Free Web NovelChapter 116: Chapter 116
Chapter 116
"W... Well, this matter..." His hesitant demeanor only made those around him more aware of the abnormality. Despite knowing, he did not dare to speak out.
If he were to reveal the truth—that his friend often spent time secretly watching other man’s wife, who was also his employer—he, as an accomplice, would surely be punished as well.
Luckily for him, he didn’t have to speak or be questioned further. Suddenly, a noise came from the backyard. The cry drew everyone’s attention. It turned out to be another middle-aged man who had been hired to build the shed. This man had asked to gather some vegetables from Yueqian’s garden.
This young employer was very kind. Whenever the workers asked to buy some vegetables from the garden next to the house’s fence, Yueqian would let them take whatever they wanted without charging them a single tael. This generosity greatly enhanced her reputation.
Today, the middle-aged man and his two friends were about to cut some spring onions and coriander, which they had previously tasted in Yueqian’s cooking. After learning that adding spring onion and coriander leaves into soups would enhance their aroma and significantly improve their taste, they had requested them from Yueqian today.
Before they could cut the spring onions and coriander, they suddenly saw a man lying on the ground, his mouth agape. His face and body were drenched in sweat, looking as if he had been lying under the sun for a long time.
"What happened? Call a physician. There’s a sick man here." His shout caused all the workers to rush over.
Even Yueqian and Mu Heng’s younger siblings ran over in a panic. Seeing the man’s condition, everyone was bewildered and shocked. One of his friends immediately went to him. Their eyes met, but the sick man’s eyes were filled with fear. He looked at Yueqian with terror and glanced at his friend with a plea for help.
Certainly, the man’s friend did not understand what had happened to him. Eventually, the nearby physician arrived. After a preliminary examination, the physician found nothing wrong. It seemed as if the man had suddenly become disabled, his legs weak, and he had lost control over his entire body.
"A curse!! I smell... a curse!!" While the physician was still puzzled during the examination, a hoarse voice of an old woman rang out from the front of the house.
Her voice was so resonant that even them who were in the backyard could hear it clearly.
The people immediately trembled upon hearing her voice. The sound of bells chiming grew closer and closer. Although the sound when the bells were touching each other was melodious, in this era, people did not hang bells at their houses. Only priests or shamans used them.
Previously, there had been rumors about a seer mentioning the appearance of Guanyin and the impending misfortune. Because of those warnings, they heard that the people in that village survived and their problems had been resolved appropriately. However, no one had seen the seer again since then.
Still, they knew that the seer was real!
This time, as someone fell ill and became inexplicably paralyzed, a medium appeared, uttering grave words. "A curse" was not an auspicious term at all.
"Ah, I smell a strong curse. There! That person is cursed, isn’t he?" The old woman’s voice rang out again. This time, her withered face came into view. She was truly an old woman, but she had blackened her eyes, ears, and mouth with charcoal, making her look even more frightening.
She was also chewing something red. Ah... it was actually called betel nut. But people in this era did not recognize it. Certainly, Yueqian bought it from a department store. The red substance the old woman was chewing and spitting out was called red lime. When used with tobacco, it gave the chewer a great deal of pleasure.
At first, the character she had hired did not like using it. Yueqian had even considered having the other party using chicken blood. However, after trying it once or twice, she found that the woman became intrigued and even enjoyed portraying herself as a messenger from the heavens. It could be said that she traveled across all the kingdoms to spread news for Yueqian.
Not only now, but she had been doing this since Yueqian was young, traveling from one kingdom to another, creating the rumors that Yueqian needed. Additionally, she also took jobs from the Art Institute. Over time, with her improving skills, her credibility and performances continued to get better and better.
It was said that in one kingdom, the reputation of this seer with eyes connected to the heavens was so renowned that if she went there, she would receive a warmer welcome than some princes.
"Is... Is that the heavenly messenger?"
"Is she the one who appeared because of the Guanyin?"
"What is she doing here? She just mentioned something about a curse."
The frightened men shouted out. Even the physician examining the patient was stunned. The presence of the mysterious woman genuinely terrified them. There is an old saying that humans fear what they cannot see and do not understand. This incident seemed to prove how true it was.
