Chapter 97: Making the Brush

As the sky outside gradually brightened, Chen Xiao, feeling inspired, walked over to the bright window and dragged over the only square table in Ah Shou's house. He took out the talisman paper, brush, and the pre-mixed drawing materials from the storage box and placed them on the table. His expression was serious as he lowered his eyes and closed them, meditating for a while. Once he felt mentally refreshed and his emotions adjusted to the right state, he opened his eyes and dipped the tip of the brush into the drawing materials.

The sharp focus in his mind flowed through the brush, heavily pressing down on the talisman paper. Chen Xiao firmly planted his feet on the ground, channeling his strength from his soles to his thighs, then to his waist and shoulders, and as his arms moved, he completed a Thunderstrike Talisman. By the end of it, sweat had appeared down his spine.

He set down the brush, and his eyes caught a flicker of Qi flashing across the talisman paper before it disappeared. Holding the brush, Chen Xiao was puzzled. After thinking for a while, he realized that it must be the Qi in his body being unconsciously drawn onto the paper when making the talisman. He wasn’t sure if this was a good or bad thing. If this happened every time he drew a talisman, no matter how much Qi he had, it wouldn’t be enough to waste like this.

“What’s wrong?” Xi Yunqing, noticing Chen Xiao standing still like a post, asked.

Chen Xiao hesitated before replying, “Just now, I felt a bit of the power I gained from practicing Feng Shui attaching itself to the talisman. I’m not sure if it will have any bad effects.”

Xi Yunqing thought for a moment before replying, “I’ve heard that weapon makers sometimes have their spirit attached to the magical weapons they forge. I didn’t expect this to happen with talismans as well.”

Chen Xiao’s eyes lit up. “What kind of effect could this have?”

Xi Yunqing said seriously, “When a weapon carries the maker’s spirit, it will usually have some distinctive characteristics.”

Chen Xiao felt much more at ease. “It seems like this is a good thing, then.”

Xi Yunqing extended his long fingers, picking up the now-dry talisman. “We’ll know its effectiveness once we test it.”

The village had a large martial arts field, where the spiritual roots had been tested long ago. However, over time, the area had become more crowded with cultivators. They used it as a temporary marketplace, selling various goods to passersby.

The villagers had removed a piece of land on the edge of the village, flattened it, and transformed it into a new martial arts field.

When Chen Xiao and Xi Yunqing arrived, several young villagers were training. Some sparred in groups, while others practiced their movement techniques. Their attitudes were serious, and they didn’t become restless due to the sudden change in the environment. In fact, with the new opportunity for extra income, they had become even more dedicated to their cultivation. Xi Yunqing was genuinely pleased, so long as they remained true to their purpose, their future achievements wouldn’t be too low, even if they never entered the Immortal Sect.

The young villagers gathered around, curious about the arrival of the two. When they found out that Chen Xiao was about to use a talisman, they cleared a large space for him. Chen Xiao thanked them and, holding the talisman between his index and middle fingers, drew a trace of Qi from his mind to activate the talisman, then threw it out forcefully.

With a loud "crack," a purple bolt of lightning flashed, and a blackened crater appeared on the martial arts field. The young villagers watching nearby gasped in surprise, having never seen such an attack before. They began discussing it with great interest.

However, Chen Xiao stood there, shaking his head in dissatisfaction. “This won’t do. The Qi guidance was too slow; it took too long to activate and throw the talisman. The power isn’t as great as I expected, and the damage is too low. It probably could only take down a wild beast.”

Xi Yunqing replied, “You’re being too hard on yourself, Chen Xiao. The quality of the drawing materials is too low, and that’s the main reason the Thunderstrike Talisman’s power is limited. As for the slow Qi guidance, that can be improved with practice.”

Xi Yunqing’s words helped Chen Xiao refocus. He nodded and said, “You’re right, Big Brother. I was too impatient. For a first attempt, this talisman already has enough power to allow me to fight with higher-level cultivators.” Learning to run starts with learning to walk steadily. At his current stage, he was like an apprentice in any profession, so he was already grateful that the talisman had the power to fight wild beasts. Of course, he had hoped it would compete with the explosive power of Tong Nuonuo’s bomb, which is why he was dissatisfied.

