Divine Level Witch Doctor

The seven of them instinctively tightened their grip on their Fearless Pearls.

They had a lot of faith in Zhao Yuan's words.

Suddenly, Wang Rongfeng thought of a question and asked with a very serious expression, "Third Bro, besides warding off evil and keeping us safe, does this Fearless Pearl have any other effects? For example, can it bless us so we don't fail our final exams?"

Dark lines immediately creased Zhao Yuan's forehead. He said irritably, "Second Bro, do you think this is some lucky koi meme? Just forward it and you won't fail? You'd have better luck buying a poster of Conan and hanging it up."

"A poster of Conan? What does that mean?" Qi Xia adjusted her glasses and asked in confusion.

She had been a top student since childhood and continued to be one in university. She had never worried about failing a class, so she'd never heard of the "Conan poster" meme.

The others couldn't help but laugh. They all said in unison, "It's a pun! In Chinese, 'Hang Conan' sounds just like 'hard to fail a class'!"

Just as they were laughing and joking, someone walked over.

It was Lin Xue's uncle.

The content of the eight people's conversation had attracted him. He asked curiously, "I heard you talking about something that can ward off evil? What's this? Are you carrying Magical Artifacts?"

"Zhao Yuan gave each of us a small gift," Lin Xue replied.

Her uncle said, "You mean the bead in your hand? Can I see it?"

Lin Xue handed the Fearless Pearl to her uncle and whispered to Zhao Yuan, "This uncle of mine is very interested in antiques. He's even a member of some antique collectors' association..."

Before she could finish, her uncle began his critique. "Is this a Golden Water Bodhi? The color and texture are quite good, but to say it can ward off evil... isn't that a bit of a stretch?"

Lin Xue instructed him, "Uncle, pick it up and look inside it against the light."

"Look inside? What kind of mystery could be inside this bead?" The uncle picked up the bead, held it to the light, and was instantly stunned. "What... what is this? How can there be words inside the bead? What do they say?"

Lin Xue replied, "It's scripture. Each bead contains a passage from the sutras of the Fourteen Fearless Ones."

Her uncle didn't believe her. He hurried to Lin Liangzhe's study to borrow a magnifying glass. After examining it carefully and confirming that it was indeed scripture, he was completely floored.

'How is this possible? Why is it like this? There are no cracks on the surface of the bead, so how was the scripture written inside? No, wait, it doesn't look like it was written. It looks more like the bead's own natural grain... My god, could this scripture have formed naturally?'

His legs felt weak, and he nearly collapsed from the shock of his own speculation.

The others nearby were also drawn over. They passed the Fearless Pearl around, all curious as to how the scripture had formed.

"Scripture that formed naturally? That's impossible, isn't it?" an aunt said in disbelief.

The uncle said in a solemn voice, "It's not without precedent! I've read about it in some ancient texts. Certain Magical Artifacts, like Buddhist Beads and so on, are enshrined in famous temples on sacred mountains. By listening to sutra readings day and night, being steeped in incense, and absorbing the essence of the sun and moon along with the Wish Power of devotees, scripture can naturally form within them. They become Buddhist Supreme Treasures, possessing immense Mana!"

Liu Zhu and the other six were stunned by the uncle's explanation. Zhao Yuan, however, looked surprised. He hadn't expected the man's knowledge of antiques to be so profound that he could pinpoint the Fearless Pearl's true value at a glance.

"A Buddhist Supreme Treasure? Isn't that a bit of an exaggeration?" Liu Zhu's jaw dropped.

The uncle replied, "What, you don't believe me? I'm telling you, if you took this bead to any of those famous ancient temples right now, you would one hundred percent receive the highest level of VIP treatment! And if you were willing to sell it, no matter how high a price you named, those Monks would find a way to scrape the money together for you!"

Wu Yan then asked, "So this Fearless Pearl really does have the power to ward off evil and keep you safe?"

"Of course it does!" the uncle said emphatically. "Are you kidding? This is a Buddhist Supreme Treasure!" At this point, a thought occurred to him. He turned to Zhao Yuan and said, "Zhao Yuan, these beads are Buddhist Supreme Treasures. How could you just give them away as gifts?"

Zhao Yuan smiled and explained, "It's precisely because they're Buddhist Supreme Treasures that I gave them away. In my heart, my friends' safety is what's most important. Since these treasures can ward off evil and keep people safe, of course I have to let them protect my friends."

Hearing this, Liu Zhu, Yang Zi, and the rest of the group were deeply moved. The other relatives, meanwhile, were filled with envy. More than one of them thought to themselves, 'It must be great to be Zhao Yuan's friend!'

Xue Wanyun saw this and nodded to herself in approval.

In her heart, Zhao Yuan had left a perfect impression as someone who was not only capable but also deeply valued loyalty and friendship.

A short while later, Lin Liqiang finally finished his business talk with Fang Yi and came downstairs.

Glancing at the clock on the wall, Lin Liqiang said, "It's about time. We should head to the restaurant."

Because there were so many guests today, they hadn't cooked at home, choosing to eat out instead. As for the restaurant, it was a place Zhao Yuan was quite familiar with—the Lakefront House, where he had just been the previous night.

The group had just gotten out of their cars when another sedan pulled up. A couple got out, people who had not been at the Lin Family's villa earlier.

Upon seeing the group, the middle-aged woman said, "Looks like we're not late. Xiaoxue, happy birthday! We had so much to do today, that's why we're only just now getting here." She then turned to Lin Liqiang. "Big Brother, I told you before, we should have just planned to meet at the restaurant. Why bother going to the house first? Who has that much time?"

Zhao Yuan frowned as he listened.

'This woman has no tact at all.'

Lin Xue leaned in and whispered in his ear, "That's my third aunt. Of all our relatives, she's the one who loves to put on airs the most. If she says anything unpleasant later, please don't take it to heart."

Zhao Yuan nodded.

Lin Liqiang was frowning too, but he didn't stoop to arguing with his sister-in-law.

The third aunt strode ahead, saying as she walked, "Lakefront House, huh? I come here all the time. The food really is excellent." She turned her head and said to Zhao Yuan and his friends, "You all must be Lin Xue's friends, right? Judging by your looks, you've probably never been to a place like this before. Today, you're getting a real treat thanks to the Lin Family."

Before Zhao Yuan and his friends could react, Lin Liqiang and Xue Wanyun were already displeased. But someone else spoke up before them. "Shut your mouth!"

The speaker was none other than Lin Liangzhe.

The third aunt was dumbfounded. She couldn't understand why her father-in-law was siding with outsiders.

Just then, four hostesses in cheongsams standing at the entrance of Lakefront House suddenly came trotting out, calling, "You're here!"

The third aunt was taken aback. 'What's going on?' she thought. She had been to Lakefront House many times before, and while the hostesses were always welcoming, they had never been this over-the-top.

Then she saw that it wasn't just the hostesses; even the manager of Lakefront House came scurrying out to greet them.

Although she didn't understand what was happening, the third aunt instantly felt very important. The matter of being scolded just moments ago was completely forgotten. With a beaming smile, she waved her hand. "Oh, there's no need to be so formal..."

Before she could finish her sentence, the group of employees walked right past her and went straight to Zhao Yuan.