Li An: "..."

He let out a long sigh.

Cause and effect are chaotic and unfathomable. In this vast Cultivation Realm, indeed anything can happen. Once upon a time, Tan Qingxue was merely a mediocre Talisman Master with simple thoughts, left far behind by everyone.

Her only fate was to die alone.

Who would have thought that when Mu Qingwan, Zhao Xian's Story, Wang Dazhu, Xu Qiuhui, and other cultivators with their own strengths turned to dust, she would still be alive and possess unimaginable fortune?

Of course, whether this is fortune or disaster might not be easy to discern for the moment.

However, Li An felt quite calm about it. Whether she died or lived, weak or strong, Li An only regarded her as a passerby!

She was then, and she is now.

Li An didn't care why she came to the Jiang family. He just kept his distance, making sure nothing interfered with his path to Core Formation, and that was that.

...

In the following days, Li An first bought the herbs Sun Jinxue needed and delivered them to her.

For that, Sun Jinxue was delighted and excited. That night, she personally prepared a meal with wine and dishes, inviting Li An to dine, as a token of gratitude.

But she handled it well, nothing happened that day, she just guided the atmosphere to a perfectly fitting moment, and then sent Li An off.

Step by step.

Li An knew well what was going on, but he didn't mind.

Sun Jinxue needed him as a backing. With his support, things might go a lot smoother for her in the Jiang family, and as for him, in Black Tortoise Hall, he also needed confidants and a basic network. Sun Jinxue was sensible, with good brains, and could be used by Li An.

Both took what they needed, slowly progressing.

Then, Li An took a few sheets of talisman paper from the hall to make talismans for Tan Qingxue.

Four days later.

Li An came again and knocked on the door of Tan Mansion.

"Wu Honorary Elder has arrived, and the master is in the study and asks you to go directly there—"

The gatekeeper respectfully said.

Li An then headed for the study, and upon reaching the side, he heard sounds of flirting echoing.

"Oh, drawing talismans is so hard. I drew them all crookedly. Do I lack the talent?"

Tan Qingxue's voice.

"It's not hard. Here, let me hold your hand and teach you. Don't be afraid, right...slowly, slowly, you're almost there!"

A clear male voice replied, with an unmistakable tremor of excitement, as if someone who had been pursuing a goddess for a long time was suddenly given a chance.

Li An's heart stirred, and he waited outside the door for a long time.

Some memories came flooding back.

Back when both Tan Qingxue and he were in Qingyang, they were like fish in water, deeply immersed in each other's lives, doing similar things. In the study, he used to hold her hand, guiding her while doing some absurd things together... but that was all in the past.

Instead, his heart became wary.

Was Tan Qingxue doing this on purpose for Li An to see?

After a long time passed.

"Drawing talismans is exhausting, standing for so long makes my back sore..."

Tan Qingxue's voice sounded coquettish and complaining.

The man stammered: "I-I'll massage it for you?"

"No need... By the way, I have an appointment today."

Her words just fell as the study door opened.

"Wu Honorary Elder, when did you arrive...?"

Tan Qingxue's eyes seemed very surprised, her gaze very bright as she looked into Li An's eyes, but his eyes were only calm, not a single ripple, as he slightly bowed:

"Wu came to deliver talismans to Tan Honorary Elder—"

Saying so, he handed over a few talismans.

Tan Qingxue took them, looked at them carefully, and a faint trace of disappointment flashed through her eyes, but she still said, "Thank you, Wu Honorary Elder, this is your reward—"

As she said, she handed over a small bag of items.

Li An accepted it calmly, smiling as he said, "Wu won't disturb you any further then."

After saying that, he bid farewell and left.

As Tan Qingxue watched him leave, her eyes no longer held the same expectation they once did, only a sort of coldness and disappointment.

He heard sounds from the room, with no waves in his heart; seeing through the Divine Soul, he was not the acquaintance she imagined.

Why bother at all? Perhaps, it was only Li An's brief pause when he saw her, or the coincidence from Great Li, and a talisman given to her... that evoked a touch of unwilling nostalgia within her, hence the bizarre probing.

It was unnecessary at all!

She smoothed the ripples in her heart.

"Xue, shall I continue teaching you how to draw talismans... Shall we take a break this time?"

The Talisman Master beside her appeared quite young, with hope and expectation in his eyes.

"I'm tired. Chen Lin, you should go back."

Tan Qingxue said lightly.

Chen Lin's face slightly changed, "Xue'er..."

"Talisman Master Chen, although I don't care about hierarchy difference, calling me 'Honorary Elder' would be more fitting, wouldn't it?"

Tan Qingxue was unreserved in showing a trace of annoyance between her eyebrows, "See the guest out."

Talisman Master Chen Lin was escorted out of Tan Mansion with both shame and anger.

What on earth was going on?

"Wu Qin!"

Finally, he clenched his fists, his eyes filled with hatred as he looked towards the direction of Black Tortoise Hall!

Clearly, everything was going so smoothly, all blaming this Wu Qin's arrival for ruining his good fortune.

Moreover, even though he could create a Soul Calming Talisman, Tan Honorary Elder chose to seek Wu Qin?

"Today I, Chen Lin, may be under others, but someday… I might not always be an ordinary Honored Guest Elder, nor fare worse than this Wu Qin!"

He turned on his heel, flaring his sleeve, and left.

Back at Black Tortoise Hall.

Li An felt that after this incident, Tan Qingxue should no longer engage in these meaningless activities.

His assumption was right, as the following period was very calm, and there was almost no excessive interaction between him and Tan Qingxue anymore.

...

In the blink of an eye, five years had passed.

In five years, Li An thrived in Black Tortoise Hall like a fish in water.

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