Effectiveness

Feeling the intense surge of spiritual energy emanating from the exorcism talisman, Fang Yi nodded in satisfaction. Previously, due to limitations in resources, the quality of the vermilion he used for talisman creation was rather mediocre, which inevitably constrained the quality of the talismans themselves. However, this time was different; the talisman crafted from the finest vermilion distinctly conveyed a sense of superiority.

"Eh? Why does this talisman look somewhat different from the other one?" Fang Yi exclaimed as he scrutinized the two exorcism talismans.

"Of course it's different; your first attempt was a failure, wasn't it?" the chubby boy remarked nonchalantly, having witnessed Fang Yi's talisman drawing countless times since childhood, showing little interest in examining them closely.

"Not quite; what Fang Yi means is that the colors of the two pieces of paper are different," the other boy interjected. "Fang Yi, your second talisman appears to have a more aged look, as if the paper has been around for quite some time..."

"Yes, that's exactly the feeling I had..." Fang Yi nodded vigorously at the observation, as it mirrored his own thoughts, though he struggled to articulate them.

"Perhaps it signifies the distinction between success and failure in the crafting process?" the other boy suggested excitedly. "Fang Yi, why don't we test it out to see how effective it truly is?"

"If all goes well, it should be able to dispel some of the negative energy on the second floor..." Fang Yi replied casually, his mind still preoccupied with the peculiar difference in appearance between the two talismans.

Both talismans were cut from the same sheet of yellow paper, and prior to their creation, there was no discernible difference between them. Fang Yi couldn't fathom why the successful talisman now appeared so remarkably aged, as though it had been around for at least thirty or forty years.

Having drawn talismans since childhood, Fang Yi had likely created hundreds of successful ones, with countless failures to boot. However, based on his previous experiences, the only difference between successful and unsuccessful talismans lay in the presence of spiritual energy fluctuations; outwardly, they appeared virtually identical, and he had never heard his master mention such a phenomenon.

"Fang Yi, let's hurry up and try it out..." the other boy urged, interrupting Fang Yi's contemplation.

"Alright, let's give it a shot..." Fang Yi sighed, unable to determine the cause of the differences between the two pieces of paper. He resolved to create more talismans in the future, hoping to uncover some clues.

"Man, open the door to the first floor, and it would be best to open the courtyard gate as well..." Before heading upstairs, Fang Yi instructed the other boy. He had a strong feeling that this exorcism talisman would be quite effective, potentially covering the entirety of the small building.

"Why open the doors?" the boy questioned, a puzzled expression on his face.

"To let the rats escape. It would be rather unpleasant if they died inside, wouldn't it?"

Fang Yi chuckled, recalling a previous incident where he had sealed the doors of a Taoist temple with talismans, only to find seven or eight rats trapped inside, with two having perished in the wall crevices, resulting in a rather foul odor.

"Alright, I'll follow your lead..." Though skeptical, the boy scratched his head and proceeded to open the doors as Fang Yi instructed.

Upon returning to the second floor, the lights flickered on, and several rats scurried off the table. They seemed unafraid of humans, moving at a leisurely pace as they darted behind the sofa.

"Impudent creatures, watch as I, the Supreme Lord, subdue you..."

The boy raised Fang Yi's talisman high, issuing a commanding shout. However, once his voice faded, aside from a layer of dust cascading from the ceiling fan, there appeared to be no change in the room.

"Achoo..." Caught off guard by the falling dust, the boy turned to Fang Yi and said, "Fang Yi, this thing seems ineffective; look, nothing has changed..."

"Let me give it a try..." Fang Yi replied with a smile, taking the talisman from the boy's hands. After infusing it with a trace of true energy, he extended his arm and affixed it above the doorframe.

Strangely enough, despite the absence of any adhesive, once Fang Yi released his grip, the talisman adhered firmly in place. At the same time, the dim and filthy room seemed to undergo a subtle transformation.

As the talisman was affixed, it felt as though a gust of wind swept through the second floor, and the talisman shimmered with an imperceptible red glow that radiated outward, gradually enveloping the first and third floors as well.

Wherever this red light touched, the accumulated grime that had long been deprived of sunlight melted away as if snow under the sun, instantly dispelling the room's oppressive atmosphere.

"Hmm? It seems to be effective after all?"

