Chapter 60: Huang San's Evil Deed and Zhong Sheng's Miscalculation

  Ladies and gentlemen, a certain celebrity once said: Where there are people, there is the pugilistic world; where there is the pugilistic world, there are hooligans.

  Chao Ge is the royal city of Da Shang, with a population of one million, three religions and nine schools of thought, where pearls are mixed with fish eyes. There are heroes and good men, but also many rascals and scoundrels.

  This Liu San, a good-for-nothing raised by his uncle, disowned by six relatives, with five bodies (why five bodies?) emitting black air, possessing strange powers all over his body. Every day he's busy with the business of taking in white knives and sending out red knives, bullying men and women, dominating the market, roaming freely in the eighteen wards and seventy-two streets of Chang'an, one of the most notorious villains in Chang'an.

  That day, he heard that someone had opened a shop on his turf and was charging ten taels per divination without paying protection fees, which really got under his skin.

  "My goodness, I thought I was the darkest in this dynasty, but it turns out there's someone even darker than me! This is unacceptable! Isn't this like comparing with Grandpa Liu?"

  Never mind who else, they all come and go, but when it comes to elegant and refined figures, that's where I, Liu San, stand out!

  Liu San led a group of brothers, charging straight into Huang Shiren's gambling den with their sleeves rolled up.

  The momentum scared a group of civilians to hide far away, stretching their necks and craning their heads to watch the commotion, surrounded by three layers inside and out, with no way to escape.

  "Damn it! Looking for trouble in front of Master, wait for me to beat you to death with one stick!" Wukong weighed the staff and was about to move forward when he was pulled back by Zhuzi.

  "Wukong, don't meddle in other people's business. You still don't know about your master's bad water? Alright, come with me and watch the excitement." Old Zhu was extremely confident in this cheap brother.

  Wukong saw Huang Shiren's mischievous grin and thought Zhu Ziren's words made sense, so he turned around and went to drink with Zhu Ziren.

  "Are you Liu San?" Huang Shiren twirled his goatee, sizing up the two men from head to toe. He saw that they were sturdy and strong, over two meters tall, like iron towers, a pair of fine fellows.

  "It's your grandfather!" Liu San slammed the ninety-nine-pound pig-killing knife on the counter, staring at Huang Shiren with his eyes wide open: "Hmph! You, a Taoist priest, do you know the rules?!"

  "What's going on?"

  "Hey!" Liu San burst out laughing and turned to face a group of younger brothers behind him, saying with a smile: "He says he doesn't know the rules, brothers, why don't you tell him?"

  "Alright!" The four rascals walked out with a smile, went to Old Huang's side, grabbed his limbs, lifted him high up and slammed him hard onto the blue brick ground.

  "Good grief! That guy's body is as weak as a reed, and with this one blow he won't immediately keel over and die?!"

  "Poor thing."

  "You've offended Liu San, what good can come of it?!"

  Outside looks bustling with sighs.

  With a loud crash! The four rascals exerted their strength and struck with all their might, sending the thing tumbling down. A dull thud was heard, and the blue bricks on the ground cracked and split apart quickly.

  "Ah, comfortable, really comfortable. I've been feeling stiff for the past few days, and this fall has loosened me up quite a bit. Come on, kids, do it a few more times, let Grandpa enjoy himself." Huang Shiren lay on the ground, nothing wrong with him, hehe, laughing away.

  "Damn it!" The four rascals were initially shocked that this Taoist priest didn't die from the fall. After hearing Huang Shiren's words, they became enraged and started beating him up again, without any restraint, thud, thud, thud, for over a dozen times. They were all panting heavily, their eyes rolling back, while Huang Shiren was loudly shouting with pleasure.

  "A bunch of good-for-nothings! Get out, I'm here!" Liu San had been furious for a long time, his iron-fork-like big hand dragged Huang Shiren over and slammed him down with all his might.

  A loud muffled sound, the green bricks on the ground turned to ash and flew away, a huge human-shaped pit appeared before everyone's eyes, Huang Shiren was smashed into the ground.

  "Still, big brother is formidable! This guy's internal organs are probably all going to turn into meat sauce!" The underlings flattered him.

  "Haha, refreshing! Liu San, do you still have the energy?" Huang Shiren jumped out of the pit, dusting off the dirt on his body, and smiled at Liu San with a "heh heh".

  "This is going to be tough!"

  "Indeed, a true master does not reveal his appearance! The Taoist priest's divine body!"

