Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Hao Jixin was seated on the ground, sleeping fitfully, especially after last night's fright. Startled awake by the approaching footsteps and seeing a figure, he jerked back against the door, nearly screaming.

Recognizing Xie Qingfeng, he looked as if he had seen a savior: “Master, you're back!”

He felt like he had narrowly escaped death the previous night.

Xie Qingfeng had foreseen Hao Jixin's impending disaster back at the Xie residence, but he hadn't expected him to show up at his doorstep. He thought Hao might contact him through Xie Weiwan.

Xie Qingfeng held up his hand to stop Hao Jixin's advance: “Let's go inside first.”

Hao Jixin immediately stood still, feeling reassured in Xie Qingfeng's presence after last night's ordeal.

Xie Qingfeng unlocked the door, and once inside, Hao Jixin immediately poured out his experiences from the previous night.

He recounted how he nearly got attacked by a ghost in the bar and then was almost hit by a car outside the bar.

Realizing the protective talisman had turned to ash and recalling the burning sensation on his leg, Hao Jixin knew he had encountered a true master, fortunate to have survived unscathed.

Recalling how the car had abruptly stopped just in time, he knew he would have been hit otherwise, likely resulting in serious injury or death.

Strangely, a group of them ended up at the police station, checking the bar's exterior surveillance and the car's inside and outside. The situation became even more suspicious.

The valet had just started the car and driven a few seconds when suddenly his head tilted as if he fainted, his hands and feet going limp, not moving at all. The car had accelerated on its own and crashed.

The valet, upon regaining consciousness, was clueless about the incident. Blood tests showed no signs of alcohol or drug use.

Waking up to learn he almost crashed his employer's car, he swore he had no intention to harm anyone. He didn’t even know who Hao Jixin was; he was just driving to earn a tip. How could such an incident have happened?

Hao Jixin, realizing he might have encountered something supernatural, settled the matter directly with the valet. The excuse was that the car might have had a problem. He couldn’t very well tell people it might have been the work of a ghost – they might lock him up as a lunatic.

To be honest, if he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn’t have believed it himself.

After resolving things with the valet and not daring to tell his family, he left the car in the bar's parking lot, not daring to drive it. He took a taxi right after leaving the police station to find Xie Qingfeng.

He didn’t have Xie Qingfeng’s contact information. Although Xie Weihuan did, given Xie Qingfeng’s recent fallout with the Xie family, he didn’t want to contact Xie Weihuan and upset the master.

Fortunately, it was he who had driven Xie Qingfeng home earlier. He quickly found the restaurant at the corner.

Xie Family Snack Shop had been open for many years and was well-known. He asked in a nearby convenience store, claiming to be Xie Qingfeng's classmate. His appearance didn’t raise suspicions, so he was given the address.

But by the time he got to the door, it was past midnight. Not wanting to disturb Xie Qingfeng and his family so late, he decided to wait at the door until morning, eventually falling asleep there.

Perhaps being near the master made him feel secure.

"Master, you have no idea how powerful the aura of righteousness around you is. Just standing at the door, I felt immune to all evil spirits. That sense of happiness surged in me, and I slept so peacefully..." Hao Jixin spewed a basket of compliments, then halfway through, he belatedly realized that the master had come from outside the door.

Hao Jixin slapped his thigh: "Damn, Master, you've mastered the art of passing through doors? When did you leave?"

Xie Qingfeng: "...You're overthinking it. I didn't stay here last night at all."

Hao Jixin: ...Did he just make a faux pas?

Regaining his composure, Hao Jixin pretended as if he hadn't said those words just now, and chuckled awkwardly: "Master, about that... could I buy a few more peace charms? The more, the better, I'll pay any price!"

The two peace charms he had last night turned to ashes protecting him from disaster. Now without them, he felt uneasy.

Xie Qingfeng glanced at him: "Wait until tonight."

Hao Jixin's spirits immediately dampened: "Master... can't it be now?" He felt uneasy without them during the day.

Xie Qingfeng could easily draw ordinary peace charms for Hao Jixin now, which would have been sufficient in the past. But after seeing the residual dark energy on Hao Jixin, who seemed to have been involved in a death, he needed a higher level charm.

Last night, to save his adoptive father, he not only used up the newly absorbed faint spiritual energy but also a white jade cabbage from his treasure vault. To write a higher-grade charm now, he needed to absorb another piece of jade.

But for some reason, he was reluctant to use the items in his vault. Although he had brought them with him and used one out of necessity last night, it wasn't urgent now, so there was no need.

During the day, those things wouldn't affect Hao Jixin. By evening, he would have absorbed enough sparse spiritual energy from the air.

Of course, he couldn't tell Hao Jixin all this. He simply said, "I have to go to the hospital later, and I don't have the materials for writing peace charms at home."

Hao Jixin patted his chest: "I've prepared everything!" Passing a paper store in the middle of the night, he worried Xie Qingfeng might just scribble something again. Although effective, wouldn't cinnabar on yellow paper double the effect? So, he bought the most expensive set available.

