Chapter 17: New Contract Terms!

“Lu Changsheng, you say you can draw First-Tier talismans now!?”

In the living room, Uncle Fu’s face lit up with surprise and joy upon hearing Lu Changsheng’s words.

“Yes, Uncle Fu, though I’m still not very skilled at it.”

Lu Changsheng nodded and took out a talisman. “This is a First-Tier low-quality talisman I drew—a Fireball Talisman!”

This talisman was naturally different from the ones Lu Changsheng usually drew.

The lines on it looked a bit bumpy and not very smooth, but it was still successful.

“It really is a First-Tier talisman, a Fireball Talisman!”

“Good, good, good. You go rest now. I’ll report this to the family head!”

“Don’t worry, now that you’ve become a First-Tier Talisman Master, our Lu Family will definitely treat you well!”

Uncle Fu took the talisman and examined it for a few moments. After confirming it was correct, he said with a delighted expression.

“Yes, thank you, Uncle Fu.”

Lu Changsheng bowed slightly and left to wait for the results.

……

Lu Changsheng was playing with his children in the courtyard.

The older children could now walk and were running around the yard, full of energy.

Just then, the bell in the courtyard rang.

Someone had arrived.

Opening the gate, three figures stood at the entrance.

They were Uncle Fu, the Lu Family head Lu Yuanshan Ding, and the Lu Family’s eldest daughter Lu Miaoge..

Seeing the three, Lu Changsheng immediately understood why they had come.

It was about him becoming a First-Tier Talisman Master.

He hadn’t expected the Lu Family head to come just a day later.

And to personally visit, no less.

“Greetings, Family Head, Young Miss, Uncle Fu.”

Lu Changsheng quickly bowed and invited the three in, leading them to the main hall.

At the same time, he gestured for his wife to take the children to the back courtyard.

“Are these all your children? They can all walk now.”

Lu Yuanshan Ding, with his elegant and handsome face, spoke gently as he saw the children in the courtyard.

“Yes, Family Head.”

Lu Changsheng nodded.

“No need to be so formal, Changsheng. You’ve been with our Lu Family for over two years now, right?”

Lu Yuanshan Ding now spoke like an elder of the family, even changing how he addressed Lu Changsheng to just “Changsheng”.

“In response to the Family Head, I’ve been with the Lu Family for two years and four months.”

Lu Changsheng replied.

“Time really flies. Over two years have passed without us noticing.”

“Have you been adapting well these past two years?”

Lu Yuanshan Ding continued.

Apart from checking on the spirit seedlings’ situation twice at the beginning, he had barely visited Qingzhu Mountain Estate.

“Thank you for your concern, Family Head. I’ve been doing very well these two years, and Uncle Fu has taken good care of me.”

Lu Changsheng said aloud.

In his heart, he couldn’t help but think, I’m already twenty years old, not a three-year-old child. Why play this game with me?

It would be better to get to the practical matters.

At this moment, one of Lu Changsheng’s wives came to the hall with Spirit Tea, set it down, and left.

“Changsheng, I heard from Uncle Fu that you can now draw First-Tier low-quality talismans.”

Lu Yuanshan Ding took a sip of tea and got to the point.

“Yes, Family Head. After practicing for a while, I can now draw Fireball Talismans.”

“However, my success rate is still low, only about ten to twenty percent.”

Lu Changsheng spoke, explaining thus.

“The beginning is always the hardest. To reach this level of talisman crafting in just over a year and become an entry-level Talisman Master is already quite good. Show me a demonstration.”

“It’s good that Miaoge is here too. She can watch and give you some pointers.”

Lu Yuanshan Ding said in a gentle tone.

Through the Fireball Talisman Lu Changsheng gave to Uncle Fu, he naturally knew that Lu Changsheng could draw First-Tier talismans.

But for such matters, it was still necessary to see it in person and confirm.

“Yes, Family Head.”

“I’ll go get my talisman-making tools.”

Lu Changsheng said as he stood up.

“No need, I have some here.”

Lu Miaoge, who had been sittiig to the side, stood up and took out a set of talisman-making tools.

Her voice was still as gentle as water, making one feel as if basking in spring breeze.

“Thank you, Young Miss.”

Lu Changsheng took the tools from Lu Miaoge’s hands..

The talisman brush was still the ‘Golden Bamboo’ brush from last time.

Coming to the table, Lu Changsheng laid the talisman paper flat. He seemed a bit nervous as he took a deep breath, dipped the brush in ink, and began to draw the Fireball Talisman.

The first talisman failed about halfway through, with the paper emitting blue smoke due to a mistake.

However, Lu Yuanshan Ding and the others didn’t say anything, just gesturing for Lu Changsheng to continue.

On the second attempt, although Lu Changsheng’s performance was still a bit shaky, he succeeded.

“You’re still a bit nervous, but you’ve improved a lot since last time. You just need to be more precise and natural in your use of Qi.”

Lu Miaoge, observing from theeside, lightly pursed her moist lips and commented.

