This Taoist priest is so unprofessional!

The man seemed surprised that this young man, who looked like a teenager addicted to the internet, was in charge. He paused for a moment, then cleared his throat.

"My surname is Qian, and I deal in antiques."

He took out a pack of special-supply cigarettes from his pocket, pulled out two cigarettes, and handed them to Zhang Chen and Wang Xiaoer.

Zhang Chen took the two sticks.

"He doesn't smoke."

Mr. Qian awkwardly withdrew his hand, lit a cigarette for himself, and took a deep drag.

His voice sounded weak amidst the swirling smoke.

"Well, a friend of mine recently bought a batch of goods from the countryside."

He paused, lowered his voice, and uttered a single word.

Funerary objects.

Wang Xiaoer's heart skipped a beat.

Funerary objects are items used for burial.

This industry is murky and full of taboos; nine times out of ten, any business that gets involved with this stuff will end up unclean.

Boss Qian continued, his words evasive.

"There was one bronze artifact that was particularly exquisite. My friend loved it so much that he kept it for himself."

"But that's the strange thing. Ever since that thing came into the house, he hasn't had a good night's sleep."

"I have nightmares every night, and I feel disoriented during the day. I keep saying that something is wrong at home, that I feel... that there is someone else in the house."

After he finished speaking, he looked at Zhang Chen nervously, his eyes full of inquiry.

Zhang Chen's expression didn't change much, and he tapped his fingers lightly on the mouse.

"understood."

His tone was indifferent, as if he were listening to something trivial.

"A deposit of ten thousand. After the deal is done, the cost will be calculated based on how 'troublesome' the item is."

"Ten thousand?!"

Boss Qian's voice suddenly rose, and he shook cigarette ash all over the floor.

"Master, you... you want ten thousand just for one look?"

He thought he had misheard.

This firm is dilapidated, and this young man looks to be only in his early twenties, yet he asks for ten thousand without even trying. You can't rob someone of money that fast.

Zhang Chen smiled.

He leaned back in his chair, waiting for the game to load. His gaze finally fell on Boss Qian. His eyes were calm and expressionless, but they sent chills down Boss Qian's spine.

"Boss Qian, you're an expert."

"It's easy to invite a god, but hard to send him away. You understand this better than I do."

"The one your friend brought home wasn't some kind of lucky charm."

He extended a finger and gently tapped the table.

"Ten thousand is enough to ensure he can sleep peacefully for the rest of his life."

"Do you think his life was worth that price?"

Mr. Qian's facial muscles twitched slightly.

Zhang Chen's words struck a chord deep within him.

He could see his friend's condition clearly these past few days; if things continued like this, the person would be ruined.

He gritted his teeth, as if he had made a huge decision.

"good!"

"Ten thousand it is! As long as you can solve my friend's problem, money is no object!"

He immediately took out his phone and, without the slightest hesitation, transferred 10,000 yuan.

Wang Xiaoer's phone vibrated; he had received a notification that money had been deposited into his account.

So... I've got another 10,000 yuan?

"Let's go."

Zhang Chen stood up, without turning off the computer.

"lead the way."

Mr. Qian arrived in a black Mercedes, which drove smoothly and quietly on the road.

The carriage was filled with the scent of expensive leather and perfume.

Wang Xiaoer sat in the back row, holding the book "An Introduction to Taoist Talismans and Magic," reading it with great interest.

The book was written in traditional Chinese characters and contained many obscure Taoist terms. He read it with a lot of confusion and guesswork, but he felt as if a new world was opening up to him.

What cinnabar, wolf hair brush, rootless water, what Three Pure Ones, Four Imperial Ones, Five Directions Thunder.

Every word is filled with a mysterious allure.

Of course, this is on the premise that we ignore Zhang Chen's vernacular annotations on the side.

Zhang Chen leaned against the other side, his eyes closed, as if he were sleeping.

