Chapter 203: Chapter 196: She’s Fine Now
Jade Lake’s Ming’an.

Jiang Cheng was seated on the sofa, starting to conceive of a new talisman required by Wei Qin.

In some sense, the new talisman could be referred to as “Fishing Talisman 2.0,” but this time the target was not fish in water, but the Demonic Tao’s Hehuan Sect.

The design requirements for the new talisman were clear—it needed to help cultivators who had become “desensitized” due to excessive use of the Willpower Empowerment Talisman to restore their bodily sensations.

Although he had an idea, designing it was not easy.

Because “desensitization” is a kind of bodily protective mechanism, the Purification Talisman couldn’t undo it, and talismans that “increase sensation” would see greatly diminished effects due to the existence of this protective mechanism.

It was like the dam in the reservoir was closed; no water was coming upstream, and no amount of rain downstream could create a flood.

Jiang Cheng had to think of a kind of talisman that could bypass the body’s protective mechanisms and still enhance “sensation.”

There was no inspiration for drawing the talisman.

Look at Snake.

Still no inspiration.

Stop looking! Close your eyes! I must rely on my own strength!

Why isn’t Snake coming over?

No, I can’t rely on her anymore!

Footsteps, she was walking over.

So what? Let the winds blow from all directions, I stand unshaken!

She sat down on the sofa, and the air wasn’t too fragrant. It must be the other side of the sofa.

A good distance, I can almost remain unaffected by her!

She moved a bit closer.

Such a laughable position, unable to shake my will in designing the talisman!

Very close now.

Ha, just a mere Snake trying to shake my resolve to draw talismans independently? You underestimate my conviction!

Holding hands.

There’s something there, but that’s all!

Her hand is so soft, just touching it once.

Gurgle.

Jiang Cheng’s stomach made a sound.

He felt extremely weak, as though he hadn’t eaten all day.

Jiang Cheng opened his eyes and discovered that it was already dark outside the window.

“Strange, didn’t I just have breakfast?”

Jiang Cheng looked at the night sky of the Capital, unable to understand what had happened.

“I was just thinking about the talisman for a moment, and the day turned to night? I really am too focused on drawing talismans. I’ll pay attention next time.”

“Dinner?” Liu Qing asked.

“Hmm. There should be leftovers from yesterday; warm them up.”

“Hand.”

“Oh. I forgot.”

Jiang Cheng watched Liu Qing’s back as she opened the fridge and said, “Is there a talisman that would let her cook without having to let go of my hand?”

“What am I thinking? Shouldn’t I be focused on how to entrap the Hehuan Sect?”

“So where is my inspiration for drawing talismans?”

“Where did it go along with the time?”

Jiang Cheng watched Liu Qing take yesterday’s leftovers from the fridge, then carry them to the microwave, turn the knob, and start reheating the food.

Microwave, microwave, microwave…

A novel idea gradually took shape in Jiang Cheng’s mind.

From a scientific perspective on Earth, “sensation” is a kind of electrical signal sent by the body to the brain, with “desensitization” meaning the signal isn’t sent or received anymore.

But in the world of Xianxia, the brain isn’t the only sensory organ for cultivators, who have a “Spirit Space” and “Spiritual Power.”

When one reaches the Nascent Soul Stage in their cultivation, they condense their “spirit” into a tangible “Nascent Soul.”

If the brain becomes “desensitized,” then couldn’t one use a talisman to send the signal directly into the Spirit Space?

Spiritual Power attacks are not uncommon in battles among cultivators.

However, they mostly occur in the fights of high-level cultivators. Low-level cultivators, lacking a Nascent Soul, usually don’t have strong Spiritual Power and struggle to launch effective attacks.

A first-level Spiritual Power attack talisman is utterly useless.

The amount of damage it inflicts is even less stimulating than the bright light emitted by an Incandescent Talisman to the eyes.

But that is predicated on the assumption that A is attacking B, and B is on guard.