Now, he unzipped his jacket and pulled out a red paper package, handing it to Xie Qingfeng with bright, eager eyes like a puppy waiting for a treat.

Xie Qingfeng fell silent, but his silence deepened upon seeing the jade hanging around Hao Jixin's neck.

"The quality is average, incomparable to anything in the young emperor's treasury, but the spiritual power it contains is enough for several charms."

"Considering the wealth of the Hao family, this jade was probably worn casually. Thinking this, he spoke, 'I can draw even higher-level peace charms, more effective than the one you bought last night, but I need something in return.'"

Upon hearing it was more powerful than last night's, Hao Jixin's voice trembled with excitement: "What do you need?" He was willing to provide anything, even seven or eight items!

Xie Qingfeng pointed to the jade on his neck: "I need this as a catalyst. The number of charms depends on how much it can summon." He didn't want to take advantage of Hao Jixin. If the jade was given, other costs would just cover the materials. "As for the price, you only need to pay for one charm, but the discount from yesterday no longer applies. One charm is 9998."

Hao Jixin was stunned, incredulous: "Is it that cheap?"

"Just this jade for several charms? The Master is practically doing charity!"

Without hesitation, he yanked the jade off his neck: "Here, take it. Do you need any other jades? I have several more at home!" The one he wore was the cheapest, worth just around a hundred thousand.

Xie Qingfeng shook his head, indifferently took the cinnabar and jade, and walked to the living room table. He casually opened a small stack of ordinary yellow paper and a regular cinnabar ink, with a roughly made brush. But the quality of these items didn't matter for the charms he drew. He arranged five cut pieces of paper in a row.

Holding the jade in one hand and dipping the brush in cinnabar with the other, he wrote on the thin yellow paper without any weights, yet the paper didn't flutter, leaving Hao Jixin astonished.

Xie Qingfeng worked quickly, his brush strokes fluid and unbroken. In less than a minute, he completed five peace charms in a single sweep.

The next moment, as he put down the brush, the hand holding the jade opened to reveal the stone reduced to dust, which he gently shook off into a bin, without any residue on his palm.

This scene left Hao Jixin dumbfounded. "Damn... If I hadn't worn that jade for days, I'd think it was fake. Just like that, turned to powder? No wonder the Master needed it as a catalyst."

Hao Jixin, trembling, held the five charms folded into triangles by Xie Qingfeng. Coming to his senses, he quickly took out his phone to transfer the money. He felt the price was too low and tried to add an extra zero, but Xie Qingfeng stopped him: "You should pay the agreed amount."

Thinking there might be some taboo, Hao Jixin didn't dare to ask and transferred 9998, remarking, "Master, you're too conscientious. This is almost the same price as the cinnabar and yellow paper set I bought."

Xie Qingfeng, who was heading to the bedroom to pack his clothes, paused: "What?"

Hao Jixin pointed to the packed cinnabar set: "I had the shop specially prepare their most prized set, unique and consecrated, all for 6666, a very auspicious price."

Xie Qingfeng: "......"

He remained silent for a moment, then quietly turned to pack his things.

Hao 'Big Fool' Jixin: What's the matter? Why is the Master looking at me so strangely?

Hao Jixin carefully stored the five peace charms. When he saw Xie Qingfeng coming out of the bedroom with a suitcase, he remembered his mention of going to the hospital: "Master, are you ill? Why are you going to the hospital?"

Xie Qingfeng walked outside: "No, someone in my family is hospitalized." He didn't know how to refer to his foster father to others, so he remained vague.

Hao Jixin immediately followed: "Do you want me to come and see?"

Xie Qingfeng directly refused.

Hao Jixin had wanted to drive Xie Qingfeng, but remembering his car was still at the bar, he could only watch Xie Qingfeng take a taxi away. Fortunately, he insisted on adding him on WeChat before he left.

Feeling relieved, he patted the five peace charms on his chest. After thinking, he decided to go home first and share some with his parents and family members as a gesture of filial piety.

On the taxi ride home, he made a call to his friend to remind him about the bar owner. However, his friend said that another master had already performed rituals, and the bar was fine now. He also asked when Hao Jixin would bring his car back.

Hao Jixin thought for a moment: "In a couple of days. I was so scared last night I couldn't sleep and went to a master I know for peace charms. I just got them. I was going to introduce you to the master, but since they already found someone, never mind."

His friend laughed heartily: "I've never heard you mention this before. Are you sure you weren't scammed?"

Hao Jixin was displeased: "What are you talking about? The master is very powerful. Before I went to the bar yesterday, he predicted a bloody disaster for me and gave me two charms. One saved me in the restroom, and another when something suddenly stopped in front of the door. He saved me twice!"

His friend clearly didn't believe it. He admitted that he lied about finding a master, just to reassure Hao Jixin so he wouldn't be too scared to come, fearing the loss of a big customer. Hearing Hao Jixin praising the master, he casually responded and hurriedly ended the call.

Hao Jixin felt a bit disappointed; he hadn't finished talking.

Patting his chest, feeling content, he found it odd when the taxi driver glanced at him strangely through the rearview mirror. As soon as he got out, the driver sped off, as if afraid of catching something.