Me? Setting up a stall?

Ji Wang let out a long sigh of relief and carefully placed the cinnabar brush in his hand on the edge of the offering table, with the tip facing outwards, arranged neatly.

He then tidied up the unused pieces of yellow paper on the table, whose edges were not neatly trimmed, stacked them neatly, and placed them under the pen to prevent them from being blown away by the wind that might come from somewhere.

After doing all that, he looked back at the few futons he had pieced together to make a bed.

Years of accumulated dust left the marks of the prayer cushions on the ground. He squatted down and, following those marks, pushed the prayer cushions back to their original positions one by one, trying to make them look as if they had never been touched.

Looking around, the main hall was still dilapidated, but it seemed... less eerie and terrifying.

Ji Wang patted the grass clippings and dust off his robes, straightened his still slightly sore back, and walked out of the hall with a lightness in his steps that he himself did not even realize.

He even unconsciously hummed a vague tune, a tuneless country folk song often heard in the small town at the foot of Bu Nian Guan Mountain.

As soon as I reached the entrance of the main hall and stepped over the high, peeling threshold, the sunlight outside suddenly brightened, and a breeze carrying the scent of grass and trees caressed my face.

The little tune he was humming suddenly stopped abruptly.

His master's face, which always seemed somewhat shrewd and calculating yet often feigned profundity, unexpectedly entered his mind.

Along with that came the winks and cajoling from his fellow students, who were encouraging him to come and "make a name for himself."

"Ji Wang, you are exceptionally talented, you just need an opportunity!"

"Junior brother, this is a golden opportunity to make a name for yourself! The Ghost King in that ancient temple is said to be hiding a great treasure!"

"Your master has given you all his most treasured possessions, so don't let him down!"

Looking back now, those words were full of holes and utterly ridiculous.

What kind of treasured artifact is this? A bunch of useless talismans with missing strokes or incomplete drawings!

Forget about making a name for yourself; it's like throwing yourself to the wolves!

A surge of anger at being deceived welled up inside him, burning his cheeks and making his chest feel tight.

The slight sense of accomplishment from barely learning to draw talismans was instantly shattered by this anger.

“Old man…” Ji Wang squeezed out the three words through gritted teeth, his voice not loud, but filled with a sense of clenched teeth. He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails almost dug into his palms.

He stood there, the sunlight shining on him, but it couldn't dispel the suffocating feeling in his heart.

The road ahead is uncertain, and there's no going back to the sect. That so-called "home" was a scam from the very beginning.

The eerie ancient temple behind him, inhabited by the wicked, sharp-tongued, and seemingly not-so-hard-hearted Ghost King, seemed to be his only refuge at this moment.

This realization made him feel a sense of absurdity and powerlessness.

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to suppress his surging anger, and strode into the overgrown courtyard outside the palace. No matter what, he had to get out of here first.

As for the future… He touched the modified talismans in his pocket and walked towards the dilapidated gate of the ancient temple with mixed feelings.

Ji Wangshen stumbled down the mountain, and only when he saw the familiar market at the foot of the mountain, smelled the murky smell of dust, food and livestock in the air, and heard the bustling voices of people, did his heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settle down a little.

He stood at the entrance of the market, watching people come and go. He touched his empty pockets and remembered the few talismans in his arms that were supposedly "personally passed down by the Ghost King." A thought popped into his head.

He rummaged through the pile of junk in a corner of the market for a while and pulled out a piece of dark gray coarse cloth that was barely intact.

Carrying the cloth, I walked to a spot that was conspicuous enough but wouldn't block the view of other shops, unfolded it, and laid it on the ground.

Then, he took a deep breath, as if to encourage himself, and, imitating the vendors around him, raised his voice slightly and began to call out, his voice a little hesitant:

"Selling talismans—talismans to ward off evil spirits and bring peace to your home—"

The sound was not loud and was almost drowned out in the noisy market.

He squatted down somewhat awkwardly and placed the few relatively decent talismans he had drawn, along with the few that Bu Jiu had modified, on the gray cloth.

He squatted there, watching people come and go, but few people stopped to look at his shabby stall.

