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"Master, are you home?"

Shouts came from outside the mortuary, accompanied by someone banging on the door.

The door creaked open, revealing a handsome face.

Tan Wenjie hadn't expected those little beggars to be so efficient; before he'd even given them any money, customers were already coming to his door.

He was somewhat resistant, considering that he did not intend to make a living from this.

I should have said I was good at feeling a girl's bones.

His gaze swept over the group of people outside the door, finally settling on a man at the back of the crowd. He immediately recognized him and exclaimed, "Oh! It's you!"

All I remember is that the other person fell flat on their face.

"It's me!" The man nodded quickly, as if he had breathed a sigh of relief. "I've finally found you."

His voice was filled with relief.

"Are you still upset after I taught you a lesson last time, and you've come back to get revenge?" Tan Wenjie said, rolling up his sleeves to reveal his muscular arms. "I happen to know some boxing techniques."

The exaggerated muscles startled everyone else. With such strong arms, he would be more than qualified to be a general in the imperial court, or at least a match for a hundred men.

"No, no, no, it wasn't me!" The man was startled and quickly shook his head.

"Oh~ so it wasn't you." Tan Wenjie, who had half his body sticking out of the door, suddenly pulled back, making the motion of closing the door.

"Wait, wait, it's me, it really is me!" The man took a step forward and used his foot to block the door.

"Now you admit it's you."

"I was the one who got beaten up last time, but I'm not the one looking for trouble this time."

"Then tell me, who's trying to cause me trouble?"

"Your Excellency, the County Magistrate!"

"The county magistrate?"

"No, no, it's not that the magistrate wants to cause you trouble, it's that the magistrate wants to ask you to do something."

Just as the two were discussing, one of the constables standing nearby with knives spoke up: "Hey, Brother Zhao, why are you wasting your breath talking to this Taoist priest? Make him come with us. If he doesn't want to, then... hmph!"

"Oh, I wouldn't dare!" Brother Zhao quickly shook his head.

He had personally witnessed the Taoist master's abilities and knew what a reclusive master was.

Provoking the other party is tantamount to courting death.

"Please don't be offended. These brothers don't know about your extraordinary abilities, but they are all honest and law-abiding officials," Brother Zhao reassured Tan Wenjie.

Tan Wenjie glanced at the few constables; they wore their hats askew, had stubble, and glared angrily, looking treacherous.

If these people are good, then there should be no such cruel, lazy, greedy and cunning officials in the world.

Seeing that they can resist judging people by their appearance, they will definitely be attacked by the crowd, and they themselves will not be able to resist attacking the other party.

Brother Zhao asked in a low voice, "Do you know any magic techniques to defeat your enemies?"

"I'm not bragging, but I can't even control the wind and rain, possess the Samadhi Fire, fly through the sky and escape into the earth, capture dragons and subdue tigers..." Tan Wenjie rattled off a long string of words before pausing to catch his breath, saying, "They're all just ordinary things, I can do them with a flick of my wrist!"

"Great, you're exactly what I've been looking for!"

Others may be fake, but the one in front of me must be real.

Only then did Brother Zhao tell Tan Wenjie the truth.

Ever since the magistrate's treasury was "robbed" by a handsome scholar, he has been restless and has imposed martial law in the city. However, instead of catching the scholar who "stole" the treasure, he unexpectedly heard a folk tale: a child had a paintbrush with magical powers that could bring anything he drew to life.

Paintings of gold and silver jewelry are considered realistic, as are paintings of cranes and birds.

Such a magical artifact must have been one of the treasures stolen from the magistrate's house. So the magistrate arranged for someone to capture the child and retrieve his magic brush.

"A magic pen?" Tan Wenjie narrowed his eyes.

He knew this plot all too well.

Ma Liang, with his magic paintbrush, received a treasure from an old immortal, and from then on, anything he drew could become real.

With the ability to conjure objects from a distance and turn the fake into the real, Ma Liang's magic brush was truly extraordinary.

Brother Zhao nodded quickly: "Yes, but there's something wrong with this magic brush. It has to be very realistic. The more realistic it is, the more real it looks. If someone who can't draw gets this brush, they might end up drawing some kind of monster that doesn't look like anything else."

"Then you should hire an artist to paint it, why did you come to me?"

"It's not that there are too many demons and monsters; the entire magistrate's mansion has become a haunted house. So the magistrate arranged for us to come out and find a master who can exorcise demons. The first person I thought of was you."

"I see." Tan Wenjie suddenly realized.

