Two young novice monks, around Chen Xiao’s age, exchanged glances, their faces alight with excitement. One took charge of aggressively turning the steering wheel to head back to Jishitang, while the other, flexing his fists and eager to prove himself, said to Master Puhui:
“Grandmaster, why use a butcher’s knife to kill a chicken? Just sit back and watch. I can take down Chen Xiao by myself…”
“Insolence!”
Master Puhui’s anger flared, and he sharply interrupted the novice:
“I’m returning to Jishitang to ask Doctor Chen to deal with Lin Meiqi’s malevolent talismans, not to capture him! If you two dare to speak disrespectfully again, I’ll expel you from the order!”
He paused, then muttered to himself:
“From what I know of Lin Meiqiao, even if I truly tied Doctor Chen up and brought him before her, she wouldn’t spare Shenlong Temple, nor would she let me off. So, instead of surrendering and waiting for death, we might as well seek Doctor Chen’s help. Perhaps Doctor Chen’s talisman skills are even greater!”
The two novices exchanged bewildered looks and dared not speak further. The car’s speed instantly surged to its limit, and in the blink of an eye, they were back at the deserted entrance of Jishitang.
Daphne, who was pouting and dejectedly closing the door, saw Master Puhui descend from the car, clutching the scroll of "Man Jiang Hong" with a worried expression. Her eyes lit up, and she eagerly said:
“Master Puhui, why are you back? Do you want to trade Doctor Chen’s peerless calligraphy masterpiece for my oil fields?”
Master Puhui instinctively tightened his grip on the "Man Jiang Hong" scroll and said with a mournful face:
“Is Doctor Chen here? I have an urgent matter.”
Daphne pouted and pointed to the other side of the alleyway by the entrance, saying sullenly:
“Hmph! He said he had something urgent to do and left, but he’s probably going on a date with Song Nuan!”
“What?”
Master Puhui felt as if struck by lightning, his face instantly turning pale:
“Then… then do you have his phone number?”
For him at that moment, time was life. Fearing he would be delayed by Daphne, he had already impatiently called Lin Huichun to get Chen Xiao’s number and dialed it immediately. He said, on the verge of tears:
“Doctor Chen, save me! Save me! Long Xiaolin’s aunt, Lin Meiqi, is a master of various malevolent talismans. Simply because I refused to reveal that Long Xiaolin was injured by you, she threatened to harm Shenlong Temple with her talismans.”
Chen Xiao was currently driving happily towards Jinfang Pharmaceuticals, as Jin Yongping and Xia Qianqian had called to say that all relevant procedures from the authorities had been transferred to his name.
Upon suddenly receiving Master Puhui’s desperate call, he didn’t think much of it and said with a smile:
“Master Puhui, as a Buddhist disciple, do you really believe there are any evil talismans in this world more powerful than the Six-Syllable Great Bright Mantra?”
“This…”
Master Puhui felt Chen Xiao’s words like a thunderous blow, instantly petrifying him. After a moment of stunned silence, he suddenly became as excited as if he had been injected with adrenaline:
“Yes! Yes! Yes, yes, yes! Doctor Chen is right. My Shenlong Temple is protected by a supreme spiritual talisman containing the original true essence of the Six-Syllable Great Bright Mantra. Why should we fear demons and heretics?”
After his phone call with Chen Xiao, Master Puhui, who had been frantic just moments before, immediately became spirited. He confidently called Shenlong Temple:
“Pujie, immediately reopen the temple gates to welcome all pilgrims. Times have changed. We are now protected by the supreme spiritual talisman containing the original true essence of the Six-Syllable Great Bright Mantra. We no longer need to fear Lin Meiqi’s threats…”
However, before Master Puhui could finish speaking, Pujie on the other end of the line was already sobbing uncontrollably:
“Senior brother, it’s too late, it’s too late! There must be a traitor in the temple. Lin Meiqi’s minor gathering of malevolent energy talismans have been plastered on all the temple gates, big and small. Our Shenlong Temple is doomed,呜哇…”
As soon as he finished speaking, accompanied by heart-wrenching cries, the call was disconnected.
Master Puhui’s hard-won confidence crumbled once again. He instinctively hugged the "Man Jiang Hong" scroll tighter, urged the novice to stomp on the accelerator, and tried to comfort himself:
“Although Lin Meiqi’s minor gathering of malevolent energy talismans are evil and ferocious, they only reach their maximum effect at midnight. If I return with Doctor Chen’s supreme spiritual talisman now, I can surely turn the tide!”
…
On the outskirts of Juxian City, outside the mountain gate of Shenlong Temple.
Lin Meiqi, dressed in a black long dress, lay back in a luxurious convertible, wearing sunglasses and basking in the midday sun with utter contentment.
She was Long Xiaolin’s aunt, but in reality, she was a few years younger than Long Xiaolin, only in her early twenties. Her proud figure was as fiery as the scorching sun, slender where it should be and voluptuous where it should be. What drew more attention was her wheat-colored skin with a bronze sheen. It was easy to imagine that despite her wealthy background, she had lived a life of constant travel and hardship in the wilderness.
About twenty meters behind her, the ancient gate of Shenlong Temple was tightly shut. A yellow talisman paper was pasted on the seamless door, its blood-red runes resembling clawing demons and monsters.
Because of this bizarre talisman, no wider than a palm and as long as an arm, the vast Shenlong Temple seemed to be suffocating under an immense aura of malevolence, giving the impression that it could collapse at any moment.
Seeing Master Puhui’s car speeding towards them from afar, Lin Meiqi’s lips curved into a slight smile. She propped herself up with one hand on the steering wheel and, as gracefully as a swan, leaped over the convertible door onto the hood. Looking down, she imperiously said:
“Puhui, I’ve personally come on behalf of my sister, and you still refuse to reveal the culprit who injured Xiaolin?”
Master Puhui alighted from the car, clutching the "Man Jiang Hong" scroll, and said in a deep voice:
“As I clearly stated on the phone earlier, the one who injured Long Xiaolin is an reclusive master you should not provoke. His medical skills are heaven-defying, and his talisman arts are peerless…”
“Pfft!”
Lin Meiqi burst out laughing, interrupting Master Puhui with a mocking tone:
“Shenlong Temple is already plastered with my minor gathering of malevolent energy talismans. Why hasn’t the talisman master whose name you dare not even reveal appeared to save the day?”
“Hmph!”
Master Puhui snorted coldly and, as if showing off, waved the "Man Jiang Hong" scroll in his hand:
“True masters do not need to act personally! Lin Meiqi, open your eyes and look carefully. What I hold in my hand is the supreme spiritual talisman from that talisman master, containing the original true essence of my Buddha’s Six-Syllable Great Bright Mantra, specifically designed to counter demons and evil spirits!”
Saying this, he carefully unrolled the scroll.
“Pfft!”
Seeing the "Man Jiang Hong" written on the scroll, Lin Meiqi burst into laughter again:
“This is clearly just a piece of calligraphy. The characters are indeed good, but they have nothing to do with talisman arts. Who writes talismans as calligraphy? Haha… Hahaha…”
But as she laughed, Lin Meiqi suddenly froze, because the minor gathering of malevolent energy talisman pasted on the main gate of Shenlong Temple suddenly burst into flames without any fire.