New Times, New Hell - Chapter 15

When Shang Que’s words came out, the scene was collectively stunned. After a long pause, Chen Sijie angrily cursed, “Where did this lunatic come from?”

 

The young Taoist also felt a lump in his throat, his face turning red as he said to Dad Chen, “Mr. Chen, what does your family mean by this?”

 

Master Mu also bowed slightly to Dad Chen and said, “Mr. Chen, the Qinglian Temple has a history of over a thousand years. Whether in terms of rituals or techniques, they have been passed down through generations without deceiving the world. I specifically came from Diyang to see your son’s sincerity. If you do not trust my abilities, I will take my leave.”

 

Chen Sijie was anxious upon hearing this. He turned to his father and said, “Dad, Master Mu is a highly respected expert from Diyang. Many people queue up to consult him, so don’t let my sister make a scene anymore.”

 

Dad Chen felt wronged, as he didn’t even understand what Shang Que was saying. He quickly replied, “Master, you misunderstood. I didn’t mean to doubt your abilities.”

 

Chen Sijie then turned to chase Shang Que and Yu Zhengdu away, saying, “Where did you two con artists come from? Hurry up and get lost.”

 

Chen Sijie was determined to not let his sister succeed. If the people she brought were sent away like this, she would be associated with unreliability in their father’s eyes. She quickly glanced at Yu Zhengdu and Shang Que, hoping they would put on a good show.

 

But Shang Que just looked at her with indifference and said, “With your family’s attitude, if you want us to intervene, you’ll have to pay more.”

 

Chen Sijie was left speechless.

 

Chen Sijie was left speechless, and the scene fell into silence.

 

Chen Sijie regretted this immensely. She thought this company had some expertise, which was why she resorted to them in desperation. Who would have thought that this young boss had no sense of the situation? Now she felt utterly humiliated in front of her brother.

 

Yu Zhengdu couldn’t help but give his boss a look of admiration. No wonder he was the Ghost King; he dared to raise the price in such a situation. Fearing that his boss would continue to embarrass them, he quickly tried to smooth things over: “Everyone, please calm down. We don’t mean to imply that the Taoist is deceiving anyone; it’s just that the techniques we use are different.”

 

The young Taoist laughed angrily, disregarding his master’s attempts to hold him back, and stepped forward. “Do you even understand the situation? We deal with evils and malevolent spirits; this is not something you can bluff your way through with your usual methods. If you don’t leave, you might end up getting yourself into trouble…”

 

While he was speaking, Yu Zhengdu took out his phone, opened the app, and scanned it over Dad Chen. “Master, you misunderstand. We also deal with expelling evil spirits…”

 

The young Taoist was furious at the sight of Yu Zhengdu pulling out his phone. “What? Are you taking pictures of the evil spirits with your phone?”

 

Just then, Yu Zhengdu inhaled sharply, looking at Dad Chen in surprise. “Mr. Chen, is your left arm okay?”

 

Upon hearing this, Dad Chen’s expression subtly changed, and his tone became ambiguous. “Why do you ask?”

 

Yu Zhengdu looked at the app interface and said, “According to our detector’s analysis, your body is filled with yin energy. You should have been feeling cold all over recently, especially on the left side, where it’s more severe, particularly your left arm…”

 

He furrowed his brow slightly. “It must be hard for you to hold things.”

 

At first, Dad Chen was somewhat doubtful, but upon hearing this, his spirit suddenly lifted, and he repeatedly affirmed, “That’s right, that’s how it feels.”

 

He hurried to Yu Zhengdu’s side, peering at the phone’s screen. “What technology is this? How can you tell my condition with just a scan?”

 

On the phone’s screen was a body imaging diagram, completely shrouded in a black hue, with varying depths and corresponding values for different body parts.

 

Yu Zhengdu pointed at those values and explained, “You’re being invaded by yin energy, which is why you feel cold. The darker colors and higher values indicate the areas where the yin energy is heavier, and those spots are more uncomfortable than the others.”

 

The more Dad Chen looked, the wider his eyes became, full of disbelief. “This is amazing! Those spots are exactly where I feel the worst; the hospital couldn’t even find this out! How did you do it?”