After determining the effectiveness of the Thunderstrike Talisman, the two returned to Ah Shou's house. After unlocking the three layers of the compass, both Chen Xiao’s body and spirit had greatly improved, reaching the level of a high-tier cultivator in the body-refining stage. After completing another Thunderstrike Talisman, Chen Xiao still had some energy left. He then drew a Calming Talisman and a Swift Movement Talisman before finally feeling some mental exhaustion.

Chen Xiao sat on the bamboo chair, reflecting carefully. Although attaching Qi to the talismans enhanced their power, it consumed his mental energy exponentially. It seemed that, unless necessary, he shouldn’t continue using Qi to draw talismans in the future.

As Chen Xiao rested, Xi Yunqing silently tidied up the items on the table. He poured the remaining drawing materials back into the small bottle and cleaned the brush in the ink wash. As he dried it, Xi Yunqing tested the brush’s tip with his fingers. It was a brush he had brought from the Lord’s mansion; although it was much better than a goat-hair brush, it still wasn’t suitable for someone whose main focus was drawing talismans.

He spoke slowly, “I heard you found some beast hair in the City Lord’s mansion storage. Were you planning to make a brush out of it?”

Chen Xiao stared at Xi Yunqing in surprise. It was rare that Xi Yunqing had heard of something like this from someone else. Given that Xi Yunqing was known for being aloof and unapproachable while staying at the Lord's mansion, Chen Xiao couldn’t help but wonder who he had spoken to. Was it Chief Steward Han? Lord Han? Or someone else?

Xi Yunqing called his name in confusion, and Chen Xiao snapped back to attention. “Yes, the beast hair is more durable, and the brushes made from it have a longer lifespan.”

Chen Xiao had always practiced calligraphy, so he knew that both writing and painting required large amounts of brushes, ink, and paper. People who didn’t understand often thought that paper and ink were the most consumed materials, but in reality, brushes were often the first to wear out. Even in the hands of strict masters of traditional Chinese painting, a brush would be discarded after completing a painting.

During the writing or painting process, the friction between the brush and paper would wear down the brush’s tip and bristles. Once a brush’s tip was worn flat and the bristles became thin, even the most skilled artist wouldn’t be able to use it effectively.

Chen Xiao said, “I’m looking for a master brushmaker to make the beast hair into brush tips, then custom-make the brush handles. That way, when the tips wear out, I can replace them myself.”

A good writing brush is often made from very precious materials, such as jade. When the brush tip wears out during use, the entire brush is not discarded. Instead, the brush tip is detached, and a new one is attached.

The brush Chen Xiao used in his previous life was a gift from his master, Fang Gu. Every time the brush tip wore out, Chen Xiao would take it to a specialty shop, where a master brushmaker would replace the tip for him. He had seen this process many times, and though he had never done it himself, he had a general idea of how it was done.

Xi Yunqing said, "I know a shop in Hanshan City that specializes in making brushes. The master there is highly skilled and will certainly meet your needs. Since we're heading back to Hanshan City soon, why not let me take you there?"

Chen Xiao smiled brightly. "Thank you, big brother."

Xi Yunqing smiled back. "No need to thank me. We're about to start a new phase of your physical training, and I'm afraid you won't have the energy to focus on other things. It's better to take care of this now."

Chen Xiao's smile froze instantly. He had been so excited to learn new talismans that he had completely forgotten about the upcoming second season of Xi Yunqing's private physical training classes!

A new round of intense training was about to begin. Chen Xiao felt a mixture of nervousness and fear, along with a faint sense of anticipation and excitement. Under Xi Yunqing's strict training, Chen Xiao's physical skills had improved drastically. He was confident that if Tong Nuonu didn't use her true essence and only relied on her physical skills, she probably wouldn't be able to touch him.

With these mixed feelings, Chen Xiao followed Xi Yunqing to a brush shop located in the lakeside commercial district of Hanshan City. This shop wasn't in the cultivation area on the east side of the lake, but rather in the west side, where ordinary people lived.

When the Zhong family instigated internal strife, they had brought the Black-Eyed Green here, causing a huge uproar. The ordinary commercial district had suffered devastating damage, with more casualties. To ease the distress of the common people and help them return to their normal lives, the city lord's office had been the first to rebuild the western commercial district after the chaos. Furthermore, Lord Han sent many skilled cultivators to treat the wounded and provided elixirs that ordinary people could use.

