Chapter 887 - 883: The Art of Asking for Money
Chapter 887 - 883: The Art of Asking for Money
Upon hearing this, Xiao Tian nearly burst out laughing on the spot. This old woman really knew how to put on a show in the middle of the night, with her ghostly antics. An average person would probably have believed it completely.But clearly, Xiao Tian was no ordinary person. Even if it were true, he probably wouldn’t be afraid!
The next moment, the old woman said sternly, "Young man, let me advise you: don’t go back tonight. I only temporarily drove away that malevolent spirit just now. If it comes back for revenge, even I might not be able to protect you!"
Xiao Tian’s eyes turned, showing a highly troubled expression. He cooperatively said, "But I’ve already paid! If I don’t stay, wouldn’t that be a waste of money? I’ll just go to the front desk and get another room."
"It won’t work." The old woman shook her head helplessly, saying, "The malevolent spirit already saw your face. Changing rooms won’t help you hide."
"Ah?!"
Xiao Tian feigned great astonishment, then began pacing back and forth anxiously, saying, "What should I do? I just came out for a trip to have fun, but how did I run into such bad luck? You have to save me."
"Don’t worry, our meeting is fated. I will do my best to help you!" The old woman tried to comfort Xiao Tian with her words while pulling out a folded yellow paper from her bosom.
When unfolded, it revealed some inscrutable characters drawn boldly on the paper, resembling a child’s random doodles.
Even though Xiao Tian wasn’t an expert in this field, one glance told him that the paper talisman in the old woman’s hand was rather crudely made, if not entirely improvised.
However, he understood that sometimes the less understandable something is, the more likely it can pass off as genuine, so he just waited for the old woman’s next move.
"To be honest, I am an exorcist, known in Japan as a Yin Yang Master. This Demon Exorcism Talisman was made with the lifelong power of my master and cinnabar. Stick it on the door, and no malevolent spirit can get close!"
The old woman explained as she opened the talisman for Xiao Tian, "Anyone at that level, even if ten or so come, won’t be able to harm you. Also..."
Before she could finish, Xiao Tian interrupted with a look of amazement, "That amazing?!"
Annoyed at being interrupted, the old woman still nodded patiently, "That’s right, my master is a very famous Yin Yang Master in Japan. How could what she left behind be anything ordinary?!"
"If it weren’t for meeting you, I would have kept it as a family heirloom." The old woman continued, "But since I am a Yin Yang Master, it’s my duty to slay demons and drive out devils. I can’t just watch malevolent spirits wreak havoc, so I have to give it to you despite the pain it causes me!"
Saying this, the old woman looked pained as if she was reluctantly parting with something dear, bound by her professional ethics to act this way!
"Alright!"
Xiao Tian suddenly shouted, looking extremely grateful, and said to the old woman, "Since you’re being so magnanimous, I’d be petty to refuse it!"
While speaking, Xiao Tian took the talisman from the old woman’s hand and added, "I won’t say thank you, but if you ever come to Huaxia, I will welcome you with open arms to repay today’s kindness!"
"..."
The old woman stood dazed for a full ten seconds before finally reacting as Xiao Tian was about to open his room door and disappear from view.
"Young man, did you really not understand what I said?" The old woman hurriedly called after Xiao Tian, "The talisman in your hand is very important to me, and it’s extremely valuable. You can’t just take it!"
Xiao Tian looked puzzled, "Didn’t I already say I won’t thank you in words? When you visit Huaxia, I will definitely repay you."
The old woman was almost furious enough to faint from his self-righteousness, but her goal wasn’t to extort money. She intended to sell the talisman, and there were security cameras here. Xiao Tian hadn’t touched her, so extortion would be futile.
Upon realizing this, the old woman suppressed her displeasure and decided to be straightforward.
She realized that subtle hints wouldn’t work on this seemingly polite and well-mannered young man before her, or she might end up futilely expending more effort.
In the old woman’s view, her words and intentions should have been clear enough, and even someone who isn’t socially savvy should see through it.
However, reality proved to be different from her expectations.
From the current situation, the old woman judged that Xiao Tian’s behavior stemmed from two possibilities: either he understood her meaning but pretended not to because he didn’t want to pay, or he simply was unaware and hadn’t caught her underlying meaning since he wasn’t skilled at reading between the lines.
Regardless of the possibility, neither was acceptable to the old woman.
A moment later, the woman spoke bluntly, "Young man, let me put it this way, I only offer my master’s talisman to you because of our fateful meeting. This treasure has long been invaluable among Yin Yang Masters..."
After she finished speaking, she stared intensely at Xiao Tian to confirm, "Do you understand what I mean now?"
"I understand!"
Xiao Tian nodded seriously, but before the old woman could smile, he added, "It’s incredibly generous of you to give away such a valuable talisman, showing your kind heart. You’re a respectable, esteemed Yin Yang Master. When you go to Huaxia..."
"I won’t go to Huaxia!" The old woman angrily interrupted Xiao Tian, seething with rage. She had never encountered someone like him before.
She had spelled it out as clearly as possible, yet this young man seemed to deliberately misunderstand, unable to grasp her intent, making her extremely frustrated.
Reaching this point, the old woman decided not to continue beating around the bush. Firstly, it was late and she couldn’t keep it up at her age, and secondly, if anyone came and saw this, it would undoubtedly cause trouble.
Thus, her expression turned cold, and after a shudder, she said in a sinister tone, "Something’s wrong, the malevolent spirit has returned, and this time, it’s brought many accomplices. You should return the Protective Talisman I gave you."
Xiao Tian inwardly chuckled but put on a look of fear, "Then what should I do?!"
"Young man, the truth is, my master once told me that if I ever wanted to give her talisman to someone outside of our circle, I must receive some form of compensation; otherwise, it would bring great misfortune."
This statement couldn’t be more clear, and the old woman believed the other party wouldn’t fail to understand. She began to carefully observe Xiao Tian’s every move to determine the price.
NABC