FVN Chapter 86: Family
Chapter 86: Family
Chapter 86: Family
In a sealed ship cabin, a group of confused newcomers to the cultivation world sat with furrowed brows, facing three not-so-amiable senior brothers.@@@@
Zheng Fa was deeply skeptical of the trio's intentions.
He wasn’t the only one. The other new disciples also exchanged doubtful glances as they looked at the senior brothers, clearly unconvinced by their sudden friendliness.
The chubby senior brother, however, didn’t seem offended by their wary expressions. Waving his hand, he sent a stack of books flying toward the disciples, each book landing neatly in front of one of them.
“Words alone prove nothing,” the chubby senior said confidently. “You’ve all been accepted into Jiushan Sect, so most of you must have studied talismans to some extent. I trust you have the discernment to judge for yourselves. Read the book, and you’ll see I’m telling the truth.”
His confidence piqued Zheng Fa’s curiosity.
He picked up the book that had landed on his knees and started flipping through it.
As he read, he was surprised. The quality of the book far exceeded his expectations, and he began to understand why the senior brother had seemed so self-assured.
Zhenren Zhang’s Treatise on Talismans was evidently written specifically for beginners in talisman arts.
The book was divided into two main sections: Fundamentals of Talismans and Crafting Talismans.
The Fundamentals section wasn’t particularly useful to Zheng Fa, as the material covered was elementary. Still, the content was precise and meticulous, leaving no room for criticism.
The Crafting section, on the other hand, was far more interesting and valuable to him.
This section covered a wide range of topics, from selecting quality talisman brushes and papers to proper posture, mental preparation before crafting, and even post-drawing analysis for improvement. It was detailed to the point of being exhaustive.
The instructions were simple yet practical—a hallmark of true mastery.
Zheng Fa found himself impressed. Simplicity, he knew, often required profound expertise.
Whoever had written this book was undoubtedly a skilled talisman master.
After skimming through the book, Zheng Fa felt a slight twinge of guilt. Had he misjudged these senior brothers? Were they truly treating the newcomers like family?
But then he wondered—if the book was so good, why not sell it properly?
For a beginner’s guide, this book was genuinely high-quality. Compared to Linghe Shen, which had caused Xu Jiaotou twenty years of struggle, this was leagues ahead.
Priced at ten taels of gold, the book was not expensive—in fact, it seemed almost too cheap.
Curious, Zhou Qianyuan pressed further. “What about you, Senior Brother?”
“Me? I’m not thrilled about having so many talented newcomers in Jiushan Sect,” the chubby senior brother admitted openly. “More people mean fewer resources for me. If it weren’t for selling books, I wouldn’t even bother with you lot. But I’m not worried.”
He tapped the book in Zhou Qianyuan’s hand with a smug grin. “You don’t really think Zhenren Zhang’s name on that book is fake, do you?”
“...” Zhou Qianyuan stared at the book in realization.
“We’re part of Senior Sister Zhang’s faction!” The chubby senior brother puffed out his chest. “No matter how talented you all are, it’ll be years before you can match her standing in the sect.”
Zhou Qianyuan frowned. “But why would Brother Zheng compete with his own senior sister?”
“?”
“He’s a talisman prodigy personally trained by Zhenren Zhang.”
The chubby senior brother froze, his arrogance evaporating. His lips quivered as he stared at Zhou Qianyuan in stunned silence.
In his room, Zheng Fa was engrossed in studying Zhenren Zhang’s Treatise on Talismans when another knock came at his door.
Thinking it was Zhou Qianyuan again, he opened the door, only to find the three senior brothers standing there.
This time, their faces were plastered with overly bright smiles, their expressions so ingratiating they resembled blooming chrysanthemums.
“Junior Brother!” The chubby senior brother grabbed Zheng Fa’s arm enthusiastically. “It seems we’ve had a misunderstanding. We’re family—true family!”
“...What’s this about?” Zheng Fa asked, baffled by their sudden change in attitude.
“We heard you’re personally mentored by Senior Sister Zhang! What a coincidence—we’re under her tutelage too!”
Zheng Fa looked at them skeptically, doubting Senior Sister Zhang’s taste in disciples.
The chubby senior brother hesitated before sheepishly adding, “...Well, under her tutelage’s... outer layers.”
“...”
Ah, so this is where your arrogance came from?
Setting the book aside, Zheng Fa stared at the trio.
“Shall we... turn the ship around to properly bid farewell to your sister?” the chubby senior brother suggested, his voice tinged with guilt. It seemed Zheng Shan’s cries had finally tugged at his conscience.