  ……

  Outside the door, people were discussing and arguing about Huang Shiren, looking at him with different eyes.

  Liu San was stunned. He knew his own strength well enough, and it wasn't just Huang Shiren, an old Taoist priest, who would be defeated by him - even the fierce bull from earlier would have been killed instantly!

  Today I met a formidable character! Liu San usually deals with people from all walks of life, and when he mentions the immortal family, his heart is filled with apprehension.

  "You're quite capable, old man!" Liu San thought he couldn't force it anymore, his eyes rolled around, and a plan formed in his mind. "You'd better calculate my fortune! If you get it right, I'll let you open your shop, and I won't bother you again. But if you don't... Hehe, I'll make sure this shop is ruined!"

  "Take a look over there." Huang Shiren pointed at the "Ten Taels for One Divination" signboard and smiled.

  "Grandpa has no money!" How could Liu San possibly take out money?

  "This way, I won't charge you a penny. If my calculation is wrong, you can do whatever you want. But if my calculation is correct, you'll have to kowtow three times in front of my door with your upper body bare!" Huang Shiren said with a smile.

  "Good!" Liu San was a simple-minded person and nodded without thinking.

  "What do you want?" Huang Shiren said, sitting cross-legged.

  "Let's calculate our luck! Just for today's luck!" Liu San smiled and said.

  Huang Shiren calmly pinched his fingers and smiled: "You will suffer a disaster of knives and guns today, and you will be beaten with sixty military clubs."

  "You're talking nonsense! Who dares to provoke me, Liu San, in Chao Ge? Let alone someone hitting me with a stick!" Liu San burst out laughing.

  "Try it and you'll know." Huang Shiran said with a smile.

  "Suit yourself!" Liu San turned around and left, with a sly laugh from Huang Shiren echoing behind him.

  "You look so lovely, I'll give you another free fortune-telling, are you married?"

  "Really? What's wrong?"

  "Come home early tonight, your wife is having an affair with another man."

  "What!?" Liu San was furious upon hearing this and jumped up in anger. The onlookers who had gathered to watch the commotion all burst out laughing.

  "Alright, go." Huang Shiren closed his eyes, drowsy and about to fall asleep.

  "You old Taoist, if you're effective today, everything will be fine. If not, wait for a miserable end!" Liu San shouted and turned to leave.

  "Can Master predict accurately?" Wukong watched with interest and began to worry about Huang Shiren again.

  "You're stupid! Da Ge Tai Yi Jin Xian is one, if you can't even calculate the fortune of a commoner like this, then it's better to buy a block of nian gao and knock yourself dead!" Zhu Zi Zhen hummed.

  Three people idle, waiting for the outcome, and those who watch the excitement outside the door are also waiting for Liu San to come.

  They waited until the sun went down and the dusk gathered, everyone was impatient, when suddenly someone shouted: "Look, Liu San is here!"

  The villagers all turned their heads, and among them, Liu San, with his bare back, was supported by two rascals on either side, limping along as he came over. When he reached the door, he fell to his knees with a thud and shouted in a loud, cracked voice: "Immortal Master! You're really a divine being! Liu San is kowtowing to you!"

  Wow! The countless onlookers around suddenly exclaimed in unison.

  "Heh heh, Liu San, was I right or not?" Huang Shi-ren walked out with his hands behind his back and gave a faint smile at Liu San.

  "Right! Too damn right! I left the house, didn't walk a few streets, bumped into a group of soldiers, and when I got angry, I beat up two soldiers. Who knew that was the return of the imperial tutor Wen Taishi? They caught me and gave me sixty military rods, not one more or less. Rushing back home, sure enough, I saw that cheap woman stealing a man, and both cheap people were killed by me together! Immortal Master, you are indeed a god!" Liu San bowed his head, admiring Huang Shiren with all his might, only to kowtow.

  The people around heard this and were deeply moved, and from then on they regarded Huang Shiren as a god.

  Huang Shiren crouched down and stretched out his finger to tap on Liu San's forehead: "You scoundrel, do you know that you have a calamity of blood and light?"

  "Ah!?" Liu San was startled and his face turned pale, knocking his head like a small chicken pecking at rice: "Please, immortal one, save me!"

  "Alright, alright, I see you're a good fellow. I'll reveal a secret to you. As a man of great stature, you spend your days doing evil deeds and accumulating too much sin, naturally you'll receive retribution. Listen to me, from now on, rob the rich and help the poor, accumulate more good deeds, only then can you avoid this calamity. Otherwise, within three to five years, you will surely lose your head."

