Chapter 33: Magnanimous Ma Qin

"This kid's talent in the Dao of Talismans is terrifying. When he grows up, will he become a master of talismans like the Imperial Tutor of Great Qi?" Ma Qin couldn't help but think to himself.

The Imperial Tutor was the foremost sage of Great Qi, renowned far and wide for his astounding accomplishments in the Dao of Talismans. But when the Imperial Tutor was young, it seemed that he wasn't as exaggerated as Gu Xu is now.

Regardless, there was one thing Ma Qin could be certain of—Gu Xu, this kid, undoubtedly had boundless prospects for the future.

Ma Qin is nearly thirty-five years old now.

He had long abandoned the unrealistic fantasies of his youth and came to terms with the fact that he was just an ordinary person with average talents. If he could manage to become a low-ranking official, he would already be content.

However, if he could cultivate a good relationship with Gu Xu, this future powerhouse, perhaps when Gu Xu climbed to a high position in the Exorcism Bureau of Great Qi, Ma Qin could lend him a hand and let him enjoy the good life.

Therefore, regarding Gu Xu's deliberate teasing just now...

Ma Qin declared, "I, Ma Qin, am a magnanimous person! I can endure such trivial matters!"

......

Subsequently, Gu Xu and Ma Qin walked out of the chaotic restaurant together.

At this moment, it seemed that all the "residents" of Peach Blossom Town had become aware of the arrival of these two unexpected guests.

They held brooms, hammers, kitchen knives, feather dusters, tree branches, and various other weapons, all gathering on the streets of the small town, casting hostile glances at Gu Xu and Ma Qin, creating an eerie atmosphere.

Although Ma Qin's combat strength had significantly increased after acquiring the "Yan Wing Blade", facing such a large number of ghosts and monsters still made him feel a bit nervous.

"Brother Gu, do we need to deal with these 'residents'... I mean, monsters, to pass the assessment?" he couldn't help but ask Gu Xu beside him.

"Of course," Gu Xu replied casually. "My talisman can only last for half an hour. After that, the blade in your hand will revert to its original form. Ma, my friend, you need to make good use of your time."

"But there are so many of them..." Ma Qin wanted to complain, but he remembered that important figures from the capital were observing his performance outside the illusion. In the end, he wiped the egg white stuck to his face and kept all his grievances to himself.

"Let's go, Ma!" Gu Xu smiled and made a cheering gesture to encourage Ma Qin. "The great mission of saving the residents of Peace Blossom Town from suffering is on your shoulders!"

"What about you?" Ma Qin frowned.

"As a first-level cultivator with depleted true qi, I will support you spiritually!" Gu Xu replied with a serious face, without any intention of stepping forward to help.

"You're putting pressure on me!" Ma Qin sighed helplessly. He repeated to himself in his mind, "I, Ma Qin, am a magnanimous person." Then, clutching the "Yan Wing Blade" in his hand, he bravely charged into the encirclement of ghosts and monsters.

The ghostly flames flickered, the blades gleamed coldly,

Evil spirits pervaded, and bones flew.

......

At this moment, Gu Xu had almost exhausted all his true qi.

He could only stand still, watching Ma Qin cut a bloody path through the crowd of ghosts and monsters.

Inadvertently, he looked up and glanced at the sun high above their heads.

Since they first entered Peace Blossom Town, a considerable amount of time has passed.

However, during this period, the position of the sun hadn't moved at all.

"This place is somewhat strange."

Looking at the beautiful but unreal scenery around him and the ghosts and monsters surrounding Ma Qin, Gu Xu furrowed his brow.

When in doubt, seek divination.

With this thought in mind, he took out three copper coins from his pocket. They were the ones he picked up from the restaurant earlier. He tossed them in his palm six times, attempting to divine using the "Six Coin Divination Method."

The result was "Qian above, Kun below," the "Heaven and Earth Halting" hexagram.

"Halting" signified being blocked and unable to connect, while everything stagnated and could not flow freely.

Then, Gu Xu took out the jade talisman given to him by Chu Fengge and stared at the words engraved on it, "All appearances are illusions" lost in thought.

......

Luojing.

The headquarters of the Exorcism Bureau, the Star Observation Platform.

"It seems he has already sensed the secret of Peace Blossom Town."

After a long silence, the Chief of the Bureau, Luo Chuan, suddenly pointed to the figure of Gu Xu in the bronze mirror and spoke.

Shangguan Jin immediately looked in the direction he pointed.

He saw Gu Xu playing with three copper coins in his palm, tossing them six times in a row.

Then he took out the jade talisman and stared at it for a long time without taking any action.

He seemed to have the appearance of "being awake while everyone else is asleep."

At this moment, Luo Chuan smiled and teased, "Xiao Jin, if I remember correctly, it seems that he has discovered something abnormal even faster than you did back then."

"Among the mountains, there are even higher mountains, and among people, there are even more outstanding individuals." Upon hearing this, Shangguan Jin wasn't annoyed but nodded respectfully. "If he can surpass my record, it's because I'm not strong enough. I will work harder in the future."

Luo Chuan cast a faint glance at her. "I hope you can maintain this attitude in the future."

......

Time ticked away second by second.

Ma Qin shuttled through the crowd of ghosts and monsters, losing count of how many times he swung his blade and how many enemies he killed.

As a cultivator at the second level, Yellow Springs Road, Ma Qin's true qi was undoubtedly much stronger than Gu Xu's. If the true qi of a first-level cultivator could be compared to stagnant water, then the true qi of a second-level cultivator was like surging waves in a river. Even though he was engaged in a continuous battle with countless ghosts and monsters, Ma Qin didn't feel exhausted.

However, this battle against numerous enemies didn't bring him much sense of accomplishment.

Compared to Gu Xu's decisive and efficient "flames" earlier, Ma Qin felt that his own way of dealing with ghosts and monsters was too cumbersome—visually, he lacked the charm expected of a second-level cultivator.

"Sigh, after this assessment, I need to take on more tasks and accumulate enough merits to exchange for a copy of the 'Overlord Sword Technique.' Then, I will be able to slice through ghosts like cutting vegetables," Ma Qin planned in his mind.

Two hours passed.

The evil spirits in this block had already collapsed like withered straws, lying powerless on the ground.

Then, they turned into black ashes under the burning of Ma Qin's true qi.

Ma Qin himself was in a sorry state.

In addition to the egg white smeared on his face earlier, his skin now had patches of purple and blue, along with many dirty bloodstains.

Although Ma Qin was a strong second-level cultivator, he couldn't completely evade the attacks coming from all directions in the close-quarters combat against so many ghosts and monsters.

Brooms, dustpans, feather dusters... they appeared out of nowhere and struck him suddenly.

He looked up and glanced at Gu Xu, who was contemplating under the peach tree.

This guy still had his elegant green robe fluttering, untainted by dust, appearing like an immortal unaffected by worldly matters.

Instantly, Ma Qin felt jealous of those talisman practitioners who only needed to attack from a distance and didn't require close combat.