Immortal Freeloader 56 (Patreon)

As much as mixing with the army to create some more problems for the palace guard was tempting, ultimately, I had a more important guest. I needed to help Aisnam. 

And, now that I had talisman-making tools, there was actually a way to do so. 

I already had a plan for it. The combination of protection, cleansing, and purification talismans was what I needed. Or, more accurately, it was likely Aisnam had a plan when she decided to accept to be married of to the Zaim Royal Family. 

I believed that because she only knew how to make those three talismans. Technically, it could be a coincidence, but with everything considered, it was not likely. Particularly since, according to my limited information, a purification talisman was not something that was useful except in some rare circumstances. 

Circumstances that included the situation of the Spring Palace. 

I suspected that she had planned to use the combination to cultivate again from the beginning, but she probably planned to visit the cursed spot occasionally rather than live there. 

Then, her brother’s disappearance ruined everything. 

I couldn’t help but connect that with the prince’s idle ramblings, and realize just how merciless cultivators could be even to their own families when power was concerned. The other branch of her family had no problem consigning her to death, as long as they had some kind of plausible deniability on the subject. 

I doubted that they would be any kinder to a random outsider they hired. No, I was happy with my own path. 

“Now, let’s start,” I said as went to the Spring Palace. With all the guards trying to respond to the sudden fire, the defenses had weakened temporarily, allowing me to sneak into the garden. The cursed Qi hit me immediately, which was not a pleasant sensation, but rather activating the protection talisman I had in my inventory. 

I had to because I wanted to replicate Aisnam’s trick to draw talismans. After all, either I used the abundance of the cursed Qi in the garden, or I used several dozen strands from my inventory for the number I had been planning to create. 

Not exactly ideal. 

After spending weeks in the Palace, I knew the perfect nook to hide. Once I arrived there, I reached into my Inventory, and pulled a strand of Qi, using it to draw the first purification talisman, jumpstarting the process. 

“It’s a fascinating feeling,” I found myself murmuring even as my brush danced on the paper, every measured touch adding another perfect line of ink infused with Qi. My hand danced, adding layer after layer without stopping … and, fifteen minutes later, I had my first purification talisman. 

The resulting talisman was incredible. Yellow Low-Grade. Which, considering the difficult environment, was even more of an achievement. 

After staying in this world, and particularly after my cursory connection with the cultivation world, I had a better understanding of the qualities. For example, even the weakest cultivation artifact had to be at least a profound quality for it to work, which applied to the talismans. Anything lower, and they would just fail. 

Hence the reason only one out of several attempts would end up succeeding for talisman makers … well, the ones that didn’t have their talents improved by a System that looked a miracle even in a world where people flew casually. 

For me, even Yellow Low Grade was some kind of underachievement, held back by the environment, low material quality, and the speed I was creating. But, they were more than enough to function as another mysterious gift. 

Still, Yellow Low Grade was more than enough for the current purposes, particularly considering I had limited time. I wasn’t planning to be in the garden when the dawn arrived, and while seeing Aisnam was tempting, she had already sent me away, and I couldn’t return without telling some really damning lies. 

Instead, I started to use the purified Qi to draw the next talisman … then the next. 

Since I was splitting my attention between meditation and talisman-making, the quality suffered a bit more, or maybe it was the reduced amount of subdued Qi, but Profound Peak Grade should be still sufficient for her needs. 

My brush danced on the special paper like I had been doing it my whole life, the pile of talismans growing without ruining even one. From a perspective, I was literally printing money … but ironically, finding a store that would sell me what I needed without killing me was a bigger challenge than purchasing. 

An absurd dilemma. 

While I was thinking about the next steps, I completed sixty talismans, fifty for Aisnam, and ten for me.  

For Aisnam, fifty talismans of Profound Peak Grade, all purification talismans, which was the one she needed the most. 

For myself, I created ten protective talismans, the weakest at the Profound Low Grade, barely able to work, while the strongest at Yellow Middle Grade, which consumed another precious strand. 

I would have created more, but I ran out of talisman paper. 

I had to create both weak and strong variants, because I didn’t know what I would be facing next. However, unlike cleansing and purification talismans, protection talisman was a more common tool, which could actually defend against physical attacks once it was activated. 

Hopefully, once I made contact with other cultivators, I would be able to sell them for a more applicable currency. 

Once I finished them, I carefully sneaked into the Spring Palace, and left the stack of purification talismans on the desk, with a note that warned her to cultivate well, that she didn’t have much time left. 

Another note from the same old apothecary who seemed determined to help her. 

Unfortunately, my growing number of fake identities didn’t allow me to talk with her directly, which was a true tragedy. Instead, I got out of the same tunnel, and left the capital behind. 

My next destination, was the healer she had directed to me, the one that was six months away. I wasn’t ready to stay away that long … but luckily, I didn’t have to. The distance between the capital and Markas was supposed to be almost a month, and yet, with my new speed, I was able to cover that distance in half a day. By the same equation, I should be able to go there in three days. 

Assuming, of course, I didn’t meet with a threat I couldn’t handle. 

Hopefully, I wouldn’t meet one, considering I had firepower enough to match with most Connate Realm martial artists, several cultivation tricks, and enough speed to get away from all but the fastest threats. 

I wanted to go. It was risky, but even with the System, it was impossible to be completely safe. And, I had already given enough pills to Marana to be enough until my next visit, and Pearyin was busy practicing her martial arts. 

It was the best time to leave. 

With that, I started running, the lack of extra weight helping me to move unencumbered. I just had the talismans, the brush set, some pills, and some money with me. The rest of the equipment I might need was safely in my inventory, including a lot of emergency food. 

My bastardized running-only martial art that had been inspired by the rabbits proved useful, increasing my speed to a point that couldn’t be easily matched by anyone else. 

I ran.