Chapter 10 1 Jade Talisman
Jiangnan City, Guanyin Temple.
Amid the bustling noise and clamor of the crowd, street vendors energetically hawked their wares on either side of the street. Numerous fortune-tellers had set up stalls to tell fortunes, adding to the lively atmosphere in front of the Guanyin Temple.
Dressed in a black ancient robe, with a head of grey-white hair, Ye Xuan sat solemnly at a simple square table. In the absence of any other items, if not for the two characters meaning 'fortune-telling' written on a white paper placed on the table, no one would have taken Ye Xuan for a fortune-teller.
Indeed, at the moment, Ye Xuan's occupation was that of a fortune-teller.
Birth, aging, sickness, and death, as well as natural and man-made disasters, marked the lives of ordinary people. Although Ye Xuan could not predict the past or future, as a cultivator, he had some knowledge of the Qi Observation Skill.
Earning money to improve his family's living conditions was the reason Ye Xuan stooped to becoming a fortune-teller.
However, from morning until noon, Ye Xuan had not had a single customer, and he was not in a hurry. Patience, to Ye Xuan, was something he was not lacking.
Still, the sudden appearance of Ye Xuan at the Guanyin Temple had led many fortune-tellers who made their living this way to watch him with cold eyes, secretly looking down on his attire.
Unconcerned with the gazes of strangers, Ye Xuan lowered his head and calmly waited for the person he was expecting to appear.
Suddenly,
a commotion rose, drawing Ye Xuan's gaze toward its source.
A tall woman emerged from the Guanyin Temple. Her facial features were exquisite, her makeup meticulously applied, and her clothing was of considerable value. She appeared to be in her twenties, and she was followed by several black-clad men who seemed to be bodyguards.
Yet, the woman had a furrowed brow, as if troubled by worries. She paid no attention to the greetings from the fortune-tellers on either side of the street. The bodyguards by her side gave the fortune-tellers a fierce glare, silencing their boisterous voices.
"It's her," Ye Xuan nodded slowly, satisfaction in his eyes.
At that time, Zhuo Junting was in a state of anxiety and confusion, all because her grandfather had fallen ill and had been in a coma for half a month. According to the doctors, her grandfather's bodily functions were gradually weakening, and it was feared that he didn't have much longer...
Zhuo Junting dared not continue the thought. If her grandfather passed away, the entire Zhuo Family would surely be thrown into chaos.
Although she had invited famous doctors from inside and outside the country, they were unable to diagnose her grandfather's specific illness. In despair, she could only turn to the ethereal gods for hope, which was why she was at the Guanyin Temple.
"A spirit of Yin Qi is entwined around you; within three days, a member of your family will surely die."
Suddenly, a startling voice reached Zhuo Junting's ears, causing her expression to stiffen and, then, drastically change as she quickly turned toward the source of the voice.
"What... what did you just say about a spirit of Yin Qi?" Zhuo Junting stepped forward quickly and spoke to Ye Xuan with a cold voice.
Ye Xuan could see at a glance that there was a faint trace of Yin Qi around Zhuo Junting. Clearly, there was a ghostly affliction in her family, and since she herself was unharmed, it was evident that a family member must be possessed by a spirit.
"Your family member is possessed by a spirit, their life force continuously devoured by it. If you wish to save him, I have a Spirit Talisman here. Just place it on his brow, and it will save his life," Ye Xuan spoke indifferently, suddenly revealing a Jade Talisman on the table.
Staring at the Jade Talisman on the table, Zhuo Junting's expression hesitated, suspicion appearing in her eyes as she looked at Ye Xuan.
"How much do you want for this Jade Talisman?" Zhuo Junting's face fell as she asked.
"One million," Ye Xuan said, stating his price directly.
Gasps!
As Ye Xuan announced the price, a wave of astonishment rippled through the surrounding crowd.
"Has this kid lost his mind?"
"Do you really think this girl is easy to fool?"
"Ha ha, this kid is really asking for it. Just one look at this young lady and you can tell she's either rich or noble. He'll get what's coming to him soon enough."
The peddlers and fortune tellers lining the streets had already noticed the scene and disdainful laughter followed.
At this moment, Zhuo Junting's face looked extremely unpleasant, obviously taking Ye Xuan for a swindler too, and the gaze of the bodyguard by her side toward Ye Xuan was even more unfriendly.
"Let's go." Zhuo Junting, her expression cold, signaled to her bodyguard and turned to leave.
Ye Xuan silently watched Zhuo Junting walk away without showing any intention to retain her because he believed that she would turn back.
Sure enough, Zhuo Junting had only walked a dozen steps before she turned around and came back, her eyes showing a complexity of emotions.
"There's one million in this card, and the last six digits are the PIN." Zhuo Junting directly took out a golden card and threw it on the table, a scene that left the surrounding crowd stunned as if they were in a dream.
Although Zhuo Junting regarded Ye Xuan as a con artist, the fact that he could mention that someone in her family was in trouble sparked a glimmer of hope in her heart. She was at her wit's end, and she couldn't let go of even the slightest hope.
And to her, one million was just a drop in the bucket.
Just as Zhuo Junting was about to pick up the jade talisman and leave, Ye Xuan's voice rang out timely, "It was one million just now, now it's two million."
Boom!
The crowd around them snapped out of their daze, and curses suddenly erupted.
"Damn it, aren't you shameless?"
"Greedy, just insatiable!"
"He already conned this girl out of a million and still isn't satisfied. If it were me, I'd slap him right away, so he'd learn his lesson."
At this time, Zhuo Junting clenched her teeth, looking at Ye Xuan with eyes that wished she could devour him, and her fists were tightly clenched, obviously her anger reaching a peak.
"Miss, this man is just a street scammer. Let me teach him a harsh lesson." The bodyguard beside her was filled with righteous indignation, his hands itching to give Ye Xuan a beating.
"Fine, take it."
Zhuo Junting, not waiting for the bodyguard to act, took out another golden card and tossed it to Ye Xuan. Then she picked up the jade talisman from the table and turned to leave, but after just a few steps, she suddenly looked back at Ye Xuan with a cold sneer, "If this jade talisman turns out to be fake, I will tear Jiangnan City apart to find you."
Two million in hand, Ye Xuan didn't take Zhuo Junting's threat seriously at all. He simply stood up and left, which made Zhuo Junting truly regard him as a scammer.
No one just takes the money and walks away, it's clear that he has a guilty conscience.
"Miss, should I chase him down for you?" the bodyguard whispered.
Watching Ye Xuan's receding figure, Zhuo Junting felt a mix of shame and anger but then shook her head, "No need, let's go home."
...
Jiangnan City center.
Ye Xuan walked on the bustling streets, heading for the Jinhua luxury shopping plaza. In exchange for Zhuo Junting's two million Xia Country coins with a jade talisman, in fact, Ye Xuan didn't ask for much.
You see, that jade talisman contained a strand of his own Blood Evil Energy. Not to mention possessing a Yin spirit, it could annihilate even Ghost General level Yin spirits to dust. Compared to the mere two million, Ye Xuan was at a loss. Once Zhuo Junting realizes the true function of this jade talisman, she would undoubtedly feel fortunate to have met Ye Xuan.