Chapter 334

Chapter 334: The Gifted Brothers

Jiang Liu Yi and Jiang Liu Yun stepped into the room just in time to hear what Yu Zhi Yi was saying. They had rushed over after hearing that Jiang Liu Ting had blown up the courtyard-not with gunpowder or other explosives, but with a Talisman.

Jiang Liu Yun dashed in like the wind: “Sister, what are you talking about? Drawing talismans? Spiritual Energy?” He spoke as his eyes fell on the table and the two messy talismans that looked like scribbles.

Yu Zhi Yi explained with a calm smile: “Fourth Brother has some talent in drawing talismans, but it’s a pity he isn’t from the Mystic Sect.”

Jiang Liu Yun and Jiang Liu Bin had competed since they were small-if one learned something, the other had to learn it too; if one couldn’t do something and the other could, teasing was sure to follow. Drawing talismans sounded cool the moment he heard it, and there was no way Jiang Liu Yun would let his “archrival” Jiang Liu Bin steal the spotlight.

He decided on the spot to learn as well, and Yu Zhi Yi didn’t stop him.

Then…

He grimaced and tried to laugh it off: “I wasn’t ready just now. Let me try again!” He wadded up the ruined paper and picked up the brush again.

Jiang Liu Bin said smugly: “If you’re bad at it, just admit defeat. Drawing talismans is a classy skill-not everyone can learn it.”

Jiang Liu Yun ignored him. This time he calmed down and focused. Most of the strokes went well, but on the last stroke he accidentally brought in his usual handwriting habit. The line that should have been clean and crisp ended with a tiny hook.

He looked up, voice unsteady: “Sister, is… this okay?” The fifteen-year-old boy was nervous. He didn’t understand talisman drawing and thought it looked fine: [It seems okay to me.]

Yu Zhi Yi shook her head: “My master did say talismans can be innovated, but innovation must rest on solid basics. These symbols are the basics of talismans. No matter how talismans change, the symbols themselves can’t change-being off by a hair can miss by a mile.”

She added, steady and serious: “Even tiny differences can make a talisman fail. If it only fails, that’s not so bad; what I fear is a change in nature that causes needless harm.”

Jiang Liu Yun muttered, still doubtful: “Is it really that serious?” He wasn’t arguing on purpose; he just found it strange.

Yu Zhi Yi nodded: “It won’t be disastrous every time, but if it is even once, the result might be more than you can bear.” She thought through the talismans she knew, then said, “For example, within Healing Talismans, the Heart-Healing Talisman looks very similar to the Fire Command Talisman. If you make a mistake and use a Fire Command Talisman when you think you’re using a Heart-Healing Talisman, you can imagine the consequences.”

Jiang Liu Yun blinked, confused: “A Heart-Healing Talisman?”

“It’s a talisman that can treat heart illness and heart injuries,” she explained.

Jiang Liu Yun was stunned: “There’s even a talisman like that?”

Jiang Liu Yi swatted his silly brother on the shoulder and said with a dry cough: “Your sister’s point is that talismans aren’t the same as regular writing or drawing. If your writing is messy, who cares; if a drawing is off, you can fix it. But if you draw a talisman wrong, one slip can cost a life.”

Only then did Jiang Liu Yun truly understand. He pictured trying to help someone with a heart condition and, by accident, using a Fire Command Talisman instead. The outcome made him shiver. He straightened up at once: “Sister, I get it. I’ll draw carefully. I won’t mess around again.”

Holding his breath and steadying his hand, he started over. This time he drew very slowly and carefully. He wasn’t as fast as Jiang Liu Bin, but his brush force was even, and he didn’t make any mistakes.

Yu Zhi Yi was surprised. She hadn’t expected people of the Jiang Clan to be so gifted at drawing talismans.

Seeing both younger brothers try-and succeed-Jiang Liu Yi gave it a go too. Unfortunately, what he drew only looked right on the surface; his control over brush force wasn’t as good as the other two.

The always excellent Jiang Liu Yi, who’d been better than others at almost everything since childhood, paused with a tiny, baffled look: [Huh?]

Noticing her brother’s competitive spirit starting to flare, Yu Zhi Yi quickly stopped him: “Brother, don’t rush. Each skill has its own path. Even within the Mystic Sect, not everyone is good at drawing talismans.” Her master had said that her senior brothers each had their strengths-some were skilled in Mystic Arts, some in alchemy, some in talismans, and some in forging artifacts.

Although everyone learned a couple of supporting skills, most truly specialized in just one. As for Yu Zhi Yi herself, her greatest strength was face reading. Other things like talismans and arrays, she had only studied a little.

Watching his sister rack her brain to comfort him, Jiang Liu Yi found the feeling novel. In the past, he was always the one comforting others-after all, he’d long been the “model child,” talented in both the civil and the martial, and even good at poetry, music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Others felt frustrated and came to him for comfort. He never thought he’d step into a field where he was the one lacking. The symbols looked simple, and he felt he’d drawn them just like his brothers, but his sister still said no.

Jiang Liu Yi didn’t feel defeated-only amused by this new experience. He smiled gently and turned to comfort his sister instead: “I’m fine.” Second Young Master Jiang’s tone was light and easy.

Seeing he was calm and unbothered, Yu Zhi Yi relaxed. Then she looked at the two younger brothers and said honestly: “You both do have talent in drawing talismans. But without Spiritual Energy to support them, these talismans are just pieces of paper.”

Jiang Liu Bin and Jiang Liu Yun spoke together, faces falling: “We got excited for nothing.”

Jiang Liu Yun asked, hope quickly bubbling back up: “Sister, then can we learn Cultivation from you too?”

Yu Zhi Yi pressed her lips together and thought, then answered, careful but warm: “Strictly speaking, you’re supposed to start learning from a young age.”

The two brothers pulled matching long faces.

Yu Zhi Yi added with a soft laugh: “But my master also said the best time to start was ten years ago; the second-best time is now. You can try. If you truly have talent, you can still succeed. Even if you can’t reach the Great Dao, you can still make real progress in talismans-maybe even enter the Dao through talismans.”

They didn’t understand what “entering the Dao through talismans” or the “Great Dao” really meant, but the moment they heard they could try Cultivation, all other worries flew out of their heads.

Jiang Liu Yun scratched his cheek and asked with absolute seriousness: “Sister, should I bathe and light incense or something?”

Yu Zhi Yi: “…” She had never planned to help her sect recruit widely, and a headache bloomed between her brows. “As I recall, my master first tested my Spiritual Root. Only after I passed did he accept me as a disciple.”

Her voice turned solemn: “Also, this road is far more dangerous than practicing martial arts. Martial arts means fighting other people; Cultivation means fighting the heavens. If your Cultivation succeeds, the Dao will send Heavenly Tribulation. A cultivator must endure real heavenly lightning striking the body. Are you sure you want to try?”

Jiang Liu Bin’s face went white: “Heavenly lightning… striking the body?”

Jiang Liu Yun looked sick: “Is that the same kind of heavenly lightning Big Brother used to destroy the courtyard?”

Yu Zhi Yi couldn’t help a small laugh: “That talisman is called a Heavenly Thunder Talisman, but its power is far, far less than true heavenly lightning.”

They both sucked in a sharp breath. The power of real heavenly thunder was even scarier than the Heavenly Thunder Talisman?

In an instant, the two brothers’ faces turned ghostly pale.