Closer to Revealing My True Self
Chapter 404 - 289: Drawing Talismans with Realgar Wine_2

Chapter 404: Chapter 289: Drawing Talismans with Realgar Wine_2

Lu Yue sat down, first selecting the charm he wanted to buy, and then briefly conversed with the Taoist to determine the talismanic script to be drawn on his arm.

Especially for this talismanic script, Lu Yue had even made sure to wash his arm beforehand.

The Taoist drew the charm on Lu Yue’s forearm. Having drawn many before, he was adept and didn’t take much time.

Lu Yue laughed as he showed it to Feng Yi, "Once it’s done, it looks like this. It’s a bit itchy, but I think I can handle it. Look, arm art!"

The drawing on the arm did have an artistic feel to it.

"Come on, you try it too." Lu Yue stood up from his seat and gestured for Feng Yi to come over.

By this time, Feng Yi no longer hesitated and walked over, sat down, and extended his arm, letting the Taoist draw a common peace charm on it.

The Taoist drew with ease.

So smooth that the Taoist himself was taken aback.

His skills in drawing talismans were mature; there was no chance of a mistake. However, sometimes the skin and muscle tremors of a human arm could cause minor deviations upon contact with the brush.

After all, human skin is not a flat piece of paper, the touch is different, and there are more factors affecting the drawing of talismans.

Just like with Lu Yue just now, when the brush touched Lu Yue’s arm, he felt itchy. Although it was not obvious and you couldn’t tell after the drawing was completed, as the person drawing the talisman, the Taoist was aware of those subtle deviations.

But while drawing Feng Yi’s charm, it was incredibly smooth.

Too smooth!

It was as if completely unaffected by the touch of the brush, every muscle, the epidermis, even each and every hair lying down so obediently, secure as...

As if it were fake!

This reminded the Taoist of the time when he was practicing drawing talismans on humans and used a mannequin for practice. Drawing a talisman on the mannequin’s arm felt just like this, a similar sensation.

Without any interference, it was exceedingly stable.

There were no unnecessary breaks or twists in the strokes, and the arcs of the talismanic script were without any deviation!

Simply perfect!

Too perfect!

This was the most perfect charm he had drawn all day!

He even wanted to take out his phone and snap a photo to commemorate it!

If he weren’t worried about offending the client, he would have even liked to pinch it to see: How is this arm shaped, that one could draw such a perfect talisman on it!

Ah, who knows when he would next get the chance to draw such a perfect talisman...

The Taoist’s expression towards Feng Yi grew even more cordial.

Feng Yi, noticing the sudden fluctuation in the Taoist’s emotional state: ???

What’s with this Taoist?

Why is he looking at me like that?

Anyway, the charm was finished.

Lu Yue came over to take a look and couldn’t help but say, "How come, I always feel, the charm on your arm is better looking than mine?"

The Taoist beside them just silently responded with a smile.

Lu Yue just made an offhand remark.

He and Feng Yi chose different charms, and the drawing methods were also different, perhaps that was the reason?

Putting aside that slight sense of imbalance in his heart, Lu Yue asked Feng Yi, "How do you feel? Not bad, right?"

"Mhm." Feng Yi thought to himself that it was a bit smelly.

Aside from that, he didn’t feel much else.

Even so, looking at the charm on his arm, Feng Yi felt a strange sense of pride in his heart.

Look!

I don’t just draw charms with realgar wine, I also use Fahai’s bowl to eat!

Feng Yi bought a few more paper-drawn charms, and even though Lu Yue wanted to pay for him, he refused.

He intended to give these few charms to the butler and Jia.

Without this kind of "spiritual sustenance," they were good as festive decorative elements.

Coming out of the booth, Lu Yue said to Feng Yi with some excitement:

"A body full of scent, realgar isn’t exactly pleasant-smelling, but, it’s just for one day and still worth it. I feel like insects and snakes won’t come near me now!"

Feng Yi paused, then explained, "Realgar does affect snakes, but not as much as the legends say."

Lu Yue didn’t mind, "It doesn’t matter, as long as it keeps mosquitoes and insects away! Anyway, I don’t encounter snakes normally."

The places he usually went didn’t have so many snakes.

Mosquitoes and bugs have been seen quite frequently.

As the ancients used to say, the fifth lunar month is the active period for insects and snakes.

