Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Shen Wang couldn't help but laugh as he watched Tang Jiu being escorted into the police car.

Xu Cheng looked on with a complex expression: “He’ll probably just get a verbal warning, not detained.”

“I know,” Shen Wang replied cheerily.

Xu Cheng, puzzled, asked, “Then why did you call the police?”

Shen Wang, equally bemused, replied, “Isn’t watching him being taken away by the police car enough to make me happy?”

As for what happens after Tang Jiu is taken away, he wasn't there to know, but for now, his happiness was all that mattered.

Xu Cheng was at a loss for words.

Under Xu Cheng’s gaze, Shen Wang cleared his throat and said seriously, “He was operating without a license, deceiving people. As a responsible citizen of C City, it’s my duty and obligation to report such behavior.”

His words were righteous and firm.

Xu Cheng’s lips twitched slightly: “Well then… thank you.”

The driver, who had been waiting for a long time and was unaware of the grudge between Shen Wang and Tang Jiu, joined in with some flattery: “Master, you’re truly a man of valor and integrity, passionate and courageous. Without a genuine master like you, that fraudster would have deceived many more people!”

Shen Wang accepted the compliment without any embarrassment, saying confidently, “The show’s over, let’s go.”

The driver sighed and started the car again.

Upon arrival at the destination, the driver adamantly refused to accept payment, insisting on returning the fare to Shen Wang: “Master, if it weren’t for you, I might not have made it back. This time, I must waive the fee for you!”

"No need." Shen Wang alighted from the car and strolled towards his villa, casually waving a hand at the driver without looking back. "It was just a small effort."

Watching his carefree and unrestrained figure, the driver felt deeply moved and shouted, "Master, you forgot your stuff!"

Shen Wang paused in his steps, then sheepishly ran back to retrieve his backpack forgotten on the back seat.

Once inside his room, Shen Wang, with a dark expression, turned around and warned, "Shut it. Laugh again and you’re shark food."

Xu Cheng mimed zipping his mouth shut, saying, “I wasn’t laughing.”

"You've been laughing non-stop, never ceased for a second!" Shen Wang glared menacingly.

Under the ‘I-could-slay-you-right-now’ glare, Xu Cheng pressed his lips together tightly, restraining himself: "I know nothing, saw nothing... Whatever about trying to look cool and failing, I have no idea!"

Shen Wang: "..."

Shen Wang wanted to say that he wasn't blind; he could see the squinted eyes, twitching lips, and that the effort to suppress a laugh was so ugly it hurt to watch.

But he didn’t, instead turning his head away in tolerance.

Li Pingping and Wang Kai, knowing Shen Wang would likely return around this time, had already prepared a welcoming feast in advance.

On seeing Shen Wang and Xu Cheng, they took their bags from them: "Welcome back! You must be starving, come have something to eat."

Forcefully ushered to the dining table, a variety of colorful takeaway boxes covered the surface, boasting an array of delicious foods, sumptuously spread out.

Shen Wang: "...Stuffing your leftovers into the bag too, isn’t that a bit too much?"

Li Pingping, unabashed: "We ordered this takeout at noon, half of it is still left. What a waste it would be to throw it away."

Shen Wang remained silent for a few seconds before picking up the chopsticks.

Meanwhile, Li Pingping, handling Shen Wang’s bag to tidy up, suddenly screamed and retreated several steps, visibly shaken.

Everyone was startled by his reaction: "What happened? Did a mouse bite you?"

Li Pingping, wary of the bag, his arms covered in goosebumps: "I touched something..."

"It's squishy and cold, feels really weird, and it seemed to be moving!"

Xu Cheng was also alarmed: "Shen Wang, what did you bring?"

Shen Wang uttered an ‘ah’ of realization, turned the bag upside down, and shook it a few times. A round object fell onto the chair: "Don’t you recognize Xiao Kong anymore?"

Xiao Kong?

The group stared wide-eyed, failing to discern any trace of Xiao Kong in the round object. Only Xu Cheng slapped his forehead: "I knew we forgot something! Xiao Kong!"

"Xiao Kong?!!"

Li Pingping and Wang Kai, in unison, scrutinized the object closely, unable to see any semblance of Xiao Kong in the round thing.

"When we left, Xiao Kong was still small and cute, lively and adorable. How did he become like this…" Wang Kai said, his heart aching as he looked on, growing more distressed.

Xiao Kong, now devoid of his previously delicate and crafted appearance, resembled an angry pufferfish, round and bloated, with eyes tightly shut, motionless.

Shen Wang reassured everyone, "It's okay. Once he wakes up, he'll revert back."

This statement eased everyone's worries.

Xu Cheng, observing the scene, couldn't help but remark, "Humans really are creatures that appreciate beauty, huh? Even when it comes to ghosts, we prefer the good-looking ones."

Wang Kai rolled his eyes in response, "What, should I prefer something with a hideous face and fangs?"

Li Pingping then inquired of Shen Wang, "Bro, how was your trip? Did you manage to resolve Xu Cheng's life-and-death crisis?"

This topic energized Shen Wang. Swallowing his food, he banged on the table and began, "You have no idea what we encountered on this trip!"

With dramatic flair and compelling storytelling, Shen Wang recounted their encounter with Lin Yingyang, successfully garnering looks of admiration from Li Pingping and Wang Kai.

