A Farce

Shen Qiong immediately followed the other person's gaze and saw an old acquaintance sneakily squeezing into the crowd, winking at the young man.

Without a word, he strode forward and pulled the acquaintance out of the crowd. "Granny Wang Er, what are you doing lurking around here? I saw you winking at this brat the whole time!"

The old neighbors living on Shili Street all knew Granny Wang Er. In the past, for any joyous or somber occasions, they would consult her, and she naturally didn't charge a small amount for her services.

"I know her! Two years ago, when my grandma passed away, she performed the rituals at our house, playing with fire and spirits, and charged us a lot of money!" a child carrying a schoolbag shouted.

"Yeah, six months ago when I got married, my mom insisted on getting my wife's and my birthdates to see if we were compatible. Afterward, she forced me to break up with my wife. It must have been Granny Wang Er causing trouble," a young man jumped out of the crowd, furious.

Someone chuckled and asked, "So, buddy, did you end up getting married or not?"

"Of course I got married! And I even had a huge wedding banquet. I don't believe I needed that eccentric old woman to dictate things for my wedding!" It was clear he had suffered a lot because of this. Seeing Granny Wang Er appear, he started cursing.

Shen Qiong didn't expect the crowd to be so supportive. He immediately questioned Granny Wang Er, "Tell me, did you hire this kid to deliberately slander me?"

Granny Wang Er, facing accusations from everyone, was already pale with fear. She kept waving her hands, "It has nothing to do with me, nothing to do with me! He's the one who came to my door saying he wanted to help me get my business back."

Swish! Instantly, all eyes turned to the young man who had been pretending to be pitiful.

Shen Qiong cursed him as shameless. "Everyone knows you and I are the only ones in Shili Street who do this kind of work. If my business gets better, your customers will naturally decrease. And now you're pushing the blame onto someone else?"

"It really has nothing to do with me! It was him, he lost a lot of money gambling and said if I helped him get my business back, he'd help me pay off my debts," Granny Wang Er, over seventy years old, cried out indignantly.

Sun Wenbin had no idea Granny Wang Er was so unreliable, spilling everything after being tricked.

He quickly pushed the blame back, "Nonsense! You found me and asked me to put on a show to ruin Master Shen's reputation. I definitely refused! How could I slander Master Shen? But you insisted on shoving money into my hands, so I had no choice but to agree."

Granny Wang Er's face turned red with anger. She pointed at Sun Wenbin, "You... you..." She was so enraged that she fainted.

Holy crap! Sun Wenbin had no idea the old woman couldn't handle that much stress. His made-up excuse had actually caused her to faint. He panicked. An elderly person's health wasn't like a young person's; if an old person fainted, it could easily blow up into a big problem.

Shen Qiong saw that the matter was settled. Regardless of who came up with the idea, they had slandered him. He raised his voice and shouted, "Hurry and call an ambulance! The elderly lady has fainted."

The surrounding crowd started pointing fingers at Sun Wenbin. "What kind of person is this! He lost money and wanted to harm Master Shen, but instead of scamming anyone, he made Granny Wang Er faint."

"Yeah, Master Shen is innocent. I knew it. How could Master Shen lie to people?"

Many people had gathered to watch the commotion, and they immediately started discussing in hushed tones. "Master Shen is still amazing. He even made his competitor so jealous he lost his mind."

"That's real skill. Everyone in the village knows Granny Wang Er only knows how to pretend to be a god. Going to her only brings peace of mind. Master Shen is different. If he says you stepped in dog poop, then you stepped in dog poop." This person was clearly a die-hard fan of Shen Qiong.

Shen Qiong's rule had always been to only divine for those he felt a connection with, and the fee was whatever the client was willing to pay. Compared to Granny Wang Er, everyone would naturally support him.

Not long after, the hospital's ambulance arrived. Someone had secretly called the police, and Sun Wenbin was also taken away for questioning.

Shen Qiong was supposed to go back to give a statement as well, but the crowd was too enthusiastic. They clearly explained the situation on the street. The onlookers had witnessed the entire event, so they could naturally serve as witnesses.

