Chapter 055

Sitting on the sofa in the living room, Master Yu and Master Ding observed their surroundings.

The apartment had only two bedrooms and one living room. The layout was visible at a glance. While not exactly cramped for two people, it certainly wasn’t spacious. Whether it was Master Ding or Master Yu, they had both spent years performing exorcisms and rituals for wealthy clients. They hadn’t lived in such a “small” place in a very long time.

A child’s unfinished homework was spread across the coffee table. Looking at the addition and subtraction problems, Master Yu’s eyelid twitched. He didn’t notice that his junior brother, Master Ding, was looking at the literacy posters on the wall with an expression of immense relief.

To entertain his guests, Qiao Man pulled two cartons of children’s milk from his snack box and placed them in front of the two masters. He even thoughtfully inserted the straws for them. Then, with a bit of effort, he lugged a small stool over to the coffee table, leaving the sofa for his guests while he sat obediently on the stool.

Master Yu looked at the children’s milk, then at the cartoons playing on the television. “…”

After a long silence, he picked up the milk and took a sip. It was sweet.

Master Yu didn’t waste time and got straight to the point. “Regarding the amusement park, with Liu Dacheng’s help, we’ve found the body sealed in the concrete and recovered his remains.”

Qiao Man was confused. “Who is Liu Dacheng?”

“That’s the Vengeful Ghost from the amusement park,” Master Yu said, pulling out his phone to show him the news.

Finding a corpse in a busy amusement park was a terrifying event. It wasn’t just local news; many major media outlets were reporting on it. The park had been operating for years, and it wasn’t just A City locals who visited-tourists went there too. The thought that they might have walked over a buried corpse made everyone feel uneasy.

In the news, the reason for finding the body was glossed over, attributed simply to a “concerned citizen.” Only a few people knew the truth.

“We’ve also contacted the local police in Liu Dacheng’s hometown and found his family,” Master Yu said. “In a few days, his ashes will be sent back so he can be reunited with them. I’ll be going there personally. Once he’s seen his family, I will perform the ritual to release his soul.”

Qiao Man nodded, understanding. “Do you want to buy some talismans from me?”

Master Yu paused. “Buy talismans?”

“You need talismans to catch ghosts. My master said the ones I draw are the most effective; he loves using them.” As he spoke, Qiao Man ran off to find his brush and cinnabar. He pushed aside the homework on the coffee table and spread out some Yellow Talisman Paper. Leaning over the table with his bottom in the air, he gave his brush a casual flick. With a few quick strokes, he drew several Thunder Talismans designed to suppress ghosts and handed them to Master Yu. “Here.”

Master Yu: “…”

Master Ding, standing beside him, beat him to it and took them. “Thank you.”

Qiao Man smiled, showing two sweet dimples. “You’re welcome!”

“Junior Brother Ding?” Master Yu looked at him, puzzled. They were just talismans. Although they couldn’t draw them as effortlessly as the child, they could still make them. There was no need to go out of their way to buy them from someone else.

Master Ding whispered, “Senior Brother, it’s different. His talismans are truly excellent.”

They were all talismans; how different could they be?

Master Ding didn’t explain further and simply handed the Yellow Talisman over.

As soon as he held it, Master Yu felt the difference. This Thunder Talisman was of the highest quality, brimming with immense power. It would be far more effective against ghosts than a standard one. If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he would have assumed it was the work of a grandmaster.

Yet the cinnabar on the Yellow Talisman was still wet, and he had witnessed it himself. The child hadn’t bathed or burned incense like a typical Taoist before drawing. He had done it effortlessly, as if he were just doodling. This top-tier talisman had actually come from the hand of a child!

Master Yu’s eyes widened. He looked at the talisman, then at the tender, round-faced child across from him. For a long time, he was speechless.

“This… this…” Master Yu’s tone became solemn. “How much for these talismans?”

“They’re free. A gift for you,” Qiao Man said generously.

Master Yu exclaimed, “How can we accept that?!”

Qiao Man waved his little hand. “It’s fine! You just gave me a lot of money.”

He had only gone to save Xingxing and caught the Vengeful Ghost along the way. He hadn’t even handled the aftermath, yet these two Taoists had generously shared the reward with him. The check had so many zeros on it. Compared to that, a few talismans were worth nothing!

Besides, when he drew talismans for his master in the past, his master never paid him.

Master Yu carefully put the talismans away.

In their line of work, people with true ability were rare, and the child before him was extraordinary. His skill in catching ghosts and drawing talismans put him among the best, even within that elite group. It wasn’t just Master Ding who could see it. Master Yu dealt with ghosts year-round and had even brokered the contract between the ghost and the amusement park. Having seen Qiao Man easily pluck out a Vengeful Ghost that he himself had struggled with, and then beat it so soundly it couldn’t even fight back, the realization hit him harder than anyone.

