Chapter 65 – Who’s Your Master?

Yang Ye turned around. He noticed a woman in a green colored dress grinning at him, and there was a grey robed old man following behind her.

The woman was around the age of 17 or 18. Her appearance wasn’t exceptionally beautiful, yet it was very pleasing to the eye, and her face that had an indifferent grin on it revealed a tranquil and gentle bearing. It was precisely this bearing that instantly and greatly improved the woman’s charm.

Yang Ye sized the woman up with his gaze, and in the end, his eyes stopped at the woman’s waist. As he gazed at the woman’s slender waist, a wisp of amazement flashed in Yang Ye’s eyes. The woman’s waist was extremely slender like a willow tree during its first spring, and a beautiful curve was drawn out from amidst its slenderness and gracefulness.

The woman nodded slightly to Yang Ye, and then she brought the old man along as she walked towards the young man and said, “I’m going to trouble Master Zhang anyway, so allow him to be tested as well. I think that Master Zhang would probably have no objections!”

The young man cupped his fists to the woman, and then he revealed a troubled expression and said, “Young Miss Xiao, you ought to know that my duty….”

The woman nodded with a smile, and then she withdrew two Energy Stones and passed it to the young man before she said, “Zhang Heng, I know it’s difficult for you as well, but I hope that you can make an exception!”

The young man called Zhang Heng received the two Energy Stones while the troubled expression from before vanished from his face, and he said with a smile, “Alright, he can go and try! Right, Young Miss Xiao, I hope you’ll be able to pass the test this time!”

“Thank you for your blessings!” The woman smiled gently, and then she gazed at Yang Ye and said, “Let’s go in!”

As she spoke, she walked towards the entrance.

As he watched this entire process, how could Yang Ye not understand that the reason the man hadn’t allowed him to enter was that he didn’t offer the necessary ‘bribe’. Actually, he knew of all these principles of conduct, but he’d never expected that the members of the Talisman Master’s Association were like that as well.

Yang Ye glanced at the two Energy Stones in the young man’s hand, and then he followed the woman in a green dress.

After they arrived at the main hall within the building, Yang Ye caught up to the woman, and he cupped his fists and said, “Thank you for just now, Young Miss Xiao!” As he spoke, Yang Ye withdrew two Energy Stones and passed it to the woman.

As she gazed at the Energy Stones that were being passed over to her, a strand of surprise flashed through her eyes. Energy Stones were quite precious, and they were precious even to her. The reason he was willing to spend two Energy Stones to help this man before her was because the old man behind her had said that this man might be a member of the Sword Sect. So, she was willing to spend those two Energy Stones.

The woman didn’t take the Energy Stones, and she asked instead. “Young Master, are you from the Sword Sect?”

Yang Ye said with surprise, “How did you find out?”

The woman smiled sweetly when she heard this, and she said, “Uncle Lin and I saw you with an honorary disciple of the Sword Sect just now.”

When he heard the woman, Yang Ye instantly came to an understanding. Earlier, he was extremely puzzled by the woman’s willingness to help him. Now, he knew that it was because he was a disciple of the Sword Sect!

Yang Ye aroused a slightly good impression of the woman because of her frankness, and he immediately said, “No matter what, I have to thank you for just now.”

“It was only a trivial matter!” The woman smiled, and then she said, “Young Master, you’ve come to take the test to become a Talisman Master as well?”

Yang Ye nodded and said, “I’ve come to try!”

The woman said with a smile, “It’s good to try. You’ll be able to familiarize yourself with some of the processes of crafting talismans. Right, let me introduce myself, I’m Xiao Yu’er.”

“Yang Ye!”

After a short period of conversation, Yang Ye swept the hall with his gaze, and then he asked. “Young Miss Xiao, why is this place so deserted?”

Xiao Yu’er explained. “The Talisman Masters of the branch are either cultivating or studying talismans. Usually, unless the branch suffers an attack or someone comes to take the test to become a Talisman Master, otherwise, these Talisman Masters would lock themselves in their own rooms and never leave!”

“They cultivate and study so desperately?” Yang Ye spoke with surprise.

Xiao Yu’er said with a smile, “Of course. Not only do Talisman Masters have to cultivate, but they also have to study talismans as well. Moreover, for the sake of purchasing materials to craft talismans, they even have to accept some commissions. It can be said that they’re extremely busy. Everyone else knows that Talisman Masters have great power, prestige, and status, yet they don’t know that all of this was obtained through the hard work of these Talisman Masters themselves!”

Yang ye nodded in agreement and said, “Indeed. The people of the world are only able to see the power and prestige on the surface, and they’re unable to notice the hard work of others! Right, what sort of procedures are there during the test?”

