Leng Shan’s face instantly turned grim, his mouth twitching uncontrollably. Gritting his teeth, he said, "You dare go back on your word?"
If it weren't for his apprehension of Master Puhui's unfathomable martial prowess, his violent temper would have likely caused him to lose control and attack Chen Xiao.
But Chen Xiao was unfazed, saying with a half-smile, "So what if I go back on my word? Don't forget why I planted the Five Poisons Demonic Needles on you! If you truly want to live, you'll honestly be a dog for me for the rest of your life. If you're unwilling, Master Puhui can take your life for me right now."
"Amitabha!"
Master Puhui, in order to learn the original true essence of the Buddhist "Six-Syllable Mantra" hidden within the Clear Spirit Talisman from Chen Xiao, was willing to disregard the annual offerings of tens of millions to Shenlong Temple from Long Xiaolin. What was a mere Leng Shan in comparison?
With a sigh of helplessness, he suddenly looked up and glared at Leng Shan, his magnificent kasaya billowing as if in a wind.
Leng Shan felt an overwhelming pressure that made his legs go weak. In a panic, he quickly fell to his knees before Chen Xiao and stammered, "Dr. Chen, please calm your anger. I… I'll be your ox and horse, alright? But… but I'm in so much pain, please, just give me some painkillers."
As he spoke, he looked pleadingly at Chen Xiao.
At this moment, he truly regretted provoking Chen Xiao in the first place.
"What's the rush?"
Chen Xiao gestured with his chin towards the motionless Long Xiaolin lying on the ground and said unhurriedly, "Get this guy out of here first. He's an eyesore."
"I…"
Leng Shan was on the verge of tears, his face filled with despair. "Dr. Chen, are you trying to send me to my death? I crippled Long Xiaolin. If I send him back now, wouldn't that be walking right into a trap?"
Chen Xiao frowned, his tone impatient. "Did I tell you to send him back? As long as he's out of my sight, you can throw him anywhere you want."
"Alright… alright."
Prompted by Chen Xiao, Leng Shan had a sudden idea. He picked up Long Xiaolin and got into the car. He had already decided to drive Long Xiaolin's car onto the ring expressway, park it in the emergency lane, and then make a swift escape.
Although he knew that Ye Qingtian, or the Long and Lin families, could easily find Long Xiaolin and quickly discover he was the culprit, at least fleeing for his life offered a better chance of survival than surrendering himself.
Master Puhui stared blankly as Leng Shan drove away, as if petrified.
After an unknown period, when he felt Chen Xiao's half-smiling gaze upon him, he inexplicably felt that the handsome, pure-smiling Chen Xiao was actually a devil who devoured people without spitting out bones. The boundless fear even made him shiver. Without thinking, he quickly plastered a smile on his face and said, "Dr. Chen, rest assured. From now on, I will risk my life to ensure that Long Xiaolin's family does not trouble you."
As the saying goes, one doesn't strike a smiling face. Since Master Puhui was being polite, Chen Xiao, understanding his intentions, smiled and said, "There's no time like the present. Since Master Puhui has graced my traditional Chinese medicine clinic, I will give you a Clear Spirit Talisman."
Master Puhui's eyes lit up. Forgetting all decorum, he blurted out without thinking, "Then I'll trouble Dr. Chen."
He paused, then impatiently urged the two young novice monks behind him, "Why are you still standing there foolishly? Quickly prepare the paper, brush, and cinnabar for Dr. Chen to draw the talisman!"
Seeing their usually gentle Master Puhui so flustered, the two novice monks quickly dashed to the car and soon returned with the paper, brush, and high-quality cinnabar that Master Puhui usually used for drawing talismans.
In front of the old examination table, Master Puhui, like an attentive attendant, personally spread out the golden-yellow talisman paper, mixed the bright red cinnabar, and respectfully handed the ancient and powerful wolf-hair brush to Chen Xiao, saying with an eager expression, "Dr. Chen, please!"
Just then, a middle-aged man dressed impeccably walked into the Jishetang clinic.
His name was Wang Jianye. He lived in the residential complex next to Jishetang and was also a neighbor of Wu Xianyao's family.
It was said that in his youth, he had been taught esoteric arts by a wandering Taoist priest, and he was particularly skilled in talisman magic. He was a well-known funeral Taoist in the old district, and almost eighty percent of families who had a death would hire him.
Not only that, but he also possessed exquisite calligraphy, renowned far and wide, and had even won numerous municipal calligraphy competition awards. Every year as Chinese New Year approached, countless dignitaries and influential figures would personally visit his home to commission couplets from him. He was known as "Wang the Brush."
As Chen Xiao was about to take the brush from Master Puhui, he saw Wang Jianye enter. He politely said, "Uncle Wang, are you here to buy ginseng again this time? My mother just received a new shipment not long ago. How much do you need? I'll get it for you."
Wang Jianye usually enjoyed brewing ginseng slices into health tea, but this time he wasn't here to buy ginseng. He had heard people privately discussing that Jishetang had hired a young and beautiful maid and had come specifically to feast his eyes.
He noticed the attire of Master Puhui and the two novice monks, and then saw the two stunningly beautiful and sexy women, Song Nuan and Daphne, whose looks and figures were both perfect. He eagerly began to show off, saying, "Chen Xiao, if you need to hang talismans, you should just come to me. Why go so far to invite the masters from Shenlong Temple? I'm not bragging, but although Shenlong Temple is a centuries-old temple, when it comes to talisman magic, I'm not necessarily inferior to them."
With his limited social circle and shallow knowledge, he naturally didn't know how formidable Master Puhui was, and his tone was filled with disdain.
Master Puhui, at this moment, only wanted to obtain the talisman drawn by Chen Xiao. Fearing that Wang Jianye's words might anger Chen Xiao, he quickly shook his head and explained, "No, no, no, we were not invited by Dr. Chen. We are here to request a talisman from him."
"What?"
Wang Jianye was utterly confused and looked at Chen Xiao suspiciously from head to toe.
In his memory, although Chen Xiao's academic performance in school was praised by everyone, and his handwriting was decent, it was far inferior to his own calligraphy. As for Chen Xiao being skilled in talisman magic, he had never even heard of it.
He had been somewhat apprehensive when boasting about his talisman skills in front of Master Puhui, given the aura of a virtuous monk that Master Puhui exuded. However, when it came to dealing with Chen Xiao, he felt no pressure at all.
After a moment of stunned silence, he deliberately and casually glanced at the sexily dressed Song Nuan and Daphne, his tone becoming more confident. "Monk, I watched Chen Xiao grow up. He can't even hold a brush properly, let alone draw talismans. If you want to draw a talisman, let me do it."
As he spoke, he eagerly reached out to take the brush from Master Puhui's hand.
The talisman that Master Puhui had been longing for was within reach, yet he couldn't obtain it. He couldn't help but feel annoyed by Wang Jianye's sudden interruption. He said subtly, "Can you also draw a Clear Spirit Talisman that contains the original true essence and divine charm of my Buddha's 'Six-Syllable Mantra'?"