"Little punk? Come in? Are you talking to us?" Zhang Dabiao pointed at his own nose in disbelief, looking at me.
"Otherwise?"
My face darkened. I had never been so humiliated before, and I was furious. They say people from the capital are arrogant and conceited, but I had only heard about it and never experienced it. If this were their territory in the capital, I would have no complaints. But this wasn't the capital.
"Brother Zhang, let's go. If they don't welcome us, why should we force our presence upon them?"
I might not have a reputation now, but that doesn't mean I won't in the future. We can't just grovel because the other party is a big shot from the capital. If this got out, how could we still make a living in the feng shui world?
Seeing us about to leave, Fang Huixin, who was standing nearby, looked extremely embarrassed and pleaded with us in a voice only we could hear, "He's just an ignorant brat, please don't mind him..." Clearly, she had already experienced the sharp tongue of this "brat."
Through the crack in the door, I could see two people sitting at a table. One was older, wearing a gray robe with graying temples, his eyes closed as if in meditation.
The other was a youth, appearing to be about fourteen or fifteen years old. He was looking around with a smug expression, his mouth moving constantly as he observed everything, as if he were dictating the fate of the world.
Without a doubt, those words must have come from this little brat.
"Boss Fang, is this the big shot from the capital you mentioned? Why does he seem to have no manners at all?" Zhang Dabiao didn't hold back, his voice loud enough for the people inside to hear clearly.
I didn't stop him. If this were the capital, under the emperor's nose, I would have accepted it, as I wasn't strong enough. But this wasn't the capital. Who cared if you were a big shot from the capital?
Even if you were a big shot, so what? You are the ones seeking me for information, not me rushing to offer it to you.
Zhang Dabiao's words made Fang Huixin's face turn from red to pale. She kept giving me meaningful glances, urging me to say something. I pretended not to see, as even a clay Buddha has some temper, let alone two living people.
"Hmph, a toad puffing itself up. How dare you make my grandfather wait for you for so long? Do you really think you are..."
*Slap—*
Before the child could finish speaking, he was interrupted by the sound of a hand hitting the table, followed by a hoarse voice from inside the room.
"What did I teach you when we came? There's always someone better, and there's always a sky beyond the sky. Don't you understand this principle?"
"Grandfather, I was wrong..."
After the elder spoke, Fang Huixin quickly pushed the door open. She first bowed to him and then began to explain, "Elder Qian, they... they got stuck in traffic on the way, so they're late. Please don't be offended..."
"Heh heh... It's nothing. It's a bit of a distance from the county town to here. We also encountered traffic on our way, so it's understandable..."
Elder Qian opened his eyes. His voice sounded weak, as if he could pass away at any moment. However, the moment he opened his eyes, a sharp radiance shot out. When I met his gaze, my eyes stung, forcing me to look away.
It was clear he was trying to intimidate us. But it also filled me with surprise. An elder who sounded like he was on his last breath possessed such immense power.
My first thought was that he was a hidden feng shui master. My second thought was that I had encountered another old fox, no less cunning than Li Zuoquan. He ignored his grandson's rude remarks and instead used Fang Huixin's words to his advantage, not only absolving himself of the need to discipline his grandson but also subtly warning us.
"Elder Qian, you are too kind. We are indeed little punks and not worthy of your attention. What the child said is not wrong," I said, neither subservient nor arrogant, looking at Elder Qian.
Elder Qian gave me a meaningful glance and smiled, "Haha... If Zhang Danian's disciple is a little punk, then wouldn't this old man be an old punk?"
The awkward atmosphere instantly dissolved with his words, and my impression of him improved significantly. However, another thought arose in my mind.
Did he know my master?
As far as I knew, I didn't know how capable my master was. Besides knowing he was good at counting money, I had never heard of his reputation outside. How did he know my master's name?
Was my drunken master so famous?
As I pondered his identity, Elder Qian turned his gaze to Zhang Dabiao, sizing him up before speaking, "You are the current demon hunter of the Zhang family in the Northeast, aren't you?"
Demon hunter?
Following Elder Qian's gaze, I also looked at Zhang Dabiao.
This was the first time I learned his true identity – he was a professional demon hunter from the Zhang family in the Northeast. If Elder Qian hadn't pointed it out today, I would never have guessed it.
The Northeast has always been the territory of the "Chuma Xian" (出马仙). Some people might not know what "Chuma Xian" are. These "Xian" are various animals that have cultivated to become spirits, namely foxes, weasels, snakes, hedgehogs, and mice.
This is related to the shamanism of the Wu tribe before the Manchu entered the Central Plains. Their deities were various animals. The reason people generally know about foxes, weasels, snakes, hedgehogs, and mice is that these animals cultivate relatively quickly, so most people only know them as wild immortals of the Northeast.
In reality, the animal totems worshipped by the Wu tribe shamans are not limited to these; they also include large creatures like bears, tigers, and wolves. However, because they cultivate slowly and rarely achieve "immortality," few people know about them.
Professional demon hunters are those who specialize in hunting these wild immortals. Some wild immortals, impatient with the tedium of cultivation, seek shortcuts.
Just as there are good and bad people, "Chuma Xian" are also divided. Some "Chuma Xian" are now taking a different path, seeking rapid cultivation methods. To achieve this, they lure innocent people to offer them blood and even their lives. Professional demon hunters are specifically tasked with apprehending these evil demons who harm people through special methods.
From a human perspective, this is a benevolent act, a service to the community. However, from the perspective of some "Chuma Xian," demon hunters are like evil beings, just as a pig views a butcher as an evil existence.
Therefore, professional demon hunters are unwelcome in the Northeast and have been ostracized to the fringes, almost to the point of being like rats in the street, attacked by everyone. However, because the Northeast has the most "evil spirits," they have a place to survive.
After Elder Qian revealed his identity, Zhang Dabiao showed no unusual reaction. He looked at Elder Qian with more composure than I did and then sat down on a chair.
"Boss Fang, hurry up and have someone serve the food! I'm starving..."
I was so surprised by Zhang Dabiao's impolite behavior that my jaw almost dropped. Was this the Brother Zhang I knew? Although he was sometimes unreliable, his actions were almost always flawless. How could he be so out of character today?
"Little punks are just little punks. They have no manners at all. They really think they are..."
*Slap—*
A loud slap echoed, cutting off the child's words and drawing our attention to Elder Qian.
"One more word out of you, and I'll break your legs..."
Tears welled up in the child's eyes. He also looked at Elder Qian with a hint of confusion before lowering his head and apologizing.
"I'm sorry..."
I sneered and remained silent. Zhang Dabiao, meanwhile, sat on his chair drinking tea, as if he hadn't heard anything.
It was Fang Huixin who broke the silence.
"Oh, the child, heh heh... Children speak without thinking, ha..."
"Exactly, children speak without thinking. Let it go," Xu Yi chimed in, nudging me lightly, implying that I shouldn't offend Elder Qian too much.
Although I was displeased, I couldn't argue with a child, as it would make me seem petty.
"May I ask why Elder Qian has summoned us?"