Boss Qian secretly glanced at him several times in the rearview mirror, still feeling uneasy.

This young man is incredibly calm.

He was unusually calm.

Is he truly capable, or just a fraudster faking it?

Why did I just impulsively pay the deposit?

The car drove out of the city and into a high-end villa area.

Each villa here has its own garden and swimming pool, and they are far apart from each other, ensuring excellent privacy.

The Mercedes eventually stopped in front of a particularly grand French-style villa.

The villa was large, but at this moment it exuded an indescribable sense of oppression.

All the curtains were drawn tightly shut. Even though it was broad daylight, the whole house seemed to be shrouded in an invisible haze, with not a single ray of sunlight getting in.

Mr. Qian rang the doorbell.

After a long while, the door finally opened from the inside.

A middle-aged man opened the door.

He was wearing loose silk pajamas, his hair was messy, his eyes were sunken, and his eyes were bloodshot.

He was so thin he looked unrecognizable, as if something had drained his life force.

He is Mr. Zhao, a friend of Mr. Qian.

When Mr. Zhao saw Boss Qian, he forced out a smile that looked worse than a grimace.

"Old Qian, you've finally arrived."

His gaze passed over Boss Qian and landed on Zhang Chen and Wang Xiaoer behind him.

When he saw Zhang Chen's young face, the last glimmer of hope in his eyes dimmed, replaced by a deep distrust.

He spoke weakly, his voice hoarse as if sandpaper was being rubbed.

"Brother Qian, are these just the two of you?"

Is it reliable?

He did ask someone to come and take a look.

I consulted several so-called "masters," including monks and Taoist priests, burned a lot of talismans, chanted a lot of scriptures, and spent hundreds of thousands of yuan, but it was all for naught.

He's become extremely suspicious of everyone.

Mr. Qian was also a little embarrassed and was about to explain.

Zhang Chen smiled and stepped into the villa's lobby.

He ignored President Zhao's questions and simply stood in the center of the empty hall, sniffing the air lightly.

The movements were very light, as if savoring the scent of the air.

The villa was decorated in an extremely luxurious style, with gleaming marble underfoot and dazzling crystal chandeliers overhead.

But all of this could not conceal the chilling cold that seeped into one's very bones.

As soon as Wang Xiaoer entered, he couldn't help but shudder.

This coldness wasn't from the air conditioning; it seeped in from all directions, penetrating right into your bones.

Zhang Chen looked around, his gaze finally settling on President Zhao's haggard face.

He spoke softly, his voice not loud, yet it echoed clearly in the deathly silent hall.

"Your house has been without sunlight for three days, surrounded by gloomy energy, and it even has a... earthy smell."

He paused, a meaningful smile curving his lips.

"Boss Zhao, this 'old item' of yours, it looks like it was just 'invited' out of the ground not long ago, right?"

In a word.

Just one sentence.

Mr. Zhao's expression changed instantly.

It turned deathly pale.

"Three days without light" refers to the fact that he has been tormented for the past few days to the point that he dares not open the curtains, and feels panicked when he sees light.

"Surrounded by yin energy" describes the eerie atmosphere in this house.

And that phrase "earthy smell" was like a sharp knife, precisely dissecting his biggest secret!

That bronze artifact was indeed recently acquired from a rural tomb raider; it had been unearthed less than half a month ago!

He didn't even tell his best friend, Lao Qian, about this!

How did this young man know that?

He hadn't even seen the thing yet!

Mr. Zhao looked at Zhang Chen, his eyes shifting from suspicion to shock, and finally to a kind of wild joy as if he had grasped a lifeline.

"master!"

Mr. Zhao's way of addressing Zhang Chen changed instantly, and his voice even trembled.

He rushed to Zhang Chen in a few steps, his attitude extremely respectful.

"Master, you...you're absolutely right!"

"I was blind to your greatness, please don't hold it against me!"

He no longer dared to underestimate this young man; he was definitely a reclusive master with real skills!