Chapter 8: Both Sons and Daughters, Talents Revealed!_1
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, a month had passed.
Lu Changsheng’s wife, Lu Qing’er, gave birth as well.
It was a son.
This time, the system did not appear to grant any reward.
Having tasted the sweetness of the system’s rewards, Lu Changsheng felt somewhat disappointed.
However, upon reflection, it seemed normal; if childbirth triggered an achievement and earned a reward every time,
there would be no need to raise children at all, one could just keep having them and take off oneself.
After the child was born, Lu Changsheng did not immediately name him.
He planned to wait for half a month until the child of Lu Zi’er was also born to name them together.
This was also the idea of his wife, who wanted to name the children of the two sisters at the same time.
For such a small request, Lu Changsheng naturally agreed.
Twenty days later, Lu Zi’er’s child was born.
It was a daughter.
The system still did not respond, presumably a certain number had to be reached to trigger the achievement reward.
But Lu Changsheng was still very happy.
It was not a matter of favoring boys over girls, but rather that he was now blessed with both a son and a daughter.
For these two children, Lu Changsheng and his wife discussed and decided to name the boy Lu Wuyu and the girl Lu Wuyou.
The meaning was the same as the previously thought-of Ping’an and Xile.
They hoped their children could grow up safely and carefree.
And that his own path of cultivation could also proceed smoothly without trouble.
…
A month later.
On this day, Lu Changsheng went to the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, took out five unpromoted Basic Talismans, and asked,
“Shopkeeper, do you take this Cleansing Talisman, and how much is it worth?”
To reveal his identity as a Talisman Master would naturally require a gradual process.
So, after spending nearly three months, he finished drawing on the ten stacks of talisman paper he had bought, with Lu Changsheng keeping five blank talismans and crafting them into the simplest of the Basic Talismans, the Cleansing Talisman.
After all, the shopkeeper had said that it was normal for a novice in Talisman Making to fail a hundred times.
So if out of a hundred attempts at making Cleansing Talismans, he succeeded in five, it might be considered a bit of talent, right?
“Cleansing Talisman!?”
On hearing this, the shopkeeper was stunned.
He looked at Lu Changsheng and remembered the latter’s sale of his Flying Sword to practice Talisman Making.
Then, showing surprise, with some disbelief, he said, “You made Spirit Talismans out of the one hundred sets of materials you bought last time!? And you made five of them?”
Although the Cleansing Talisman is the simplest of the Basic Talismans,
for a novice who had never touched Talisman Making, succeeding in creating five talismans in a hundred tries was quite remarkable.
“Yes, I kept failing at first, but after one success, it felt much better, so I made these five talismans,”
“I wanted to ask the shopkeeper if these talismans are worth anything?”
Lu Changsheng said.
Thinking that he might often have to act in the future, Lu Changsheng had also been practicing his acting skills in front of a mirror during these days so that he could appear more natural when speaking nonsense.
“Let me take a look at the talismans,” said the shopkeeper.
Faced with this statement, he was somewhat at a loss for words.
He hadn’t expected Lu Changsheng, a ‘breeding’ outsider of the family, to possess such talent in Talisman Making!
Lu Changsheng placed the talismans he was holding onto the countertop.
Subsequently, the shopkeeper picked up the talismans and examined them.
As a Cultivator, he naturally had some understanding of talismans.
He could tell that, although the lines of these five talismans were not very smooth and the quality was not high, they were indeed successful and had no issues.
The shopkeeper said with some emotion, “To be able to craft five talismans out of one hundred sets of materials, even if they are the same type of Spirit Talisman, shows that you have considerable talent in Talisman Making!”
“But Cleansing Talismans are just Basic Talismans and are not worth much, as few people need them.”
He paused before continuing, “However, our Lu Family has an encouragement plan to motivate family members to learn skills.”
“For such Basic Talismans, we’re willing to buy them for one Spirit Stone per three talismans.”
“Although you are an outsider to the family, you can also enjoy this benefit,” said the shopkeeper.
As Basic Talismans have limited uses, mostly just for daily life, they are not very impactful for Cultivators.
Thus, not many buy them, and the price is low.
