When Jiang Jinyu was dragged away, his screams were even more piercing than when the truth-telling talisman had forced his confession earlier.
That was the most primal fear of death.
Outside the hall, the commoners felt a wave of satisfaction wash over them.
But this “truth revealed” drama was far from over.
Suddenly, the crowd began to stir.
Two burly men pushed through the masses and dropped to their knees in front of the siblings, Feng Zeyuan and Feng Zeyu, with a loud thud.
Their knees slammed into the blue stone pavement, echoing heavily.
“Immortal Lady! Immortal Lord! Please seek justice for us!”
The leading dark-faced man wiped tears from his face.
“Last year, my wife went back to her parents’ home. She was robbed by bandits who took her life-saving money, and she was also pushed off a cliff…”
“The yamen caught that scoundrel Li San, but he refused to admit it! The magistrate said there was no evidence…”
Another younger man had a forehead bruised purple from kowtowing.
“Immortal Lady! My father was the head chef at ‘Baiwei Restaurant’. Half a year ago, the restaurant’s secret recipe went missing, and the owner insisted my father stole it… he was forced to death! My father is innocent!”
A single stone stirred up a thousand waves.
The crowd instantly erupted.
“Right! I have a grievance too!”
“Immortal Lady! Please give me a talisman!”
“Master! My case has been delayed for three years…”
More and more people knelt down.
A dense black mass filled the ground.
In this era, who didn’t have a few heavy stones pressing on their hearts?
Who hadn’t encountered a shameless liar who twisted truth and refused to admit wrongdoing?
Now that the “nemesis of stubborn liars” was right before them—
How could they not cling to her?
Feng Zeyuan paused mid-chew of sunflower seeds.
Looking at the sea of kneeling people, her eyes rolled slightly.
【Oh?】
【System, look at this crowd… isn’t this a walking treasury of gossip value?】
【I can already see my little vault waving at me!】
Jiang Yunfeng stood in the hall, looking at the scene with mixed emotions.
He urgently needed to wash away the shame of “poor parenting.”
Without needing instruction, he immediately waved for the constables to bring people in.
Feng Zeyuan was even more decisive.
She flicked talismans out like she was handing out flyers.
The courtroom turned into a large-scale “self-exposure” scene once again.
That scoundrel Li San was forced open-mouthed by the talisman.
“It was me! I did it!”
He slapped himself wildly while crying.
“I saw silver in that woman’s bag… she screamed for help, so I pushed her! I didn’t mean to kill her! Who knew she would die!”
The fat, greasy restaurant owner knelt on the ground, trembling.
“The recipe… the recipe wasn’t stolen…”
He stammered as he spilled everything.
“I lost everything gambling… owed loan sharks… I wanted to avoid paying that old man’s wages for two years, so I framed him!”
The crowd erupted in uproar.
Two more ironclad cases solved!
Jiang Yunfeng forced himself to stay upright and immediately changed the verdict.
Li San: execution by beating to death.
The restaurant owner: conscripted into military service.
The moment the ruling was announced, the villagers’ eyes lit up.
Their gazes toward Feng Zeyuan were practically worshipful.
“Immortal Lady! My cow has been missing for half a year—did Old Wang next door steal it and eat it?”
“Master! My husband comes home and sleeps immediately lately, smelling like cheap perfume… is he cheating?”
“Master! My son is starting to look more and more like the blacksmith at the village entrance… can you put a talisman on my wife?”
At that last question, a woman holding a child turned deathly pale and tried to sneak away.
Feng Zeyuan felt her head ache from the noise.
Her gaze shifted to the two majestic stone lions at the entrance of the yamen.
Perfect location, backed by official authority, excellent feng shui.
【Heh, opportunity spotted!】
“Brother, go ask Magistrate Jiang to lend us a table and two chairs.”
Feng Zeyu already knew his sister was about to cause trouble again.
Without hesitation, he went to negotiate.
“Stop—!”
The girl’s voice, infused with inner energy, instantly suppressed the chaotic noise.
At some point, she had a hard cardboard board and a wolf-hair brush in her hands.
With swift strokes, she wrote out a price list.
