Chapter Thirty-One: The Restless Spirit

"I need to find someone to ask."

Chen Mu’s social circle was extremely narrow. When it came to digging up clandestine information, the only person who came to mind was Jie Jia. This old man was a formidable assassin with ties to a mysterious organization, making him the most well-informed source in town.

...

In the West Market, Chen Mu navigated the streets with practiced ease until he arrived at Tianyi Studio. As he stepped inside, he faltered, pausing in confusion. He stepped back out to check the plaque: Tianyi Studio. It was the right place.

However, the shop was devoid of its usual coffins and antiques. Three ropes were strung across the ceiling, from which hung a series of triangular-folded peace talismans. On the left, four or five display shelves were lined with rusty bronze mirrors, wooden swords etched with black, lightning-shaped cracks, and delicate pagodas adorned with tiny bells—all items meant to ward off evil spirits and protect one’s home.

*The city is plagued by evil spirits, and you’re immediately cashing in by selling talismans?*

Chen Mu cast a calm glance at Jie Jia, who was squinting from behind the counter on the right. "I don't know why I'm not even surprised."

"What is it?" Jie Jia asked tonelessly.

Chen Mu instinctively looked left and right before leaning in toward the counter, whispering, "What’s going on with these evil spirits haunting the city?"

Jie Jia’s eyes rolled slowly to glance at Chen Mu, a flash of surprise flickering briefly across his face. Then, his expression reverted to a pool of stagnant water. He flicked his right index finger, pointing toward the ceiling. Following the gesture, Chen Mu looked up at the peace talismans drifting slowly in the air.

Chen Mu was utterly bewildered. Jie Jia didn't speak; his eyes shifted again, this time darting toward the cuff of Chen Mu’s left sleeve. Chen Mu’s face darkened instantly.

"How do you manage to spot exactly where I hide my coin purse every single time?"

Chen Mu understood. "You want me to buy something? Fine!"

Gritting his teeth, he reached up and snatched a peace talisman. "Can you talk now?"

"Five taels." Jie Jia turned his right hand over, extending it toward Chen Mu with an indifferent expression.

Chen Mu: "..." *Greedy old miser!*

He had no choice but to pay up. After all, the man held a monopoly on information. Jie Jia turned his hand palm-down, and the five taels of silver vanished.

"The Qingshan County Magistrate’s office has an evil-warding mirror. It’s fine," Jie Jia said calmly.

Chen Mu felt a weight lift from his chest. *An evil-warding mirror? The magistrate’s office has a treasure like that?* But then, a doubt surfaced. "That doesn't seem right. The evil spirits have been causing chaos in the city, and plenty of people have died."

"There are always fish that slip through the net," Jie Jia said flatly.

Chen Mu froze. "Then what should I do if I run into one?"

Jie Jia glanced at him. "Accept your fate."

Chen Mu felt a tightness in his chest. "What exactly are these evil spirits?" he asked, his voice tinged with frustration. "Is there any way to counter them?"

Evil spirits weren't a new phenomenon. The entire Great Liang Dynasty had coexisted with them for countless centuries. There had to be a way to deal with them.

Jie Jia’s eyes drifted back to Chen Mu’s left sleeve.

...

Ping'an Ward, Residence Number Three, West Side.

Chen Mu sat in the pitch-black room, murmuring to himself. "Spirits..."

Jie Jia had told him that most evil spirits were spectral manifestations. These entities were intangible yet substantial; ordinary people could not see them unless they chose to be seen. These spirits excelled at taking on various terrifying forms to drive their victims into a state of mental collapse, seizing the opportunity to consume their souls. Most of the ghosts and monsters in folklore were merely illusions crafted by them. For an ordinary person, an encounter was almost certainly fatal.

Fortunately, it wasn't impossible to fight back. First, one needed a protective artifact, like the mirror in the magistrate’s office. Unfortunately, he didn't have one. As for the junk Jie Jia sold... it wasn't worth mentioning. Second, reaching the peak of Body Sculpting. The peak of this art granted incredible, subtle abilities that provided a sliver of defensive power. But he was only at the Bone Tempering stage. Third, practicing specialized martial arts. Certain rare techniques could suppress spirits, but one would be hard-pressed to find a single such manual in all of Qingshan County.

