Chapter 031

Master Ding was a true master.

A real master, the kind who could catch ghosts.

President Zhang had used his connections and spent a fortune to bring in this master, not the kind of swindling fraud everyone expected. The talismans Master Ding held were real, and so was his ability to see ghosts.

He even had a certificate.

The very Taoist Certificate that Xiao Man desperately wanted but, being too young, still couldn’t apply for!

Once the immobilization talisman was torn off his body, Master Ding finally came down from the wall. He stretched his stiff limbs, which had been locked in the same twisted pose for so long, and said indignantly, “Which temple are you a disciple of? Attacking without warning—where’s your martial honor¹?”

Xiao Man clutched Lu Jianxing’s shirt, feeling a bit wronged by the scolding, and muttered in defense, “You’re the one who tried to trick people first.”

Master Ding choked on his words.

Well, that wasn’t wrong.

Just moments ago, he’d set up an altar in the meeting room, shocked Old Wu into unconsciousness, and unleashed a flashy performance against thin air—it was mostly for show.

But Master Ding had his reasons. He said righteously, “They spent so much money. If I don’t put on an exaggerated show, how can I make the clients feel they’re getting their money’s worth?”

Of course he intended to catch the ghost, but first he had to dazzle the clients, make them understand the difficulty of ghost-catching, and only then resolve their problem. By that point, the clients would gladly hand over their money. This was why Master Ding, despite his mediocre skills, kept gaining fame and raising his prices. But right as he’d just gotten started with his ritual, he was interrupted by a child who’d appeared out of nowhere.

Qiao Man: “…”

Lu Jianxing covered his little ears. “Don’t listen.” The adult world was full of sneaky tricks.

Still, Master Ding did have areas where his skills fell short.

He had some abilities—he could see the Yin Energy and ghostly presence in President Zhang’s company—but that was the limit. Even standing right in front of President Zhang, he couldn’t sense the troublemakers around him. Without Qiao Man, Master Ding’s elaborate efforts would have only gotten rid of the mischievous programmer ghost, without solving President Zhang’s real problem.

As things stood, Master Ding’s trip hadn’t been wasted. He could still be useful.

Outside the meeting room, all the onlooking employees had been shooed back to their desks.

Now, only Qiao Man’s group and the male ghost awaiting liberation² remained in the meeting room. The blinds were drawn, blocking curious gazes from outside, and the curtains were opened, letting sunlight fall on the talisman papers scattered across the floor.

Master Ding and his assistant prepared the ritual again while Qiao Man, wanting to learn ghost-catching, toddled around the room during the wait. He looked at the scattered yellow talisman papers and shook his head. “You drew all these talismans wrong.”

Master Ding’s embarrassment turned to anger. “Do you know how hard it is to draw a talisman?”

Drawing talismans tested one’s abilities greatly. Even after years of practice, he’d be exhausted after finishing a single talisman, with no guarantee of success. Every use meant one less talisman, so he only brought them out at critical moments. Aside from functional ones like the Thunderbolt Talisman, the papers on the walls were just props for atmosphere.

Qiao Man was puzzled. “Is it hard?”

Lu Jianxing, who watched the kid draw talismans every day: “Is it hard?”

President Zhang, who had witnessed Master Xiao Man draw a Truth Talisman in one smooth stroke: “Is it hard?”

Master Ding: “…”

He was just trying to make some extra cash like always. Why today of all days did he have such rotten luck?

With his earlier act exposed, President Zhang had some doubts about his abilities. He leaned down and discussed with Qiao Man, “Master Xiao Man, why don’t you take over instead?”

Master Ding was so angry he could spit fire.

Qiao Man lowered his head, twisting his fingers awkwardly. “I don’t think so… I don’t know how to catch ghosts…”

“Master Xiao Man, you must be joking,” President Zhang said firmly. “This is a trivial matter. Even Master Ding can do it—how could it be difficult for you?”

Master Ding: “…”

Master Ding cursed inwardly.

But Qiao Man genuinely wasn’t being modest. He meant every word when he said he didn’t know how to catch ghosts.

He thought for a moment. “Then let me give you a demonstration.”

Qiao Man pulled a Thunder-Inducing Talisman from his backpack. Unlike Master Ding’s Thunderbolt Talisman, which had minimal effect, the Thunder-Inducing Talisman could summon heavenly thunder specifically designed to counter Yin and evil. If they were facing a malevolent ghost bent on harm, this talisman would be crucial.

He held the talisman in his palm and waved his little hand. “Step back a bit, everyone.”

Everyone instinctively moved back. Before they could even react, a thunderous roar erupted.

BOOM!

A bolt of lightning as thick as a grown man’s wrist struck down from midair, exploding before everyone’s eyes. President Zhang braced himself against the wall, and it might have been his imagination, but the whole building seemed to shake. When the lightning faded, he looked closely: the spot where it hit was nothing but charred blackness. The floor tiles there had been reduced to dust, the cement beneath was deeply pitted, and the steel rebar lay exposed. Cracks from the surrounding tiles spread all the way to his feet—a light stomp, and the tiles by his feet shattered into pieces.

Thunderfire flickered in the crater, crackling and popping.

