There weren't many people in the charm shop to begin with, and Chen Yan deliberately had the shop assistant show him some protective talismans—mere trinkets with no real use.
He pretended to pick one and waited for the other two customers in the shop to leave.
The shop was now left with only him, the shop assistant, and a fortune-teller awaiting clients.
The fortune-teller was in a side room, separated from the main area by a screen.
Feigning interest in a stone carving of a Pixiu, Chen Yan haggled with the shop assistant before asking him to fetch something from a shelf.
While the assistant turned to get the item, Chen Yan quickly checked that no one was around and listened for the faint sound of the fortune-teller playing with his phone behind the curtain.
Chen Yan's gaze returned to his target—an old wooden plaque hanging on the shop's wall, inscribed with the four characters: "Purple Qi from the East".
He hurriedly pulled out something he had prepared from his pocket, infused it with Primordial Qi, and flicked it with his fingers!
Whoosh!
A small object flew toward the plaque, landing perfectly behind it out of sight.
Chen Yan pretended to walk by, glanced up at the plaque from below, and confirmed that the object was tucked behind it.
Positioned exactly so that nobody would notice unless they deliberately checked from this angle.
The object he flicked was an item he'd prepared at home the previous night.
A thin wooden piece the size of a cigarette box, with a talisman affixed to it.
The talisman was drawn with yellow paper and cinnabar, the runes copied from a secret manual.
This was an Intercepting and Damaging Talisman.
Its function was similar to an interruption technique Chen Yan had used before.
With his limited experience, he could only draw three to five types of talismans. It had taken him three tries the previous night to successfully create this one.
These talismans are time-sensitive; once activated with Primordial Qi, their effects are triggered immediately.
Its effects last only about two days before dissipating on their own.
Right now, Chen Yan stood in the shop and could feel, with his Primordial Qi sense, a faint stream of damaging Qi emanating from behind the plaque. This Qi could inflict minor bad luck or small ailments on anyone exposed to it for too long.
The talisman's effect wasn't strong, but it served as a test for Chen Yan.
Anyone with Tao practice and Primordial Qi sense could notice this damaging Qi inside the shop!
Ordinary people wouldn't detect it, but to someone with Tao practice, it would be like a beacon in the dark.
Chen Yan planned to return in a couple of days to check.
If the talisman was gone, it would mean that Luoyun House had someone skillful enough to detect and remove it. In that case, he'd leave the matter alone.
If the talisman was still there in two days...
It would mean that the place had no capable person who could discover it!
Then, he had nothing to fear!
The assistant returned with the item Chen Yan had asked for. He gave it a cursory look before pointing out some flaws.
Not wanting to leave empty-handed and arouse suspicion, he bought a cheap protective talisman for fifty yuan.
A thumb-sized stone Pixiu with crude craftsmanship.
The assistant boasted that it was blessed at the nearby ancient temple—which Chen Yan didn't believe for a second.
Leaving Luoyun House, Chen Yan headed home.
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The next day, Chen Yan meditated at home to cultivate his Primordial Qi, and practiced drawing talismans in his study when he was bored.
Assistant Yan called to ask if he wanted to visit President Fang's house, but Chen Yan used the excuse of his new compass not being ready to delay for two days.
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On the third day, Chen Yan went to Luoyun House at Qixia Mountain.
The shop assistant had changed and was listlessly yawning at the counter. When Chen Yan entered, he gave a lazy greeting but didn't move from his spot.
Chen Yan feigned interest in the items on display, wandered over to the side, and looked up at the "Purple Qi from the East" plaque.
The talisman he placed was still there, snug in the crevice.
He left Luoyun House without acting suspicious.
Two days had passed and his low-level talisman remained undetected amidst their daily routines?
Chen Yan laughed, realizing there were no experts at Luoyun House.
He left the commercial street, hailed a cab and, once inside, dialed a number.
Not Assistant Yan's, but President Fang's.
"President Fang, still recuperating in the hospital?", Chen Yan said with a smile. "There's something I'd like to discuss. Let's meet in person—just the two of us."
President Fang seemed to grasp the implication, his tone serious, "Very well, please come to the hospital. I'll be waiting in the ward—rest assured, we'll be alone. I haven't told anyone, and Assistant Yan isn't here either."
"Alright, I'll be there soon." Chen Yan hung up the phone, already calculating in his mind.
How much silver should I ask for this matter?
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