*Jie Jia is so unbothered—is he not afraid of these spirits? Does he have a treasure? A technique? Or has he reached the peak of Body Sculpting?*

...

The next day, Chen Mu uncharacteristically skipped his training. After breakfast, he rushed to the Bafang Pavilion to listen for news. Word was that someone had died in Guluo Alley in the south of the city the previous night; their eyes had been gouged out, and their legs twisted like a pretzel—a gruesome sight. The constables had already sealed off the alley.

Chen Mu felt a chill of panic. In the afternoon, he went back to Tianyi Studio to seek advice. The old man was a money-grubber, but he was at least reliable if paid. If he had a special technique, perhaps he could buy a copy.

"Leave it to fate," Jie Jia said coldly.

Chen Mu felt a sense of despair. The feeling of his life hanging by a thread was unbearable. Thinking about going home that night, wondering if a spirit might be hiding under his bed, made his skin crawl.

"Is there really no other way?" Chen Mu pressed, unwilling to give up.

Jie Jia ignored him entirely.

"I saw someone selling evil-warding talismans in the black market last time. They said they were drawn by the Taoists at Qingfeng Temple," Chen Mu tried tentatively.

"Want one? I'll give you a ten percent discount," Jie Jia replied.

Chen Mu: "..." *So you were the one selling those, too!*

"Are they effective?" Chen Mu asked with a sliver of hope.

"Well, no one has ever come back for a refund," Jie Jia said calmly.

Chen Mu: "..." *Why does that sound so wrong?*

If they worked, naturally, no one would ask for a refund. But if they didn't... *how the hell could anyone come back for a refund if they were dead?*

Chen Mu returned home, looking utterly defeated. "I’m just an ordinary civilian. Even if I’m unwilling to accept it, there’s nothing I can do."

*Qingshan County is huge; it’s impossible that I’d be unlucky enough to run into an evil spirit, right?* Chen Mu tried to comfort himself. *Forget it, I’ll just avoid going out. Don’t join crowds, don’t go to quiet places, and stay far away from where the spirits are active.*

*Sigh, leave it to fate...*

...

West Market, Tianyi Studio.

Early in the morning, Jie Jia opened his shop. He cleaned the interior and exterior with his usual meticulous care before sitting upright behind the counter. The city had been in an uproar over the spirits lately, and his protective charms were selling quite well. As for whether they worked? Only those who actually encountered a spirit would know.

Several groups of customers came in throughout the morning. One wealthy patron even purchased a delicate pagoda. He had earned sixty-six taels of silver in one go! Jie Jia’s eyelids lifted just a fraction in satisfaction.

Around noon, just as he was about to head out for a meal, an enticing aroma drifted into his nostrils. His mouth immediately began to water. It was a delicacy he hadn't smelled since his days in the capital of Great Liang, at the finest restaurant in the world—a scent that tugged at his very heartstrings.

*There are no high-end restaurants around here. Who is cooking this? They have quite the talent.*

He shook his head, preparing to leave, when a sudden thought occurred to him: why did this smell feel so familiar? Instinctively, he stepped out of Tianyi Studio, following the scent as he rounded the corner into the residential area behind the shop. The further he walked, the more familiar the aroma became. For some reason, a familiar figure flashed through his mind.

He looked at the house in front of him—it was built right against the back wall of Tianyi Studio!

Jie Jia vaulted into the courtyard. As he looked up, he saw a familiar figure wearing an apron and holding a serving plate.

Chen Mu: "..."

"What a coincidence. Would you like to join me for a bite?"

Jie Jia: "..."

*The smell is getting even more familiar.*

"Don't get the wrong idea. I didn't add anything to the food this time," Chen Mu said earnestly.

"Why are you here?" Jie Jia asked, his face darkening.

Chen Mu explained seriously, "I had someone look into it. This is a place of great geomantic fortune. Living here wards off disasters and extends one's life."

Jie Jia stared at Chen Mu, speechless. *Could you not have come up with a more plausible excuse?*

"You aren't trying to use me to deter the spirits, are you?" Jie Jia recalled the man’s behavior over the past two days, and his eyes widened. *You guessed I wasn't afraid of spirits, so you moved in right next door? What do you think I am? A house-protecting talisman?!*

"Old Jie, honestly, you have such a deep misunderstanding of me!" Chen Mu sighed with a helpless expression.

Jie Jia’s face darkened instantly.