After Swapping Lives, the Metaphysics Side Character Became the Wealthy Family's Beloved - Chapter 41

“Taoist Priest, I have doubts about your abilities. A simple talisman shouldn’t take this long, should it?”

Li Qiao’s eyes flickered with skepticism.

Qingxu Taoist nearly choked on his own saliva.

“Young friend, what do you mean by that? Are you suggesting you could draw a talisman in a single day?” The Taoist priest detected the underlying implication in her words.

Such a simple task shouldn’t require such complexity.

“It doesn’t take days. A minute is all I need.”

Her tone was calm, as if stating the most ordinary fact.

“That’s impossible! Young friend, though you are skilled, we must be realistic here.”

Clearly, Qingxu Taoist didn’t believe her.

Li Qiao’s expression remained indifferent, but her gaze at the Taoist held a trace of something unreadable.

That look—

For some reason, Qingxu Taoist felt it wasn’t a favorable one.

“Priest… Our Qiaoqiao is exceptionally skilled at drawing talismans. She really doesn’t need that much time. Qiaoqiao, why don’t you demonstrate? Qiuying… she also wants a protective talisman.”

As she spoke, Liu Yusi’s eyes flickered toward Mrs. Wang beside her.

Mrs. Wang’s eyes brimmed with anticipation. Though her son was a hopeless fool, he was still her flesh and blood. She couldn’t just watch him walk to his doom!

Under their expectant gazes, Li Qiao agreed without hesitation.

She instructed Li Shaoyang to fetch brushes, ink, and yellow paper from her bedroom.

Once everything was ready, Li Qiao picked up the brush and began.

Her swift, fluid movements left Qingxu Taoist utterly stunned.

No preparatory rituals?

No incantations?

She just… started?

The Taoist refused to believe it. Surely, she was bluffing.

But just as he muttered to himself, Li Qiao flicked her brush and presented a completed protective talisman.

“Done.”

Qingxu Taoist: “…?!”

Mrs. Wang was ecstatic. She immediately transferred the payment—100,000 yuan for a single talisman, but she generously sent a million instead.

The wealthy lady spared no expense.

Qingxu Taoist rushed forward, scrutinizing the talisman with wide eyes.

Suddenly, he slapped his thigh in excitement.

“Marvelous! Absolutely marvelous! Young friend, this protective talisman is extraordinarily potent. Might you… spare one more for me?” His eyes burned with fervent hope.

He had to study it further—this was a treasure beyond measure for the mystic arts community.

Li Qiao hadn’t expected such a reaction over a basic protective talisman.

At this point, she couldn’t help but wonder: Just how far has the mystic sect fallen in this world?

So, she drew another talisman and handed it to Qingxu Taoist.

Overjoyed, the Taoist priest departed in high spirits.

As Mrs. Wang prepared to leave with her talisman, Li Qiao reminded her once more: Xu Tong must tread carefully from now on.

After the Sun Qian incident, Mrs. Wang nodded solemnly.

“Who would’ve thought the Xu family’s son would get entangled with a malevolent spirit?” Liu Yusi sighed.

Even now, the thought sent chills down her spine.

Li Shaoyang smirked. “Since he refuses to believe it, he’ll learn the hard way sooner or later.”

He relished the thought of Xu Tong’s downfall—the two had always been at odds. Xu Tong was, after all, a fool through and through.

But—

His precious little sister was amazing. Li Shaoyang’s eyes sparkled with admiration.

Li Qiao felt a little embarrassed.

“Second Brother, it’s really not that impressive.” Drawing talismans was fundamental for any mystic practitioner.

“I don’t care. I only believe what I see. My sister is incredible—I must’ve been blind before!”

“Hmph. You’re just like your father,” Liu Yusi teased.

The siblings burst into laughter.

Soon, the conversation turned to Li Qiao’s schooling. She shared her plans: she’d retain all the knowledge from her past life and only needed to take the college entrance exam. She’d already discussed this with the school administration.

Though they worried about her academic performance, Li Qiao stood firm.

After a moment of silence, Li Shaoyang spoke first:

“If Qiaoqiao says she can do it, I believe her. Mom, even if—hypothetically—she doesn’t get into college, our family can support her for life.”

His mission was clear: earn enough to be his sister’s lifelong safety net.

Liu Yusi nodded in agreement.

The matter was settled.

Soon after, Li Shaoyang was called away by a phone call.

Li Qiao’s life returned to tranquility—or so she thought.

When Liu Yusi answered a call later, her expression darkened visibly, her brows furrowed with displeasure.

“Mom…?”

Li Qiao watched her with concern.

Her daughter’s worried gaze softened Liu Yusi’s frustration.

“Qiaoqiao, now that you’re back… tomorrow, we’ll visit my family. It’s time you met them.”

Liu Yusi stroked her hair, her eyes clouded with unreadable emotions.

“Of course. When do we leave?”

“Tomorrow.”

Li Qiao agreed without hesitation.

This was the first time her mother had mentioned her maternal family since Li Qiao’s return.

Her instincts told her there was more to this.

After Liu Yusi retired to her room, Li Qiao toyed with her phone.

Then, a message from Mrs. Meng popped up:

[Qiaoqiao, I’ve just acquired a treasure. Are you home? I can deliver it to you.]

[Mrs. Meng, let’s meet at South Lake Café.]

[See you soon, darling! (#^.^#)]

If anyone knew about the Liu family, it was Mrs. Meng—the ultimate gossip queen in their social circle.

South Lake Café

Mrs. Meng sat by the window, waving excitedly when Li Qiao arrived.

Without delay, she pulled out an exquisite box from her bag.

Inside lay a cinnabar bracelet.

At a glance, its extraordinary quality was evident—a rare artifact for warding off evil.

“Qiaoqiao, I came across this and immediately thought of you. As a young lady, it suits you perfectly. Consider it an additional token of my gratitude.”

“Mrs. Meng, if you were able to acquire this, you must know its value. Wouldn’t you rather keep it for yourself?”

Its beads radiated potent spiritual energy, each one brimming with formidable power.

Mrs. Meng waved it off. “I don’t understand these things. I just knew it was destined for someone like you the moment I saw it.”

So, she bought it.

Under Mrs. Meng’s insistence, Li Qiao reluctantly accepted.

In return, she offered a promise: within reason, she would fulfill any request from Mrs. Meng that didn’t violate ethics or the law.

Mrs. Meng beamed.

Seizing the opportunity, Li Qiao inquired about the Liu family.

At the mention of them, Mrs. Meng’s smile vanished, replaced by disdain.

“Qiaoqiao… Outsiders may think your mother, Yusi, is the privileged eldest daughter of the Liu family, showered with the finest resources. But the truth is…” Mrs. Meng’s lips curled in disgust. “Those people have lost their minds.”