My experience of grinding in another world

Chapter 31 Ghost
"We need to find someone to ask."

Chen Mu has a very narrow social network.

When he inquired about confidential information, he could only think of Jie Jia.

This old man is a master assassin with a mysterious organization behind him, possessing the best intelligence network.

……

In the West Market, Chen Mu, familiar with the area, arrived at Tianyi Zhai.

As soon as I stepped inside, I was taken aback.

I went back and looked at the signboard again. It read "Tianyi Zhai". That's right.

There were neither coffins nor antiques in the shop at that moment.

Three ropes were strung overhead in the room, with amulets folded into triangles hanging from them.

On the left are four or five display shelves, displaying rusty bronze mirrors, wooden swords with black lightning-shaped cracks, and delicate pagodas with small bells hanging from them...

Each and every one of them is a talisman for warding off evil spirits and protecting the home.

The city has just been plagued by evil spirits, and you immediately start selling talismans to ward off evil?

Chen Mu calmly glanced at Jie Jia, who was squinting behind the counter on the right.

"I'm not surprised at all."

"What is it?" Jie Jia asked calmly.

Chen Mu subconsciously looked around.

He leaned closer to the counter and whispered, "What's going on with the evil spirits in the city?"

Jie Jia's eyes slowly rolled, glancing at Chen Mu with a fleeting look of surprise.

Then, the stillness returned, and the index finger of the right hand flicked out, pointing into the air.

Following the other person's index finger, you can see a peace charm slowly floating in mid-air.

Chen Mu was completely confused.

Jie Jia remained silent, his eyes darting around as he glanced at Chen Mu's left sleeve.

Chen Mu's face immediately darkened.

"How do you always manage to find where I hide my money bag?"

Chen Mu understood.

"Let me buy things? Sure!"

Chen Mu gritted his teeth and reached out to grab a peace charm.

"Can we talk now?"

"Five taels." Jie Jia flipped his right hand and stretched it out in front of Chen Mu, saying calmly.

Chen Mu: "..." So greedy for money!

He had no choice but to obediently pay the money.

Who can blame them for monopolizing the information?

With his right hand turned upside down, the five taels of silver disappeared.

"The Qingshan County government office has a warding-off-evil mirror, so there's nothing to worry about," Jie Jia said calmly.

Chen Mu felt a sense of relief.

A protective mirror? The county government office has such a treasure?

Then another question arose: "That can't be right. There have been evil spirits in the city recently, and quite a few people have died."

“There will always be some who slip through the net,” Jie Jia said calmly.

Chen Mu paused for a moment.

"What if I happen to run into him?"

Jie Jia glanced at Chen Mu and said, "I admit defeat."

Chen Mu suddenly felt a tightness in his chest.

"What exactly is that evil spirit?" Chen Mu asked irritably. "Is there any way to subdue it?"

Evil spirits have existed for more than just a day or two.

For countless centuries, the entire Liang Dynasty coexisted with evil spirits.

There must be a solution.

Jie Jia's eyes darted around, fixing on Chen Mu's left sleeve.

Chen Mu: “…”

……

Ping An Fang, No. 3 house on the west side.

Chen Mu sat in the dark room, muttering to himself.

"A ghost..."

Jiejia told him that most evil spirits are caused by vengeful spirits.

These monsters are formless yet existent; ordinary people cannot see them unless they want you to see them.

Ghosts are best at transforming into all sorts of terrifying things.

They terrify people to the point of mental breakdown, then seize the opportunity to enter and steal their soul.

Most of the ghosts and monsters in folk tales are actually transformed from them.

For ordinary people, encountering such an event would almost certainly result in certain death.

Fortunately, it's not impossible to fight off evil spirits.

First, it's best to have a protective amulet, such as the protective mirror found in the county government office.

Too bad he didn't.

As for those armored soldiers who sold... let's not even mention them.

Second, he mastered the art of physical training.

The Great Perfection Form Refinement Technique has incredible and wondrous uses. It can provide some or even a fraction of the ability to fight back.

But he was only able to change his bones.

Third, cultivate special martial arts.

Certain special martial arts techniques can have a certain restraining effect on ghosts.

But even searching the entire Qingshan County, it's not guaranteed you'll find a single one.

"Jie Jia is so fearless, isn't he afraid of the ghosts?"