Shen Qiong looked at his phone and got excited! His Reputation Value had soared from 106 to 237. Remember, Zhu Deshou had promoted him heavily, and he only gained 100 Reputation Value.

After the ambulance and police left, many neighbors stayed behind, shouting for Shen Qiong to divine for them.

Shen Qiong couldn't handle so many people. He smiled, "Thank you all for today. I was almost slandered by a villain. If anyone in the future feels I've cheated them, or that my predictions are inaccurate, feel free to come find me."

With WeChat in hand, Shen Qiong felt invincible.

However, there were simply too many people seeking his services now; he was overwhelmed. He could only point to a piece of paper posted on his door and say, "Donations accepted based on fate, tip as you wish."

The crowd immediately laughed, "We're all gathered here today, isn't that enough fate!"

Shen Qiong had to put on a stern face. "Rules must be followed. You know that people in my profession have to shorten their lifespan, so please be understanding."

With the mention of shortening his lifespan, the crowd naturally couldn't force him and left with regret.

The show was over, and there would be no fortune-telling today. Most people went back to their homes, but Shen Qiong noticed one person still standing in front of his door.

"Why aren't you leaving?" Shen Qiong asked, surprised.

The person was wearing a suit and tie, looking like a businessman. Shen Qiong didn't know many brands, but he could tell from the man's expensive-looking watch that it was not cheap. Had his reputation already spread to the city? Impossible! Shili Street was far from the city center; it was the outskirts of the outskirts.

He Junming was an employee of a listed company, in his early thirties. He owned a house, a car, and had a wife. While not extremely wealthy, he was doing quite well. His hometown was formerly on Shili Street. He was here to visit relatives, but unexpectedly got stuck in traffic. When he got out of his car, he witnessed the entire farce.

"Are you the Master Shen they were talking about?" He Junming looked at Shen Qiong with curiosity.

Shen Qiong smiled politely, "It's just what the neighbors call me. I'm not a master." He knew his own capabilities. If he truly encountered a master in this field, his usual trickery would be full of flaws.

"I heard they say you're quite magical!" He Junming smiled and offered Shen Qiong a cigarette.

Shen Qiong smiled, "Thanks, I don't smoke." He used to smoke, but after his father got sick, he quit. Firstly, it affected his health, and secondly, he was truly too poor to afford it back then.

He Junming lit a cigarette for himself. "How about Master Shen helps me divine as well?"

Shen Qiong pondered. He had just sent people away. If he specifically stayed to divine for this person, it might cause resentment among the neighbors. He immediately waved his hand, "Let's skip it for today. If you're interested, sir, you can come back tomorrow. Of course, whether I can divine for you tomorrow will depend on our fate."

He Junming didn't expect there to be so many rules. He asked, "What constitutes fate?"

"That, heaven knows, earth knows, I know, but you don't." Shen Qiong put on an air of mystery. "You'll know tomorrow anyway."

He Junming laughed heartily. He thought this young man had some real skills, but it turned out he was just full of hot air.

Shen Qiong was a bachelor, living for himself. In the past, he was tight on money, so he had to make a living. Now it was different. He was now a "reputable" master, and it didn't matter if he did fewer business deals.

Shen Qiong beckoned, "Sir, if you don't believe me, why are you still here? You should leave early!" With that, he turned to leave.

He Junming was stunned. He didn't expect to be unwelcome. He quickly said, "What if Master Shen helps me divine for ten thousand yuan?"

Ten thousand yuan? Shen Qiong stopped in his tracks.

He Junming had no intention of giving him ten thousand yuan. He just wanted to test if this so-called "master" was really so principled. Seeing Shen Qiong stop, he smiled. It turned out the rumors outside were false; who would turn down money?

Unexpectedly, Shen Qiong didn't even turn his head. He said softly, "You should leave! Even if you offered me a hundred thousand today, I wouldn't divine for you."

So willful! He wouldn't do it even if offered a large sum.

Actually, Shen Qiong's heart ached too. Ten thousand yuan was a significant amount for him. Normally, he only earned a few hundred or a thousand yuan a day, as the neighbors didn't have much money.

He Junming froze in place. He looked at Shen Qiong's retreating back and murmured, "Is there really someone who would refuse money?"