Chapter 195: Weren’t We Supposed to be Each Other’s Angels?

Speaking of this Talisman Sect, it was actually quite a prestigious school back in the old days, existing independently outside the three major sects. According to Daoist Sect inheritance records, these four sects originally branched off from one source. The Qi Sect Kunlun, the Art Sect Penglai, the Sword Sect Mount Shu, and the Talisman Sect Tianchi.

But later, for reasons unknown, the other three sects flourished. Penglai in the East Sea and Mount Shu once boasted over fifty thousand disciples each, while Kunlun became the leader of the Daoist Sect, dominant for a time. Only the Talisman Sect Tianchi strangely declined, eventually having to cling to Kunlun, its branch from the same root, just to survive.

Although Kunlun never mistreated Tianchi over millennia… they were also constantly talking about annexing the Talisman Sect outright, always under the banner of unifying the Daoist Sect.

However, over a thousand years ago, the sudden Heaven’s Selection Revolution sent the three major sects plummeting. Now, Penglai and Mount Shu had vanished without a trace, Kunlun sealed itself within a hallucinatory domain, and the Talisman Sect faded into obscurity like everyone else.

Of course, it wouldn’t be called the Talisman Sect if it wasn’t exceptional. Although Ning Qingyuan’s family had practiced talisman arts for generations, they were still considered minor players. The true masters of the orthodox Talisman Sect were in no way inferior to those of Kunlun or Penglai.

“Huh, so there were this many secret classes,” Siyuan murmured, stroking his chin.

With Fox no longer around, Longyuan had become Siyuan’s walking encyclopedia. She was a fossil-level figure who’d lived through the Daoist Sect’s most glorious era and its present decline. So, words from her mouth were far more believable than anything in a book. Seizing these days of rest, Siyuan finally had someone he could interrogate to the very root.

“That’s not all. During the sects’ peak years, it was a flowering of diverse talents. Everything could enter the Dao. Big things like mountains and rivers, small things like tea, rice, oil, and salt all became magical instruments or materials.”

Siyuan had indeed seen this firsthand. Uncle Kun was the living example of someone who fought using rice. Yet, hearing Longyuan explain it, Siyuan truly felt the waters in this field were unfathomably deep.

He once thought he’d mastered most of the knowledge in this area. But now… he realized he was barely scratching the surface. Many things, whether mentioned by Fox or Longyuan, weren’t just unheard of by him; he’d never even imagined them…

“Sounds super complicated.”

Siyuan sat on the hospital bed hugging his knees. “But I probably won’t get a clear answer asking you. Tell me about this Talisman Sect. I barely heard of it before.”

Longyuan casually fiddled with a Rubik’s cube. “The Talisman Sect? Had little interaction with them. Their weapon is a single brush.”

“A single brush? Magic Brush Malian?”

“Malian? Who’s Malian?”

“Never mind… keep going.”

Longyuan nodded. “Once their talisman cultivation reaches a certain level, anything written or drawn by that brush can turn the illusory into the real. Whether it’s incantations or monsters, handled by the Talisman Sect, they could manifest easily. They were strongest when allied with Green Clothes overseas. Both claiming to be the fourth greatest sects under heaven, they collaborated—one forging artifacts, the other inscribing talismans. This led to talented individuals emerging in both sects, giving a faint impression they might reach the peak. Sadly, before they could conquer any territory, the Heaven’s Selection Revolution arrived. Such a pity.”

“Well, based on what you’re saying…” Siyuan licked a lollipop, blinking. “The Talisman Sect should’ve been powerful. Why couldn’t it match up to the other three sects?”

Longyuan rolled her eyes at Siyuan. “And you’re a Guardian?”

“I just took over not long ago, okay? It’s normal I don’t know everything.”

