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"Since we've already taken this on, we might as well push through. We're all Taoists here, so there's no need to worry about any tricks he might pull. There's no point in discussing the situation with President Cai; we don't have any evidence. Besides, if we're calling him a fraud, you fit that description better than anyone. We wouldn't want to end up with a reputation for being the first to cry foul. Haha," I continued to tease Master Xiao, accepting the situation as it was.
"Well, it seems we have no choice. Let's head back early tomorrow morning to prepare. I think this matter is going to be much more complicated than we imagined. I'm going back to my room now; I need to get some rest tonight and recharge my energy. Who knows what will happen tomorrow night?" Master Xiao said before turning and leaving the room.
At six in the morning, Master Xiao was already at my door ringing the bell. I had just woken up and opened the door to find him dressed in his robe, clearly taking this seriously. I hurriedly washed up and left the hotel with Master Xiao, heading towards his home.
Once we arrived at his house, he began packing his Cosmic Bag. In addition to items meant for dealing with Spirit Gods, he also packed a regular dagger, which would be ineffective against a Spirit God. Perhaps he intended to use it against people; thinking about it made sense—it's always better to be prepared for the unexpected in an unfamiliar place.
After packing everything, Master Xiao and I took a taxi back to the hotel. He changed out of his flashy robe into a more ordinary outfit. It was still before nine o'clock, and the hotel’s breakfast buffet was still open. As we went to eat, we noticed Master Zhang finishing up and preparing to leave. We greeted him amicably, and he informed us that the car sent by Boss Cai would arrive at ten-thirty, asking us to gather in the lobby on time. After acknowledging him, we began selecting our preferred food.
I approached the table where Master Zhang had just eaten and saw that his dishes had not yet been cleared away; there were still quite a few remnants left behind.
On the table was only a cup of coffee and a plate filled entirely with animal entrails—fish maw, pig liver, pig kidneys, chicken hearts, duck kidneys, goose intestines, and so on.
Master Xiao walked over and saw me staring at someone else's leftover food and asked curiously, "What are you looking at?"
I replied, "This is what Senior Zhang left behind; take a good look."
"Wow, this senior has quite an appetite! Eating so many animal entrails early in the morning—doesn't he worry about high cholesterol? Wait a minute; he only ate entrails! There are no other dishes left here at all. This is a plate of pure entrails!" Master Xiao exclaimed in surprise. His loud voice drew curious glances from nearby diners.
I pulled Master Xiao aside and found a random spot to sit down. "Do you know what it means when someone only eats entrails?"
"I don't know; all I know is that this eating habit is very unscientific and not nutritious," Master Xiao said while eating.
"Do you know there's an alternative type of Taoist called Ghost Path?"
Master Xiao nearly choked on his orange juice at my words and coughed while quietly saying, "Are you saying Senior Zhang...?"
"Shh," I made a shushing gesture and casually said, "Let's focus on breakfast for now. We still have some time after eating; we can talk more in our room." He nodded and buried himself in his food, not even lifting his head as if he were deep in thought about what I had just said.
After hastily finishing dinner, Master Xiao eagerly pulled me into the room. Once the door was closed, he immediately adopted a serious expression and asked, "Do you really think that Senior Zhang is practicing Ghost Path techniques? If that's the case, I think we should stay out of this matter."
I shook my head and replied, "I'm not sure, but various signs indicate that it is indeed possible, and the likelihood is quite high. However, there's no need to be overly cautious. He’s on our side; even if he practices Ghost Path, he wouldn’t use it against us."
"How can you be so sure? What if he gets his plans ruined by us while he's working? That would be troublesome. I'm not afraid of him; it's just that their methods are too sinister. It's better not to provoke them if we can avoid it." Master Xiao, who had always been bold as a lion, suddenly became so cautious.
