Watching Xu Qin’s retreating back, a sentence popped into Wang Banxian’s mind: There are too many fools, and not enough con artists.
If everyone in the world were as foolish as Xu Qin, then their work as con artists would be too easy, almost effortless, as people would foolishly come to them to be scammed.
Afterwards.
Xu Qin returned to her room, her face beaming with a happy smile.
Jiang Xueyi knew she was faking it, but still played along, asking, “How was it? Did the Half-Immortal’s blessings work?”
Xu Qin gave a thumbs-up and said, “Effective, incredibly effective! He truly lives up to his name as a Half-Immortal, he’s on a completely different level from those roadside fortune tellers. After receiving the Half-Immortal’s blessing, I felt warm all over, an indescribable sense of comfort.”
Then, she looked at Jiang Mengxin, “Hurry, daughter, go get your blessing. The Half-Immortal will surely bring about great changes for you!”
Jiang Mengxin was half-believing, half-doubting.
She didn’t believe in Half-Immortals either. What kind of gods or ghosts were there in this world? It was all a trick to deceive people.
However, getting blessed wouldn’t hurt. Since she was here, she might as well try.
So, Jiang Mengxin followed the young acolyte to the side hall.
The moment she entered the side hall, Wang Banxian’s eyes lit up. Although he had toyed with countless women, he had never laid his hands on someone as beautiful as Jiang Mengxin.
She had a curvaceous figure, delicate features like carved jade, truly a celestial being descended to earth, impossibly beautiful.
To get a taste of such a beauty would make his life worthwhile!
Wang Banxian suppressed his greedy gaze, first asking the young acolyte to close the door, then to guard the entrance and not let anyone in.
Then, it was time for the real business!
Wang Banxian asked in a perfunctory manner, “May I know what Miss Jiang is praying for? Love, career, or family health?”
For some reason, the image of Lu Ming suddenly flashed in Jiang Mengxin’s mind.
Although Jiang Mengxin’s attitude towards Lu Ming had changed, there were still immense difficulties for them to truly be together.
Firstly, Jiang Mengxin’s past attitude towards Lu Ming had been too harsh, and repairing their relationship wasn’t a simple matter of words. Secondly, her parents’ opposition was also quite significant.
Not to mention the slew of women competing with Jiang Mengxin for Lu Ming, like Su Wanran from Wudu.
With so many stringent conditions, even though Jiang Mengxin now acknowledged Lu Ming, it was almost impossible for them to truly be together.
What to do?
Thus, Jiang Mengxin said, “Marriage. I want to pray for a good marriage.”
Wang Banxian smiled, “It seems Miss Jiang is looking for a suitable husband.”
“No,” Jiang Mengxin stated directly. “I already have someone I like. It’s just that there are too many obstacles between us. I hope heaven will bless us to eventually be together and help us overcome all sorts of hindrances. That is the purpose of my prayer.”
“I see. That’s easy, very easy.”
Then, Wang Banxian picked up a talisman, chanted some incantations with a pretense of sincerity, and then brought over a bowl of strange-looking water.
Following that, Wang Banxian’s hand flicked, and the talisman burned in mid-air.
Wang Banxian poured all the ashes of the burnt talisman into the peculiar water, forming a bowl of special blessed water.
“Here, drink this blessed water, and your wish will be granted,” Wang Banxian handed the bowl over.
Jiang Mengxin, however, frowned tightly, unwilling to drink.
This was a joke! Believing in science, how could she drink a bowl of blessed water? In Jiang Mengxin’s opinion, it was just trash, and drinking it would surely be harmful to her body.
This made Jiang Mengxin even more convinced that the so-called Half-Immortal before her was a charlatan!
Heh heh.
Jiang Mengxin gave a cold laugh and said, “I’m sorry, I won’t drink it.”
Wang Banxian’s brow furrowed. “Miss Jiang, please rest assured, this blessed water is clean and hygienic, not dirty. This talisman was created through my earnest plea to the heavens for blessings, and only then did this bowl of blessed water form. If you don’t drink it, you will not only receive no blessings but will also offend the heavens, bringing about dire consequences. Miss Jiang, please drink it.”
A load of nonsense.
Jiang Mengxin didn’t believe a single word.
She said coldly, “If I have to drink this to receive blessings, I’d rather not have them. Excuse me, Half-Immortal, please keep this blessed water for yourself to drink slowly. I’ll be taking my leave.”
The longer she stayed in this place, the more uncomfortable she felt. She simply turned to leave.
If it weren’t for appeasing her parents, Jiang Mengxin would absolutely never have come to such a superstitious place, let alone waste her breath arguing with a charlatan.
Now, it was Wang Banxian’s turn to panic.
What to do?
The blessed water contained a drug. The Half-Immortal hoped that if Jiang Mengxin drank the potion, he could then smoothly take her down. This was the safest and most reliable method.
Now, it seemed that was not feasible.
However… Wang Banxian still had other means!
She refused the offered toast, so I’ll make her drink the penalty.
You won’t drink it, huh? Then don’t blame me for using force and a few special tricks!
Wang Banxian took out a harmonica from his pocket and began to play a leisurely tune. The melody was very strange, sharp and jarring, making anyone who heard it uncomfortable.
Jiang Mengxin frowned slightly, wondering what trick this charlatan was up to.
In any case, she wanted to leave this uncomfortable place first!
Jiang Mengxin reached out to open the door, only to find that at some point, the door had been locked from the outside, most likely by the young acolyte.
“What do you mean?”
Jiang Mengxin turned back to look at Wang Banxian. “Do you need to lock the door to offer blessings?”
Facing Jiang Mengxin’s questioning, Wang Banxian completely ignored her, continuing to play the harmonica, the sharp and jarring sound constantly entering Jiang Mengxin’s ears.
Of course.
It wasn’t just Jiang Mengxin who could hear this piercing melody; other creatures could too.
Suddenly, there was a rustling sound. On the roof, underfoot, in the corners, everywhere, there were sounds of small animals scurrying, accompanied by a large number of squeaking noises.
Rats!
It was rats!
A large number of rats!
Jiang Mengxin was startled. She looked around and saw the talismans stuck to the walls being broken through by rat after rat, with a large number of grey rats emerging.
It turned out that this side hall was designed very specially. The walls were hollow, with numerous openings in them, which were usually covered with talismans to conceal them.
And living inside the walls were these terrifying ‘little darlings.’
A large swarm of rats, hundreds or even thousands, lived within the walls, on the beams, and under the floor tiles. The entire room was surrounded by rats.
Normally, the rats wouldn’t come out. Only when they heard the summons of the harmonica would they emerge in droves.
This, then, was the reason why Wang Banxian was called ‘Half-Immortal’!
While others raised cats and dogs, he raised rats!
Wang Banxian cackled evilly, saying, “Do you think my reputation as an ‘Out-of-Body Disciple’ is false? I am a genuine ‘Chuma Xian’! The Rat Immortal bestows upon me supreme power to deal with any disobedient naughty child!”