 

“This is patented technology, so it’s confidential,” Yu Zhengdu replied with a smile. “The coldness and discomfort caused by yin energy are not physiological changes, so hospitals can’t detect them before they cause substantial harm.”

 

Dad Chen was captivated by the app, completely forgetting about Master Mu and his apprentice.

 

Chen Sijie stared in shock as his father’s attitude suddenly changed toward those two “con artists,” feeling utterly dumbfounded. “Dad, don’t be fooled by them!”

 

Dad Chen glared at him. “How can this be a trick? Do you have any idea how accurate their detection is?”

 

Chen Sijie: …Of course, I don’t know.

 

Master Mu was also somewhat taken aback, slightly furrowing his brows. “I have been practicing Taoism since I was eight years old, which has been fifty years now. I have encountered countless evil spirits, yet I have never heard of anyone being able to detect yin energy.”

 

Shang Que’s face showed little emotion, but his words were still mocking. “That’s why we say you guys aren’t making any progress.”

 

Master Mu could tolerate it, but his apprentice could not. The young Taoist immediately jumped out, saying, “Don’t speak nonsense! I’ve seen many frauds like you. You dare to claim high-tech just because you have some device? You talk big, but in the end, you’re still selling health products and treatment devices.”

 

“Not really…” Yu Zhengdu looked somewhat innocent. “We can also expel evil spirits and catch ghosts…”

 

“What… what?” The young Taoist was taken aback and widened his eyes in disbelief. “You catch ghosts?”

 

Even Chen Sijie, who had come along, was astonished. Wait a minute, this wasn’t the plot she had imagined. She instinctively said, “Little Yu, aren’t you selling magnetic stones for good fortune?”

 

Upon hearing Chen Sijie’s words, the young Taoist understood that these two frauds were selling some deceptive trinkets. However, they just happened to encounter him and his master, who had real skills, and their usual tricks weren’t working anymore. They were brazenly claiming they could catch ghosts.

 

Once he realized this, the young Taoist calmed down a bit and asked, “You can catch ghosts? How do you do that?”

 

Shang Que lazily replied, “Just catch them by hand.”

 

The scene fell silent.

 

Yu Zhengdu thought, “I need to talk to the boss about the art of business communication when we get back!”

 

Master Mu sighed, “This is too ridiculous.”

 

The young Taoist angrily turned back to look at Dad Chen. “Mr. Chen, if you believe these frauds, then we’ll leave right now. You can let them catch ghosts for you.”

 

“Ah, no, no, please don’t say that, Master.” Dad Chen felt a bit flustered. Although these young men’s techniques seemed impressive, their words were utterly unreliable; now they were even talking about evil spirits. Of course, a genuine Taoist was more reassuring. He quickly bowed to Master Mu and said, “Please perform a ceremony to expel the evil spirits for me.”

 

Seeing that his father ultimately chose the master he had invited, Chen Sijie finally breathed a sigh of relief and shot a triumphant glance at Chen Sijie.

 

At this point, Chen Sijie was more resigned than angry. She felt that the two people she had brought were indeed too fantastical…

 

Dad Chen then looked at Yu Zhengdu. “Little brother, your technology is great, but the ceremony should still be performed by the Taoist. So, I’ll have Sijie take you back first. I’ll pay you whatever the cost…”

 

Dad Chen’s attitude made Shang Que somewhat satisfied. He rarely gave him a meaningful look and said, “We’re more professional at catching ghosts than the old Taoist.”

 

Master Mu: “……”

 

Dad Chen wiped the sweat from his brow and was about to persuade them again when the young and impetuous little Taoist could no longer hold back and stepped forward, saying, “Alright, you can stay and watch us perform the ritual. When the evil spirit is lured to the altar, you’ll have to show your skills.”

 

Mu Daozhang’s expression darkened. “Yuanqing, stop your nonsense.”

 

At the same time, Shang Que casually replied, “Sure.”

 

With things reaching this point, Dad Chen couldn’t say anything further. The two groups would have to see who came out on top.

 

…

 

Under Dad Chen’s instructions, the house staff quickly prepared the items and set up an altar in the living room.

