Elder He didn't know a great deal, but the information he shared was still substantial. He had, after all, lived in Xiuyue County for over ten years. From watching operas and reading books to hearing street gossip, he had learned quite a lot.
The Court he spoke of belonged to the Great Ning Dynasty. Of course, he had no idea how vast its territory was or how long it had been established. He only knew that his small mountain village was part of Xiuyue County in Changping Prefecture, an area spanning two or three hundred li.
This world had ghosts and demons, gods and spirits. He'd heard that the Great Ning Dynasty had its own guardian deities, a National Guardian Divine Sect, and even various Mages who patrolled the lands, performing exorcisms.
"In the earlier years, life was still relatively peaceful," Elder He sighed. "But starting about thirty years ago, incidents became frequent in the county. There were even a few hauntings. I'm a timid old man, so I came back to the village and have rarely left since."
"Weren't there supposed to be Mages patrolling the world?" Gu Zhao asked.
Elder He shook his head. "How many Mages can the Court possibly have? And how many Demons and Ghosts are there in the world? Thirty years ago, I heard a River Demon was wreaking havoc in the neighboring Wuhe County. It nearly turned the whole place into a wasteland."
At this, Elder He still looked shaken. The incident in Wuhe County had clearly been the deciding factor in his return to the mountain village.
The two chatted casually until it was mid-morning. In the courtyard, the Silk Embroideress set out fragrant rice and a simple stew of cabbage, radish, and cured meat on a low table. She had also cut two apples into small pieces and placed them to the side.
"Sir, this fruit is so sweet! It looks like a crabapple, but it's bigger and much sweeter!" The Silk Embroideress had just nibbled on the scraps left over from cutting the apples. She'd never tasted a fruit so sweet.
The Silk Embroideress's smile was heartwarming. Gu Zhao couldn't help but smile back. "As long as it's delicious."
"The food is ready! Come and eat!" The Silk Embroideress finished setting out the dishes and chopsticks, calling Gu Zhao and her grandfather to the meal.
...
After the meal, the same children from yesterday ran over for their lessons with Elder He. The Silk Embroideress brought out some bamboo strips from a side room and began weaving, listening casually to the lesson.
Gu Zhao looked at the bamboo hats, baskets, and sieves under the surrounding eaves and asked the Silk Embroideress, "How do you sell these?"
The Silk Embroideress lifted her face. "Second Uncle Zhang goes to the county once every ten days. He sells all the village's bamboo crafts and brings back food and other goods. Sometimes there's extra money, and everyone gets a share."
From what the Silk Embroideress said, the mountain village wasn't completely isolated. In addition to farming, everyone had a skill to their name—there were carpenters, stonemasons, and bricklayers. One family knew how to weave bamboo and had taught the craft to the others, giving the village women a way to supplement their family's income.
"The main road isn't far from the village, so sometimes traveling merchants or travelers who've missed the chance to find an inn for the night will come here," the Silk Embroideress explained.
Gu Zhao shook his head. "Aren't those people afraid of running into mountain bandits?"
The Silk Embroideress didn't smile. Instead, she looked worried. "The bandits rarely appeared on the main road before. But last time Second Uncle Zhang came back, he said he saw two dead bodies on the road. Not two days later, the village was attacked."
The Silk Embroideress looked at Gu Zhao, her eyes full of gratitude. "If it weren't for you, sir, we might have all been killed by those bandits."
"I doubt it would have come to that..." Gu Zhao shook his head with a smile. "If they killed everyone in the village, who would they rob next time?"
The Silk Embroideress couldn't help but laugh. "You're too kind, sir. Those bandits live from one meal to the next; they wouldn't think that far ahead."
At this, the Silk Embroideress did feel a wave of fear. 'It's true the bandits might not have massacred the entire village, and their leader was only focused on that Female Ghost in green, but I definitely noticed several of them looking at me in a very wrong way.'
"But didn't the Female Ghost kill them all later?" Gu Zhao said with a smile, spreading his hands.
The Silk Embroideress was exasperated. "The Female Ghost is even scarier!"
Thinking back to how the villagers reacted when they learned the Female Ghost wanted to drain his Vitality, Gu Zhao couldn't help but want to laugh. 'When people face unknown forces, their fear is magnified to the extreme.'
'Even Elder He's speed broke its limits.'
Speaking of the Female Ghost reminded Gu Zhao of his work from the previous day. He reached into his robes, pulled out two yellow, triangular Paper Talismans, and pressed them into the Silk Embroideress's hands.
"These are two Protective Talismans. Give one to your grandfather and keep the other on you. If you run into any Demons and Ghosts, they can protect you and save your life in a crisis," Gu Zhao said.
The Silk Embroideress was startled and instinctively tried to refuse. "This is too valuable..."
Gu Zhao stopped her, closing her hand around the two Paper Talismans. He then reached out with his other hand and gently patted her head, teasing with a smile, "Just take them. There are so many Demons and Ghosts in the world. If you really run into one next time, at least you won't be scared stiff like a rabbit."
'This is a Celestial Spirit Talisman from the *Shangqing Heavenly Heart Righteous Method*. It's a type of Talisman that can activate on its own without needing Magical Power. Wearing it long-term strengthens the body and prevents illness, and at a critical moment, it can vanquish evil to protect its wearer. However, it mainly targets yin and evil-aligned auras; it offers no protection against physical weapons.'
'There's nothing I can do about that. The Tao Scriptures I've studied don't currently contain that kind of Talisman or Curse Technique.'
Gu Zhao mused to himself, 'I've heard that cultivating a Golden Core can grant a Vajra Indestructible Body, and the Zhengyi Orthodox Sect has the Vajra Profound Talisman. Forget the Vajra Indestructible Body for now, but as for the Vajra Profound Talisman... should I make a trip to Dragon Tiger Heavenly Mountain and have a little chat with the Daoists there?'
'Although I can find the *Daoist Canon* online, the versions are all different. They're missing diagrams and text, and who knows if the various sects held back some of their Secret Techniques when they presented them to the Court back then.'
'For example, the three Tao Scriptures I've learned are quite different from the versions in the online *Celestial Xia Daoist Canon*. Mine include many more details on things like breathing, hand seals, and the circulation of Magical Power.'
'So, if I want to learn the Vajra Profound Talisman, I'll probably have to go to Dragon Tiger Heavenly Mountain.'
Gu Zhao wasn't worried about being unable to learn it, because...
At this thought, a wide grin spread across Gu Zhao's face. 'If I publicly cast a Palm Thunder at Dragon Tiger Heavenly Mountain, would they just throw a purple robe on me and ask me to be the new Celestial Master?'
'All that stuff online about ghosts giving you a wide berth, Exorcising Demons and Evil Spirits, and Sword Flight—that's all just memes. If someone could actually use a Thunder Technique in the real world, it would be an instant national sensation.'
Gu Zhao was smiling, but the Silk Embroideress could not.
Having her hand held by Gu Zhao made the Silk Embroideress feel both shy and happy, but as soon as he spoke, the color drained from her face.
It wasn't that she didn't find his words amusing, nor did she mind his teasing. Rather, she had caught the underlying meaning in what he said.
The Silk Embroideress suppressed the panic in her heart, and when she looked up, her face was wreathed in a happy smile. "I'll carry it with me. Always!"
Gu Zhao nodded, not noticing the stiffness at the corners of the Silk Embroideress's lips. He had just realized he hadn't been back for a whole day.
'I need to get back, or I'm going to become a missing person.'
"I'm going to the back mountain for Cultivation. I'll be back tonight," Gu Zhao said to the Silk Embroideress before turning and hurriedly leaving.