  Huang Shiren's words were righteous and stern, Liu San didn't dare to doubt him in the slightest, and the surrounding villagers sighed repeatedly.

  "We were really wronged back then!"

  "Yes, indeed, Daozhang is truly kind and benevolent, a celestial being!"

  "Girl's, from now on whoever dares to find trouble with Dao Zhang again, I'll be the first one to not let him off!"

  "Alright, alright!"

  ……

  The common people first saw that Huang Shiren's divination was so effective, and then they saw him order Liu San to do good deeds, how could they not be delighted, how could they not respect him.

  "Alright, I'll change tomorrow!" Liu San continued to kowtow and said: "Master Dao, when I was beaten by the soldiers, that Wen Taishi told me to go to the government office tomorrow to receive punishment. I'm afraid he's going to deal with me severely. I originally wanted to escape, but that Wen Taishi is a master of divination, even if I escaped to the ends of the earth, he would still be able to catch me. Please, Master Dao, save my life!"

  "Come with me!"

  Huang Shiren led Liu San into the temple, had Wukong close the door, took out a piece of cinnabar paper, drew a ghostly talisman, and handed it to Liu San: "Wear this talisman on your body for seven days without leaving your side. After seven days, find a deserted place to burn it, and everything will be fine."

  "Thank you, Immortal!" Liu San was overjoyed, as if he had obtained a precious treasure, and put it away.

  "Also, I have something and need your help."

  "Master Dao, just give the order. As long as it's your affair, I'll definitely get it done!" Liu San had picked up his life from Huang Shi-ren, let alone doing things for him, even if he was asked to kill someone, he wouldn't hesitate.

  "You're doing well in this imperial court, later on, listen more to the news of this imperial court, if there's any wind or grass movement, report back to me quickly."

  "This is easy, I have brothers everywhere, it will definitely be done."

  "Alright, go." Huang Shiren waved his hand and Liu Sanqian thanked him profusely before leaving.

  Since Liu San's departure, Huang Shiren's divination shop became bustling. The people of Chao Ge City all knew that there was a divine person in Nan Shi who was accurate in fortune-telling, and they came one after another. Whatever fortune he told, Huang Shiren said it was absolutely true, and the news spread out. In just a few days, Huang Shiren's reputation became prominent in Chao Ge, not only among ordinary people but also among merchants, wealthy officials, and court officials, who flocked to his shop continuously, making it as crowded as a market.

  Not to mention Huang Shiren's prosperity, but say Taishi Wen Zhong.

  Lao Taishi was a senior member of the Three Treasures Sect, with a reputation for being loyal and dedicated. He was highly respected throughout the land, and as a former member of the Zhengyi school, he possessed the cultivation of a Taiyi True Immortal, despite being an earthly immortal. He was well-versed in the Five Elements Escape Technique, had three pupils in each eye, could distinguish between loyalty and treachery, and was skilled in divination and numerology, all of which were widely known to people.

  A few days ago, I returned to the capital and encountered a rascal who had trespassed into my military camp, beaten up my soldiers, and ordered his men to give him sixty military lashes. He was told to report to the government office today for punishment.

  This kind of thing, he didn't care about it originally, but as the Grand Preceptor, the people in the yamen naturally took it seriously and waited for three days without seeing Liu San come forward. They became anxious and went to the Grand Preceptor's mansion to ask him to make a decision.

  "This scoundrel is so bold!" The Grand Master heard this and was also furious. Everyone in the capital knew his abilities, and those who committed crimes knew that if they encountered Grand Master Wen, he would be able to calculate their guilt, and they wouldn't dare escape with their lives. Yet this rascal didn't go to turn himself in.

  "Let me calculate!" The eunuch counted on his fingers, chuckled and said to the servant, "It's not that the fool didn't go, but rather he was struck by lightning a few days ago and his body and soul were destroyed."

  "So that's how it is." When the servant heard this, he also felt at ease.

  Bidding farewell to Tai Shi, the patrol continued as usual, but unexpectedly this round of patrol brought trouble for Wen Zhong.

  The first update is here. Thanks to my two brothers, Xiao Dao Xia and Guo Qi Jin Zi, for their rewards! I'm so touched that I'm speechless. The support of my brothers is what motivates me to continue! Thank you, Little Zhang! Also, do any of my brothers still have a recommendation ticket? Give one to me.