PCJ – Chapter 523 Life-Saving Talismans

“Jiaohua, in our crew, it’s just the four of us who are fine. The others have all been hospitalized with high fevers and unconsciousness. The hospitals are helpless, and they still haven’t found the cause. Can you help them?” Chen Cheng pleaded pitifully in front of Zhang Jiaohua.

“I don’t want to go over and be looked at like a monster. Last time, an old expert scolded me for acting like a shaman. Helping people isn’t the problem, but who can guarantee that nothing will go wrong? If something happens, who will take responsibility?” Zhang Jiaohua asked back.

Chen Cheng was at a loss. This was indeed not such a simple matter.

Chen Haibo and Tang Yan had more experience than Chen Cheng, and although they hadn’t experienced the situation Zhang Jiaohua described, his concerns were valid. Not to mention how Zhang Jiaohua would approach the hospital to save people, the hospital itself couldn’t treat them; would they tolerate Zhang Jiaohua’s methods? If the news spread that Zhang Jiaohua was using what could be seen as superstitious methods to save people, the reputation of the Renxin Hospital would be destroyed.

“Jiaohua, is there any way you can help without showing yourself? We can handle the situation, and if something goes wrong, it won’t be your responsibility,” Chen Haibo suggested after thinking for a moment.

“Fine, I’ll make some water for you to try. If it works, we’ll talk later,” Zhang Jiaohua said, going into the house to prepare some water. He retrieved a bottle of stream water from the Lingxi, then used a method to refine it and recited a spell:

“…All kinds of evil magic are undone, one for Huangyi Duan Gong, two for Nanli Fa, three for Baiyi Fa, four for Sanshi Fa, five for Ironworker Fa, six for Huajiang Fa, seven for Wangjiang Fa, eight for Shijiang Fa, nine for Mucang Fa, ten for cutting and mending methods… I summon the Fox Ancestor and all the ancestors to withdraw all evil, and respectfully summon the Six Stars of the Southern Dipper, the Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper. I beseech the Taishang Laojun, urgently as the law commands.”

After refining the talisman water, Zhang Jiaohua left the room and handed the bottle of water to Chen Haibo. “This water, try to get the patients to drink it. If it doesn’t work, don’t come looking for me. I don’t have a better solution.”

Chen Haibo took the bottle and thanked him, “Thank you so much, Jiaohua. I’ll make sure Director Lin and the others properly thank you later.”

Tang Yan also expressed her gratitude.

Chen Cheng, feeling guilty, said to Zhang Jiaohua, “Jiaohua, you’ve helped me so much already. I shouldn’t be bothering you, but I really don’t have any other way. Director Lin is a good person to us, so…”

“Stop saying all that. When you go back to Meiziao, tell your father Chen Dianzi that I’ve helped you quite a bit,” Zhang Jiaohua laughed.

“Jiaohua, please don’t call my dad ‘Chen Dianzi’! By rights, you should be calling him Grandpa,” Chen Cheng said, feeling a little uncomfortable when others called her dad by that nickname.

Zhang Jiaohua refused, “No way, I’m used to calling him that. Besides, what kind of relatives are our families anyway?”

Chen Cheng gave him a playful glare, “I’ll go tell your parents on you.”

“I’m not afraid. If I go back now, my mom wouldn’t even dare to scold me. Heh heh,” Zhang Jiaohua chuckled.

Chen Cheng gave up trying to argue and simply followed Chen Haibo and the others.

The group took Zhang Jiaohua’s prepared water to Renxin Hospital. The hospital hadn’t made no progress; at least, they’d determined that the disease affecting this group of patients was not contagious, and the quarantine of the “Ghost House Incident” crew had been lifted. However, the cause of the illness remained undetermined. Renxin Hospital had invited numerous infectious disease experts from around the world to help diagnose this mysterious illness.

“Can we visit Director Lin Jianming’s room?” Chen Haibo asked.

Dr. Sun Xinhua, the attending physician, readily agreed, “Of course, Director Lin has been moved to a general ward. But his family is there, so whether they’ll allow you to visit is another matter.”

Chen Haibo assured, “I know them.”

Director Lin Jianming’s family was familiar with Chen Haibo. Seeing him and the others, their worried expressions softened, and they barely managed a smile.

“Haibo, what exactly happened that day? The whole crew ended up in the hospital, how did you guys escape?” Lin Jianming’s wife, Ma Xixian, asked.

Chen Haibo briefly explained the situation.

“So, that Taoist priest warned you about the danger of the ghost house?” Ma Xixian asked in surprise.

