Chapter 64

Chapter 64

Both the Taoist priest and Mr. Jia's expressions changed. The Taoist priest instinctively exclaimed, "Impossible..."

How could it be possible? They had heard that the master had long left City B. And how could it be such a coincidence to encounter him?

Unfortunately, without giving the two a chance to react, Xie Qingfeng, as Hao Jixin stepped aside, raised his hand and drew a strange talisman in the air with spiritual power, almost instantly.

Everyone felt as if a myriad of golden lights spread across the night sky, as if endowed with life, flying in all directions.

The misty vapor and eerie green hue of the nearby hot spring pool seemed to be cleansed away by this golden light.

Simultaneously, all the illusionary talismans placed around the mountain were destroyed.

This time, the spiritual energy consumed was substantial, especially since the Taoist priest had chosen a different method to extend Mr. Jia's life, being cautious not to cause any harm to others.

Since it required many people, it took a long time to write those things at the top of the mountain. Solving it all at once wasn't difficult, but it was quite energy-consuming.

Fortunately, Xie Qingfeng's cultivation had improved significantly recently, and he had accumulated a lot of spiritual energy, so it wasn’t a big deal.

It was just that his body felt quite fatigued from the sudden exertion.

The effect, however, was evident. Almost immediately as everything was destroyed, the Taoist priest, Mr. Jia, and everyone involved in the life-extension process were all backlash-stricken. The Taoist priest and Mr. Jia were affected the most, with the Taoist priest’s face bleeding, though not profusely, as he curled up on the ground, trembling and writhing in pain.

Mr. Jia, already in poor health, fainted from the pain.

Jing Xi and Hao Jixin had anticipated this scene, so their reactions were the calmest. Although Ai Yi was shocked, he managed to maintain his composure.

The four colleagues who had never witnessed such events were in disbelief, their eyes wide open. They thought the scene at the foot of the mountain was already beyond belief, but what they had just witnessed was like overturning two decades of their understanding.

Realizing what had happened, the four reached for their phones, but it was too late to capture anything, leaving them regretful. They exchanged glances and quickly approached Xie Qingfeng.

With the master being so powerful, it was the perfect time to ask for some peace or wealth talismans, or even a love charm if nothing else.

Before they could get close, however, the sharp gaze of the long-haired young man beside the master swept over them, chillingly intimidating in the dim light, especially with the coldness emanating from him.

Normally, they would have refrained from approaching upon seeing such an unwelcoming expression, but having met such a powerful master, and hearing from the Taoist priest that this master was not only formidable but also hard to meet, they decided to proceed.

Two of the men bravely spoke up: "Master, we've been frightened along the way. Could you please give us some peace talismans? Or any other kind would do."

They weren't picky; even if they didn’t need them, they could boast about having the talismans later. Or, considering the master’s prowess, they could sell them to the right buyer for a significant profit, making their trip worthwhile.

The two women, who had initially thought of buying the talismans, were embarrassed by the men’s blunt request for freebies and quickly added, "No, we can pay for them."

Hao Jixin, amused and somewhat annoyed, looked at the four people. He thought their earlier talk of wanting talismans was audacious enough, but now they were even more presumptuous, "Who are you to receive free talismans? Look up and see if a pie falls from the sky to hit you. Do you even know how busy our master is? Even if you want to pay, we’re not available for the foreseeable future. And for your information, a basic talisman costs twenty thousand, and that's just for the most basic one. Other talismans are priced differently. Are you sure you four want to spend eighty thousand on basic talismans?"

The first man to speak, initially embarrassed by Hao Jixin’s blunt retort, realized they were indeed trying to take advantage, but then was shocked at the price, "Twenty thousand for a basic talisman? Are you robbing people?"

Hao Jixin laughed angrily, "Even if we were stealing, there are those who would respectfully offer us their belongings. Even if we discarded or threw them away, we wouldn't give them to beggars like you." Finishing his words, his gaze fell upon the man's face, "Speaking of which, does your girlfriend know that you pretend to be single every week at the bar? Not to mention cheating with a junior, you even secretly flirt with your girlfriend's best friend. You're just a scumbag, a waste of air!"

Having vented his frustration, Hao Jixin felt relieved.

Jing Xiu, for once, looked at Hao Jixin with appreciation, "I'll add a chicken leg to your meal when we get back."

Hao Jixin immediately broke into a sly grin, unconcerned about the shocked expression of the girl.

Had he been so straightforward before, the girl might not have believed him, but now...

Indeed, the girl, initially focused on her boyfriend and friend's embarrassing attempt to freeload, was now furious upon learning about the cheating. She began hurling objects at the boy, turning the scene into chaos.

Ai Yi's face darkened, clearly not expecting the audacity of the other party to speak up, let alone offending the master.

"Xie Qingfeng, seeing that the situation was resolved, pointed in a direction, 'There’s a cave over there. Your apprentice and other victims should be inside. You have a signal now; contact someone to take them back. We'll be leaving first.'"

With the matter resolved, but with too many people to realistically descend the mountain now, and unable to bring them all down, Xie Qingfeng was uninterested in staying any longer.

Ai Yi quickly responded, "Master, we owe you a great debt for this. I'll make sure to visit with my disciple to express our gratitude."