Lu Yue took Feng Yi around the inner venue of the event, telling him the time and location of the auction.

Feng Yi inquired, "Is there any dress code for the charity auction?"

After thinking for a moment, Lu Yue shook his head, "There’s no strict rule, as this isn’t an ordinary business cocktail party. This time it’s festival-themed, and the requirements are fairly relaxed. I’ve heard some people might even wear traditional costumes."

"Wear whatever you want, but if you care about these things, you might want to dress up a little bit more formally. If you don’t care about it, a T-shirt will do. However, I suggest putting on a long-sleeved shirt or a coat. The auction will be indoors, and it might get a bit cold if the air conditioning is high—don’t catch a cold."

Lu Yue still thought that Feng Yi’s sneezing was due to catching a cold rather than allergies, and upon reflection, he hadn’t heard Feng Yi sneeze again afterward.

"Do you have a place to rest?" Lu Yue asked, "Our company has rented suites in a nearby hotel. The staff from the exhibition area can rest there. I’ll also go over later; there’s a lounge, so you could lie down there for a bit."

"No, I have plans," replied Feng Yi.

"Alright." Lu Yue knew that Feng Yi wasn’t short on money, so there was no need to book a hotel room for him.

Lu Yue had someone bring over two sets of documents and handed them to Feng Yi.

"These are what I’ve found, up until now, items that will be auctioned. If you’re interested, you might want to get ready to bid."

"This second set is about the Copper Coin that Old Man Fu will auction. I asked a friend, and just that Copper Coin is worth at least a million. But at an auction like this, the final bid could end up being five to ten times that—you should have an idea."

"It’s about contributing to charity, but you know how it is. Most will use this auction to do favors, boost their status or as an entry into certain circles."

"The Fu Family is also a prominent clan in Rong City, and Old Man Fu’s status here is akin to your grandfather’s status in Yang City. There are plenty of people who want to make an impression in front of him."

Lu Yue still had a business dinner to attend, not the freedom to wander the venue like Feng Yi. He would need to change his clothes and cover up the talismanic symbols on his arm.

After reminding Feng Yi of a few things, Lu Yue hurriedly left.

Feng Yi, holding the documents, headed for the parking lot.

The car that he drove out was a lengthened custom version. The interior space was large enough to serve as a short-term rest area.

Of course, this was only applicable to ordinary people. For Feng Yi, it was suitable for a short rest in his assumed form.

He did not consider hotels nearby; they were not safe.

Since he couldn’t transform back into his original form either way, he might as well just sleep in the car.

Jia had been waiting in the parking lot.

Feng Yi opened the bag containing charms and handed one to Jia.

Jia looked at the charm in front of him.

Feng Yi said, "A Taoist in the inner venue of the Cultural Arts Festival drew this, a peace charm. It could also work as an ornament."

Jia took it and then heard Feng Yi continue:

"I bought several, including those for warding off evil and averting disasters. They’re marked with realgar wine, so they have a bit of a smell."

Jia: "?!"

He looked at the charm in his hand.

Meanwhile, he heard Feng Yi saying, "Let’s go to that restaurant on the street corner for a meal; it has good online reviews..."

Jia glanced at Feng Yi, who was considering where to eat, and then at the charm in his hand.

Suddenly, he felt reassured.

Before going to find food, Feng Yi had Jia stay outside the car to watch over it while he took a brief rest.

Jia did not ask any questions and dutifully stood guard outside the car.

Inside the car, Feng Yi extended his arm.

Although he had gotten used to the smell of realgar and other odors over time, with the pungent scent no longer so strong, he wasn’t too keen on continuing to smell them.

Feng Yi’s pupils suddenly shrank into vertical slits.

A layer of scales appeared on the arm with the drawn talismanic symbols.

And as these scales emerged, an invisible force seemed to break down all the material residues that had previously been attached to the surface of the arm!

The talismanic symbols painted on the arm faded away as well.

In an instant, they disappeared without a trace.

Except for the odor of alcohol and other scents in his clothes, the smell of realgar wine on Feng Yi’s body was no longer detectable.

Due to the switch in states, even if he wasn’t fully reverting to his original form, his body still underwent certain changes.

For example, his weight.

Jia, standing outside, noticed that the car’s tires suddenly deflated, as though under sudden pressure from gravity.

Afterward, they returned to their original state.