Nine out of ten gamblers lose; I've run into a jerk!

Chapter 85 Kinmen Scams

While everyone else was drunk, Shen Qing felt utterly powerless. Just then, a farmer excitedly ran to the edge of the wheat field and shouted, "Master Zhang is opening an altar to pray for blessings! We're saved!"

"What's going on?" an old man asked.

"Master Zhang is about to perform a ritual to expel the Locust God!"

"Really?"

"Of course! You know Zhang Tianshi, right? He's a true master who has attained enlightenment!"

"Let's go! Let's go take a look!"

A group of farmers stopped burning incense and ran excitedly toward the village entrance.

Alarm bells rang in Shen Qing's mind. He didn't believe that this so-called master was really capable. What kind of expert was so arrogant?

Chaotic times not only produce heroes but also cults. For example, the famous Taiping Sect, White Lotus Sect, and Five Pecks of Rice Sect all rose to power during times of war and chaos.

Given the current situation, famine is inevitable in the near future, which presents a perfect opportunity for cults to flourish.

Since ancient times, cult rituals have been cruel. When Shen Qingqing heard that the man said that Zhang Tianshi was going to perform a ritual, she thought of the evil and bloody scenes that would not pass censorship and couldn't help but shudder. No, the people have suffered enough. They should not be exploited to the bone by cults!

"Lord Shaoqing, I'll be right back!"

Shen Che reached out but couldn't stop him in time. If Shen Qing really wanted to run, no one could stop him unless they fired an arrow, not to mention the master of human figure drawing, Lu Huanong.

Shen Qing followed the crowd to the village entrance, where he saw a Taoist priest dressed somewhat like an immortal sitting cross-legged on a makeshift altar. His hands were forming some kind of mudra, giving him an air of profound mystery.

This charlatan was quite convincing. Shen Qing mingled in the crowd and, seeing the mysterious look on the so-called Taoist priest's face, guessed that the prelude was still a long way off. So, he took the opportunity to strike up a conversation with the people next to him and inquire about the origins of this so-called Taoist priest.

"You don't even know Zhang Tianshi?"

"Brother, I am just passing by. May I ask what this Celestial Master is capable of?"

"Then you really came at the right time!" This person was also a chatterbox, and began to recount the miracles that Zhang Tianshi had performed.

"The richest man in Yangliu Town, Master Wang, had a house haunted, and he couldn't have a peaceful night. It was Master Zhang who fought the evil spirits at night and saved the Wang family from danger."

"Oh~" Shen Qing feigned curiosity, "What on earth is it? And how is it bothering the Wang family?"

"Who would dare to go out and take a closer look? People in the neighborhood have heard cries that sound like a baby's sharp screams, and they keep banging on the Wang family's gate every night."

"Since no one has seen it, how can we be sure it's a ghost? Could it be someone playing a trick?"

The man wasn't happy to hear this. "Someone saw a ghost through the crack in the door and was so scared that they immediately closed the door. What if they disturbed the ghost and it started coming to their house again?"

"Where do ghosts get their shadows?"

The man was speechless, unable to respond for a moment. He had only heard about it secondhand, and his face immediately turned red. He then turned away and ignored Shen Qing.

Okay, Shen Qing moved to another spot and asked someone else.

"Brother, can Master Zhang really communicate with the heavens and ask the locust god to leave?"

"Of course! Master Zhang is a divine being who can predict the future!"

"how you said that?"

"Before the locust plague broke out, the Celestial Master had visited the village," the man said, striking a pose, straightening his back, one hand covering his face, the other stroking his beard, mimicking the Celestial Master Zhang's compassionate expression. "Alas~ Mortals disrespect the gods, so Heaven will send the Locust God down to earth to bring divine punishment~"

This time, Shen Qing didn't contradict her. She nodded in agreement and mentally processed the information.

It seems they overestimated this Master Zhang. He's probably not a cult member, but he's definitely a conman.

Aren't "Little Ghosts Knocking on the Door" and "Ghostly Shadows" just the Kinmen Scam, one of the eight major scam schools in ancient China?

The "Golden Gate" refers to those who use the name of gold as a signboard. It was one of the most common scams used by charlatans in ancient times. They usually used shamanistic methods such as fortune telling, divination, blessing, and exorcism.

The ghost knocking on the door of the wealthy Wang family was actually caused by smearing cow blood or similar substances on the door to attract bats to crash into it and make noise. As for the ghostly figures seen by the neighbors, they could be misled by means of shadow puppetry or similar methods.

They often use the guise of "always able to grant requests and possessing divine wisdom" to intimidate people, then use extremely alarmist and almost threatening language to gain the target's attention, using exaggerated tones to predict dangerous situations that may arise in the near future or in the future, manipulating people's mentality, and ultimately making you lose money to avoid disaster.

As for why Zhang Tianshi was able to predict the locust plague, there is a saying that a severe drought is followed by a locust plague. Zhang Tianshi may have known some agricultural matters and made the so-called prediction after discovering insect eggs in the fields.

Frankly speaking, it's nothing to brag about. Next, they'll probably fail to communicate with the gods, saying that people aren't sincere, and that everyone needs to show some "sincerity."

What else could be the sincerity? Money, of course. If you don't have money, chickens, ducks, cattle, sheep, or people can be used as payment.

Just thinking about Shen Qing makes my teeth itch; he deserves to die!

The people are suffering so much, and he's still taking the opportunity to make money.

As expected, Zhang Tianshi frowned, suddenly jumped up, and waved his whisk wildly.

"puff--"

He spat out a mouthful of blood and cried out, "Please forgive me, God!"

Upon hearing this, the onlookers were shocked and began to ask questions.

"Celestial Master, what instructions do the gods have?"

"What did we do wrong? Let's correct it!"

"Please, Heaven, take back the Locust God!"

Zhang Tianshi's eyes were filled with sorrow, his face was somber, as if he could not bear to look any longer, and he closed his eyes and remained silent.

"master!"

At this moment, a young Taoist boy rushed to Zhang Tianshi's side to help him up, and shouted angrily at the onlookers: "Stop forcing my master! My master doesn't take a penny. For the sake of all living beings, he sacrificed ten years of his lifespan to perform a ritual to ask Heaven for permission. If it weren't for your heavy sins, my master would have taken the backlash of your sins and wouldn't have been so badly injured."

The shout immediately silenced the commotion. Looking at Zhang Tianshi, whose lips were stained with blood and whose face was pale, they began to believe him a little more.

At that moment, a voice rang out from the crowd.

"Master, what should we do to atone for our sins?"

"Yes, Master, we are very sincere!"

"Please, Celestial Master, help us one more time!"

"Impossible!" the young Taoist boy refused outright.

There was absolutely no surprise in it. They even hired a few shills to sing along. Shen Qing watched their performance coldly; it was so exaggerated that she couldn't help but want to give them some pointers on what real acting was.

Zhang Tianshi also opened his eyes leisurely at the opportune moment, stopping the young Taoist boy, and looked like he was going to his death. "If I don't go to hell, who will? As long as I can save the people from suffering, what does it matter if I lose another ten years of my lifespan?"

"The Celestial Master is truly righteous!" The onlookers were deeply moved.

“But…” Zhang Tianshi hesitated, unable to finish his sentence.

"Just tell me what you need, Celestial Master," Tuo'er readily complied.

"To show our sincerity, we need to sculpt a golden statue for the Locust God!"

"Ha~ The true colors are revealed," Shen Qing sneered, suddenly making a very foolish decision.