Chapter 36

Chapter 36

Daoist Hu’s gaze landed on Hao Jixin, sizing him up and, confirming that Hao had no cultivation, scoffed: “Young man, some matters aren’t for you to handle. Be careful, or you might not even know how you lose your life.”

Having been in this field for many years, he never expected to be challenged by a nobody, especially one without any cultivation skills. His smile hadn’t even faded when Hao Jixin spoke again.

“Who said it’s me who’s competing? I’m just an assistant. It’s the era of the young. Naturally, our Master Xie will represent Daoist Bai. After all, your cultivation isn't enough to compete with Daoist Bai.” Although Daoist Bai’s cultivation wasn’t as strong as the master's, in terms of seniority, he was indeed higher, and saying this would also provoke Daoist Hu to take the bait.

Otherwise, once they knew the master’s real skills, that bastard, even with Young Master Wang's money, wouldn’t dare to take the risk.

Not only Daoist Hu, but even Young Master Wang was taken aback, his gaze fixing on the young man who had captured his attention since his arrival. His appearance was indeed too attractive, rivaling even movie stars.

More so, there was a unique aura about him, a sense of detachment and coldness that made Young Master Wang, who had suffered bullying in his youth and thus developed a twisted nature, want to ruin everything beautiful.

Now hearing that the young man he had taken an interest in was the one daring to compete with Daoist Hu, he smirked: “I never thought your line of work had someone who looked so good. Just curious when he entered the field, never saw him before.”

Hao Jixin didn’t expect Young Master Wang to be so cautious, seemingly asking casually but actually probing for information. Fortunately, they weren’t afraid: “The length of time in the field has nothing to do with skill. Even if we just started two months ago, we are still capable.”

Young Master Wang couldn’t hold back his laughter, looking at them as if watching a cornered clown, completely reassured, and glanced at Daoist Hu, “Since they claim to be ‘highly skilled,’ Daoist Hu, why don’t you give them a good challenge?”

Master Hu didn't speak up immediately. With his considerable cultivation, he dared to provoke Master Bai so brazenly.

Master Bai was naturally no match for him, as evident from their respective reputations and undertakings over the years. However, this young man before him was different. More cautious than Wang Liu, especially since he couldn't discern the young man's fate at first glance.

Usually, he could sense whether someone was destined for wealth or not, but with this man, he felt nothing at all. Such a person was either a master of great depth, far beyond his ability to perceive any clues, or a complete novice with no cultivation, merely a charlatan.

Gazing at Xie Qingfeng's exceptionally handsome face, Master Hu thought it must be the latter. After all, the man was too young, and he couldn't believe someone so young could surpass his own cultivation. As Liushao looked over again, not quite satisfied, Master Hu stepped forward and spoke, "Young friend, would you care to test your skills against an old Taoist like me?"

Hao Jixin stepped aside, and Xie Qingfeng, with an indifferent glance at Master Hu, stood up: "How shall we compete?"

As Xie Qingfeng approached, Master Hu became more convinced of the man's lack of cultivation, making his earlier caution seem rather foolish. Was he overthinking because Master Bai had broken the ghost wall he set up at the Miao family's building? "Best two out of three rounds. Since it's a test of cultivation, naturally, we'll compare our magical abilities, shall we?"

Xie Qingfeng glanced at Master Hu: "Fine."

Seeing how agreeable Xie Qingfeng was, Master Hu felt even more certain that the man had no real skills, thinking he was either bravely bluffing or hoping to get by on his looks alone. "Since you have no objections, young friend, how about I set the first challenge?"

Hao Jixin was about to protest the unfairness of Master Hu setting the challenge first.

"But just as he stepped forward, Xie Qingfeng calmly restrained him, showing no opposition: 'Alright, then let Daoist Hu pose the question.'"

"Hao Jixin realized why the master stopped him. Although visibly annoyed, he secretly rejoiced, waiting to see whether this Daoist would still be pleased."

"Daoist Hu, stroking his beard and observing the displeased faces around him, pondered and said: 'To avoid accusations of bullying the younger generation, let's start with something simple. Each of us will have three chances to draw the simplest 'Seeking Object' talisman to help Young Master Liu find a recently lost brooch, how about that?'"

"Daoist Bai's expression darkened upon hearing that the first challenge was to draw a 'Seeking Object' talisman. Though not particularly difficult, it wasn't easy either; it required years of cultivation to locate anything, not to mention that Daoist Hu was well aware of the current location of this item."

"Regardless, they were certain they wouldn't lose this round."

