Divine Level Witch Doctor

'Useless? Heh, that's just because you don't know a good thing when you see it.'

Zhao Yuan scoffed to himself. He was certain it wasn't that the Talismans and Magic in the book were useless. It was because Mage Zhang had no Qi or Wish Power in his body, which was why he couldn't make them work.

"Where's that book?" Zhao Yuan asked.

"In my satchel." Mage Zhang pointed to the clothes rack by the bed, where a khaki-colored satchel was hanging.

The bag was adorned not only with a painted Yin Yang Eight Trigrams Map, but also with the Six-Word Great Bright Mantra, "Om Mani Padme Hum"...

'Great. Another bizarre fusion of Buddhist and Daoist elements.'

Zhao Yuan walked over and opened the satchel. He found it filled with the props Mage Zhang used for his cons. At the very bottom lay a tattered, yellowed book.

He took out the book. It was thin, only about thirty pages long. More than half of them were either stained or torn.

On the intact pages, Zhao Yuan found instructions on how to create and use the Paper Mache Men, the Secret Technique for controlling the Xiaoyang with the Bronze Ring, and a few other spells and Talismans.

Upon closer inspection, Zhao Yuan discovered that the spells and Talismans in the book also belonged to the Witch and Priest School. However, it wasn't the ancient tradition of Witch Priests who were responsible for sacrifices to heaven and earth. Instead, it was a later offshoot that specialized in funeral rites, Inquiring Ghosts, and laying Curses.

After a quick flip-through, the Information Leaf recorded all of the well-preserved spells and Talismans from the thin book. But Zhao Yuan didn't return the book to Mage Zhang. Instead, he simply opened his Storage Ring Space and placed it inside.

Seeing the book vanish into thin air, Mage Zhang was horrified, and his reverence for Zhao Yuan grew even deeper.

"Give me the Bronze Ring," Zhao Yuan commanded.

Though deeply reluctant, Mage Zhang didn't dare defy Zhao Yuan's command. He obediently took out the Bronze Ring, raised it over his head with both hands, and presented it to him.

After a brief inspection of the Bronze Ring, Zhao Yuan could tell that while Mage Zhang had obtained this Magical Artifact and read the instructions, he had been unable to unleash its true power. In his hands, the Bronze Ring was less a Magical Artifact for controlling the Xiaoyang and more a simple tool for intimidation.

"What a complete waste." Zhao Yuan snorted. "This is mine now."

Mage Zhang felt his heart bleed, but he didn't dare let it show. Instead, he forced a fawning smile and said, "Yes, yes, of course! A treasure like this should rightly be offered to you, Grand Immortal!"

After putting away the Bronze Ring, Zhao Yuan suddenly asked, "Besides sending the Xiaoyang and the Paper Mache Men to kill me today, you've used them to kill other people before, haven't you?"

Mage Zhang frantically waved his hands, protesting, "No, absolutely not! This is the first time I've ever done something like this..."

Zhao Yuan cut him off with a sneer. "I told you I have ways to make you talk. It seems you don't believe me. Fine. I'll let you have a taste of my methods!"

Before Mage Zhang could react, several Golden Needles appeared in Zhao Yuan's hand. With lightning speed, he jabbed them into several of Mage Zhang's acupoints.

In an instant, Mage Zhang felt like he'd been dropped into an anthill. His entire body was swarming with ants, and they were biting him nonstop, causing an excruciating, itching ache.

The bizarre sensation nearly drove him mad.

Mage Zhang clawed at his skin, begging through hysterical laughter, "HAHA, HEHE, it's so itchy! So sore! Grand Immortal, I was wrong! Please, spare me this one time! I'll never dare lie to you again!"

His laughter sounded worse than a sob. In the pitch-black night, it was an incredibly eerie sound.

Zhao Yuan didn't remove the needles, instead waiting for thirty seconds until the itching ache faded on its own.

Mage Zhang went completely limp, lying on the floor and gasping for breath.

Zhao Yuan looked down at him. "How was that?" he asked.

Mage Zhang was on the verge of tears. "Grand Immortal, I won't lie again, I beg you! Please don't make me go through that again."

In all his years, it was the first time he realized that an itching ache could be even more agonizing than pain.

Zhao Yuan cut to the chase. "Then tell me about every person you've harmed and every evil deed you've committed over the years."

"Yes, yes, I'll talk..."

Mage Zhang no longer dared to lie and obediently confessed to the mountain of crimes he had committed over the years. As he listened, Zhao Yuan realized this man wasn't just a con artist; he was a vicious and ruthless criminal.

Several people, including Wang Gui and Widow Ma's husband, had been murdered by him—some by the Paper Mache Men, some by the Xiaoyang, and some by his own hands. On top of that, he often sent the Paper Mache Men to haunt people, then he would show up, put on an act of exorcising Ghosts and subduing Demons, and collect a hefty fee.

And believe it or not, the trick worked time and time again. Not only did he swindle large sums of money, but he also earned the reputation of a True Immortal in the surrounding towns and counties.

Who could have imagined that a man seen by all as a True Immortal was, in reality, a depraved criminal who murdered for profit?!

At the three-minute mark, the Golden Needles in Mage Zhang's acupoints activated again, forcing him to re-experience the 'pleasure' of ten thousand ants devouring his body. This time, both the duration and the intensity were far worse.

When the second wave of the itching ache subsided, Zhao Yuan spread his hands in a mock-apologetic gesture. "I forgot to mention, that itching ache will flare up every three minutes. Don't worry. As long as you confess everything, I'll take the Golden Needles out for you when you're done."

In response, Mage Zhang could do nothing but curse inwardly while rapidly spitting out his confession.

But it wasn't over when he finished talking. Zhao Yuan produced a pen and paper from his Storage Ring Space, tossed them in front of Mage Zhang, and commanded, "Write down every detail of the crimes you just confessed. Then, get yourself to the police station and turn yourself in."

"Huh?" Mage Zhang was stunned.

Zhao Yuan arched an eyebrow. "What 'huh'? You don't want to go to prison? Then don't blame me for delivering justice myself!"

Mage Zhang shuddered and said hastily, "I'll go to prison! I'm willing to go to prison."

'Are you kidding me? At least in prison, I'd still be alive. If Zhao Yuan delivered justice himself, I'd be a dead man!'

'He knew how to weigh his options.'

Mage Zhang picked up the pen and paper. He had only written a few words before he stopped, a pained expression on his face. "Grand Immortal, it's no problem for me to write down all my crimes and how I committed them, but... I'm afraid the police won't believe me."

Zhao Yuan considered this. 'He has a point.'

'Mage Zhang's murders for profit were mostly carried out by his Paper Mache Men and the Xiaoyang... If he wrote that in a confession, the police would never believe him. Ten to one, they'd just assume he was mentally ill and spouting nonsense!'

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