Truth

Before He Xunxian could speak, Madam Cao furrowed her brows. "Doctor Li, what are you..."

In her eyes, even if the two men addressed each other as fellow Daoists, Daoist He was at least an elder. How could this young man, as a junior, shout at him like that? It was quite rude. Besides, what did the money her family had willingly offered have to do with him?

"Oh, it's all right. Aside from making offerings to the Three Pure Ones and doing what good we can, we have little use for money ourselves. Since Fellow Daoist Li says so, I'll return it to Chairman Cao."

He Xunxian cursed inwardly. This kid really was cunning. He hadn't shown up earlier or later, but had appeared just as He Xunxian had received the money and was about to leave. Though thoroughly annoyed, he calmly took out the check again and handed it to Chairman Cao with both hands.

"Th-this is too much. Daoist He, it's all right. Please keep it. We can't let you make the trip for nothing after all your hard work."

Chairman Cao was stunned. He hadn't expected the other man to truly regard money as dirt and return it without hesitation.

The two young Daoists, Tingsong and Wentao, glared furiously at Li Bai. That fellow had made them spit out the meat they'd just swallowed. He was absolutely detestable.

He Xunxian's retreating gesture had subtly turned the mood in the room against Li Bai. The Cao family members were clearly displeased.

Li Bai acted as if he hadn't seen the angry glares from the two young Daoists behind Daoist He. "I can treat this illness. It won't cost much, so there's no need to trouble Fellow Daoist He!" He finished by glaring straight at He Xunxian.

Damn, what a two-faced bastard. I'm not letting him get away with this. Now hurry up and get lost!

"If that's the case, then I'll leave it to you, Fellow Daoist Li."

Unexpectedly, He Xunxian cursed the little brat inwardly, shoved the check into Chairman Cao's hand, and turned to leave without the slightest hesitation.

He'd been rudely undercut, but by appearing magnanimous and walking away, he was really admitting that there was nothing he could do about this psychologist.

The three masters and disciples had barely walked away from the Cao family villa when Tingsong said, indignantly, "Master, that kid was so arrogant. Are we really just going to leave?"

"Exactly! We should've challenged him to a spell duel and shown him what Qingliang Temple can do."

Wentao had watched the check get returned. Thinking about the bonus that had been within his grasp, only to slip away just like that, made his heart ache.

"What do you know? That kid is very crafty. Don't act rashly before we've figured him out."

The young man could name Zhu You Shu and had seen through the ether. For no apparent reason, He Xunxian felt a surge of unease, as if everything he did was laid bare before the other man, with no secrets whatsoever.

To con rich people who had money to spare by pretending to perform magic, the three Daoist masters of Qingliang Temple had put in a great deal of effort. They had not only researched all kinds of monsters and ghosts, but also developed a whole range of talismans, magical implements, Daoist Formations, and ritual techniques. Their work was quite professional and would have been valuable even as magic tricks or theatrical performances.

A scam without substance could never fool anyone.

As a result, they had managed to fool quite a few big clients, and Qingliang Temple's business had grown more prosperous by the day.

But a fake was still a fake. No matter what, it could never become real. Once exposed, these tricks, no different from magic acts, lost all their appeal.

Qingliang Temple had managed to reach its current position not only because the three Daoists who ran the temple had devoted themselves to studying various "arts" of the Daoist tradition, but also because they were cautious. They carefully analyzed every major client, seeking the safest way to earn the client's complete trust and have them willingly hand over their money. That was Qingliang Temple's way of survival—not like those shortsighted fools who cheated someone once and ran. If you were going to scam someone, you might as well put your heart into it.

As it turned out, He Xunxian's caution had been prescient, and had saved him and his two disciples from disaster.

"Doctor Li, Daoist He didn't mean any harm!"

Watching the three Daoists disappear beyond the villa's gate, Chairman Cao couldn't help sighing. He awkwardly held the check in his hand.

"No harm intended, yet he gave your daughter ether?"

Li Bai glanced at him.

"Ether?"

Chairman Cao wasn't the only one stunned. Even Madam Cao, who had been about to scold Li Bai, widened her eyes in disbelief.

"Ether is a chemical that can be used as an anesthetic, but it has quite a few side effects, so it's rarely used. It's mostly used in industry and pharmaceutical production."

As a doctor, Li Bai knew ether's properties inside and out.

That fellow He and his two disciples had honestly returned the check and obediently left, escaping the humiliation of being exposed on the spot.