He had come today for two reasons: first, to inform him of the outcome of the amusement park case, and second, because of Qiao Man’s incredible talent.

Having finished discussing the amusement park, Master Yu took a business card from his pocket and presented it with both hands.

Qiao Man took it curiously, trying to make out the words. “Um… Spe… Spe…”

“Special Invited Expert,” Master Ding reminded him quietly.

Qiao Man had a sudden realization. “Oh!”

He was still confused. “What does ‘Special Invited Expert’ mean?”

“Sometimes, people encounter things that can’t be solved by normal, scientific means, so they turn to us for help.” Master Ding explained, sounding proud of his senior brother. “My senior brother is very talented. Among our generation at the Taoist temple, his strength is one of the best. Because of that, he works with the authorities, providing help with metaphysics when needed.”

Qiao Man understood, then asked, “Are you one too?”

Master Ding covered his face with his sleeve. “I am not.” He was too weak.

Master Yu stroked his beard and smiled. “I’m not as amazing as Junior Brother Ding says. I just happened to have a bit of luck and do what I can. There are many people in this world more powerful than me. I could never match Master Xiao Man’s skill in drawing talismans. I wonder, who is Master Xiao Man’s teacher? Which Taoist temple do you come from?”

Qiao Man thought for a moment. “I don’t know.”

“What do you mean, you don’t know?”

“My master never said,” Qiao Man recalled. “My master only said that when I grew up, I could go down the mountain to get certified. He never told me anything about our lineage. Maybe he was just a rogue Taoist.”

Master Yu immediately replied, “To be able to teach someone as capable as you, Master Xiao Man, he must have been an extraordinary figure. I wonder which great master he was?”

Without waiting for Qiao Man’s answer, Master Yu stroked his beard and began to list them off. “Most Taoists inherit their teachings from the major temples, though there are some who work alone and establish their own sects. There is a Master Cui in G City whose disciples excel at ghost-taming, and Master Xie in B City is the most proficient in divination. But the most formidable of all is Master Qiao. He is incredibly gifted and became famous at a young age. I grew up hearing stories of Master Qiao’s deeds, which are too many to count. Nowadays, he rarely takes action unless it’s a major crisis of great importance. He is a true Special Invited Expert… Wait, you both have the surname Qiao. Could you be Master Qiao’s disciple?”

“No.” Qiao Man propped up his chubby chin and sighed gloomily. “My master was very clumsy, and he was slow at drawing talismans. He definitely wasn’t that powerful. Besides, he’s already dead.”

In Xiao Man’s earliest memories, his master already had white hair and a white beard, an old man. Now that Xiao Man had traveled decades into the future, there was no way his master could still be alive.

Master Yu said apologetically, “My condolences.”

“It’s okay,” Qiao Man said nonchalantly. “My master accumulated a lot of merit during his life. He’ll definitely be reborn into a good life.”

Qiao Man was full of interest in this “especially powerful” Master Qiao. Cupping his small face in his hands, he asked curiously, “Who is that Master Qiao? Just how powerful is he?”

Master Qiao was a heavyweight among Taoists and an idol to many young and middle-aged practitioners. Having been famous for decades since his youth, his legendary feats were innumerable. Master Yu and Master Ding immediately picked out a few examples and began to recount them enthusiastically.

“…Also, six months ago, Master Xie in B City divined that a disaster was about to strike the west. At the same time, many Taoists had the same dream, seeing the ground collapse into a massive hole and a Ghost King about to emerge. If a Ghost King¹ were to enter the world, it would cause absolute chaos and countless casualties. Master Qiao personally led a group to the west.” Master Yu sounded both proud and regretful. “Unfortunately, my skills weren’t up to par, so I wasn’t chosen. I couldn’t witness the scene with my own eyes.”

Qiao Man was enthralled by the story. By the end, his mouth was hanging open in shock. “A Ghost King? That scary?”

“That’s right!”

“And then? Did the Ghost King come out?”

“Not long after, the ground really did collapse in the western No-man’s Land, revealing an ancient tomb. Master Qiao led everyone in a pre-emptive deployment. After a fierce battle with the Ghost King, they successfully suppressed it again, though Master Qiao himself was seriously injured.”

Qiao Man’s eyes sparkled. “He’s so amazing!”

“If we were to talk about Master Qiao’s deeds, we couldn’t finish in three days and three nights. Master Qiao is covered in merit; there’s no telling how many people he has saved.” Master Yu brought the topic back and said with a smile, “Master Xiao Man, with your skills, have you thought about doing something with them?”

“Doing what?”

