24. Making Charms!

Mo Yichen's heart skipped a beat. He tried to pull away, but Yan Yeqing's grip on his wrist was firm, unrelenting.

"..what do you want" Mo Yichen finally speaks, his voice sharp and firm. Yan Yeqing pauses for a bit, a hint of something flashes across his face "..you don't have to be so vigilant. I won't endanger you," his eyes flutter with emotions, "In fact, my goal is to protect you"

Mo Yichen doesn't speak but a tinge of shock is visible in his wide eyes. Yan Yeqing continues in a serious tone, "I want you to cure me, in return, I will protect you.. at all costs"

"Cure you?" Mo Yichen raised an eyebrow, his tone dripping with skepticism. "If my guess is right, your poison is already cured. Isn't it?"

Yan Yeqing leaned back in his chair, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Aren't doctors supposed to check on their patients before jumping to conclusions?"

Mo Yichen paused, his brows furrowing in irritation. This guy… He exhaled sharply before reaching out, his soft, pale fingers brushing against Yan Yeqing's wrist. "...Don't resist," he muttered, his voice firm despite the hesitation in his movements.

After a moment of internal debate, Mo Yichen finally took Yan Yeqing's pulse. A thin thread of soul power slipped from his fingertips, traveling through the man's meridians. As the energy flowed, Mo Yichen's expression shifted from annoyance to confusion.

How can someone who looks so strong have such weak meridians? he thought, his brows knitting together. The more his soul power traveled, the more baffled he became. The meridians weren't just weak—they were blocked and injured, like a road riddled with potholes and collapsed bridges.

The sensation of Mo Yichen's soul power sent a faint tingling through Yan Yeqing's body, but the man remained still, his eyes fixed on Mo Yichen's face with an intensity that was almost unnerving.

"T-this!" Mo Yichen exclaimed, withdrawing his soul power abruptly. His eyes widened in shock. "How come…?" he stammered, his voice a mix of confusion and disbelief.

He had expected to find some lingering traces of injuries, but this? This was far worse. Yan Yeqing's meridians were a disaster zone. If Mo Yichen had pushed his soul power any further, it could have caused an explosion, leaving the man in an even worse state.

Mo Yichen stared at Yan Yeqing, his mind racing. How is this guy even functioning? Forget fighting—he should be bedridden!

Yan Yeqing, meanwhile, looked utterly unbothered. "Well?" he asked, his tone light. "What's the diagnosis, Doctor?"

Mo Yichen's eye twitched. "Don't call me that," he snapped, though his voice lacked its usual bite. He was too busy trying to process what he'd just discovered. How strong is this guy's willpower to be still standing here?!

"Your meridians are… a mess," Mo Yichen said finally, his tone blunt. "But I can't conclude anything for now, your internals are so weak that if I pour more of my soul power, it'll worsen the situation.."

Yan Yeqing shifted his gaze sideways, as if he had been expecting Mo Yichen's answer all along. "Are there any other ways?" he asked, his tone casual but his eyes sharp.

Mo Yichen paused, his brows furrowing as he considered the question. "...Yes, there is a method," he said slowly, "but it requires prior preparations."

Yan Yeqing's eyelids flickered for a moment, a rare crack in his otherwise unshakable composure, before he nodded. "Very well."

Mo Yichen averted his eyes, his expression conflicted. "...I never said I would cure you," he muttered, more to himself than to Yan Yeqing. Deep down, he knew the man in front of him was already tied to him in ways he couldn't fully understand—whether it was the Heavenly Nectar Peach, the Nebula Python, or the cursed soul shackle. He couldn't afford to let Yan Yeqing die, not when their fates were so intertwined. And, if he was being honest with himself, he didn't want Yan Yeqing to die.

As an alchemist, Mo Yichen had spent years saving lives and solving impossible problems. Letting someone with such indomitable willpower perish felt… wrong. Plus, he was alone in this world. Having someone—even someone as infuriating as Yan Yeqing—by his side didn't sound like the worst idea.

The silence between them was heavy but tinged with an odd warmth. Mo Yichen finally took a seat opposite Yan Yeqing, his expression serious. "Alright," he said, exhaling sharply. "I'll try my best. But I can't guarantee anything. We don't even know what's really going on inside you yet."

Yan Yeqing's lips curled into a faint smile. "Fair enough. How about we take an oath? I suppose we both have our own secrets, and in the future, we'll naturally stumble upon them. Taking an oath would be a better course of action for… security."

Mo Yichen raised an eyebrow, his fingers absently rubbing the tip of his nose as he considered the proposal. "That… actually makes sense."

Yan Yeqing leaned forward slightly, his gaze steady. He extended his hand, his palm facing upward. Mo Yichen hesitated for a moment before placing his hand on top of Yan Yeqing's. The moment their hands touched, a faint golden light began to shimmer around them, forming intricate patterns in the air.

"I, Yan Yeqing, swear to follow Mo Yichen and never disclose his secrets," Yan Yeqing said, his voice steady and solemn. "If I break this oath, may the last fragment of my soul perish."

Mo Yichen cleared his throat, feeling a bit ridiculous but also strangely moved. "I, Mo Yichen, swear to follow Yan Yeqing and never disclose his secrets. If I break this oath, may the last fragment of my soul… uh, also perish."

Mo Yichen cleared his throat, his expression shifting from awkward to businesslike. "Ahem… now that it's already like this, there's no point in wasting time."

Yan Yeqing raised an eyebrow, his lips curling into an amused smirk as he watched the youth pull out dozens of blank talisman papers. Over the past two days, Mo Yichen had poured all his energy into comprehending those low-grade talisman techniques. While he hadn't fully mastered all three mantras, he was at least confident in the Blazing Sun Talisman technique—a fire-based charm that seemed straightforward enough.

