High Person

His face had already been red, swollen, and shiny enough that people could barely bear to look at it. Now, across the taut skin of that swollen face, a mass of red spots grew before their very eyes. In moments, under everyone's gaze, they became densely packed red sores.

"Young—Young Master! Your face, your face has turned red all over..." The two household servants who had come with Fang Xi swallowed involuntarily at the sight, their legs trembling. They feared being punished by the master when they returned, yet did not dare approach their young master at once.

"True Person, what is going on?!" Startled, Yu Lü immediately turned to Hui Dao and asked.

He had originally held the master of Mount Tong Temple in considerable respect, yet he had not expected the talisman water Hui Dao gave to leave his cousin in such a state.

Though the Fang Family had been the ones to propose this matter first, Yu Lü still felt that he, having accompanied them here, bore some responsibility as well.

Zheng Yingci also cried out in alarm. "True Person, what happened?"

Hui Dao saw Fang Xi's face, but this was beyond his expectations, and his reaction was even slower than Yu Lü's. Now, questioned by Yu Lü and Zheng Yingci, he immediately came back to himself.

"Do not panic, everyone. The baleful energy must be too excessive. Ordinary talisman water cannot expel it; instead, it has provoked a backlash. This poor Daoist will immediately use the treasured talisman paper kept in the temple for Young Master Fang to take."

As he spoke, Hui Dao hurried away. The two servants tried to stop him, but Yu Lü held them back. Only after watching him depart did he begin to speak, when a shriek suddenly rose behind him.

"Ah, it hurts! It hurts me to death!"

Compared with the discomfort from before, the pain now was unbearable to Fang Xi. He even wanted to smash his head against a pillar, and Yu Lü hurriedly stopped him.

Even Zheng Yingci stepped forward to comfort Fang Xi.

A moment later, amid hurried footsteps, Hui Dao returned, holding a brown wooden box and instructing the young Daoist boy to bring another bowl of clear water.

"This is talisman paper bestowed by my master's line. Dissolve it in water and drink it—it is more potent than before. Hold him down in a moment, lest he injure himself."

As soon as he finished speaking, the young Daoist boy brought over the water. Hui Dao opened the wooden box with a snap. Inside were only a dozen or so stacked talismans. He took one out and gave it a light shake; the talisman paper burst into flame in the wind.

Fang Xi was already drenched in sweat from the pain. The moment the bowl was passed to him, he took it with trembling hands and drained it in one gulp.

Everyone held their breath, waiting for Fang Xi's reaction.

Yet moments later, Fang Xi's screams rang through the hall again, louder than before.

"Ahhh! It hurts! Save me, save me!"

Yu Lü's expression truly darkened this time. Looking at Hui Dao, he accused, "Temple Master, how do you explain this?"

Just as he was about to say more, an even sharper scream than Fang Xi's sounded out. He shuddered, then looked over and understood why one of the servants had screamed even more miserably than Fang Xi.

Fang Xi's face had already been horrifying enough, covered atop its red swelling with sores crammed against sores. But now, those bumps had densely spread and seemed to be joining together. At a cold glance, it looked as if a tiny human face had grown on Fang Xi's face.

Though it was only eerily similar, it was truly terrifying.

"My face—what exactly happened to my face? Why won't any of you say anything?"

Fang Xi was not stupid. Seeing that everyone's gazes carried a trace of fear, he could not help reaching up to touch his face. But the instant his fingers touched the skin, pain like needle pricks shot through him. He howled and began screaming again.

"You still dare say you are not a swindler?" Su Ziji stepped forward to inspect him. In truth, he was deeply doubtful. The talisman paper igniting in the wind was one thing, but a little face growing out of someone's skin was simply beyond reason!

Fang Xi's crying abruptly stopped for a moment, then he wailed again. "True Person, it hurts so much!"

"This poor Daoist truly is not a fraud." Hui Dao frowned slightly, uncertainty roiling in his heart. "This matter is strange."

Su Ziji still wanted to speak, but Yu Lü tugged at him and shook his head. He did not want Su Ziji to become embroiled in this matter and earn Mount Tong Temple's resentment. Mount Tong Temple had no small amount of influence. Yu Lü's own family background could withstand it, but the Su Family could not.

Hui Dao, however, failed to notice everyone's suspicious looks. He turned instead to observe Fang Xi, his entire being sinking into confusion.

Fang Xi had indeed fallen prey to a Fiend.

Since it had only been a light punishment, the talisman water Fang Xi drank at first should have been enough to dispel the evil curse and restore him at once. Yet that was not what had happened.