"Hearing this, Hao Jixin spoke out: 'How do we know which brooch you are referring to? What if we find it and you claim it's not the right one?'"

"Wang Liu raised his hand, and a middle-aged man beside him produced a photograph. It was a brooch recently auctioned for twenty million, adorned with diamonds, including the rare pink ones."

“Take a good look, this is the work of a top master, a new model, unique and one-of-a-kind, just purchased by Young Master Wang for twenty million half a month ago. We guarantee it's on this floor, but its exact location is for you two to find.” The middle-aged man placed the photo on a tray and had it brought to Xie Qingfeng and the others.

Xie Qingfeng glanced at the photo, expressionless, uninterested in diamonds, but he had already memorized the item’s appearance from that glance.

Daoist Hu, confident of victory: “How about now?”

Xie Qingfeng looked directly at Daoist Hu: “Let’s start.”

His overly composed demeanor made Daoist Hu feel inexplicably uneasy, as if his sure win hadn’t caused any fear or apprehension in Xie Qingfeng, like he had painstakingly set up a difficult chess game, only for the opponent to not even glance at it, completely dismissing it.

Either this was the naivety of a rookie, or… he really had some skills.

Soon, someone brought over two trays, each with talisman paper, cinnabar, and a brush.

Since it was a talisman for locating objects, these items were necessary.

Xie Qingfeng gestured: “Daoist Hu first.”

Daoist Hu didn’t bother with pleasantries: “Three chances. You can write three talismans and ask thrice. As long as you find the location once, you pass.”

Xie Qingfeng didn’t speak, just watched as Daoist Hu drew a locating talisman, showing some real skill. After sensing briefly, Daoist Hu, with his back to everyone, wrote down a location on a card and placed it face down.

Then, he gestured towards Xie Qingfeng to proceed.

Xie Qingfeng picked up the brush, eyes lowered, and swiftly completed the talisman, effortlessly matching Daoist Hu's drawing, even more relaxed and without chanting any spells.

Daoist Hu initially scoffed, thinking Xie Qingfeng was just putting on a show, as who could successfully draw a talisman without chanting spells? But his expression changed dramatically the next moment when he saw the perfectly completed talisman: “How is this possible?!”

He turned sharply towards Xie Qingfeng, who remained indifferent, not even glancing at him, finishing writing a location as he put down the brush, then looked up: “I'm done. Do you want to see the results?”

Daoist Hu, facing away from Young Master Wang, had a troubled expression. He couldn’t believe this young man, who claimed to have just entered the field two months ago, could write a locating talisman without chanting spells. He had… underestimated him.

Sensing the atmosphere was off, Young Master Wang stood up, pushed the middle-aged man aside, and approached: “What's wrong?”

He quickly lifted the cushion at the location Daoist Hu mentioned: "Southeast corner, third sofa."

Young Master Wang immediately sent someone to search, and sure enough, they found the brooch under the cushion of the sofa to the west of the third sofa in the southeast corner.

Young Master Wang and others presented the brooch, staring straight at Xie Qingfeng with a smile: “It seems Daoist Hu has won.”

Hao Jixin laughed incredulously: “Young Master Wang, didn’t you even look at what our master wrote? How can you say you’ve won?”

“How have we not won? Your master is so young, how could he possibly…” He was speaking as he casually picked up the location written by Xie Qingfeng, but as he flipped it over and saw the words, Young Master Wang was incredulous, “How is this possible?”

Written there was: [Under the cushion of the sofa to the west of the third sofa in the southeast corner].

Hao Jixin saw it and burst into laughter: “We won, we were even more precise.”

Daoist Hu probably thought they wouldn’t guess, so he didn’t bother to write so clearly. But now that they were more detailed, didn’t that mean they won?

Even though Daoist Hu had anticipated it, seeing the nearly exact location, his expression became serious. He looked deeply at Xie Qingfeng, then at Daoist Bai, realizing he had been tricked. Perhaps it wasn’t Daoist Bai who resolved the Miao family’s crisis, but this young man.

Young Master Wang glared at Daoist Hu, almost suspecting someone informed their opponents in advance if he hadn't hidden it himself.

Seeing Daoist Hu’s expression and realizing something, Young Master Wang looked at Xie Qingfeng again, his gaze filled with curiosity and interest, realizing he was indeed skilled.

Young Master Wang declared definitively: “Fine, you win the first round.”

Hao Jixin was dissatisfied: “What do you mean ‘you win’? We won.” The phrasing made it sound like they won by chance.

