Chapter 20: Tian Sheng's Imagination
"A Talisman Dao family?"
Tian Sheng looked surprised upon hearing this.
After all, professions like Alchemists, Array Masters, and Talisman Masters weren't roles just anyone could take on. They required not only Talent but also a heritage.
But similarly, as long as one could become a formal professional in the hundred arts of cultivation, they were basically figures respected and revered by all.
And according to what Tian Sheng knew, Talisman Master Jiang in their village not only held a transcendent status, but her income far exceeded the combined total of the Old Village Chief and the Commander-in-Chief—both Second-Turn Transcendent cultivators!
"It's called a Talisman Dao family, but in reality, we only mastered some of the most basic talisman drawing methods."
Lin An shook his head slightly, then said in a low voice, "Originally, the family wanted me to walk the path of a Talisman Master, so my previous cultivation always focused on improving Spirit."
"Unfortunately, fortune is fickle. While I was still an apprentice, the family..."
Lin An didn't continue, but in Tian Sheng's mind, he was already imagining a scene where a Talisman Dao family was tragically wiped out in a disaster.
He even filled in the blanks about a genius youth from the family who, after a difficult escape, ended up as a Refugee, suffering through all sorts of tragic encounters!
"My condolences, brother!"
Tian Sheng patted Lin An's shoulder and said earnestly, "I believe that with your Talent, you'll be able to avenge your family sooner or later!"
Lin An: "..."
Fine, he liked this kind of big brother who filled in the blanks himself.
This way, he didn't even need to keep making things up. The plot the other party imagined might even be more reasonable than what he could concoct—at least it was more convincing to the man himself.
"It was also through this ordeal that I felt the power of a Talisman Master is ultimately limited and relies on external objects."
"To have the ability to protect myself and others, I still need to be strong myself."
Lin An said this, which served as a convenient explanation for why he chose to learn the Tiger-Bird Technique.
Although at the time he really just wanted to learn a higher-quality skill, it didn't hurt to keep the story going like this.
"As your big brother, I have to give you some advice on that."
Hearing this, Tian Sheng shook his head and said, "High-level Talisman Masters are still quite formidable, and their own combat power isn't necessarily much weaker."
"Of course, I also approve if you want to take the Tiger-Bird Beast Path, but the Talisman Dao shouldn't be easily abandoned either."
"If all else fails, you can try to walk the double Transcendent Path in the future. I believe that with your Talent, you can definitely achieve that!"
Lin An pondered for a long while before finally nodding slightly. "Thank you for your kindness, Big Brother Tian. I will consider it seriously."
"That's the Spirit."
Tian Sheng laughed heartily, then spoke up. "I'll find an opportunity to introduce you to Talisman Master Jiang. Although the Master has always been uninterested in village affairs, you two might have common topics to talk about."
Lin An remained noncommittal.
However, he wasn't worried about being exposed because while learning the superior quality substitute talisman manual, he had already gained a lot of basic knowledge about the Talisman Dao.
At this moment, he might not count as a Talisman Master yet, but being an apprentice was more than enough.
In fact, it was precisely because he had the relevant knowledge that Lin An decided to fabricate his identity in the direction of the Talisman Dao.
"This persona is getting more and more patches; I still need to be careful with my words and actions."
Lin An thought to himself as the two of them, chatting while walking, soon arrived at the village's Administrative Hall.
"Help Little Brother Lin Quan register. He's officially joining our Hunting Group today and will serve as a Team Leader."
Tian Sheng said to the young clerk at the front desk responsible for records.
The pure and beautiful clerk looked at Lin An, and a flash of surprise couldn't help but cross her eyes.
After all, those who could become Team Leaders were all big shots as high as level five!
And she was truly seeing a level five cultivator as young as Lin An for the first time!
"When did such a genius come to the village?"
Though puzzled, she still quickly began the registration as Captain Tian instructed.
"Come to think of it, I don't think I've told you about the benefits of being a Hunting Team Leader yet."
At the same time, Tian Sheng spoke up. "The salary for ordinary Hunting Team members is one thousand Ruin Coins per month; you probably know that."
"Once you reach level five and become a Team Leader, not only does the salary rise to one thousand five hundred Ruin Coins, but you also get one free opportunity each month to study an ordinary quality secret manual."
"And for every level you increase after that, your stipend grows by three hundred. Since I'm currently level ten, my base stipend is exactly three thousand."
Three thousand Ruin Coins might not sound like much, but it was actually enough for an ordinary villager to live a wealthy life for two years.
Lin An felt that if the Blue Planet really faced an apocalypse one day, even if he could only enter the game once every three days or even three months, he probably wouldn't have to worry about basic survival materials at all.
"However, although you've become a Team Leader, you might have some difficulty recruiting members."
Tian Sheng thought for a moment and said, "After all, you're a newcomer, and the other cultivators in the village don't know you yet. Brother Lin, do you want me to introduce a few reliable teammates to you?"
"No need, for now I still prefer to act alone."
Lin An shook his head slightly upon hearing this.
His lie about being level five was specifically so he could act alone; naturally, he had no intention of recruiting members.
"Alright then, but you must be careful on your own."
Tian Sheng didn't force the issue but reminded him, "The Scouting Groups regularly check the thirty-kilometer area around the village. Monsters higher than level five are usually cleared out by someone sent for that purpose."
"With your experience, as long as you don't go too far, there shouldn't be any problems. But nothing is absolute, so you still have to be careful."
In Tian Sheng's eyes, Lin An wasn't some genius raised in a greenhouse, but a real tough guy who had wandered here after surviving God knows how many calamities.
Though young, his survival experience was definitely top-notch; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to survive one night after another outside.
Therefore, operating in a relatively safe place like the vicinity of the village shouldn't be a major problem.
As the clerk finished the registration, a token with 'Hunting Team' engraved on the front and 'Leader' on the back was handed to Lin An.
And thus, Lin An officially became one of the Hunting Group's Team Leaders, even though he didn't have a single member under him.
"The Tide of Calamity is coming. For the next two days, I might have to go outside with the Village Chief and the others to confirm some information."
As if suddenly remembering something, Tian Sheng said, "If anything comes up, you can go to the Library Pavilion and find that Administrator. He should be able to solve most problems."
"Tide of Calamity?"
Lin An was somewhat curious; he hadn't seen any information related to this yet.
However, if it was something that required even the Village Chief, who was in the Extraordinary Realm, to set out—and even risk staying out overnight to investigate—it must be very important.