Master Puhui's long beard was as white as snow, and he had kind, benevolent features. Two bright-eyed young novices followed behind him.
Judging solely by his appearance and demeanor, he was undoubtedly a "virtuous monk."
Liu Xin seemed to have found a savior from heaven. She could no longer bother arguing with Qin Hantang. She quickly and politely invited Master Puhui and his two companions to come in and be seated, then hurried to get to the point:
"Master Puhui, as the saying goes, divine medicine has two purposes. For the sake of the incense offerings I make to the Divine Dragon Temple during festivals, I beg you to do your utmost to dispel the malevolent energy from my precious daughter. My husband and I will fund the construction of over a dozen meditation rooms for your temple by the end of the year."
Master Puhui, feeling cornered, looked at the unconscious Qin Kexin on the sickbed with a compassionate expression, shaking his head and sighing:
"Alas! Benefactor Liu, Benefactor Qin, after examining young Benefactor Qin last night, I said that the malevolent energy on her was no ordinary matter. With my cultivation, I am truly powerless. But since you insist that I try..."
Before he finished speaking, Master Puhui noticed a crumpled piece of paper that Liu Xin had casually rolled into a ball and thrown into the trash can in the corner. He was suddenly struck dumb, and then, as if possessed, he lunged towards the trash can, carefully picked it up, smoothed it out, and examined it intently.
At over eighty years old, he seemed to have poor eyesight. To onlookers, his eyes were almost touching the wrinkled piece of paper, frightening the two young novices into exchanging glances, not daring to breathe a word.
Liu Xin was also startled and said nervously:
"Master Puhui, could it be that the note also carries harmful malevolent energy?"
She paused, and before Master Puhui could reply, Liu Xin had already rushed into Qin Hantang's arms, tearing at him:
"It's all your fault! You had to provoke that scumbag doctor Xiao Bao mentioned. Kexin's malevolent energy is probably his doing..."
Master Puhui finally snapped out of his shock and interrupted Liu Xin with a look of utter astonishment:
"Benefactor Liu, may I ask who created this spiritual talisman?"
"Spiritual talisman? What spiritual talisman?"
Liu Xin was stunned:
"Isn't this just a crumpled piece of paper contaminated with harmful malevolent energy?"
"No, no, no..."
Fearing that the piece of paper in his hands held some power, Master Puhui shook his head in a panic, chanting Buddhist scriptures, and then explained with even greater reverence:
"This is no ordinary piece of paper. It faintly emanates the original essence of the 'Six-Syllable Mantra.' Not to mention myself, even if the cultivation of all the monks in our Divine Dragon Temple were combined, we could not draw such a wondrous spiritual talisman brimming with divine charm!"
Liu Xin's jaw dropped, and she looked at him with disbelief:
"Is that true? The note only has a name and a phone number written on it. Where is your Buddhist Six-Syllable Mantra?"
Master Puhui gazed at the note in his palm with utmost piety, his tone exceptionally firm:
"The characters 'Chen Xiao' and the phone number are tangible, but the Six-Syllable Mantra is intangible. You cannot see it because you are not enlightened in Buddhism, but that does not mean it doesn't exist. In my estimation, if this spiritual talisman is folded into a triangle and placed beside young Benefactor Qin's pillow, by tomorrow morning at the latest, the malevolent energy on her will be burned away by the talisman!"
"This... How is this possible?"
Seeing that Master Puhui did not seem to be joking, Liu Xin was dumbfounded.
Qin Hantang, who had just been unfairly berated, suddenly straightened his back and said with full confidence:
"Master Puhui indeed has discerning eyes to recognize the extraordinary nature of this spiritual talisman. However, you are mistaken on one point. It will not take until tomorrow. The talisman can dispel the malevolent energy within ten minutes!"
As he spoke, he carefully folded the note into a triangle and placed it by Qin Kexin's pillow, then instinctively lowered his voice and added:
"Dr. Chen said when he drew the talisman that we must stay away, otherwise the talisman would not work."
Master Puhui and the two young novices, not understanding but impressed, tiptoed out of the room without a second thought.
Qin Hantang, usually henpecked, straightened his back even further and grabbed Liu Xin, who was still standing foolishly by the sickbed, and pulled her away:
"Didn't you see Master Puhui and the others have already left? Hurry up, don't you want Kexin to wake up soon?"
"Is that scumbag doctor Xiao Bao mentioned really that mystical?"
Liu Xin still put up a tough front, but her feet couldn't help but follow Qin Hantang out the door quickly.
At the closed hospital room door, several people, like spectators at a show, scrambled to peek through the small window on the door at the triangular note by Qin Kexin's pillow.
In less than ten minutes, the note suddenly burst into flames without any external ignition. The flickering flames resembled a distorted, ferocious human face being consumed by fire.
"Ah—"
Upon seeing this, Liu Xin let out a startled scream:
"Husband, why did it suddenly catch fire?"
Fearing that the unconscious Qin Kexin would be burned, she kicked the door open as soon as she spoke. Qin Hantang, right behind her, immediately took off his suit, ready to put out the fire.