The sun made him feel a little dizzy, and his stomach growled at that opportune moment. He remembered the bowl of water that Bu Jiu had given him, and felt inexplicably more uneasy.

"Is this talisman genuine?" A slightly hoarse voice sounded from above.

Ji Wang looked up and saw a man with a somewhat gloomy face squatting in front of his stall, pointing at the few unrepentant talismans with his finger, his eyes filled with scrutiny and a hint of barely perceptible urgency.

Ji Wang's heart jumped.

The man was pointing to one of the modified "evil-suppressing talismans," its cinnabar strokes sharp and subtly revealing its extraordinary nature.

"Guaranteed authentic!" Ji Wang blurted out, then paused for a moment after saying it.

Looking at the man's gloomy expression and the anxiety that couldn't be hidden in his eyes, he swallowed back the boastful words that were about to come out.

He thought of how his master and fellow disciples had misled him, and his throat tightened.

His voice lowered, tinged with hesitation: "This... Brother, please don't think I'm being nosy, but what exactly is the purpose of this talisman in your home?"

He paused, as if afraid the other party would misunderstand, and then hurriedly added, "Different situations require different talismans. I'm afraid my talisman might not be the right one and delay your treatment."

The man was clearly taken aback by the stall owner's question. He paused for a moment, then looked Ji Wang up and down several times.

Seeing that Ji Wang, though young, had clear, innocent eyes, unlike those smooth-talking swindlers, he sighed and lowered his voice:

"To be honest, young man, this is my wife... Ever since she came back from her parents' home last month, she's been saying she can't sleep well at night. She hears noises in the house, but when she wakes up, there's nothing there. She's also becoming more and more listless, and she's gotten so thin she looks emaciated. We've consulted a doctor, but they can't find anything wrong with her. The old folks in the neighborhood say they're afraid she's... possessed by an evil spirit."

The man rubbed his hands together, his brows furrowed: "I just want to get a powerful talisman to take back and hang above my bed to see if it can ward off evil spirits."

After hearing this, Ji Wang felt even more conflicted.

This situation does indeed sound like it's been contaminated by something unclean. Perhaps his modified talismans really are effective.

But he knew his own limitations all too well. What if the talisman wasn't effective enough, or there were any taboos he wasn't aware of? Wouldn't that harm the other person?

He clenched his fist, but in the end, his conscience prevailed.

He bent down and picked out the most modified and seemingly most powerful talisman from the small stack of talismans, but instead of handing it directly to the man, he said earnestly:

"Brother, please take this talisman first. I can't guarantee it will work. If your wife's condition doesn't improve after you apply it, or... or even worsens, come find me, and I'll definitely help you find a highly skilled master!"

He handed over the talisman but didn't take the copper coins the man offered: "Money...we'll talk about it after it works. If it doesn't work, you can come back and return the talisman, or you can tear it up."

The man held the talisman and looked at Ji Wang's solemn and even somewhat uneasy expression, and found the man rather endearingly honest.

He weighed the talisman in his hand and found it had a subtle, warm feel to the touch, unlike the rough texture of ordinary yellow paper. The cinnabar on it was also unusually bright.

He hesitated for a moment, then took out a few copper coins and stuffed them into Ji Wang's hand: "Young man, you're an honest man. Whether it works out or not, I appreciate your kindness. Take this money and buy some cakes to eat."

After the man finished speaking, he clutched the talisman and hurried away.

Ji Wang held the few copper coins that were still warm from his body, watching his figure disappear into the crowd, feeling a mix of emotions.

He looked down at the remaining talismans on the stall. He had earned money from this for the first time, but he felt no joy.

"A highly skilled master..." he murmured to himself, but the image of Bu Jiu's eyes inappropriately surfaced in his mind.

He sighed, carefully put the copper coins away, and squatted down again against the wall. He felt even more uncertain about selling the talisman.

Ji Wang squatted at the base of the wall until the sun began to set.

Apart from the man from before, no one else came to buy anything. He looked at the few remaining talismans on his stall, sighed, and prepared to pack up. These few copper coins were probably only enough to buy a few hard, coarse flour cakes to fill his stomach.

Just as he reached out to roll up the gray cloth, he heard a series of chaotic footsteps approaching from afar, accompanied by chatter.