“I saw you on the news. You helped the police solve two major cases, a massive tomb-robbing case and a serial murder case. If you continue to use your talents, you could make a great contribution.” Master Yu pointed to his own business card. The words “Special Invited Expert²” gleamed on the card.

Qiao Man fiddled with his hands and asked expectantly, “Is there money in it?”

Master Yu nodded, thought for a moment, and then shook his head. “A little, but not much.”

“Then forget it.” Qiao Man immediately lost interest.

Master said that everything depends on fate, and he clearly had no fate with being an expert!

Master Yu was stunned. “For… forget it?”

“Of course. I’m very busy. I have to earn money to buy a big house for Xingxing.” Qiao Man counted on his fingers. “I also have to go on business trips with Xingxing. Xingxing said he’s sending me to primary school next year. When that time comes, I’ll have to go to school every week and do homework. I won’t have any free time.”

Master Yu was speechless.

Looking at the child’s soft, chubby face, his mouth hung open, but he couldn’t bring himself to say any words of persuasion. The excuse of going to school was perfectly reasonable. Was he really going to stop a child from getting an education?

That was impossible. Even their Taoist temple required a bachelor’s degree to recruit disciples these days.

Master Yu and his junior brother exchanged a look and had no choice but to give up.

He finished the rest of the children’s milk before standing up to take his leave.

Before leaving, Master Yu felt the talisman in his pocket and said sheepishly, “Master Xiao Man, could you help me draw a few more talismans? Of course, I’ll pay the market price.”

“Sure,” Qiao Man said generously. “What kind of talisman do you want?”

Master Yu quickly took out his phone and pulled up a photo of a talisman from his album. “This one. It’s extremely difficult. Can you draw it?”

Qiao Man took a look. “Oh, this one.”

Coincidentally, the tools for drawing talismans were still laid out nearby. He grabbed the brush and, following Master Yu’s request, completed the work in one fluid motion. He handed over the finished product in no time.

Master Yu was full of wonder. “So fast!”

When they drew talismans, not only did they have to bathe and burn incense beforehand, but success wasn’t even guaranteed. How profound a talisman they could draw depended entirely on their own skill. For someone like Master Ding, drawing a few simple talismans a day was his limit. The more difficult the talisman, the lower the success rate. The photo Master Yu had shown was obtained from a fellow sect member; only a few people in the world could draw it, and Master Qiao was one of them.

This wasn’t the first time he had seen Qiao Man draw a talisman, but he was shocked every single time. Putting aside the child’s casual attitude – drawing on the floor regardless of the environment – the quality of the talismans was top-tier. He was fast, the work was excellent, and his success rate was a perfect hundred percent!

Qiao Man nodded. “I used to help my master draw these all the time.”

Master Yu was greatly surprised. “You drew such difficult talismans often?”

“Is it hard? Not really.” Qiao Man looked at him with an innocent face. “My master showed it to me once, and I knew how to draw it.”

Master Yu: “…”

Master Ding: “…”

…

That evening, Lu Jianxing returned home.

He was a bit late today, so Qiao Man had already eaten dinner at Grandpa Zhang’s house. Right now, the television in the living room was playing evening cartoons. Qiao Man was sprawled across the coffee table, clutching a brush and multitasking as he drew talismans.

He was much faster at drawing talismans than he was at math problems, and watching cartoons didn’t slow him down at all. He finished one in no time, and a small stack had already piled up beside him.

Lu Jianxing went into the bedroom to change into his loungewear. When he came out, he first checked the child’s homework, finding a few mistakes for him to correct. After seeing Qiao Man finish the corrections and pick up the brush to start drawing talismans again, he asked casually, “Is someone buying those?”

“They’re for Master Yu,” Qiao Man said.

Lu Jianxing paused. “…Who is Master Yu?”

“He’s the master we met at the amusement park. He’s Master Ding’s senior brother.” Qiao Man set down his brush, picked up a business card from the coffee table, and handed it to him. “Look, this is him.”

Lu Jianxing took it and looked. Above the title “Specially Invited Expert” was a line of large text: Ordained Disciple³ of a certain Taoist Temple. Below that were several more lines listing his name, contact number, and primary business services. It looked exceptionally formal.

Were Taoists so up-to-date with the times nowadays?

Qiao Man waved his brush, his face glowing with excitement. “He bought a lot of talismans from me and said he’ll be coming to me for stock regularly from now on. He even gave me a lot of money!”

Master Yu had said these talismans were very difficult to draw and commanded a high market price, so he had already paid a substantial deposit. Once the goods were delivered, he would transfer the remaining balance.

Thinking of the distant dream of a large villa and a swimming pool, Qiao Man toiled away at his talismans with incredible enthusiasm.

Translator’s Notes