Huh? Isn't this an adventure kingdom building game?!-Chapter 696 - 680: Which Line Are You In, Brother?
With high expectations, the two of them went into the building together and took the elevator directly to the 24th floor.
Exiting the elevator, looking at the unique style of the relocated building, Jiang Yuan was a bit unsure again, as this living environment didn’t quite match the status.
He had just "entered the field" not long ago and was already living in a mansion and driving a luxury car. Surely the master, who has made a name for himself through hardships, couldn’t be lacking money?
The entire demolished building looked quite long from the outside, and upon closer inspection, it resembled the old-style big tube-shaped buildings from before.
It also seemed a bit like an apartment building, with at least thirty households if you count from this end to the other, both sides included.
At this moment, approaching dusk, many households had their doors open, with the smell of food, the sound of televisions, crying children, and shouting adults filling the narrow hallway in a chaotic jumble.
"Why is the master living in such a place?" Jiang Yuan was even more puzzled, "As the saying goes, the great hermit hides within the city?" 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖
"Hide my ass, it’s actually just about being broke," said Chuci with a gossipy expression, lowering his voice, "Logically, Uncle Cai paid him quite well, not sure what’s up, but he seems quite strapped for cash. Didn’t you notice last time at the hospital? His shoes were the kind you’d buy off the street, with a strong plastic smell."
Jiang Yuan: ...
Really hadn’t noticed, the rich young master indeed pays attention to details.
Someone like me, who was recently wearing slippers bought for two yuan a pair, wouldn’t make any immediate connection even if I’d seen it.
"Knock, knock, knock!"
Approaching the door of 2414, Chuci switched the hand holding the cigarettes and alcohol and knocked on the door with a bit of reverence and caution.
Soon, someone answered the door. Jiang Yuan looked closely—it was the Ghost Hunter they’d seen not long ago at the hospital. However, he now looked in great shape, far from someone who had been severely injured.
It’s a pity that the real world doesn’t have a system to provide detailed identification, leaving him bewildered for a moment, thinking no wonder Chuci felt it was strange. This recovery speed really defies common sense.
"Oh, you didn’t have to bring anything!" The person spoke with a strong local accent and mentioned "Immortal Family" at the hospital. He must be one of those Out-of-Body Immortals you often hear about.
As usual, Chuci handled the small talk and introductions, quickly easing most of the awkwardness between strangers.
"My surname is Li, Li Tiezhu. You see, my name is nothing special, right? In this internet age, everyone calls me Old Iron, Tiezhu. Originally wanted to have an air of a master, but ended up just like everyone else."
After introducing himself, Li Tiezhu turned his gaze to Jiang Yuan, "I later asked around, heard from Mr. Cai that it was you who dealt with the female ghost. You must be really skilled, can you tell me about it? Which path are you on, brother?"
The straightforward question left Jiang Yuan dumbfounded, which path?
I should be... on the system’s track.
"Actually, my visit today is to inquire about the secrets here. My..." He hesitated, telling a small lie, "My master passed early, I don’t understand many things, just learned some skills."
Saying that, he pulled out a thick red envelope from his pocket, containing 88,000 in cash, "I don’t know what you’d like, Brother Li, just a small gesture of respect, hoping you could answer some questions."
Li Tiezhu hesitated at the envelope, then chuckled affably, "Where does this come from... Money sure is a good thing, in life, having none of this stuff on you, is really not doable.
But, it’s not that your old brother is stingy, some things can only be understood by those in the trade. If you’re not getting into this field, better not ask too much, it has no benefit."
He glanced at Chuci, "You probably aren’t in this line of work, are you?"
"No, not even allowed to listen?" Chuci got a bit anxious, his accent slipping out like in a comedic skit, "Should’ve said earlier, or maybe use a bank transfer. I don’t have that much cash on me now."
Ever since he met Jiang Yuan and saw the other side of the world, he found it immensely intriguing.
Finally getting a chance to inquire about some insider information, it seemed like they didn’t want him to know, how could that be?
Encountering even the slightest movement, going all out, wasn’t it all to seize the opportunity to know things regular folks don’t?
"Why are you so eager?" Li Tiezhu, somewhat amused and exasperated, explained, "It’s not that outsiders can’t hear, how do I put this?
It’s like how some people with little fortune can’t handle too much blessing. Life is poor and nothing happens, but too much fortune that they can’t bear, and it’s easy to kick the bucket.
Our line of work involves things ordinary people don’t come into contact with, as some would say, it’s dabbling with karma. If you’re not in this line of work, dabbling with this kind of karma isn’t good.
If you’re just curious and want to hear, that’s fine, just remember, don’t try anything. We call it ’missions,’ if you’re destined to do this work, you carry this task; people without ’missions’ forcing their way in can cause big trouble."
Chuci heaved a sigh of relief, "Then don’t worry, I’m very cautious and won’t mess around. Honestly, learning about this is to avoid getting involved with unclean things, worst comes to worst, my brother’s here, nothing for me to try."
I’ve seen the Ghost City, even played cards there, there’s nothing more worth the risk now.
"That’s good then. In our line of work, the most troublesome ones are those who know just a bit, but think they know it all. Cleaning up their mess is a real headache." Li Tiezhu nodded and looked at Jiang Yuan again, "Have you opened your Celestial Eye? Basically, can you see those things without needing anything special?"
