IMMFBCG Chapter 3

Chapter 3: This is Extortion

Southwest, in a room somewhere three miles away at the Daoist temple, four or five people sat together.

Night had long fallen, and the room was pitch black, with only an oil lamp remaining, its flame flickering.

In the faint light, Jian Sinian, the son of the temple’s master, was focused on weaving a small straw figure. He worked carefully, quickly attaching a slip of paper with someone’s birth date and zodiac on the straw man. Then, he affixed a talisman and sprinkled rooster blood over it. Beside him was a sinister-looking cloth doll, eerily similar to the hanging ghost Ye Xue had captured.

The others gathered around him, all somewhat uneasy. One of them said, “Brother Jian, weren’t we just supposed to send the hanging ghost to mess with Bai Liu and keep him bedridden for a hundred days? Why hasn’t it come back yet? Could it have been captured by Bai Liu’s people? If the master finds out…”

The temple master had strictly forbidden them from sending spirits to torment ordinary people.

Hearing this, the others quickly said, “Yeah, yeah.”

Jian Sinian snorted, dismissively saying, “What are you thinking? As if that useless temple master and his worthless son could catch the spirit I worked so hard to get? If they were that capable, would their temple be in such shambles?”

“As for my father, so what if he finds out?” He raised his chin arrogantly. “First, I haven’t done anything unforgivable. Second, Bai Liu isn’t an ordinary person. Who told him to have the guts to steal business right in front of me? I’ve got to teach him a lesson!”

His expression turned bitter as he spoke, teeth clenched in anger.

“But…” The others still had doubts.

Jian Sinian grew irritated at their fearful expressions. “What are you afraid of? If they were really that powerful, they wouldn’t—”

Suddenly, his face froze, and his words abruptly stopped.

The others looked at him, their expressions turning to horror. “Brother Jian, you—”

Just as Jian Sinian was about to tell them not to panic, he felt something strange in his mouth, making it difficult to speak and even harder to breathe.

Looking down, he saw his tongue growing uncontrollably longer, nearly reaching the ground.

Panicked, Jian Sinian quickly tried to pull his tongue back, muttering incoherently, “Quick, bring me the jujube plate!”

At dawn, Master Bai was woken by his son and disciple.

Bai Liu yanked his father’s beard and lifted him, shouting, “Dad, get up! The people from Tianyi Temple are here to cause trouble!”

“What!?” Still groggy from a hangover, Master Bai instinctively cursed, “Outrageous! It’s bad enough they steal our business, and now they dare come to our doorstep!”

Ye Xue thought to herself, “…Is that the point?”

Master Bai snapped to full alertness after speaking, realizing he had let something slip in front of his sister.

At that moment, Bai Liu muttered under his breath, “Well, it wasn’t exactly stealing, they were just better than us…”

“What did you say!” Master Bai glared at him.

Just then, Xu Zhou walked in from outside. “Master, the people from Tianyi Temple are waiting for us.”

Master Bai paused, looked down at himself, then straightened his robes and headed to the next room, “Give me a moment.”

When he returned, he was dressed in a fresh set of Daoist robes.

The Tianyi Temple people were already waiting in the main hall.

The master of Tianyi Temple also wore formal Daoist robes. Standing beside him was a young man with his head bowed and one hand covering half his face, obscuring his expression. Behind them stood several disciples, also in robes.

It was clear they hadn’t come with good intentions.

Seeing so many people, Master Bai was about to ask what they wanted when Jian Caiying, the master of Tianyi Temple, spoke first, taking the initiative:

“Bai Ziang, you’ve allowed your disciple to torment mine. I’d like to know what kind of morals you teach at your temple.”

“What nonsense is this?” Master Bai looked confused. “You wake me up at the crack of dawn, and now you’re here to insult me? Have some decency.”

Jian Caiying, seeing his clueless expression, narrowed his eyes slightly and, with a righteous tone, said, “You didn’t know? Well, that makes things easier. Have your disciple apologize to my son and lift the curse, and we’ll call it even.”

“You’re daydreaming in broad daylight.” Master Bai retorted without hesitation. Although he didn’t know what had happened, he had a strong feeling some blame was unfairly being placed on him. Admitting guilt would make him a fool.

