"Nine-Stroke Talisman"

Chapter 14: The Second Karmic Obstacle

The next morning, Shen Moyan was blocked at his shop door by Lu Jiuyuan.

"Any news on that book?" Lu Jiuyuan asked.

"No."

Lu Jiuyuan looked at him, his gaze sharper than last time. "You went down the well."

Shen Moyan said nothing.

"That well in Chenghuang Temple's backyard, I've heard of it." Lu Jiuyuan said. "It's recorded in Maoshan's texts—something's sealed at the bottom of that well. Someone went down thirty years ago, came back ruined. You didn't. Means you have something they didn't."

He stared into Shen Moyan's eyes.

"The nine-stroke charm head—how many strokes have you drawn?"

Shen Moyan's heart tightened.

"How do you know about the nine-stroke charm head?"

"Because Maoshan has it too." Lu Jiuyuan said. "There's a fragment in the scripture library, records the drawing method for the nine-stroke charm head. But only the first five strokes. The last four are lost. Generations of Maoshan leaders have tried to complete them. None succeeded."

He looked at Shen Moyan, a strange glint in his eyes.

"You have Zhu Quan inside you, don't you? The creator of the nine-stroke charm head. How many has he taught you?"

Shen Moyan was silent.

Lu Jiuyuan waited a moment, got no answer, nodded.

"Fine. Don't tell me. But remember this—that thing sealed at the bottom of the well, you can't handle it. When you can draw the seventh stroke, come find me."

He turned to leave.

"Wait." Shen Moyan stopped him. "Why are you helping me?"

Lu Jiuyuan paused, didn't turn around.

"Because I owe someone."

"Who?"

Lu Jiuyuan was silent for a moment, then said:

"The one who died in that well thirty years ago—he was my master."

After Lu Jiuyuan left, Shen Moyan sat in his shop, mind in chaos.

The one who died in the well thirty years ago was Lu Jiuyuan's master. And that man was Zhang Shouyi's senior fellow apprentice.

So Zhang Shouyi and Lu Jiuyuan's master were from the same lineage, fellow apprentices.

Did Lu Jiuyuan know Zhang Shouyi was still alive?

Why didn't he say anything?

"Because he has debts too." Zhu Quan's voice sounded. "And not small ones."

"What debts?"

"Don't know. But those memory fragments inside him—they're older than I am. 127 Taoists' memories. You know what that means?"

Shen Moyan shook his head.

"Means he's lived longer than you and me combined. But he doesn't know it himself. He thinks he's only in his twenties, but inside him, he's carrying centuries of stuff."

Zhu Quan paused, his voice dropping very low.

"That man's worse off than you."