Wang Kai exclaimed, "Surviving such dire straits, Shen Wang is truly formidable."

Li Pingping, amazed, added, "Wow, that sounds incredibly dangerous. I'm just glad you're all safe."

Xu Cheng, the only witness who had seen everything and was fully coherent, silently mused, "..."

Shen Wang didn’t distort the facts; he merely exaggerated Lin Yingyang's menace and depicted himself as an underdog triumphing over adversity.

Ironically, in reality, he was Lin Yingyang's biggest challenge and obstacle.

...But, that's a minor detail.

After calming himself, Xu Cheng also joined in the admiration, seamlessly blending into the atmosphere, "Shen Wang is awesome!"

"Anyway, Shen Wang is awesome, no matter what!"

After a hearty dinner with both eating and chatting, Shen Wang, clutching his stomach, staggered back to his room, and lay down, disconnecting from the world.

Closing his eyes and then reopening them, the night had swiftly passed.

The next morning, Shen Wang got up refreshed and headed straight to the antique market, walking confidently into the antique shop where he had previously bought talisman paper and cinnabar.

The shop owner squinted at Shen Wang, recognizing him after a few glances, his face suddenly changed, "I haven't opened the shop yet, go buy from the shop next door!"

Shen Wang chuckled, "Boss, you still remember me."

The shop owner's expression twisted for a moment, "Don't remember, don't remember, you better leave quickly."

"Come on, boss," Shen Wang, undeterred by the owner's disdain, walked over, "I've got money now, ready to buy some good stuff. Bring out the treasures from the bottom of your box."

He appeared confident and wealthy.

The shop owner looked at him expressionlessly, "The treasure I have is a peach wood sword, worth fifty million. You interested?"

Shen Wang was shocked, "Even a sword made of gold wouldn't sell for that much, and you're asking so much for a wooden sword? Are you robbing me?"

The shop owner smiled slightly, pointing to the door: Get out!

Ignoring the shop owner's glare, Shen Wang continued, "I ran out of the talisman paper and cinnabar I bought last time. Got any high-quality ones this time?"

"Used them up already?" The shop owner's eyes flickered with curiosity and suspicion, but mostly disdain, "Top quality? That's thirty thousand per piece."

Shen Wang gasped at the coldness of the shop owner's words, wondering how he could utter such heartless phrases with a normal body temperature.

"...Give me more of the same talisman paper and cinnabar I bought last time, same price, right?" Shen Wang maintained his composure, pretending as if nothing had happened.

The shopkeeper, well-prepared for this, expertly flung out a stack of yellow talisman papers and tossed over a bottle of red cinnabar: "Fair price, fifty thousand."

Shen Wang nodded and transferred five thousand.

The empty store echoed with the sound of a successful payment. The shopkeeper's forehead twitched upon hearing the amount.

"You can leave reviews for your store, right? I'll give you a five-star rating," Shen Wang typed as he read aloud, "The owner is great, items are high-quality and reasonably priced. Repeated purchases, very satisfied. Will definitely choose this store again! A genuinely trustworthy five-star review!"

The shopkeeper watched him review, then suddenly said, "I also buy talismans here."

Shen Wang instantly looked up.

I knew it! This guy must be blinded by money! The shopkeeper instantly regretted speaking out.

Having said it, he continued, "Low-quality talismans a few hundred each, standard ones a few thousand, and high-quality ones several tens of thousands... You can sell your talismans here if you want to make money."

After speaking, the shopkeeper awaited Shen Wang's reaction. After a long wait, he saw Shen Wang ask in confusion, "What's the difference between low-quality, standard, and high-quality? How are they graded?"

"You don’t even know this, and you're buying talisman paper?!" The shopkeeper almost spat out blood.

He thought Shen Wang was a novice prodigy, practicing with these low-grade talisman papers, only to find out he had no clue about the basics!

Innocently blinking, Shen Wang asked, "Do you have any basic books about the cultivation world here?"

As the shopkeeper was about to recommend some, Shen Wang added, "Will you give me two for free?"

...This time, the shopkeeper didn't just give a look but outright said: "Get out!"

Helpless, Shen Wang grumbled about the shopkeeper's greed while buying a basic cultivation book for a few hundred.

Muttering to himself, Shen Wang stepped out of the shop, while the shopkeeper rubbed his temples in the background, muttering calming mantras to prevent a fit of rage.

Looking down at the book, searching the index for terms about talismans, Shen Wang had only walked a few steps when someone blocked his path.

Shen Wang moved to the right, and the person also moved to the right.

Shen Wang then shifted to the left, and the person mirrored his movement.

Looking up, Shen Wang said, "Excuse me."

The man coldly chuckled, "Shen Wang, come with us."

Surveying the surroundings, Shen Wang noticed several robust, well-dressed men standing around.

Shen Wang asked, "... And who are you?"

"We're from the Metaphysical Society," the leader replied. "We suspect you of stealing artifacts from other sects, practicing forbidden arts, and misusing your powers on ordinary people."

Shen Wang was bewildered: "???"

Just last night he had reported Tang Ju, and now it was his turn. Closing his book, he couldn't help but remark, "What a shameless move."

"What did you say?!" the man retorted.

Smiling wryly, Shen Wang politely inquired, "You mentioned stolen artifacts... Which artifacts?"

Even Shen Wang was curious about what supposed treasures he possessed.