A mirror grinder? No, call me the master polisher of magical tools.

Chapter 55 Talisman Master Xuanjing

Several new recruits, each with their own ulterior motives, boarded the ship under the orders of their instructors.

“Some of you may have already seen it; it’s a simple large-scale stealth formation. Alright, stop standing there and get on the ship.”

A small door opened on the side of the boat. Yue Xingtian waved his right hand, signaling the others to go up, while blocking Zhong Ming with his left.

"As the team leader, I must be the last to leave during the evacuation mission to confirm the accuracy of the team member count."

Zhong Ming's thick arm braced him around the waist, his face expressionless.

Why couldn't you have said so sooner?

"What if the numbers are inaccurate? Are we just going to wait without evacuating?"

"If we're short-handed, we can decide based on the situation..." Yue Xingtian chuckled, pressing his large face close to Zhong Ming's, and breathed softly, "But if we have one more person..."

“Then nobody will be able to leave.” (Yue Kaishan answered quickly).

He punched Yue Kaishan on the head. A beating is a sign of affection, and a good beating is a sign of love.

Just as the brothers were showing their brotherly love and affection, sharing each other's pain, only one last recruit remained to board the ship, besides the three of them.

He looked at the boat door somewhat awkwardly, then tentatively tried to squeeze forward.

"Um, can someone help me?"

Zhong Ming turned around and saw a big fat man stuck in the boat door.

The man was wearing a large dog-skin hat and a brown leather coat, and from a distance he looked like a ball.

"Brother, let me give you a push."

Zhong Ming immediately went to help, and Yue Kaishan also wanted to go, but Yue Xingtian's hands did not stop.

"Brother, stop fighting, I'm going to help, it's important."

My older cousin just glanced at it casually, a slight smirk playing on his lips. "What's it to you? Just stay put."

Zhong Ming stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "Excuse me."

Hug the opponent's ball-like back with both arms and push forward with all your might.

"Hey, wait, wait, don't use too much force, it's going to explode."

"Hey, you big man, bear with it, we'll get you in right away."

Seeing that he couldn't push it in, Zhong Ming took several steps back.

"What are you doing? Wait!"

The only disciple of Maoshan Taoist Temple, Yunzhou recruit Cuihong Zhenren, bounced several times on the spot, charged forward, and kicked the fat man straight in the back.

The fat man couldn't get in, but he could get out very quickly. He looked as round as a ball, but he was actually very agile and could dodge in an instant.

"Whoosh~~ Snap~~~ Ouch~~~ Good heavens!"

Zhong Ming dashed into the boat with a single kick, drawing cheers from the crowd.

Fortunately, this is a single-door boat. If it were a symmetrical double-door boat, wouldn't it fly in from one side and slide out from the other?

The fat man apologized repeatedly.

"Hey bro, sorry, sorry, you can't just kick my body like that, it'll explode."

Zhong Ming stood up, looking disheveled and sore from the fall. He cursed, "What do you mean by 'bomb or not'? If you're afraid of pain, why were you a soldier? You..."

The noisy crowd fell silent at that moment, staring in horror at the man blocking the doorway. Even though Zhong Ming didn't understand anything, it didn't stop him from feeling that something was very wrong.

The fat man unbuttoned his large fur coat and unfolded it. There were many red bags hanging on the coat, swaying back and forth, their contents unknown. The clothes inside were covered with many talismans.

Even Zhong Ming, who knew nothing about runes, gasped when he saw the intricate and mysterious patterns on it.

"Fellow Daoist, what is this...?"

"Hey, it's just covered in explosive tags, just to prevent anyone from suddenly attacking me."

Upon hearing this, all the new recruits took a step back in unison.

Among the recruit examiners, one spoke sternly: "Who found this recruit? Speak up, don't play dumb now."

A short man silently raised his hand. "Report... I found him. I examined his talisman-drawing skills; he's a master. He was recruited through a special method."

"Special recruitment? Whose special recruitment? Is it the King of Hell's special recruitment? Did the King of Hell give you a mission? To blow up this ship today?"

The deputy captain berated the veteran, then cautiously stepped forward.

"Um, why don't you take off your coat? Come in with your clothes first."

The monk was clearly reluctant, but seeing how gentle the instructor had been after his earlier "violent" outburst, he reluctantly untied dozens of hooks and took off his thick fur coat.

Looking at it this way, the person isn't too fat, just a bit short.

He walked backwards into the cabin and then brought in his clothes.

He took a step forward, and everyone took a step back.

Someone in the crowd dared to ask a question.

"Hey, that thing hanging on your fur coat, it's not some explosive spiritual liquid, is it, or some kind of strong liquor...?"

The man responded speechlessly, "I'm not some kind of thug..."

'Aren't you?' Everyone had this thought at the same time.

Zhong Ming was probably the most agitated at this moment, as his butt was still hurting.

He stepped forward first and threw a punch straight at the chest covered in runes.

Everyone was startled; some even ducked behind the tables and chairs. The examiners at the front rushed forward to try and stop the explosion, while the recruit examiners behind them reacted in various ways: some made hand seals, some pressed their hands into their storage bags, and some pulled out life-saving artifacts...

Zhong Ming's fist stopped three inches away from the other's chest. The air in the cabin seemed to freeze, and only his voice could be heard clearly.

"This isn't a fake rune, is it? It's not just there to scare enemies you can't handle, is it? Aren't you afraid it'll actually take us all down with it?"

"On the contrary," the man said confidently as he calmly wrapped himself in his fur coat, "I'm wearing precious armor underneath; it will only be the enemy who dies."

"Oh, and what about your face? It's exposed."

“No,” Yue Xingtian strode in, his eyes filled with admiration, “He is wearing a mask, which, if I’m not mistaken, is also a highly defensive magical artifact.”

The fat man's face was stiff, and his voice was bitter: "I told you I didn't really want to join the army. I've only been here for half an incense stick's time, and they've already seen through all my possessions."

Yue Xingtian observed him for a moment, hesitated, and then finally said after Yue Kaishan boarded the boat, "Everyone's on board? Let's set off."

Inside the ship's cabin, there were rows of seats at the front and a warehouse at the back. It was a simple supply ship, not even equipped with spatial magic. Its actual size was exactly what it appeared to be.

Because of the previous panic, no one dared to sit next to the fat man, and he obediently sat in the far corner.

Yue Kaishan hadn't experienced the fright inside the cabin; he was more curious, so he sat down next to the other person.

Zhong Ming had no choice but to follow along.

"My name is Yue Kaishan, and this is Master Cuihong. What's your name?"

"Just call me Xuanjing, Xuanjing Talisman Master."

Yue Kaishan shook hands with the other party in a friendly manner, and after shaking hands with himself, he also pulled Zhong Ming to shake hands with him.

Zhong Ming smiled broadly and asked while shaking hands, "Brother Xuanjing, do you have a talisman on your forehead? What if someone knocks you over with a club?"