The sky was vast and clear. In Donghai City's Linshui Temple, incense smoke curled up, shrouding the faces of the golden statues of the Three Pure Ones enshrined within the hall.

Donghai City wasn't particularly large, but the Linshui Temple within it was somewhat famous in the province and even across the country. It was the seat of the ancestral lineage of the Donghai sect of Daoism, with a history stretching back over a thousand years.

The city government also offered Linshui Temple a degree of protection and focused on promoting it. Linshui Temple held a certain status in the hearts of the locals; its abbot was even a representative of the Municipal People's Congress.

At this moment, a couple was standing at the fortune-telling slip interpretation counter. They handed the slip they had drawn to the Daoist priest who interpreted them and also gave their birth dates.

The Daoist priest had a large head and big ears, his face shiny with oil, not looking much like a man of the cloth. He had already interpreted several slips before them, and in the eyes of the girl in the couple, what was even more unreliable wasn't his appearance. He began every sentence with "This slip of yours is not bad," and the content was all just praise, as if everyone was going to have good luck forever. It was very perfunctory; he finished interpreting a slip in half a minute.

The priest glanced at the slip in his hand, “Mm, you were born in the year of the Tiger. This slip is very good. You've had a good year, smooth sailing, no illness or disaster...”

He spoke absently, halfway through his usual platitudes, when he noticed the couple's subtle expressions. He laughed it off and added a couple of lines to recover: “Both have good fortunes, both are people of good fortune.”

The couple walked out hand in hand. Before they had even stepped out the door, the girl couldn't help but say: “He says the same thing to everyone, hmph, I told you it was a scam.”

The boy said, a bit embarrassed: “Forget it, forget it, keep your voice down. Why are you saying this inside the temple.”

The fat priest glanced outside, not paying much mind to the faintly audible words, and stretched.

But halfway through his stretch, the fat priest's expression changed. He shot out of the hall door with a speed that didn't match his build, stood on his tiptoes, and peered toward the other end of the city.

“Aiyaya, this is really...” The fat priest rubbed his large face, “I can't even ignore it if I wanted to!”

The fat priest dropped what he was doing and ran toward the area behind the temple that was closed to visitors. He stopped in front of an old priest who was practicing his swordplay in the courtyard, panting as he performed a formal bow, “Director, in the... in the... in the east of the city, there's a demonic aura, a demonic aura soaring to the heavens!”

This old priest's Daoist name was Zhou Xintang, and he was the director of the Linshui Temple Management Committee, responsible for organizing the temple's religious activities and overseeing all its affairs. In old-fashioned terms, he was the abbot here.

Zhou Xintang ignored the fat priest. Not until he finished his sword practice and withdrew his stance did he say in a deep voice: “So unconcealed, I have already detected it. Go tell your master to send someone to investigate the situation, to see which great demon has emerged and what its purpose is.”

The fat priest nodded hesitantly, “Yes.”

Linshui Temple might only be somewhat famous nationally, but in their field, it was highly prestigious. When had a demon ever dared to be so arrogant on Linshui Temple's turf?

Because it was such a rare sight, the fat priest had gotten a bit overexcited. Now that Zhou Xintang was giving orders methodically, he finally realized his lack of composure. He wanted to explain, but Zhou Xintang had already gone back to his own business, so he could only leave dejectedly.

......

Under Luya's mocking gaze, Yousu calmly concealed the tiny wisp of demonic aura she had carelessly leaked again, feeling a bit annoyed inside. 'It was just a little bit of demonic aura, not obvious at all. Was it really necessary to be like this?'

Meanwhile, the oblivious Duan Jiaze was looking at the accounts with tears in his eyes, “Can I not rent the flower baskets? It's just for one day, and it costs several hundred yuan. And these balloons, these banners. We just printed the flyers, and now we have to hire so many people to hand them out at school gates and community entrances...”

With the grand opening approaching, everything cost money, and he still had to set aside funds for future contingencies. Duan Jiaze's heart ached.

If business was bad after opening, he wouldn't even have to wait to be struck by lightning; he'd have no choice but to jump off Cape Mountain.

“You have to spend what needs to be spent,” Yousu said, “Otherwise, how will we attract the visitors from Cape Park? We need to be Cape Park's bloodsucker.”