 

After dinner, Mu Daozhang sat cross-legged in front of the altar while the little Taoist busied himself. He took a box from the car, pulling out the ritual tools, yellow talismans, and even a quaint little incense burner filled with ash from incense.

 

The little Taoist cast a proud glance at Shang Que. “This is the ash from our temple, regularly offered in front of Master Zhang. It has the effect of warding off evil and protecting the house.”

 

Not only was the ash somewhat noteworthy, but the tools he produced were all ancient and heavy, clearly historical artifacts. Qinglian Temple truly lived up to its reputation.

 

Shang Que sat on the sofa playing a mobile game, ignoring the little Taoist’s provocation.

 

Chen Sijie seized the opportunity to mock Chen Siyu. “Sister, you always said not to believe in feudal superstitions. Why are you believing now? I’m not even as gullible as you! Who did you find?”

 

Chen Siyu was too flustered to respond and quietly went to make herself a cup of coffee.

 

Chen Sijie was ecstatic to win against his sister for once, grinning widely. He felt it wasn’t enough and went on to taunt Yu Zhengdu. “What equipment does your company have? You’re not actually going to catch ghosts with bare hands, are you?”

 

Yu Zhengdu pondered for a moment and replied, “We do have equipment…”

 

Just as Chen Sijie was about to ask further, the little Taoist finally finished his preparations, announcing, “It’s starting. No unrelated persons are allowed to disturb us.”

 

Dad Chen was the most anxious in the room and hurriedly warned Chen Sijie, “Quiet, everyone be quiet.”

 

Mu Daozhang stood up, pulling out a peach wood sword from the altar and began to perform hand signs and recite incantations.

 

His voice was deep, inducing a sense of tranquility, but if one listened carefully, they could hear an offbeat sound—coming from Shang Que’s mobile game.

 

Chen Sijie couldn’t help but roll his eyes at him, while Chen Siyu’s feelings were complicated.

 

Yu Zhengdu leaned closer to the boss and whispered, “Boss, give the mortals some face.”

 

Shang Que glanced at him with peripheral vision and reluctantly put away his phone. “Fine, I’ll give you face.”

 

At that moment, a gust of cold wind suddenly swept through the room. This wind did not come from the doors or windows but blew down from the ceiling, causing the candles on the altar to flicker.

 

Everyone instinctively looked up, only to see the crystal chandelier shaking as well, its lights flickering erratically, creating a sense of unease.

 

The wind intensified, and the dim light made the cold seem to penetrate into their bones. Yu Zhengdu quickly pulled his clothes tighter around himself.

 

The yellow talismans on the altar began to rustle, and the Chen family huddled together in fear. Mu Daozhang remained unfazed, calmly grabbing a handful of rice and scattering it on the ground while chanting, “From the depths of the blue sky to the yellow springs below, I summon the lost souls to my altar…”

 

Everyone looked at the ground and saw that the rice did not settle but began to roll slightly.

 

Dad Chen’s voice trembled, “Why is the rice moving?”

 

The little Taoist, holding the yellow talismans, stood solemnly by, answering, “The naked eye cannot see souls; we need to use external objects to observe their movements…”

 

Dad Chen almost fell over. “Does this mean a ghost has appeared?”

 

The little Taoist had no time to answer; Mu Daozhang was already circling around the rolling rice, continuously reciting his incantation, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. It was clear they were reaching the climax of the ritual.

 

Chen Sijie felt a mix of fear and excitement. Everything before him confirmed that the Mu Daozhang he invited was a genuine master. He couldn’t hold back anymore and jabbed at Yu Zhengdu, “Aren’t you supposed to catch ghosts? How about showing us what you can do?”

 

After he spoke, he realized Yu Zhengdu had not responded. Assuming he was intimidated, he turned to look, only to see Yu Zhengdu observing Mu Daozhang intently. Unlike the others, Yu Zhengdu’s expression was not one of fear, but rather curiosity.

 

The reason Yu Zhengdu was so intrigued was that what appeared terrifying and mysterious to others was completely transparent and clear to him.

 

As Mu Daozhang’s ritual progressed, a man’s spirit slowly descended from the ceiling and stood before the altar.

