Li Na's father was clearly in a foul mood. His elder daughter had just passed away, and now the younger one was in a deranged state. They had gone to great lengths to invite this so-called Master Cui San, and we had just offended him. Naturally, he wasn't going to show us any kindness.
He turned to Liu Peng, visibly irritated. "Xiao Peng, we've got family matters to deal with. Why don't you take your classmate out for a walk? Don't cause any more trouble here."
"Uncle, please believe me—my classmate can really help you," Liu Peng pleaded.
"It's fine," I said, patting Liu Peng on the shoulder. I motioned for Uncle Hu to follow me out. "We'll come back tonight."
There was no need to linger where we clearly weren't welcome.
Although Uncle Hu looked visibly annoyed, he obeyed my signal and followed me. Just as we were about to leave, a voice called out behind us.
"Wait!"
It was Master Cui.
"You're not leaving yet," he declared. "I want you to stay and witness how I resolve this matter with my own hands. Otherwise, rumors might spread that Cui San is all bark and no bite."
"Master Cui," I replied calmly, "with all due respect, this matter is far from ordinary. In all of Yanbei, I may be the only one capable of resolving it."
Of course, my master could do it too—but he wouldn't be back in Yanbei for another year.
My words made Cui San's beard puff up in fury. "Such arrogance from a mere child! I was reading feng shui before your father was even born! You just sit there and watch—I'll show you how a real master works!"
Li Na's father, still wary of Uncle Hu but clearly frustrated, said, "Xiao Peng, please take your classmate and go. Don't stir things up anymore. I'm begging you."
But Cui San wasn't done. "No one's leaving," he said. "This kid needs to pay for his big talk. Tell me, boy—if I manage to fix the problem, what then?"
"If you solve it," I said coolly, "I'll let you decide the terms."
"Fine," he sneered. "I won't go too far. Once I handle the situation, you'll kneel down and kowtow three times as an apology. Fair?"
"Fair. But what if you fail?" I countered.
"If I fail," he snapped, "I'll kneel and bow to you three times instead!"
"It's a deal," I said, smirking faintly.
If he knew who my master was, he'd be running away instead of posturing like this.
Confidently, Cui San turned to Li Na's father. "So, tell me—what exactly seems to be the problem?"
I nearly facepalmed. Not only was this guy incompetent, he also had the memory of a goldfish.
Any half-baked feng shui practitioner could've sensed the overwhelming yin energy the moment they walked through the gate. Yet this so-called master hadn't sensed a thing.
"Ever since my eldest daughter was buried," Li Na's father began, "our younger daughter's gone mad. She attacks people at random. And at night, my wife and I keep hearing sobbing coming from our late daughter's room."
"So you're saying your house is haunted," Cui San replied, frowning deeply. "This isn't a small matter. This will take considerable effort. I may even have to sacrifice some of my own life essence…"
He sighed dramatically, as if the heavens themselves had placed a great burden on his shoulders.
I nearly laughed. Since when did exorcising spirits require giving up lifespan? It wasn't like he was altering fate or defying destiny.
Li Na's father fell right into the trap. "Master Cui, if you can solve this and cure our younger daughter, money is no object. We'll sell whatever we have—just name your price."
"Well, since your family's clearly struggling, I won't ask for much," Cui San said generously. "Eighty thousand yuan. Normally, I wouldn't lift a finger for less than a hundred thousand in cases like this."
At the mention of the amount, both parents were stunned. They hesitated. Eighty thousand was a huge sum for a family like theirs—it was clear they couldn't afford it.
"Is money more important than life?" Cui San scolded. "If you can't pay even this much, you may as well find someone else."
Before they could respond, I spoke up.
"If Master Cui can truly resolve this matter, I'll pay."
Everyone turned to look at me in shock—even Uncle Hu raised an eyebrow. He was probably wondering why I'd offer to waste money like this.
But he quickly caught on—I was confident Cui San would fail.
"You'll pay? Do you even have that kind of money?" Cui San said suspiciously.
Without a word, Uncle Hu pulled out twenty thousand yuan in cash and slapped it on the table. Then he took out a bank card.
"Here's twenty thousand up front," he said. "If the job's done, I'll withdraw the remaining sixty thousand and hand it over."
"You really shouldn't be paying for this…" Li Na's mother said softly, looking uncomfortable.
"Auntie, Li Na was my classmate. It's the least I can do," I said gently.
"Wu Jie, I didn't know you were so loaded," Liu Peng said, eyes wide with surprise.
I just smiled. Helping the Zhang family relocate their ancestral tomb had earned me over a million. Eighty thousand wasn't even a dent.
Cui San's eyes lit up at the sight of the cash. He reached for it, but Uncle Hu slapped his hand down with a grin. "No rush, Master Cui. The girl's right in that room. Once the problem is solved, the money's yours. We're not going anywhere."
"…Fine." Cui San glanced longingly at the cash before turning to Li Na's father. "Where's the child?"
"In here," the father said, opening the door.
Cui San strutted toward the room. As soon as he reached the doorway, he flinched dramatically. "Such heavy yin energy! This ghost is fierce—it must be a deadly spirit!"
He glanced around theatrically, eyes darting about the room like he was looking for something only he could see.
Finally, his gaze fell on Li Juan, who was sleeping against the bed.
He rushed forward, pulled out a talisman, and slapped it onto her chest, shouting, "Wicked spirit! Show yourself!"
Great. I had just calmed her down with a Purifying Spirit Spell, and now this clown had woken her up again with his hollering.