“Fine. Like this. Each sect has different requirements and principles. Take my girl. She belongs to the Sword Sect. Sword Sect people need strong bodies and sharp spirits. They must build deep rapport with their sword—that’s me—to use the sword to guide Qi and invoke natural adversaries. The Qi Sect Kunlun focuses on clear ears, sharp eyes, and a pure mind. Though they use flying swords too, the sword is secondary, the person primary. They use Qi to guide the sword, which then moves Heaven and Earth. Penglai Art Sect—your own arts come from there. Penglai emphasizes refining away the unnecessary, holding fast to the core. They use their own arcane arts to stir the power of Heaven and Earth. The Talisman Sect demands the most. It’s an unorthodox cultivation method. To cultivate talisman arts, one must first draw Heaven and Earth into their body, then channel that power outward to form talismans. The difficulty is extreme, far beyond what ordinary talent can handle. The sheer number of principles is staggering. Purity of mind and restraint of desire? That’s just the first layer.”

This explanation made Siyuan find it even more complicated… But thinking about it differently, maybe gaming could help.

Imagine these four sects as four different role-playing games. Kunlun, Mount Shu, Penglai—these three were like popular, well-known blockbusters. But the Talisman Sect game? It looked fancy, but it wasn’t for regular players. Monsters were tough, leveling up was hard, gear was a nightmare to equip, and especially… the damn newbie tutorial was hella unfriendly. Players gave up within ten minutes and quietly drifted away. Only a few special fans of those crazy-hard games would choose to cultivate it…

If a genius is one in ten thousand, Mount Shu’s fifty thousand could produce five legendary geniuses, Kunlun could get ten. But the Talisman Sect Tianchi? Closed beta had maybe five hundred players, over two hundred dropped out midway. It would take hundreds of reincarnation cycles to birth one genius…

Cultivators were few to start with. Add the high difficulty? Damn, it was heaven’s mercy they didn’t just shut down. So, no wonder they faded away completely, leaving no trace behind.

“But the Talisman Sect was truly amazing. They could turn the rotten into the miraculous.” Longyuan kept swinging her feet. “I saw a lowly disciple from the Talisman Sect beat the Kunlun Eldest Senior Brother Ji Yanzi until he was crying and searching on the ground. Talisman Sect counters Qi Sect; Qi Sect counters Sword Sect; Sword Sect counters Art Sect; Art Sect counters Talisman Sect. Probably based on the Heavenly Dao cycle.”

“Wait…”

Siyuan looked up suddenly. “They counter each other?”

“You didn’t know?”

Really didn’t know…

Seeing Siyuan’s expression, Longyuan knew he genuinely didn’t. She gave him a look dripping with disdain, silently shaking her head.

“Hey… don’t look at me like that. It’s totally normal I don’t know. Isn’t asking how I find out?” Siyuan felt his face burning. “Alright… no more questions for today. Tomorrow.”

He stood up and walked over to Moran, leaning down to touch her forehead. Her high fever had subsided, her complexion returning to normal, no longer uncomfortably flushed. After sleeping for two whole days, she finally showed signs of recovery. Siyuan couldn’t help but breathe a long sigh of relief.

“She is truly beautiful,” Siyuan praised sincerely.

He sat on his own cot, gazing at Moran’s face. “A girl like this, I hope she finds a good family.”

“You’re really letting her go?” Longyuan inquired.

Siyuan smiled without answering, walking to the window instead to view the scene outside. “I have a girlfriend. She’s wonderful.”

A pity? Yeah, quite a pity. Such a beautiful woman—what man wouldn’t want to take her home like a pet? But Siyuan knew he wasn’t the pet-keeping type. And besides… dude, you think you can just claim her? Whether the girl herself agrees is another matter. Plus, things with Qianruo were going well. Just a few days ago, she talked about marriage plans. So, Longyuan’s suggestion could only be met with a soft laugh from Siyuan. He couldn’t really say anything else.

“Then let’s just leave it for now. The girl’s not in a hurry to marry anyway.” Longyuan walked over to Siyuan. She was tall; standing straight she wasn’t far short of Siyuan’s six-foot height. So, hooking her finger under his chin required little effort. “You’ll understand someday.”

“We’ll talk about it then.” Siyuan shrugged. “Alright, you go rest too. Qianruo will bring dinner tonight.”

Sure enough, when evening came, Qianruo showed up with the whole household. The two sisters who looked young but were very old monsters each carried a huge thermos cup. Ghost Mother held a covered basket. Qianruo carried a plastic bag with four or five lunch boxes.

“You all…” Siyuan, who had been reading, stared in surprise. “What’s all this?”

“All because of her.” Ghost Mother approached and tapped Siyuan’s chest. “Hmm, wounds all healed.”