“Yes, we told Director Lin right away. But Director Lin said that the investors required filming at the ghost house, so most of the filming had to take place there. Director Lin later managed to move some unnecessary shots to other locations, but most had to be filmed inside the ghost house. We tried to do the more dangerous shots during the day, but that day, many shots were unsatisfactory, so we had to reshoot multiple times. It got late, and when we came out, something felt wrong. Luckily, we had a talisman from that Taoist priest. Otherwise, we’d probably be lying here right now,” Tang Yan explained.

Ma Xixian wiped her eyes with a handkerchief, tears falling, “If I had known how dangerous this movie was, I would never have let Lin continue with it.”

“None of us expected this,” Chen Haibo replied. Stepping outside and seeing no doctors or nurses around, he took out the bottle of water and said to Ma Xixian, “Last time, we got talismans from the Lüzu Temple. We went to find another Taoist priest there and asked for a bottle of talisman water. We want to try it on Director Lin, see if it helps.”

“This?” Ma Xixian hesitated. It was hard for her to decide. Superstition could be fatal. Though Chen Haibo had brought it, and he had a good relationship with them, she was afraid to rely on it as her husband’s lifeline. If she fed it to him and it killed him, she’d regret it forever. But since they had come through safely last time, maybe it really worked.

Chen Haibo understood her hesitation and didn’t insist, “Ma Xixian, don’t feel pressured. If you’re uncomfortable, I’ll let others try it first. If it works, we’ll give it to Director Lin.”

Ma Xixian awkwardly nodded, “Haibo, it’s not that I don’t trust you, it’s just that I can’t afford to lose him.”

Leaving the hospital room, Tang Yan immediately asked, “What should we do?”

“What else can we do? Find someone else. Let’s go to Wang Yiwei’s room. I’m on good terms with his family. His wife is a classmate of mine from Beijing Film,” Chen Haibo said, immediately thinking of someone.

Wang Yiwei’s wife, Cui Jingjing, was also from the industry and had a very close relationship with Chen Haibo. They almost became a couple but ended up becoming good friends. Chen Haibo had met Wang Yiwei through Cui Jingjing.

In Wang Yiwei’s hospital room, Cui Jingjing was anxiously waiting by his side. Upon seeing Chen Haibo and the others, she immediately burst into tears.

“How did he go from being fine to like this? What happened at the ghost house?” Cui Jingjing asked loudly.

“It’s a long story, and I can’t explain it all right now. Cui Jingjing, can you trust me?” Chen Haibo didn’t want to go into details again.

“How could I not trust you? If I didn’t trust you, would I have foolishly handed everything over to you back then, only to end up being heartlessly dumped?” Cui Jingjing looked at Chen Haibo with a resentful gaze.

“You’re unbelievable! Cui Jingjing, at a time like this, you’re still making jokes. Don’t you care about Old Wang’s life?” Chen Haibo couldn’t help cursing.

Cui Jingjing, a trained actress, subconsciously used her acting skills. For someone like her, life itself was like a drama. Sometimes, it was hard to tell what was real and what was just a performance.

“I got a bottle of talisman water that should cure Wang Yiwei. If you trust me, I’ll give it to him. If not, forget it,” Chen Haibo said.

“At this point, we have nothing to lose. If you kill Old Wang with this, I’ll be relying on you for the rest of my life,” Cui Jingjing said.

At times like this, one could still joke—her heart must be quite broad! Tang Yan and Chen Cheng found it both funny and sad. They could see that Cui Jingjing really cared for Wang Yiwei, judging by her swollen eyes. The joke was just a way for her to lighten the atmosphere and show that she hadn’t completely given up hope.

Chen Haibo didn’t want to argue with her anymore. He opened the bottle of water, pinched Wang Yiwei’s mouth open, and poured some in. He quickly screwed the cap back on, hiding the bottle, worried that the hospital staff might see.

Wang Yiwei’s face, flushed with fever, gradually turned normal, and his body temperature dropped. After a while, his eyes blinked.

“He’s awake?” Chen Haibo exclaimed in surprise.

“Wang Yiwei! Wake up, or I’ll find someone else!” Cui Jingjing threatened.

“That’s intolerable!” Wang Yiwei jumped up, “Honey, don’t go looking for Chen Haibo, that damn cat is a terrible person, always tricking girls into bed!”

Cui Jingjing laughed, “Don’t worry, I’m not looking for him.”

Chen Haibo exploded, “Damn! You two dogs, stop flaunting your love and don’t use me as a punching bag! The Chen family are good people!”

“Go to hell, you’re not decent!” Cui Jingjing spat.

“He’s back to normal!” Tang Yan exclaimed.

Everyone finally realized.

“The talisman water really works!”