"Just leave. I'm not selling anything to you guys. This fellow here is ruining my appetite," Ye Mo said, pointing at Wang Peng as he spoke to Su Jingwen.
Su Jingwen had been worn down over the years by her mother's illness, losing all hope in hospitals. Hearing a master say that her mother might be possessed and that buying a protective talisman could expel evil spirits and wake her mother up, she had bought many such talismans. But her mother hadn't shown the slightest sign of waking. Now hearing someone claim that his talismans could awaken her mother, how could she let it go?
Even if the person in front of her was cheating, it was only a matter of a few tens of thousands of yuan—an insignificant amount for the Su family. As long as there was a glimmer of hope, she wouldn't give up. Although deep down she knew ninety-nine percent of what he said was probably false, she still wanted to try.
Hearing Ye Mo's words, she was anxious and quickly said to him, "Sorry, Master, this person has nothing to do with me." Then Su Jingwen gave Wang Peng a cold glance and said, "Mr. Wang, please leave and don't follow me, or I will call the police."
Wang Peng's gaze turned cold as he looked at Ye Mo. In his mind, Ye Mo was nothing but a cripple, and he resolved to have someone break this ungrateful guy's hands and feet later.
But since Su Jingwen had spoken, he had no face to stay and slunk away.
Ye Mo saw Wang Peng's look and knew exactly what he was up to. But he had been trying to make this one sale for days. Once done, he would leave immediately. He wasn't afraid of Wang Peng at all.
"I'll take all your spirit-clearing talismans. How much?" Su Jingwen asked urgently once Wang Peng had left.
Ye Mo picked up the two spirit-clearing talismans and said, "These talismans are my painstaking works. There are only two left. You only need the better one; if you can't use the other, keep it in a jade box—it usually lasts at least ten years. Two talismans cost thirty thousand yuan total."
Ye Mo handed the two talismans to Su Jingwen and pointed out the one close to a level-one talisman.
Su Jingwen accepted the talismans and then wrote Ye Mo a check for fifty thousand yuan. Ye Mo wasn't the type to take advantage of others, so he picked up a protective talisman and a fireball talisman and handed them to Su Jingwen. "Since you're paying fifty thousand, I'll include these two as well."
"This one is a protective talisman. You can make a sachet and carry it with you. The fireball talisman is for self-defense; if you meet a thug, throw it at them and say 'Lin.'"
Seeing Ye Mo unwilling to take advantage, Su Jingwen's hope in the talismans grew. He didn't seem like a fraud. Hearing his words, she quickly asked, "Master, how do you use the spirit-clearing talisman?"
Ye Mo put away the check and said, "Same method. Throw the talisman at the patient and say 'Lin.'"
"Um, may I ask your surname, Master? Would you accompany me to see my mother? I can pay you double." After getting the talismans, Su Jingwen felt her restless heart settle. The talismans, looking like simple paper, actually had weight. Her confidence in Ye Mo grew, and she thought of inviting him along.
Ye Mo naturally declined and waved his hand, saying, "No need. This talisman will definitely save her."
Su Jingwen and the woman named Xiao Yue, seeing Ye Mo unwilling to go with them, could only take the talismans and hurriedly leave to try them out.
Once the two women left, Ye Mo quickly packed up his stall and went to the bank to cash the check—he desperately needed the money.
"Wen Jie, this guy's wearing big sunglasses and his face is hidden. Wang Peng might be right—he could be a scammer," Xiao Yue said cautiously.
Su Jingwen sighed. She knew Ye Mo might be a fraud, but even so, she had to try. She refused to give up any chance to wake her mother—even if it meant being scammed.
Seeing Su Jingwen sigh without replying, Xiao Yue seemed to understand and silently looked down without further comment.
With fifty thousand yuan in hand, Ye Mo's first priority was to find a place to live. He needed somewhere to concoct his medicine, which was inconvenient at the school. Renting a place was better. Though his dorm was empty most of the time, he didn't want to expose his belongings, which were confidential.
Though renting in Ninghai was easy if you had money, places that suited Ye Mo were rare. He wanted a quiet residence with fresh air and, ideally, a place where he could practice martial arts daily.
Although progress in cultivation was hard now, he didn't want to abandon his secular martial skills. He needed some means of self-protection.
Ningdu District and Ninghai University, where Ye Mo studied, were thirty-plus li apart despite being in the same city. By the time Ye Mo arrived in Ningdu, it was near evening.
He preferred to live farther away for two reasons: to keep his background secret from schoolmates, and to run to school, training his agility.
Just when Ye Mo thought he wouldn't find a place today, he spotted a small courtyard emanating faint spiritual energy. To his surprise, a "For Rent" sign was posted outside.
Before even entering, Ye Mo had decided to rent this place—mainly because the spiritual energy here was relatively good.
The courtyard gate opened after Ye Mo knocked, revealing a woman in her fifties who asked, "Who are you looking for?" while sizing him up.
Ye Mo forgot to answer immediately because inside he saw a silverheart herb growing. No wonder there was some spiritual energy—this herb was the key ingredient for making "Qi Gathering Pills." It was rare to find it on Earth with its depleted spiritual energy.
Suppressing his excitement, Ye Mo said to the woman, "Auntie, I saw this place was for rent. I want to rent it."
The woman finally understood and let him in.
After some negotiation, Ye Mo learned the courtyard had two rooms and a living room. The landlord didn't want to rent out the living room. The west room was already rented; the east room was previously the landlord's but now vacant because the landlord was moving to Ningbei District to be with her son. She wanted to rent it out, and happened to meet Ye Mo.
To the woman's surprise, Ye Mo, who didn't seem wealthy, paid a year's rent upfront without hesitation. The monthly rent was 1,100 yuan.