Chapter 46: Chapter 46: Ancestral Hands-on Guidance Class
Xia Xin felt the movement of the brush tip and suddenly discovered that drawing talismans was indeed a very novel experience.
Jiangli’s hand, seemed to have become his own, as if it had grown on the brush. In that instant of drawing the talisman, Jiangli’s hand was the brush, and the brush was her hand, moving with ease— the brush strokes were like a roaming dragon, filled with boundless spiritual energy.
Soon, a complete talisman emerged on the paper.
The whole process took no more than the time it takes to breathe in and out.
The instant the drawing was finished, Xia Xin felt as if something had clicked in his mind, and he suddenly saw things much clearer.
The next moment, he looked at the Talisman Paper.
Although it had not yet been activated, the talisman had already come alive, overflowing with spiritual energy as if long dragons coiled atop it, radiating infinite majesty.
The moment Xia Xin looked at it, the talisman on the paper seemed to be looking back at him.
He actually felt a chilling sensation, as if he were being watched.
Xia Xin’s body trembled slightly, and he couldn’t help but blink, holding back his fear. He took a closer look and suddenly widened his eyes, “Ancestor, you, you drew a Suppressing Evil Talisman?”
“Hmm.” Jiangli nodded and at the same time released his hand.
Xia Xin exclaimed in astonishment, “A Suppressing Evil Talisman is used to suppress evil spirits, but typical Suppressing Evil Talismans shouldn’t have such a strong presence, should they…?”
“This is not a simple Suppressing Evil Talisman, it’s one I’ve improved. It can suppress spirits as well as eliminate some minor nuisances.” Jiangli pointed to the direction of the meditation rooms in the back courtyard. “That little thing in your room, with this one Suppressing Evil Talisman, it could be scattered to the winds.”
Xia Xin felt a shiver in his heart, “It’s, it’s that fierce?” Then he couldn’t help but ask curiously, “Isn’t this the same as a Slaying Evil Talisman or a Killing Ghost Talisman then? If so, why did Ancestor bother to improve the Suppressing Evil Talisman?”
“What else could it be for?” Jiangli stretched lazily, “Going out to handle a matter, carrying so many different talismans on your body, don’t you think that’s tiresome? If one talisman can solve the issue, why bother with so many things?”
Xia Xin never imagined that Jiangli would improve the Suppressing Evil Talisman simply because she found having too many types of talismans cumbersome.
The corner of his mouth twitched. Indeed, the thoughts of the mighty were different from theirs.
“Alright, do you remember how it felt to draw the talisman just now?” Jiangli interrupted Xia Xin’s wild thoughts and asked.
Xia Xin tightened his tail between his legs, not daring to say he didn’t remember, and muddled through, “I, I remember…”
“Then go ahead, draw a talisman yourself and show me,” Jiangli said.
Xia Xin nearly fainted, “Wha, what…?”
“Didn’t you say you remembered? Is drawing it again not okay?” Jiangli raised an eyebrow.
Xia Xin was close to tears, “Ancestor…” Are you not making this hard on me?
“If you can’t, then don’t say you remember,” Jiangli spoke indifferently, “I know your talent. To say you remember is to deceive. Forget it, I won’t pressure you. If you can replicate three strokes of the talisman from just now, that will be passable. If you can’t, then you’ll take this talisman and copy it until you can draw those three strokes, and only then can you go eat.”
“Yes…” Xia Xin said tearfully, looking weak, helpless, and pitiable.
He picked up the brush and began to draw, his hands trembling.
Originally, he thought he surely wouldn’t be able to replicate it, but once he started to move the brush, he found something slightly amiss.
Once he truly started to draw, his brush seemed as if it had come to life, and the sequence of Jiangli’s brush movements appeared in his mind, as if a complete picture was unfolding before his eyes.
Xia Xin suddenly remembered that when Jiangli was teaching him earlier, a flash of spiritual light had crossed his mind; had the Ancestor helped him?
Not having time to think more, he watched that mental image and moved the brush accordingly.