Chapter 72

Peng Jingshan was incredibly angry, saying that he was going to find Ban Wen and confront him face-to-face to ask him whether he had any conscience.

For so many years, he had always considered him a close friend. Whenever he had resources, he would think of him first, introducing him to directors who valued unique talents. He would even invite him over to his house to eat during holidays...

How could Ban Wen do this to him!!

Xie An and the others were both amazed by the experience today and were still recommending reliable and quick cross-city couriers to him.

Nie Chen, however, frowned and said solemnly, "The public opinion is currently intense, and he has the support of dark forces behind him. What are you going to use to teach him a lesson?"

Peng Jingshan was instantly caught off guard.

He weakly spoke up, "I... I know everything about him, and I've even helped cover up his scandals..."

Under Nie Chen's silent gaze, Peng Jingshan's voice grew smaller and smaller, eventually disappearing altogether.

At this point, he knew that ordinary methods would not have any effect on Ban Wen.

Only a few people knew about the face-changing incident. Peng Jingshan was worried that his wife would become too anxious and unable to focus on her postpartum recovery, so when he mentioned it to her, he downplayed the most dangerous parts, not going into detail.

To the outside world, it seemed like there was almost no connection between him and Ban Wen apart from being former classmates. Ban Wen being dragged into the hot search was purely coincidental.

Under the influence of the face-changing sorcery, the public would transfer all their trust in him to Ban Wen.

No matter what he said or did now, he couldn't make people believe him. It was very likely that Ban Wen would use him, completely draining the last bit of his value.

Ban Wen had dared to be so bold this time because he probably knew that Peng Jingshan had no way to fight back.

Thinking about the calm yet strange look Ban Wen gave him when he asked about the talisman bag hanging around his neck on the plane, Peng Jingshan couldn't help but wish he could go back and slap his former oblivious self.

How could he not see that guy's ulterior motives!?

At that time, he was still thinking of helping Ban Wen get a role. How blind could he be!

But now, no matter how much he regretted it, it was too late. He could only anxiously ask the people on the video call, "Master Ke, Mr. Nie, what should I do to solve this problem?"

Nie Chen glanced at Xie An and the others, who were already busy figuring out how to place an order for the courier, then directly instructed the driver, "Stop the car ahead. First, take them home, and ask Assistant Liu to send another car to take us to the airport."

Xie An and the others were each holding their phones, looking at courier apps, discussing how much tip was appropriate. They only realized what was happening when the car slowly stopped.

"What? The airport! Where are you going?"

"I want to go too!"When he lifted his head, Nie Chen had already dragged the confused Ke Xingzhou out of the car. The driver, displaying great awareness, had closed the electric car door ahead of time, completely locking the three of them inside.

"Shit!!" An He Guang suddenly lunged forward, slapping his hands against the car window. "Master Ke? Master Ke!! What does Mr. Nie mean? Didn’t he just have a phone call with Teacher Peng? And now he’s just going to take Master Ke away like that?!"

He turned to look at the other two companions, but found that Ke Yuan Bai, for some reason, had a very complex expression and was sitting in the back seat without showing any signs of urgency.

Slowly retracting his gaze from the car window, Ke Yuan Bai shot An He Guang a glance.

That look was full of disappointment and helplessness. Ke Yuan Bai even sighed, making An He Guang feel very frustrated.

It wasn’t like he was the only one who couldn’t stop them, so why the hell did he have to be looked at like this?!

At least Xie An was on his side, immediately starting to knock on the window, protesting Mr. Nie’s unorthodox behavior.

But Xie An’s situation was even worse, because the passenger door had been locked from the start. When he unbuckled his seatbelt to open the door, it was already too late to react.

The car had already started driving, and the driver, calmly steering, also hurriedly reminded him, "Little brother, little brother, be careful! Quickly fasten your seatbelt! There are a thousand roads, but safety comes first—there’s a camera up ahead! If you’re caught, you’ll lose money!!"

