Chapter 53: Chapter 53: The Second Elder’s Confusion

Soon, Yang Yongxin arrived in splendid attire.

“Talisman Master Li, your esteemed visit is a great honor to us. I apologize for not welcoming you from afar, and I hope for your understanding!”

From a distance, he clasped his fist in greeting towards Li Jizhou.

“Junior Li Jizhou greets the elder!” Li Jizhou slightly bowed and returned the gesture.

“Haha, Talisman Master Li, no need for formalities. You’ve come to the Yang family, treat it as your own home. I am Yang Yongxin, the Yang family’s Third Elder.” Yang Yongxin hurriedly extended a hand in a supportive gesture.

Then, he laughed and reprimanded Wu Daniu beside him, “Big Bull, you sly fox! Why didn’t you report such connections to the family earlier? You’ve made my Yang family neglect Talisman Master Li!”

Wu Daniu gave a sheepish smile, his face slightly stiff.

Initially, he was delighted that Li Jizhou, as a Middle Level Talisman Master, now had a skill to secure his life and livelihood. But at this moment, seeing the usually stern and forbidding Elder of the Law Enforcement Hall, Yang Yongxin, treat Li Jizhou with such respect, a strange pang of bitterness rose in his heart.

It wasn’t out of jealousy,

but an inexplicable sense of discrepancy.

“Talisman Master Li, please enter the main hall. Let me properly apologize to you,” Yang Yongxin again smiled and invited Li Jizhou.

Hearing this, the inexplicable feeling in Wu Daniu’s heart deepened.

He had been an in-law of the Yang family for three whole years before he had the chance to enter the Yang family’s main hall.

It was called entering the inner chambers!

“Elder Yang, might I trouble you to wait a moment? I have a friend here…” As he spoke, Li Jizhou glanced at Lu Zhenhua, who was not far away, looking a bit impatient.

Coincidentally, Lu Zhenhua found an excuse.

He shook off the few people around him by claiming a brotherly invitation.

“Lu Brother!”

“Dear Brother!”

“Talisman Master Li still invites his fellow cultivator along, I must thank you again,” Yang Yongxin said as he saw Lu Zhenhua walking over, addressing each other as brothers with Li Jizhou.

His aura indicated the Late Stage of Qi Cultivation; his demeanor was calm, with extraordinary grace, clearly not a common loose cultivator.

This was indeed an honored guest!

“An honored guest arrives, yet I failed to welcome you personally, my apologies!” Yang Yongxin hurriedly performed a peer-level courtesy towards Lu Zhenhua.

“No problem!” Lu Zhenhua, who managed Ten Thousand Talisman Pavilion, was used to seeing cultivators in the Late Stage of Qi Cultivation. He had little concern for Yang Yongxin’s usual attitude, exhibiting his own style.

Nevertheless, the more Lu Zhenhua behaved this way, the less Yang Yongxin felt dissatisfied; instead, he showed even greater respect.

This confirmed the suspicion that Lu Zhenhua was not ordinary.

Wu Daniu was gradually forced to stand on the periphery. Upon sensing the aura from Lu Zhenhua, which surpassed that of the Yang family’s elder, his eyes widened instantly.

How did Li Jizhou befriend such a dignified senior cultivator?

“Fellow cultivator, may I ask your name? I will have it recorded, and then…” Yang Yongxin, taking the reception ledger, turned to the section for Wu Daniu, preparing to record personally.

However, speaking halfway, the housekeeper returned swiftly from the group around Lu Zhenhua, urgently whispering in his ear.

Just as Yang Yongxin was about to write, his hand holding the pen trembled slightly before suddenly raising his eyes.

“My apologies, Lu Shopkeeper personally comes, and we have shown such negligence, my Yang family is at fault, surely, I must punish myself with three cups!” Yang Yongxin instantly showed greater respect, bowing publicly to apologize to Lu Zhenhua as the Yang family’s Third Elder.

Inwardly, though, he was equally delighted.

Although Ten Thousand Talisman Pavilion’s shops in Inverted Mountain appear insignificant, not even inside the inner city, this results from location and distrust of Inverted Mountain’s internal environment. Nevertheless, Ten Thousand Talisman Pavilion holds a quite remarkable position in Qi Kingdom.

Its shops are present in each Immortal City and large market towns, capturing nearly 60% of the talisman market in the Cultivation Realm of Qi Kingdom.

There were always rumors Ten Thousand Talisman Pavilion had backing from the Golden Sun Sect.

Even more, it was rumored Ten Thousand Talisman Pavilion was actually under the control of descendants of the Supreme Elder of Golden Sun Sect.

