Chapter 65: The Crisis of the Li Family

After leaving, Elder Zhang bowed to Lu An and said sincerely:

"Young friend Lu An's achievements in the talisman path are truly unparalleled in my experience. I am greatly impressed."

"With your age, given time, you might well reach the third realm of the talisman path."

Lu An waved his hand, his expression showing a sense of longing.

"Ah, while it seems simple to speak of, it is exceedingly difficult to accomplish. I can only take it one step at a time."

"By the way, Elder Zhang, have you heard of the Talisman Sage Yue Wu?"

Elder Zhang shook his head, looking somewhat regretful.

"I only know that he was a disciple of the Grand Master of the Great Qi Kingdom, with exceptional talent in the talisman path. He was considered the best in the Qi Kingdom."

"However, after he went on a journey, he became eccentric and attracted numerous hostile forces. In the end, he was defeated by a coalition of these forces, and his fate is unknown. Even the Grand Master couldn't save him."

Lu An sighed after hearing this.

Such a talented individual, ending up with such a fate.

Elder Zhang did not mention the matter further and said:

"Young friend Lu, since you have passed the examination, it's time to issue your second-grade talisman master certificate. Please follow me."

With that, he led Lu An to the hall on the first floor. For some reason, the examination on the first floor seemed to have been halted, and the atmosphere in the examination room was somewhat odd.

The proctor elder had a dark expression, deep in thought, and the air was filled with a foul odor.

Elder Zhang frowned slightly, covering his nose and mouth, and asked the proctor elder:

"Why was the examination halted? Where does this foul smell come from?"

The proctor elder gave him a cold glance and remained silent.

Elder Zhang was puzzled, but since this person came from Yongning County and was not under his jurisdiction, there was nothing he could do.

Lu An approached Bai Sheng and asked:

"What happened?"

Bai Sheng laughed out loud and said:

"Master, you should have seen the scene earlier. It was beyond just spectacular."

He pointed to the seats of the Su family's disciples and the filth on the examination table behind them.

Lu An looked over and felt his stomach churn, roughly guessing what had happened.

"Faced with a mess?"

Bai Sheng nodded with a gossipy look:

"Yes, the examinee behind him got into a fight with him on the spot."

"Under such circumstances, the proctor elder had no choice but to interrupt the examination and expel both of them."

Lu An smiled. It seemed that the Su family had some peculiar habits, always leading to such incidents. He patted Bai Sheng on the shoulder and then looked at Zhao Wenliang.

"Brother Wenliang, do you feel confident about this examination?"

He knew that Bai Sheng's skill in talismans was more than sufficient to pass the examination, and if the opponent was not too strong, he might even take the top spot. But Zhao Wenliang's skill had always been mediocre, and his talisman drawing was inconsistent. If he performed poorly, he might indeed fail.

Zhao Wenliang looked nervous and sighed:

"I don't know; I will do my best."

Lu An frowned slightly and said with some implication:

"Brother Wenliang, Lu Xuan is a disciple of the Divine Talisman Pavilion and has already become a first-grade talisman master. You should work hard."

To his surprise, Zhao Wenliang's face suddenly turned red, and he did not speak.

Lu An chose not to press further and went to Elder Zhang.

From the moment Lu Xuan arrived at the Spirit Talisman Residence, Lu An noticed that Zhao Wenliang's attitude had changed. Previously reserved, Zhao Wenliang now appeared enthusiastic, his eyes shining.

Everyone in the Divine Talisman Pavilion knew Zhao Wenliang's feelings, but given the vast difference in their statuses, Lu An's words earlier were meant to give Zhao Wenliang a push.

Zhao Wenliang sat alone at his seat, quietly clenching his fists.

"Lu Xuan... I will definitely pass this examination!"

With that, his expression became determined.

The attendants of the Talisman Hall were cleaning up the filth from the scene, while the other examinees waited idly for the examination to restart. Seeing Lu An's figure, they whispered among themselves.