With Lu Changsheng’s Second-Tier peak talisman-making skills, it was naturally very easy to deceive her.

“Thank you for your guidance, Young Miss. I’ve made this progress thanks to the ‘Talisman Essentials’ you gave me.”

Lu Changsheng bowed and said, his voice somewhat excited.

“Very good. I didn’t expect you to successfully draw the Fireball Talisman on your second try, Changsheng.”

“It seems you were being too modest when you said you only had a ten to twenty percent success rate.”

Lu Yuanshan Ding also spoke with a smile.

Inwardly, he couldn’t help but marvel. He had almost rejected Lu Changsheng due to his nine-Tier Spirit Root, but who would have thought he’d have such amazing talent in talisman-making?

In just a year and a half, he had gone from a novice to an entry-level Talisman Master.

This talent was not only no worse than his daughter Lu Miaoge’s, but even surpasssd it by a few notches.

At this age, with this talent, it was enough for the Lu Family to extend an olive branch.

“It was just luck this time, I got fortunate.”

Lu Changsheng, like a simple young man, said somewhat embarrassedly.

“Young man, there’s no need to be so modest.”

Lu Yuanshan Ding waved his hand and continued, “I’ve been watching your performance in the Lu Family these past two years, and I’ve long considered you one of our own.”

“Now that you’ve become an entry-level Talisman Master, our Lu Family certainly won’t mistreat our own people.”

“These are the new terms and conditions I’ve prepared for you. Take a look.”

As he spoke, Lu Yuanshan Ding took out a piece of brownish-yellow parchment from his sleeve and handed it to Lu Changsheng.

This was a Spirit Contract, somewhat similar to contracts from his previous life.

Lu Changsheng and the other spirit seedlings had signed such contracts when they first came to the Lu Family.

“Thank you, Family Head.”

Lu Changsheng accepted the Spirit Contract with a face full of pleasant surprise and began to examine its contents.

The content was very simple and straightforward.

Unlike contracts from his previous life that were densely packed over several pages, where one could easily fall into a trap if not careful.

First, the previously signe signed contract was now void.

Lu Changsheng was no longer a son-in-law who had married into the Lu Family.

Instead, he was now officially married, a son-in-law of the Lu Family.

So he no longer had to give the Lu Family fifty children with Spirit Roots over twenty years.

The children he had could now bear his surname and belong to him.

Second, he would enjoy the same treatment as the direct descendants of the Lu Family.

He could move to the core area of Qingzhu Mountain, Qingzhu Valley, and enjoy the use of Second-Tier spirit veins.

Moreover, his monthly resources would increase from five Spirit Stones to ten, along with a bottle of Yellow Dragon Pills.

In return, his obligations were to help the Lu Family produce a certain number of talismans each month.

He also needed to practice making specific talismans according to the Lu Family’s needs.

Of course, the Lu Family would provide the materials for talisman-making, which was also part of their cultivation of his talisman-making skills.

With Lu Changsheng’s Second-Tier talisman-making skills, these obligations were pure profit.

However, the last condition made Lu Changsheng frown slightly.

If he were to leave the Lu Family, he would need to give twenty years’ notice in advance.

Otherwise, he would have to return three times the resources the Lu Family had invested in him.

The previous conditions were indeed good, no doubt about it.

But the last condition made him hesitate slightly.

The last condition, simply put, meant that staying with the Lu Family indefinitely would be best, a win-win situation.

If he wanted to leave, to depart from the Lu Family, he had two choices.

Either repay three times the resources the Lu Family had invested in him over the years, essentially buying his freedom.

Or give the Lu Family advance notice and then work for them for twenty years.

Lu Changsheng knew in his heart that he couldn’t stay with the Lu Family forever.

A great man born between heaven and earth, how could he remain under others for long?

Once he got through the initial stages, he would choose to leave.

In the Lu Family, although he had safety and protection, he was ultimately dependent on others.

Many things and matters he had to approach with caution.

For example, in terms of talisman-making, he had delayed revealing his First-Tier talisman-making skills for a whole year and a half.

He had nearly five hundred First-Tier talismans hidden in his room, over four hundred.

If converted to Spirit Stones, it would be an enormous sum!

Moreover, Lu Changsheng knew his talent wasn’t good.

If he wanted to go far on the path of cultivation, he needed to have more children, more children with Spirit Roots.

Relying on ordinary wives to give birth would be difficult and troublesome.

He needed to marry more ‘immortal maidens’ with Spirit Roots.

Even if the Lu Family was willing to marry women with Spirit Roots to him, it would be at most one.

They couldn’t possibly give him nine wives with Spirit Roots like they did with ordinary women.

“Changsheng, if you feel anything is inappropriate or have any doubts or questions, you can bring them up directly.”

“I just thought of this contract today, so naturally, there might be some oversights.”

Lu Yuanshan Ding, seeing Lu Changsheng’s hesitant and conflicted expression, took a sip of Spirit Tea and still spoke in a gentle tone.