No wonder I always felt like I had lost something.

It turns out I lost my magic pen.

I've kept my love of drawing a secret for thousands of years, but it was unexpectedly revealed. I don't know if it's too late to start learning to draw now.

Brother Zhao asked cautiously, "What do you think?"

"I'll go take a look right away." Tan Wenjie flicked his sleeves, put his hands behind his back, and walked out the door.

Seeing that he had finally persuaded a true expert, he breathed a sigh of relief and took small steps to catch up.

Although the others thought that Tan Wenjie was handsome and didn't seem like a capable person at all, they still obeyed the order to retreat.

Anyway, when it comes to subduing demons, it's not me who's in mortal danger.

Brother Zhao pulled on Tan Wenjie's sleeve and took two quick steps, then asked in a low voice, "Taoist priest... can you really grant a child?"

Judging from his expression, you could tell he must have believed the legends spread by the little beggar outside.

Tan Wenjie gave me a knowing look and took out a small medicine bottle from his pocket.

"Don't eat too much, or you'll lose all your energy and vitality, and die. It's not easy for us to get to know each other, so I'll give you this bottle for free."

He's had this medicine with him for many years, but he rarely gives it away as a gift. He can't send too many hunks into the marriage market; that would cause inflation.

Brother Zhao's eyes lit up as he put the medicine bottle into his pocket, then shook his head and said, "That's not what I meant. I wanted to ask if you have any ways to make my wife's belly bigger."

“Send your wife here to me, I’ll help her recover for a few days.”

"Thank you, Master!"

I really didn't waste my time befriending this master; he even provided comprehensive after-sales service.

The group traveled in a grand procession, and many people along the way avoided them, fearing that if they offended these mad dogs of the government who usually acted arrogantly, they would be bitten and their families would be destroyed.

Some people saw Tan Wenjie surrounded and felt a pang of regret. A handsome Taoist priest like him was going to jail and would probably suffer for the rest of the night.

Many pretty young wives even secretly wiped away tears. Tan Wenjie kept a straight face, not expressing his opinion. Sometimes, not giving a response is the best response. He was worried that if he showed the smile that could charm countless young girls, it would cause the street order to collapse.

In front of the county magistrate's residence.

They stood at the doorway.

Tan Wenjie looked up and saw that the whole house was filled with a demonic aura.

To the naked eye, this house appears to be under a clear blue sky. Looking down at the mansion, its tall buildings and grand courtyards inspire awe. The stone lions at the entrance are particularly imposing, meant to ward off evil spirits. Anyone with malicious intentions would surely be terrified upon seeing these two enormous stone lions.

To those who have achieved mastery of cultivation, this place is shrouded in demonic energy.

If these were truly demons and monsters drawn with a pen, how could they possess such a demonic aura? Tan Wenjie twitched his nose slightly, able to smell the blood and gore within the demonic aura, which was enough to prove that these monsters had killed countless people.

Or perhaps it's true that the power of the paintbrush is enough to create something out of nothing.

Tan Wenjie asked, "Is there anyone still in the manor?"

“Yes, it’s a great monk who calls himself Zen Master Guyun,” a yamen runner said. “He’s carrying a large ring-handled sword, wearing a patchwork robe, breathing fire and flashing lightning in his eyes. He just charged in. If you ask me, the demons and monsters in the magistrate’s mansion won’t be wiped out in no time.”

"Is that what you're talking about?" Tan Wenjie pointed to the top of the wall.

Then a bald man, completely naked except for his head which was blackened by smoke, climbed over the wall and fell to the ground, shouting "Buddha, save me!" before running off in a nonchalant manner.

Only a few people remained, looking at each other in bewilderment.

"I never imagined that monsters could be so powerful."

They still didn't believe the monk had faked it; they only thought the demon's abilities were too strong. The devil was always one step ahead of the saint, and losing was inevitable. At least the monk had saved his own life.

"Is anyone else here?" Tan Wenjie asked.

“No.” Zhao Sange shook his head like a rattle drum. “After those things in the painting ran out, the county magistrate and his wife and family packed their bags and fled. Now, only some livestock are left in the entire mansion… I’m afraid all the livestock are dead.”

"Alright, come in with me."

"Should we go too?" Everyone's faces turned grim.

They still vividly remembered the fate of the senior monk. If they had followed him in, they would have either been terrified and injured, or even died. They were just yamen runners, not county magistrates. Why risk their lives?

