Chapter 657: Persuasion

Meng Jingzhou felt he had done quite a few good deeds. Though his origins were less than reputable, having been forced into collusion with the Meng clan, he had fled home long ago and severed all ties with them.

Since arriving at the Daoist Sect, he had immersed himself fully in cultivation, lest his father track him down one day and string him up for a thrashing.

Was this the consequence of carousing with Lu Yang every single day?

Yet that made little sense; why was Lu Yang blessed with such immense divine fortune, receiving personal guidance from the Immortal Fairy herself?

Miaoshan winked, her face flushed with a spring-like warmth: "Then, little monk, how much coin do you require?"

"Ten taels of silver."

"Done."

Without a trace of hesitation, Miaoshan drew a silver ingot from her sleeve and slapped it onto the table.

Shichan verified the authenticity of the silver, then turned his head to inquire: "Senior brothers, the female benefactor has a request. Which of you is willing to sacrifice himself?"

Meng Jingzhou: "..."

Lu Yang: "..."

"Once this poor monk has amassed enough silver in a few days' time, I shall venture once more to the Spring Fragrance Pavilion to temper my state of mind."

The middle-aged man drained his tea in a single gulp, regaining his composure.

Only then did Miaoshan’s expression soften.

"Benefactor, breaking up a pair of lovers is no virtuous deed. This poor monk will not engage in such conduct for the sake of coin, as it would damage my accumulation of merit."

"In the past, when she threw tantrums and went on hunger strikes, she could never endure for more than a day. Yet this time, she has persisted for three entire days. I even tried to tempt her with skewers from her favorite 'Come Again' barbecue shop, but it was all in vain!"

"What has befallen your esteemed daughter?"

"Indeed. May I ask, benefactor, if you seek an exorcism? By this poor monk's observation, your body is free from evil intrusion; you are merely vexed by matters of the heart, which have brought about palpitations and cold sweats."

Shichan poured the tea; within the pot was the Mind-Quieting Tea brewed by the Hanging Temple.

"I disapprove of this marriage match, so she resorted to a hunger strike. She has not touched a morsel of food for three consecutive days!"

"It is not I, but my daughter."

"The tea is free of charge, please drink."

Shichan pressed his palms together, his expression solemn as he spoke in earnest: "Benefactor Miaoshan, this poor monk is a man of the cloth. How could I possibly engage in such matters?"

Having turned away two consecutive businesses that had arrived at his doorstep, another half-hour slipped by before the third customer approached.

"Then may I forgo praying for a child instead?"

"You may."

"Master, you perform exorcisms here, do you not?" The middle-aged man found Shichan, his countenance heavy with sorrow. At a glance, it was clear he was plagued by worries; fraudulent fortune-tellers relished such marks, for with a few ambiguous words, the man would be hoodwinked into believing he had encountered a true master.

"The affair at the Spring Fragrance Pavilion yesterday was merely a trial that this poor monk failed to withstand."

"One day, my daughter went out and chanced upon a lad who dwells two streets away from our manor. From that moment on, she was utterly consumed, falling in love with him at first sight. She claims it is a match ordained by fate, and she is blindly, fiercely devoted to him."

Shichan returned the silver ingot to Miaoshan’s hand.

Now it was Miaoshan’s turn to be struck dumb: "Hold on, is it not you, little monk?"

Her expression turned peculiar; judging by his conduct the previous evening, he hardly seemed like a man of the cloth.

"Furthermore, instances of love at first sight have existed since antiquity and are by no means rare."

"However, to fast because of it and risk one's life is truly improper. This poor monk can attempt to persuade your esteemed daughter."

"That would be marvelous."

Shichan packed away his stall, and the trio set out together for the middle-aged man's estate.

Along the way, the three learned that the middle-aged man was named Zhong Ming, and his family dealt in the medicinal herb trade. His wife had passed away early, leaving him to raise his daughter single-handedly; her name was Zhong Qing'er, and the lad was called Kang Wei.