Young Master Wang didn’t argue, but his look at Daoist Hu as he turned to leave was cold, devoid of humor, making Daoist Hu shiver, though he tried to hide it and became alert, not to be underestimated: “The second round will be…” He was about to announce the second challenge but was interrupted by Xie Qingfeng, who had been calm as if nothing mattered.

“The first round was set by Daoist Hu. The second round should be set by me.”

“This…” Daoist Hu was left speechless, meeting Xie Qingfeng's cold, emotionless eyes, feeling an inexplicable shiver.

He suddenly realized why Xie Qingfeng didn’t argue about who set the first challenge. He was waiting for this moment.

Since Daoist Hu had set the first challenge, it was only fair for them to set the second, and now Daoist Hu couldn’t refuse the upcoming challenge.

Daoist Hu shivered, suddenly realizing what challenge Xie Qingfeng might propose, his face turning pale.

Xie Qingfeng didn’t give him a chance to back out: “Or is Daoist Hu going to use his seniority and age as an excuse to disregard the rules of the competition?”

If Daoist Hu backed out now, he would be admitting defeat and nullifying the contest.

Daoist Hu, unable to back down in front of his peers, reluctantly agreed: “It should be so, what challenge does the young friend propose for the second round?” hoping his fears were misplaced, as the young man, despite some skills, surely couldn’t...

Xie Qingfeng suggested: “For the second round, how about a contest with the Meng Po talisman? To avoid a repeat of the first round, Daoist Hu will erase a person’s memory and I will undo the Meng Po talisman. If I succeed, I win; if I fail, Daoist Hu wins.”

Daoist Hu’s heart skipped a beat, about to object, but...

Xie Qingfeng smiled slowly: “Daoist Hu wouldn’t say he’s incapable of such a low-level talisman, right? Even someone as newly initiated as me knows it, Daoist Hu…” His expression was too intriguing, as if such a simple talisman was child's play for a master like him.

Daoist Bai and Deputy Chief Ai realized something, their eyes lighting up. Daoist Bai even nodded: “Right, Daoist Hu, you can’t do such a simple talisman? No way, right?”

Daoist Hu’s face turned completely dark: This was not simple at all! Not even three people in the whole industry could do it!

He had gone to great lengths to acquire this Meng Po talisman, capable of erasing a person’s memory. How did this young man even know about its existence?

But with no way out, he forced a stiff smile: “Of course, I can do it.”

Even if he knew the Meng Po talisman, once Xie Qingfeng undid it, there’d be no proof of failure or success. But if they lost, with Young Master Wang's temperament, he’d only leave Xie Qingfeng behind, putting them at his mercy.

Xie Qingfeng's lips curled up, pointing at Hao Jixin: “To prevent fraud, let Daoist Hu apply the Meng Po talisman on someone from our side. He’s our man, so there will be no trickery in erasing his memory.”

In other words, using someone from Young Master Wang’s side would imply they might fake memory loss.

Daoist Hu, gritting his teeth at Hao Jixin's grinning face, almost burst with anger. Young Master Wang, frowning, was clearly displeased, having previously boasted of the talisman’s uniqueness, only to find others also knew of it.

Without speaking directly, his attitude clearly worsened, doubting Daoist Hu's abilities.

Daoist Hu thought his Meng Po talisman was so powerful, he couldn’t believe the young man could undo it, suspecting it was a ploy to force him to forfeit.

Daoist Hu, steeling himself: “It’s possible.”

Hao Jixin stepped forward, and Deputy Chief Ai took out a red ribbon, wrapping it around Hao Jixin six times and tying two knots as instructed by Xie Qingfeng. After finishing, Deputy Chief Ai unwrapped the ribbon and put it in his pocket, standing aside without leaving.

As their eyes met, Xie Qingfeng and Deputy Chief Ai shared an unspoken understanding, though no words were exchanged.

Xie Qingfeng then turned to Daoist Hu, who had been frowning throughout: “Let’s begin. If you make him forget about being wrapped in six loops of red ribbon tied with two knots just now, you win, Daoist Hu.”

Daoist Hu hesitated, but with Young Master Wang's impatient urging, he had to proceed. Bringing a cup of water, he wrote a talisman, waved it over the cup, and the talisman burned up. Simultaneously, cold sweat appeared on his forehead, but he remained silent.

After completing the ritual, he muttered something and handed the water to Hao Jixin.

Hao Jixin didn’t hesitate and drank the cup in one go.

The water seemed too spicy; he stuck out his tongue, puffing twice. His eyes glazed over for a moment, but he quickly regained clarity. This brief lapse went unnoticed by others. He then looked around: “Let's start. Which memory are we erasing?”

