Chapter 71: The Talisman of Arms and Armor, The Celestial Melody Incense

The transaction was completed that very night. This was mainly because Chen Yushu hadn’t brought that much silver, and the other party hadn’t truly carried the books with them either.

In addition to the two volumes, Chen Yushu also bought ten packets of Nourishing Essence Decoction from Steward Zhou. He had originally prepared a plethora of explanations for the source of his silver, but to his surprise, the other party never even asked—saving him the trouble.

Nevertheless, he resolved not to make such purchases too frequently; it was troublesome and best avoided if possible. Although he was unafraid of exposing himself as a practitioner of the Yin path, there was no need to let the whole world know.

Upon returning home, Chen Yushu couldn’t wait to take out the two books.

“The Second Volume of the Chaoyang Talisman Arts, and The Heavenly Sound Incense Methods.”

Gazing at them, a wave of excitement surged in his heart.

He first examined the Chaoyang Talisman Arts. A single glance told him that this was undoubtedly from the same source as the first volume he already possessed.

This volume was noticeably thicker than the first, and the rune structures recorded within far surpassed its predecessor, totaling over two hundred. Yet, curiously, the number of talismans was fewer—only five in all.

The Lightness Talisman! The Spirit-Guiding Talisman! The Golden Armor Talisman! The Water Arrow Talisman! The Armored Soldier Talisman!

Of these, the Lightness Talisman was relatively simple, composed of seventeen rune structures. The most complex was the Armored Soldier Talisman, which required thirty-eight rune structures.

“There’s no doubt—the Armored Soldier Talisman must be the most powerful,” he murmured. According to the description, the caster could summon an armored soldier with this talisman, commanding it to fight. It was like summoning an invulnerable, tireless helper—truly remarkable.

Chen Yushu couldn’t help but imagine the possibilities. If he ever encountered danger, he could use the Armored Soldier Talisman to scout ahead or shield himself from disaster.

The other talismans each had their own uses as well. The Lightness Talisman increased speed, the Spirit-Guiding Talisman was said to attract the spirits of heaven and earth, the Golden Armor Talisman offered protection, and the Water Arrow Talisman was a rare offensive talisman.

The more Chen Yushu read, the more satisfied he felt. However, the increased power of these talismans meant the materials required for crafting them—such as talisman paper—were also of a higher grade. Ordinary hundred-fold paper could no longer bear their might; he would need superior talisman paper.

“Unfortunately, I haven’t yet mastered all the talismans from the first volume. These new ones will take even longer to produce,” he thought, not prone to overreaching. Knowing that these talismans couldn’t be drawn anytime soon, he put the book away.

Only then did he turn to the second volume, The Heavenly Sound Incense Methods.

Incense methods—what were they?

Incense methods referred to spiritual incense, crafted from substances found in the world and refined to produce unique aromas. All things under heaven could be made into incense, and once burned, the incense would yield wondrous effects.

“The ‘Heavenly Sound’ in the title is actually the name of a sect—Heavenly Sound Monastery! So this book must originate from that monastery.”

There were five incense formulas recorded: Calming Incense, Soul-Guiding Incense, Tranquil Incense, Drunken Soul Incense, and Scattering Soul Incense. Yet only three of them—Calming, Soul-Guiding, and Tranquil—had detailed ingredients and methods.

Chen Yushu read through the entire book, confirming that nothing had been omitted or deliberately withheld, and understood. This was likely a text deliberately circulated by Heavenly Sound Monastery—or, at least, not considered too important by them. The truly valued formulas were the Drunken Soul and Scattering Soul incenses. To acquire those, one would have to seek out Heavenly Sound Monastery or buy the incense directly from them.

“But where is this Heavenly Sound Monastery? Is it a Yin sect or a Buddhist sanctuary?” he wondered aloud, though without any dissatisfaction. To him, even just the Calming, Soul-Guiding, and Tranquil incenses were already quite valuable.

The Calming Incense aided cultivators in entering deep meditation, the Soul-Guiding Incense—as its name implied—could attract ghosts and guide the souls of the dead, while the Tranquil Incense soothed and calmed the mind. Each had its unique purpose.

“However, the ingredients for these incenses are hard to find, and the process is quite complex,” Chen Yushu noted, frowning slightly as he read.

Martial training, drawing talismans, cultivating the White Tiger Visualization—all of these already consumed much of his time. If making incense proved too complicated, he wasn’t willing to waste time on it.

“Still, having the methods is better than nothing. At least making incense is far simpler than drawing talismans. As long as the ingredients are gathered and the steps followed, it should be doable.”

Thinking this, Chen Yushu recalled Old Fu’s incense shop. If he needed to collect materials, that would be an excellent place to start. Though Old Fu was a sly, stingy scoundrel, he often dealt with people in the trade and was skilled at making incense—surely, he’d have many of the necessary ingredients on hand.

With these thoughts, Chen Yushu set the two books aside.

Only then did he start the fire, prepare his meal, and brew his medicinal decoctions.

He began with the Vital Energy Soup. Its thick, bitter taste made his face twist in discomfort. Then he drank the Nourishing Essence Decoction. Both soups increased his vital energy—one slowly, one rapidly—and together, they seemed to have a compounded effect.

Almost instantly, Chen Yushu felt his energy surge, his whole body growing hot. Not daring to delay, he stood in the courtyard and began practicing the Medicine King Stance.

Once, twice, three times, and more—

Medicine King Stance +4

Medicine King Stance +5

Medicine King Stance +3

And so on.

Perhaps because of his deepening understanding of medicine, Chen Yushu constantly adjusted his stances and breathing patterns, his every movement growing more harmonious and natural.

His whole body steamed with heat, sweat pouring like rain, yet at the same time, waves of warmth arose within him, like bubbling springs, endlessly coursing through his body—slowly strengthening his energy, flesh, and power.

After ten rounds, his body and vitality had increased dramatically. In his daze, he felt as if he could move mountains, his strength boundless.

Even his proficiency with the stance had improved by leaps and bounds.

“Previously, I could easily lift a hundred-pound boulder with both arms. Now, though the increase isn’t as dramatic, lifting a stone of about a hundred and twenty pounds should be no problem.”

Comparing his strength, Chen Yushu felt a surge of excitement. Just ten days ago, he had been as weak as a chick, but now he was as strong as a grown man.

…