Free Web NovelChapter 161: Chapter 161: Counterfeit Spirit Spring Water _1
"Master Zhang has arrived, Master Zhang has finally appeared!"
"The reputation of Spirit Spring Water precedes it; today, we finally get to meet its creator."
Excited discussions filled the audience, with all eyes focused on Master Zhang.
The fame of Spirit Spring Water had spread far, but it had not yet been sold on a large scale in Yanjing, so everyone was eager.
Upon learning that the creator of Spirit Spring Water would make an appearance, half of Yanjing was abuzz.
The fever pitch only rose upon hearing that the creator was going to auction off the tools for making Spirit Spring Water.
Chen Fu also became excited, and said to Xia Ningning, "Miss Xia, that is the creator of Spirit Spring Water, Master Zhang."
Thanks to Chen Fu, they sat in the best seats at the first row, with the clearest view, and Ye Ming recognized Master Zhang at a glance as Zhang Tianlai, whom they had encountered in Hai City.
Ye Ming smiled indifferently; he had been wondering why Zhang Tianlai had been out of sight for so long, and it turned out he had gone back to his old ways in Yanjing.
Zhang Tianlai had originally started as a charlatan, and after being dealt with by Ye Ming, he didn’t dare cause trouble in Hai City again, so he shifted his base to Yanjing. After a few tricks, Zhang Tianlai became renowned in Yanjing, and in a bid to make a big score, he planned to impersonate Ye Ming.
Without realizing it, Ye Ming shifted his position backwards to conceal himself, simply to see what sort of trick Zhang Tianlai intended to pull.
But his move aroused the suspicion of Chen Fu, who became more certain that Ye Ming was putting on airs. Now that the real creator had appeared, Chen Fu was sure Ye Ming was hiding himself for fear of being exposed.
"A man living off a woman," Chen Fu muttered under his breath with disdain.
Many audience members greeted Zhang Tianlai as he took the stage.
Some were even glossing over Zhang Tianlai.
"Our house was haunted before, and Master Zhang himself came to exorcize the evil for us. I didn’t expect him to be the creator of Spirit Spring Water!"
"My old man was possessed by evil spirits, and it was Master Zhang who helped resolve it."
"Truly worthy of being Master Zhang, living up to the title!"
Murmurs of discussion came from all around, and the smile on Zhang Tianlai’s face grew thicker.
He waved his hand with a smile, and the area immediately quieted down.
"Ladies and gentlemen, you must all be familiar with me, I am Zhang Tianlai."
"I am here today to introduce another side of myself to you all."
"You all must have heard about Spirit Spring Water, and I am its founder."
As he finished this statement, applause erupted enthusiastically from around.
However, Lin Bingqing was finding it difficult to watch and wanted to go up and teach this impostor a lesson, but was stopped by Ye Ming.
"Let’s wait and see, and find out what the old kid really wants to do!"
Lin Bingqing angrily sat back down, her fists clenched tight.
She had always been in charge of the business of Spirit Spring Water, so she had a particular disdain for the impostor Zhang Tianlai. If not for Ye Ming’s intervention, she would have definitely gone on stage and beaten up Zhang Tianlai.
Chen Fu saw their every move, and with a scoff of contempt said, "Two swindlers, let’s see how you face Miss Xia later; just wait to be exposed!"
Zhang Tianlai on stage vividly described all the miraculous effects of Spirit Spring Water, making it sound absolutely magical, which further convinced the audience.
By the time he had thoroughly whetted the audience’s appetite, Zhang Tianlai suddenly stopped and then raised the chipped small bowl in his hand. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
Offstage, an assistant hurriedly ran over, bringing a bottle of very ordinary mineral water, and handed it to Zhang Tianlai.
"Ladies and gentlemen, although this bowl in my hands may not look very appealing, and even has a chip missing, when ordinary water is poured into this small bowl, it can produce what is known as Spirit Spring Water!"
"This bowl was something I stumbled upon in a village called Lingquan Villa. After some blessing with my magic power, it became a Magic Artifact imbued with Spiritual Energy, which can be transferred to ordinary water."
To make the audience even more convinced, Zhang Tianlai proceeded to conduct an experiment on the spot.
He calmly poured the ordinary water into the bowl, mimicking the motions of casting a spell, and began to enchant the water in the bowl.
Soon enough, the audience could see with their naked eyes that the water in the bowl quickly began to boil, and wafts of steam were rising.
This scene left people utterly astonished.
Many people in the audience were intellectuals who believed in science and had no faith in such superstitions. But now, seeing with their own eyes, belief was no longer something they could choose.
The evident truth was right before them; they had to believe, even if they didn’t want to.
After the boiling subsided, Zhang Tianlai pretentiously exhaled a breath of turbid air and said to the crowd, "Everyone, watch carefully. The Spirit Spring Water is now made. If anyone doesn’t believe it, feel free to come up. I am offering a taste for free!"
The price of Spirit Spring Water had already been driven up to tens of thousands of yuan per bottle outside. When Zhang Tianlai mentioned ’for free,’ many people were already tempted and eager to try.
Zhang Tianlai picked a few lucky audience members from the crowd and gave them some of the Spirit Spring Water.
After drinking the water from the bowl, these audience members’ expressions changed dramatically.
They felt a surge of strength throughout their bodies, along with a slight sensation of intoxication.
"This Spirit Spring Water is indeed miraculous; it’s truly an eye-opener!" ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
"A treasure, an absolute treasure! I spent a lot of money and couldn’t get a single bottle, and today I had the good fortune to taste it for free!"
"I feel so strong I could take down an ox!"
Those who had tasted the Spirit Spring Water began to exclaim in wonder, speaking as if it were magical, making people even more curious about the Spirit Spring Water.
Seeing this scene, Ye Ming also found it somewhat strange and had Lin Bingqing fetch some for him.
After a careful examination, Ye Ming sneered disdainfully.
"Zhang Tianlai, this old rascal, hasn’t changed his ways. He sure has many tricks up his sleeve for deceiving people."
After tasting it, Ye Ming had seen through Zhang Tianlai’s trickery. What he had made as Spirit Spring Water was nothing but a concoction with some stimulants and a hint of Spiritual Energy added.
Amplified by the push of Spiritual Energy, the effect of the stimulants was intensified, also inducing a sense of intoxication in the drinkers.
However, this old scoundrel still had some conscience. Although he was deceiving people, he wasn’t harming anyone; it was all just an illusion.
As the crowd was abuzz with praise, Zhang Tianlai revealed a satisfied smile.
He raised a hand to signal everyone to pause, and then loudly declared, "I presume everyone has seen with their own eyes the magical qualities of the Spirit Spring Water."
"Now then, I plan to auction off the Magic Artifact used to produce Spirit Spring Water."
"The starting bid will be ten million!"
