Chapter 44: Hong's Warning "Did you really just break through?" Hong Jiantao put down the ice talisman in his hand and looked at Xiao Changqing with a smile. Xiao Changqing coughed and evaded the question by saying, "I succeeded by chance when I was practicing at home before, but I felt it was too unstable and the probability was too low, so I wanted to wait until the talisman technique was stable before announcing it." Hong Jiantao shook his head and said with a smile: "You are quite honest, kid. Although you deliberately concealed your incompetence and lowered the quality of your talisman, pretending that you had just made a breakthrough, and it seemed flawless, but you are still a little naive to deceive an old man like me." "Of course I can't hide it from your sharp eyes, shopkeeper." Xiao Changqing held back his laughter. I'm sorry, shopkeeper. I don't mean to deceive you on purpose. I really can't tell the truth. If I tell the truth, it will be too shocking. After a year of continuous training and with the blessing of his natural talent in talismans, Xiao Changqing has completely consolidated his status as a first-class intermediate-grade talisman master. He can now draw several types of talismans even without the blessing of a double-winged tiger-hair brush. Nowadays, he is not far from becoming a first-class top-grade talisman master! "Not bad, not bad. Four years... No, including the time you were hiding your abilities, it took less than four years for you to go from being a complete novice to becoming a first-class talisman master. This speed is not much slower than Lu Qiulai's."
Hong Jiantao nodded with satisfaction. Seeing Xiao Changqing realize his talent, he was happy from the bottom of his heart. After all, Xiao Changqing was able to embark on the path of a talisman master because he was the guide, and he was also the one who watched him grow up bit by bit afterwards. Now I feel like I am seeing the younger generations become successful. "It's your good fortune that you can break through to the first-level Talisman Master at this time. I was worried before that if I left, you would still be a basic Talisman Master, and the days ahead would be much more difficult." Hong Jiantao said meaningfully. Xiao Changqing heard the hidden meaning and asked tentatively, "Is it the new shopkeeper? Is it difficult to get along with him?" Hong Jiantao sighed and said, "It's not a question of whether they are easy to get along with or not, but this new shopkeeper once served as the sect's law enforcement elder!" Xiao Changqing was shocked when he heard this. The Luoxia Sect’s law enforcement elder is a position that only foundation-building cultivators are qualified to hold. In other words, the next manager of Lingfu Pavilion will be a foundation-building cultivator? That would be a big deal for the entire Nanshanfang. The situation of six foundation building stages will be broken and become seven foundation building stages. "Don't worry too much. Since you have become a first-level talisman master, you have a say no matter who takes over. After all, a first-level talisman master is considered a relatively important talent in the sect and needs preferential treatment." Hong Jiantao stroked his long beard and warned meaningfully: "However, you still need to be low-key and be more cautious. It's not just you, the other talisman masters in the pavilion should do the same. Otherwise, if you are caught, it will not be easy to get away..." Xiao Changqing was shocked when he heard this. Does the shopkeeper mean to make extra money privately? Before this, it was a tacit agreement that the talisman masters of Lingfu Pavilion would earn some extra money. As long as it is not too excessive, there is no blatant violation of the ban, and it is not too excessive, and the work is completed on time and in quantity every month, and there are loopholes in the rules, Hong Jiantao actually turns a blind eye. After all, monks are also human beings, who is without selfish desires?
Especially for the talisman masters of Lingfu Pavilion, they are not the loyal disciples cultivated by Luoxia Sect since childhood. Almost all of them are "latecomers". It is impossible to expect them to rely on their faith, devote themselves wholeheartedly to the sect, and regard the sect as their family. If you force it, it may backfire. But the situation in the future will be different from before... Xiao Changqing wanted to ask more, but Hong Jiantao didn't answer. "When Lu Qiu left, he gave you a double-winged tiger hair brush. Now that I'm leaving, I can't be stingy and leave you nothing." Hong Jiantao changed the subject and took out the gift he had prepared, a pencil case. The pen box was opened, and inside was the Silver Moon Wolf Hair Brush that Xiao Changqing had been coveting a few years ago, and the equipment effect that he still couldn't forget! Because the spiritual root quality of this talisman pen and the enlightenment cushion +1 are similar in nature, it is a small level +1 for the talisman master! A few years ago, Xiao Changqing just took a quick glance and was unable to put the talisman pen into the inventory. He also didn't know what the specific equipment effect was, or what the so-called small level was. When Xiao Changqing heard that the shopkeeper Hong Jiantao was going to give this pen to him, he was surprised and excited, but he also thought of something at the first moment. He stared at Shopkeeper Hong with wide eyes and asked, "Shopkeeper, your talisman skills... have also broken through?" This Silver Moon Wolf Hair Brush is a talisman brush that Shopkeeper Hong has used for decades. It is the finest of the first-grade talisman brushes and is in no way inferior to the Double-Winged Tiger Hair Brush given by Lu Qiu. But it was only after Lu Qiu became a second-level talisman master that he gave the talisman pen to Xiao Changqing because his first-level talisman pen was a bit of a drag. Now Hong Jiantao is also going to give away his favorite pen that he has used for decades. Obviously, it is not just because he likes Xiao Changqing very much and thinks that Xiao Changqing is a talented person with great potential. Unless he is promoted to a second-level talisman master like Lu Qiu, he will not need a first-level talisman pen. Hong Jiantao smiled and said, "That's about right. You can think of it that way." "Congratulations, boss!" Xiao Changqing was surprised. Becoming a second-level talisman master, in some ways, is even more difficult than advancing to the foundation-building stage! Because both the number and importance of second-level talisman masters are far higher than those of ordinary foundation-building cultivators. Just like in a Jindan sect like Luoxia Sect, the general foundation-building elders are also high-ranking and important. But he is far from being called a strategic figure in the sect. And a second-level talisman master can be called that! This was also the reason why after Lu Qiu broke through to the second-level talisman master, the Luoxia Sect hurriedly sent people to invite him and promised him various benefits. Now, Shopkeeper Hong has actually taken this step. But if you think about it carefully, it is actually reasonable. Shopkeeper Hong can almost be considered as Lu Qiu's master, and the person who guided him into business. More than ten years ago, he was already a first-class, top-grade talisman master. Later, Lu Qiu quickly became famous, and Manager Hong has always been regarded by everyone as a person with talisman skills in Lingfu Pavilion who is not inferior to Lu Qiu. It was not until Lu Qiu was promoted to the second-level Talisman Master that no one put the two on the same level. It is reasonable that Shopkeeper Hong made a breakthrough a few years later. "I'm an old man, not as good as you young people, and not worth mentioning." Hong Jiantao waved his hands and said with emotion. I expressed my feelings with my mouth and I was also feeling feelings in my heart. It's a breakthrough.
But the news of the breakthrough had been hidden for nearly twenty years. Now that it was finally no longer hidden, the glory was gone... Neither Lu Qiu nor the boy in front of him knew the pain that Old Hong had felt over the years. After handing over the pen, Hong Jiantao prepared to leave. But when he reached the door, he suddenly turned around and said to Xiao Changqing solemnly: "Oh, right. If you can be promoted to a second-level Talisman Master in a dozen years, the sect will want to recruit you back to the sect. If you don't want to go, you don't have to go. When the time comes, just say you came to Liyang Immortal City to find me, and the sect won't make things difficult for you... Anyway, the situation should be clear by then. You don't need to know too much now, just remember what I said." (End of this chapter)