Jian Caiying was about to say more when a clear voice interrupted him.

“Do you not know why your son ended up like this? If he hadn’t used a hanging ghost to harm others, how would he have been backlashed?” The voice was crisp and pleasant, though the words were sharp and unforgiving. “I’ve seen what true shamelessness is since arriving here.”

“Turns out, the guilty ones are always the first to accuse others.”

The people from Tianyi Temple instinctively turned toward the voice.

Under the lamplight, a young girl in a pale blue dress stood there. Her expression was calm, her face youthful but strikingly beautiful as if crafted by the heavens. Her jet-black eyes sparkled like the finest gemstones, captivating and bright.

She was the kind of girl who could easily win others’ favor, though her words were far less agreeable.

Jian Caiying’s face darkened, and he coldly asked, “Where did this little girl come from? Adults are talking; why are you butting in? Who do you think you are?”

“I’m your ancestor,” Ye Xue shot back smoothly, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “As a Daoist, you dare allow evil spirits to harm people? Tell me, if word of this got out, what would happen?”

“You! You!” Jian Caiying was livid.

He had grown used to being treated with respect by temple visitors. This kind of treatment was unheard of, leaving him momentarily speechless. He could only stammer, “You, you,” before falling silent.

Bai Liu and Xu Zhou were both seeing a new side of Ye Xue. Usually, she was all smiles around the temple, always cheerful with everyone.

They never expected her to take down the master of Tianyi Temple so easily.

Ye Xue blinked and awkwardly cleared her throat. It seemed her composed image had just crumbled.

Master Bai, meanwhile, repeated Ye Xue’s words, “Evil spirits, harming people?”

Finally, Bai Liu seized the chance to report loudly, “Yesterday, Jian Sinian sent a hanging ghost to hurt me, but Uncle Master saved me.”

“What?!” The Abbot of Bai Temple was furious. “You bastards dare to bully my son!”

The person standing next to Jian Caiying raised his head, trying to defend himself, “I didn’t do anything!”

As he lifted his head, it revealed something unusual about him.

Not only Bai Liu, but even Xu Zhou and the Abbot were taken aback. Bai Liu burst into laughter without restraint, “Hahaha! Oh my, this is killing me! I’ve finally seen what it means to be a real ‘long-tongued villain’ today!”

Jian Sinian’s long tongue was hanging out of his mouth, resting in his hands, and his face looked haggard.

Realizing that his appearance had been exposed in front of his arch-enemies, his face flushed with both anger and embarrassment. He quickly covered his face in a panic.

“Anyway, I didn’t do anything!” Jian Sinian emphasized again, but this time his tone was much weaker.

Ye Xue chuckled, “Do you even believe yourself? It’s like me breaking into your house at midnight, telling you I wasn’t there to steal anything but just taking a walk. Would you believe me?”

“I…”

Jian Sinian tried to argue further, but Jian Caiying interrupted him, “Enough!”

He turned to the group from Xuanzhen Temple, “Tell me, what do you want to do to turn my son back to normal?”

After all, they were both from the same Taoist sect and completely falling out would not benefit anyone. As Ye Xue had said, if word got out, it would only embarrass them.

The Abbot of Bai Temple, still unclear about the whole situation, remained silent and let the younger ones handle it.

Ye Xue thought for a moment, then glanced at Xu Zhou and Bai Liu, seeking their input.

Bai Liu eagerly raised his hand to speak, but Xu Zhou quickly pushed him down. The senior disciple of Xuanzhen Temple, calm and composed, nodded to Ye Xue, signaling that the decision was in her hands.

Ye Xue then said, “We can turn him back, but I have one condition.”

“Name it,” Jian Caiying replied. Although he was slightly unhappy that Bai Temple’s Abbot let a junior speak on such matters, he held his tongue.

Having a condition was a good sign—it meant they had leverage.

Ye Xue didn’t immediately respond but instead asked, “Tianyi Temple seems to have quite a lot of visitors, right?”

“Of course!” At the mention of this, the youngest disciple of Tianyi Temple puffed out his chest and said, “Our temple has the most worshippers within a hundred miles.”

