One divination a day, a trainee celestial master

"No charge whatsoever?"

Upon hearing these four words, Zhou Guodong was visibly stunned.

These days, what do scammers who don't ask for money want? Do they want to come to Nanxi Lane early in the morning and breathe some fresh air?

"You scoundrel, didn't you hear me?!" The old woman was the first to come to her senses, turning around and slapping Zhou Guodong's arm hard, scolding, "That young Celestial Master is of noble character, coming to help those in distress and make connections! And you're just asking for money, that's utterly disrespectful to the Celestial Master! Apologize to the young Celestial Master right now!"

Zhou Guodong opened his mouth, his face turning pale and then flushed, but he couldn't utter a single word.

The old woman, ignoring him, quickly turned around, clasped her hands together, and bowed repeatedly to Jiang Shou, her eyes filled with piety and gratitude: "Little Celestial Master, my son is a rough man, please don't hold it against him. You just said, how... how should this [Soul-Soothing Talisman] be used? Is it to be pasted on Zhouzhou's bedside?"

"No." Jiang Shou stood with his hands behind his back, shaking his head slightly, his tone calm yet resolute: "Placing it on the headboard can only ward off evil spirits and protect the house. This child's three souls and seven spirits have already scattered by two. This talisman needs to be burned to ashes and mixed into half a bowl of water. Let the child drink it, and only then can his soul be restored to its place."

"What?!" Upon hearing this, Zhou Guodong reflexively took a step forward and instinctively shouted in protest, "Burn this paper with cinnabar drawings to ashes and give it to my son to drink?! Absolutely not!"

Zhou Guodong shook his head repeatedly, standing in front of the rocking chair: "The old Taoist priest's talisman was pasted on the bedside, and those monks were chanting sutras. Although I don't believe in them, they didn't cause any direct physical harm to the child. Now you're taking out some random piece of paper and want to burn it to ashes and soak it in water to drink? What if something bad happens? Who will be responsible?!"

Standing to the side, Lin Juan was also anxious about her son's situation, but she hesitated when she heard the words "drink talisman water." After all, as a modern mother, it was indeed difficult to accept giving her sick child this kind of water made from unknown ash.

"Shut up!" The old woman completely lost her temper, pointing her cane at Zhou Guodong's nose and cursing, "You unfilial son!! Look at our Zhouzhou, what has he been through in the past two weeks? How much medicine has he taken at the hospital, and has it even helped?! That Taoist priest came all this way, is he after your money or your house? Is he trying to harm our Zhouzhou?!"

"But Mom..." Zhou Guodong scratched his head anxiously.

"Don't worry, everyone." Jiang Shou was not angry because of Zhou Guodong's refusal; he simply interrupted the argument calmly.

He reached out and pulled over a low plastic stool from the yard, then sat down with an air of authority. He flicked his sleeves, placed his hands flat on his knees, and looked directly at Zhou Guodong: "I'll just sit here in the yard, I'm not going anywhere. If anything goes wrong after the child drinks the talisman water, you can call the police and have me arrested."

Zhou Guodong stared intently at Jiang Shou, who looked resolute, his eyes filled with doubt and unease.

Although he was a rough man, he had been in business for many years and was definitely not stupid. Logically speaking, this young Taoist priest had come to his door early in the morning without asking for a penny, and now he was even offering to stay as a "hostage".

If the talisman water really had a problem or was poisonous, there would be no reason for him to come all the way here to harm his own child! It simply doesn't make sense in terms of criminal motive.

It's impossible that he's an antisocial personality who randomly selects victims to feed them ashes, right?

……

Could it be... that he really is a legendary master with genuine skills?

Lin Juan looked at Jiang Shou, who still looked ethereal sitting on the plastic stool, and then turned to look at her son, who was pale and trembling in the rocking chair. Finally, she made up her mind.

"Mom, I'll go get some water!" Lin Juan gritted her teeth, glanced at her husband, and quickly ran into the kitchen.

Less than a minute later, Lin Juan ran out carrying a white porcelain bowl filled with warm water. She carefully held the bowl up to Jiang Shou, while simultaneously handing him a green plastic windproof lighter with her other hand.

"Little Celestial Master, the water is ready." Lin Juan's voice trembled.

