The three disciples, too excited to resist the effects of their alcohol, simply returned to the hotel together. Xu Zifan, fearing further misfortune, said he needed to rest and went back to his room, retreating into his spatial dimension to cultivate and study, preparing for the night without his junior disciples' protection. The three, however, were eagerly preparing to stir up trouble.
"Has the trending topic been removed yet? Let's check how it is now."
The three of them started scrolling through their phones. Mo Jiani's agent and assistant, who had just arrived, were a little confused when they saw this. The agent reminded her, "Jiani, the team has been keeping an eye on this. The country doesn't allow these kinds of supernatural trending topics. They were taken down as soon as they appeared. Netizens are just making some insinuations and discussing it, but without concrete evidence, they're treating it as nonsense. As for those psychological issues, there's no evidence either. As long as you focus on filming, these things will just be seen as publicity stunts. You don't need to pay attention to them."
Mo Jiani saw three trending topics about her: the first was #MoJianiEncountersDangerWhileHangingOnWires#, the fifth was #MoJiani'sMentalState#, and the tenth was #IncidentOnTheSetOfTheHorror#.
At the time, several supporting actors, as well as many extras and staff, witnessed the strange scene on set and were terrified. Naturally, the news spread.
But the equipment was all smashed, and everyone was too scared to remember to record anything on their phones, so there was no evidence. Besides, everyone was trying to calm down, and no one was in the mood to come forward and explain. The trending topics online were just speculation because the commotion on set was too big.
If this matter were suppressed and filming were completed peacefully, no one would mention it anymore; at most, it would be dismissed as a publicity stunt by the production team. However, Mo Jiani is now a member of Qingfeng Temple and has promised Xu Zifan to promote the film properly, so she can't just let it go so easily.
She first had Jiang Dong ask Jiang Tianxin how the police station would handle the situation.
When Jiang Tianxin heard that they wanted a clear explanation, she contacted Liao Cheng and the Haishi Police Station to communicate. The police station was also worried about how to cover it up. After discussing it, they concluded that the obsessive fans were too crazy. They stalked and harassed Mo Jiani and confessed their love to her but were rejected. Enraged, they went to the film crew and sabotaged things, intending to kill Mo Jiani. As a result, they unfortunately fell to their deaths.
This approach conceals the supernatural and terrifying aspects while restoring the truth, providing a legitimate and reasonable justification for the unexpected incident on set.
Once Mo Jiani received confirmation, she immediately edited and posted a Weibo message.
[Mo Jiani v: Today was a thrilling day, but I finally resolved the troubles I've been going through lately. Thank you @HaishiPolice, thank you to the crew, thank you to my boyfriend Luo Chen and his friends, and especially thank you to all my fans who have been encouraging and supporting me. Thank you! Without you, I might not be here today.]
Also, I'd like to express my special thanks to Qingfeng Temple. The peace charm gave me great psychological comfort, allowing me to face everything bravely and strongly. I hope everyone can find solace when feeling lost and continue to be courageous. [heart]
Mo Jiani didn't elaborate, explaining that the advertisement wasn't about superstition, but rather about psychological comfort. However, the attached image was a picture of a lucky charm, clearly indicating its significant meaning to her, making it impossible to ignore. It's fair to say that every word of this Weibo post is truthful, yet also subtly reveals her cunning.
Netizens were paying close attention to her situation, and as soon as she spoke out, they flocked to her post, with the number of comments exceeding ten thousand in a single refresh. Many people were asking what she meant by saying "gone," what danger she had encountered, as this clearly wasn't a mental issue, and what was going on with Qingfeng Temple?
Just as netizens' curiosity reached its peak, the agent posted a long Weibo post using Mo Jiani's studio account, explaining the ins and outs of the matter, strongly condemning Dong Hao's despicable behavior, stating that she would never forgive such malicious harm in the name of love, and calling on fans to be rational in their pursuit of celebrities, not to lose themselves, and to avoid harming themselves and others.
Mo Jiani's fans all know Dong Hao. This sleazy guy tried to forcibly kiss Mo Jiani two months ago, and they cursed him back then. He even posted on Weibo saying he wanted to have Mo Jiani, which almost disgusted them. Later, Dong Hao disappeared, and they stopped mentioning him. Who would have thought that Dong Hao would actually stalk and harass Mo Jiani, and almost kill her?!
No wonder Mo Jiani was in such a bad state while filming before, and kept saying that someone was watching her. She even suspected that she was too immersed in the role and went to see a psychologist. It turns out that it was all Dong Hao's doing! At that time, some people laughed at Mo Jiani for being pretentious and said that Mo Jiani had schizophrenia. Just thinking about how Mo Jiani suffered so many unnecessary attacks because of such a person makes fans feel heartbroken.
Of course, there was no shortage of criticism directed at Dong Hao. After the criticism, all the fans were relieved that their idol was alright and grateful to those who helped and supported him. At this moment, Qingfeng Temple suddenly emerged as the most watched object and quickly became a trending topic!
Fans expressed their gratitude and curiosity, saying they wanted to visit Qingfeng Temple to offer incense and money, thanking the temple for the peace charms that reassured their idols and helped them through the most difficult time. Passersby were also curious, with some occasionally mocking it as feudal superstition or a publicity stunt by Qingfeng Temple, but these comments were usually quickly silenced.
This was posted by Mo Jiani herself. She just went through a life-or-death situation, would she use this to create hype? Besides, she said she was just seeking peace of mind and psychological comfort, how is that superstition?
