Chapter 344: Chapter 225: Protective Talisman, Elixir of Immortality

"If I really have to discuss it, shouldn’t this also count as being granted a seal?"

Bai Qi couldn’t help but think of the ink seal residing in his mind, as well as the sixteen characters he recited—

Engage in spiritual pursuits, ascend from ordinary to sacred, from beginning to end, and then reach truth.

"With a blink, I found myself in this world, without even knowing which company managed the crossing so crudely and simply, not even offering a choice of ’Yes’ or ’No’."

Bai Qi’s thoughts scattered, silently grumbling, as his vast sea of mind rippled:

"If there truly is Azure Heaven’s Seal, I wonder which Heavenly Lord granted me this one?"

He introspected, the ink seal spreading like a celestial curtain, enveloping his mind, upon which two towering trees were etched, one upright and one inverted, full of flourishing branches and leaves, each hanging with a radiant golden seed, as if nurturing a complete fruit.

Various skills resembled starlight, rising and falling, seeming and disappearing, filled with mysterious and profound meaning.

"Thinking too much is useless. To know how high the sky is and how vast the earth is, wait until you stand at the pinnacle, then you’ll see clearly."

Bai Qi dismissed his miscellaneous thoughts and started sorting through the intel he heard from Qingfeng Daoist Child.

The Daoist Official Chongxu Zi from Yuanyang Temple actually recognized both him and Ah Di?

Plans to bring them into the Daoist School as students?

"I really lucked out this time, making a trip to Yihai Prefecture and catching the eye of a Daoist Official. But... times have changed."

Bai Qi bent his fingers, subconsciously tapping lightly, as his brows gradually knitted.

Had this opportunity arisen half a year earlier, he would have knelt before the Daoist Official without hesitation and uttered, "If you don’t reject me, I wish to be your disciple!"

But now he must carefully consider and think comprehensively.

The reason is simple.

He’s no longer the footloose Bai Ahqi; apart from needing to manage the fish business in Black River County, he has a large group under his charge and must also respect Ninghai Zen’s opinion.

Deciding on his own to enter Yuanyang Temple would be challenging, with his master unlikely to speak of his displeasure openly.

Being directly linked to Tongwen Hall, both emotionally and logically, he can’t casually join a Daoist School to serve Dragon Court, seeking to become an official.

The view is too shortsighted.

Moreover, the golden black plaque hanging in the main hall and the ancestral teachings of past masters require him to inherit and continue.

"Ah Di has exceptional talent in cultivation and has acknowledged Lady Willow God from the Five-Hundred-Mile Mountain Path as his relative, a testament to his extraordinariness.

Sending him to the Daoist School, having him granted the Child Talisman and then promoted to Cyan Register Daoist Official, would honor the Bai Family ancestors."

Bai Qi pondered, reflecting that if the Bai Family, long-time farmers in Black River County, could produce a Daoist School student, it would be akin to their ancestral tombs emitting auspicious smoke.

As for himself, he holds the "Flood Subdues Yellow Springs Sutra," and the skills like "Sword Control Skill" and "Divine Talisman Skill," learned from the brothers Qi Yan and Master Lv Nan, provide enough progression for his spiritual cultivation.

"Moreover, seeking an appointment in the Daoist School burdens him with too many constraints. Before understanding what the granting of the seal entails, it’s best to proceed cautiously."

Bai Qi deliberated thoroughly and finally made up his mind.

Since the Daoist Official from Yuanyang Temple is willing, he might as well send his own brother to the Daoist School; with his current wealth and connections, supporting a student wouldn’t be difficult.

"If our Bai Family can produce a Daoist Official! It would also assist in my backdoor... ahem, industrial transformation.

Black River County can’t compete with the thirteen guilds in Yihai Prefecture, as those big bosses have monopolized the upstream channels through various pathways and connections, much like how mountain folk, hunters, and woodcutters are controlled by Chai Market.

If someone gathers them like scattered sand, they might not lose to those so-called high authorities."

Since Bai Qi made the bold remark, he wouldn’t easily overlook it; his mental notebook had already recorded names like Zheng Family and Lu Family.

For having enjoyed several meals of Spirit Monster Flesh shared by Miss Zhu, he silently placed the Zhu Family at the end.

"Yihai Prefecture’s once-dominant weapons shop Baishenghao is an asset of the Weapon Craftsman Zheng Family.

Learning the trade under Master Li, honing iron forging and weapon making, he could even take over Hongminghao; no wonder the Zheng-named individual doesn’t like him, eager to make the first move.

Lu Family, thinly veiled as an antique trade but overtly involved in tomb raiding, hence that Lu Family elder holds the ’Xieling Celestial King’ title.

Said to dislike the He Family and took a strike at him perhaps incidentally.

Old Zhu, presumably bearing grudges from conflicts with the fire kiln..."

Bai Qi analysis prompts a snicker:

"Turns out none of them acted because of Tongwen Hall’s blood debt; they are solely concerned about business dealings."

He sat alone in the next room, listening to how his brother engaged Qingfeng in conversation while contemplating whom to use as an example.

The Zheng Family is deep-rooted, with a profound background, even involved in the government-run salt and iron monopoly, considered a tough nut;

The Zhu Family may be soft, but nothing serious is held against them;

The Lu Family... this nut seems easier to crack!

"Lu Family elder is of a similar age as Uncle He, nearing sixty, yet appears with thick black hair and smooth skin, seemingly in his prime.

The man with the folding fan beside him has an intensely sinister gaze, emitting a heavy malice that directly disturbs the Spiritual Sense."

Bai Qi did not openly express his intentions, nor did he glance at Mr. Zhou Er, intending to fish with a long line.

"The feedback from the Eye Sense and Ear Sense conveys ’hunger’ and ’greed,’ akin to a gourmet seeing a table of delicacies, or a lecher encountering a stunning beauty, with a strong emotional impulse, scarcely concealed.