Just thinking about it sent chills down Lu Jinâs spine.
What kind of âInnate Southern Holy Physiqueâ was this?
He had lived for so many years, yet this was the first time he had ever heard of such a bizarre illness.
Honestly, it didnât even sound like a diseaseâit was more like some kind of malevolent spirit at work.
No wonder they had invited so many monks and priests.
Suddenly, a series of footsteps echoed.
The hall instantly fell silent as all eyes turned toward the staircase on the second floor.
Moments later, a middle-aged man in a neatly tailored suit descended the stairs, surrounded by bodyguards.
The moment Lu Jin saw the man, the prayer beads in his hands trembled violently.
Even through the beadsâ seal, he could sense the raging hostility and malice emanating from him.
Lu Jin silently recited a Buddhist prayer, channeling a trace of his power into the prayer beads to forcibly suppress Tanaka Sayaâs lingering resentment.
There were too many people aroundânow was not the time to act.
His gaze fell upon Aoi Kai, who had already reached the bottom of the stairs.
His suit was immaculate, his graying hair was meticulously styled, and his face bore a passing resemblance to Takeshi Kaneshiro.
Time had left its mark on him, yet it only added to his aura.
Lu Jin had to admitâthe guy had a decent-looking face.
No wonder that foolish woman had fallen for him so easily.
Of course, he was still a notch below himself.
And no, this wasnât vanity.
After all, why else had his good-for-nothing father been able to marry into the Yakushiji family?
From a penniless nobody, he had managed to leech off the Yakushiji family and even become the templeâs abbot.
It was all because of his face.
And Lu Jin had inherited and surpassed that charmâhis looks alone were enough for him to debut as an idol.
It wasnât an exaggeration to say that, since childhood, he had never lacked women fawning over him.
Otherwise, how could he have âhelpedâ over a hundred female devotees gain a deep understanding of Buddhist teachings at such a young age?
According to the old man, if he had been born with this kind of face back then, he wouldnât have had to settle for some obscure little temple like Yakushiji.
At the very least, he could have married into a wealthy conglomerate family.
Perhaps sensing the blatant stare, Aoi Kai followed the gaze and looked over.
Upon seeing Lu Jinâs strikingly handsome face, his eyes narrowed slightly, a faint trace of shadow and jealousy flickering in them.
But he quickly concealed it, replacing it with a warm smile. He nodded slightly before turning his attention elsewhere.
âAmbition, greed, jealousy⦠quite the deadly cocktail.â
Lu Jin sneered as he observed the aura emanating from Aoi Kai.
In that brief moment of eye contact, though well-masked, his aura had betrayed him.
For an instant, a bloody hue surfaced in his radianceâhe had actually harbored killing intent toward Lu Jin.
Though fleeting, just a passing thoughtâ¦
It spoke volumes about the kind of man he was.
The moment he encountered someone more outstanding than himself, even a mere junior, his first instinct was to kill them.
Even after clawing his way to power and status through various means, deep down, he was still the same villain who would murder an entire family for wealth and position.
A personâs nature doesnât change with statusâit only becomes better concealed.
âI am truly grateful to the esteemed masters for traveling such a long way to be here.â
âAs you all know, I have sought out countless renowned doctors, yet none could cure my sonâs strange illness.â
âMy only hope now lies with all of you. To whomever can heal my son, I will offer a reward of one hundred million yen.â
Lu Jin couldnât help but recall his previous exorcism jobs.
After an exhausting ritual, he would barely earn a few hundred thousand yen.
Even when powerful figures encountered supernatural troubles, they wouldnât seek out some obscure temple in the middle of nowhere.
If he wanted to rake in this kind of money, he needed to make Yakushiji Temple famous.
At least to the point where all of Japan knew its name.
Then, money would flow in endlessly.
âWhether Young Master Aoiâs illness can be cured or not, weâll have to examine him first,â a Shinto priest dressed in traditional garb said indifferently.
Lu Jinâs gaze lingered on him for a moment.
He hadnât opened his Heavenly Eye yet, so he couldnât gauge the manâs spiritual prowess.
But he could feel a faint sense of danger from him.
Clearly, this was someone with real skills.
Of the dozen or so people in the hall, only four truly caught Lu Jinâs attention.
Besides the Shinto priest, there was also a monk and an onmyoji.
The last one was a woman dressed in a martial artistâs uniform, carrying a longbow on her back.
Her long black hair was tied into a ponytail, and she had a tall, slender frame with a pair of long, perfectly straight legs.
Beneath her tight-fitting uniform, her curvaceous figure was strikingly prominent.
Her mature face carried an expression of cold indifference, as if everyone owed her money.
Seemingly sensing his gaze, the woman frowned and looked over.
Their eyes met.
Lu Jin pressed his palms together and offered her a smiling bow.
âHmph!â
The woman snorted coldly and turned away in disgust.
Lu Jinâs lips twitched.