Qiao Man stood in place, his chubby little face full of worry. He sighed. “It’s always like this. Sigh. After that, my master forbade me from catching ghosts.”

President Zhang: “…”

Master Ding: “…”

The male ghost dropped to his knees with a thud, tears nearly bursting forth. “I-I-I don’t deserve such a punishment!”

Lu Jianxing bent down, scooped up the kid, and quickly retreated with him. “After you.”

Master Ding and his assistant set up the altar and performed the ritual. This time, without the flashy theatrical preamble, he went straight to the point and soon liberated the male ghost. As the ghost’s form faded and he departed this world, his face was full of relief.

…

The elevator resumed normal operation, and a new wealth tree was placed at the entrance to President Zhang’s office.

The ghost trapped on this floor had vanished. Secretary Huang, who’d stolen company secrets, was taken away by the police. Vice President Gao and his subordinates all received their respective punishments. Master Ding also received his final payment for the ghost removal, though it was discounted—and he raised no objections to that.

Before leaving, Master Ding handed Qiao Man a business card listing his services and contact information. Who knew, they might collaborate in the future—after all, the kid didn’t know how to catch ghosts.

The arrogance he’d displayed upon arrival had completely vanished. He humbly asked, “So talented at such a young age, your natural gifts are outstanding. Who is your master? What’s his name? Is he some kind of incredible expert?”

Qiao Man thought back, then proudly lifted his chin. “He is called Master Qiao.”

Those were the exact words everyone used when inviting his master down from the mountain.

“Master Qiao?” Master Ding asked. “Doesn’t he have a full name?”

“I don’t know,” Qiao Man replied matter-of-factly. After all, ‘Master’ was all he ever needed to call him.

Master Ding fell silent.

Master Ding left with his assistant, thoroughly bewildered, planning to ask his fellow disciples about this once he returned. His own talent was mediocre; he usually only handled small gigs like ghost-catching and Feng Shui. He wasn’t guaranteed to win against a malicious spirit, and all his skill points were poured into making money. He was always too focused on perfecting his performance to know if some formidable Master Qiao existed out there.

Qiao Man sat in the lounge, where President Zhang’s assistant had prepared drinks and pastries for him. With his left hand, he clutched a juice box, gulping it down noisily, while his right hand grabbed a small cake to munch on, thoroughly enjoying himself.

Business trips really are the best!

Lu Jianxing watched him happily munching away, his expression a little conflicted. He wasn’t sure if this was the right time to spoil the child’s good mood. Before he could speak up, President Zhang, fresh off his phone call with Grandpa Zhang, pushed open the lounge door and walked in.

“Master Xiao Man, I really can’t thank you enough for this,” President Zhang said with gratitude, signaling his assistant to hand over a check. “I heard from my dad. I never expected you’d come all this way just for me. I’m truly indebted to you. This is just a small token of my appreciation.”

Since Qiao Man’s hands were full, Lu Jianxing, acting as his assistant, took the check. He glanced at the amount and froze for a moment. “This much?”

“Compared to what Master Xiao Man has done, this is nothing…” President Zhang paused and winked at Lu Jianxing, lowering his voice. “I didn’t give too little, did I?”

Lu Jianxing hesitated. “Well…”

Qiao Man leaned over to peek, counted the zeros, and couldn’t help but gasp. “Wow, that much huh?”

Realizing he had overpaid, President Zhang breathed a long sigh of relief. “I didn’t know Master Xiao Man’s consulting fees, so I had my staff look into the standard market rates. I was sure someone as formidable as Master Xiao Man wouldn’t come cheap.”

Qiao Man nodded in agreement. “It’s ten yuan.”

“A hundred thousand?” President Zhang asked. “That cheap?”

Still. President Zhang thought, cheap is good, but has Dad exhausted his entire life savings paying for so many fortune-tellings? Knowing how much Dad had sacrificed, I’ll have to send him some more money next time…

“Ten yuan,” Qiao Man corrected.

“Ten…” President Zhang looked blankly at his assistant. Were his ears failing him? “Ten… ten yuan?”

Qiao Man flashed a toothy grin and said proudly, “Yep! Fortune-telling for Grandpa Zhang and the others is ten yuan a reading. No charge if I’m wrong!”

President Zhang was speechless.

Grandpa Zhang hadn’t just gone to the trouble of inviting this unbelievably affordable Little Master to come all this way—he’d also called to issue a stern directive to take good care of him.

Before his guest’s arrival, President Zhang had already had his assistant plan a tour itinerary to ensure the two had a wonderful time in City X. When the assistant picked them up from the airport, the plan was to take them to a local five-star hotel. Though a small incident occurred, everything resolved perfectly, and with work settled on the first day of the trip, the original sightseeing schedule was back on.

President Zhang personally escorted them downstairs—this time taking the elevator, of course.

The car was waiting at the entrance. He jogged over and pulled open the rear door for Qiao Man.

Qiao Man climbed into the back seat, thanked him, and obediently buckled up his seatbelt.

“Oh, right.”

Just before closing the door, President Zhang glanced furtively around and leaned in. “Did the boss of the Wang Corporation really raise a child spirit?”

Qiao Man shook his head. “I’d need to see him to know for sure.”

President Zhang’s face immediately fell in regret.

Translator’s Notes