--

Ke Xingzhou stood there, stunned, watching the business car drive off into the distance.

Assistant Liu had already received the message and called Nie Chen to confirm their locations, quickly planning the rest of their schedule.

"Assistant Liu will be here in half an hour." After speaking, Nie Chen said to Ke Xingzhou’s phone, "We’ll talk after we get there," before hanging up both calls.

After putting away both phones, Nie Chen nodded toward Ke Xingzhou’s back. "It’s still early. Want to go inside and take a walk with me?"

Only then did Ke Xingzhou realize that the car had stopped right in front of a mall.

The crowds were bustling around them.

The two of them already stood out with their striking appearances, and their entrance from a luxury car was so eye-catching that it immediately drew curious gazes from many people.

Some even lifted their phones to take pictures.

Ke Xingzhou hadn’t been to a place this crowded in a long time. After all, more people meant mixed luck, and even people who seemed unrelated could develop entanglements in such places. His thin bit of merit and good fortune wasn’t enough to ward off all the chaos.

He didn’t have time to think about whether the car had been purposely stopped at this location by Nie Chen. Surrounded by the onlookers’ stares, his scalp tingled, and without needing any urging from Nie Chen, he quickly entered the mall.

The moment they stepped in, he quickly attached a distraction charm to both himself and Nie Chen. When they walked through another glass door, the gazes that had been on them completely vanished.

Ke Xingzhou breathed a sigh of relief.

He wasn’t someone who enjoyed the hustle and bustle. Plus, his habit of having little merit since childhood made him uncomfortable in places like this.

But Nie Chen, taking advantage of the distraction charm, slid his hand down Ke Xingzhou’s wrist, gently bowed, and took his hand.

Their fingers interlaced, and Nie Chen wrapped his thumb and index finger around Ke Xingzhou’s, his warm palm enveloping Ke Xingzhou’s hand completely. He brought it to his lips and gently kissed it.

Before Ke Xingzhou could even struggle, Nie Chen pointed to the large screen not far away. "I got promoted today. Master, you’re not going to forget to give me a gift, are you?"

Around the small plaza in the mall, the large screen was repeatedly showing the news of the appointment of the new chairman of Wanli Group.

Nie Chen did not appear in person, and the screen only displayed a photo of the elderly Nie Elder retiring, passing by another tall and slender figure.Ke Xingzhou stared at the familiar back, suddenly understanding why Peng Jingshan was able to quickly realize that the black fans were people arranged by Ban Wen, and not actually extreme individuals attacking him out of supposed hatred.

When you care enough about someone and are familiar with them, even just a vague silhouette is enough to pinpoint them in a crowd.

Turning his head, he met Nie Chen's lowered gaze. The unfamiliarity brought on by his completely grown eyebrows and eyes immediately softened a lot.

Nie Chen's lowered brows revealed a sense of obedience and flattery that seemed at odds with his appearance. The gray-green in his eyes reflected Ke Xingzhou's silhouette, and his voice was low and pleasant, carrying a touch of grievance. "I worked hard to get this promotion opportunity."

Ke Xingzhou's heart suddenly skipped two beats, as if a dimensional barrier had been broken, and he had the illusion that the person on the screen had walked right in front of him.

His thoughts suddenly returned to three years ago. At that time, Nie Chen hadn't been found by the Nie family yet. He was just like every other ordinary college student, following the usual steps to complete his studies, then entering a company to work hard like a new office worker.

Nie Chen was truly very smart, and this intelligence wasn't just limited to his studies.

He also demonstrated an astonishing ability to learn on the job. In his first month of work, his performance surpassed that of the senior employees in his team, earning the praise of his superiors. Not only did he get promoted early, but he was also taken into a relatively important project group.

At that time, he had already entered the Taoist academy and was sitting on the peak of the Beijing Taoist Academy, eating fried chicken and Sprite that Nie Chen had secretly brought him.

Nie Chen stood by his side, the evening mountain breeze lifting the young man's hair. His brows and eyes were full of smiles, and the lights in the distance were reflected in his eyes, as if they were glowing.