Looking up, his heart skipped a beat—the man had returned, followed by seven or eight men and women, young and old, all with anxious expressions, pointing in his direction.

"That's him!" The man's loud voice attracted the attention of the few vendors scattered around.

Ji Wang felt a chill run down his spine, realizing something was wrong. Was there something wrong with the talisman? Had someone come knocking on his door to settle scores?

His first instinct was to clasp his hands in apology and say, "Fellow villagers, we can talk things over. As for Fu Ruoshi..."

Before he could finish speaking, the group swarmed around him, not to confront him as he had expected, but with their eyes shining as they stared at the few remaining talismans on his stall, chattering excitedly:

"Brother Zhang's family put up a talisman, and he slept soundly until just now! They said they haven't heard any more strange noises!"

"This is amazing! Young Taoist priest, do you have any more? I'd like one!"

"I heard the Ghost King is active in this area; we'd better be prepared..."

"Give it to me! I was here first!"

Before he could finish speaking, several hands reached for the pitiful few sheets of yellow paper at the same time, almost as if they were snatching them. Several, then a dozen copper coins were thrown onto the gray cloth in front of him without explanation, making a crisp clinking sound.

Ji Wang was terrified by the scene. Seeing that all the talismans were about to be snatched away, he hurriedly waved his hands: "No, no! These... these may not all be useful! Everyone, calm down!"

His voice was drowned out by the noise of the crowd, and no one heard him. Seeing that people were about to push and shove each other to grab the last talisman, Ji Wang was so anxious that sweat beaded on his forehead.

"it works."

A voice sounded behind him, not loud, but it instantly drowned out all the noise.

The arguing and shoving crowd suddenly fell silent, and everyone looked in the direction of the sound.

Ji Wang turned around abruptly and saw that Bu Jiu was standing silently behind him, still dressed in red and with black hair.

His face was expressionless, but one hand naturally wrapped around Ji Wang's shoulder, gently pulling him back a step from the crowd, shielding him to prevent him from being bumped by the excited crowd.

Bu Jiu's gaze swept lightly over the villagers who had fallen silent instantly, finally landing on Ji Wang's face. His tone, however, carried an undeniable certainty as he repeated:

"I said, it works."

He turned to the group of villagers in front of him, who were intimidated by his imposing manner and somewhat at a loss, and said in a calm and even voice: "What are you robbing? It's just a few basic talismans."

He seemed to unconsciously brush his fingertips against Ji Wang's shoulder before continuing:

"This is enough for you. If you're still not reassured..."

He casually raised his other free hand, and from somewhere produced a stack of blank yellow paper and the cinnabar pen that Ji Wang had used. With a slight movement of his fingertips, the pen moved like a dragon and a snake, so fast that only afterimages remained.

Almost in the blink of an eye, several brand-new talismans were drawn and floated lightly onto the gray cloth, covering most of the pitiful copper coins.

"Take it. Post it on the door," Bu Jiu said, putting away his pen. "Ordinary little ghosts and demons will not dare to approach."

The villagers, seeing the talismans that were clearly selling for many times more than Ji Wang's before, and looking at Bu Jiu's intimidating demeanor, dared not say a word. They thanked him profusely, carefully distributed a few talismans, and even forgot to pick up the copper coins on the ground. They then hurriedly dispersed, pulling at each other.

The corner of the market quickly returned to silence, leaving only Ji Wang and Bu Jiu, along with the scattered copper coins and the crumpled gray cloth on the ground.

Ji Wang was still in a daze. The touch on his shoulder and the cool fragrance lingering around his nose made it hard for him to process what was happening: "How come..."

Bu Jiu released his arm around him, as if the protective gesture he had just made was merely a casual gesture.

He looked down at Ji Wang, his brows furrowing slightly: "Selling talismans can cause trouble... How can I trust you?"

These words still sounded like disdain, but the tone had clearly softened considerably.

It was as if he was facing not a troublesome burden, but an important person who left him helpless.

Ji Wang opened his mouth, but for a moment he didn't know how to respond.

Bu Jiu had already looked away, glancing at the copper coins on the ground, and said calmly, "Pack up and go back."