Seeking Truth with a Sword

Chapter 419 - 370: Home Appliances

"Talisman Masters infuse their will into ink and brush, causing nature’s spiritual energy to flow along the patterns of the talisman, thereby achieving various effects. The Divine Evil Cloud Talisman was phased out because its strokes were simplistic and its patterns crude, resulting in poorer effects and stability compared to other talismans."

He Fanshuang produced a blank piece of talisman paper and said lightly, "But talismans also come at a cost. The more complex the lines and patterns of a talisman, the greater the damage to its carrier—namely, the talisman paper. A piece of talisman paper often burns out in less than three-quarters of an hour. Even the Cooling Wind Charm commonly used in restaurants can only last for twenty-four hours at most. After that, the paper curls up and becomes unusable."

"Indeed, it’s quite wasteful."

Li Ang nodded. Talismanic study was far more expensive than Sword Study or Mind Study. Ordinary paper could not bear the will of Telekinesis Masters, necessitating the use of tree bark paper from the Ten Thousand Desolate Mountains or beast skin paper from sea beasts. The ink also had to be mixed with complex mineral components, with powders of Fine Gold, Mountain Copper, and vermillion added. The slightest deviation would greatly diminish the talisman’s effectiveness.

The Academic Palace, with the support of the entire Yu Country, naturally had talisman papers of the highest quality. However, unaffiliated rural Cultivators wanting a high-quality talisman paper had to resort to the Ghost Market or even craft it themselves.

"The Divine Evil Cloud Talisman is different; its constraints on nature’s spiritual energy are weaker. If it’s engraved on a specially made sturdy metal plate, wear and tear can be reduced, allowing a single piece of talismanic magic to be used long-term."

He Fanshuang said softly, "If we could find a way to further reduce the damage Cloud Talismans inflict on their metal plate carriers, could we extend the lifespan of these carriers to five or ten years? Reducing the cost could then benefit the citizens of Yu Country."

"Are you suggesting turning Cloud Talisman Plates into household items?"

Li Ang immediately understood. The privileged and wealthy in Chang’an City bought large quantities of talismans every month, such as Frozen Cold Talismans for maintaining household ice cellars, Alarm Talismans to prevent thieves, Clear Wind Talismans to repel insects, and Burning Temperature Talismans for heating food, spending hundreds or even thousands of strings of coins for this purpose. This behavior had also become a necessary means for the elite of Chang’an to maintain their noble facade. If they could no longer afford it, they would immediately be considered to have fallen from grace and become objects of ridicule.

"Yes."

He Fanshuang nodded. "A talisman can only be used for three-quarters of an hour, while a talisman board can be used normally for several years. Once the costs are reduced, ordinary families could afford to buy various kinds of talisman boards."

Spiritual energy versions of washing machines, water heaters, electric fans, and air conditioners?

Li Ang was momentarily stunned. He had originally thought He Fanshuang, like the current Philosophy Society, would focus on researching how to miniaturize Spiritual Energy Machines and create spiritual energy-driven carriages. He hadn’t expected her to consider household appliances.

However, this also seemed logical. Those who could join the Philosophy Society often came from wealthy backgrounds, possessing the leisure to delve into various studies. He Fanshuang, on the other hand, was different. Before her brother He Siping entered the Academic Palace, their family consisted of ordinary tenant farmers outside Chang’an City. As children, she and her brother had to earn their tuition fees by copying books for a bookstore. Naturally, she was more concerned with the lives of the common people than some scholars from the Philosophy Society.

"Hmm... In principle, it should be feasible."

Li Ang pondered for a moment before answering seriously, "However, once a talisman board is made, it will automatically draw spiritual energy from its surroundings and cannot be turned off. This would make it inconvenient to use."

Imagine a washing machine or water heater that could never be turned off—that would be troublesome, to say the least. What if it exploded after prolonged use?

"Perhaps we could design a mechanism from the very beginning when engraving the talisman board," He Fanshuang said lightly. "For example, if a section is missing in an openwork talisman board, a lever would need to be moved to place the missing piece into its original position, completing the circuit by connecting the lines. This way, the talisman board could be activated or deactivated at will. This would also eliminate the concern of the talisman board wearing out from continuous operation."

Household appliance switches?

Li Ang looked at her in surprise again, then continued, "What about the issue of spiritual energy disturbances? Multiple talismans placed together require a special medium to isolate them from mutual interference, like the talisman plate we use. If a household uses multiple talisman boards, they will inevitably interfere with each other when activated."

Nature’s spiritual energy, like a current, is ubiquitous. Two high-power talisman boards operating in close proximity would likely explode and shatter.

Just like uranium-235.

"That’s also a problem I’m considering." He Fanshuang set a book to one side of the table and asked earnestly, "Do you have any suggestions?"

I’m not Doraemon...

Li Ang massaged his temples, inwardly complaining. Ever since he had solved the Water Poison epidemic, people around him seemed to treat him as someone capable of solving any problem. Even the court’s newly established Railway Department, believing he had assisted Dr. Su Feng in inventing the Spiritual Energy Locomotive, sought his advice. And Li Ang, drawing from his memories of the Otherworld, did eventually offer some suggestions. For instance, adding lead to the boiler of a Spiritual Energy Locomotive, so that if the boiler’s temperature became too high, the lead would automatically melt, relieving pressure and preventing explosions. Or, installing switches on the rails to allow the Spiritual Energy Locomotive to change tracks. And if the locomotive’s wheels lacked sufficient traction to start, they could sprinkle sand on the tracks.

Li Ang pondered seriously for a moment and replied uncertainly, "The problem of spiritual energy disturbances hasn’t been solved by generations of Talisman Masters. Perhaps a different approach is needed?"

"A different approach?" He Fanshuang’s eyes narrowed unconsciously—perhaps due to her childhood experience of copying books, her vision had deteriorated.

"Instead of letting the talisman boards draw spiritual energy directly from nature, what if we set up cables to transmit it?" Li Ang said. "Gold, silver, copper, iron, plants, wood, jade, stone—all materials possess what’s known as spiritual energy affinity. For instance, if stone has a spiritual energy conductivity rating of one, silver is seven, gold is ten, and Mithril is twenty..."

Li Ang had once been judged by Xi Yangyu to have the Skull-interrupted Sword Omen, deeming him unable to enter the Academic Palace. Consequently, he was forced to find materials himself in an attempt to repair his Spirit Vein, which ultimately led to him being parasitized by Mo Si.

"Perhaps a massive Spiritual Energy Machine could be constructed, specifically to extract spiritual energy from nature. Then, using silver or copper conductors, this energy could be channeled into every household and supplied to the talisman boards. To prevent spiritual energy leakage, the conductors could be wrapped in a layer of insulating material that blocks spiritual energy transmission."

Li Ang said, "Let’s call it the Yu Country Elec... cough, cough... the Yu Country Spirit Network."