"When I get promoted next time, we’ll go there," he pointed to a mall at the foot of the mountain that had been around for some years and whose outer walls had turned dark. "I’ll give you my salary card, and you can buy me a promotion gift. How about that?"

Ke Xingzhou’s merit was low, and he couldn’t save much money. If he received extra money, it would backfire on him.

But perhaps they had grown accustomed to it. At the time, neither of them felt that life was particularly tough. In fact, they rather enjoyed it.

Ke Xingzhou didn’t quite remember how he had responded back then. He only remembered the sunset, the golden light falling on Nie Chen, the ambition in his eyes as he gazed into the distance, which softened into happiness when it shifted toward him.

Just like now.

Ke Xingzhou still remembered their first reunion at the filming base. Nie Chen’s expression was strangely calm, and when he pretended not to recognize him, even Ke Xingzhou almost couldn’t find any flaw.

Now, however, the joy in his eyes was genuine. There was no trace of the stoic, unreadable Mr. Nie from the past.

Ke Xingzhou’s heart moved, and he blankly repeated, "Promotion gift?"

"Yes, promotion gift." Nie Chen gazed into his eyes and saw that he seemed to be recalling something. His expression softened further, and he lowered his head, gradually leaning in.

Just as their foreheads were about to touch, a hand suddenly pressed against his forehead.

Ke Xingzhou, refusing to be rejected, pushed him slightly away and then spread his palm. "Business is business, you still need to pay for the talisman paper first."

Nie Chen followed his finger, looking at the distraction charm stuck to him. "..."

--

In the end, the gift was never bought.

The incredibly capable Assistant Liu arrived at the destination ahead of time and had also arranged the nearest flight. He picked up Ke Xingzhou and Nie Chen and immediately set off for the airport.

Considering that they were going to perform a ritual, he also brought Zhu Chu along.

Assistant Liu drove himself, but for some reason, he felt an eerie chill creeping down his back. Even after turning the air conditioning up several degrees, the feeling didn’t go away.During a red light, he couldn’t help but glance at the roof of the car, wondering if a luxury car worth several million could really be letting in wind.

Luckily, he couldn’t afford it.

Luxury goods never scam the poor, the netizens weren’t lying!

--

A few hours later, the plane landed.

When Ke Xingzhou arrived at the hotel where Peng Jingshan was staying, along with his two disciples and Assistant Liu, they unexpectedly ran into Xiang Ting.

Xiang Ting was accompanied by several Taoist priests holding ritual implements. Their clothing had unfamiliar symbols, likely members of the local Taoist association from Jiangcheng.

When Ke Xingzhou saw them, he initially thought they were here for another ritual. He greeted them and was about to leave, but Xiang Ting called him back.

"Wait a minute." Xiang Ting walked up to them, casting a complex glance at Nie Chen before turning to Ke Xingzhou. "Are you here for Peng Jingshan’s matter? Could you possibly introduce us to these people?"

Ke Xingzhou: "Huh?"

Xiang Ting paused, looking a bit helpless. "Our people investigated and found that he might be involved in an evil cult case. I specially brought some local Taoist priests to communicate with him, but he refuses to believe us, even had the hotel security kick us out."

He pointed towards the hotel entrance.

Ke Xingzhou followed his gaze and indeed saw the hotel security vigilantly watching them, looking like they were ready to pounce.

Assistant Liu, unaware of what had happened earlier, was surprised. "Mr. Peng’s fraud prevention awareness is so on point! If I had that level of vigilance when I was in college, I wouldn't have had my phone snatched!"

Everyone: "..."

Ke Xingzhou: "..."

Ke Xingzhou cleared his throat, roughly understanding why Peng Jingshan was so wary of them.

After thinking for a moment, since he didn’t have to pay, he called Peng Jingshan to explain the situation.

Upon learning that the Taoists he had encountered downstairs were indeed real, Peng Jingshan immediately called the hotel and had them let the group in.