Settling cross-legged on the jade bed, Mo Yichen scattered ten blank talisman papers in front of him. A thin stream of shimmery white soul power emerged from between his eyebrows, wrapping around the floating papers like a delicate ribbon. His hands began to move in precise, fluid gestures, forming a series of seals.

This particular seal was something he'd learned back in his alchemy school days. It was a simple mid-grade seal, easy and convenient—perfect for someone who didn't make talismans often. At the time, he'd thought it was just another mandatory course he'd never use. Now, he was grateful for it.

As his hands moved, ten small, fish-eye-sized balls of condensed soul power floated from his forehead, each one merging into a talisman paper. The papers began to glow faintly, intricate spiritual lines materializing on their surfaces. The air around them shimmered, and a small, sun-like vision appeared, its golden light expanding to envelop the entire camp.

Yan Yeqing's eyes flickered with interest, his usual calm demeanor giving way to genuine curiosity. He watched intently as the talismans shifted colors—first a faded yellow, then a rich, vibrant gold.

Top-grade talismans!

Mo Yichen exhaled sharply, his hands forming one final seal. A huge, glowing palm materialized in the air, gently collecting the completed talismans. In just an hour, he had produced six high-grade talismans and four top-grade ones.

Yan Yeqing's lips twitched, a rare flicker of astonishment crossing his face. Mo Yichen's eyes opened, and he wiped the sweat from his brow, his expression a mix of exhaustion and satisfaction. 

Just as Mo Yichen was about to inspect his freshly crafted talismans, a swift hand snatched them away. Yan Yeqing held the talismans up, his sharp eyes narrowing as he examined them. Each high-grade talisman bore five glowing spirit lines, while the top-grade ones shimmered with four.

Yan Yeqing's lips twitched, a flicker of disbelief crossing his usually composed face. In the entire Tianxu Continent, there was only one alchemist known to create top-grade talismans—and even that person had a success rate of less than 40 percent. As the personal disciple of the Buxiu Peak Sect Master, Yan Yeqing knew just how rare these talismans were. People would kill for even a single high-grade talisman, let alone a top-grade one. And yet, here was Mo Yichen, a boy barely sixteen, casually producing them in under an hour with a 100 percent success rate.

Mo Yichen, oblivious to the rarity of his creations, tilted his head. "...Do you like them? I can make more," he said, already pulling out another stack of blank talisman papers.

Yan Yeqing's lips twitched again, this time in amusement. "Can you make more?" he asked.

Mo Yichen didn't bother replying. Instead, he simply nodded and hummed as he began another round of talisman crafting. To him, this was no big deal. The blank talisman papers were made from low-grade spirit grass, and he was only using a mid-grade hand seal. The success rate for top-grade talismans wasn't particularly high, and the Blazing Sun Talisman technique he'd used was just a low-grade offensive mantra. If he'd used a top-grade technique, the talismans would have had even more spirit lines.

But in Mo Yichen's mind, these talismans were merely enough for protection. He was completely unaware of just how rare—and valuable—his creations were.

As he worked, Yan Yeqing watched him with a mix of fascination and amusement. "You shouldn't be doing this in front of anyone," he said, his voice deep.

Mo Yichen glanced up, his hands still moving in precise gestures. "I won't show off these things until I become strong enough to protect myself."

Yan Yeqing let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. "It's not that serious, you can earn more than enough selling these, just don't disclose your identity," he says. 

Mo Yichen let out a thoughtful "Hmm" as his fingers continued to move with practiced precision. This time, it took him barely half an hour to produce another batch of talismans—five top-grade and five high-grade. After carefully collecting them, he looked up to find Yan Yeqing watching him intently, his sharp eyes following every movement.

"Here… take these," Mo Yichen said, handing over the freshly made talismans to Yan Yeqing. His tone was awkward, as if he wasn't quite sure how to act in this situation.

Yan Yeqing chuckled, clearly amused by Mo Yichen's awkwardness. "Are you planning to give me everything?" he asked, gesturing to the twenty talismans now in his hands.

Mo Yichen's lips twitched, and he opened his mouth to reply. "...It's for safety purposes," he said, his other hand unconsciously brushing against the black jade bangle on his wrist. He wasn't wrong—while he had his dimensional space as an escape, Yan Yeqing didn't have that luxury. If something happened to Yan Yeqing, it would inevitably affect Mo Yichen through the soul contract. Better safe than sorry, right?

Yan Yeqing shook his head in amusement. Even his entire sect's treasury wouldn't have this many top-grade talismans with four spirit lines, and yet here he was, holding a small fortune that this kid had casually whipped up in a little over an hour.

"...Can you create some low or mid-grade charms too?" Yan Yeqing asked suddenly, his tone casual.

Mo Yichen's brows furrowed in confusion. "...Yes, I can control my soul power to make lower-grade charms. But why would we need them?"

Yan Yeqing tapped his chin thoughtfully, his elbow resting on the table. "Having high-grade charms is a luxury. Most people only get low-grade talismans for protection, and even the wealthier ones might invest in mid-grade ones. It's not just about money—it's about the rarity of these artifacts. If we don't want to draw unnecessary attention, it's better to maintain a low profile."

Mo Yichen paused, his expression shifting as he considered Yan Yeqing's words. "...Makes sense," he said finally, nodding in all seriousness. He had been about to make a huge mistake—if someone had noticed him casually using top-grade talismans, it would have been a disaster. Thanks to Yan Yeqing's quick thinking, he'd avoided that pitfall.

For the first time, Mo Yichen felt a flicker of gratitude toward the man in front of him. Despite the soul contract, the man had saved him twice now from beasts. And, if Mo Yichen was being honest, Yan Yeqing hadn't done anything else to make him feel repulsed. In fact, he was starting to seem… almost reliable.