A treasure? A cultivation technique? Or a fully-fledged Body Refinement Technique?
……

The next day, Chen Mu unusually did not practice his martial arts.

After breakfast, I went to Bafanglou early to hear the news.

It is said that someone died last night in Guluo Alley in the south of the city. Their eyes were gouged out, and their legs were twisted like pretzels. It was a gruesome sight.

The constables from the yamen have already sealed off Guluo Lane in the south of the city.

Chen Mu felt uneasy upon hearing this.

In the afternoon, he went to Tianyizhai to ask for advice.

This old guy is obsessed with money, and only cares about money.

If he has special skills, he might be able to buy a copy.

"Let fate decide," Jie Jia said calmly.

Chen Mu was filled with despair.

The feeling of not having your own life in your own hands is just too painful.

The thought of going home at night and possibly having a ghostly spirit lurking under the bed sent chills down Chen Mu's spine.

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

Jiejia ignored him completely.

"I saw someone selling talismans for protection on the black market last time. They were supposedly drawn by Taoist priests from Qingfeng Temple," Chen Mu asked tentatively.

"Or? I'll give you a 10% discount," Jie Jia said.

Chen Mu: "..." So you sold that too!

"Will it work?" Chen Mu asked with a hint of hope.

"Anyway, no one's coming to return it," Jie Jia said calmly.

Chen Mu: "..." Why does this sound so off to me?

It works, and no one has returned it.

If it doesn't work...

So you can even return it?!

Chen Mu could only return home dejectedly.

"I'm just an ordinary citizen, and there's nothing I can do even if I'm unwilling to accept it."

"Qingshan County is so big, it's impossible for me to run into evil spirits, right?" Chen Mu comforted himself.

"Forget it, I'd better try not to go out."

"Don't go to crowded places, don't go to sparsely populated places, and stay far away from places where evil spirits are said to lurk."

"Sigh, let's just leave it to fate..."

……

West Market, Tianyi Studio.

Early in the morning, Jiejia opened the door.

As usual, the shop was cleaned and wiped inside and out thoroughly.

Then he sat behind the counter with his back straight.

The city has been in an uproar these past few days due to evil spirits.

His protective charms sell quite well.

As for whether it will work? We'll only know if we actually encounter evil spirits.

Several groups of guests arrived throughout the morning.

Another wealthy man took away a beautiful pagoda from him.

They made a profit of sixty-six taels of silver!

Xi Jiejia couldn't help but lift his eyelids a little higher.

Around noon, I was just about to go out for lunch.

An enticing aroma wafted into my nostrils.

My mouth started to water involuntarily.

This delicious flavor was something I had only ever tasted before, back in the days of the First Restaurant Under Heaven in the capital of Daliang. It was an irresistible aroma that tantalized my soul.

There are no restaurants or eateries around here. Who's cooking here? They have such amazing skills.

He shook his head, preparing to leave.

Suddenly, a thought struck me: why does this fragrance seem so familiar?

He subconsciously followed the smell and walked out of Tianyizhai.

Walk around the street corner and head towards the residential area behind Tianyizhai.

As I walked, I kept smelling the scent, and the more I smelled it, the more familiar it seemed.

For some reason, a familiar figure suddenly flashed through his mind.

Looking at this residence again, it's surprisingly right next to the back wall of Tianyi Studio!

Jie Jia leaped into the courtyard.

Looking up, I saw a familiar figure wearing an apron and carrying a plate of vegetables.

Chen Mu: “…”

"What a coincidence, how about we share a bite?"

Jie Jia: "..."

This taste is getting more and more familiar.

"Don't misunderstand, I really didn't add anything to the dish this time," Chen Mu said sincerely.

"Why are you here?" Jie Jia asked with a gloomy face.

Chen Mu explained earnestly, "I had someone look into it, and it's a place with excellent feng shui. Living here can ward off disasters and prolong life."

Jie Jia looked at Chen Mu speechlessly.

Couldn't you come up with a plausible reason?
"You're not planning to use me to intimidate the spirits, are you?" Jiejia's eyes widened as he recalled the other party's actions over the past two days.

They guessed I wasn't afraid of ghosts, so they just moved in next to me?

What do I take me for? A talisman to ward off evil spirits?!

"Old Jie, to be honest, you have a really deep misunderstanding about me!" Chen Mu sighed helplessly.

Jie Jia's face immediately darkened.

(End of this chapter)