Chapter 32: A Bewitching Beauty Part 2

She didn’t leave right away. Instead, she found a corner and waited quietly for a while. She watched as Huo Zhi and Moyi Guihua accepted their missions, bought some materials, and left. Sure enough, the cultivator who had been watching them also followed them out.

Linlang paused, then followed him.

The cultivator did not directly confront Huo Zhi and her friend. He followed them to their inn, then stopped and turned away, heading elsewhere.

Linlang continued to tail him, eventually seeing the man enter the Moyi Clan Villa.

Linlang watched the direction where the man disappeared, a thoughtful expression in her eyes.

Since that man was a member of the Moyi Clan, it meant Moyi Guihua and Huo Zhi were already being targeted by the Moyi Clan.

Linlang recalled that in her previous life, Moyi Guihua had enemies within the Moyi Clan, and an even bigger enemy in the Wenren Clan.

Conflict was forbidden within Immortal Talisman City itself. However, during every Immortal Talisman Sect Grand Examination, not a small number of people met untimely deaths.

If Moyi Guihua’s troubles ended up dragging Huo Zhi down… this…

With Huo Zhi’s abilities, she should definitely be able to pass the Immortal Talisman Sect’s Grand Examination. But if someone sabotaged her from the shadows, she might lose her life!

Linlang clenched her fists, turned, and left. She headed out of the city to do her missions first.

Unlike ordinary Human Cultivators, Linlang could fly—her speed was comparable to high-level Flying Talisman Artifacts. She also had deep knowledge of the forests and mountains, knowing where things grew and what treasures lay hidden. Going into the forest outside the city to gather things was perfectly suited for her.

When Linlang returned, it was already the morning of the next day. She suppressed the killing aura that clung to her, changed clothes, and spent one hundred Spirit Stones to enter the city. She went to the Exquisite Pavilion, submitted her completed missions, and after confirmation, received her rewards.

In that one night, Linlang had completed five different missions. The highest reward among these missions was three thousand Spirit Stones, the lowest one thousand. These five missions netted her nearly ten thousand Spirit Stones.

After collecting her rewards, Linlang returned to her room in the Xiao Residence and sat cross-legged to cultivate. Not long after, a slender figure quietly slipped inside.

It was Huo Zhi.

She had been constantly sensing the talisman brush’s position, which hadn’t moved, so she knew Linlang was obediently staying in the Xiao Residence. Since Immortal Talisman City had a curfew at night, she hadn’t come to find her then. She decided to visit her during the day to interact a bit before going back.

Linlang was weary after her long night but, knowing it was Huo Zhi entering, she made no move and gave no sign of awareness. She simply observed her silently with Spiritual Sense.

“Linlang, sorry to interrupt your cultivation. I bought you a new Talisman Robe similar to the one from yesterday. Oh, and here’s a bag of Pearl Rice as a thank-you gift. This kind of Pearl Rice has very high Spiritual Qi content and is delicious,” Huo Zhi said as she approached Linlang, setting the items down beside her.

“Mm, thank you,” Linlang responded simply.

“How was your day here? Did you meet a lot of friends from the Demon Race? Can you tell me about it?” Huo Zhi asked another question.

Linlang had already closed her eyes, appearing to have entered a cultivation state. No response!

“How is she supposed to socialize like this?” Huo Zhi felt awkward and worried about Linlang’s attitude of rejecting all social interaction.

Thinking it over, maybe Linlang was just slow to warm up. Back at the Sky Mist Sect, she had ignored Huo Zhi at first too. But later, she had saved her so many times, preferring to get hurt herself rather than let Huo Zhi be injured.

For the time being, Huo Zhi didn’t disturb Linlang further. Having delivered her gifts, and seeing that Linlang was cultivating earnestly, she felt reassured.

Once Huo Zhi left, Linlang opened her eyes and looked at the things she’d left behind.

She tasted one of the Pearl Rice grains Huo Zhi had brought. It was soft, springy, and carried a hint of sweetness.

Linlang stared into space in a daze for a moment, then continued cultivating. When it was time for her task in the Xiao Residence, she went out to tend the fire again, practicing her fire control.

After finishing, she went back to the Exquisite Pavilion to accept more missions.

Looking at the mission list, she saw the one marked with a flashing urgent sign. Its reward had increased by another twenty thousand Spirit Stones. Linlang tapped her plaque to accept it.

