Chapter 12 The Haunted House of the Liu Family

He deliberately emphasized the last few words, and sure enough, he saw a hint of interest flash in Xie Xun's fox-like eyes.

Having achieved his goal, Qiangzi changed the subject, revealing just the right amount of worry on his face.

"But... Master Xie, please forgive my bluntness."

His gaze darted back and forth between Xie Xun and Fu Qinghuai, and he said cautiously, "When I came in, I noticed that the relationship between the two of you seemed unusual, and many spectators outside were also questioning it. Since you're in this line of work, why are you always in the paper craft shop instead of the traditional Taoist temple?"

"Please don't misunderstand, I was just asking. After all, people might doubt your identity and ability, and think we're just acting out a script."

Qiangzi's words not only threw out the hook about the haunted house but also brought the doubts to the forefront, achieving two goals at once.

Upon hearing this, Xie Xun's interest instantly cooled, turning into an offensive displeasure.

He glanced at the miniature camera on Qiangzi's collar.

"I can handle the case of the Liu family's haunted house."

As Xie Xun spoke, he pulled away from Fu Qinghuai's hand that had been resting on his waist.

This time, the demon cooperated and released its grip, eager to hear the answer. The young man stepped forward, his posture upright like a pine tree, his eyes cold as he faced the anchor.

"But your question is utter nonsense. The Xie family's paper offering shop has been passed down for generations, and they only give it away, they don't sell it. What they give away is a place for the resting place of the wronged souls who died violently, and what they do is to ward off evil spirits encountered by the living in the mortal world."

He continued, "The legacy is here; the skill lies in the heart, not in appearance. If you don't believe me, you can leave now."

After saying that, Xie Xun made a gesture to see the guest out, his posture aloof and indifferent, without the slightest hint of joking.

Seeing Qiangzi waving his hands repeatedly to explain, Xie Xun gave him a way out and softened his tone.

"Now that you've found me, follow my rules. I have my own plans regarding the haunted house."

"Then, Master Xie, what time would be most suitable for us to go? That haunted house is really eerie; even during the day, it feels like a chilling wind is blowing."

Qiangzi carefully observed Xie Xun's expression and added, "My team has tentatively scheduled the broadcast for the 14th of next month, which is the night of the Ghost Festival. It's said that the gates of hell are wide open that day, and the yin energy is at its strongest. Although it's dangerous, the viewership will definitely be the highest!"

"At that time, you will also receive half of the tips from the live stream!"

After he finished speaking, he waited anxiously for Xie Xun's reaction, as if afraid that Xie Xun would not agree.

That makes sense, after all, going to a top-tier haunted house during the Ghost Festival is practically suicide in the eyes of experts.

Xie Xun frowned slightly upon hearing this.

During the Ghost Festival, the ghostly atmosphere is at its strongest, and countless ghosts roam the land.

For an ordinary Taoist priest, this would undoubtedly be a perilous situation. But for him, possessing a pure Yin constitution and being accompanied by Fu Qinghuai, a thousand-year-old evil spirit, might actually be an opportunity.

As the saying goes, two negatives make a positive; risks and opportunities coexist.

He nodded decisively without any hesitation, "Okay, let's do it on the Ghost Festival."

Upon hearing Xie Xun's words, even Fu Qinghuai, who was standing next to him, raised his eyebrows slightly and revealed an even more interested smile.

Clearly, he also found this timing interesting.

Qiangzi was overjoyed. He hadn't expected Xie Xun to agree so painfully, and he kept rubbing his hands together.

"Great! Great! Thank you, Master. It's settled then. I'll send you the specific time and meeting method later!"

Fearing Xie Xun might change his mind, he quickly pulled out his phone and swiftly opened the QR code scanning interface. "Master Xie, would it be convenient to add you on WeChat? I'll transfer the details and deposit to you first, so it'll be easier for us to keep in touch later!"

Xie Xun didn't say anything, but showed his WeChat QR code.

With a soft "beep," the friend was successfully added, and almost immediately, Xie Xun's phone emitted a clear notification sound.

