novel bin Chapter 43 Uproar
Chapter 43 Uproar
Monk Yuanzhi's shout startled everyone in the shop. The proprietress patted her chest and complained, "That damned monk, always so jumpy! I thought there was a fire somewhere. Tell me, what big business do you want with our little Zhou? Stealing someone's lover?"
"What does that old woman know?"
Monk Yuanzhi rolled his eyes, then saw Zhou Fengchen come out of the kitchen and excitedly said, "Brother..."
"Shh!" Zhou Fengchen winked at him, then said to the landlady, "I'm going home now."
As the two left, Zhou Fengchen said dejectedly, "Hey, Monk, don't make a fuss about it. It's not good to let the whole world know we're charlatans."
Monk Yuanzhi glared and said, "How can you call me a charlatan? We are legitimate masters! If you ask me, you might as well quit this lousy job. It's only 1,800 a month, and you can't afford to lose face like that."
As Zhou Fengchen walked, he said, "This job is just a cover, kept from my family. It's not tiring at all. So, what big deal is it?"
The monk Yuanzhi said mysteriously, "There's a rich man in the North District. Strange things have been happening at his house these past few days. They can't explain what's going on, but they're willing to pay 100,000 yuan! 100,000 yuan! Do you know how much that is?"
Zhou Fengchen felt a chill run down his spine and said, "Let's not talk about money yet. Why didn't you find out anything about the situation? Military strategy books say that you must know your enemy and yourself to win every battle. How can we do anything if we haven't even investigated?"
Monk Yuanzhi laughed and said, "It hasn't reached the level of using military strategy yet. Last time it was an accident. This time let's take it easy and know when to stop."
"Okay!" Zhou Fengchen nodded, then asked curiously, "By the way! Where do you get all these jobs from?"
Monk Yuanzhi coughed and said, "You work during the day, while I set up a stall and chat with those blind fortune tellers. I can always find out some things. Afterwards, I contact them, and once we reach an agreement, I go to their door. It's a complicated matter. I'll teach you slowly another day."
Zhou Fengchen gave a thumbs up, "Impressive!"
"You're too kind!" Monk Yuanzhi chuckled. "Come on, let's grab our weapons and get to work!"
……
The two returned to their rented apartment, put on their costumes, took some miscellaneous ritual implements, and then hailed a taxi to head straight to the northern part of the city.
Upon arriving at the location, we discovered that the family lived in a villa, which was brightly lit and bustling with activity.
The two looked at each other, wondering what was going on. Was something strange happening, or was it a happy occasion?
Monk Yuanzhi stepped forward and tapped on the courtyard gate a few times. Immediately, it fell silent, and five or six men hurried out. The leader, a man in his forties, looked them up and down and asked, "Are you the master we contacted during the day?"
Monk Yuanzhi immediately put his palms together and said, "Amitabha! This humble monk, Yuanzhi, has heard that strange things have happened at your residence, so I have come to investigate."
Having had experience before, Zhou Fengchen skillfully flicked his whisk and said, "Amitabha! This humble Daoist, Yuan Cong, has come to offer my assistance!"
"Yuanzhi, Yuancong?" The middle-aged man shook his head and smiled, opened the door, his attitude not particularly enthusiastic, his tone almost like ordering someone intimidatingly, "Come in!"
He then led his men ahead.
Zhou Fengchen felt a little uncomfortable. He glanced at Yuan Zhi and asked in a low voice, "What does this mean? Are they not taking us seriously?"
Monk Yuanzhi shook his head and said, "They don't really trust us. They think we're here to scam them. That's how rich people are!"
"Damn it, he acts like I'm begging him. I'm not doing this job!" Zhou Fengchen turned to leave. He was already a bit disgusted by these kinds of inexplicable things, and the employer's behavior was just too boring.
Monk Yuanzhi quickly pulled him back, advising, "Hey! Brother, don't lose your temper. Sometimes you have to be shameless to make money. Once we resolve this, they'll be groveling before us. Just you wait and see!"
"I just feel it's too cheap and a bit unreliable, you know?" Zhou Fengchen scratched his head and reluctantly followed into the hall.
The hall was magnificent and lavishly decorated. Before the two could even take a good look around, dozens of men carrying knives, spears, and clubs surrounded them, eager to fight.
Monk Yuanzhi was startled, while Zhou Fengchen's anger flared. He thought, "What's this? Trying to scare me?" He coldly said, "If we want to fight, let's go outside and find a spacious place. If we can't take them down in five minutes, I'll admit defeat! If we want to exorcise ghosts and demons, let these piece of trash get the hell out of my way! They're really giving me a hard time!"
A group of men were instantly enraged and were about to attack when a soft cough came from behind them. The men immediately and respectfully stepped aside.
An elderly man with gray hair sat on the sofa in the lobby, and a middle-aged man who opened the door stood behind him.
The old man sized up Zhou Fengchen and Yuan Zhi, then chuckled, "You've got guts, not bad! Please sit down!"
Zhou Fengchen, accompanied by Monk Yuanzhi, sat down on the opposite sofa, looked around, and cut to the chase: "Old man, what happened at your house? Tell me!"
The old man was stunned for a moment, not expecting Zhou Fengchen to be so direct. He waved his hand, and the man behind him opened his bag, took out neatly arranged banknotes, and placed them on the table.
The old man patted the banknotes and said, "To be honest, you are the third batch of masters. The first two, lacking sufficient magical power, have already died. Therefore, I advise you two to think carefully and not to be reckless. Of course! If you are truly confident that you can accomplish the task, here is two hundred thousand; take it all!"
Another 100,000! Monk Yuanzhi's heart skipped a beat, but he frowned and said, "What is it? You haven't told me yet."
The old man still didn't give a direct answer, saying, "In 91, I went to western Hunan to do business and met a Taoist priest from Maoshan there. His paper talismans were incredibly powerful; he could make them fly all over the sky just by pinching his fingers. It's a pity that you can't find such masters in today's society. Would you mind showing me your skills?"
Monk Yuanzhi was in a dilemma, so he quietly nudged Zhou Fengchen.
Zhou Fengchen thought for a moment, then gently tapped the table with his fingers. More than a dozen talismans silently floated out of his arms, emitting a faint light. He made a hand seal, gave it a gentle shake, and the paper talismans flew straight to the window. With a "crack," the windowpane shattered on the floor.
"Whoa—"
A group of men not far away were startled.
The old man and the man behind him stared wide-eyed, and couldn't help but shudder.
Even Monk Yuanzhi was quite startled. It was the first time he had ever seen Zhou Fengchen play with talismans. He was surprised, but on the surface he gave a cold smile and asked the old man, "Is this it?"
"Yes, yes, yes!" The old man and the man's attitudes completely changed, and they looked at Zhou Fengchen, who was putting away the talisman, with respect. "Daoist Master is a true Daoist Master!"
Monk Yuanzhi put on airs, "Stop with the formalities! My brother here has a bad temper, so tell me what happened."
"Yes, yes, yes," the old man said in a low voice, "My house is haunted by a monster, and my granddaughter is suffering terribly..."