I picked up skill fragments in the demon world

Chapter 49: Playing God (Third Update, Seeking Follow-up Reads)

“There's a hazy feeling in the air, like a foggy day mixed with a bit of overcast post-rain weather. It's quite strange indeed.” Zhang Chen walked through the mountains, observing the mist that permeated the air. Dew condensed, landing on the vegetation, revealing a vibrant vitality.

“It's over. I fear even the underground water veins have been affected, now drawn out by that dragon energy, which is why the mist is so thick. Is this the last rebound of the heavens and earth before the great disaster? This condensation of mist, benefiting all living beings, is perhaps the final gift of the heavens and earth before the calamity.” Zhang Chen looked at his slightly damp clothes, a serious expression in his eyes, muttering to himself.

Zhang Chen pulled the cart through the village without attracting any attention. However, as he passed the village entrance, Zhang Chen suddenly paused. In the distance, he saw Zhang Tuowei surrounded by a group of young boys. Zhang Tuowei stood in the crowd, acting strangely, with a large group of boys kneeling before him.

At this moment, Zhang Tuowei raised his hands high and shouted to the kneeling boys: “I will exorcise the demons!”

Then, Zhang Tuowei shouted: “Heaven is spiritual, Earth is spiritual, Three Pure Ones, lend me your divine power!”

“Zhang Tuowei” slapped left and right, waving his fingers in the air, muttering, “Smack you to death,” “Catch you.” Then, with a flick of his finger, a flame suddenly appeared on his fingertip.

“Bold evil spirit, daring to cause chaos in the human world! I will use the Samadhi True Fire to refine you to death!” Zhang Tuowei shouted loudly.

The group of boys, seeing the flames in Zhang Tuowei's hand, were all astonished, immediately bowing down and taking out cakes, eggs, and other items from their pockets to offer as tribute. They knelt on the ground, constantly kowtowing and chanting the names of the Three Pure Ones.

“It's not me taking your things, it's the Three Pure Ones who want to see your sincerity!” Zhang Tuowei looked at the offerings at his feet, saying calmly: “Go back now, and remember to come back in seven days for another exorcism. My Taoist skills are still shallow, and I can only suppress the evil spirits on you, but I cannot completely eliminate them. Remember, if you don't come next time, you might be killed by those ghosts in the future. And you must remember, do not tell your family about this, otherwise, the evil spirits will target your family and cause them to suffer.”

Then, Zhang Tuowei dismissed the group of boys and began to quickly take out a bag to collect the offerings on the ground.

“Zhang Tuowei!” Seeing this scene, Zhang Chen's eyes turned green. Zhang Tuowei's performance was just a small trick Zhang Chen used to amuse the three-year-old Zhang Tuowei when their family was poor and his mother had to work. He never expected Zhang Tuowei to learn it and turn into a charlatan.

“Brother!” Seeing Zhang Chen, a trace of panic appeared in Zhang Tuowei's eyes. He quickly hid the bag behind his back.

“Don't play God anymore. If you cause trouble and their parents come knocking, you'll get a beating.” Zhang Chen said unhappily.

“Brother, you can't tell Mom.” Zhang Tuowei flattered him, moving closer.

“Aren't you going to help push the cart?”

Zhang Chen went all the way to his stepmother's house, pushed the cart into the yard, and closed the gate to prevent anyone from passing by and seeing inside.

The commotion Zhang Chen made in the yard alarmed Zhang Shi in the house. Zhang Shi was stunned when she saw Zhang Chen's actions: “What's going on?”

Zhang Chen revealed a mysterious smile, then pulled away the straw on the cart, revealing the cloth inside, startling Zhang Shi. She couldn't believe her eyes and quickly stepped forward to touch the cloth on the cart, finally confirming that she wasn't seeing things.

“Where did you get this?” Zhang Shi seemed unable to believe her eyes.

What kind of person was Zhang Chen? He could make up lies without hesitation: “Didn't you see me getting honey yesterday? I found a beehive in the mountains, took a lot of honey, and exchanged it for cloth. And this box of leftovers is because that great master was happy after I sold the honey and rewarded me.”

Zhang Chen quickly opened the food box, revealing the leftovers as evidence.

At the same time, he secretly rejoiced that he had eaten most of the dishes, otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to fool them today. If a great figure rewarded a table of leftovers, it would seem more real.

Hearing this, Zhang Shi looked at Zhang Chen with both eyes. Seeing that Zhang Chen showed no guilt, she took a deep breath: “That's for the best, then I can rest assured.”

Seeing this, Zhang Chen smiled and quickly called his younger brother and sister over to eat.

Looking at the exquisite dishes, the younger brother and sister's eyes widened. They picked up their chopsticks and began to gobble it up. At this time, Zhang Chen also picked up his chopsticks and put a four-joy meatball for Zhang Shi. The family happily improved their meals in the yard.

The eighteen dishes were a large portion, but most of it was still left over. When they parted, Zhang Shi wanted to give some to Zhang Chen, but Zhang Chen refused. In the end, at Zhang Shi's insistence, he could only take an elbow back.

Zhang Shi happily measured the cloth at home, while Zhang Chen returned home, parked the small cart in the yard. This small cart was bought by Zhang Chen's cheap father when he left his hometown. The four members of the family relied on this cart to transport goods all the way. However, the horse died of illness on the road, and then Zhang Chen's father began to work like a horse, pulling the cart from that distant and prosperous place to this remote wilderness.

The lights in the next room turned on. The bookworm Zhang Chen was reading. Zhang Chen glanced at the next door, and thinking about the cloth, brushes, ink, and paper he had obtained today, he felt that the resentment he had been suppressed by the fox spirit for several years had dissipated.

Zhang Chen opened the door, only to see the fox spirit squatting in the yard, looking at the moisture in the sky with a worried expression.

“This beast is still acting like a human. Could she have seen something?” Zhang Chen showed a hint of surprise, then walked into the house without making a sound. The fox spirit heard Zhang Chen's opening the door, turned her head to look at Zhang Chen, then retracted her gaze, looking at the mist in the sky with a worried look, her eyes full of concern.

Zhang Chen glanced at the fox spirit, feeling that this fox spirit was becoming more and more strange, but he didn't care. He thought that the fox spirit was worried about the drought. He returned to the house, put down the basket, and after washing up, he continued to practice calligraphy.

Calligraphy practice cannot stop!

Although his writing was ugly, Zhang Chen believed that as long as he persisted in practicing, one day he would be able to write beautiful small characters.