Chapter 123: A Twist of Fate

After the live broadcast at Henshan Psychiatric Hospital ended, the option for a Random High-Tier Talisman appeared among the newly added exchange items. It could only be redeemed once, but that was enough.

Lu Jin had invited Tie Ningxiang and me to a banquet at the same time, clearly harboring ill intentions. If he dared to do this, he definitely had some kind of backing, so I needed to make full preparations.

Spending ten points to redeem an Upper Vehicle Talisman was an idea I'd had for a long time, but I had never been able to make up my mind.

After all, ten points were enough to exempt me from a live broadcast. I originally wanted to save them as a lifesaver.

But Lu Jin was pressing me at every step, so I had no choice but to resort to this.

Having witnessed the profound mystery of the Paulownia Mulberry Talisman, I had an entirely new understanding of Upper Vehicle Talismans. Talisman Paper of this grade possessed immense power and could absolutely serve as a trump card to turn the tables in a desperate situation!

'Lu Jin, I hope you don't do anything stupid.' I had originally planned to investigate the Huang Family's affairs before the next live broadcast, but now Lu Jin had shoved his way in, altering my plans.

I took a taxi to the bank. Because it was a random exchange, I didn't know what kind of Talisman Paper I would get.

...

The sky had already grown dark. With cases occurring frequently as of late, Tie Ningxiang had worked overtime and was only just walking out of the Municipal Sub-bureau's gates.

She had changed out of her police uniform and was wearing ordinary casual clothes as she headed to her rented apartment.

Speaking of which, she wasn't getting any younger. Due to various reasons, she had never officially dated anyone despite having a mountain of suitors. The retired Old Master Tie was anxious just watching her, but he was completely helpless when it came to his precious daughter.

Both father and daughter had stubborn tempers and refused to listen to each other. Once, the two even had a huge argument over the matter. As a result, Deputy Bureau Chief Tie fumed for several days, and Tie Ningxiang moved out to live alone.

Her rented apartment was some distance away from the Municipal Sub-bureau. Walking along the main road took half an hour, but if she took a shortcut through the alleys, she could get home in just over ten minutes.

The sky was dark and the path was rough, making it easy to encounter danger. To the captain of the Criminal Investigation Brigade, Tie Ningxiang, however, this was nothing. She never worried about running into robbers; or rather, the robbers should be the ones worried about running into her.

Entering the dim alley, Tie Ningxiang had only taken a few steps before her phone suddenly rang. "Did something happen at the bureau again?"

After connecting the call, she realized it was Deputy Bureau Chief Tie. "You've been living out there for two months. It seems you aren't planning to come back?"

"How can you speak to our daughter like that? Ningxiang, don't mind him. Your dad just has a sharp tongue but a soft heart. He's properly reflected on his actions while you were gone. It was all his fault before, so hurry up and move back in." It was quite lively on the other end of the line, as Deputy Bureau Chief Tie and the Chief's wife chimed in one after another.

"I'm afraid I can't right now. There's a ton of work at the bureau. Let me consider it after I'm done with this busy period," Tie Ningxiang said, preparing to hang up.

Deputy Bureau Chief Tie's voice came through the receiver again. "You still need to consider it? Come back or don't, suit yourself! I'll just pretend I never had this daughter!"

"Old man, what's gotten into you? Ningxiang, your older sister passed away early, and now you never come home. Your dad and I are left guarding such a big house, and it always feels so empty. Why don't you come back for a meal tomorrow?"

Unable to withstand her mother's persistent coaxing, Tie Ningxiang slowly relented. "Alright then, I'll find some time to go back tomorrow."

"You agreed, so you can't go back on your word!" Mother Tie was genuinely delighted. "Okay, tomorrow at seven o'clock at Century New Garden. Remember to dress up nicely. We'll see you there!"

"Why are we going to that kind of place? Isn't it a family dinner?" The call disconnected, and Tie Ningxiang's delicate eyebrows knit together. "And I have to dress up nicely?"

She looked at the simple casual jacket she was wearing, shook her head, backed out of the alley, and caught a taxi to a clothing store in the city center.

About five or six minutes after Tie Ningxiang left, a man wearing a peaked cap walked out from deep within the alley. His hand, hidden inside his sleeve, gripped a sharp knife, while his other hand held a pure black eyeball.

"Her fate is blessed and protected by a general star. As expected, she isn't that easy to kill." He put away the eyeball in his palm and looked up at the bustling street. "Tomorrow night at seven o'clock at Century New Garden, was it?"

An intriguing expression appeared on his face, which was half hideously ugly and half handsomely fair. "Next time I have the Fate Ghost make a move, you won't be so lucky."

