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Shizun 011 - Exorcism fee

Long Jingtian had been living in an internet cafe for two days.

The cafe had no difference between night and day. Bright, loud, the place was filled with the sound of men yelling:

“Kill that son of a bitch!”

“I’m going to fuck you up!”

“You moron, did your mom just fuck off and die or what?”

“Bro! A surround!”

“...”

Between the cursing of teenagers and the mixed scent of smoke, men’s sweat, and ramen, Long Jingtian felt like the place was saturated with yang energy. it felt very safe.

Demons probably don’t come to these kinds of places, right?

To think that the famous Young Master of the Long family would end up in such a place, he felt rather pitiful. He wallowed while ordering a fancy sushi platter from a Japanese restaurant, downed a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice, and decided to put his head down and nap on the desk.

Suddenly, a sickly sweet scent like orchids or osmanthus wafted through the air. The scent enveloped him and tugged at his soul. In a daze, he unknowingly started to follow the scene, and after walking for a long time he seem to have stepped into an illusion.

Long Jingtian opened his eyes and realized that he was in a historical feeling women’s boudoir. Upon the walls hung scrolls of noble concubines salaciously bathing, jewellery and rouge were scattered across the dressing table, several red candles were lit on the table, black silk draped over an ornately carved bedframe, and red embroidered slippers laid on the ground. Everything exuded an illicit atmosphere.

In a trance, Long Jingtian thought that the scene was rather familiar.

A gentle female sigh came from the bed.

Long Jingtian jolted awake and landed on the floor in a fright. He scrambled to run out of the room. He remembered, this is the first appearance of the skin painting demon in “zombie princess” where she seduced the male lead!

He was very interested in film, read the script, and even sat in on some of the discussions between his father and the director. This scene was very sensual and one of his favourites!

The demon is coming for him!

The door of the boudoir was locked, and it didn’t budge no matter how he pushed against it.

Long Jingtian started to recite scripture. But it was something he was trying to learn last minute and he got stuck after only two lines. Rather than the rest of the scripture the only thing that was in his head was despair and the words on his future tombstone:

Born to wealth and nobility. Died a negligent student.

Within the silks, the graceful shadow of a beauty slowly stood up, stretched enticingly, and softly sang an old song. “Silk floated like smoke in the sunny courtyard, spring shows on the watering threads. Step forward and yet stopped. Return to the room to re-do the huadian. But a look was snuck at me with a flowered mirror which reflected half of my visage, causing me to brush my hair crookedly. Stepping out of the boudoir bashfully-”

It was a guimen dan song by Du Liniang in the play “The Peony Pavillion”.

The melody lingered with three sighs a song. It was simply wonderful.

The director had said, the audience hears the demon before they see her. There has to be beauty with a tinge of horror, and within the horror intoxication.

Now that he’s experiencing the situation first hand, Long Jingtian wants to murder the director with his bare hands.

He huddled in the corner and shook like a leaf. Then he saw a delicate, pale hand with a beautiful red manicure reach out and lift up the silk, showing a bewitching face.

“Gongzi, do you think this one is beautiful?” Jin Yunu has painted a new skin and changed to the new face. Now, instead of a dignified classical beauty, he’s a flamboyant and seductive beauty.

The huadian had fallen, his hair was let loose, his shirt was half falling off, his body was gracefully inviting, his face was practically an aphrodisiac, and his bedroom eyes were such that men would willingly die at his feet.

This damned demon had even manufactured a little bit of cleavage! The level of deception has shot up like a rocket!

Long Jingtian kept on staring with his mouth open.

Jin Yun lazily swayed towards him while dragging embroidered slippers, delicately saying “This one has admired gongzi for having features akin to Pan An and endless talents. This one would like to offer to share a pillow, to rendezvous with gongzi under the moon, and to join our families...”

(T/N: Pan An, 潘安 was a famously handsome man in Chinese history)

This was also lines from the script.

