Chapter 46 Part 1

“Master, what did you just stick on him?” Old Zheng asked curiously. He had watched Chu Yi perform the ritual, so he paid close attention to his subtle movements.

He had just seen Chu Yi seemingly reach out to support Qiu Zijun, with a yellow talisman flashing in his palm before vanishing behind Qiu Zijun’s back. Of course, he hadn’t actually helped him up.

“A Nightmare Talisman. It amplifies the deepest fears in his heart—a little trick to punish evildoers.”

Boss Jin immediately perked up. “What kind of effect does it have?”

He had already realized that Chu Yi was no ordinary person. Hearing Old Zheng address him as Master made it even clearer—he had encountered a true expert!

Chu Yi replied meaningfully, “Boss Jin, you’ll find out in a few days. As long as no one interrupts the talisman’s effect, it can last for three days.”

Don’t underestimate those three days. For some people, it felt like centuries. If it were centuries of happiness, that would be one thing, but the Nightmare Talisman earned its name because the punished individual lived in hell every moment. Overnight aging wasn’t a fantasy.

Of course, Chu Yi didn’t intend to drive him insane. Leaving him with a thread of clarity to accept his punishment was what he deserved. After experiencing the agony of death in the dream, he probably wouldn’t dare attempt suicide again.

Boss Jin was skeptical but accepted Chu Yi’s repeated assurances and promise to wait and see. He gave up on the idea of buying a Nightmare Talisman from Chu Yi.

Seeing that Boss Jin’s health wasn’t great, Chu Yi took his pulse and wrote out a Warming Tonic Prescription for him before instructing the assistant to help him back to rest.

“You two Old Masters, now that the witness has left, there’s no need to continue your bet, right?”

Yu Patriarch and Old Zheng exchanged glances, both feeling a bit awkward.

Yu Patriarch admitted his eyesight wasn’t as sharp as Old Zheng’s. He could guess at the raw stone in the VIP room with the window open, but outside, he wasn’t confident. Old Zheng, meanwhile, wanted to turn things around, so neither elder spoke up.

Finally, Elder Yu cleared his throat lightly. “Ahem, Little Yi, didn’t you want to meet my old friend in the medicinal herbs business? I just saw him. Let’s go meet him now?”

Old Zheng chimed in, “Old Yu, you’re talking about Feng Jincheng, right? I happen to have some acquaintance with him too. It’s been a while…”

Chu Yi found the two elders rather endearing. Pretending not to notice their embarrassment, he went with them to meet their mutual friend.

With introductions from both Elder Yu and Old Zheng, Feng Jincheng naturally didn’t dare underestimate Chu Yi. However, he had come with friends that day, so he only made an appointment with Chu Yi for the next day.

As Chu Yi and the others prepared to leave, the assistant who had escorted Boss Jin returned, holding a box. “This is a gift specifically from our boss to Mr. Chu. He says he’s extremely grateful for your help and insists you accept it.”

The guests, including Feng Jincheng, grew curious. “What’s inside?”

They had all been present when they were asked to leave the private room earlier. Later, Boss Jin’s son-in-law stormed out angrily with a clear handprint on his face… The sharper minds in the room had their suspicions. They were all curious about how Chu Yi had helped Boss Jin but held back due to propriety.

Asking to see the gift was fair game, though. Boss Jin’s gifts were always extravagant, and everyone wanted a look.

Elder Yu urged Chu Yi, “Little Yi, open it up and let’s see.”

Chu Yi shot Yu Patriarch an amused glance. How could he not know what he was thinking? Once the gift was opened, there was no refusing it—rejecting it would slap the host in the face.

Since everyone insisted, he opened it without guilt.

“Wow, Glass-Type Imperial Jade! This color, this clarity—it’s flawless. Stunning! And not a single crack!”

“Such a large piece—enough for a full set of jewelry, right?”

“Definitely!”

“Boss Jin is so generous…”

These guests had come to the Jade Stone Market, so they all had a keen interest in such things. They crowded around the raw stone, shining lights on it and marking cut points, more excited than Chu Yi, the recipient.

Feng Jincheng observed alongside his friends while mentally elevating Chu Yi’s status several notches.

It wasn’t unusual for Boss Jin to give gifts, but top-grade Emperor Jade? That wasn’t just thanks—it signaled a desire to build a friendship, and Boss Jin had taken the initiative. What did that imply? No need to spell it out.

No wonder Elder Yu and Old Zheng showered this young man with praise. Even if he couldn’t befriend him, he absolutely couldn’t afford to offend him!

Thus, Chu Yi’s trip to the medicinal herb base the next day went exceptionally smoothly. Not only did a major boss accompany him personally, but Boss Feng even parted with several rare wild herbs unavailable on the market—at a loss.