I laughed and said, "What are you afraid of? First of all, he doesn't even know us. Why would he want to harm us without reason? There’s simply no motive. Secondly, even if he practices Ghost Path, we have nothing to fear when we’re together. To be honest, I'm quite interested in Ghost Path. I've only heard about it before; now that I have the chance to get involved, I want to see it for myself. Besides, don’t you want that huge reward?"
Master Xiao still looked grave as he said, "You don't understand. We may not be afraid, but my master told me that people like him are rare and we shouldn't provoke them if we encounter them. Their methods of revenge are beyond what I can handle. If my master has warned me like this, how can I not be nervous? Money is certainly nice, but I don't want to create discomfort for my future life just for it."
"I really don't know what your master told you. You're a legitimate disciple of Taoism yet you're afraid of a rogue practicing Ghost Path. Sigh, I won't force you anymore; after all, I come from a wild background and have fewer ties to my sect. I must go on this trip; whether you come or not is up to you." I didn't want to argue with Master Xiao any longer.
Master Xiao fell silent and hesitated for a while before saying, "Fine, I'll go. This matter concerns me as well; regardless of the outcome, I'll stand with you. I'm just worried about dragging down my sect." He spoke as if he were preparing for a heroic sacrifice.
"Stand with your grandpa! What are you standing for? I see that Senior Zhang is not a bad person; he won't do anything to us. We're all here to help solve problems—why are you being so sensitive?" I replied irritably.
Master Xiao said, "You don’t understand. Our sect has had conflicts with people from Ghost Path before. My master has repeatedly warned me not to get involved with them in any way. Their actions contradict ours; working together would be very inconvenient."
I understood what he meant. Practicing Ghost Path techniques was indeed very different from our ways; they relied on souls for cultivation and often lived in places rich in Yin Qi. They wouldn't send away captured spirits but would imprison them using their own methods for cultivation purposes. Normal people like us absorbed Worldly Chaotic Energy to maintain bodily functions while those who practiced Ghost Path needed Yin Qi during their breathing exercises for their training. However, in this peaceful era, there weren't as many wandering souls as during times of war. Although Ghost Path has existed for a long time, its practitioners today are few and far between.
"I understand your master's intentions, but what era are we living in? How many capable practitioners of Ghost Path can there still be? You don't need to be so wary; besides, who would know which sect you come from? You're just a single man—are you really afraid of retaliation from someone practicing Ghost Path?" I gave him another dose of reassurance.
"Hehe, speaking of being single, when will you introduce me to someone? I've been bringing it up for years," Master Xiao switched back to a carefree demeanor.
"Introduce your sister..." After saying this, I turned and walked out the door. This guy's mood swings were too fast; just moments ago he was acting like it was the end of the world, and now he seemed carefree again. I really didn’t want to waste any more breath on him.
"I don't have a sister, which sister are you talking about? Hey, don't go! Clarify!" He turned around and chased after her.
Upon entering the lobby, Senior Zhang was already sitting on a sofa nearby, sipping tea with an air of leisure. Master Xiao and I walked over to Senior Zhang's position, greeted him respectfully, and he gestured for us to sit down.
As soon as we took our seats, the lobby staff brought us tea. Senior Zhang said, "President Cai's car should be arriving soon. Hehe, let's wait here for a bit. So, how did you two young brothers sleep last night?"
"Are you going to ask us what our thoughts and guesses are about this matter again? We have none," Master Xiao replied calmly. The sarcasm in his words somehow carried a strong sense of sincerity, and I couldn't help but admire this kid's acting skills.
Just as I was about to speak, Miss Wang approached us, dressed in simple white attire, her professional smile still firmly in place. She respectfully said, "Masters, the car is waiting at the door. President Cai has an important matter to attend to today, so I will guide you all. The journey is quite long; I hope you can understand."
Senior Zhang chuckled and said, "No problem at all. Miss Wang, please lead the way." With that, the four of us exited the hotel lobby.
Outside, a business vehicle was parked at the entrance. Miss Wang opened the door for us and invited us in before closing it behind her and taking her seat in the front passenger side. The driver was a middle-aged man in his thirties, dressed casually in black attire, which contrasted sharply with Miss Wang's pristine white outfit.