Brother Zhao also said, "Master, you are all-powerful. There is no use in us ordinary people following you in. On the contrary, we will only hold you back. It would be better if we stayed outside to meet you. If you need anything, just shout towards the door and we will do everything we can to save you."

Seeing their posture as if they were about to run away, Tan Wenjie nodded to indicate that he believed them.

"Since you all say so, don't blame me for not giving you a chance to show off."

Tan Wenjie strode into the county magistrate's residence.

When his figure disappeared, Zhao Sange and the others felt as if their bodies had been drained of energy.

"Third brother, is he really that good?"

"Genuine products, with real skills."

"Should we run away first?"

"That's not a good idea. What if they clear out the demons and monsters and don't see us? Where will we put our face then?"

"Okay, let's draw lots then. Whoever is unlucky will stay."

"..."

Outside, people were fiercely debating who should stay behind to determine Tan Wenjie's fate and whether or not to collect his body. Tan Wenjie, who had just passed through the gatehouse, had already encountered demons and monsters.

A figure with a long red tongue suddenly sprang out from the roof beam.

It also carries a chilling, eerie wind. Judging by its rank, it is definitely no less than the red-clothed vengeful ghost. Ordinary people who encounter it will often have their families destroyed and their houses turned into haunted houses, which will be completely abandoned.

Tan Wenjie raised his hand and gently tapped the figure, freezing it in place and rendering it unable to move.

"This was also drawn?"

He grabbed the figure with the long tongue, slowly raised his left arm, and then shook his right arm. He found that the other's body was no different from a real vengeful ghost, except that its eyes were blank and lifeless, and its resentment was superficial, like a puppet or a shadow play.

"It seems like someone is manipulating things behind the scenes."

Tan Wenjie frowned and examined the ghost for a while, almost stripping it naked, but still found nothing.

He raised his hand to release the immobilization spell, and the opponent immediately charged at Tan Wenjie with unwavering ferocity, launching a suicidal attack.

With a gentle poke of the finger, the long-tongued hanged ghost's soul exploded, vanishing on the spot.

"Could it be that Ma Liang's magic brush could not only draw living people, but also their three souls and seven spirits?"

If that were the case, Ma Liang shouldn't have been caught. It's possible that he was too young, easily deceived, and lacked experience, so he couldn't draw anything useful in the face of unexpected situations, which is why he was captured.

This treasure is too dangerous for Ma Liang to handle. For the sake of world peace, it's better for him to take it over himself.

The moment Tan Wenjie made his move, billowing black mist and demonic energy surged out of the windows, doors, and wells of the entire county magistrate's residence, instantly filling the space above their heads.

A cacophony of shouts, insults, and shrill screams came from all directions.

Tan Wenjie stood still, offering no resistance. The creatures hidden in the demonic mist rushed towards him like moths to a flame, only to be blocked by the lightning, fire, Buddhist light, immortal energy, and golden body vibrations emanating from his body, and were instead sent back to the demonic mist and its demons.

"Aaaaaah—" The screams of agony were incessant.

Something fell to the ground with a clatter.

"Who goes there!" A tall, imposing figure blocked Tan Wenjie's path, gently shaking the Soul-Hooking Rope in his hand, making a rustling sound.

It looked down at Tan Wenjie and said, "I am the Horse-Faced Rakshasa, the soul-reaping messenger of the underworld!"

Tan Wenjie retorted, "You don't recognize me?"

Horse-face sneered, "Once I summon your soul, I will naturally recognize who you are."

The chains swung with a "clatter" toward Tan Wenjie, but exploded the moment they touched his body.

"You!" Horse-faced's expression changed drastically, and he turned to run away.

"Something's not right." Tan Wenjie hadn't taken the other party seriously at first, but when he noticed that the horse-faced creature reacted differently from the other objects in the painting, he immediately realized that this horse-faced creature probably had some secret.

He stretched his right hand forward, but no one saw his arm extend, nor did anyone notice whether he took a step forward. Only Horse-Face noticed a hand patting his shoulder.

When Ma Mian came to his senses again, he was already kneeling obediently in front of Tan Wenjie, maintaining a half-kneeling posture.

That hand gently pressed down on the horse-faced beast, preventing it from leaving.

"Do you recognize me?" Tan Wenjie asked back.

This time, Horse-Face dared not speak recklessly again, but obediently shook his head to indicate that he did not know.

Tan Wenjie then asked, "You didn't draw it?"

"Of course I drew it! Release me now! Waaaaah—" (End of Chapter)