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墨書 Inktalez
Ye Mingshang smiled and said, "The old man is truly a carefree person."
The old man chuckled bitterly and shook his head. "One should live in the moment; some things don't need to be taken too seriously, or it will only add to one's troubles. If I hadn't learned to let go, I probably wouldn't have lived to this age."
Ye Mingshang felt a slight tremor; he sensed that the old man's words carried deeper meaning, as if they were specifically directed at him, which made him feel uneasy.
"Alright now, young Fellow, take your time to think. I should be heading back; otherwise, my chatty wife will start nagging again." The old man stood up, gathered his Maza and Erhu, and tapped them with a small stick as he walked away.
Ye Mingshang pondered over the meaning of the conversation. "Wait, he said to take my time thinking. Could it be that those words were really meant for me?!"
Startled, Ye Mingshang turned to look in the direction the old man had left, but there was no sign of him anywhere. Ye Mingshang ran a few steps to the corner and looked around but could only see the bustling vehicles and the crowd passing by.
Slowly, he returned to the spot where the old man had appeared and looked around. He noticed a Newsstand nearby, where the Boss was sitting on a chair at the entrance, reading today's newspaper.
"Boss, have you seen where that old man went?" Ye Mingshang asked.
"Old man? What old man?" The Newsstand Boss lifted his eyes and asked.
"The one who was playing the Erhu just now."
The Boss was taken aback. "I've been sitting here for half a day; there hasn't been any old man playing the Erhu. Are you joking with me, young man?"
Ye Mingshang was shocked. "No?! How could that be?!"
"Alright, alright, stop joking with me. This joke isn't funny at all. By the way, do you want a newspaper?" The Boss rolled his eyes but didn't miss the chance for business.
"No, thank you."
Ye Mingshang slowly walked away, deep in thought about the encounter with the old man.
"I only noticed that old man after I ran into that ghostly guy. Before that, I hadn't paid any attention to him. I thought it was just me not noticing, but could it be that he really appeared out of nowhere? The newsstand is less than ten meters away, and there's no reason I shouldn't have heard the sound of the Erhu. Plus, the timing of that old man's appearance was too coincidental. And..."
Ye Mingshang looked up towards the intersection not far away. "From where he got up to the intersection is 50 meters, and my moment of contemplation didn't last more than ten seconds. Even a normal person would need to run to get there in that time, let alone a blind old man. This old man... is unusual..."
The matter of the old man distracted Ye Mingshang slightly but didn't change anything significant for him. He had his own convictions; some things can't just be let go. Not to mention the effort he had put in for his dreams, he couldn't abandon what he had fought for in his past life for love.
After coming to this realization, Ye Mingshang lifted his head, his gaze more determined than ever. "No one... can stop me, not even God!"
If all goes well, he would be entering the desert in two days. Before that, he still needed to prepare many things; he couldn't just walk in aimlessly or he might die before even reaching his destination.
"Boss, how much is this?" Ye Mingshang asked, pointing at a box of vermilion.
"2000."
"Wrap it all up for me; I'll take it."
"And how much is this?"
"500 per tael."
"Give it all to me, I want it."
"How much for this brush?"
"80,000."
"I'll take it."
"How much for the Gold Powder?"
"300 per gram."
"I'll take all you have."
...
In one day, Ye Mingshang scoured all the traditional medicine shops and antique markets in Nanjing, collecting a large amount of vermilion, glutinous rice, dog blood, cockscomb, and other materials that could be used for rituals. He also found many ritual implements at the antique market; some were damaged, but with a little repair, they could still be used.
After having someone help him deliver these items to an empty room in the dormitory building and paying for the shipping, Ye Mingshang looked at the room filled with ritual materials and implements, his eyes shining with excitement. "This time, there must be no mistakes."
He first took out an ancient-looking inkstone, set it up properly, then formed hand seals and recited an incantation: "The Jade Emperor has decreed, divine inkstone from all directions, metal, wood, water, fire, earth; thunder, wind, rain, lightning; divine inkstone ground lightly, thunder and lightning brilliance. Urgent Order."
Using a special stone mill to grind the ink, he then added vermilion and Gold Powder and ground them finely. The black ink gradually thickened and transformed into a dark reddish-gold color after mixing with the vermilion and Gold Powder.
"The Jade Emperor has decreed, divine ink blazing bright, shaped like ethereal mist; aligning with the nine stars; divine ink ground lightly, thunder disputes. Urgent Order."
After grinding the "ink," Ye Mingshang took out a stack of smooth yellow silk satin that had been cut to size, each piece measuring twenty centimeters long and four centimeters wide.
"Silk satin paired with Gold Powder, let's see who can withstand the talismans drawn this way!"
"The Northern Emperor has ordered me paper for writing talismans to exorcise evil spirits. Anyone who dares to resist shall be sent to Fengdu City. Urgent Order."
He took out a white jade brush collected from an antique stall, held it in his hands, and quickly formed seals with both hands. Several times he loosened his grip on the jade brush without letting it fall, chanting, "Gather the Five Thunder Generals, let the lightning brush light gather; one to protect life, another to bind evil spirits. All shall flee, and I shall attain longevity. Urgent Order."
He prepared the inkstone, ink, paper, and brush, each step enhanced with spells. This had never been done before; previously, the talisman papers were simply drawn by him casually, relying on his extraordinary magical power for their strength. But this time, due to the importance of the matter, he had to put in considerable effort. Using the best materials and the most serious attitude to draw the best talismans.
"Heavenly Round and Earthly Square, Nine Edicts; I now put pen to paper, all ghosts shall hide. Urgent Order."
As he chanted the incantation while writing, the brush stood upright, its tip dipped in crimson gold ink swiftly gliding across the satin talisman paper, sketching a complex and intricate pattern.
With a flash of golden light, the ink just drawn instantly dried—not so much dried as embedded into the satin itself, becoming one with it. A sacred aura emanated from it, making one unable to resist the urge to worship.
"I've even used secret spells; such talismans will surely possess immense power. In today's Taoist Sect, there are certainly no more than three people capable of drawing something like this."
Ye Mingshang's gaze was resolute. After finishing one piece and setting it aside, he immediately moved on to the next. Time passed minute by minute as the thick stack of satin paper gradually diminished. By the time the moon was bright and stars sparse in the dead of night, several hundred talismans had already been completed, quietly lying aside and radiating a gentle glow.
(To be continued.)
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