"Ah! How could that be? Then what about that ancient evil creature?"

Chairman Cao looked incredulous. He lowered his head to look again at the clear white mark on the ground. Daoist He had said it was the trace left behind after a Yu used Sand Shot.

"He made the evil creature appear by walking around and secretly scattering special chemicals, then remotely detonating another chemical. The chemical reaction left a trace. It's similar to how turmeric powder turns red when it comes into contact with alkaline water—roughly that kind of chemical reaction."

Li Bai's Glazed Heart had already taken in every detail of the mark on the ground. It had even picked out the remains of a celluloid container that had not completely burned away, so he immediately understood what had happened.

Besides, when he'd stood in front of Daoist He earlier, he'd already noticed the remote control in his sleeve.

"Ah!"

This time, even Madam Cao was dumbfounded.

Thinking back, she realized Daoist He's wandering around had indeed seemed suspicious, just as Doctor Li had said.

She'd thought it was a secret Taoist technique, but once explained, it was nothing more than middle-school chemistry.

"As for this Spirit Calming Jade..."

Li Bai's gaze fell on the pendant still clutched in Chairman Cao's hand. He sniffed and said, "The jade itself is good, but the key is the sachet underneath. The fragrance must come from a blend of calming incense. Hmm, it's a bit strong and unnatural. They probably used concentrated extracts."

In just a few words, he had completely stripped away the methods Daoist He had used at the Cao residence. If He Xunxian and his two disciples had insisted on staying, their faces would probably have been battered black and blue by now.

"Daoist He actually drugged Qiuqing?"

Chairman Cao's face fell. Angrily, he dropped the Spirit Calming Jade pendant and hurried into his daughter's room to check on her.

Madam Cao, worried about her daughter, hurried in after him. She had thought she'd found a Daoist master of profound attainment, only to discover he was a charlatan.

After the truth came out, Chairman Cao and his wife were shocked and furious. Then, fear lingered in their hearts. Losing money to a scam was a small matter; if their youngest daughter's illness had worsened because of the delay, they would have regretted it for the rest of their lives.

"There's no need to worry. The dose wasn't large, and the room is well ventilated. The effects will wear off soon."

Li Bai was the last to enter the room. As he spoke, he lightly tapped Cao Qiuqing's Renzhong Acupoint.

A wisp of pure Gang Qi, imperceptible to the eye, trembled at his fingertip. It brought her back to consciousness and quickly dispelled the anesthetic. Stimulating the Renzhong Acupoint was the best way to do it.

"Mm!"

The Cao family's youngest daughter, Cao Qiuqing, gave a soft moan in her sleep and slowly opened her eyes. Her gaze gradually cleared as she came out of her daze and regained consciousness.

But soon, Cao Qiuqing's expression turned strange. Her face grew paler, fear showed in her eyes, and her whole body began to tremble.

She really did look possessed. No wonder Chairman Cao had called people from Qingliang Temple.

Seeing his daughter suffer another episode, Chairman Cao felt so distressed he wanted to bang his head against the wall. He urgently called to Li Bai, "Doctor Li, please think of something! My daughter's having another episode."

"Doctor Li, please, save my daughter! We'll pay you whatever you ask."

Madam Cao had been quite unhappy with Li Bai for driving away Daoist He and the others, but her love for her daughter overcame everything. Her voice was already choked with tears.

Snap!

A finger snapped.

No words or tools were needed. Just one snap, and he could reach straight into the mind.

Cao Qiuqing's expression relaxed for no apparent reason. Her eyes slowly closed, and she returned to sleep.

"Ah!"

Madam Cao cried out. She had seen Li Bai casually snap his fingers, and her daughter had stopped looking terrified, as if she were seeing something horrifying. She quickly settled down and drifted into a sweet sleep.

Chairman Cao looked just as incredulous. When he assumed this psychologist had also used some kind of anesthetic, Li Bai offered an explanation.

"This is a form of Zhu You Shu. Well, you might find the term hypnosis easier to understand. Most importantly, it has no side effects, and everything is under control."

Chairman Cao and his wife nodded together. They were no longer surprised. Hypnosis wasn't some magical immortal art, just a rather unusual professional skill.

They simply hadn't expected this young psychologist to have such a skill, too. No wonder Daoist He hadn't said a word and had turned to leave. The Daoists of Qingliang Temple might not even know how to hypnotize someone.