Mr. 03

Yan Wushuang stormed through the open gates of the Zhang family home. His brows furrowed as he glared at the figure before him dressed in Taoist robes.

But suddenly, another voice rang out from behind him. "Ridiculous! The child is sick, yet you don't call a doctor? You call a Taoist instead?"

Yan Wushuang was momentarily stunned. Was there actually someone reasonable in this small town? He turned around, but his expression instantly shifted. The newcomer was none other than the town's most notorious Feng Shui master and the primary target of his surveillance: Fang Zhiyi.

Fang Zhiyi didn't even glance at him, striding straight past him and into the courtyard.

Seeing Fang Zhiyi arrive, the fake Taoist looked guilty, though his voice remained loud. "Fellow Daoist Fang, Old Mrs. Zhang couldn't wait for you. It has always been our duty to exorcise evil and subdue demons. Are you jealous that I stole your thunder?"

Fang Zhiyi didn't waste his breath; he simply stepped forward and delivered a kick. The fake Taoist hadn't expected Fang Zhiyi to suddenly resort to violence—Fang was known for his reserved nature and never started trouble. He took the blow full-on, nearly tumbling into the nearby well.

"You!"

Fang Zhiyi shouted, "Get lost! Where is the child?"

Old Mrs. Zhang trembled at Fang Zhiyi's shout and hurriedly pointed toward the house. Fang Zhiyi's sudden outburst had startled everyone present. By the time Yan Wushuang remembered why he was there, Fang Zhiyi had already entered the room, so he hurriedly followed.

Fang Zhiyi stood by the window. Seeing him arrive, the Zhang couple looked at him as if he were their savior and nearly fell to their knees. "Master Fang, please save Xiaobao!"

Yan Wushuang, following close behind, frowned. Just as he opened his mouth to take Fang Zhiyi down a peg, Fang Zhiyi beat him to it. "Get up! It's a trivial matter, why are you kneeling?"

As he spoke, he reached out to touch the child's forehead. After a moment of contemplation, he placed his fingers on the child's wrist to check the pulse.

Yan Wushuang was taken aback. Was this Feng Shui master actually taking a pulse?

"How long has he been like this?"

"He went out to play yesterday. When he came back, he said he was tired and wanted to sleep, and then today he became like this..." Mrs. Zhang was on the verge of tears.

Fang Zhiyi's face darkened. "Didn't you know to call a doctor first? Instead, you went and found a charlatan!"

Yan Wushuang was rendered speechless by this remark. Brother, do you hear yourself? Aren't you the biggest charlatan in Qingxi Town?

But as he watched Fang Zhiyi order the couple to prepare cold water and handkerchiefs, and then immediately write out a prescription, he was truly confused. "You... don't write random prescriptions! You're a purveyor of superstition; do you even know how to prescribe medicine?"

Fang Zhiyi glanced at him. "You're new here, aren't you?"

Yan Wushuang nodded. "I am the town's police officer..."

Fang Zhiyi cut him off. "I've been identifying herbs with my master since I was five and memorizing prescriptions since I was seven. You're questioning me?"

"But you..."

"Exorcism and drawing talismans are different subjects. Did you think being a Taoist was easy? Like that swindler outside?" Fang Zhiyi implied pointedly.

Yan Wushuang subconsciously looked toward the courtyard, where the Taoist was still cursing and swearing.

"I am an orthodox Taoist. I have to learn herbal medicine, diagnostics, talismans, formations, military strategy, philosophy, martial arts, calligraphy, painting, Feng Shui... Did you think I was just a con artist? Don't look down on Taoists." Fang Zhiyi withdrew his gaze. "This kid caught a cold yesterday. He has a high fever that won't break. We need to physically lower his temperature and then force-feed him medicine. If we delay any longer, his brain will burn out—or as the superstitious folks say, he'll 'lose his soul.'"

Yan Wushuang was tongue-tied. It seemed this charlatan actually made a lot of sense!

Helpless to intervene, he could only watch as Fang Zhiyi got to work. He wet the handkerchief repeatedly, wiping the child's armpits, neck, ears, and forehead... When the man of the house returned with the medicine, Fang Zhiyi personally brewed it.

Yan Wushuang remained skeptical, though he was no longer quite so certain. He had only one thought in mind: if anything happened to the child, he would arrest Fang immediately!

However, seeing Fang Zhiyi working so competently made his heart waver. He decided to have his subordinates arrest the fake Taoist first, while he stayed behind to watch.

While Fang Zhiyi attended to these tasks, his eyes occasionally darted toward the window.

Finally, the child's temperature dropped, and his breathing stabilized after drinking the medicine. Everyone present breathed a sigh of relief. The Zhang couple nearly knelt again, but Fang Zhiyi impatiently stopped them, simply extending his hand. "Just pay the consultation fee!"

The child was safe, so paying was no issue; almost all parents would think the same.

Watching Fang Zhiyi take the money, Yan Wushuang, who had been holding back for a long time, felt terribly uncomfortable. Watching Fang Zhiyi leave, he decided not to follow. He insisted on staying right there to see if the child would wake up! He didn't care if the Zhang family showed their disapproval; eradicating feudal superstition was his duty!

Seeing that Yan didn't follow him, Fang Zhiyi finally let out a sigh of relief. That kid was a bit too stubborn!

He formed a hand seal and suddenly grabbed at the empty air beside him. A dripping wet ghost gradually materialized, looking at him in terror.

"If I see you again, I'll make sure you stay in the water forever! Scram!"

Afraid the water ghost wouldn't believe him, Fang Zhiyi raised his hand and slapped it. Since becoming a ghost, the spirit had never been struck by a human. The sudden, solid impact caused real pain. It clutched its face, mouth agape, staring at Fang Zhiyi.

For the original owner of the body, this would have been impossible, but the ghost was facing Fang Zhiyi, an experienced and seasoned Taoist.

The slapped water ghost stumbled away in a panic.

Fang Zhiyi hadn't been lying. The child had gone playing in the water without permission and, afraid of a beating, had kept his mouth shut, leading to the high fever. The water ghost had simply followed him back, which also affected the child. If someone hadn't been watching earlier, Fang Zhiyi would have slapped it then and there.

Upon returning home, Fang Zhiyi saw his little apprentice sleeping on the table. He didn't disturb him and went straight to his room to sleep.

Yan Wushuang saw the child wake up and cry out that he was hungry. He left with a hint of disappointment. But as he walked out of the Zhang family gates, he suddenly slapped himself. Why am I disappointed? It's a good thing the child is okay! Thinking this, he puffed out his chest again.

He believed he would eventually find a flaw in Fang Zhiyi's act and expose his tricks of playing god and ghost.

For now, the priority was to go back and deal with that charlatan who made people drink talisman water.

There were orders from above: charlatans who feigned the supernatural were to be sent directly to build railways. At least that way, they would be contributing to society.

What Yan Wushuang didn't expect was that the day he would meet Fang Zhiyi again would come so soon.

The daughter-in-law of the Wang family was having a difficult labor. The midwife claimed it was because their eldest daughter was cursing the unborn son. So, listening to the midwife, Wang Laogou tied up his daughter and immersed her in the freezing river water, leaving only her head above the surface to breathe.