"There is a misty feeling between Heaven and Earth, resembling foggy weather, with a hint of rain after a cloudy day. It is quite strange indeed." Zhang Chen walked through the mountains, observing the pervasive fog. Dew condensed in the air and settled on the grass and trees, instead revealing vibrant vitality.
"Damn it, I’m afraid the water veins underground have been affected, and now the Dragon Qi has drawn them out, which is why the fog is so thick. Is this the final rebound of Heaven and Earth before the great disaster? This drop by drop of condensed mist, nourishing all beings, is also the last gift from Heaven and Earth before the calamity, right?" Zhang Chen looked at his slightly damp clothes, a serious look in his eyes, muttering to himself.
Zhang Chen dragged his cart through the village without attracting any attention. But as he passed by the village entrance, he suddenly froze, seeing from afar Zhang Tuowei surrounded by a group of young boys. At this moment, Zhang Tuowei was standing among the crowd, mumbling to himself, and a large group of young boys had knelt at his feet.
At this moment, Zhang Tuowei raised both hands and shouted to the kneeling boys: "I’m going to exorcise the ghost!"
Then, Zhang Tuowei shouted loudly: "Sky spirit, earth spirit, Three Pristine Dao Venerable, lend me divine power!"
He saw that "Zhang Tuowei" slapped his hands left and right, waving his fingers in the air while chanting, "Squash you," "Catch you," and suddenly, a flame appeared on his fingertip with a flick.
"You brazen and wicked ghost, daring to cause chaos in the mortal world. I will use the Three-Flavored True Flame to refine you to death!" Zhang Tuowei yelled loudly.
The group of young boys looked at the flame in Zhang Tuowei’s hand, all astonished, and quickly bowed down, taking out pancakes, eggs, and other items from their bosoms to offer up, then knelt on the ground, kowtowing continuously, chanting the Three Pristine Ancestors.
"This isn’t me accepting your offerings, it’s the Sect Ancestor looking at your sincerity!" Zhang Tuowei looked at the offerings at his feet, saying calmly, "Go back now, remember to come for exorcism in seven days. My Dao practice is shallow, I can only suppress your evil spirits but cannot fully remove them. Remember, if you don’t come next time, you might get harmed by that ghost later. Also, be sure not to tell anyone at home, otherwise, the ghost will target your family, surely causing them harm."
Afterwards, Zhang Tuowei sent off the group of boys, deftly taking out a bag to collect the offerings on the ground.
"Zhang Tuowei!" Seeing this scene, Zhang Chen’s eyes turned green. Thinking that Zhang Tuowei’s performance was just a trick he used to entertain three-year-old Zhang Tuowei at home due to poverty, with Mrs. Zhang having to work. But Zhang Chen couldn’t resist Zhang Tuowei’s persistent requests to learn it, who would have thought he would become a fraudulent shaman.
"Brother!" Upon seeing Zhang Chen, a flash of panic appeared in Zhang Tuowei’s eyes as he quickly hid the bag behind him.
"Stop pretending to be supernatural in the future. If it causes trouble and their parents come to find you, you’ll get a good beating." Zhang Chen spoke irritably.
"Brother, you mustn’t tell mom." Zhang Tuowei ingratiatingly approached.
"Come help push the cart instead."
Zhang Chen was seen arriving at his stepmother’s house, pushing the cart into the courtyard, then closing the gate to prevent anyone from peeping.
The noise in the courtyard alerted Mrs. Zhang inside the house. She looked at Zhang Chen’s actions, surprised, "What’s going on?"
Zhang Chen smiled mysteriously, then rifled through the straw on the cart, revealing the cloth underneath, startling Mrs. Zhang, who was somewhat in disbelief of her eyesight. She hurriedly came forward, touching the fabric on the cart to ensure she hadn’t made a mistake.
"Where did you get this?" Mrs. Zhang seemed unable to believe her eyes.
Who is Zhang Chen? He could make up a lie effortlessly: "Didn’t you see me bringing honey yesterday? I found a beehive in the mountains, collected a lot of honey, sold it, and exchanged it for cloth. Also, this box of leftovers was rewarded to me by a nobleman who was pleased when I sold the honey."
Quickly, Zhang Chen opened the food box to reveal the leftovers as evidence.
He also secretly relieved himself, having eaten most of the food; otherwise, he couldn’t fool anyone today. If it’s a reward of a table of leftovers by a significant person, it appears more genuine.
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Zhang looked at Zhang Chen with suspicious eyes, but seeing no signs of guilt, she finally took a deep breath, "That’s good, mom can rest assured now."
Seeing this, Zhang Chen displayed a smile and promptly called his younger brother and sister over for dinner.
Looking at the exquisite dishes, the eyes of the younger brother and sister widened. They began devouring the food with their chopsticks while Zhang Chen took the opportunity to serve a Four Joy Meatball to Mrs. Zhang, and the family joyfully improved their meal in the courtyard.
There was still plenty leftover despite the eighteen large dishes. When they parted, Mrs. Zhang wanted to pack some for Zhang Chen, but he declined. In the end, at Mrs. Zhang’s insistence, he took a pork hock back home.
Mrs. Zhang was happily measuring the fabric at home, while Zhang Chen made his way back home, parked his cart in the yard. This little cart was bought by Zhang Chen’s late father when he moved the family from afar. His father, sons, and Zhang Chen all relied on this cart to transport goods, only for the horse to die en route. Then Zhang Chen’s father had to pull it all the way to this remote borderland.
The light in the neighboring house lit up, with the bookworm Zhang Chen studying. Zhang Chen glanced at the neighbor’s place, recalling the cloth and study materials he gained today, releasing the years of pent-up frustration he had felt under the oppression of the Fox Spirit.
Zhang Chen opened the gate, spotting the Fox Spirit squatting in the courtyard, eyes fixed on the steam in the sky, a worried look in her eyes.
"This creature looks awfully humanoid and could it have perceived something?" A puzzled look crossed Zhang Chen’s eyes, as he entered the house without further motion; upon hearing the door, the Fox Spirit turned towards Zhang Chen briefly before resuming her gaze towards the fog, eyes full of anxiety.
Observing the Fox Spirit, Zhang Chen found her increasingly odd. However, he didn’t dwell on it, assuming her worry was regarding drought. He entered the house, put down the basket, washed up, and proceeded with his calligraphy practice.
Practice calligraphy cannot stop!
Although his handwriting was ugly, Zhang Chen believed that with persistence, there’s a day when he can write beautiful small script.