Don't Cause Trouble Chapter 44: Master Mu Ji

Ye Su was sitting downstairs, drinking tea, when two cultivators walked through the main doors and sat down at the table right next to hers.

"Waiter, one pot of spirit wine and two side dishes to go with it."

"Right away!"

One of the talisman cultivators, sitting with his back to Ye Su, tapped the table. "Have you heard about the talisman gun lately? It’s been getting really popular."

"Someone managed to get one. That thing is seriously useful—way better than throwing talismans by hand," the other lowered his voice. "I already pulled some strings to reserve a multi-shot version. I heard it’s another kind of tool crafted by Master Mu Ji. Just press lightly, and a whole stack of talisman papers shoots out."

"You got one?!" the talisman cultivator facing away from Ye Su exclaimed. "I searched all the material shops and no one’s even heard of it, not even Wendong Materials Shop has them."

"They say Master Mu Ji is obsessed with refining tools and has always wanted to make practical magic artifacts for cultivators under the Nascent Soul level. That’s why he developed the talisman gun specifically for talisman users."

"Seriously? How come I’ve never heard of Master Mu Ji before?"

"I told you, he’s someone who’s been immersed in his craft, not interested in fame," the other said. "Otherwise, he could’ve sold the talisman guns to those big sect talisman cultivators through Quan Dian long ago—for a huge price. Now’s our chance as smaller sects to get one."

"You make a good point."

"Of course." The man leaned in. "So? Want me to help you reserve one? I can ask my friend to hold one for you."

"Yes! Reserve one for me, and as many as possible," the talisman cultivator said without hesitation.

"No can do. One per person—and even that’s not guaranteed."

"Then at least hold one. How much is it? I’ll pay up front."

"Five thousand mid-grade spirit stones as a deposit. Then another fifteen thousand when you pick it up."

Ye Su, who had been quietly listening, accidentally choked on her tea and coughed a few times. She quickly held it in before drawing their attention.

She raised her cup and thought to herself—Huang Erqian really lived up to his name as a reseller. Ruthless pricing.

Each talisman gun only cost a few hundred mid-grade spirit stones to make—none of the materials were rare at all.

"…Twenty thousand mid-grade spirit stones? That’s way too expensive," the talisman cultivator muttered, clearly hesitant.

"Expensive?" the other man chuckled and shook his head. "I only got the chance because I have the right connections. Go ask around—there are tons of talisman users out there who want one but can’t get it. And once you have it, use it well, and who knows? You might win a spot in the sect tournament next March. Twenty thousand spirit stones? It’s a steal."

Sure enough, the mention of the sect tournament made the talisman cultivator change his tune. "Alright, I’m in!"

Ye Su turned her head slightly to glance at the talisman cultivator behind her.

He boldly pulled out a bag of spirit stones. "There’s over twenty thousand mid-grade stones in here. Twenty thousand for your friend, and the rest is yours. If any new magic artifacts come out for talisman users, be sure to let me know."

"Absolutely, absolutely."

Conversations like this were happening all over Guizong City. The talisman gun’s reputation only continued to grow. Every talisman cultivator who bought one felt it was easier and more powerful than throwing talismans themselves.

Ye Su also received a message from Huang Erqian, requesting that Qianji Sect refine another batch of talisman guns.

Since there hadn’t been any news of secret realms opening lately, Ye Su and her group had little to do. They spent their days strolling around the city, drinking tea downstairs, and listening for news.

As for Xu Chengyu, he had entered seclusion to cultivate. He even booked the best room in the inn, which came with a large spirit-gathering array—perfect for training.

It just so happened Ye Su and the others had the time to make more talisman guns. And after realizing how wealthy talisman cultivators were, they felt even more motivated.

……

Wuxing Sect.

A young man dressed in a dark green brocade robe walked in from the outer gate. As he passed by, many people greeted him, and he responded with a slight nod each time.

