At that moment, another invisible stream of energy quietly flowed into Lucas Lu's mind.
After years of learning and experience, Lucas had already formed a rough understanding of it.
Merit.
As the energy merged with the merit he had accumulated over time, something within his sea of consciousness stirred once more.
Another talisman awakened.
Focusing on it, Lucas saw the engraving clearly.
A horse.
"The Horse Talisman… perfect."
His expression remained calm, but inside, he was overjoyed.
Afterward, under the guidance of the village chief, the villagers expressed their heartfelt gratitude to Uncle Jiu.
As always, Uncle Jiu refused excessive payment and only accepted some food. This simple act once again reinforced his image as a true master of virtue in the eyes of the villagers.
Soon, he brought Lucas back to the mortuary.
The following days passed without incident.
Lucas maintained strict discipline, morning and evening scripture recitations, and daily practice of foundational martial skills.
Maoshan Daoist arts were powerful, but in a chaotic era like this, relying on spells alone was not enough. Without proper combat ability, one would easily become a target for bandits.
Uncle Jiu himself had dealt with many robbers along the road. He would humbly claim he was not skilled in combat, yet knock down each bandit with a single punch.
Before long, Daoist Wu returned. After a brief exchange, Uncle Jiu once again set out traveling with Lucas.
Even on the road, Lucas continued training diligently, practicing footwork with every step he took.
The more Uncle Jiu observed him, the more satisfied he became.
Since Lucas was still growing, Uncle Jiu refrained from giving him overly intense training.
Time passed quickly.
Another three years went by.
During this time, Lucas successfully began cultivating the Maoshan Basic Qi Refining Technique and had already reached the third level of Qi Refining.
They encountered occasional supernatural disturbances, but the accumulated energy was still not enough to unlock another talisman.
Two years earlier, they had arrived at Renfield Town.
At the time, the mortuary was managed by an elderly caretaker. There were no Daoists in town. There had once been a feng shui master, but he had left for unknown reasons.
When Uncle Jiu and Lucas arrived, several jiangshi had crawled out of a nearby mass grave and begun wreaking havoc.
Uncle Jiu acted decisively.
Not a single one escaped. All were burned to ashes.
Unfortunately, the elderly caretaker had already been injured. By the time they arrived, he had passed away.
After resolving the crisis, the local gentry strongly urged Uncle Jiu to stay.
With little choice, he agreed.
However, instead of living in town, he chose to remain at the mortuary.
The townspeople admired his integrity and even contributed funds to repair and improve the mortuary.
From then on, Uncle Jiu settled in Renfield Town.
Although there had been many jiangshi, they were generally weak. Their only advantage was their numbers, which allowed them to target isolated individuals.
Because of this, the merit Lucas gained was limited, not enough to awaken another talisman.
However, since awakening the Horse Talisman, Lucas had been constantly experimenting with its power. Along the journey, he treated many sick villagers.
To them, he seemed like a divine child.
Even Uncle Jiu was impressed.
Lucas simply explained that whenever he focused, a cool sensation would rise in his mind, and he would instinctively know what to do.
Uncle Jiu believed it to be a blessing from the heavens.
Thus, master and disciple settled at the mortuary in Renfield Town. Matters of feng shui and spiritual disturbances were all handled by Uncle Jiu.
Over time, his reputation grew stronger, and more and more people respectfully referred to him as "Uncle Jiu."
When Lucas turned ten, Uncle Jiu returned from a nearby town with a boy who looked far older than his age.
The moment Lucas saw him, he understood.
These destined disciples were bound to appear sooner or later.
Uncle Jiu introduced the boy.
His name was Daniel Wen.
During a feng shui visit, Uncle Jiu had discovered that Daniel's parents had long passed away. His home had poor feng shui, and even his ancestral grave had been lost.
Seeing him struggling alone, Uncle Jiu took him in and brought him back to the mortuary.
After observing him for some time, Uncle Jiu found that although Daniel lacked talent, he was honest, kind-hearted, and filial.
Thus, he accepted him as his second disciple.
Lucas now had his first junior brother.
From then on, both boys trained under Uncle Jiu, learning Daoist arts and martial skills.
Daniel's aptitude was far inferior to Lucas's innate Dao body. The difference between them was obvious.
But Daniel never grew discouraged.
He understood his limitations and accepted them. Compared to Lucas, a once-in-a-generation prodigy, falling short was only natural.
Time passed.
By the time Lucas was thirteen, Daniel was two years older, yet his mature appearance often made him look like a man in his twenties.
By now, Lucas could handle minor supernatural incidents on his own.
He continued studying feng shui, while in Daoist arts and martial skills, he had already reached a level of independence.
Weaker black jiangshi and vengeful spirits were no longer a threat to him.
Yet the next talisman still had not appeared.
Lucas was not in a hurry. He knew it would come eventually. For now, cultivation was his priority.
At present, he had already reached the peak of Qi Refining.
Daniel, meanwhile, had only reached the second level, and that was under strict supervision.
One day, a handsome young man arrived at the mortuary.
The moment he saw Uncle Jiu, he knelt and asked to be accepted as a disciple.
Lucas recognized him immediately.
Ethan Shaw.
Another destined disciple.
But Uncle Jiu did not accept him right away.
Compared to Lucas and Daniel, Ethan came from a much better background. His intentions were unclear. If this was just a passing impulse, and he left after learning a few tricks, it would only create trouble later.
Ethan showed no dissatisfaction.
He respectfully saluted, left behind some pastries, and departed.
Uncle Jiu tried to return the items, but Ethan had already ridden off on his bicycle.
Daniel, who had been sweeping the courtyard, was completely puzzled.
Life continued as usual.
The next day, Ethan returned.
Same greeting. Same request.
And once again, he was refused.
On the third day. The fourth. The fifth.
Every morning, Ethan came to greet Uncle Jiu, always respectful, never showing impatience.
His sincerity was unmistakable.
Finally, Uncle Jiu was moved by his persistence.
He allowed Ethan to stay temporarily, intending to observe his character before making a final decision.
He introduced him to his disciples.
"Your senior brother, Lucas. Your second brother, Daniel."
Ethan greeted them politely.
"Greetings, Senior Brother. Second Brother."
Lucas found the titles slightly amusing. It reminded him of old stories about wandering monks and their disciples.
From that day on, Ethan joined their daily routine.
Morning scripture recitation. Martial training before noon. Daoist studies in the afternoon.
And just like that, life at the mortuary became a little more lively.