As soon as she accepted, a voice transmission quickly came through to her token.

“You’re just a Black Iron! How dare you accept this mission! You need to know your own limits to take on jobs. If you’re messing around, I’ll make you regret it!” The person transmitting the voice sounded extremely angry.

“Whether I have the ability or not, you’ll know once you test me,” Linlang replied.

“Quite the boast! Come to the cultivation secret chambers run by the Beimen Family. Heaven Room No. 5 is my personal chamber. Come in and I’ll test you!” the person transmitted to Linlang.

Linlang put away her token and headed to the cultivation chambers.

She had her own means of self-defense, so she wasn’t afraid of malicious traps. Anyone offering a reward of over a hundred thousand Spirit Stones must have at least that much in assets, and the Exquisite Pavilion would have verified this.

The cultivation chambers used Talisman Arrays to create environments suitable for cultivation, covering all types of attributes. This was an area the Beimen Family specialized in.

Linlang was guided into Heaven Room No. 5. The moment she entered, arrows shot toward her. She bent backward at the waist, dodging nimbly. Then Binding Talismans flew at her. Linlang grabbed the incoming Spiritual Qi Rope, and her Fire-Type Spiritual Qi flared. The rope burned and shattered under her flames. In a few swift steps, before the person could activate more talismans, Linlang had him subdued.

“Your reaction speed and combat strength are decent, but that’s still not the basis for you to accept this mission. You’re only at the Foundation Establishment Stage! That was my weakest guard. I was just testing you; no ill intent. Let him go, then try drawing a few talismans. I want to see what makes you think you’re qualified to take my bounty.” Another cultivator in the room stepped forward, a trace of anger on their face.

This cultivator’s aura was completely concealed, making their cultivation level indiscernible. All that could be seen was a male figure, though their face had likely been disguised, and they were showing their transformed appearance directly.

Linlang didn’t say much else. She released her captive, sat down, and directly began drawing talismans.

During the time she’d spent with Huo Zhi, she had watched her draw many talismans. In the months they’d hidden together in the Secret Realm, when Huo Zhi’s Ice-Type Spiritual Qi was insufficient, she had guided Linlang by hand, teaching her to draw several Fire Talismans. Huo Zhi had even taught her to use tools—a protractor, a compass, a triangle ruler—to precisely draft her lines. For simple, basic fire-element talismans, Linlang could handle them fine. Her best was the Fire Bullet Talisman, for which her success rate had previously reached seventy percent.

The cultivator watched Linlang’s calm composure with a face full of skepticism.

Linlang’s very first talisman was a success. She drew ten in a row, and her success rate was even slightly higher than before—eight out of ten succeeded.

The expression of the cultivator standing next to Linlang shifted from anger, to a softening of features, to outright delight.

“Excellent! You really are something! I’ve been furious all day. So many useless people came, completely unqualified, just taking the mission because of the high reward!” The cultivator clapped Linlang heavily on the shoulder, face beaming with happiness.

“How can I help you pass the examination? What do I need to prepare?” Linlang asked calmly.

“You’re not planning to enter the Immortal Talisman Sect yourself? You’re so skilled! If you assist me, you won’t be able to pass the exam yourself. Are you sure about that?” The cultivator asked first.

“I won’t enter. I just want to earn Spirit Stones,” Linlang stated.

“Well, that’s… such a pity! Since you’ve decided, we need to swear an oath to ensure our agreement goes smoothly. I’ll give you an Examination Token to take the exam alongside me. During the process, you must do your best to help me. I’ll pay you twenty thousand Spirit Stones as a deposit upfront. Afterward, if you accompany me through the exam and I pass, I’ll pay you another one hundred thousand. If I fail, I can only give you another forty thousand,” the cultivator said.

“No problem,” Linlang nodded.

That cultivator seemed to have great confidence in Linlang’s Talisman Drawing ability. They immediately brought out a Blood Oath Contract, and the two swore a Blood Oath.

“Now that we’ve sworn a Blood Oath, we can’t reveal each other’s identities. So I won’t keep pretending anymore. Heh, I’m a girl too. My name is Beimen Duoduo. My main element is Space, with Fire as my secondary. I’ve never seen anyone who could draw ten talismans and successfully complete eight!” As the cultivator spoke, their appearance and figure underwent a massive change, transforming into a beautiful young woman with a heroic, spirited brow and eyes.