Jin Yunu’s eyes and voice all carried the power to captivate his victim’s souls. As long as they weren’t an eunuch, he could stir up the sinful flames within them and make it so they couldn’t help but to run to his embrace and move with heat akin to thunder and lava.

Long Jingtian was so mesmerized that his body almost gave out, but at the critical moment he remembered what happens in Jin Yunu’s bed and his behind started to hurt a little again. 

He hugged his chest and refused in terror, “No rendezvous!”

Seeing that he’s not following the script, Jin Yunu also stopped following the script. He blew at his earlobes and replied in a joking matter, “Gongzi’s body is so wonderful, this one would like to do the unspoken rules again...”

Long Jintian immediately understood and sadness rose from his heart. He looked in the mirror every day and know that he was handsome enough to shock the gods and demons. That’s why this man-adoring demon has tangled up with him!

Life or dignity, what’s more important?

This was a painful decision.

He shakily got up, went to the bed, and laid down spread eagle with his clothes off. Pushing down his fears, he mustered up what he could and said “If you’re letting me live, then do me as you wish...”

Jin Yunu blinked several times and couldn’t figure out why he changed his mind. Could it be... he was just too good in bed, and Long gongzi wanted more but was too embarrassed? That he didn’t want to admit it but thought things through and is now asking for another?

He was an actor even when he was alive and never minded such things. As long as it got him what he needed he was fine with unspoken rule-ing his way through. Long gongzi was young, handsome, and willing to bottom, it was actually quite enjoyable.

If this is what he asked for....

Jin Yunu mustered up all the techniques his knew and did his best to serve, so much so that Long Gongzi felt so good he almost cried.

Afterwards, Long Jintian entered into post nut clarity and stared at the black silk canopy in a daze, he thought that he wasn’t a pure boy anymore...

Jin Yunu was by his ear and softly asked, “Can this one play the skin painting demon?“

Long Jingtian held back his tears, “Yes...”

Jin Yunu asked further, “The director is casting the role tomorrow, this one wants to meet him. Would gongzi pass along some words of recommendation?”

Long Jingtian didn’t dare to refuse. “Fine...”

As the saying goes, the fellow taoist may die but this taoist will live.

Humans are selfish.

He decided to betray his conscience and let Jin Yunu meet director Wang. The director is an up start who’s in his early thirties, and he had a nice face and body too... He hoped the demon can be satisfied with the director instead and let him go.

Jin Yunu was immensely satisfied and didn’t try to rip open his skin again. He hugged Long Jingtian and gave him several kisses, saying with gratitude, “Thank you kindly for your generosity, gongzi. If Yunu can fulfill one’s heartfelt wish, this one will definitely provide thanks to gongzi.”

Long Jingtian moved his behind with difficulty and put on a fake smile, “No need to thank me, go thank the director.”

Jin Yunu got up and smiled while releasing the illusion.

A cold breeze blew by and brought with it a wave of coldness.

Long Jingtian jolted awake, and realized that he wasn’t in the internet cafe any longer. Instead he had been lured by Jin Yunu and ended up naked on the concrete by the roof escape door.

Only the marks on his body and the pain in his behind reminded him what happened.

He got up with difficulty, put on his clothes, wiped away his tears, then sat back down in the cafe in a daze. After a while he gathered what’s left of his conscience and called the director. “Uncle Wang, are you doing alright?”

“Pretty good, how are things with you?” Director Wang was family close with his family and had recently been promoted to fatherhood. He was feeding his baby, but when he heard Long Jingtian’s voice he got worried and passed the bottle to his wife. Walking to the veranda, he asked worriedly, “I heard from your father than you ran away from home? There should be no overnight grudges between father and son. Your pops is worried about you and it’s in the middle of the night.... Don’t drink so much, go home.”

Long Jingtian was tearing up again and his conscience was starting to feel worse and worse. “How did you know I fought with him?”

Director Wang laughed. “I went over yesterday wanting to talk about the casting. Your pops had drank a little too much and complained a heck of a lot... We didn’t even get through the work. I was going to go over to your place again tomorrow to show him the head shots from the short list.”