"What are you all doing?" Cheng Huai’an passed by the talisman training grounds and saw a group of inner disciples gathered together. He walked over and asked.

As soon as the inner disciples at the training grounds heard his voice, they immediately scattered and resumed their talisman practice.

"What’s that in your hands?" Cheng Huai’an walked up to one of them, his gaze falling on the hands the disciple was hiding behind his back.

"Senior Brother Cheng, we were just practicing with talismans," the disciple said, taking out two talisman guns from behind him. "These are newly developed tools made for talisman cultivators."

He quickly explained and, to prove he wasn’t lying, raised one and pulled the trigger to demonstrate.

Cheng Huai’an looked at the tool in the disciple’s hands. "Shortcut."

"Senior Brother Cheng, not all of us are as gifted as you," the inner disciple couldn’t help but say. "Some of us won’t make it far on our own. Tools like these help us bring out our full potential and reduce mistakes when using talismans."

Cheng Huai’an stared at the disciple for a long moment. Finally, he said, "As an inner disciple of Wuxing Sect, if you’re unwilling to train your own skill in talisman control, and even blame your lack of talent—maybe you should give up your position so someone from the outer sect can take your place."

"What’s wrong with using magic artifacts?" The inner disciple finally voiced his long-held frustration. Among all the disciples of Wuxing Sect, Cheng Huai’an had always been too outstanding, overshadowing everyone for more than a decade. "Sword cultivators, Buddhist cultivators—even those from Hehuan Sect—all of them use tools. Why can’t we talisman cultivators use them too?"

"You can," Cheng Huai’an replied, "but are you sure you know how to use it?"

He took one of the multi-shot talisman guns from the disciple, loaded ten talisman slips into it on the spot.

A line of paper men happened to be walking across the training field. He raised the weapon, aimed, and pulled the trigger. The talismans shot out from the nozzle—not in a random scatter, but in a curved arc.

The ten talismans trailed streaks of light as they flew, forming a half-circle. Just before hitting the paper men, the half-circle snapped shut—instantly shredding the entire line of them.

All the inner disciples present: "……"

"It’s a good tool," Cheng Huai’an tossed the talisman gun back to the disciple. "But if you don’t understand how to control talismans, it’s just a shortcut tool—better suited for someone who isn’t even a talisman cultivator."

As soon as he left, the training ground erupted.

"Why is Senior Brother Cheng back already? I thought he was going to stay out traveling for a few more months."

"Traveling? He was studying the Dao."

As soon as that was said, everyone nearby burst into laughter.

Cheng Huai’an was the most gifted talisman cultivator Wuxing Sect had seen in hundreds of years. When he first started learning, he could channel spiritual energy into the brush, painting heaven and earth, shaking ghosts and spirits. Since breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage last year, he often left the sect, saying he wanted to meditate on the nature of Dao.

"By the way, that talisman gun Senior Brother Cheng used earlier seemed way more powerful than when we use it."

Someone else said, "That tool’s fine for other types of cultivators. Talisman cultivators still have to learn proper talisman control."

……

Cheng Huai’an returned to his residence and sat at the table, deep in thought. As the date of the Sect Tournament drew closer, the pressure on him grew heavier.

Among cultivators of the same level, talisman users always seemed to fall just a bit short in offensive power. In all the past Sect Tournaments, no talisman cultivator had ever made it into the top three.

And yet, Cheng Huai’an happened to be the most gifted talisman cultivator of his generation. The Wuxing Sect had placed high hopes on him. There were even rumors spreading around Guizong City that this time, talisman cultivators were finally going to rise to prominence.

Whenever the pressure became too much for him to handle, Cheng Huai’an would find an excuse to go out and live under a different identity for a while.

He reached for the mirror on the table and shifted it aside, then turned his head slightly to glance at one of his ears. Last time, he’d been caught pretending to be an old man. Thankfully, the person didn’t investigate further and never figured out who he really was.