Once the car started moving, there was hardly any sound apart from the faint hum of the engine. The atmosphere was awkward yet stable. Master Xiao, unable to endure the silence any longer while everyone else was lost in their thoughts, suddenly blurted out, "Liu the Boss, when are you going to introduce me to someone?"
I opened my eyes and shot him a sideways glance without saying anything. Seeing my reaction, he continued, "Sigh, it's tough being in our line of work; there aren't many colleagues or classmates around. The only woman I interact with is Victim. But that relationship isn't easy to develop. At this rate, I really might end up single."
I replied, "What do you mean by 'end up single'? As if you're not single already! Besides, didn't you study for several years? How come you don't have any female classmates?"
Master Xiao sighed again and said, "Sigh, back then I was fooled by my teacher. In elementary school, I didn't understand love; by junior high school I was just starting to feel something. But on the first day of class, our homeroom teacher closed the door and told us that once that door is closed, we're like family; dating would be inappropriate. You know I'm all about cultivation; I can't stand that kind of talk! I didn't have the heart for it back then. Now that I think about it, I really regret it; I want to confront that teacher."
"Haha! Thank goodness your homeroom teacher said that; otherwise who knows how many innocent female classmates you would have harmed," I laughed as he tried to lighten the mood—perhaps hoping to catch Miss Wang's attention. She stood tall and graceful with a proper appearance; she seemed like someone blessed by fortune—high nose bridge and defined features.
"Master Xiao, that's not right! My boyfriend and I were classmates too; does that mean we were inappropriate?" Miss Wang chimed in with a chuckle.
"That's because your teacher didn't close that door. Sigh, I really have a hard life. Hey, beautiful, you're so pretty. Do you have any close friends or besties you could introduce me to? I promise I'll be obedient and work hard without complaints." Master Xiao, upon hearing that Miss Wang had a boyfriend, immediately started eyeing her friends.
"Of course I do. I have your phone number, and I'll contact you when I find someone suitable. Anyway, you're always in Shanghai; we have plenty of time. By the way, Liu Master, should I introduce someone to you as well?" From the rearview mirror, I saw Miss Wang looking at me with a teasing smile.
"Uh, thanks for the kind offer, Miss Wang, but let's focus on introducing this guy first. I'm just getting by in Guangzhou; I don't want to waste your friends' time," I replied with a smile while looking at Miss Wang in the mirror.
Master Xiao nodded eagerly a few times and secretly pulled out a cigarette, lighting it up and taking a deep puff. I turned to him and said, "You can't just smoke in the car with a girl here." After I said that, Miss Wang indeed turned around with a smile to look at him. At that moment, Master Xiao panicked and threw the cigarette butt out of the window; luckily, we were already out of the city.
"I wasn't smoking," Master Xiao said, smoke still escaping from his nose and mouth, his face turning red.
Miss Wang found him amusing and started teasing him: "If you weren't smoking, why is there smoke coming from your mouth? It's hard for me to introduce you to a girlfriend if you're this dishonest."
At that moment, Master Xiao was even more embarrassed as he held his breath. Just when I thought he was going to give up, he suddenly exhaled all the smoke from his mouth and nose with an angry expression and said, "I-I-I was just angry!"
With this lively character around, the journey wasn't too boring. Aside from stopping at a roadside farmhouse for a meal along the way, nothing else happened. The only puzzling thing was that Senior Zhang remained calm throughout the trip, hardly speaking or asking us about our thoughts or speculations regarding the matter.
The bright moon shone and the stars twinkled; during this Mid-Autumn Festival, I wish all my friends a happy holiday. With many thoughts during this festive season, I miss all my readers. Sincerely wishing everyone well. Thank you to Gong Qianhui for the 8888 Iron Coin reward; I'll owe you an extra chapter for now as I've been quite busy these days but will make it up with two chapters later. Thank you for your understanding.
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