Hearing this, Jian Caiying nodded slightly, and the other Taoist disciples of Tianyi Temple wore proud expressions.

Lots of visitors—perfect!

Ye Xue’s face lit up with a smile, “My condition is simple: for every ritual Tianyi Temple performs, you issue a VIP card for Xuanzhen Temple.”

With Tianyi Temple bringing in visitors, Xuanzhen Temple’s prosperity would surely follow soon.

“What?” Jian Caiying sounded as if he’d just heard the most ridiculous proposal. “Do you even know what you’re saying?”

“That’s extortion!” The disciples of Tianyi Temple quickly accused.

Ye Xue nodded confidently, “Yes, it is.”

Last night, when they were discussing, they initially thought about asking for compensation, but Ye Xue realized that even if they got some money from Tianyi Temple, it wouldn’t solve their temple’s problems. Instead, using Tianyi Temple’s popularity to bring visitors to Xuanzhen Temple seemed like a smarter strategy— “letting the rich help the poor,” so to speak.

This plan was strongly supported by Xu Zhou and Bai Liu.

Jian Caiying gave them a deep look and suddenly said, “In that case, don’t blame me for being ruthless—it’s a hassle, but if I tie you all up and force you to undo the spell, it’ll work just the same.”

As he spoke, he pulled out a peachwood sword from his back, and the disciples of Tianyi Temple immediately stepped forward with hostile intent.

“Jian Caiying, what do you think you’re doing?!” The Abbot of Bai Temple quickly shielded the three juniors behind him and shouted sternly, “Don’t say I didn’t warn you—this is the city center!”

But Ye Xue patted his shoulder, stepping out from behind him with a calm smile, signaling that he didn’t need to worry. “I knew you wouldn’t agree so easily.”

She reached into her backpack as if searching for something.

“That little girl is no threat,” Jian Caiying sneered when he saw her movement, dismissing her entirely. “Do you think the three of you can fight us?”

Ye Xue looked surprised, “Why would we fight? When there’s trouble, you call the police, of course.”

She pulled out her Nokia phone and showed them the dial screen with “110” (the police emergency number) already typed in. Smiling, she asked, “Do you think your sword is faster, or my phone?”

Ye Xue’s actions instantly shifted the tense atmosphere to one of disbelief and amusement.

“…” Jian Caiying’s face froze in embarrassment. He wanted to say something, but the words wouldn’t come out.

Ye Xue then turned to Xu Zhou, “Martial Nephew, the police station is nearby, isn’t it?”

Xu Zhou responded in kind, “Yes, Martial Uncle, it’s just a few hundred meters away.”

Jian Caiying’s face turned alternating shades of red and white.

If the dispute between temples reached the police, the entire Taoist community would soon hear of it. At that point, Tianyi Temple’s reputation would be in ruins—they might as well shut it down altogether.

Realizing this, he quickly gave up the idea of confrontation and, furious, barked, “What do you people want!”

Ye Xue patiently repeated, “I already told you—issue VIP cards.”

Jian Caiying gritted his teeth, “Fine, but you must turn my son back first.”

Ye Xue rolled her eyes at him and said, “Do you think I’m stupid? If I turn him back to normal and you walk out that door, will you still keep your word? Bai Liu, bring out the contract.”

Bai Liu quickly trotted over with the contract—two copies, no less.

Jian Caiying glanced at the document. It essentially stated that Tianyi Temple and Xuanzhen Temple would become brother institutions and share their social networks from that point on.

Seeing how prepared they were, Jian Caiying realized that Xuanzhen Temple had planned this all along!

But now, he had no choice. His expression fluctuated, knowing that Ye Xue might call the police. Resigned, he signed his name with a flourish.

“Is that good enough?” Jian Caiying asked through gritted teeth.

He looked up to see Ye Xue rummaging through her backpack, pulling out a notebook and checking something.

“Alright,” Ye Xue said, putting her master’s notes back. “Bai Liu, grab a jar of oil and a piece of a hanged ghost’s tongue, and have him drink it.”

“Got it!” Bai Liu ran off excitedly.

“My name is Jian Sinian,” Jian Sinian corrected.

“Got it, Jian Nian,” Ye Xue absentmindedly replied while still looking at the contract.