"Isn't that person here for the second-grade talisman examination? Why is he down so soon?"

"That's obvious; he must have failed."

...

Bai Sheng and Zhao Wenliang exchanged glances, both feeling a bit puzzled.

"Could it be that Master (Lu An) failed the examination?"

They knew Lu An had the ability to pass the second-grade examination, but they were unsure of the extent of his capabilities. In their view, the second-grade examination was challenging, and a misstep was possible.

However, they did not worry for long, as a disciple soon arrived carrying a large box.

Elder Zhang took the box, opened it casually, and a yellow robe came into view.

The robe had a golden badge on its chest, engraved with a large "2", identical to the one Lu An had seen when he first arrived at the Talisman Hall.

"Congratulations, Young Friend Lu. From now on, you are officially a second-grade talisman master."

Elder Zhang handed the robe to Lu An with a smile.

Upon hearing this, the crowd immediately buzzed with discussion.

"What? A second-grade talisman master? He passed?"

"Great Heavenly Sovereign, how old is this person?"

"It's him, the owner of the Spirit Talisman Residence!"

...

Bai Sheng and Zhao Wenliang both breathed a sigh of relief, smiling in understanding.

Lu An did not show much reaction; everything was as he had expected.

He inspected the robe and then stored it in his storage bag.

"Thank you, Elder Zhang. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."

Elder Zhang was slightly surprised and asked:

"Young Friend Lu, aren't you going to wait for the other two to finish their examinations?"

"No need. I don't need to worry about them."

Lu An waved his hand and turned to leave.

Passing by a restaurant, Lu An smiled. It was worth buying some food and drinks to celebrate, as all three from the Spirit Talisman Residence were about to be recognized as talisman masters by the Talisman Hall. With Lu An as a second-grade talisman master, their strength was even more formidable.

Just as he was about to enter the restaurant to buy some food and drinks, he suddenly heard a group of diners discussing:

"Have you heard? The Li family's patriarch has been severely injured and is probably not going to make it."

"Word is that the Wang family and the Lin family have already sent people to probe. If it's true, the Li family, the top family in Gu County, might lose its status."

"Where did you hear that? I've heard that the Li family's patriarch has already passed away and that the Li family is falling apart."

The more they talked, the more outrageous the rumors became, but they all seemed to be unfavorable to the Li family.

Lu An's brow furrowed. He knew the Li family's patriarch had been injured. However, Li Ziyou had mentioned that he could last another two or three years. How could he be on the verge of death so soon?

Whether it was a rumor or the truth, it seemed he needed to see for himself.

He immediately lost his appetite for the meal and turned to head towards the Li family.

Unexpectedly, a commotion broke out in the restaurant, followed by a figure being thrown out in front of him.

"Trying to dine and dash at my Hundred Fragrant Building? You must be tired of living. Get him!"

The waiter snorted coldly, and the bouncers at the door rolled up their sleeves and were about to step forward.

Lu An looked down and saw that the person who had been thrown out was an old beggar, ragged and with tangled hair, surrounded by a few flies. There was no aura of spiritual energy around him, making him seem like an ordinary person.

Lu An frowned, not intending to get involved, and was about to leave.

However, when the old beggar saw him, he muttered:

"Heh, there are still people practicing soul cultivation these days. Truly oblivious."

Lu An's keen hearing caught the words clearly. His eyes widened, and he crouched in front of the old beggar, asking:

"Why do you say that?"

The old beggar, however, ignored him and began to act like a fool.

"I only came to your place to enjoy your lady boss's charm and had a drink. Instead of being grateful, you want to beat me up?"

The waiter's anger surged immediately, and he reached forward to grab the beggar by the collar. However, halfway through, an arm extended and grabbed him.

He yanked twice, but the arm did not budge, as if it was welded with an iron hoop.

His expression changed, and he stared at Lu An, saying:

"Are you going to meddle in this matter?"

Lu An shook his head and calmly replied:

"Peace brings prosperity. I will settle the old man's drink bill."