YM778.TV Chapter 197: 191: Hehuan Sect Takes the Blame
Last time with the Plant Empowerment Talisman, when his Ocean Talisman Studio was halfway through subcontracting work, the Self-Enhancement Talisman-boosted fruit trees uprooted the imperial tombs.
The enormous Miaodan Workshop collapsed with a bang, and they didn’t even finish paying the final payment.
The Ocean Talisman Studio suffered a small loss.
This time, with the Willpower Empowerment Talisman, the Ocean Talisman Studio continued subcontracting, and although the work was completed and the final payment settled, they made a tidy profit.
But coincidentally, the Willpower Empowerment Talisman got entangled in a series of murders.
If the imperial court decides to trace it back and impose a small fine, the Ocean Talisman Studio would once again lose money.
The economy in Liang Kingdom is depressed; the business of drawing talismans is too difficult.
“If you had asked me a few days ago, I would have told you the talisman definitely had no issues, but now I’m not so certain,” Jiang Cheng said frankly.
Song Junsheng’s heart tightened, “Could we go to prison for this?”
“That depends on what the problem is. For example, a kitchen knife, if it was just because it’s sharp enough to make killing more convenient, then surely it’s not the manufacturer’s fault. But if the material of the kitchen knife is toxic, then the manufacturer needs to be held accountable,” Jiang Cheng explained.
Ding Guangming said worriedly, “Cheng, maybe you should pack up and run for it.”
Jiang Cheng explained, “It hasn’t come to that yet. I suspect someone used the empowerment talisman to stimulate potential and enhance the body’s mechanisms, overexerting themselves in a short period of time, resulting in a huge deficit and sudden death. Essentially, it’s like a drunk driving incident; it has nothing to do with the liquor manufacturers, car factories, or the crematorium. What would I run for?”
Song Junsheng lamented, “A perfectly good talisman, now it can’t be sold anymore. I hope no more people die.”
The following day, the fourth user of the Willpower Empowerment Talisman died!
This time it was a third-rank imperial court official, at the Foundation Establishment Stage, a 250-year-old Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.
The place of death was his home, and the reason was the same: using the Willpower Empowerment Talisman during intimate relations.
According to “Capital Daily,” this “Mr. Gao” used the Willpower Empowerment Talisman and experienced the feelings of his youth.
He became unstoppable from that point on.
In the end, he died atop the belly of his 33-year-old concubine, Concubine Lu.
Zhu Hongcai, who normally didn’t read newspapers, started doing so because of the Willpower Empowerment Talisman.
After reading the latest update on the case, Zhu Hongcai deeply regretted it.
“Ah! Why didn’t I learn how to draw this talisman when I had the chance! Now that it’s banned from being sold, there’s nowhere to buy it!”
Ding Guangming teased, “Hong Cai, even if you had learned it, you wouldn’t have anywhere to use it.”
Zhu Hongcai tossed the newspaper aside, “Crap!”
Song Junsheng, however, noticed a key detail in the paper: “Mr. Gao’s concubine, Concubine Lu, has been arrested, and preliminary conjecture suggests she seems to be a disciple of the Hehuan Sect.”
Jiang Cheng put down the newspaper, “It seems the case of Prince Liang Chu is about to be closed.”
Ding Guangming scratched his head, “Why?”
Song Junsheng said, “The previous victims all died in brothels, and the suspect female cultivators either disappeared or committed suicide by jumping into wells. Six Fan Gate couldn’t catch the culprit. This time, Mr. Gao died at home, and he had only one concubine who hadn’t come into contact with anyone else before his death. It’s likely that Concubine Lu did it.”
“That’s not the reason,” Jiang Cheng said. “I think the case is dragging on for too long. If they don’t close the case quickly, the Three Departments investigative team won’t withstand pressure from all sides. Moreover, sects like the Hehuan Sect and other Demonic Tao are natural criminals. They do evil things without needing a reason. If Concubine Lu is connected to the Hehuan Sect, she becomes the natural scapegoat. Most importantly, all parties including the public can accept this outcome.”
Ding Guangming expressed surprise, “Cheng, how do you know so much?”
Jiang Cheng casually replied, “I took some time to skim through the major case records of Liang Kingdom over the last five hundred years, and over eighty percent involved the Demonic Tao.”
“All just showing off, I don’t believe it was the work of the Demonic Tao!” Zhu Hongcai always refused to acknowledge Jiang Cheng, “Five hundred years of major case records, and he just flipped through them? Totally blowing his own trumpet without drafting a lie.”
The next day, the Three Departments investigative team announced the closure of “Prince Liang Chu’s case”!
The reason given by the team was: The Hehuan Sect did it!
The motive: dissatisfaction with the court’s anti-demon policy, deliberately seeking revenge on the court!
The method: using the Hehuan Sect’s unique cultivation technique to over-harvest the yang energy from male cultivators, causing them to overexert and die suddenly.
The verdict was:
First, the court would increase its efforts to eliminate demons.
Second, Concubine Lu, the Demonic Tao enchantress who caused Mr. Gao’s death, was sentenced to death.
Third, Mr. Yu, the owner of the Secret Pill Pavilion indirectly responsible for Prince Liang Chu’s death, was fined 500 million low-grade Spirit Stones.
Fourth, the Willpower Empowerment Talisman, due to its enhancement effect on the Hehuan Sect’s techniques, was upgraded from a nationwide ban on sales to a complete prohibition on production and sales, and its use was forbidden outside private residences. Shops that had sold the Willpower Empowerment Talisman were each fined three million low-grade Spirit Stones.
Miaodan Workshop, three locations, and Tongbao Pavilion, one location, Jiang Cheng was facing a total fine of twelve million Spirit Stones! That was almost half the total income from the Willpower Empowerment Talisman.
However, the roommates were unaware of Jiang Cheng’s relationship with Miaodan Workshop.
Ding Guangming gleefully said, “Hong Cai, Cheng was right after all, it really was the Demonic Tao’s doing!”
Zhu Hongcai couldn’t care less about being proved wrong by Jiang Cheng; what he regretted most was that the Willpower Empowerment Talismans had been banned, and he never even got a chance to use one!
Such a major loss!
Song Junsheng consoled Jiang Cheng, “Don’t be sad that the talismans are banned, as long as we’re okay, that’s what matters.”
Jiang Cheng was mildly dissatisfied with the court’s indiscriminate fining. He could accept the banning of the talismans as part of the demon-elimination efforts, but not the fines.
Is it easy for an honest man to make an honest living these days?