“Hold on…” Siyuan caught Ghost Mother’s hand, sensing something underneath. “You brought food?”

Mengling jumped onto Siyuan’s back shouting, “Lots and lots of food! Eat quickly, Lord! I want some too!”

While they were talking, Qianruo and Little Mountain Deity had laid out everything they brought. Twelve dishes: seven meats, three vegetables, two soups. One soup was silky chicken broth, the other dark and murky, ingredients unknown. Covered tray tucked beneath white cloth.

“Eat up…” Qianruo said with a sweet smile towards Siyuan. “I was worried my cooking wouldn’t suit you, so I ordered from a restaurant. Come on, everyone eat.”

Something was off! Qianruo was acting strange. Gentle as water? Definite not her style. This wasn’t right. Probably a trick!

Just as Siyuan opened his mouth to eat, the door swung open again. Chen Ming walked in. His face was dark, his expression frighteningly serious. Behind him followed a man Siyuan didn’t recognize.

“What’s wrong?” Siyuan tilted his head to ask Chen Ming. “Something happened?”

Before Chen Ming could speak, the slightly dark-skinned man dipped his head in a swift nod. “Good evening, Comrade Qi Siyuan. I’m responsible for the Special Affairs Division in Guangdong. I’m here to formally notify you: from this moment, all operations under the Special Cases Division will be temporarily overseen by our Special Affairs Division. All personnel, assets, duties previously under your jurisdiction in South China are to be reassigned to us. Should you decline integration, you are hereby directed to fully enjoy your current administrative suspension period.”

“What are these things?” Qianruo asked bluntly, frowning at Chen Ming, voice cutting. “Why bring such a polite specimen here?”

Siyuan glanced at the man without much reaction. “Understood. Good luck.”

The man looked startled. Siyuan’s attitude was nothing like he expected. He’d prepared extensively before coming, anticipating resistance. But meeting Siyuan, everything was brushed aside so lightly, it stunned him.

Chen Ming looked equally surprised. That morning, this man had arrived claiming leadership over the “imitation” Special Cases Division in the region. He demanded immediate transfer of authority, presenting documents signed personally by Second Master Wang. Morale in the actual Special Cases Division plummeted. They all hoped Siyuan would defy him, work some magic.

Yet no one expected him to relinquish power so easily, decisively, without the slightest hesitation.

“Okay. Thank you. We’ll meet again.” The man shot Chen Ming a glare, snorted, spun on his heel, and marched out without a backward glance. Room clicked shut behind him.

“Why did you agree?” Chen Ming demanded, scowling at Siyuan after the door closed. “You were the last barrier! Your agreement means… we exist in name only now.”

Siyuan didn’t answer directly. He looked up at the ceiling, then pursed his lips. “What state do you think we are actually operating under anyway? Besides, we don’t actually report to their structure. Does their directive truly prohibit our investigations? Since when are you this literal?”

Chen Ming froze. Suddenly, he slapped his own forehead. “Ah hell! Stupid me!”

The Special Cases Division existed outside official structures—a privileged organization answering to no single person or committee. This “Special Affairs Division”? Basically damage control. Now those child corpse cases leaked, the public roared angry. Government scrambling, creating an emergency measure.

They followed different chains of command entirely. And the “Special Cases Division”? Not its real name. Officially nameless, known only by its ancient river symbol ☰, like Yale’s Skull & Bones or the Masons. The name was just what outsiders used. So dissolving it? Impossible. But suspending duties… that much power the higher-ups still held. Certainly couldn’t oppose the state machine directly.

So this imitation division seizing the chance? Predictable. Yet… Some things needed more than capability. In this field… experience mattered most.

“By the way,” Siyuan asked, eyes thoughtful. “This copycat group, ‘Special Affairs Division’? Tell me about their setup.” His eyes then flicked to Chen Ming standing awkwardly near the laden table. “And you stayed… likely hoping to grab a free meal?”

“Caught me!” Chen Ming rubbed his hands together cheerfully. “Haven’t eaten all day. Don’t mind if I just…” Trailing off, he eyed the piled dishes hungrily.

“Eat, eat.” Siyuan shook his head, unable to suppress a smile. “Plenty to go around.”