Chapter 44
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Chapter 44: The Rules of a Charlatan
What Bai Qige meant by reopening the temple is not just empty talk. Mountain Fox, wanting to turn enemies into friends and gain his support, promised many benefits. For example, Bloody Earth is willing to give up a piece of land and provide funding and connections to help him build a temple. Clearly, Mountain Fox has his own plans in mind, which does not need to be mentioned right now.
This is a generous gift, and it perfectly matches Bai Qige’s current needs, so he gladly accepted it. Because even without this gift, Bai Qige must consider establishing his own school. To put it simply, he has plans regarding Bloody Earth, and his current act as a charlatan to deceive Principal Li is also related to this consideration.
Nowadays, fortune tellers on the streets are not called charlatans; they are simply struggling workers. They would be better off working on a construction site. Only those who enter royal homes, befriend powerful people, and deceive the wealthy can be considered qualified and successful charlatans, as they have an umbrella of influence that covers everything.
Hearing Bai Qige say this, Principal Li immediately paid attention and hesitated before saying, "Master, you are truly extraordinary. If an ordinary person could become your disciple, it would be a blessing. However, this child, Long Aotian, has a rather complicated family background. He may not be suitable to be your disciple!"
Just from this sentence, Bai Qige realized that Principal Li knew about Long Aotian’s family background. He took a proud stance and said, "Before I entered the world, I made a great vow to spread all my knowledge to the world, to teach everyone without distinction, and to help others. Long Aotian is an exceptional child with great potential to inherit my teachings. He will surely have a big mission in the future. Therefore, regardless of his background and past, I am willing to take full responsibility!"
How could Bai Qige let go of someone as impressive as Long Aotian, especially since he knows Principal Li’s worries? Long Aotian is the heir of a top powerful family; studying Buddhism is still within acceptable limits. However, becoming a monk, living a vegetarian lifestyle, and staying away from women would clearly not be accepted by Long Aotian’s parents. So, Bai Qige added,
"However, Long Aotian still has ties to the world. I will only take him as an outer disciple, and he won’t truly leave the world behind."
Upon hearing that he would not really become a monk, Principal Li seemed to relax a little, while his two granddaughters sighed with relief. Bai Qige glanced at the two girls and knew they had already fallen under Long Aotian’s overwhelming charm and strong aura, showing deep feelings on their faces.
"He already has Tang Jiaorong and Ye Hui by his side, and now this guy Long Aotian has attracted another pair of beautiful sisters. It’s really enviable. Why can he win over girls, while I’m stuck here trying to charm Grandpa as a charlatan? I wonder if I could gain his powers and charm if I absorb his bloodline."
I must admit, Bai Qige was curious about Long Aotian’s bloodline, which had something to do with those amazing talents, but that was not important right now; convincing Principal Li was the main priority.
"Principal Li, just now I noticed a dark mark on your forehead. I thought it was due to old age and sickness, but after using my powers to drive away the sickness, it still appears dark. To be honest, you might be haunted by something evil!"
According to the fourth rule of charlatans, after gaining the initial trust of the person you want to deceive, you must act quickly to leave a strong impression in their mind. To achieve this, a little intimidation is the best method.
Bai Qige had already shown his skills and indeed had extraordinary abilities. Faced with such ghostly words, even though Principal Li was experienced and knowledgeable, he felt a bit uneasy from Bai Qige’s intimidation. Seeing this, Bai Qige realized he had succeeded halfway in his deception.
Bai Qige graduated from middle school and began working in society, doing many lower-level jobs and gaining a wealth of experience. One of his jobs involved selling a health supplement made from a mixture of flour and vitamins to the elderly, and the owner of that company was a former fortune-teller who couldn’t earn much money on the streets.
The owner had a lot of experience in deception. The rules Bai Qige learned about trickery were from this owner’s weekly training materials, claiming to include the ultimate secrets of fortune-telling. With just a fraction of this knowledge, one could easily persuade the President of the United States to act like a hero fighting alien monsters, as long as you could meet him and read his palm.
Relying on the owner’s superb skills in deceiving, the company was doing very well. However, their business became too successful, and out of jealousy, competitors reported them several times. Eventually, the owner was arrested for selling fake medicine and fraud. Later, Bai Qige heard that this former fortune-teller became a prominent figure in the detention center, known as Master Mo, and when he returned to the outside world, he was destined to be a leader in deception again.
Before the company closed down, Bai Qige was a well-known salesman, especially among older people. For six months a year, he was always at the top of the sales list. He had some principles, believing in quitting while ahead and not cheating too much. Even if someone was tricked into buying too much, he would advise them against it. So, he was only at the top for about half the year, but there’s no need to talk about those past stories anymore.
In general, Bai Qige had a lot of experience in persuading people, especially older folks. There is a saying that when it comes to life and death, older people take it very seriously. This is human nature. Throughout history, many important people have been fooled because of this, including emperors, so it’s no surprise that everyday people can be easily deceived too.
"Please explain more about this talk of evil spirits!" Principal Li was still unsure and filled with doubts. Bai Qige stroked his long beard, pretending to be a wise master, and said:
"The talk of evil spirits is not as mysterious as it seems. People face ups and downs in life. As we grow older, our luck weakens, and our health declines. This makes us easy targets for spirits and troubles, which can bring illness or disaster without us noticing. There’s an old saying that children are more likely to encounter ghosts because their Sky Eye is still open, but older people also attract trouble as they near the end of their lives. They become weaker and blur the line between life and death, making it easier for bad things to come near. In ancient folklore, there is a saying that an old person who doesn’t die is like a ghost, and that’s the truth!"
All nonsense, but Bai Qige didn’t want to scare Principal Li too much. For a regular person, he might suddenly shout, "If you don’t want to die, give everything to me right now!" But with someone experienced, he preferred to take things slowly. So, he said:
"But you don’t need to worry too much. These spirits aren’t a big deal. Snow melts in the sunlight, and water dries in the fire. Humans are like furnaces. Unless it’s a serious evil, normal spirits can’t cause real harm. They wait for the right moment when someone is weak before they strike. Since you have experienced me, your sickness is suppressed for now. I can teach you some health techniques that you can practice in your free time to help yourself!"
When Principal Li heard this, he thought Bai Qige was going to teach him an exercise like Tai Chi for seniors, so he didn’t pay much attention. Seeing this, Bai Qige smiled slightly, raised his hand, and lightly touched Principal Li’s forehead with one finger.
"Fill his mind with the first level teachings of the Basic Heart Sutra from the Dragon Gate and make sure he understands!"
After murmuring to himself, Bai Qige instantly lost 60 Experience Points, which made him feel a bit of pain, but he believed it was a worthy investment. This touch had a very noticeable effect. In just an instant, countless words and images were deeply engraved in Principal Li’s mind, impossible to forget, revealing all the secrets. Principal Li instantly showed a shocked expression.