Jian Sinian: “…” He was filled with resentment.

Bai Liu returned with the jar of oil, and whether intentionally or not, he made sure to toss the hanged ghost’s tongue into the jar right in front of Jian Sinian’s face.

Seeing the greasy layer on top and the tongue occasionally bobbing up, Jian Sinian’s face turned pale with nausea.

“Are you sure this is the cure?” he asked, disbelieving.

“I’ve given you the solution. Believe it or not, I don’t care. If you want to stay like this, be my guest,” Ye Xue said casually.

“Drink it,” Jian Caiying commanded coldly.

Jian Sinian, looking sick, pinched his nose and downed the grotesque concoction.

Moments later, his tongue finally shrank back to its normal size.

Jian Sinian touched his face and breathed a long sigh of relief.

With the matter resolved, the Xuanzhen Temple group began to see their guests out.

“Wait a second,” Jian Sinian suddenly asked, feeling something was off. “What about my hanged ghost? Aren’t you going to return her?”

“Sure,” Ye Xue nodded cheerfully. “But that’ll cost you extra.”

“What?!”

Jian Sinian stared at them in disbelief, clearly not expecting Ye Xue and her group to pull such a stunt.

Though orthodox Taoist sects typically don’t keep ghosts around, there were exceptions. This particular hanged ghost, though she had hanged herself, bore no resentment. For some reason, she refused to reincarnate, so Jian Caiying had allowed her to stay with his son as a companion, hoping to eventually help her move on.

Who knew Jian Sinian would be foolish enough to send her to prank people, only to get himself into this mess.

Ye Xue shrugged, “Hey, it’s no use to me. I only promised to return him to normal, not to give the ghost back.”

Jian Caiying, exhausted, didn’t want to argue with them anymore. He placed a hand on his son’s shoulder and said to Ye Xue, “I’ll send the money over later.”

Seeing how cooperative he was, Bai Liu couldn’t resist squeezing a bit more. “And my medical bills. Your ghost made me take a nasty fall.”

Jian Caiying took a deep breath, “Fine.”

After all, they were in the wrong, to begin with, and the best opportunity to negotiate had already passed. No matter how many grievances they had, they had no choice but to agree.

Once all the conditions were accepted, Ye Xue finally pulled out a bottle and handed it to Jian Sinian. “Here you go.”

Jian Sinian retrieved the ghost from the bottle, ready to comfort her, but to his shock, what he saw was a hanged ghost with almost no tongue left.

He panicked immediately.

???

Where’s her tongue?!

Even if part of it was used for the spell, there should still be some left, right?

A hanged ghost without a tongue—what kind of ghost is that?!

The hanged ghost whimpered, completely dejected, and retreated into the bottle, too ashamed to show her face.

“What are you still standing around for? Let’s go!” Jian Caiying snapped at his foolish son.

As the group from Xuanzhen Temple watched their new “brother institution” leave, Ye Xue, pleased with the prospects of more customers, cheerfully called after them, “Come again next time~!”

Hearing this, the departing group stiffened as if ghosts were chasing them, and hurried away.

Once the people from Tianyi Temple were gone, the Abbot suddenly remembered something and asked, “How did you even know it was the people from Tianyi Temple?”

He felt like the whole issue had been resolved before he even had a chance to step in.

Bai Liu waved it off, as if it were no big deal, “Oh, it wasn’t complicated. Martial Aunt casually drew a talisman, and we tracked them down.”

The Abbot of Bai Temple, though puzzled, nodded. Then he asked, “And the ghost? How did you deal with that?”

Even though the hanged ghost wasn’t malicious, she wasn’t something they could just casually deal with.

Xu Zhou explained, “When we went to find Martial Aunt, the ghost had already been sealed in the bottle.”

The Abbot: “Huh???” Was it ever that easy when they caught ghosts before?

—Wait a minute!

Suddenly, the Abbot recalled something and slowly turned to Ye Xue.

Hadn’t his junior sister said yesterday that she didn’t know how to draw talismans?

Remembering their conversation from last night, a realization dawned on him, and his voice trembled slightly, “One glance was enough? A genius among geniuses? A prodigy?”