However, when they entered, the security remained very alert, keeping a close watch on the Taoist priests behind Xiang Ting, ready to call the police if necessary. The Taoists couldn’t help but feel frustrated.

An old Taoist with a goat beard stroked his beard and angrily said, "I came here with good intentions to help, and yet we’re treated like fake Taoists! This is too much!"

Another Taoist, who appeared quite scholarly, was also very upset: "I even specifically wore my ritual robe! With this robe, what fake Taoist could wear it? And these ritual implements—those are all consecrated, passed down through several generations! What exactly about me doesn’t look like a real Taoist?"

Zhu Chu couldn’t help but glance at them.

The Taoists certainly did look very professional, dressed in Taoist robes, holding ritual implements, and each one looked youthful despite their gray hair, exuding an air of immortality. Any normal person would surely think they were genuine Taoists.

Had he not encountered the two fake Taoists at Jiulong Temple and been severely deceived by them, he might have believed them without hesitation.

But, alas, that wasn’t the case.

Zhu Chu shook his head, deeply sighing as he spoke: "It’s not your fault. It’s my… this friend of mine, he’s been through too much. You all just came too late."

The Taoists: "???"When he spoke, it was good that he didn’t say anything earlier, but as soon as he opened his mouth, the Taoists’ eyes shifted as they looked at the newcomers, and their expressions immediately became somewhat complicated.

Xiang Ting was the head of the Special Events Management Bureau, and there were very few people who could make him treat them politely.

They had originally thought these young people were from the Special Events Management Bureau, but after seeing Xiang Ting’s attitude, that didn’t seem likely.

From their communication with the client, it seemed like they were here to perform rituals?

Thinking about it this way, their expressions became even more awkward.

Looking at them, they were all dressed in ritual robes and carrying ritual implements, fully armed. When they had first approached the client, they had introduced themselves politely, but they were immediately thrown out without hesitation.

In modern society, religion was already difficult to develop, and they often encountered situations like this, so they had grown accustomed to it. They thought the client might trust the Taoist priests they were familiar with and hadn’t reacted negatively.

But then, these young people who didn’t look like Taoists at all, after saying just a few words, brought them in?

The Taoists from Jiangcheng were quite displeased, especially after hearing that the group’s sect was the same one causing a stir online recently, the popular "internet celebrity Taoist temple." They couldn’t understand what they were lacking compared to these young people.

Just as a middle-aged man opened the door and respectfully invited Ke Xingzhou and his group in, the Taoists exchanged looks with each other, and sorrow appeared in their eyes.

They, a Taoist temple with a history of hundreds of years, couldn’t compare to an internet celebrity temple!

It was simply outrageous!

When Peng Jingshan saw Ke Xingzhou and the others, it was as if he had seen his long-lost family. He hurried over to greet them. "Master, you’ve finally arrived!"

Then he remembered that there were other Taoists behind him and quickly handed out business cards, saying, "Apologies, Taoists. I’ve been so afraid of being deceived lately, and didn’t mean to be disrespectful. I didn’t recognize the situation before. Please, Taoists, forgive me!"

Ke Xingzhou glanced at his face and noticed it looked even darker than a few hours ago, his brow furrowing involuntarily. "Did you meet with that person again?"

Peng Jingshan rubbed his forehead and sighed, "You saw through it, huh? Sigh, it’s not that I didn’t listen to you. That bastard Ban Wen, he’s determined to ruin me. He’s even staying next door… It’s a long story. Please, come inside!"

The Taoists then recognized that the man in front of them was the same one who had been rude to them earlier, Peng Jingshan.

They were a bit resentful of how Peng Jingshan had treated them earlier, so coldly, but now he was treating an internet celebrity Taoist like a guest of honor and leaving them outside, which made their expressions turn sour.

The old Taoist with the goat beard wasn’t impressed by Peng Jingshan’s fear and snorted coldly. "A little trick like that, and you’re making such a big deal out of it. Tell us, what exactly happened?"