The master, with a single sword-like finger, uttered, "Still!"
The talisman adhered perfectly to Steward Li's chest.
Steward Li's charging body froze in place as if cast in lead.
His hands were raised high, mid-stride.
But no matter how hard he tried, his entire body refused to obey; he couldn't move an inch.
Witnessing this display of talismanic arts,
Not only did Mo Ting and I gasp in awe, but the two men in black beside us were also dumbfounded.
One of the bodyguards exclaimed in surprise,
"He's... he's frozen!"
My master ignored them, his gaze fixed on Steward Li.
Looking at his ulcer-ridden face, he frowned slightly and said,
"He's been infected by ghost energy to this extent."
As soon as he spoke, Daoist Tang beside him chimed in,
"Fortunately, you met us. You can still be saved.
Wait another month, and you'll be nothing but a walking corpse."
Steward Li paid them no mind.
He continued to stare at me with blood-red eyes, roaring incessantly,
"I don't need your help! Give it to me, quickly give me the box!"
I looked at Steward Li, trying to control my own body, but no matter how hard I strained,
Apart from my veins bulging, my body remained utterly immobile.
I ignored his words and calmly replied,
"Steward Li, these are my master, Daoist Gu, and Daoist Tang.
I've already explained your situation to them.
All you need to do now is cooperate with us.
This will be beneficial for you, your wife, and your children."
But Steward Li wouldn't listen to me, continuing to howl,
"Don't say anything else, just give me the box.
I beg you.
I just want my wife and children to not suffer down below and to have a good reincarnation in their next life.
The chairman's family's luck is so strong, I only borrowed a tiny bit from them.
I, I'll repay it in my next life.
Please, I beg you..."
Steward Li was trapped in a state of frenzied obsession,
Unwilling to believe that we were trying to help him.
He clung to the answer in his own heart,
After all, he had persisted for ten years.
According to him, with just a few more days, his ten years would be up.
His wife and children would then be able to reincarnate into better lives.
He didn't want to fail at the final step.
From his perspective, his body covered in sores and ulcers seemed insignificant...
In this regard, Steward Li was indeed a man of mettle.
At least he had his wife and children in his heart,
Far better than those husbands and fathers outside who only knew how to flirt, commit domestic violence, and abuse.
It was just a pity that he had chosen the wrong path.
I sighed, unsure how to explain it to him.
But my master spoke up beside me,
"You think you're doing what's best for your wife and children, but you don't realize.
The person behind you is using you.
If we were to give you the box,
And allow that person to obtain the tenth Qi Luck Pearl within,
Not only would your wife and children be unable to reincarnate, but they would also be devoured by that person to replenish their vital energy.
At that point, you would have no further use,
And you wouldn't meet a good end either.
In the end, all three of you would be scattered to the winds,
Let alone reincarnating."
Upon hearing this, Steward Li's expression clearly changed,
A trace of fear appearing in his eyes.
But his ten years of persistence and his last shred of faith made him unwilling to believe the truth.
He became more agitated and stubbornly argued,
"Impossible, the Immortal Daoist cultivates virtue and does good deeds, how could he lie to me..."
Daoist Tang's tone grew less patient, and he scoffed,
"Heh! Being sold and still counting the money for them.
Inciting others to steal luck, and you call that cultivating virtue and doing good deeds?
You say that person isn't human, and if they're not human, they're ghosts.
You believe a ghost?
If you're not foolish, what are you?
If you persist, you'll only forfeit their chance at reincarnation.
Even if you miraculously survive, when you go below, you'll only be cast into the eighteen levels of hell to suffer endless torment..."
Daoist Tang's voice was icy, completely disregarding Steward Li's emotions.
Steward Li, now agitated, trembled all over.
He finally realized something, recalled something.
He began to mutter to himself...
His emotions gradually stabilized somewhat...
After a minute or two, he looked back at us and spoke again,
"You, you're telling the truth?
I, I, by doing this,
Will truly, truly harm them?
I, I, why should I believe you?"
My master and Daoist Tang shook their heads helplessly.
I took out my phone and opened the selfie function, pointing it at his current terrifying appearance.
I added,
"Steward Li, take a good look at yourself.
You've already become neither human nor ghost.
We genuinely want to help you.
And we want to expose the demonic person behind you.
Besides, we have no conflict of interest with you.
Also, who in the vicinity of Dongcheng Second Factory doesn't know my master and Daoist Tang?
The number of people they've helped is countless.
Who else can you trust now besides us?"
After I finished speaking, Steward Li hesitated.
My master and Daoist Tang instinctively stroked their mustaches.
Steward Li hesitated for a moment, swallowing a few times.
Clearly, he was beginning to believe our words,
And began to doubt that "Immortal Daoist."
Because over the past ten years, he and his wife and children had not lived well.
He himself was covered in sores,
And his wife and children would periodically suffer from splitting headaches, requiring them to inhale human essence.
After much deliberation, he continued to ask us,
"That Daoist said that after ten years, he could, could help my wife and children reincarnate.
Then, can you, can you help them, go, go reincarnate?"