Song Qingshan let out a cold snort and tossed a string of copper coins high into the air.
Immediately after, he formed hand seals, and the coins, which had scattered like flowers in the sky, began to float and arrange themselves into a formation mid-air.
Seeing this, the crowd erupted in cheers. Such a skill was not something just anyone could possess.
Qin Ming was also left dumbfounded. These Feng Shui masters were truly capable?
Song Qingshan basked in the admiration of the crowd.
He pointed a finger at Heavenly Master Zhao.
The floating coins shot toward Heavenly Master Zhao like a barrage.
"Such petty tricks, and you dare show them off in front of me?"
Heavenly Master Zhao sneered, raising a hand and calling out,
"Sword, come!"
A young disciple behind him, holding the Celestial Master Sword, responded.
At his command, the sword flew into the air, slicing through the coins one by one.
Once struck by the sword, the coins split in half and fell to the ground.
In mere moments, nearly half of the sixty-four coins were destroyed.
Song Qingshan felt as though he might vomit blood from sheer heartache.
These were his family heirlooms!
He could no longer focus on the duel and hurriedly tried to retrieve the remaining coins.
But the Celestial Master Sword was relentless, continuing to chase and destroy the coins.
Song Qingshan was beside himself with grief.
He glared at Heavenly Master Zhao and shouted, "Heavenly Master Zhao, must you be so ruthless?"
"Do you think you can challenge me so casually without paying a price?"
Heavenly Master Zhao smiled faintly.
Song Qingshan's face turned ashen, and he gritted his teeth, lowering his voice.
"Today, I was too rash. I beg you, Heavenly Master Zhao, to show mercy."
"That's more like it."
Heavenly Master Zhao gestured, and the Celestial Master Sword returned to his hand.
Song Qingshan quickly gathered the remaining coins, his expression dark and stormy.
Not only had he failed to earn any money today, but his family heirlooms had been ruined!
The other Feng Shui practitioners were also shocked by Heavenly Master Zhao's display.
Many began to reconsider their earlier ambitions.
If even Song Qingshan was no match for Heavenly Master Zhao, how could they dare to provoke him?
"If any other fellow practitioners wish to challenge me, feel free to step forward. If no one dares, then I will take on the Qin family's task today,"
Heavenly Master Zhao declared, holding the Celestial Master Sword and stroking his beard with an air of superiority.
"I'll take you on."
A small, elderly man with a youthful face and white hair stepped forward.
He was dressed in a somewhat shabby Daoist robe, but no one dared to underestimate him.
This man was highly respected in the northern Feng Shui circles, known as Elder Kui Xing.
Heavenly Master Zhao glanced at him and said indifferently, "Very well, show me your treasure. Let me see what you've got."
Elder Kui Xing snorted coldly, and a red string floated into the air, emitting faint flames like a fiery serpent.
The crowd was awestruck by the display.
Qin Ming slapped his thigh and exclaimed,
"Damn, these guys are really something! I should learn a few tricks to impress girls."
"You'd probably need a decade or two to master that,"
Tang Yu, who had already seen how the plot would unfold, wasn't particularly impressed.
[No matter how impressive they are, they're just stepping stones for Ye Chen.]
[According to the plot, this old man will also lose to Heavenly Master Zhao, and then Heavenly Master Zhao will clash with Ye Chen.]
[Once Heavenly Master Zhao fails in his ritual, it'll be Ye Chen's turn to show off. Qin Kexin will start admiring him from this point on.]
[Poor Qin Ming, not only will he be killed by Ye Chen, but his family's wealth and sister will also fall into that scoundrel's hands.]
Qin Kexin, hearing the inner monologue again, quickly locked her gaze on Qin Ming.
Then she noticed Tang Yu sitting nearby and immediately realized it was his voice!
There was no mistake.
Her brother had no other close friends besides him!
Though inwardly shocked, she maintained her composure.
She wanted to see if things would truly unfold as Tang Yu had predicted.
Meanwhile, Elder Kui Xing had already begun his duel with Heavenly Master Zhao.
The red string he controlled transformed into a fiery serpent, shooting toward Heavenly Master Zhao.
Despite the impressive display, Heavenly Master Zhao merely smirked.
As the fiery serpent approached, he raised a hand, and the serpent came to an abrupt halt.
"Go back,"
Heavenly Master Zhao commanded, and the fiery serpent reversed course, charging back at Elder Kui Xing.
When his own weapon turned against him, Elder Kui Xing's face paled.
He desperately tried to dodge the attack, looking utterly disheveled.
The crowd burst into laughter, their respect for Heavenly Master Zhao growing even more.
Truly, the Heavenly Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain was in a league of his own.
They were completely in awe.
"Heavenly Master Zhao, I admit defeat. I am thoroughly convinced,"
Elder Kui Xing, after running around for a while, had no choice but to swallow his pride and surrender.
Heavenly Master Zhao smiled in satisfaction.
With a wave of his hand, the red string fell to the ground, lifeless.
Elder Kui Xing, looking disheveled, picked up the string and tied it around his wrist, muttering under his breath but not daring to say more.
With this, no one else dared to challenge Heavenly Master Zhao.
Heavenly Master Zhao looked around smugly and clasped his hands together.
"My fellow practitioners, I thank you for your courtesy. Since that's the case, I will take care of the Qin family's matter."
The other Feng Shui masters, though reluctant, had no choice but to accept.
After all, none of them were a match for him.
"We are in your debt, Heavenly Master Zhao,"
Qin Pengchi said, thoroughly impressed by what he had witnessed.
"As cultivators, it is our duty to vanquish evil and protect the innocent. This is merely my responsibility,"
Heavenly Master Zhao replied politely, mindful of Qin Pengchi's status as a wealthy benefactor.
Qin Kexin, meanwhile, was stunned.
Everything had unfolded exactly as she had heard in the inner monologue.
She quickly composed herself and turned to Ye Chen, saying,
"Mr. Ye, Heavenly Master Zhao is truly remarkable, almost like a deity."
Ye Chen sneered dismissively.
"All just cheap tricks, nothing more."
The Daoist might have some skill, but compared to him, he was light-years behind.
Once he demonstrated his true power, Qin Kexin would understand what a real master looked like.
His words immediately drew the attention of everyone in the room.
[Here we go again, the classic move of provoking others with his mouth.]
[He'll piss someone off, make a bet, and then crush them underfoot.]
[After humiliating them, he'll act magnanimous to win people over. Truly, no one does it better than you.]
Tang Yu, holding a cup of tea, rolled his eyes.
The familiar plot was just too predictable.
Sure enough, Heavenly Master Zhao was incensed by Ye Chen's words.
He turned to see a young man in his twenties and barked,
"Who is this brat? How dare you call Dragon Tiger Mountain's techniques cheap tricks? If you're so confident, let's see what you've got."
"Who invited this guy? Get him out of here."
"Such a foolish young man."
"Heavenly Master Zhao, teach him a lesson."
The other Feng Shui masters also chimed in, their gazes filled with disdain as they looked at Ye Chen as if he were a clown.