Chapter 28
Chapter 28
Old Deng’s eyes grew red as he said, “My grandson has been under observation in the hospital for four days, and they haven’t found a single thing. If the hospital could treat this illness, why would I have brought him here?”
He was a fortune-teller himself, so he naturally knew that most people in this profession were frauds.
Nine out of ten roadside stalls were just there to swindle people.
He hadn’t believed in these fortune-tellers at all until something happened to his own grandson; only then did he believe in Xia Sheng’s ability.
The bystander, seeing that Old Deng wasn’t listening to his advice, sighed. He didn’t leave, however, and instead waited nearby.
If Xia Sheng dared to charge an exorbitant price or cheat the man, he would call the police immediately.
Evidently, many people around them felt the same way. A crowd gathered, keeping a close watch to prevent this poor old gentleman from being scammed out of his money.
Xia Sheng paid them no mind. After a brief examination of the young boy’s condition, she said, “He has likely been parasitized by a Ghost Insect.
“These Ghost Insects mostly haunt graveyards and feed on the blood of human children. Generally, they aren’t fatal, but they are very rare nowadays.
“The man who came to you for an exorcism before must work in a cemetery. He accidentally became a host for this Ghost Insect and brought it home.
“That other little boy had already been mostly consumed. The insect sensed the scent of a child on you, so it followed you back and attached itself to your grandson.”
Old Deng wiped away his tears and asked, “Is there any way to lure this Ghost Insect out?”
Xia Sheng replied, “Yes, but I need a few medicinal herbs. Go to a nearby Chinese pharmacy and buy them.”
A helpful passerby spoke up, “I’ll go. The old gentleman needs to watch his grandson.”
Before long, the person returned with the herbs Xia Sheng requested.
Xia Sheng took a small portion of each herb, wrapped them in an inscribed piece of Talisman Paper, and moved it in circles over the boy’s body.
A few minutes passed without any reaction.
People in the crowd began to voice their disapproval.
“There’s no movement at all. This person really is a scammer, isn’t she?”
“Sigh, the elderly are so pitiable. They didn’t have much schooling and don’t understand anything, which is why they get tricked by these kinds of frauds.”
“The old man is miserable enough already, and yet you’re acting all high and dry, attacking him for being uneducated? Are you sick in the head?”
“Maybe we should just call the police. This old man is struggling enough raising a grandson on his own, and this scammer chose him as a target to swindle money. It’s absolutely immoral…”
“Wait, holy crap! Is there something crawling under that kid’s face?”
Upon hearing this, the murmuring crowd instantly fell silent.
A malformed bulge about five centimeters in diameter appeared under the skin of the boy’s face, writhing and turning in circles following Xia Sheng’s Talisman Paper.
As Xia Sheng moved the Talisman Paper toward the boy’s hand, the thing also writhed under the skin, passing over his neck and shoulder toward the back of his hand.
Watching this eerie scene, the onlookers felt as if something were crawling on their own bodies. They broke out in goosebumps, and some even began to gag.
Without changing her expression, Xia Sheng lured the thing to the back of the boy’s hand. Catching the perfect moment, she flicked her finger. A small cut appeared on the boy’s hand, and the Ghost Insect was pulled out by an invisible force.
Before anyone could get a clear look at it, the Ghost Insect burned into ashes in mid-air.
In the next second, the little boy in Old Deng’s arms opened his eyes.
“Grandpa…”
Hearing his grandson’s weak voice, Old Deng wept with joy and hugged the boy tightly, sobbing.
The little boy seemed unaware of what had happened. Seeing his grandfather crying, he grew anxious and reached out, wanting to wipe the tears from the old man’s face.
He noticed his own withered hand and was startled, but he ignored his fear to help dry his grandfather’s tears.
“Grandpa, why are you crying… Good grandpa, don’t cry, don’t cry.”
The little fellow clumsily tried to comfort his grandfather, and the onlookers couldn’t help but feel their eyes welling up at the sight.
“Getting old makes you soft. Seeing something like this just makes me want to cry.”
“Did something just catch fire? Did anyone see what that Ghost Insect looked like?”
“I didn’t see it clearly. It was probably some kind of deceptive magic trick.”
“I don’t think it was magic. That insect crawled all the way onto the boy’s hand; it looked so real. What kind of magic prop can burrow into skin?”
The crowd chattered amongst themselves, but Old Deng ignored their skepticism. He took his grandson’s hand, stood up, and grasped Xia Sheng’s hand, overflowing with gratitude. “Little Celestial Master, I was foolish before. I didn’t listen to your warning.
“Today, you set aside our past grievances to save my grandson. I don’t even know how to repay you.”
As he spoke, he pulled a bank card from his worn cloth bag. “Little Celestial Master, these are all my savings. There’s twenty thousand yuan inside.
“Please take this as today’s Divination Fee. If it’s not enough, I’ll earn more for you in the future…”
Xia Sheng tucked the card back into Old Deng’s pocket. “No need. Consider this a free favor. Keep the money to help the child recover; he’s very weak right now.
“Remember, you must never engage in swindling or deception again. Otherwise, you will deplete your Merit, and retribution will eventually fall upon you or your loved ones.”
With tears in his eyes, Old Deng nodded solemnly.
The little boy, not understanding what had happened, asked, “Grandpa, who is this pretty sister?”
Old Deng set the boy on the ground to let him stand on his own. “You were sick for the past few days and wouldn’t wake up. This sister saved you.
“Be good and say thank you to her.”
The boy nodded and tilted his small head up to look at Xia Sheng, saying politely, “Thank you, pretty sister.”
As he spoke, he reached into his grandfather’s pocket, fumbled around, and pulled out a candy wrapped in colored paper, handing it to Xia Sheng.
“Sister, please have some candy.”
The little guy loved sweets, so Old Deng often carried candy to coax his grandson and make him happy.
Xia Sheng knelt down and took the candy from his hand. “Thank you.”
Seeing her take the candy, the little fellow blinked his large eyes at her, seemingly waiting for her to eat it.
Xia Sheng unwrapped the paper, popped the candy into her mouth, and gave him some feedback. “It’s very sweet. Delicious.”
The little guy immediately beamed, revealing two small canine teeth.
“Right? I think it’s yummy too! Hehe.”
The boy’s skin was still in a shriveled state, making his smile look somewhat frightening.
Being in a good mood, Xia Sheng raised her slender, fair hand and drew a Talisman in the air before the boy’s forehead.
Once the Talisman was complete, it transformed into a golden light and sank into the center of the boy’s brow.
In the next instant, the boy’s shriveled skin regained its moisture and color, becoming fair, tender, and incredibly adorable.
Xia Sheng hadn’t originally intended to let the boy recover all at once. After all, Old Deng had deceived so many people; he needed to suffer a bit to truly learn his lesson.
But seeing how kind and endearing the little fellow was, Xia Sheng decided not to let him suffer any longer.
Feeling the change in his body, the boy raised his hand to look.
Seeing his hand restored to normal, he thought the pretty sister was performing magic and cried out in surprise, “So amazing! Pretty sister is so powerful!”
The surrounding people were also stunned by the scene.
Old Deng, in particular, pulled his grandson close with trembling hands to inspect him. He nearly fell to his knees before Xia Sheng again.
“Little Immortal, thank you so much for today! If you ever have a use for me in the future, just say the word. Even if you want this old life of mine, I won’t have a single complaint!”