"20,000 yuan received via WeChat Pay."

"Please include 'voluntary donation' in the transfer remarks, otherwise we will not accept it," Xie Xun added.

"Don't worry, Master Xie, I understand your rules, and the notes are clear."

Qiangzi smiled ingratiatingly, afraid of losing the prize he was about to receive. "This is a thank-you gift of 20,000 yuan. Please accept it! The final payment after the matter is settled will be five times this amount! I won't bother you any longer. I'll send you the details via WeChat!"

Once the shop door is closed, the noise outside is shut out, and the paper craft shop returns to silence.

Xie Xun composed himself and turned to walk towards a corner of the store.

There stood a huge glass snake enclosure, so large it could be called a villa in the reptile world. The sides of the enclosure were made of sheet metal, while only the front was transparent glass, and the interior was spacious.

The interior of the box features a small piece of lightning-struck wood as the main decorative element, beneath which a spirit-gathering array is buried to ensure that the little snake is constantly immersed in gentle spiritual energy.

As Xie Xun approached, a rustling sound came from the coconut shell hiding place.

Immediately, a small, emerald-green head peeked out. The snake's crimson eyes lit up noticeably when it saw him, and the little snake quickly slithered out of its hiding place, swimming to the door of the box and looking up at him.

It was a bamboo viper, but it was slightly different from an ordinary bamboo viper.

Its entire body was a vibrant emerald green, its scales shimmering beautifully in the dim light. Its most distinctive feature was its classic triangular head, which should have given it a cold and fierce appearance, but now, with its head slightly tilted and its snake eyes fixed intently on him, it inexplicably exuded a touch of endearing clumsiness.

A small scale on its forehead and a rune mark make it look both pretty and cute.

The coldness in Xie Xun's eyes dissipated slightly. He reached out and opened the trunk, preparing to examine his cold, smooth body as usual.

Unexpectedly, the little guy took advantage of the situation and nimbly climbed up his fingertips and wrists, moving smoothly until it finally found a comfortable spot on his left shoulder and settled down steadily.

Its nearly one-meter-long body coiled around Xie Xun, its little tail tip swaying lightly.

It looks like a little snake, so cute!

Xie Xun curled his lips, gently rubbed its head with his fingertips, and casually picked up a lively little white mouse from the small cage next to him and handed it to the little green mouse's mouth.

The little snake merely glanced at it lazily, turned its head away in disgust, and even lightly patted Xie Xun's hand with the tip of its tail in dissatisfaction.

Xie Xun was amused by it. After sighing, he threw the white mouse back into the cage and then ran his fingertip across his fingertip.

A drop of bright red blood instantly seeped out, and Little Green, who had been indifferent just moments before, immediately perked up.

It quickly approached, flicked its tongue, and carefully swirled away the drop of blood. After swallowing it, it let out a soft hiss of satisfaction, and the whole snake relaxed happily, gently rubbing its head against Xie Xun's neck and cheek.

At that very moment, the shattered jade hanging on his chest trembled violently and erupted with an almost tangible, intense black resentment!

Within the jade world, Fu Qinghuai saw all of this clearly.

He saw Xie Xun's helpless indulgence towards the long snake.

To see him use the pure yin blood he had craved for so long to feed a lowly being!

After drinking the blood, the serpent snuggled up to Xie Xun, their intimacy making everyone around them envious!

A frenzy of being utterly outdone, mixed with rage and sharp jealousy, instantly scorched his reason like flames.

Even a snake drank before him! And it drank as if it were perfectly natural!

The bone-chilling tremor, though only momentary, caused Xie Xun to pause slightly. His handsome eyebrows furrowed slightly, then he let out a cold snort and gently stroked Xiao Lü's icy back with his fingertips.

"Keeping one snake is expensive enough,"

He spoke softly, as if talking to a small snake, or perhaps shouting at some unruly demon, "Now I also have to figure out how to take care of that even more troublesome one..."

Xie Xun paused, a faint calculating smile playing on his lips.

"But it's okay, he'll soon learn to earn his own food."