Duan Jiaze: “...”

Yousu's words were truly precise and venomous. The old Cape Zoo had the same idea—to attract Cape Park's customer base—it just hadn't succeeded in the end.

Yousu fiddled with Duan Jiaze's phone. On the screen was the WeChat page from the last promotion done by the Donghai City new media outlet. You could see it had fifty or sixty thousand clicks, not counting reposts on other platforms.

Yousu said: “I've studied this WeChat thing. Let's not even talk about the customers attracted by the previous promotion for now. On the first day of business, we have to solicit visitors heading to Cape Park at the entrance and get them to come over here. Because funds are tight, we need to spend them where they'll be most effective, so we'll focus the online promotion and activities on the first day. Film and record what happens on the first day, find someone to write a sponsored article, and launch it immediately that day. We'll implement a 'share for likes to get a free ticket' campaign and purchase promotion.”

Duan Jiaze nodded repeatedly as he listened, unsure which of them, he or Yousu, was the modern person. But he also raised a question.

“Buying a sponsored article and promotion is possible, but soliciting visitors from Cape Park is a bit difficult. At most, we could get them to come here the next day. Most people who go to Cape Park are there for a barbecue; they've already prepared everything.”

“That depends on who's doing the soliciting,” Yousu said, shaking the phone in her hand. “I've also studied the barbecue crowd. Most of them are young people and students. Why don't we ask the Daoist Lord to work outside on the first day—dress up, take a few birds with him in his human form, and attract customers outside?”

Duan Jiaze: “...”

Luya's face turned green. Attract customers? What did they take him for?

Yousu had a sincere expression, as if she had absolutely no intention of messing with Luya: “The line is rather blurry on this one; it probably won't be judged as a violation. Daoist Lord, you are of high virtue. Lingyou Zoo is at a critical juncture right now. You surely wouldn't stand by and do nothing, would you?”

Luya said hatefully: “Nine-tailed Fox, you dare ask me to sell my looks?”

Yousu said in feigned panic: “This little fox wouldn't dare, Daoist Lord. It's just that there's no one else available right now. I'd be willing to go, but the Zoo Director has already printed the arctic fox on the flyers. If you are unwilling, then...”

As she spoke, she looked at Duan Jiaze.

Duan Jiaze: “............”

The Zoo Director felt like he had taken an arrow to the knee and strongly suspected that Comrade Nine-tailed Fox was using a public matter to settle a private score...

With Luya's sullen face, Duan Jiaze could only say weakly, “Th-then, I'll go...”

Yousu clapped her hands and said: “That's great! I was just thinking we'd have to spend money to hire someone. Now we've saved it.”

Duan Jiaze: “...”

“Damn it!” Luya slammed the table, and little flames shot up around him. “I'd like to ask, since when are you the one calling the shots?”

Duan Jiaze thought about it, and it was true. If Luya hadn't said anything, he wouldn't have noticed. It seemed that, unconsciously, Yousu had indeed started giving the orders.

Yousu's expression stiffened as well, but she said with a chuckle: “Then what does the Daoist Lord propose we do?”

Having just accused Yousu of usurping power, Luya certainly wasn't going to contradict himself. So he lifted his chin at Duan Jiaze and said fiercely: “Let him decide!”

Duan Jiaze was speechless. Could he say that he thought Yousu's idea was excellent? How nice it was not to have to handle everything himself. It's just that if he said so, Luya might beat him to death.

Duan Jiaze swallowed and said: “The sponsored article definitely needs to be written, but during the grand opening, how could we order the Daoist Lord around like that.”

Hearing his status affirmed first, Luya was very satisfied. He raised his chin, signaling for Duan Jiaze to continue.

Duan Jiaze: “Um...With an image like the Daoist Lord's, do we even need to actively solicit anyone? Daoist Lord, you haven't seen many modern, ordinary members of the Human Race, so you might not have a concept of this. As soon as everyone sees your esteemed countenance, you won't even have to move, let alone shout or anything, and the customers will come flocking to us.”

Luya was very pleased, “But of course.”

Yousu smiled faintly.

After a good while, Luya finally realized what was happening, “What do you mean? I still have to go out?”