Deputy Chief Ai’s eyes gleamed mysteriously: “Do you remember what I just did to you?”

Hao Jixin staggered back two steps, bewildered: “What? What did you do to me?”

Deputy Chief Ai: “Do you remember how many loops of red ribbon I wrapped around your wrist?”

Hao Jixin: “What? You wrapped red ribbon around me?”

His words astounded everyone present. Could someone truly erase a segment of a person’s memory? This seemed even more incredible than a hypnotist.

At the same time, Daoist Bai and Chairman Miao’s expressions grew grave, while Daoist Hu seemed to have misused his skills.

Daoist Hu, sweating, looked at Xie Qingfeng: “Time to undo it, right? Can you do it? If you can't, we win this round.”

If Xie Qingfeng could undo the talisman, its effect on the body would dissipate. But if he couldn’t, they would detain the person, still keeping control over Xie Qingfeng and his party.

Xie Qingfeng looked at Deputy Chief Ai, who subtly nodded. Xie Qingfeng then turned to Hao Jixin, forgoing the use of a talisman paper and directly drawing a rune on Hao Jixin's forehead with his fingertip, patting it onto his brow.

Almost immediately, a golden rune appeared on Hao Jixin's forehead, visible to the naked eye, and vanished, making him feel uneasy. He leaned to the side and vomited a mouthful of the liquid into a trash bin.

It was distinctly black, in stark contrast to the transparent drink from before.

Chairman Miao timely offered a bottle of water. After rinsing his mouth, Hao Jixin looked up, puzzled: “What happened?”

Deputy Chief Ai asked again: “How many loops of red ribbon did I wrap around your wrist, and how many knots?”

Hao Jixin replied without hesitation: “Six loops and two knots. Why?”

Only then did Xie Qingfeng and the others turn to Daoist Hu, whose face had gone pale: “It seems we've won this round too.”

Daoist Hu, now looking at Xie Qingfeng with obvious fear, stepped back. The thought of Xie Qingfeng effortlessly dispelling the Meng Po talisman, and the golden rune... Who was he? How could he possess such profound skills?

“Who are you, exactly? How can your skills be so deep?” He couldn't believe someone so young could be so powerful.

Xie Qingfeng didn’t answer him but instead looked at Deputy Chief Ai: “You got it all recorded, right?”

Deputy Chief Ai, shedding his initial composure, gave Xie Qingfeng a thumbs-up, his eyes shining: “Got it all.”

“Recorded what? What did you just record?” Daoist Hu felt a wave of ominous foreboding.

Deputy Chief Ai, no longer polite with him, showed his badge: “I’m Deputy Chief Ai Yi of the official special department. We have a case of intentional harm and memory erasure that requires Daoist Hu to accompany me to the station.”

Daoist Hu's face turned completely pale: “I don't know what you're talking about. What evidence do you have that it was me? Isn't the Meng Po talisman just a simple talisman?”

Deputy Chief Ai: “Indeed, it's simple, and currently, only two people can cast it. Unfortunately, Master Xie has only been in B city for two days, so it definitely wasn't him. That leaves only Daoist Hu. Most importantly, to verify if it was Daoist Hu, we just need to compare the black liquid expelled after touching the talisman with the liquid from those rich young masters after they were released from the talisman’s effect. It will show if it came from the same person. As a law enforcement officer, I recorded everything.”

Daoist Hu, feeling faint, was about to say something but stiffened upon meeting Xie Qingfeng's cold gaze: Who exactly is this person?

He didn't dare to gamble, as the other’s skills were overwhelmingly superior, beyond his imagination.

Daoist Hu turned to look at Young Master Wang: “Young Master…”

Young Master Wang, looking displeased: “This Daoist Hu always bragged about his prowess, and this is what he amounts to? He waved his hand, dismissing Daoist Hu and Duan Yue’s pleading looks: “Handle your own problems.” Don’t undertake tasks beyond your capabilities.

Daoist Hu felt weak: It’s over...

Duan Yue, completely bewildered throughout, watched as Daoist Hu was apprehended: Is he going to drag me down too?

Before he could approach Young Master Wang, Deputy Chief Ai advanced, intending to apprehend him.

Duan Yue dodged to the side: “What are you doing?”

Deputy Chief Ai, with a stern look: “What am I doing? We won two out of three rounds. We’re taking someone with us. Are you coming willingly, or is Young Master Wang going back on his word?”

Duan Yue: ?? Damn, so they weren’t planning to let anyone go?

Young Master Wang, caught in the situation: “…”