In the morning, he had acquired a three-hundred-year-old spiritual lingzhi stalk. By coincidence, the seller was a female cultivator in the Qi Refining stage. He had inquired whether any expert could resolve a potential possession afflicting his daughter, and the female cultivator recommended Shichan, whom she had met at the inn the previous night.

"So it was Miss Poria who introduced him," Lu Yang thought to himself. No wonder Zhong Ming had asked about exorcisms right off the bat, bypassing any suspicion of fraudulence.

The estate was of no small size, boasting a layout of three courtyards deep, and the household employed several servants.

Zhong Ming led the three to Zhong Qing'er's bedchamber, where cold dishes and skewers lay untouched upon the floor.

"This is my daughter's chamber. Er... Master, as a monk, is it fitting for you to enter a lady's bedchamber?"

"Naturally." Shichan pushed open the door and stepped inside with absolute poise.

It was a perfectly ordinary young lady's room, centered around a circular tea table, bearing burnt-out candles and miscellaneous volumes. Arranged against the wall were a bronze mirror, rouge, face powders, and similar accoutrements.

Zhong Qing'er lay upon the bed, her face pale from starvation. Seeing her father enter with a monk and two strangers, she spoke in a faint, dying breath:

"If I cannot be with my Lord Kang, I would rather starve to death!"

"Young lady, this poor monk has come to urge you to partake of some food. Should you choose to starve, this poor monk also offers funerary services for the transition to the afterlife, though the price is somewhat steeper than mere persuasion."

"In truth, this poor monk is far more adept at delivering souls. I labored in a slaughterhouse for over a year, and the beasts that perished by my hand are beyond count; every one of them was delivered to the afterlife by this poor monk."

Shichan once more drew forth his grand banner, pointing to the characters for "Deliverance" inscribed upon it to prove he uttered no falsehood.

Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou strained to maintain solemn expressions, looking for all the world like Shichan’s left and right guardian protectors.

Zhong Qing'er: "..."

"This poor monk is unaccomplished in speech, lacking the eloquence of Daoist Buyu, and would find it difficult to persuade you through words alone. However, this poor monk possesses Bigu pills, which I can force you to swallow."

"Should you refuse, this poor monk can also cast you out of the estate and onto the streets. At that time, none shall care for your safety, and stripped of your family's protection, you will naturally find the will to eat."

The more Zhong Qing'er listened, the paler her countenance grew.

Zhong Ming was similarly startled; the master appeared benevolent of face, yet his methods were anything but gentle.

Terrified by Shichan, tears welled up in Zhong Qing'er's eyes. Was this man her father had brought back a monk or a butcher?

"I... I will eat."

She had merely intended to frighten her father, not to truly starve herself to death.

"May I have the skewers from the 'Come Again' barbecue shop?"

"You may not. Benefactor has abstained from food for three days; overeating poses a grave threat to your life. You should sustain yourself primarily with a light diet."

Shichan turned to Zhong Ming and said, "Kindly trouble yourself, benefactor, to prepare a bowl of plain rice gruel."

Zhong Ming was first struck with astonishment that his daughter had agreed to eat so quickly, followed by overwhelming joy. He immediately left the room to prepare the meal himself.

Before long, Zhong Qing'er was sipping the plain gruel in small spoonfuls.

"This is all thanks to the master. I wonder how much incense money would be appropriate to offer?"

Shichan shook his head: "We cannot depart just yet. Your daughter has indeed been bewitched; there is a very faint fluctuation of spiritual energy upon her body."

Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou nodded silently, having noticed this as well. Zhong Qing'er had clearly been subjected to a spell to reduce her to this state.

They merely could not fathom what manner of spell it was, or rather, what kind of magic could force someone to fall in love.

"She has fallen under the Illusionary Dream Spell," the Immortal Fairy declared, seeing through the magic bound to Zhong Qing'er at a single glance.

"The Illusionary Dream Spell?"

"It is a magic that forces a person into a dream, with the contents entirely controlled by the caster. Do you recall my Yellow Millet Pillow? It is similar to that, though far less advanced than my pillow."