 

To Yu Zhengdu’s surprise, this man’s appearance was nothing like that of a malevolent ghost. He stood tall, dressed in a neatly tailored suit with short hair, clearly a figure of an urban elite.

 

The man seemed restrained by Mu Daozhang’s spell, his movements somewhat stiff, but he still had the strength to cautiously avoid the Taoist’s sword and circle around him.

 

Yu Zhengdu quietly asked Shang Que, “What’s up with this ghost?”

 

Shang Que glanced over. “Looks like he’s being controlled by someone. He’s probably aware of the Taoist’s actions, and they’re both engaging in a duel.”

 

Yu Zhengdu exclaimed, “Is that even possible?”

 

Just then, the elite man suddenly became alert, reaching out to block Mu Daozhang’s peach wood sword. Seizing the opportunity, he quickly darted to the side.

 

To the others, it looked like the heavy wood sword had suddenly veered off course, and with a loud shout from the Taoist, the rolling rice finally stopped.

 

Dad Chen felt his heart nearly stop. He stuttered, “Did the ghost… get caught?”

 

Mu Daozhang’s expression turned apologetic. “It escaped.”

 

Dad Chen’s face went pale, and Mu Daozhang waved his hand. “Don’t worry; let me perform the ritual again…”

 

“We’ll do it. By the time you finish your ritual, it’ll be dawn,” Shang Que said, glancing at Yu Zhengdu.

 

Yu Zhengdu immediately understood the boss’s intent: he scoffed at the little ghost.

 

Mu Daozhang stated seriously, “Performing rituals is never easy. Not to mention one night; even if it takes three days and three nights, I can…”

 

Before he finished speaking, Yu Zhengdu pulled out a silver object from his pocket, standing up with impressive momentum. “I’ll do it.”

 

Everyone turned to look, seeing that what he was holding… was a pair of handcuffs.

 

Mu Daozhang almost spat blood, finally losing his temper. “You’re being reckless—”

 

Yu Zhengdu knew they wouldn’t understand him, so he quickly aimed for a decisive victory. Ignoring the Taoist, he charged at the male ghost.

 

The male ghost, knowing how to distinguish between souls, had become calm upon leaving the rice. He was resting when suddenly, a young man in a hoodie, looking like a typical homebody, charged at him.

 

At first, the male ghost was confused, thinking the young man was just fooling around. But when Yu Zhengdu reached him, he suddenly realized and bolted away.

 

Yu Zhengdu shouted, “Don’t run! You’re under arrest! Face the wall and crouch down with your hands on your head! Male ghost on the left, female ghost on the right—”

 

The scene fell silent.

 

Chen Sijie jumped up, “Sister, are you trying to get Dad killed?!”

 

Mu Daozhang was so furious he could barely hold his sword, gasping for breath. “This is too reckless… so, so reckless…”

 

Before he could finish, a loud crash sounded as Yu Zhengdu accidentally knocked over the little Taoist’s prized incense burner. The ash dedicated to Master Zhang spilled all over the floor, swept by the cold wind and floating throughout the room, leaving a thin layer on the floor.

 

The little Taoist was nearly livid, shouting, “I won’t let this go—”

 

At that moment, Shang Que extended his hand forward, gesturing in Yu Zhengdu’s direction. Yu Zhengdu hesitated for a moment before finally exhaling deeply, “Damn, he can really run. I’m exhausted!”

 

One hand grasping the air, he used the other to snap the handcuffs forward and then pushed into thin air, saying, “Finally caught him.”

 

The little Taoist’s eyes turned red with rage. “You dare to act all mysterious!”

 

As soon as he finished speaking, two footprints suddenly appeared on the floor where Yu Zhengdu had pushed, with a pair of handcuff marks in between.

 

Everyone froze in shock, and even Mu Daozhang stopped breathing.

 

Chen Sijie’s eyes nearly popped out of his head as he stuttered, “What… what is this?”

 

“Oh, right,” Yu Zhengdu looked up at him. “You just asked me earlier. This is our ghost-catching equipment.”

 

He smiled and added, “Although it’s different from the Taoist’s, it can be considered equally impressive.”

 

Everyone: “…”