Thanks to the timely and effective measures from the city lord's office, the ordinary commercial district had mostly returned to its normal state. Despite the newly rebuilt buildings, the bustling scene made it hard to tell that it had once been devastated.

Xi Yunqing led Chen Xiao into the brush shop. After that, there was no need for Xi Yunqing to intervene, Chen Xiao handled the rest himself.

Though the brushmaker in the shop had seen many cultivators come through, the shop catered mainly to ordinary people. Cultivators also used brushes in their daily lives. In the cultivation district, such items were sold at a premium, and many cultivators, especially those not wealthy, bought from his shop.

The brushmaker calmly received Chen Xiao, listened to his request, and nodded, signaling that he could meet the demand. Chen Xiao, relieved, handed over the beast hair he had brought. It was his first time using beast hair for a brush, and the master weighed it carefully before writing a receipt as proof.

In addition to the beast hair for the brush tip, the outer parts of the brush, which are used to absorb and retain water, require a different kind of hair. The shop provided this type of hair. While it wasn't as precious as the beast hair, it was still expensive, and when combined with the master's craftsmanship fee, Chen Xiao ended up spending quite a bit of spiritual currency.

Recently, Chen Xiao had been receiving numerous feng shui assignments from cultivators and had earned quite a sum. Given the various income streams, including the gifts from Lord Han, he paid without a second thought.

After the smooth payment, Chen Xiao, feeling the thrill of spending money, suddenly wanted to buy something else. Realizing it had been a while since he'd bought anything, he turned to Xi Yunqing and said, "It's still early. How about we go for a stroll, big brother?"

Xi Yunqing, naturally, agreed, but asked, "What do you need to buy, Chen Xiao?" Despite his apparent wealth, Xi Yunqing wasn't the type to spend money just for the sake of it. He was the kind of person who would buy something with a clear goal in mind and then leave.

Chen Xiao, feeling a little embarrassed, didn’t want to admit that he just had the urge to shop. He decided he had to at least pretend to have a reason for it. After some thought, he said, "I was hoping to find materials to make a brush handle."

The shop did have plenty of brush handles, but they were all made of ordinary materials. Chen Xiao wasn't particular about the material, as long as it was durable. After all, he was just starting his cultivation journey, and the future was long. If the brush handle broke quickly, it would be a hassle.

Chen Xiao said, "Beast bones, beast teeth, beast horns, or wood from spiritual plants, anything sturdy would work."

This seemed like a reasonable request, and Xi Yunqing naturally agreed to help. He thoughtfully said, "Among the woods, Lingcen Wood, Lingnan Wood, and Lingtan Wood are very stable. As for beast teeth, Ivory from elephants, saber-tooth tiger teeth, or teeth from giant boar beasts are all common materials. They adapt well to any attribute, so they’re all good options. As for beast horns, only those from single-horned beasts have the best guidance. Chen Xiao, do you have any preference for one of these materials?"

Chen Xiao blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected so many options, and it almost made him overwhelmed with choice. He weakly said, "Big brother, do you have any recommendations?"

Xi Yunqing thought for a moment before replying, "Chen Xiao is of the earth attribute. So, as long as the brush handle isn’t made of metal, wood, teeth, horns, or jade are all suitable materials. The specific choice depends on what you prefer."

Chen Xiao rubbed his forehead in frustration. "It’s hard to decide now. Let’s just see what looks best in the shop."

Xi Yunqing nodded in agreement. "Choosing a brush handle is like choosing a sword for a sword cultivator, the best one is the one that suits you. The materials I mentioned should be available at the five-element stores. Let’s go there first and have a look."

Chen Xiao, having no experience in this area, decided to follow Xi Yunqing's lead. The two of them walked along the road, crossing the long lakeside path towards the cultivation district.

As they walked, Chen Xiao asked, "Big brother, how did you know about the master brushmaker? Did Steward Han tell you?"

Xi Yunqing paused for a moment, and a complex expression flashed across his face. He replied slowly, "No. It was introduced to me by someone I met once."

"Oh?" Chen Xiao’s interest was piqued, and he quickly asked, "Who was it? Someone you got along with?"