Although the changes were invisible to the naked eye, the boy could certainly feel the difference. Previously, he had felt a chilling aura in the room, but after Fang Yi affixed the talisman, it felt as though sunlight was warming him, creating a most pleasant sensation.

"The rats are coming out..."

Just as the boy noticed the difference, a large rat suddenly darted out from behind the sofa, seemingly panicked as it rushed directly to his feet and scurried down the stairs.

Following the first rat's exit, seven or eight more emerged from various corners of the room. A few of them initially struggled to find their way, darting about chaotically before finally following the lead of the first rat down the stairs.

Additionally, spiders, centipedes, and small lizards began to crawl out from the shadows; however, unlike the rats, they lacked the same vitality. Before they could reach the stairs, their bodies stiffened on the ground, clearly lifeless.

"Man, your house is practically a wildlife sanctuary!"

Observing the array of creatures emerging, the chubby boy teased the other, noting the unexpected appearance of a snake over half a meter long, adorned with black and white rings. He couldn't help but wonder how such a snake coexisted peacefully with its natural enemy, the rat.

"I rarely clean; I suppose I need to do so more often from now on..."

Seeing all these creatures, the boy wiped the sweat from his forehead, astonished by the sheer number of them. He realized that if any of them had taken a bite out of him, it could have ended very badly.

After a good half hour, the corners of the room finally ceased to yield any more creatures, and the center of the living room was littered with the remains of various pests—roughly twenty or thirty in total—most notably a black spider nearly the size of an infant's fist, which sent chills down the boy's spine.

"Fang Yi, this talisman of yours is truly remarkable!"

After recovering from his fright, the boy looked at Fang Yi with newfound respect. Previously, he had only witnessed Taoists performing rituals in films, and while he wished to believe, few adults took such things seriously.

However, this was different; the boy had witnessed the talisman's power firsthand. The rats, which had shown little fear of humans, scattered at the sight of the talisman, much like mice fleeing from a cat, clearly demonstrating its extraordinary efficacy.

"Why is this talisman so powerful?"

Upon hearing the boy's words, Fang Yi scratched his head. Based on his previous experiences, the spiritual energy fluctuations produced by talismans typically took hours or even days to dispel negative energy in a room. This immediate effect was something he had never encountered before.

"Could it be that my master blessed me with enlightenment after descending the mountain?"

Fang Yi examined the talisman for a while, but aside from sensing its spiritual energy fluctuations, he found no other peculiarities. The only notable difference was that the talisman appeared somewhat aged, as if it had been drawn decades ago.

"Fang Yi, what are you looking at?" Following Fang Yi's gaze, the boy also stared at the talisman for a moment, but he couldn't even perceive the spiritual energy fluctuations, let alone discern any deeper meaning.

"Nothing much, Man. Let's start cleaning up..." Fang Yi shook his head, directing his gaze toward the pile of pests on the floor. "By the way, do you drink alcohol?"

"Drink alcohol? What kind of man doesn't drink?" the boy replied, perplexed by Fang Yi's sudden question.

"Good, then don't throw away that silver-ringed snake. Soak it in alcohol later; it can treat joint rheumatism..."

Having lived in the mountains for many years, Fang Yi knew that despite its modest length, the silver-ringed snake was highly venomous, classified among the four most poisonous snakes on land.

"What? It's a silver-ringed snake?"

Although the boy had never encountered one, he had heard of its notorious venom. Upon hearing Fang Yi's words, his face turned pale as he realized that he often spent time alone in this small building. If he were bitten, he would have no one to call for help.

"It's not fully grown; it's just a little snake, and I have no idea where it came from..." Fang Yi said, grabbing the snake by its tail and lifting it. With a slight shake, he dislodged its joints, rendering it incapable of biting, even if it had survived the encounter.

"How was I to know?" The boy looked on the verge of tears, pleading with Fang Yi, "Fang Yi, my house isn't haunted, is it? How else could there be so many filthy creatures?"

"Don't worry, Man; there are no ghosts here..."

Shaking his head at the boy's concerns, Fang Yi walked to the window and peered outside, unable to suppress a smile as he pointed out, "Man, it's probably due to that grapevine of yours. Grapes thrive in shady areas, which attracts snakes. I suspect this silver-ringed snake came in from there..."

"Is there really such a saying? Damn it, I'm going to burn those grapevines down later..." Upon learning that the trouble stemmed from the grapevines in the courtyard, the boy felt an overwhelming urge to set them ablaze immediately.