The Aloof Lord's Mysterious Wife
Chapter 225: The Taoist Priest Selling Talismans

Chapter 225: The Taoist Priest Selling Talismans

"Hurry, cover up the bodies," the county official shouted, and the underlings quickly used white cloth to cover the corpses. Xie Beihan regained his composure, his face showing anger.

"Officer Zhang, two murders in two days. Do you intend to ignore them?"

Officer Zhang was somewhat frightened and bowed, saying, "Noble Prince Xie, you’re being too harsh. I would never ignore such serious matters."

Xie Beihan glanced at the frightened crowd and then said, "Then I give you five days to catch the culprit and solve the case!"

He had brought guards from the marquis’s mansion to assist Officer Zhang, ensuring that no more harm would come to the people. Despite this, Officer Zhang was still troubled. The murders were mysterious, and the culprit was brutal, leaving no clues. How could he solve the case within five days? But Xie Beihan was a noble from the capital, and he had no choice but to agree.

However, at that moment, a voice rang out from the crowd, "Sir, no matter how hard you try, it’s useless. The culprit is no ordinary person." Officer Zhang was startled and turned to see a young Taoist priest stepping forward. He had a handsome face, wore a gray Taoist robe, and carried a peach wood sword on his back. Xie Beihan frowned because he had encountered many unscrupulous Taoist priests in the capital. At first glance, he felt no respect for this young man; instead, he sensed a sinister aura about him.

Before Officer Zhang could speak, the Taoist priest spoke coldly, "What do you want to know, Officer Zhang?"

"It’s a monster," he said seriously. "My name is He Wen, and I’ve been learning Taoist arts from my master since I was young. There’s a demonic aura lingering on the deceased; I wouldn’t make a mistake about this."

His words changed the expressions of the crowd, and they began to whisper among themselves. They used to dismiss talk of monsters, but after the recent incident in the capital where a lady’s heart was ripped out by a monster, the news spread, and they were naturally frightened now.

Xie Beihan’s expression darkened, but he didn’t rush to refute. He had read about monsters in books; they were known to consume human hearts to maintain their human form. He regretted his lack of talent; he couldn’t see the demonic aura with his own eyes! But then he had an idea and quickly took out his purse, which contained not silver but a series of talismans.

When He Wen saw them, his eyes narrowed. Finally, Xie Beihan found the talismans he needed and went to the corpse, uncovering it. He recited an incantation, and the talismans burned, emitting a faint eerie green light when they approached the body. His face changed drastically, and he couldn’t help but shout, "It’s a monster!" He Wen might be spouting nonsense, but he trusted his sixth sister’s talismans implicitly!

Officer Zhang also knew about the incidents in the capital. He knew that this noble prince from the North regularly visited the Marquis Anyang’s mansion and had learned a bit from the Ninth Princess. When he heard Xie Beihan’s words, his face turned pale, and his lips trembled uncontrollably. "Noble Prince Xie, i-is it truly a monster?"

Xie Beihan knew he couldn’t hide it and nodded. Officer Zhang was speechless; what to do with a monster that specifically targets hearts in Shouling County?

The people panicked even more, either seeking solutions from Xie Beihan or turning to He Wen for help. He Wen said, "Everyone, rest assured. As long as you have a demon-repelling talisman at home, the monster won’t enter."

Demon-repelling talismans? Where could the common folk get them? Someone asked eagerly, "Does the Taoist priest have them? I’ll buy them for any price!"

He Wen’s expression remained unchanged, but there was a hint of a smile in his eyes. "I had some prepared earlier, and I can sell them now for five taels of silver each."

One or two taels of silver? For high-ranking officials, five taels of silver were nothing. But for poor commoners, five taels of silver could sustain their family for a long time. The wealthy villagers quickly took out silver to buy talismans. He Wen happily handed out talismans and collected money.

Xie Beihan watched coldly from the side. His messaging talismans had been used up, and he couldn’t immediately inform his sixth sister. Even if he sent someone back to the capital with a message, it would take two days’ journey. With the monster wreaking havoc in Shouling County and three deaths already, Xie Beihan said, "I wonder how much Master He will charge to eliminate the monster?"

In this situation, they could only rely on He Wen. He Wen looked serious and shook his head slightly. "It’s not about money, it’s about the ferocity of the monster. It comes and goes without a trace, making it difficult to expel. That’s why I’m selling these demon-repelling talismans. It’s to give everyone some protection and prevent further harm from the monster." His words sounded righteous, but in reality, he was just selling talismans.

Xie Beihan felt annoyed and said, "Since you claim the monster is fierce, can your talismans really stop it? Don’t let the villagers waste their money if your talismans end up being useless."

He Wen remained unruffled and explained, "Noble Prince Xie, rest assured, I have confidence in my talismans. I’m here in Shouling County, and if they prove ineffective, you can order someone to arrest me."

With this assurance, the frightened villagers hurriedly spent money to buy talismans, fearing they wouldn’t be able to get them and would fall victim to the monster’s heart-stealing. Even Officer Zhang took out money to buy a talisman for protection.

Since He Wen’s previous batch of talismans had run out, he immediately set up his tools and drew talismans on the spot. Xie Beihan was surprised to see how smoothly He Wen drew the talismans, with no wasted ones. While he acknowledged his own lack of talent, even Zhi Mi, a junior Taoist, couldn’t draw talismans so effortlessly. This skill was something Xie Beihan had only seen in his sixth sister. Could it be that He Wen and his sixth sister had similar abilities? If so, why did He Wen claim he couldn’t catch the monster?

Xie Beihan narrowed his eyes and immediately ordered his guards to ride back to the capital as fast as possible to inform Nanli of the situation. Despite He Wen’s non-stop drawing, not all villagers were able to buy talismans. Nonetheless, He Wen made a fortune. The bag of silver was so heavy that it took a strong man to lift it, but when He Wen applied a talisman seal to the bag, it became smaller and lighter. He Wen effortlessly picked it up, but after drawing talismans for so long, he still looked tired.

He then said, "Everyone, I need to draw a few more powerful talismans for tonight’s demon-catching operation. I can’t afford to waste my energy and effort, so please understand." With his assurance, the villagers didn’t object. Everyone hoped and prayed that He Wen would catch the monster tonight, so they wouldn’t have to worry or fear anymore.

Officer Zhang stepped forward and invited He Wen to stay at the county yamen to discuss the plan to eliminate the monster. He Wen naturally agreed, and when they arrived at the yamen, he handed the last demon-repelling talisman to Xie Beihan. "This is for your protection, Noble Prince Xie."

"Thank you, thank you. I was wondering how to ask Master He for one," Xie Beihan immediately accepted.

When his sixth sister arrived, he would have her assess He Wen’s abilities. When He Wen saw Xie Beihan take the talisman seal, a glint of something flashed in his eyes.