Long Jingtian asked, “For the skin painting demon?”

Director Wang was surprised, “How did you know?”

Long Jingtian warned him, “If... If a beauty that looks like the demon tries to do the unspoken rules with you, just give him the role. Don’t do anything that would do auntie wrong.”

Director Wang was at a loss, “Kid, are you drunk again?”

Long Jingtian sobbed, “You’ll know soon.”

He hung up.

It’s truly awful to push a good man into the fire.

Long Jingtian was full of guilt with no release. He didn’t know what to do so he decided to get back to gaming. However, he was tilted and kept getting killed off. The more he played the angrier he got, and then... a neuron connected.

Your place?

The script to “Zombie Princess” hadn’t been leaked, and the painting of the bathing concubines was something that his father got at an auction a few days ago for the movie. Not even the director knew about that.

So how did Jin Yunu know about it?

Director Wang seems to have said something about going over tomorrow to talk about casting?

Jin Yunu said he wanted to meet the director and investor tomorrow to talk about the unspoken rules?

Isn’t his dad the investor?

Jin Yunu might not only do unspeakable things to the director, but to his dad as well!

...

Long Jingtian was stunned. He immediately tried to call his dad only to find out his dad had blocked him. His mom was still overseas, and there was no outsider who he could get to help, and he didn’t want to get outsiders involved anyway...

He thought about it, grabbed his board, and dashed straight to Yinmao mall. Bearing the mocking gaze of the crowd, he yelled frantically, “PANDA MASTER, WHERE ARE YOU?!”

He went around like a headless fly from the evening to next noon with no leads, and was about to despair...

Suddenly, a handsome young man with smiling eyes and a ratty t shirt appeared before him, and nervously asked, “are you looking for me?”

Long Jingtian sized him up with suspicion.

“My name is Lu Yunzhen, I was the one who gave you the warning last time.” Lu Yunzhen knew that stating his age wouldn’t help his case and tried to provide proof by reiterating their previous conversation. “I wanted to help you, and you thought I was a scammer.”

“Yesyesyes, I was totally blind to what I was seeing!” After everything he’d been through he didn’t care to question anymore. In fact he was about to hug Lu Yunzhen and cry. The only reason he didn’t is that when he reached out his hand he realized a scary looking man in black was standing behind Lu Yunzhen and glaring at him...

He chucked the board and took Lu Yunzhen to a corner of a cafe before painfully recounting his experiences.

To have such a good man get unspoken-d twice by a demon, how sad...

Lu Yunzhen expressed sincere sympathies, then waited for Long Jingtian to go to the washroom before quietly asking Mo Changkong “Is this skin painting demon dangerous? If it’s too much we shouldn’t take this job.”

Mo Changkong was firm in his reply, “Easy as pie.”

Lu Yunzhen relaxed and started to fuss over the fee. The two of them had discussed the money situation before they left the house. He would act as Mo Changkong’s manager and get the businesses, while Mo Changkong would defeat monsters and use all the money on family food expenses.

He even searched online for standard pricing for exorcisms, only to be met with pages and pages of con artists who charged hundreds of thousands only to be thrown in jail. 

Lu Yunzhen was a law abiding citizen who didn’t want to emulate con artists. He remembered that when his grandfather took him to improve his fortunes as a child, it cost around a hundred yuan.

With the inflation these days, and how the demon is probably more serious than bad luck, and there’s a life involved...

It needs to be a bit more expensive.

Long Jingtian returned from the washroom and asked expectantly, “Great master, can you save me?”

Lu Yunzhen pretended to deliberate the issue, then replied reluctantly, “We can, but as per the rules of our sect we must charge a fee.”

Long Jingtian nodded hard, “but of course, but of course!”

Lu Yunzhen pretended to be calm, held up three fingers, mustered up his courage, and stated the high price that he had been deliberating for a long time. “Three thousand yuan!”

If-...if that was too expensive, he can give a discount...