"Move, move back," the old woman did not answer anyone. Her eyes did not look at anyone else, only focusing on the man lying there without any strength. Only his fearful gaze remained.
The bell in her staff shook violently. The acting and controlling skills of this fake old woman were excellent. It made people think the bell was shaking by itself, even though it was controlled by the person holding it.
"W-What is happening?" The middle-aged man, who was the most superstitious, asked.
The old woman, who had been waiting, shot a piercing glance at the physician who had just examined the patient, causing him to flinch.
"The physician has already examined him, hasn’t he? You didn’t find anything, did you?" The old woman asked, a mocking smile forming at the corner of her mouth as if she already knew something. freeweɓnøvel.com
The physician nodded in response. Earlier, he hadn’t dared to tell anyone that he had found nothing wrong. After all, the man had suddenly fallen ill. If the physician like him admitted he didn’t know why the man was collapsed and incapacitated, what would others think? However, with the appearance of this old woman, a dreadful premonition arose in him, and he certainly didn’t dare to lie.
"Haha! How ridiculous! This is indeed a curse, a potent curse!" The old woman laughed with satisfaction.
"Spit!!" Before anyone could ask anything, she took advantage of the moment of silence and spat out red betel juice that looked like blood. The people around jumped in shock. The old woman’s demeanor made her even more frightening.
"Who is the owner of this house?!" She asked the next question immediately. The eyes of an old woman were scanning the surroundings with an intimidating look.
"It’s me," Yueqian replied, feigning fear. Seeing her reaction, the two children quickly stood beside their sister-in-law.
"Good, very good. Those who worship the sacred Buddha will receive protection," the old woman looked over Yueqian and the children. After a moment, she nodded to herself. The tone she used to speak to Yueqian and the children was different from when she talked about the curse; it sounded like admiration.
"What do you mean?" Yueqian feigned confusion.
"Ah, little lady favored by the Buddha, doesn’t your house have a Buddha statue? And don’t you and your family always worship the Buddha?" Hearing this, Yueqian nodded to the old woman.
The old woman’s rough hand with black nails reached out and lightly touched Yueqian’s head, making her almost step back in fear.
"You are protected by the Buddha. Those who have faith in the Buddha deserve to be cared for. Whenever anyone harbors ill intentions towards you, they will be cursed! A severe curse that will bring about their utter destruction. Ha ha." Initially, the old woman spoke in a gentle tone.
However, as she mentioned those who might wish harm upon her, the old woman’s hand withdrew, and she pointed at the man still lying there, her demeanor resembling that of a demon. Her laughter also grew more demonic.
"W-What do you mean? This man is just a worker. Why is he...?"
Bang!! Ring!!
"How dare you! How dare you question those who have faith?" The old woman expressed how angry she was, even striking her staff on the ground with a loud thud.
The body of the man attempting to defend for the sick shook and even fell backward. But the old woman was not finished. She scanned the crowd before her gaze settled on the paralyzed man’s friend.
"You, too, have been followed. If you don’t handle this matter, perhaps..." She glanced at the immobile man. She smiled with the corners of her lips like a mad woman. But she said nothing more. She simply tapped her staff on the ground a few more times and then slowly walked away.
Amidst the silence of the crowd, the middle-aged man suddenly collapsed. He was terrified, trembling as he recalled the old woman’s words. His lips quivered.
"What happened?" The head contractor asked, also afraid of the recent events. But he didn’t know what had happened.
"I-I apologize, Miss Qin. I apologize. Please forgive me. I had nothing to do with this. I warned him before, but he didn’t listen. Holy protector, please don’t do anything to me," the middle-aged man was so terrified he was nearly out of his mind. He no longer cared about whether he would get punish. He just kept banging his head on the ground, pleading for mercy like a madman.
"What happened? Why did he suddenly..." Yueqian stepped back a few paces, pretending to be shocked and confused by the situation."Miss Qin, this matter..." The young man hesitated slightly, but recalling the terrifying words, he spoke.