If A attacks A, and one is not guarding against oneself, then a Spiritual Power attack can have quite a significant effect.

New talisman, if it can transmit bodily sensations through “attacks on the spiritual power,” it should be able to perform the function of “restoring sensitivity.”

Liu Qing watched Jiang Cheng brainstorming with great curiosity in her heart.

He had been touching hands all day, from morning to afternoon, with his mind completely blank.

Now that he’s not touching hands and is about to eat, inspiration is bursting forth.

Liu Qing knew how important the current inspiration was for Jiang Cheng, so she didn’t interrupt, deciding if the food got cold, she’d reheat it.

She didn’t need to eat.

So waiting for Jiang Cheng was just fine.

Finally, taking advantage of his precious brainstorming, Jiang Cheng completed his design for a new talisman to “overcome desensitization”!

[Name: Perception Transmission Talisman

Rank: First Rank

Type: Attack

Effects: Through weak but high-frequency spiritual attacks, it conveys bodily sensations, allowing one to freely adjust the sensitivity of various senses such as smell, taste, pain, touch, hearing, etc.

Precautions: Do not use too high a sensitivity for a long time, as it can trigger the spirit space’s protective mechanism and lead to unconsciousness.]

“Time to eat!”

Jiang Cheng came to the dining table and devoured his food.

Aside from breakfast, he hadn’t had anything else today and was truly starving.

But as he was halfway through his meal, he suddenly realized Liu Qing wasn’t eating.

Strange, she wasn’t like this before.

“Liu Qing, why aren’t you eating?”

Liu Qing shook her head and said, “I’m not hungry.”

Not hungry?

That’s not right!

Her not eating definitely wasn’t because she wasn’t hungry!

Jiang Cheng frowned, carefully examined the dining table, and finally understood why Liu Qing wasn’t eating—the food leftover from yesterday wasn’t enough for two people.

Jiang Cheng was silent for a moment before he suddenly stood up.

He walked over and took Liu Qing’s hand.

“Come on, I’ll take you out to eat, you can have whatever you want today.”

“I’m not hungry.”

Liu Qing said softly, as if she had done something wrong.

Jiang Cheng shook his head, “No, you’re hungry.”

Liu Qing looked down at their clasped hands and felt that this was the tightest Jiang Cheng had ever held her hand.

“What would you like to eat?” Jiang Cheng asked again.

“The grilled fish at the entrance.”

“Can we have something more expensive?”

“No need for something expensive.”

In Jiang Cheng’s memory, Liu Qing clearly preferred grilled meat, but today she chose the grilled fish place at the entrance of the neighborhood.

He asked, “Why?”

Liu Qing didn’t speak.

Shaking her hand gently, Jiang Cheng asked again, “Why?”

Liu Qing glanced at the talisman design just finished by Jiang Cheng on the couch.

At that moment, Jiang Cheng felt a tightness in his chest, his mind cleared of everything else as he silently recited the “Enchantment of Devotion.”

She is Mahayana, she is Mahayana, she is Mahayana…

She is a monster, she is a monster, she is a monster…

Calm down, calm down, calm down…

In Jiang Cheng’s original plan, Liu Qing was supposed to stay with him for a while and then leave to look for another job when she found it “uninteresting,” thus repeating her “plot mission” as the “plot leading lady.”

Whether it was Lin Yao or Liu Qing, Jiang Cheng didn’t want to interfere with their plotlines.

Who knows what changes would happen to the world after that?

But now, there seemed to be a “dangerously turbulent” change in the situation.

Putting Lin Yao aside, Liu Qing’s plot probably couldn’t be completed anymore.

She likely didn’t want to leave Jiang Cheng to find other work.

Jiang Cheng also didn’t want to see her turn dark and then get hurt fighting against the strong cultivators of the Immortal Sect, eventually getting ruthlessly suppressed by the sect.

She was good the way she was now.

Very good.