Feng Zeyuan sat confidently in the chair her brother brought, legs crossed, whisk in hand.
“Everyone, line up! No pushing!”
“Today I’m in a good mood, so I’ll set up a stall right here at the entrance—specializing in dealing with all kinds of stubborn cases!”
She pointed at the price list, smiling brightly.
“Listen carefully!”
“For the poor, those with grievances and nowhere to go, or matters of life and death—free of charge! I’ll even pay for the talisman myself!”
“But for those dressed in gold and silver, wanting to ask about property, secrets, or scandals…”
Her gaze swept through the crowd; wealthy men instinctively shrank back.
“Starting at one hundred taels! No upper limit! And only if I feel like taking the job!”
【Host… this pricing is insane!】
【Exactly! Precision harvesting!】
【We help the poor for free, and fleece the rich hard. That’s called wealth redistribution, got it?】
【Besides, rich people always ask nonsense anyway—if we don’t fleece them, who do we fleece?】
Feng Zeyu sat down beside her, quietly acting as accountant.
He coughed lightly, ears slightly red.
His sister’s mouth… truly said anything without hesitation.
And so, one of the most absurd scenes in the history of the Great Xia dynasty unfolded.
At the solemn entrance of the county yamen, one side still stained with dried blood, while the other side formed a long queue of gossip-seekers.
“Next! Mister Wang!”
Feng Zeyuan twirled a stack of silver notes, smiling at the fat man in front of her.
“What would you like to ask?”
Mister Wang leaned in and whispered:
“Immortal Lady… I want to ask if the child in my eighteenth concubine’s womb… is mine?”
Feng Zeyuan raised an eyebrow.
“Oh? You’ve got eighteen concubines? Then we must use a talisman. Two hundred taels!”
Wang reluctantly paid.
Pa!
A yellow talisman slapped onto the eighteenth concubine.
The result was devastating.
He spent two hundred taels to learn a truth that made him want to hang himself on the spot—
The child was the steward’s.
And the steward had been introduced by Old Li next door.
Even Old Li had slept with the eighteenth concubine.
The crowd erupted in laughter.
A joyful atmosphere filled the entire Qingxi County.
In less than half an hour, the name “Divine Fortune-Telling Immortal Lady” spread like it had wings.
…
Second floor of Yue Lai Inn.
As the sun set.
Feng Zeyuan sat cross-legged on the bed, counting a thick stack of banknotes, grinning from ear to ear.
“Brother, see this? This is the power of knowledge monetization!”
Feng Zeyu lifted his teacup, gently blowing away the steam.
His eyes were full of indulgence.
“The knowledge my sister sells… is truly… quite expensive.”
Downstairs in the hall, the storyteller slammed his gavel loudly.
“Speaking of the immortal lady, she held a golden talisman in hand, stood upon a grand chair, and shouted at Magistrate Jiang: ‘Demonic villain, reveal your true form!’ Jiang collapsed in fear…”
Feng Zeyuan tossed a peanut into her mouth, crunching happily.
【Tch, this storyteller is bad at his job.】
【I clearly said: “Jiang Jinyu, answer my question if you dare.” When did it become ‘demonic villain’?】
【And what is this ‘standing on a grand chair’ nonsense? I was clearly sitting!】
The system chimed in.
【Host, artistic embellishment. That’s how storytellers earn money.】
【Besides, you’re now the “Divine Fortune Lady”—the more mysterious, the better!】
Just as she was about to complain further, hurried footsteps sounded outside.
Then—
Bang!
The door of the private room was kicked open.
Seven or eight burly men filed in, each carrying short blades at their waists.
Leading them was a man in his fifties, dressed like a steward, his hair neatly combed.
But his triangular eyes were full of malice.
“So, you’re the siblings setting up a stall outside the yamen?”
He clasped his hands behind his back, sizing them up with disdain.
“My master invites you.”
【Host, detected it!】
The system’s voice suddenly rang out.
【This is the largest local noble clan—the Chen family!】
【They dominate Qingxi County. Even the magistrate must give them respect!】
【Their visit this time is most likely…】
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