly control and that could be effective.