“…” Linlang stared at the woman before her, pausing. She hadn’t expected that accepting a mission would lead her to Beimen Duoduo. In her previous life, this girl had also been fond of Mo Zhenfeng, but her fate had been even shorter than Linlang’s.

“You’re amazing! Who taught you talisman drawing?” Beimen Duoduo looked at Linlang with great interest.

“Let’s talk about business,” Linlang replied curtly.

“Alright, first let me explain what the Immortal Talisman Sect exams cover,” Beimen Duoduo began explaining to Linlang.

“Once inside the examination grounds, you cannot bring any external talismans in. You can only carry one auxiliary Talisman Artifact. Whatever you need, you have to draw yourself. The Talisman Materials also have to be found by you. My foundational knowledge is very strong; there’s no Talisman Material I don’t recognize. You won’t need to help me in the first stage. But my talisman drawing ability is just average, and I’m very slow—only one success out of ten. You’ll need to help me draw more during the timed Talisman Drawing segment. Also, I’m very weak in combat and a little squeamish about blood. You’ll have to fight for me, prevent others from stealing my things. There are a few people in my family who don’t want me to pass, and I even made a bet with someone that I would this time. So, I’m counting on you for everything!” Beimen Duoduo finished explaining the Immortal Talisman Sect’s exam process, then listed all her own weaknesses.

“Alright. I’ll prepare during this period,” Linlang said after listening.

“If you need to cultivate, come here to do it. It’s pure Fire-Type Spiritual Qi, guaranteed to make your cultivation speed skyrocket. Talisman Materials are also prepared; use them freely,” Beimen Duoduo said.

After finalizing their agreement, Linlang didn’t linger. This transaction would be executed two months later, so she had two months to prepare.

During that time, Linlang still had to take on other missions: earning Spirit Stones while simultaneously raising her cultivation. Once she amassed enough Spirit Stones, she’d be qualified to post a Bounty Mission searching for her little sister, and she could also buy information from the Demon Beast slave market.

In the days leading up to the Grand Examination, Huo Zhi prepared earnestly. Linlang did missions every night, returned to cultivate during the day, and studied the examination guide Beimen Duoduo had given her. The two occasionally crossed paths.

Every time Huo Zhi visited, she brought Linlang different varieties of Spiritual Rice. Being a large city, Immortal Talisman City had a vast array of Spiritual Rice types, with all kinds of attributes and effects. Huo Zhi wanted to buy all of them for Linlang to try.

Huo Zhi didn’t go to the Exquisite Pavilion often. She mostly stayed at the inn, preparing for the exam and drawing talismans. Moyi Guihua told her everything she knew in bits and pieces, giving Huo Zhi a much better understanding of Immortal Talisman City’s power dynamics and the structure of the Immortal Talisman Sect. Naturally, she also learned about the exam process.

Days passed one by one like this. Just as the Grand Examination day was about to arrive, Huo Zhi made a special trip back to the Xiao Residence to tell Linlang she would be away for a few days and would only be able to return after some time.

Linlang gave no response. She, too, was about to go and take the exam alongside Beimen Duoduo!

At the same time, within the Moyi Clan Villa, Moyi Xiu’er—who had previously been hostile toward Moyi Guihua—was giving final pre-exam instructions to several young cultivators of the Moyi Clan.

“Remember this person’s aura. Her name is Huo Zhi. This object can sense the mark that the Outer Clan Head left on her Examination Token. During the exam, find an opportunity to cripple her. Make sure she fails the Grand Examination. Moyi Guihua thinks she can turn the tables with some third-rate nobody? No chance! I want to see if she can still smile then!” Moyi Xiu’er snorted coldly, her tone venomous.

“Third Miss, what if that person finds out Moyi Guihua is back? Wouldn’t…” One young cultivator hesitated.

“She won’t! It’s been over twenty years; she’s long forgotten. Back then, Moyi Guihua was nothing more than an Attendant chosen for her by her mother. She was under ten years old. What could she possibly remember? She only made a brief fuss then. Hasn’t there been no news for the past few years? Her status is special; she wouldn’t bother with these trivial matters. Can you show some backbone?! This must be handled flawlessly!” Moyi Xiu’er glared sternly. Her words were firm, but a flicker of uncertainty flashed in her eyes.