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Chapter 288: The Ticket
🕑 Added 2024-10-04 05:17:41 +0000 UTCLiu Yunan chuckled and said, "Then I'll wait here for them to return."
After all, since he rarely had the chance to come by, he felt it was only right to greet his two aunts.
Seeing that Liu Yunan wasn’t in a hurry to leave, Qin Jianghe started talking with him about the recent business at the escort agency. The two of them continued discussing the details of their upcoming trip to the capital as they sat in the study.
Before they knew it, evening had arrived.
When Mother Qin and Ironhead's mother saw that Liu Yunan had come, they were both surprised and happy. They eagerly gathered around him, asking about the sect and the happenings in Xiushui Village.
After agreeing with Qin Jianghe to meet in Songyang County in three days to set off for the capital, Liu Yunan left, taking with him the bags of items that Mother Qin had prepared for Father Qin, and Ironhead's mother had prepared for Ironhead and his father.
Since their trip to the capital would take some time, both Liu Yunan and Qin Jianghe needed to make sure their respective sect and escort agency were in good order before leaving.
For Qin Jianghe, things were relatively simple. Having stepped away from the escort agency on a few occasions before, it was now running smoothly, and there were no major issues to worry about.
However, Liu Yunan’s situation was more complicated.
Whenever Lin Xiao was away, Liu Yunan handled the sect's affairs with assistance from Senior Liao. But now, with Lin Xiao in the cultivation world, and Senior Liao accompanying him in the Soul Nurturing Pendant in case they encountered other soul fragments, Liu Yunan had to ensure everything was carefully arranged before leaving.
The young disciples were still too inexperienced to be relied upon, and Ironhead was busy with patrols, leaving the younger generation out of the question. As a result, Liu Yunan entrusted his mother with managing sect affairs, with the parents of Lin Xiao, Qin Jianghe, Ironhead, and Jiang Youfu assisting.
Over the next three days, Liu Yunan carefully taught them all the details of running the sect.
When the agreed time came, Liu Yunan left the sect and met Qin Jianghe, and the two set off for the capital together.
While they were traveling to the capital, Lin Xiao, Jiang Youfu, and Senior Liao arrived at Senior Liao's cave residence once again.
Just like the first time Lin Xiao had visited, Jiang Youfu was instantly awestruck by the vast collection of treasures filling the room.
"Wow, with all this stuff, you could eat for a lifetime if it were food!" Jiang Youfu gulped unconsciously.
Thankfully, Lin Xiao suggested they leave quickly, preventing Jiang Youfu from drooling too much.
Previously, Lin Xiao had sent Liu Chun to a remote, desolate location near Yuanling City rather than directly to Senior Liao's cave. Now that they had arrived here again, it was with Senior Liao's permission.
With no urgent matters to attend to, Lin Xiao and Jiang Youfu leisurely left the cave and made their way toward Yuanling City.
Jiang Youfu, full of curiosity, kept glancing around, comparing the differences between the cultivation world and their own. As he walked, he absentmindedly popped one golden, crispy bean after another into his mouth, making a constant crunching sound as he chewed.
He even offered a handful to Lin Xiao and Senior Liao.
Lin Xiao accepted a few with a smile and joined him in the snacking, while Senior Liao, after glancing at the unremarkable beans with some hesitation, politely declined and retreated into the Soul Nurturing Pendant.
Though Jiang Youfu was now in the Foundation Establishment stage and didn’t feel hunger or thirst as he once did, thanks to the spiritual energy nourishing his body, he still pulled out a water pouch every fifteen minutes to take a swig.
He even asked if Lin Xiao or Senior Liao needed any water.
And so, the three of them strolled along the path toward Yuanling City, giving Senior Liao the distinct feeling that they were on a spring outing.
After entering the city, Lin Xiao and Jiang Youfu, concerned they might run into Liu Chun, used a simple disguise technique to alter their appearances.
They wore the new clothes the sect had recently purchased for them.
Yuanling City seemed livelier this year, with many cultivators on the streets discussing a common topic: the Talisman Master Conference.
For the cultivators of the Southern Spirit Realm, this event was the grandest gathering of the region.
The Talisman Master Conference was always co-hosted by several major powers from both the Southern and Northern Spirit Realms.
One of these powers was the Tianxuan Sect, which Liu Chun had long dreamed of joining.
Of course, the Tianxuan Sect only acted as a co-host, while the main organizer of the conference was the Talisman Sect from the Northern Spirit Realm.
The Tianxuan Sect had always given special treatment to those with exceptional talent in talisman-making.
It was well-known in the Southern Spirit Realm that there were three ways to join the Tianxuan Sect. One was through normal recruitment, relying on one’s excellent spiritual roots and talent to gain entry. The second was through the special recruitment quotas held by noble families.
The third way was through the Talisman Master Conference, where participants could earn the title of a certified talisman master by passing the exams.
This made the Southern and Northern Spirit Realms home to a disproportionate number of talisman masters compared to other professions.
However, despite the large numbers, the overall quality was not particularly high.
Due to the fierce competition fostered by the Talisman Master Conference, those with real skill were generally reluctant to share their expertise with others, fearing their techniques would be copied.
As a result, few were willing to fully share their knowledge or engage in meaningful exchange.
While most dared not dream of joining the Talisman Sect, everyone aspired to enter the Tianxuan Sect.
The Tianxuan Sect offered higher-level cultivation methods, more powerful mentors, and generous stipends for disciples, making it far more attractive than being a wandering cultivator, joining a family clan, or joining a small sect.
In the Southern Spirit Realm, professions outside talisman-making were comparatively more harmonious.
This was unlike the Northern Spirit Realm, where fierce competition pervaded all fields, not just talisman-making.
The Northern Spirit Realm, despite being on the fringe of the cultivation world, was much wealthier and more prosperous than the Southern Spirit Realm.
As Lin Xiao and Jiang Youfu wandered through the city, they overheard discussions about the Talisman Master Conference.
Squatting at a small stall, Jiang Youfu put down a transparent bead he was examining and turned to Lin Xiao, who was squatting beside him, and asked, "Brother Xiao, can we also go to the Talisman Master Conference?"
Before Lin Xiao could answer, the stall owner, sitting on a small stool behind the stall, chuckled and said, "Ah, little brother, the Talisman Master Conference would love for you to attend! The more people, the more prestigious and lively it becomes. There’s no reason you can’t go."
Clearly, the stall owner misunderstood Jiang Youfu’s question, thinking he was worried about being allowed to attend the event rather than asking whether Lin Xiao had the time or interest.
But that didn’t matter.
Hearing this, Lin Xiao raised an eyebrow and asked the stall owner, "Excuse me, what do you mean by 'tickets'?"
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