As the conversation went on, Ji Yuan and Old Master Zhao had already left the bedside and sat down at the tea table in the room.
An old servant brought a finely carved wooden box and placed it in front of the young Taoist priest. He then gently opened the lid, revealing neatly arranged gold ingots.
This was not because the Zhao family was vulgar, but rather that for those who cultivated, money was more direct than anything else. If they couldn't afford spiritual artifacts, it was better to directly offer wealth as a reward.
"Please, young Taoist, take good care of him," Old Master Zhao said with a smile.
He glanced at the gold ingots in the wooden box. Each piece was as long as a young man's palm and three fingers wide. Judging by their luster alone, one could tell they were of high purity.
Ji Yuan pondered for a moment, then reached out and took one gold ingot, ignoring the rest.
Old Master Zhao sending a box of gold ingots clearly indicated his intention: he hoped the young Taoist could dispel the evil energy within his young son's body.
He even hoped Ji Yuan could eliminate the malevolent entity that was causing trouble.
Ji Yuan naturally understood his intentions, so he only took one gold ingot. Though he was tempted by the others, he did not pocket them.
"When the young master wakes up, I will naturally dispel the evil energy within him," Ji Yuan said, contemplating. "However, I am powerless to deal with the evil entity that has infiltrated the Zhao family."
An evil entity at least in the late stages of enlightenment was not entirely beyond his ability to fight, but it was far too strenuous for him. Under normal circumstances, he would not be able to defeat it.
Of course, if he were to use the ancestral sword of Xuan Tian Guan or the white jade flying sword in his spiritual sea, the situation would be different.
However, this would not only expose his trump cards but could also cause some irreversible harm to himself, as he was currently only in the early stages of enlightenment.
At such a level, frequently using treasures of great power could easily deplete his foundations.
"However, I can sell you, Master Zhao, some talismans specifically designed for ghosts and evil spirits. Your family's experts can use them to slay the malevolent entity."
Seeing the old man's worried expression, Ji Yuan took out several precious talismans from his robe.
The paper and ink used for these talismans were of the highest quality, just one step away from being graded. Even ordinary martial artists could inflict great harm on ghosts and evil spirits with them.
Old Master Zhao immediately breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that the young Taoist priest was not only a rare alchemist but also that his talismans were highly sought after and precious.
It was no exaggeration to say that more than half of the superior talismans in Qian Yu City came from the young Taoist priest's hands.
Feeling the abundant spiritual energy contained within the few talismans in his hand, Old Master Zhao felt much more at ease. He smiled and took out two gold ingots from the wooden box, stuffing them into Ji Yuan's hands.
Seeing the elder's unrefusing demeanor, Ji Yuan calmly accepted the gold ingots into his sleeves, feeling no shame.
In the past year or so, he had often interacted with various forces in the county town, and at a young age, he had already developed a certain worldliness.
"Sheng Cai, take the young Taoist to Ya Yuan to rest."
Old Master Zhao, seeing him accept the gold ingots, nodded subtly and then gave instructions.
Zhao Sheng Cai, the servant who had gone to Xuan Tian Guan, stepped forward. He bowed first, then led the young Taoist priest out of the room.
As the closed door slowly opened, a host of gazes immediately converged. The people in the courtyard also wanted to know if the condition that had baffled them could truly be resolved by the young man.
Before long, they saw Ji Yuan walk out of the room with a calm expression and, led by the servant, slowly enter the small courtyard.
"Resolved?"
As everyone was in doubt, a young monk quickly approached the young Taoist priest.
Hearing this, Ji Yuan nodded. "Well done, Hui Xin. You asked the Zhao family to find me at the Taoist temple, didn't you?"
Upon seeing the young monk upon his arrival, he had already guessed that it was likely this familiar monk who had recognized the symptoms of the young master of the Zhao family and had the Zhao family seek him out.
And as it turned out, his guess was correct. The young monk, whose Dharma name was Hui Xin, nodded, chanted a Buddhist mantra, and smiled without speaking.
"You're a monk who cultivates at Bai Yun Temple, and you can't handle this yourself?" Ji Yuan said with a hint of annoyance.
If things were handled well today, it would be a benefit, earning him favor and a considerable reward.
But if he were arrogant, the good deed might turn into a bad one, and he might suffer at the hands of the malevolent entity.
If his foundations were damaged, would he seek compensation from the Zhao family or bear it himself?
"My practice is in Buddhist Dharma and cultivation. Although I have the power to subdue demons, I have no expertise in medicine," Hui Xin said, clasping his hands together. "On the other hand, fellow Daoist Ji, you are not only proficient in medicine and alchemy but also skilled in exorcising ghosts and dispelling evil."
Ji Yuan nodded. This was indeed true. Although his cultivation was not high, he was indeed the most suitable person in the city to handle such matters.
However, since he had been drawn into this, he would not let the other party off easily.
Thus, the young Taoist priest smiled, grabbed the young monk's arm, and pulled him to the Zhao family's Ya Yuan, stating that he would need the help of this eminent monk for the next steps.
Hui Xin smiled wryly, naturally understanding Ji Yuan's intentions. After a moment's thought, he did not refuse. The two, led by the servant Zhao Sheng Cai, headed to the adjacent Ya Yuan.
Meanwhile, the doctors and itinerant physicians who had been successively invited over the past two days were gradually dismissed under the arrangement of some servants and respectfully sent out of the Zhao family mansion after receiving their remuneration.
Despite these people who had almost cost the young master his life, the Zhao family servants did not hold a grudge and remained respectful, leaving no room for criticism.
On the other side, in a Ya Yuan.
Hui Xin calmly brewed tea, saying, "With fellow Daoist Ji's abilities, it should not be difficult to dispel a strand of uncontrolled evil energy."
Ji Yuan stood by the railing, admiring the koi swimming in the pond below, and replied leisurely, "Dispelling evil energy is not difficult. However, my cultivation is limited, and I have to rely on talismans, so my methods might be somewhat crude, unlike your Buddhist gentle methods."
The young master of the Zhao family was still too young. Although he had been immersed in medicinal baths since childhood and his foundation was much stronger than that of ordinary young men, he was undoubtedly weakened by this ordeal. If the evil energy were to be forcefully dispelled, it might leave some lingering ailments, making future recovery a difficult matter.
Instead, it would be better to use the gentle Buddhist methods from the outset to dispel the evil energy within him. This way, there would be no future complications, and bathing in Buddhist Dharma would bring unexpected benefits to the boy in the future.
It had to be admitted that Buddhist scriptures had a unique spiritual influence, vastly different from the detached serenity of Taoism and the self-cultivation and refinement of Confucianism.
"Fellow Daoist Ji, what you are worried about is still the malevolent entity, isn't it?" Hui Xin poured two cups of hot tea and casually said, "When dispelling the evil energy, it will surely alert the entity. You are likely guarding against this."
Martial artists in the jianghu already possessed great combat power, and with talismans specifically designed for ghosts and evil spirits in hand, there was no need to worry about killing power.
However, evil entities in the world often employed unpredictable tactics, and most of them were not human. While killing them was not difficult, the challenge lay in preventing them from using covert methods.
With Hui Xin, a monk cultivating at Bai Yun Temple, present, the risk of being ambushed by the evil entity could be greatly reduced.
Ji Yuan chuckled, showing no sign of embarrassment at being seen through. He picked up the teacup and drank it down in one go.
Smacking his lips, he remarked that the Zhao family truly used some high-quality tea, which contained a trace of spiritual energy. A pot of this tea would likely cost at least several dozen taels of silver.