Jiang Shou sat on the stool, looking at the green plastic lighter with "Haozailai Supermarket" printed on it that Lin Juan handed him, and his lips twitched almost imperceptibly.

This is really awkward.

He silently took the lighter, and with his other hand picked up the [Soul-Soothing Talisman].

"Click." Jiang Shou pressed the lighter, and a dark blue flame shot out, igniting the edge of the yellow paper.

In his mind, however, he was screaming, "Holy crap! This is so lame!"

"In TV shows and novels, those celestial masters and so-called masters, after drawing the talisman, don't they always hold it between two fingers, mutter incantations, and then shout loudly, causing the talisman to automatically burst into flames? That's what you call class! That's what you call the demeanor of a master!"

"I'm standing here in a high-class Taoist robe, looking all ethereal and sophisticated, and I have to use a one-dollar plastic lighter to light a talisman?! This scene is simply unbearable to watch! I wonder if, in the future, when my Taoist magic becomes more profound, I can actually summon fire and lightning. This embarrassing history of lighting talismans with a lighter must not be recorded!"

Jiang Shou secretly made up his mind that once he had accumulated enough true essence and his Taoist skills were more profound, he would have to study how to ignite fire from a distance. Otherwise, it would be too embarrassing for him to perform Taoist rituals in the future.

Although he felt ashamed, Jiang Shou's face remained calm and composed.

By the firelight, Jiang Shou began to mutter some classical Chinese syllables that even he himself couldn't understand, pretending to be reciting some profound incantation.

As the yellow paper burned out, the ashes fell softly into the warm water of the white porcelain bowl.

Just as the talisman was about to burn out, Jiang Shou suddenly opened his eyes wide, his gaze sharp as knives, and his tongue thundered as he roared:

"Soul, spirit, return to your place!"

"Hurry, hurry, as the law commands! By imperial decree!"

The loud shout, full of energy, rang out in the quiet courtyard in the early morning, startling Zhou Guodong and his wife.

Jiang Shou shook the last bit of talisman ash from his hand into the bowl. The originally clear warm water had become somewhat turbid, with a faint cinnabar red tinge.

With a flick of his sleeve, he casually slipped the lighter into his pocket, then nodded slightly to Lin Juan: "The water has been dissolved into a talisman; take it and give it to the child to drink."

Lin Juan's hands trembled slightly as she held the bowl. Zhou Guodong stood to the side, his fists clenched tightly, his eyes fixed on Jiang Shou, but in the end, he didn't say anything to stop him.

The old woman quickly stepped forward, carefully holding the edge of the water bowl, afraid that her daughter-in-law's trembling hands would spill the life-saving water.

Lin Juan and the old woman gently helped Zhouzhou up from the rocking chair, one on each side, so that he could tilt his head back. "Zhouzhou, be good, drink some water, and you won't be afraid anymore..." Lin Juan coaxed him with red eyes, bringing the rim of the bowl to Zhouzhou's bluish lips.

The warm water, tinged with a hint of cinnabar red, was gulped down Zhouzhou's throat.

The entire courtyard fell into a deathly silence in an instant.

Everyone held their breath, staring intently at Zhouzhou, whose eyes were closed.

At this moment, Jiang Shou was sitting steadily on the plastic stool with his back straight, but there was a faint cold sweat on his back.

"Lord Sanqing! Lord Suihanling! You mustn't betray me! Even if this talisman is useless, please don't let the child get sick from drinking it! Otherwise, I won't be able to leave this courtyard today."

One second, two seconds, three seconds...

Time seemed to stretch out infinitely at that moment.

Less than half a minute later, Zhouzhou, whose eyes had been tightly closed and whose body was still trembling slightly, swallowed hard.

Then, he exhaled a long, extremely turbid breath, as if he had expelled all the turbid air that had been stuck in his chest for more than half a month.

Her eyelashes trembled slightly. Zhouzhou slowly opened her eyes.

In that instant, Lin Juan covered her mouth, almost gasping out. Zhouzhou's eyes, which had always been dull and unfocused, as if veiled by a layer of hazy mist, were now completely clear, the mist gone, replaced by a bright and focused gaze!

The pale, ashen face regained a healthy glow at a visible speed.

Zhouzhou blinked, looked at the two women in front of her, their faces streaked with tears, opened her mouth somewhat bewildered, and uttered a slightly hoarse call:

"Mom...Grandma..."