Xie Qingfeng replied, "No need."

Hao Jixin added, "Just make sure the payment is prompt, no need for a personal visit."

The master is too busy; every minute wasted is a minute not earning money.

Having said this, the group left in a certain direction.

The four left behind were in chaos, some fighting, others trying to break it up. When they regained their senses, they realized the master had already left.

"What do we do now?" the four asked Ai Yi, bewildered.

Ai Yi looked at them sarcastically, "What to do? Deal with it! Either stay here and wait, or find your own way down the mountain."

Hearing the howling wind and seeing the dark mountain peaks around them, the four didn’t dare to make a sound.

When Xie Qingfeng returned to the hotel, it was already 10 PM. Having expended a lot of energy, especially spiritual energy, the delayed dinner lasted over an hour.

After eating his fill, Xie Qingfeng finally put down his chopsticks, "That's enough, no need for any more deliveries."

Hao Jixin then put down his phone, relieved to see that the master seemed alright, though he was surprised by the amount of food Xie Qingfeng had eaten, realizing the day’s events must have been especially taxing.

"The more he thought about it, the more he realized he would need to compensate Ai Yi later for his efforts."

"As it was getting late, Hao Jixin didn't dare to linger, urging the master to rest well."

"Xie Qingfeng felt lethargic; the hotel food was delicious, and he had expended a lot of physical energy climbing and then using his cultivation on the mountain, which turned into a hearty appetite. He accidentally overate."

"Jing Xi had someone clean up the dishes, then turned to look at Xie Qingfeng, who was still lounging nearby. He had never seen him this relaxed and walked over to sit by his side."

"Xie Qingfeng, too lazy to move, noticed his approach and lazily opened his eyes, 'Aren’t you going back to your room?'"

"'No rush,' Jing Xi replied languidly."

"Seeing that Jing Xi indeed didn’t seem to have anything urgent, Xie Qingfeng remained silent."

"Jing Xi looked at him again, 'Did this time consume more of your cultivation than before? There are many jade stones in the treasury; you can absorb some. Don’t worry about me. Since I gave them to you, they are all yours to use freely.'"

"Xie Qingfeng finally realized why Jing Xi had been hesitating all night; was he worried that Xie Qingfeng wouldn’t want to use the stones, concerned about the excessive consumption of his cultivation?"

"'Does Your Majesty always overthink, or do you think I’m that incapable?'"

"'It was just an old Daoist. Even with many talismans, he was just average. My exhaustion was mainly from climbing the mountain.'"

"Jing Xi shook his head, 'Of course not.' After a moment's hesitation, he spoke again, 'If I didn’t owe the company money...'"

"Xie Qingfeng, who had been lazily lying down digesting his meal, opened his eyes upon hearing this. He squinted in Jing Xi's direction, smiled, and said warmly, 'Then I'll absorb all the jade stones in the treasury and send His Majesty on another wonderful time-travel journey.'"

"Jing Xi, looking at the National Master who spoke the harshest words with a smile, slowly uttered the remaining words, '...that would be nice.'"

Xie Qingfeng once again lay lazily, and by the time Jing Xi looked over again, he had already closed his eyes.

Jing Xi watched him silently for a long time before covering him with a thin blanket and slightly increasing the air conditioning temperature. Only then did he leave quietly.

Jing Xi knew Xie Qingfeng was joking; after all, if it were really possible, he wouldn't have kept it a secret during their first meeting. But this joke also showed how angry the National Teacher would be if his past was exposed. Being kicked out would be the least of his worries.

After returning to his room, Jing Xi pondered for a while before sending a message to Liang Chenglei.

At the same time, Liang Chenglei finally received a message from his artist, but his reaction upon reading it was one of confusion: ?

He almost pressed his face against the phone, making sure he was reading the message correctly and not hallucinating: ...

"What’s got into Xianfeng?"

The message simply read:

[Jing: Ask President Zhu how to make the most money in the shortest time?]

Liang Chenglei replied with a shiver: [How much is 'the most'?]

[Jing: As much as possible.]

[Liang Chenglei: Xianfeng, you haven’t run into some trouble, have you?]

[Jing: No, just want to secure a way out for myself with some money.]

After all, the National Teacher seemed quite interested in money, and Jing Xi hoped that with enough money, the National Teacher might be more lenient in the future.

The next day, Xie Qingfeng woke up unusually late. Hao Jixin had not scheduled anything for the day, with only the birthday banquet of Elder Zhang in the evening.

Xie Qingfeng, having no pressing matters, indulged himself by sleeping in. However, as he washed up, the nightmare from the previous night came to mind. Splashing water on his face and looking at himself in the mirror, he couldn't help but shudder at the thought of such a terrifying dream.

He wondered if it was because of the joke Jing Xi made before going to sleep.

In his dream, Jing Xi pulled him into his room, and upon opening the door, it was filled with money. Jing Xi then grinned annoyingly, "National Teacher, look, this is the mountain of money I've amassed for you."

Xie Qingfeng couldn't remember his response, but Jing Xi immediately shook his head solemnly, "How could that be? I never lie. If I lie, I turn into a small dog."

The next moment, Jing Xi transformed into a dog, looking up at him and barking.

And then... Xie Qingfeng woke up.