Fellow Daoist! That scoundrel has written a new book again.

Upon hearing "seven days later," Shen Anzhi suddenly realized something. He calculated the date in his mind and discovered that it was the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Zhu Wuyao was completely unaware of the impending calamity that awaited him.

She was standing at the doorway, continuing to weave her story to the crowd:

"You have all witnessed this, and are now tainted with resentment. The soul fire on your shoulders is mixed with a trace of black flame. This Immortal Master Shen beside me will avert disaster for you all at midnight tonight."

Seeing the crowd's surprised and uncertain expressions, Zhu Wuyao unleashed his final trump card—"Immortal Master Shen will not take a single penny."

The slightly skeptical look instantly turned into one of certainty.

These free superstitious activities are so tempting.

Moreover, Master Wuyan is a truly capable person. He said that there was a problem with the soul fire on his shoulder, and if it wasn't dealt with properly, who knows if he would suffer bad luck in the future?

Those guests who had originally planned to check out immediately decided not to leave.

If you leave with the "black flame" that Master Wuyan mentioned, you might be haunted by that ghost!

Moreover, with Daoist Wuyan and Immortal Shen guarding this place, it's certainly safer than other places, even if something does happen.

At least they're close by, so these two deities can save my life in time.

Shen Anzhi and Zhu Wuyao had already developed a basic understanding. He had just listened to her make up a bunch of nonsense about soul fire, black flames, and resentful spirits, and he was able to remain calm and listen quietly to Zhu Wuyao's ramblings.

In the end, he found that the explanation of the soul fire on the shoulder actually made sense, and if he hadn't never seen it with his own eyes, he would almost have believed it.

Miss Zhu, you truly deserve to be called a storyteller; your ability to create stories is truly impressive!

Here, Zhu Wuyao used the saying that he had "three flames on his body and one on each shoulder and head" from his previous life to chat idly with the group, fully satisfying the onlookers' enthusiasm for gossip.

After the people in the inn finished learning about the latest supernatural knowledge and returned to their rooms satisfied, Zhu Wuyao took the teapot handed to him by Zhang Fu, and without even using a cup, took a big gulp.

After she finished moistening her throat, she saw Zhang Fu looking hesitant, as if he wanted to say something.

"Is there some new discovery?"

"No, no, it's just... I wanted to ask you to check if the fire on my shoulder is still burning."

...The Daoist Master Wuyan was speechless.

After dealing with the waiter, the room finally became quiet.

Shen Anzhi asked first, "Miss Zhu, what do you mean by asking me to help the people in the inn dispel their resentment at midnight?"

Zhu Wuyao slumped onto the stool, waved his hand, and said, "It's not about dispelling resentment, but about gathering everyone together."

"If they are scattered in different rooms, the killer might not be able to react in time if he comes again. But if everyone is gathered together, the killer should be more cautious."

"Moreover, we can use this as an excuse to keep everyone here, making it easier for the Star-Picking Tower to find clues after they arrive."

Shen Anzhi nodded thoughtfully and said, "So, I want to extend the time for dispelling the resentment until dawn?"

“That makes sense.” Zhu Wuyao nodded and continued, “Brother Shen, why don’t you take a nap first?”

"No need, those who cultivate the Tao can live without sleep."

Zhu Wuyao then realized that people from the immortal sects only needed to meditate and could even abstain from grains. She recalled the day the two first met, when Shen Anzhi ordered a table full of dishes.

Looking back now, it seems like he ordered all of it for himself.

“Miss Zhu, I can stay here by myself. You should go home first. There’s no need for you to take risks here.”

Upon hearing this, Zhu Wuyao reached out and pinched the bridge of his nose.

Of course she wanted to go home. Home had a good bed, good food, and good feng shui. But the inn was full of troubles, and there was a dead person in the next room. It sounded like the beginning of a ghost story.

But it was Shen Anzhi who stayed here.

He was a very good person.

Such a kind-hearted person is a rare sight, both in past and present lives, and she was truly afraid that Shen Anzhi would fall into a ditch.

and--

“Going home isn’t necessarily safe either. There’s a 60% chance the killer is after me. If you’re not there, am I supposed to fight my own inner demons?”

Shen Anzhi thought about it and realized that made sense.

"Miss Zhu, if you're feeling troubled, why don't you pick up a pen and write some stories?"

Perhaps if you use that pen more often and develop a tacit understanding with it, the spirit of the pen will recognize it as its master.

To everyone's surprise, Zhu Wuyao gave him a complicated look and said, "I'm already annoyed, and now I have to work hard to earn money at the crime scene?"

"Then practice your handwriting."

"I can't train, I just want to rest."

If it weren't for the fact that he couldn't recklessly use his spiritual power recently, Shen Anzhi would have really wanted to take a closer look to see if Miss Zhu was truly destined to be without this pen.

This miraculous item might save her life if she's in danger.

He thought for a while, then a brilliant idea struck him: "Why don't we draw a talisman? I'll teach you a 'Purifying Heart Talisman,' maybe you can grasp its true meaning?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Wuyao's eyes lit up, and he sat up straight, asking, "Then do you have any 'luck-changing talismans'?"

She immediately remembered Shen Anzhi's ability to find money on the street earlier that day.

This move fulfilled all her fantasies about divination!

Shen Anzhi was taken aback, then nodded with difficulty and said, "There are some, but they are not as miraculous as I imagined, and the chances of success are very low."

Zhu Wuyao nodded vigorously.

"Let's practice this!"

Seeing Zhu Wuyao take out paper and brush and grind the ink, he took the brush handed to him and planned to give a demonstration first.

To his surprise, the brush hovered an inch above the paper, refusing to let him press it down no matter what he said.

Shen Anzhi felt somewhat helpless.

This estimate suggests a bit of a grudge.

"Brother Shen, why aren't you painting?"

Shen Anzhi put down his pen and said, "Oh, I suddenly remembered that I can't use my spiritual power recklessly these days, but when I draw talismans with paper and pen, spiritual power will naturally overflow, which is not helpful for healing my injuries."

As he spoke, he picked up the teapot next to him, poured some water, dipped his fingertip in it, and began to draw on the table.

This "lucky charm" is full of twists and turns, but Zhu Wuyao has never been so eager to learn as he is now.

She concentrated and calmly picked up her brush to copy the talisman. The drawing was neither a painting nor a character; it was as if many strokes had been disassembled and reassembled.

Zhu Wuyao looked at the crooked and messy thing in front of him, but he was not discouraged and continued to work hard.

But Shen Anzhi, who was watching from the sidelines, suddenly frowned.

This talisman is complete.

But something seems a little off.

Zhu Wuyao couldn't mobilize spiritual power at all, so how could he infuse the talisman with divine power? Could it be this pen?

Perhaps it wasn't drawn accurately enough, so it can no longer be called a "lucky charm." After hesitating for a long time, Shen Anzhi decided to analyze it to see what it was actually used for.

Just as he was about to touch the talisman whose function was unknown, Zhu Wuyao suddenly said:

"Brother Shen, I've got it!"

Shen Anzhi casually withdrew his hand, looked at Zhu Wuyao, and waited for her to continue.

"Are you diviners capable of predicting events related to yourselves?"

"Correct."

"If someone were to curse you with intense emotions and try to find you and harm you, would you be able to detect it and avoid it?"

Shen Anzhi pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "If what happens truly poses a threat to oneself, then one would probably notice it..."

He wasn't sure either.

Zhu Wuyao threw his pen on the table, which startled Shen Anzhi.

"Brother Shen, I plan to lure Ye Xiaozhou out."