To salvage Mount Tong Temple's reputation, Hui Dao had no choice but to bring out high-grade talisman paper from the temple once more.

By all rights, one sheet should have produced immediate results. Forget such a minor matter—even something several times more serious should have been cured at once. Yet, to his greater surprise, it had instead made Fang Xi's condition increasingly severe.

Those bumps had rapidly transformed into early-stage human-face sores. If they truly took shape and a life was lost, Mount Tong Temple's reputation would certainly suffer.

Naturally, Hui Dao did not wish Mount Tong Temple's reputation to be damaged in his hands.

At that thought, Hui Dao revealed a troubled expression and was about to speak when Fang Xi, who had been screaming miserably, suddenly fell silent. "Ahhh... Huh? My face suddenly doesn't hurt anymore?"

Everyone hurriedly looked over and saw Fang Xi touching his face, looking left and right. Hesitantly, he asked, "Look, does my face seem a little better?"

They looked at one another, each muttering inwardly. It still looked just as horrifying, but Fang Xi had suddenly stopped hurting. Was that a good thing or a bad one?

When Hui Dao came over, Su Ziji stepped several paces aside to make room for him. Yet the moment he moved away, Fang Xi began screaming again.

"Ahhh! It hurts me to death!" Clutching his face, Fang Xi was once again tortured by pain until tears spurted from his eyes.

Hui Dao carefully examined the human-face sore on his face and found it had grown increasingly three-dimensional. If it continued developing, then once it truly opened its eyes and mouth, things would become very serious.

But Hui Dao did not understand why Fang Xi's pain had suddenly stopped just now. Then, with a turn of thought, he seemed to realize something and called out, "Everyone, this is an evil presence. It fears the vital aura of strong, upright men. Please come closer."

After hearing this, Zheng Yingci and Su Ziji stepped closer. Sure enough, Fang Xi's pain lessened somewhat. He immediately believed it, forcing a smile onto that ghastly face as he pleaded with everyone, "Please don't stand too far away from me. Help me!"

"High Person?"

Hui Dao's heart stirred at the sight. No hundred evils could draw near a High Person. He had not expected to see one today, and he could scarcely suppress his astonishment. His bright gaze fell upon Su Ziji and Zheng Yingci. Su Ziji's scalp went numb under that look, and he instinctively wanted to retreat, wondering what was wrong with Hui Dao.

Zheng Yingci, however, had a face like still water. He bowed and said, "True Person, please do your utmost to treat him. Afterward, we will certainly offer Incense Offerings and gold."

The Zhu Family made offerings every year. This was not the time for anyone to make a joke of it.

"The Fiendish aura was hidden and had not yet erupted. It was originally only a trifling punishment; if left untreated, it would have healed after half a month. Yet you greedily sought a small advantage and wanted to recover ahead of time, only to turn cleverness into clumsiness and make it increasingly severe."

"So this is my karma."

Hui Dao regretted his slip of the tongue just now, but he also understood the meaning. With a sigh in his heart, he knew he had to provide a solution today, or this matter would be difficult to settle peacefully. Heart aching, he said, "I still have a Dharma treasure that can cure him."

As he spoke, he reached into his robes and pulled out a bronze mirror.

The mirror was extremely small, somewhat old but not quite worn. It was entirely brass-colored and simply styled. One side bore no pattern and had been polished smooth, while the other bore a Bagua diagram. It fit comfortably in an adult's palm.

With a turn of his hand, Hui Dao aimed the mirror's face at Fang Xi and began chanting an incantation. In an instant, a beam of light shone directly upon Fang Xi's face.

Dazzled by the light, Fang Xi hurriedly closed his eyes. He only felt it was warm, like the sunlight of late spring and early summer.

But in the eyes of the others, they had already been stunned the instant they saw the light. When Hui Dao put away the mirror, Fang Xi's face had returned to normal. Not only had the sores vanished, even the earlier swelling had faded in an instant.

Seeing this, Su Ziji's expression changed slightly. I thought he was a swindler. I didn't expect him to truly have such skill?

No, it was even more serious than that. Together with what happened last time, it proved that ghosts and gods truly existed in this world. Su Ziji recalled his dumbfounded face when the small temple disappeared before the County Examination. Now he was even more shocked.

Hui Dao also secretly let out a breath of relief. His gaze paused on everyone before him. With the matter settled, the High Person was all the more worthy of attention. The fact that even two rounds of talisman water had failed and a Dharma treasure had been necessary showed that the curse's power ran deep.

And the one who could suppress this curse was no minor High Person. But who exactly was it?