Hence, the shopkeeper of Ten Thousand Talisman Pavilion was well received outside.

Today, Lu Zhenhua personally coming to the Yang family was an occasion with much potential for maneuvering!

Without a doubt, just by Lu Zhenhua’s personal visit, the Qian family, 800 miles away, must be drawing a cold breath!

“…” This scene left Wu Daniu utterly shocked.

He could not have imagined the dignitary that Li Jizhou brought today to support him would be of such high status.

Even able to make the Third Elder bow publicly!

Yang Yongxin, with a face full of excitement, recorded Lu Zhenhua’s name on Wu Daniu’s page.

Then he wrote the number 100 beneath.

Then, seeing the number 3 under Li Jizhou’s name, he crossed it out and wrote the number 10!

Being able to address Lu Zhenhua as a brother and inviting him to the Yang family constituted no small merit.

“Talisman Master Li, on behalf of the entire Yang family, we express our gratitude for your contributions and friendship. Our Yang family shall remember it!” Yang Yongxin again thanked Li Jizhou.

“Elder is too kind! I was invited by Big Bull,” Li Jizhou smiled slightly and glanced at Wu Daniu, who had been pushed to the side.

“Haha, indeed, Big Bull is blessed, to have met Talisman Master Li as an elder brother. The family should consider giving him more responsibilities!” Yang Yongxin immediately understood Li Jizhou’s implication, making a public declaration.

“Lu Shopkeeper, our Yang family patriarch just got word of your arrival and is on his way here; please bear with us.”

For a guest like Lu Zhenhua of such status, the Yang family patriarch should indeed host personally.

“Haha, I leave it to you, fellow cultivator!” Lu Zhenhua stroked his beard and laughed, showing little concern.

“Talisman Master Li, having such a friendship with Lu Shopkeeper truly makes others envious.” Yang Yongxin said again to Li Jizhou.

Before Li Jizhou could reply, Lu Zhenhua waved his hand and said: “Hey! You misunderstood, fellow cultivator. It is I, Lu, who is envious to have a dear friend like Honored Guest Elder Li!”

“Ah!” Yang Yongxin and the people around him were immediately stunned.

Li Jizhou, no matter how you put it, was just at the Early Stage of Qi Cultivation, a Tier One Middle Level Talisman Master; compared to Lu Zhenhua, who was at the Late Stage of Qi Cultivation and also the shopkeeper of Ten Thousand Talisman Pavilion, his status and position were vastly different.

How could he receive such high regard from Lu Zhenhua?

“Haha, no need for surprise, everyone. The details of cause and effect are not for outsiders. However, you should know, if it weren’t for Honored Guest Elder Li, I, Lu, wouldn’t have been quickly recognized by the main pavilion and promoted to shopkeeper, nor would I be meeting you all today!” Lu Zhenhua said candidly.

“This truly happened?”

“Wait, Lu Shopkeeper, you just called Talisman Master Li… Honored Guest Elder? Could Talisman Master Li really be an honored guest of Ten Thousand Talisman Pavilion?” Yang Yongxin suddenly caught the key point, incredulously asking.

“Indeed, Honored Guest Elder Li has been a Tier Three Honored Guest Elder at Ten Thousand Talisman Pavilion, enjoying special privileges!” Lu Zhenhua replied solemnly.

“Gasp~” Yang Yongxin instantly drew a cold breath, slowly turning his gaze to Li Jizhou.

To be so young and already a Honored Guest Elder of Ten Thousand Talisman Pavilion!

It clearly demonstrated how outstanding his talent was in talisman crafting.

His future was limitless!

Suddenly, his heart trembled, recalling a rumor from a few years ago.

He thought again of what Second Elder Yang Yuanzhen publicly debunked at that time.

Instantly feeling deep regret in his heart.

Ultimately, he sighed deeply in his mind, “Second Elder’s folly!”

Beside him, Wu Daniu was completely dumbfounded.

The term “Honored Guest Elder” echoed endlessly in his mind.

He still remembered when they were young, Lin Caiwei often told them her father Lin Chaobei went to participate in the Honored Guest Elder assessments of Ten Thousand Talisman Pavilion.

If he passed, he’d earn more Spirit Stones and receive numerous privileges.

But over more than ten years, Lin Chaobei always failed, eventually giving up completely.

This highlighted how strict the requirements for honored guest elders were at Ten Thousand Talisman Pavilion.

“Could Li Jizhou’s skill in crafting talismans have already surpassed Uncle Lin?”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep