Chapter 465: After Modification: Chapter 465 Thinking of Strategies
Seeing the two people misunderstand him, Zhang Dadan had to explain, “It’s not that I’m unwilling to spend the money, but this mage is a fake; he doesn’t have any real skills!”
He… he’s a fake? Zhou Yong sighed in relief upon hearing this. If he’s a fake, it means I’m safe!
However, before Zhou Yong could feel happy, he recalled what happened in the morning and immediately tensed up again.
In the morning, when he was signing the contract at the new store, someone threatened him with a knife. Although he was not injured, it could be considered a bad omen, right?
“Wait a minute! Dadan, how can you be sure he’s a fake?” Zhou Yong asked anxiously.
Before Zhang Dadan could respond, Master Sande, who was standing not far away, erupted in anger and shouted at Zhou Yong and the others:
“What are you all doing? Let me tell you, you’re lucky to have met me today. You must not mistake a magpie on the branch for a raven and shoot it down!”
The customers in the store also turned their attention to Zhang Dadan and Zhou Yong, wanting to know what exactly was going on. Why had they suddenly neglected the mage and disregarded their own safety?
Even though Zhang Dadan knew the mage’s identity was fake, he hoped the mage could calm the people’s hearts and restore the bustling and lively atmosphere of Stone Town, so he did not intend to expose him.
“Master Sande, we didn’t do anything. It’s just that you have to perform an exorcism tonight; we don’t dare to trouble you further. Once you’ve subdued those ghosts, we will beg you for your great mercy and guidance on how to break the curse!” Zhang Dadan said righteously.
The customers in the store were initially stunned upon hearing this, but then they couldn’t help but admire Zhang Dadan.
What a selfless person, considering the mage’s need to conserve his strength and mana to deal with those evil spirits!
Suddenly, someone in the store praised, “Boss Zhang, Boss Zhou, you two are really honorable! No doubt about it!”
The others also paid their respects to the two men, and Zhou Yong couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride in the face of their praise.
However, Master Sande’s face grew more and more grim. He sat back in his seat, no longer having the appetite he had before.
The two people accompanying him, seeing his gloominess, quickly raised their cups and toasted him, their mouths full of flattering words.
But the reason for Master Sande’s disappointment was not jealousy over Zhang Dadan and Zhou Yong receiving so much praise, but because his well-planned scheme had run into a snag.
Master Sande had indeed been a Taoist in the past, but due to his trickery and lack of dedication, he was expelled by his master.
Since then, he had pretended to be a mage, capturing ghosts and exorcising demons for people, deceiving them and making a fortune.
He could do this not because of any divine skills, but because of his strict logic and ability to adapt on the fly.
When he agreed to come to capture the ghost for Wang Zhanbei, he had a comprehensive plan in mind. Before capturing the ghost, he would first find someone to deceive, claiming to help them eliminate their misfortunes.
That way, when it came time to capture the ghost and exorcise the demon at night, all he had to do was go through the motions.
The evil spirit hasn’t been exorcised? That’s because I used up too much mana helping someone earlier and need to go back to recover my strength. Then I can return and subdue the evil spirit, and I would never return.
Because his lies were so logically tight, most people wouldn’t suspect a thing. Not only would they pay the original fee, but they would also give him an extra sum for his recovery.
However, today, even though Zhou Yong was scared and anxious, he refused his help.
Furthermore, Zhang Dadan specifically said they wouldn’t let him consume his mana, blocking his only way out. Even if he didn’t charge a fee, they wouldn’t ask for his assistance.
After drinking a few sullen cups of wine, Master Sande could not help but shift his attention to a middle-aged woman who was coughing.
This middle-aged woman was quite plump but dressed in fine clothes, indicating she was well-off. Rich people are always afraid of death!
Master Sande slowly got up and walked towards the middle-aged woman, stopping in front of her and examining her from head to toe.
The middle-aged woman, who was dining, became fearful and timidly asked, “Master… Mage, is there something wrong with me?”
The onlookers also turned their heads to watch the middle-aged woman. They saw Master Sande circling around her, shaking his head and sighing.
Could she have an evil spirit attached to her? The crowd grew even more curious and watched Master Sande intently to see what he would do next.
After a moment of contemplation, Master Sande said, “Madam, do you feel discomfort in your throat, as if something is trying to come out?”
The middle-aged woman had indeed been experiencing this issue due to getting “fire” lately but hadn’t found relief even after taking many anti-inflammatory drugs. Seeing his mysterious demeanor, she couldn’t help but think she was also affected by something dirty and quickly replied:
“Yes… yes… Master, what’s wrong with me? Am I possessed by something unclean? Please save me…”
Seeing her so fearful and eager for help, Master Sande’s anxious heart finally calmed down.
Stroking his beard, he sighed, “Madam, there is indeed something unclean on you…”
The crowd heard this and immediately became fearful themselves. How could it be that two people had been possessed by evil spirits in one day?
After Zhang Dadan’s explanation, Zhou Yong and Bai Jie already believed that this mage was a fraud with no real abilities.
Now, seeing him attempting to deceive the middle-aged woman, Bai Jie wanted to step in and expose his false face.
However, everything exists for a reason, and no one is completely useless. To Zhang Dadan, the fake mage still had considerable use. How could he let Bai Jie ruin his plans?
Stopping Bai Jie, Zhang Dadan said sternly, “Bai Jie, say nothing, do nothing, and just watch, alright?”
Bai Jie, seeing the serious expression on his face, though unsure of what he had planned, held back her words to see what he would do.
After whispering with Zhou Yong for a moment, she heard Zhou Yong shout, “Master Sande, helping this lady exorcise evil spirits, will it consume your mana and delay the important tasks for tonight?”
As soon as he finished speaking, Hu the Third, who was dining, shouted, “Exactly! Master Sande, don’t use up too much mana now and delay the important matters tonight.”
With Zhou Yong and Hu the Third leading the charge, the other customers also expressed their concerns, making the Jiji store noisy, like a marketplace.
Master Sande, who was just about to “exorcise the evil spirit” from the middle-aged woman, was stunned by the crowd’s enthusiasm and felt a surge of nameless anger.
This damned Boss Zhou! Refusing my exorcism was bad enough, but now he’s blocking me from helping others? Is he trying to cut off my retreat?
Master Sande spoke earnestly, “Quiet… quiet… everyone, please quiet down…”
“Although helping this lady exorcise evil spirits will consume some mana, how could I stand by and do nothing?”
Hearing him admit it would consume his mana, the two people accompanying him couldn’t sit still either. They quickly stood up and rushed to his side, kindly persuading him to prioritize the big picture.
The store’s customers, worried about the ghosts near the slaughterhouse, were anxious and fearful. Finally having a mage to capture the ghosts, how could they allow any mishap now?