At the long wooden bar, only Cao Yi's profile was visible as he poured water from a glass jug into a cup with a piece of yellow paper inside. This healing talisman was unlike traditional ones; it was simply meant to be soaked in water.
"Water," Mark was the first to speak, looking at Cao Yi with a confused expression.
"Daoist," Wang Kaixuan, who had just sobered up a bit, finally noticed the Daoist's presence in the bar. Seeing someone familiar across the Pacific, he was as surprised as when he met the big-toothed man.
Watching the Daoist pour water into the cup with the yellow talisman made his mouth twitch. Having lived through the "Four Olds" era, he couldn't believe that Daoist talismans could actually heal.
"Alright, drink this talisman water; you should be fine now," Cao Yi said calmly as he approached, having filled the cup halfway.
While drawing the healing talisman at the Daoist temple, he had thought of the big-toothed man, who suffered from severe asthma.
"Daoist Priest, don't complicate things. Someone, call for an ambulance!" Wang Kaixuan shouted at Mark.
Mark, needing the big-toothed man and having money, picked up his phone and dialed 911, despite finding it absurd to soak yellow paper in water to save someone.
"Hey, are you serious?" Wang Kaixuan yelled, visibly angry.
Ignoring him, Cao Yi pried open the big-toothed man's mouth and forced the talisman water down his throat.
"I say, you bull-nosed man!" Wang Kaixuan grabbed Cao Yi's shoulder, using all his strength, but couldn't budge him.
Having seen many mysterious things in Reverse Digging, Wang Kaixuan had a strong tolerance for the bizarre. Unable to move Cao Yi, he let go and stopped trying to intervene.
Meanwhile, the beer hall owner and a few servers began to panic.
"Oh my God, this terrifying Oriental, what is he doing? How can he treat a poor patient like this?"
"God, what am I seeing? Stop! You're committing murder!"
"Ruth, call the police?"
"Boss, don't you remember? The phone lines around here are under repair."
…
Gasping for air, feeling as though he was about to die, the big-toothed man saw the Daoist forcibly pouring water down his throat and wanted to curse, but he lacked the strength to stop it. The water nearly choked him, intensifying his sense of impending death, which turned into extreme hatred towards Cao Yi. But soon, he felt warmth spreading in his belly, and his breathing slowly started to improve.
He could breathe!!
Realizing he had wronged the Daoist Priest, his hatred transformed into gratitude as the feeling of suffocation completely disappeared. The big-toothed man took a deep breath, his face filled with greed.
At that moment, if anyone had asked him what was most precious in the world, he would have said, "Air."
"It really worked!" Wang Kaixuan, who was closest, exclaimed, shocked and overjoyed.
The previously panicking beer hall owner and servers were left dumbfounded. An Oriental man on the brink of death from asthma had been cured by a strange Oriental with a cup of soaked yellow paper.
"Incredible! Is he a wizard from the East?"
"Dani, there are no wizards in the East."
"Unbelievable…"
…
"Old Jin, you're really okay!" Wang Kaixuan shook the big-toothed man's shoulders excitedly.
Due to their similar personalities, Wang Kaixuan had the best relationship with the big-toothed man among the Reverse Digging trio.
The big-toothed man nodded and expressed heartfelt thanks to Cao Yi, who had stood up: "Daoist, thank you so much. Without you, I would have lost my life today."
"Glad to hear it," Cao Yi replied blandly, but inside, he was thrilled that the healing talisman truly worked.
"If talisman water is this powerful, the talisman itself must be even better. I can't waste it," the big-toothed man said, pulling out the talisman from the cup and swallowing it after a few chews.
Cao Yi: "..."
"I've called for an ambulance; what should we do?" Mark asked, holding his phone with a silly expression.
"What! You called an ambulance? Tell them to turn back!" The big-toothed man exclaimed in shock, then yelled as if his backside were on fire.
Having lived in the U.S. for a while, he knew how much the ambulance service would charge.
Mark dialed back, spoke a few words, then hung up, looking as if he had eaten something unpleasant: "They still want payment."
"You pay if you want; I won't," the big-toothed man refused to budge.
"There's the 'Corpse Flower'! The 'Corpse Flower'!" Wang Kaixuan's voice rang out.
Everyone turned to look.
Wang Kaixuan was holding the contract with a dazed expression.
"What 'Corpse Flower'?" the big-toothed man asked, startled.
"The 'Corpse Flower'..." Wang Kaixuan murmured, touching the flower pattern on the contract, memories of a long-forgotten woman flooding back to him.
"Old Kai, what's wrong with you?" the big-toothed man quietly inquired, unnerved by Wang Kaixuan's demeanor.
Suddenly, Wang Kaixuan snapped the contract shut and, bypassing the big-toothed man, firmly told Mark, "I'll sign the contract. Give me a pen."
"I had it ready," the big-toothed man said, pulling out a pen from his pocket.
Wang Kaixuan took the pen, walked to the table, and signed his name on the contract.
"Give it to him."
"Sure thing!"
The big-toothed man happily handed a page of the contract to Mark.
Mark placed the contract into his briefcase, resuming his businesslike demeanor: "The contract is signed. I hope to see all the Reverse Digging members at the airport tomorrow."
Wang Kaixuan, who had been very agreeable moments ago, furrowed his brow.
This unusual expression caught Mark's attention: "Mr. Wang, is there a problem?"
"To be honest, I'm the only one left in Reverse Digging; the other two have retired."
Wang Kaixuan spoke candidly.
Mark hadn't anticipated this and his expression darkened immediately.
The big-toothed man, acting as a mediator, quickly smoothed things over: "Mr. Mark, rest assured. We can convince the other two Reverse Digging members to join."
Mark's expression eased a little.
"Ahem, even if the other two don't come, Kai can still find the tomb alone," the big-toothed man added.
Mark: "..."
"I have a way to get Hu Bayi to come," Wang Kaixuan said.
With Wang Kaixuan's assurance, Mark's expression finally relaxed.