At this time, the fans' fighting power was at its strongest, and the manager also hired online trolls to help push things up. Soon, three trending topics appeared: #Where is Qingfeng Temple#, #Qingfeng Temple Peace Talisman#, and #Mo Jiani's Stalker Fans#. The previous trending topics actually lost popularity and disappeared in a short while.
Qingfeng Temple immediately caught the attention of netizens. Jiang Dong and Luo Chen pinpointed the exact location of Qingfeng Temple using the alternate account posted it online. After finding Qingfeng Temple, the next step was for curious people to go and see, and for Mo Jiani's fans to go and see. The matter has changed from the initial suspicion of a ghost on the film set, to the later claim that the actress had mental problems, to the current harmonious state where the villain is dead, the actress is safe, and people want to go to Qingfeng Temple to pray.
The three disciples were very satisfied with the advertising results they had created, the police were very satisfied with the harmonious outcome of no longer mentioning ghosts, and netizens were also satisfied with the truth that evil deeds are punished. Everyone was happy!
The next day, when Xu Zifan emerged from his spatial dimension, his three disciples eagerly told him about the advertising's effectiveness. Upon hearing this, Xu Zifan quickly said, "Then hurry back; there's no one at the Taoist temple yet." He then smiled and praised them, "Well done! Here, Achen and Jia Ni, put on your protective jade pendants for safety. Xiao Dong already has some, so I won't give them to you. I can teach you everything I know; how much you learn depends on your own abilities."
"Thank you, Abbot!" The three were overjoyed. After what they had gone through, they desperately needed to learn some survival skills, otherwise they wouldn't be able to sleep soundly!
Xu Zifan was about to go downstairs when he was told that all the elevators were out of order and that he would have to take the stairs to get down.
On the eighteenth floor, Xu Zifan was a little annoyed. He wasn't actually very diligent; he was the kind of person who enjoyed life. How could he be so unlucky in this area?
Jiang Dong and the others were about to take the stairs when he stopped them, saying, "The elevator will be ready soon. I'm going to do my morning exercise, so I'll take the stairs. You guys wait here."
He entered the stairwell and circulated his spiritual energy, quickly descending the stairs without much effort. He had Shao Hua interfere with the surveillance cameras in the stairwell, and as soon as he reached the bottom, he heard Shao Hua say that the elevator had returned to normal.
Xu Zifan was already used to it and calmly waited for the person before catching his flight back to Yanjing. Luo Chen originally wanted to stay with Mo Jiani, but since he had joined Qingfeng Temple, he naturally had to go back to help and couldn't miss such a good opportunity to perform. Mo Jiani wasn't afraid and agreed with him to go back quickly, saying that he could teach her what he learned via video call. If she didn't have to film, she would have gone with him immediately.
Fortunately, the plane was crowded, and Xu Zifan's bad luck didn't affect the flight. Apart from the coffee being particularly bitter and the mineral water being particularly icy, they returned to Yanjing smoothly. Xu Zifan made a phone call to Jiang Tianxin, and the group met up at Qingfeng Temple.
No one had visited Qingfeng Temple since its reconstruction, so Luo Chen and Jiang Dong found it fascinating. They toured the entire temple, inside and out, leaving no corner unexplored. Xu Zifan had them offer incense, which was considered a sign of the temple's acceptance of their presence.
He was just pondering whether or not to recruit a few junior Taoist priests when Jiang Tianxin pulled him aside and asked him with some hesitation, "Master, do you... do you plan to take on other disciples in the future?"
Seeing her slightly nervous expression, Xu Zifan stroked his chin and teased her, "Will you accept... or not? What's wrong? No matter how much you accept, you'll still be the eldest senior sister, unique in Master's heart."
Jiang Tianxin lowered her head, bit her lip, and mustered her courage to say, "Master, could you please stop taking on disciples? I don't want to share my master with others."
Xu Zifan's sudden acceptance of three nominal disciples served as a wake-up call for her. She tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep. The thought of her junior brothers and sisters sweetly calling her "Master," and how Xu Zifan would care for them as he had cared for her, teaching them with meticulous care, made her heart ache. Asking the question now revealed her genuine nervousness; her hands, clasped tightly together behind her back, were pressed together.
Xu Zifan tilted his head to look at her, and she felt embarrassed. This request seemed too unreasonable, and her ears turned red. But then she heard Xu Zifan chuckle, and his pleasant voice whispered in her ear, "Alright, I'll be your master."
Jiang Tianxin was stunned for a moment. When she looked up, Xu Zifan was already gone. She pressed her hand to her chest, experiencing the feeling of her heart pounding for the first time.
Being her only master felt like a promise. Jiang Tianxin blushed silently, feeling herself becoming less and less like herself, yet the corners of her mouth involuntarily turned up in a smile. No one could compete with her for a master anymore!
Jiang Dong and Luo Chen chose elegant and beautiful Taoist robes, had them custom-made, and had them delivered to the Taoist temple. After putting them on, they finally felt at home in the temple's atmosphere. Not long after, Mo Jiani's die-hard fans arrived, devoutly offering incense to thank heaven for protecting Mo Jiani's safety, and also requesting the same kind of amulet as Mo Jiani.
Curious onlookers also arrived. The Taoist temple was not well prepared, and only the talismans drawn by Xu Zifan and Jiang Tianxin were available for sale. There were peace talismans, health talismans, calming talismans, peach blossom talismans, etc., tentatively priced at 100 yuan each. It was not cheap for worshippers, but it was not unaffordable either. At least half of the people who came bought some.
Many people also donated incense money, and the first day of "opening for business" was so lively and bustling that the incense of Qingfeng Temple was finally lit again!