Xiao Yu’er knew that it was the first time he was coming to take the test, so she immediately explained. “Actually, there isn’t much of a procedure, and the examinee is considered to have passed so long as the examinee can craft a low-grade talisman. Crafting one type of low-grade talisman allows one to become a Grade One Talisman Master, and if one can craft five different talismans, then one can become a Grade Five Talisman Master. Earth Talisman Masters that stand above Grade Five Talisman Masters need to be able to inscribe objects. As for even higher levels, there’s no need for us to think about it now!”

Yang Ye nodded, and he thought in his heart. It’s just like what Bao’er said. Since I’m already able to craft two types of talismans, then I can be considered to be a Grade Two Talisman Master.

When he thought up to here, Yang Ye asked. “Young Miss Xiao, would we really still maintain our freedom after becoming Talisman Masters?”

Xiao Yu’er smiled and said, “Yes, the members of the association can freely join any power, and they don’t have to stay within the Talisman Master’s Association. However, they’re bound by the rules of the Talisman Master’s Association. After all, if the members of an organization weren’t bound by its rules, then it would definitely lead to chaos.”

“The profession of Talisman Master is truly an enviable and admirable profession!” Yang Ye said with a smile, “Not only do Talisman Masters possess a lofty and extraordinary status, but they are also able to enjoy numerous special privileges, and they even have such freedom. It’s too much better than the identity of a disciple in a sect!”

Xiao Yu’er said, “At the bottom of it all, the reason this profession is lofty is because of the effect of Talisman Masters. Just think about it, if two people at the same cultivation fought, and one of them utilized a Strength Talisman or a Strider Talisman, then what would the outcome of the battle be? Any talisman a Talisman Master had casually crafted was often capable of allowing a Profounder to turn the situation of the battle around!

Yang ye smiled, and then he glanced at the surroundings before he asked. “Young Miss Xiao, when will the test begin?”

A wisp of a helpless expression flashed in her eyes, and she said, “We’ll probably have to wait for a while longer. Master Zhang is probably inscribing something for his customer. But don’t worry, Master Zhang is a man of his word. Since he said that he’d test me today, then he’ll definitely make the time to test me!”

Yang Ye could only nod when he heard this. He hadn’t returned directly to Southpeace City and had come to take the test to become a Talisman Master because he wanted to obtain another trump card to utilize against the Liu Clan. Because he was prepared to put a complete end to the enmity between his family and the Liu Clan when he went back to Southpeace City this time.

Two hours quickly went by. The two of them conversed rather happily. Actually, it should be said that Yang Ye had been constantly asking while Xiao Yu’er was explaining. Even though Yang Ye could be considered to be a Talisman Master, he didn’t know anything about the Talisman Master’s Association, whereas, Xiao Yu’er was extremely familiar with it all. So, Yang Ye understood many things through this conversation.

Xiao Yu’er had a slightly good impression of Yang Ye through this as well. Because even though he was a disciple of the Sword Sect, Yang Ye wasn’t proud at all. Moreover, he asked as soon as he didn’t know something and modestly asked her for guidance. He hadn’t acted like he knew something when he didn’t. This caused her to answer all of Yang Ye’s questions!

After chatting for almost another two hours of time, a slightly slovenly old man appeared in the hall. The old man seemed to be in an extreme hurry, and he directly said to Xiao Yu’er, “Little Girl, come with me!” As soon as he finished speaking, he didn’t even look back as he walked towards the left.

When he saw the slovenly old man, Yang Ye knew that this was that Earth Talisman Master, Master Zhang, that Xiao Yu’er had spoken of. However, this Master Zhang’s appearance was truly impossible to compliment.

Xiao Yu’er smiled at Yang Ye and said, “Brother Ye, let’s follow him!”

Yang Ye nodded, and then the two of them hurriedly followed Master Zhang.

The three of them arrived at a room, and besides an enormous stone table, there wasn’t anything else within the room. There were numerous blank talisman papers and some white colored jade bottles that contained Spirit Herb Sap and the blood of Darkbeasts on the stone table!”

The slovenly old man disregarded Yang Ye and gazed at Xiao Yu’er as he said, “Little Girl, if you’re still unable to pass this time, then you can’t disturb me again in the future. You have to understand that I’m really extremely busy!”

Xiao Yu’er bowed towards the slovenly old man and said, “I’ll be troubling Senior Zhang!”

As soon as she finished speaking, she pointed at Yang Ye and said, “Master Zhang, he has come to participate in the test as well!”

When he heard Xiao Yu’er, the slovenly old look looked once more at Yang Ye, and he sized Yang Ye up briefly before he said, “Kid, who’s your master?”

Yang Ye was in a slightly embarrassed state when he heard this because he didn’t know the name of Bao’er’s grandfather….