Chapter 3, The Magical Yellow Paper

However, no matter how curious he was, over the years, there was nothing that could explain the mystery of this piece of paper to Zhou Mingluo. As he grew older and received more scientific education, Zhou Mingluo's appreciation for this piece of paper only deepened.

What shocked Zhou Ming even more was that on the only page in the middle of the book, there were actually words and images!

This requires Zhou Mingluo to seek out the perspective of the literary symbol himself, in order to see through the superficiality of things and better find the true antiques, which can then be wrapped in a yellow leather bag to gradually absorb the literary energy within

Seek the literary symbol

What is happening? How has it changed?

If we say that this yellow paper initially, that is to say, its appearance from over a decade ago, resembled any ordinary A5 book page, apart from its yellow color and its cleanliness, it had no other striking features; however, it has now grown larger

However, in the end, he barely recognized it, relying on a mix of guesswork and intuition. Once he did recognize it, those three characters struck him like a heavy hammer, almost causing his spirit to leave his body.

Just as he was staring intently at these words, the three characters "Miwenfu" suddenly moved, and then a surge of thought rushed along Zhou Mingluo's line of sight into his mind

This is like a *picture* book that is quite magical; you can tear it apart on the spot, casually discard one half while keeping the other half in hand. Yet, within a day, the remaining half will restore itself completely, as if it is blooming and bearing fruit, regrowing into a flawless state

Moreover, he regarded this as his little secret and has never told anyone about it

Moreover, it can even generate heat autonomously

It is precisely for this reason that Zhou Mingluo became increasingly aware of the weight of this piece of paper, so even if it underwent a slight change, it would be impossible to deceive him.

Moreover, it can be soaked in water; after being left in the water for half a day, simply take it out and let it dry. There will be no damage or creasing at all. No matter what shape you fold it into, a simple shake will remove all traces, restoring it to the most perfect flat sheet of paper

Because he truly felt the other party radiating warmth, constantly emitting a gentle heat to warm his palm. It was early winter, and there was already a noticeable chill in the air on Xinchuan Street. Ordinary clothing had become somewhat thicker, and walking barehanded made it easy for one's hands to become icy cold. Yet at this moment, Zhou Mingluo held this piece of paper and felt as if he were grasping a towel soaked in warm water, truly warm and very comfortable

Even amidst the drastic change in expression, Zhou Mingluo could distinctly sense that the weight of this yellow paper had increased slightly, as if it were heavier than before

The first time Zhou Mingluo discovered this yellow paper, he was only six years old, and he has forgotten where he found it.

If someone were to know about this matter at this moment, they would surely be astonished to the point of their eyes bulging out. A piece of paper has been on this body for over ten years, which is simply unimaginable. Especially since this yellow paper is very clean, without a single crease.

However, even so, he still found it very difficult to identify.

It has changed

This yellow paper ... . ... Oh, perhaps it would be more appropriate to refer to it as a yellow book now

It is as large as two 16-sized sheets, and in the center, there is an additional bifurcation that produces another sheet of yellow paper.

This talisman is called the Seeking Text Talisman. What is its function? Seeking means to search, seeking text?

Then absorb the literary essence to nourish the Yellow Book itself

The function of the literary symbol is indeed to provide insight; however, insight is merely a means. Its ultimate purpose is to utilize this means to seek out the essence of literature.

In the next moment, a neatly folded sheet of paper was taken out by Zhou Mingluo.

This page contains only these three characters, closely accompanied by a strange graphic below. Given Zhou Mingluo's high school dropout status, it is likely that he would not be able to recognize them at all, as the traditional characters in m.hetushu.com are somewhat peculiar. They do not resemble the traditional characters commonly used in present-day Taiwan, but rather seem to be ancient script derived from ancient artifacts, even older than those.

However, the Yellow Book can continue to grow; once it absorbs enough literary energy, it can expand and subsequently give rise to new chapters, adding new talismans

What is going on?

But this is indeed a fact

Because this piece of paper is extraordinary, to the extent that it cannot be explained in any way

However, after this stretch, its form caused Zhou Ming to widen his eyes in astonishment, even leaving his mouth agape.

With a shake, the originally folded, smooth yellow paper suddenly unfurled its body.

He only knows that this piece of paper will regenerate

After touching this yellow paper, the change in Zhou Ming's expression not only did not fade, but instead became even more pronounced

At the age of six or seven, one’s thinking is unrestrained and filled with imaginative ideas, and it is also the time when one has the most clever thoughts and schemes. One can imagine how much curiosity and speculation Zhou Mingluo must have felt when he first obtained it.

The paper is very thin, as delicate as a cicada's wing, and when it comes into contact with the skin, it feels particularly comfortable. It is a light yellow, resembling a neatly folded napkin.

As for what constitutes the essence of culture and art, there is no detailed explanation provided; rather, it presents the objective, which includes antiques such as historical ceramics, jade artifacts, ancient coins, and so forth, all of which embody the essence of culture.

That is one of the most prevalent elements within Chinese Taoist culture, and even in modern Hong Kong films, there are occasional scenes featuring talismans. Are they not associated with the supernatural powers of ghost-catching? They have long been relegated to the realm of feudal superstition by countless individuals

Certainly, the function of this tracking talisman is also limited. Firstly, there is the issue of distance; it can only perceive within a range of one meter at most. Additionally, the duration for which a tracking talisman exists is only one hour, and even each day, one can only draw one talisman.

Later on, this kind of carrying became a habit. Humans are emotional beings; regardless of what item is carried closely for over ten years, it is likely to develop a peculiar attachment.

After all, this is entirely a violation of scientific principles, so I do not know when it started, but he has always kept this piece of paper close to him. In any case, carrying a piece of paper does not require any effort.

If it were not for his three years of diligent study alongside Uncle Fang, his exposure to this area, and his own willingness to endure hardship, recognizing these few characters would likely be a fanciful dream

In an instant, it was as if someone had directly implanted the meaning of the "seeking text symbol" into Zhou Mingluo's brain, leading him to a sudden realization. It was akin to a person who originally did not know how to drive suddenly having the memories of an exceptionally skilled driver merge into their mind, granting them enlightenment.

In simple terms, it has become like a 16mo book with the front and back covers glued together, enclosing a single page of the book.

On that singular page, the extra line of text at the very top is entirely composed of profound traditional characters

But now this piece of yellow paper suddenly seems to have blossomed and borne fruit, manifesting a talisman that appeared before him like a ghost

In a state of deep confusion, Zhou Ming did not completely lose his rationality. Instead, he turned to look around and then walked to a corner beneath a street-side building. After confirming that there was no one around, he swiftly pinched a corner of the yellow paper and shook it.

Talismans! He can barely be considered a semi-intellectual; even if he doesn't know much, he at least knows what talismans are

Staring blankly at the subsequent words, Zhou Mingluo gradually became dazed. No matter how he thought about it, he could not comprehend the meaning of the phrase "miwenfu".

Zhou Ming could not help but feel astonished, for he had carried this piece of paper with him for over ten years, and it was the first time he discovered that it could change on its own

It has truly changed

What does "觅文符" mean?

However, the yellow paper showed no signs of moisture, nor had he soaked it in hot water.