Chapter 91 Part 2
After the press conference, reporters surrounded the team, their microphones thrust forward.
Wu Tai, seeing a female reporter struggling in her high heels, took her microphone and said, “I don’t recommend buying those expensive talismans, they’re often ineffective. Herbal remedies are more reliable.”
Li Hao asked, “Grandpa Wu just called those talismans fake?”
Wu Heng shook his head, “There are skilled practitioners, their talismans effective. But they’re handmade, they can’t produce enough for everyone.”
Drawing talismans consumed a practitioner’s energy, a few a day at most, and incredibly expensive, before this supernatural invasion, He Yunxiao’s parents had even been scammed, paying a fortune for a useless fake.
“But herbs are different. Counterfeiting is more difficult, and there’s a larger supply, even with price increases, they’re still affordable.”
Price increases depended on government regulation. And there were so many different herbs and recipes for various ailments.
Although bitter, they offered a solution for everyone, in pill form, even better.
He Yunxiao and Li Hao could afford expensive talismans, but they only trusted Wu Heng now.
Old Wu, after answering a few more questions, smiled and looked directly at the camera, “Xiao Heng, happy eighteenth birthday.”
He hadn’t forgotten amidst his busy schedule.
Wu Heng smiled, he used to be a feared and lonely outcast, he now had family, friends.
Holding the black seal, he murmured, “I’ll resolve this soon. So we can all be together.”
He went to the consultation table, pushed Su Da Yi aside, took out several pre-written prescriptions, and uploaded them to his online profile.
Each prescription with clear instructions, using common, gentle herbs, readily available.
A Yang-qi-boosting tonic, an exorcism remedy, medicine for women during their periods, and even a deworming formula for those who couldn’t get the vaccine yet and might be infected.
[Ten prescriptions! These would be secret recipes elsewhere! Saved and shared!]
[The ingredients aren’t expensive, hopefully the prices won’t go up, someone needs to control those profiteers.]
[I’m making the deworming medicine first. I haven’t slept properly since that living corpse incident.]
[He’s giving us gifts on his birthday!]
[Fan Tutu, Xie Zhi, and other celebrities are reportedly on their way to Nan Nuo.]
University students had longer breaks. Su Chenyu, Han Ye, Fan Xuan, all coming. Even those who couldn’t make it had sent gifts.
Some, less fortunate, sent virtual gifts during his live streams.
Wu Su, returning from his shopping trip, saw the clinic filled with presents, even more on the way, even more for the banquet tomorrow, and was shocked.
“I’m such a useless father!”
His father was on national television, his son’s birthday celebrated nationwide, Old Wu had been right, he was good for nothing, couldn’t even help Butcher Luo find his knife.
Feeling dejected, he looked at the time, “Pockmarked Lai said Xiao Heng was born during the Zi hour (11 p.m. – 1 a.m.). I’ll stay up late tonight, I’ll make him tangyuan.”
He had missed most of his birthdays before, always Old Wu making them, his turn now.
They sat in the clinic, occasional patients coming in with prescriptions for herbs, then a gust of Yin wind.
Lai Jun entered with a white box, a gleeful expression on his pale face, ‘Wu Heng, my grandma also has a government job now! Here’s a gift!’
Wu Heng opened it. Four paper cannons.
You Jin, “Lai boy, no underworld gifts for celebrations, okay?”
Lai Jun almost roared, what else could a dead person give? Wu Heng wouldn’t accept underworld money!
‘Don’t look down on these. They’re Yang Xing’s invention!’ Seeing their curious looks, he explained, ‘You know that top student, right?‘
Even in the afterlife, a scholar remained a scholar. He even had them burn textbooks for him, and even asked Professor Zhao Qingyun in his dreams several times!
And the professor, generously sending his research materials.
The underworld didn’t care, no censorship, and things escalated quickly…
So, Yang Xing invented cannons, but the ghosts there didn’t like technology, only brute force, a sales flop.
Chen Zhao exclaimed, “So you bought them on sale, buy one, get one free?”
Lai Jun chuckled, gifting and supporting a friend’s business!
Wu Heng thought they were pretty good, unexpected from an Yin messenger, and had Da Bai take them to the storeroom upstairs. They might be useful later.
“Here we go, here we go!” Wu Su brought a bowl of freshly made tangyuan, a poached egg floating on top, placing it before Wu Heng as the clock struck twelve.
“Happy birthday, Xiao Heng!”
His friends gathered around, their voices joining in unison.
Wu Heng’s smile couldn’t be contained as he turned to Shi Xuan, who said softly, “Welcome to adulthood. Happy eighteenth.”
He hated his own eighteenth birthday, the day his father slapped him.
After that, not even the choker could suppress his Yin qi, affecting He Yunxiao, their chef, even the creatures in his garden,
But he was truly happy for Wu Heng, entering adulthood, freedom.
“Thank you, everyone.” Wu Heng happily ate his tangyuan.
“I’ll wash up,” You Jin said, taking the empty bowl. He urged the others to go to bed, a busy day tomorrow.
As they went upstairs, Shi Xuan, watching from the hallway window, “Wu Heng, let’s remove the choker now,” as promised.
Wu Heng knew it was a sensitive topic for his father, who felt guilty about its disappearance and his subsequent condition. He walked towards Shi Xuan.
His fingers touched Shi Xuan’s neck, ice cold, then the invisible choker glowed, its form revealed, a beautiful jade circlet with carvings of herbs and gold threads, emanating a faint Yin qi.
Shi Xuan couldn’t remove it himself, it even tightened during those exorcism rituals, suffocating him.
Wu Heng held the choker, trying to lift it, but Shi Xuan was taller, and as he was about to exert more force, a cool breath against his skin, he was lifted and placed gently on the windowsill.
He was now looking down at Shi Xuan.
“Don’t worry, I won’t let you fall,” he said, his hand on Wu Heng’s arm for support.
Wu Heng, his face burning as he held the choker, nudged him lightly with his foot.
It came off easily.
Shi Xuan, his expression a mix of relief and something else, “The shackles of my first eighteen years, finally gone.”
Wu Heng, holding the choker, still warm from Shi Xuan’s skin, his hand tingling slightly, “Missing it? Want me to put it back on?”
“I’m wearing a new one now,” Shi Xuan’s hand slid down his arm to his waist, feeling him tremble. “This time, willingly,” he said, his voice soft.
Wu Heng’s face burned crimson, his blush spreading down his neck.
He wanted to say something, then suddenly,
“Wait…”
He clutched the choker in one hand, the other on Shi Xuan’s arm for support, and looked out the window.
A thick wave of Yin qi, as if drawn from the entire village, flooded the second floor, visible even to ordinary people, avoiding him but swirling around Shi Xuan, not harming him, but nourishing him, his breath hitching as if taking his first deep breath in eighteen years.
“Shi Xuan?” Wu Heng asked, gently patting his back.
Shi Xuan, his hand still on Wu Heng’s waist, his breathing ragged, the intense sensation from the Yin qi making him lean against him, his head resting lightly on his shoulder.
He felt… monstrous.
But Wu Heng didn’t seem to mind.
Lai Jun, rushing up, exclaimed, ‘What’s going on? Mass suicide?!‘
Wu Su, following him, was shocked by the Yin qi swirling around Shi Xuan, like watching his child devour junk food,
“Shi Xuan, what are you, some sort of… evil sword immortal?” he finally asked.
He might be the reincarnation of one father-in-law ~
Thanks for the hardwork!