After getting a definite answer, he continued, "This is just my opinion, you can take it or leave it, not necessarily all right.
In our trade, there are several major schools, the most common being monks, Taoists, and Yin-Yang Masters. Plus, where we come from, there’s the Family Guardian Immortal and the Out-of-Body Immortal. The rest, like Mediums and Shaman, are generally referred to as Local Dao.
As the old saying goes, Immortal Families don’t cross the Shanhai Pass. In this internet age, it’s not so strict anymore. Actually, the main reason is faith. Every place has its way of belief. Without a foundation in belief, if no one believes, mana gets restricted too.
With information development and human mobility, the scope of belief is constantly changing. Plus, a lot of people believe a bit of everything, with this foundation, I can earn a living here.
The more niche Local Dao can’t spread far, only circulating in small areas because there’s not enough faith base."
Jiang Yuan raised his eyebrow slightly. This view was quite similar to the belief in Immortals in the Wilderness World.
Li Tiezhu lit a cigarette, took a couple of puffs, and the already poorly designed small room was instantly filled with smoke.
"Cough, cough!" A light, elderly-sounding cough came from the bedroom.
He paused in smoking, skillfully stubbed out the freshly-lit cigarette in an ashtray, and poured some water on it.
"There are two ways to make a living in this field. One is through inheritance. Whether it’s passed down in the family or taught by a master, having someone to teach and guide you is considered the Path of Inheritance. The other is the Path of Continuation, learning from books or being chosen by an Immortal Family, that’s considered entering halfway.
I claim to be a Ghost Hunter because I entered halfway, not belonging to any orthodox Out-of-Body Immortal school, no family tradition or master. The Immortal Family chose me, and I serve them. When things happen, I invite the Immortal to possess me and solve them, with earnings split thirty-seven."
No wonder he earns a lot but lives in this kind of place; turns out the bulk goes to the Immortal Family.
Chuci curiously asked, "When we met in the hospital last time, you seemed badly hurt, but you recovered so quickly. Was that also healed by the Immortal Family?"
He thought it would be great if they could heal injuries and illnesses; at least they could save lives in a critical moment!
"Immortal Families all have their skills. The one I serve is good at fighting." Li Tiezhu was straightforward, smiling and shaking his head, "For healing, you need to find Immortal Bai. Luckily, a friend’s family serves Immortal Bai, they helped me heal. Otherwise, lying in the hospital every day, healing slowly, would be too much suffering."
"Can they heal any ailment or injury?" Chuci became excited. If they are that powerful, he’d have to find a way to make connections.
When money is not an issue, better health, longer life, and living more youthful and carefree becomes the ultimate goal.
Li Tiezhu couldn’t help but laugh, waving his hand, "Theoretically, as long as you haven’t dropped dead on the spot, Immortal Bai can heal anything. The issue is whether they’re willing!
Moreover, Immortal Families also have varying levels of cultivation and Heavenly Dao restrictions.
For minor illnesses and disasters, it’s no problem. But for matters of life and death, firstly, it depends on the Immortal’s cultivation level; secondly, if the Immortal intervenes and changes fate, they have to bear the karmic consequences. They have cultivated with great effort, and if the relationship isn’t strong enough, who’d be willing to do it just for money?"
In metaphysics, when you reach a certain stage, money isn’t everything anymore.
Hearing this, Chuci couldn’t help feeling a bit disappointed but also thought what the other said made a lot of sense.
Jiang Yuan, however, perked up at the word "cultivation." He’d come all this way to ask and was eagerly waiting to hear about this part!
But when he pressed further, Li Tiezhu just shook his head repeatedly.
"So, I understand, Brother Li serves the Immortal Family through incense offerings, he doesn’t cultivate himself, nor has any special techniques. All the power in ghost hunting comes from the possessing Immortal Family." Jiang Yuan saw him nod, then asked, "So... could I trouble Brother Li to ask the Immortal Family to come out for a chat?"
The other party looked hesitant, "I can’t decide that, I’d have to ask if the Immortal Family is willing to meet outsiders."
After a pause, he asked, "I need to know, brother, which school you’re from. Didn’t your master tell you during training? Or do you employ Yin Soldiers and Generals for work? Or which Immortal do you serve in your daily incense rituals?"
Actually, it’s the System possessing...
Jiang Yuan thought but couldn’t say it honestly. After thinking, he said, "I don’t serve or invite anyone. I learned Incense Making and the Paperman and Paper Horse Skill from my master."
"A Paper Maker?!" Li Tiezhu was instantly shocked, examining him up and down for a moment, "This... you don’t see many of these being passed down nowadays. After the older generation is gone, a lot of real skills aren’t fully inherited.
Paper Makers belong to the ’Paired’ category among the various trades, on par with Coroners, Executioners, and Tanners, also known as Corpse Stitchers, collectively called the Four Minor Yin Trades. Especially, Paper Makers are key as they can connect both sides, colloquially known as ’eating Underworld food.’
No wonder you managed to deal with that female ghost; it was purely a professional match! I’ve been in this business for over a decade, and it’s the first time I’ve seen such a young and reliable Paper Maker like you, losing your master so early, it’s not easy, truly not easy.
So, why don’t you both sit here, have some tea, and I’ll go in to consult with the Immortal Family. If they’re willing to meet, then everything’s good; if not, even if I talk till my tongue’s sore, it’s no use."