He turned around and walked back into the alley. Bizarrely, beneath the glow of the neon lights outside, two completely differently shaped shadows trailed behind him.

...

After taking out the redeemed Talisman Paper, I headed directly to Blind Liu's residence. This matter was of great importance, so I had to discuss it with him.

I entered the small house where Blind Liu lived. The space inside was small, but it was kept incredibly clean. Various tools for drawing talismans and Daoist scriptures were sorted by category and arranged very neatly.

"Why are you here again? We only just saw each other. Is there something you couldn't say over the phone?"

Blind Liu was studying a classic text. I felt a bit embarrassed. "Old Liu, I'm truly sorry, but I do have an urgent matter."

I placed the Underworld Live Show's black parcel in front of Blind Liu. "I have an Upper Vehicle Talisman here. It gleams with golden light, but I don't know its exact usage. I was hoping you could give me some guidance. As for what payment you want, just name your price."

"Is it still that Paulownia Mulberry Talisman? Its usage is unique, and only someone who understands the Secret Dream-Making Art can unleash its power. You're making things difficult for me here." Blind Liu put on an expression of helplessness. He picked up his Daoist book and continued reading with great relish.

"It's not that one." I opened the parcel. Resting inside the black cloth was a delicate wooden box carved from peachwood. "This is a different one."

As I lifted the lid, the room suddenly fell dead silent, and the faint rumble of thunder echoed in our ears!

A faint golden light reflected in his eyes, and Blind Liu's face twitched slightly.

"Thud!" The Daoist book in his hand dropped to his feet. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. "Heavenly Capital Thunder Talisman!"

It took him two or three seconds to react. He practically leapt out of his chair, not even bothering to pick up the Daoist book he usually treated as a treasure. Instead, he rushed to tightly shut the doors and windows before pulling the curtains closed.

"Old Liu, you don't need to react so intensely. Calm down."

"Calm down my ass! Do you even know what the Heavenly Capital Thunder Talisman is?!" Blind Liu stamped his feet in exasperation. "My Liu family spent a hundred years just trying to nurture an Upper Vehicle thunder talisman, but even to this day, we haven't succeeded. You brat really don't realize how blessed you are! For this kind of immortal treasure, let alone admiring it up close, some Daoist cultivators haven't even caught a glimpse of one in their entire lives."

"Is it really that exaggerated?" Although I had prepared myself beforehand, it seemed I had still underestimated the status of an Upper Vehicle Talisman in the hearts of Daoist cultivators.

"Seeing your flippant attitude makes me feel aggrieved on behalf of this talisman!" Blind Liu pinched his fingers together, attempting to cast a hexagram to divine the talisman's origins. But after pondering over it for a long while, he found nothing. "Gao Jian, where exactly did you get this talisman? I haven't heard of any Daoist priest skilled in thunder magic in this little patch of land we call Jiangcheng."

"Don't ask about that, I can't say." I pushed the Peach Wood Box in front of Blind Liu. "Are you sure this talisman is the Heavenly Capital Thunder Talisman? Why does it look a bit different from the one your family has?"

Blind Liu examined it closely, scrutinizing it over and over for more than ten minutes. He looked even more serious than the antique appraisers on television.

"The one my Liu family holds is merely a Thunder Talisman Embryo. It possesses Daoist resonance and divine patterns, but a complete talisman has yet to be inscribed onto it. The time isn't ripe to refine it into an Upper Vehicle Talisman."

"But the situation with yours is the exact opposite. The talisman's inscription is completely finished, but the material bearing the talisman itself is just an ordinary piece of hemp paper."

Hearing this, I grew a bit worried. "If the Talisman Paper is ordinary, will it affect the power of the thunder magic?"

"That won't happen. The realm of the person who drew this talisman is absolutely beyond what you or I can imagine. First stroke, the heavens shake; second stroke, the Ancestral Master's sword; third stroke, vicious gods and evil spirits are banished thousands of miles away. Every single stroke and verse is flawless. Although the Talisman Paper is a mundane object, the person who drew it managed to turn something completely ordinary into a miracle. The power of this talisman far exceeds my Liu family's Thunder Talisman Embryo."

I breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. "That's good, then."

"Don't celebrate too early. Everything has its pros and cons. The immense power of this talisman isn't something hemp paper can withstand. Because of that, it can be used twice at most before it dissipates into smoke and turns to nothing."

"It can only be used twice?" My heart felt like it was on a roller coaster, shooting up and plummeting right back down.

"You're not satisfied with twice?" Blind Liu huffed and glared, his eyes brimming with envy. "Learn to be content! If word of this talisman got out, some Daoist priests who practice Five Thunders Orthodox Magic would probably bankrupt themselves just to trade for it."