One Spirit Stone for three talismans.
Hearing this price, Lu Changsheng had also anticipated it.
After all, many basic first-grade talismans were only worth one spirit stone apiece.
With this price in mind, his 100% success rate in talisman making could still earn him eight spirit stones.
But it was not possible for him to make money this way.
Not to mention a 100% success rate in talisman crafting was too outrageous.
If he had to toil for two to three months just to earn this small amount, he would be treating himself like a slave.
However, Lu Changsheng had no intention of making money through basic talismans; he presented these five basic talismans merely to showcase his talent for talisman making.
“Alright.”
Lu Changsheng placed three Cleansing Talismans on the counter.
Then, he took out eleven spirit stones and said, “Shopkeeper, please give me ten stacks of talisman paper and two boxes of spirit ink.”
“I’ll take all five of your talismans, and I’ll charge you two spirit stones.”
The shopkeeper, seeing Lu Changsheng’s gift for talisman crafting, was willing to offer a deal.
Although he was old, he also had descendants.
If Lu Changsheng indeed became a talisman master, there might come a time when they would need his help.
“Thank you, Shopkeeper.”
Lu Changsheng immediately expressed his gratitude, placed the remaining two talismans on the counter, and took back one spirit stone.
The shopkeeper accepted the talismans and the spirit stone, handing over ten stacks of talisman paper and two boxes of spirit ink to Lu Changsheng.
“Thank you, Shopkeeper.”
Lu Changsheng thanked him once more and turned to leave.
“Remarkable, indeed.”
“What a pity he’s not a Lu Family Disciple.”
Watching Lu Changsheng walk away, the shopkeeper shook his head and sighed.
If he had been a blood descendent of the Lu Family with such a talent for talisman crafting, the family would definitely be willing to spend resources to cultivate him.
But after all, Lu Changsheng was a foreign family member, a son-in-law, and not considered one of their own.
…
Late at night.
Afterwards.
Lu Changsheng looked at the jade-like body stretched out on the big bed.
Sitting up, he took a Cleansing Talisman from beside the bed and slapped it on himself.
Instantly, a breeze blew, whisking away the stickiness on his body, leaving him feeling refreshed.
“These Cleansing Talismans are quite useful.”
Lu Changsheng was rather satisfied after testing the Cleansing Talisman.
On the bed, Lu Lanshu, with her face flushed from the exertion and her eyes lustrous with intoxication, saw Lu Changsheng use the talisman to cleanse his body and said softly, “Husband, this is too wasteful, let your wife attend to you.”
“It’s fine, these are self-drawn by me, not really worth much.”
Lu Changsheng waved his hand and said.
“You drew these talismans!?”
Lu Lanshu’s lips parted slightly in surprise upon hearing this, her gentle face showing astonishment.
Over the past few months, the fact that Lu Changsheng had often been drawing talismans in his study was something she was naturally aware of as one of his wives.
Although she herself didn’t practice cultivation, living in such a family environment, she had heard about it.
She knew that talisman making was difficult, and being able to create talismans was considered very impressive.
Initially, like the others in her group who had married the group of Immortal Seedlings, aside from the rewards given by the Lu Family, they mainly took the plunge in the hopes of riding on their children’s coattails.
They didn’t hold much expectation or desire regarding their husbands because it was clear from the start that these Immortal Seedlings were highly unlikely to achieve anything.
But understanding was one thing.
If their husband turned out to be capable, that would, of course, be more than welcome.
Whether for future livelihoods, conversations with sisters, or returning to the secular world, it was a matter of pride.
After all, besides children bringing honor to their mothers, wives can also gain prestige through their husbands.
“Yes, your husband seems to have some talent in the domain of talisman making. Once I become a talisman master, I promise to give you all a good life,” Lu Changsheng said gently with a smile.
There was no need to keep hidden matters related to talismans; it was something he would eventually reveal.
The Lu Family might even investigate and inquire about his talisman-making from those close to him.
So there was no point in concealing it—divulging some of this information to his wives might help keep the harmony in the inner chambers.
“Your wife believes in you,” Lu Lanshu replied softly, looking at Lu Changsheng with eyes full of tenderness.