"A midnight visit to that centenarian, sinister ancestor didn’t sound like a good idea; given the choice, Yang Xiao would rather seek out a ghost."
"This matter required prompt action; they had to set off tonight, but before that, they absolutely couldn’t skimp on the necessary preparations. The four of them visited several incense candle shops in succession, but Xiang Fengchen was not quite satisfied—either the quality of the products was inadequate or the craftsmanship was not quite up to snuff."
"Hey, what do you an by being so picky?" The shop assistant at the incense candle shop was displeased, as he twisted his small mustache and rolled his eyes to the heavens, "If it’s too expensive, go sowhere else. Being so choosy when buying things for the dead."
Upon hearing this, Xiang Fengchen gently set down a bundle of incense he was holding and looked up at the assistant with a calm tone, "It’s not expensive. Just like people, if it’s too cheap—"
"Damn it, old man, are you asking for a beating?" The assistant’s eyebrows shot up as he rolled up his sleeves, revealing strong, bronze-colored muscles.
But before he could step forward, he suddenly stopped as Nalan Shuo took a small piece of silver from his bosom.
"You... what are you..." The assistant was confused about who these people were and what they were trying to do.
"Go call out your shopkeeper; there are things I need to discuss with him that I can’t address with you." Nalan Shuo placed the silver on top of a big bundle of paper money.
Whether it was Nalan Shuo’s deanor that commanded authority or a simple acceptance that ’money talks and a custor is always right,’ the assistant carefully took the silver, bowed politely, said "Please wait a mont," and quickly went behind the counter, lifting the curtain to retreat to the back hall.
Soon after, the assistant returned, respectfully lifted the curtain, and following him, an elderly man in black with white-flecked facial hair and a slight limp in his right leg erged.
At first glance at the old man, Yang Xiao was sure he was no ordinary individual. His left eye seed to be covered by a white film, and when he looked at people, his pupil didn’t move; he also had terrifying scars at the corner of his eyes, as though he had been scratched by a wild beast.
The wide sleeves concealed the back of his hands; only a few withered fingers, resembling chicken claws, were visible, the skin on them exhibiting an unnerving dark blue hue.
The old shopkeeper used his remaining, moveable right eye to slowly size up the four n, ultimately fixing his gaze upon Xiang Fengchen’s face. His voice was deep and husky, like a dull, old cleaver, "Esteed guest, did you say my humble shop is cheap?"
"Your visible wares are cheap, and your assistant here fails to recognize talent, blind as he is," Xiang Fengchen responded, neither servile nor overbearing.
The old shopkeeper waved his hand to silence the assistant, who was about to fly off the handle, and frowned at Xiang Fengchen, "So tell , what’s wrong with the goods in my shop?"
"The candles lack a certain evil qi, and the incense is short on the scent of blood. The paper money is fairly decent compared to others, but from what I see..." Xiang Fengchen picked up a piece of the square-holed paper money and sniffed it lightly under his nose, sneering, "It’s missing the necessary malignant energy, and instead, it’s filled with too much resentnt."
"Shopkeeper, shall I continue?" Xiang Fengchen casually picked up thirty minutes’ worth of incense and placed it on the counter.
"I’d advise you not to cause trouble. If you ask around, everyone knows that my master’s skill in crafting items for the deceased is the best. You several..."
Before the explosive assistant could finish, the old shopkeeper cut him off, "This is none of your concern; go back down."
Though confused, the assistant obediently agreed and turned to retreat to the back hall. After the assistant had left, the old shopkeeper turned to Xiang Fengchen and bowed with exaggerated politeness, "It seems I was blind to recognize your eminence, please forgive . May I inquire, sir, from which esteed lineage do you hail?"
"No master to speak of. My family’s teacher imparted to so knowledge of Fengshui techniques, just enough to scrape by," Xiang Fengchen said calmly, exuding an air of superiority.
"A descendant of the Feng Shui lineage?" The old shopkeeper paled at the revelation and, as if a thought struck him, quickly walked to the door to look outside, then closed the shop door. Turning around, his voice lowered as he spoke, "I see that you must be from out of town—are you not aware that Fushou Manor forbids any use of Feng Shui?"
The old shopkeeper’s voice took on a hint of warning, but Xiang Fengchen responded with a slight smile, full of the confidence of a master, "No matter. Feng Shui is not all the sa. The Earl Mansion can forbid others’ Feng Shui but not mine."
After speaking, Xiang Fengchen took a complete silver ingot from his bosom and set it on the counter. The old shopkeeper, from a distance, seed to recognize the origin of the ingot, but to be cautious, he approached to pick it up and examined it closely to find indeed, on the bottom, the seal of the Earl Mansion.
"You... are you people from the Earl Mansion?" The old shopkeeper was shocked.
Xiang Fengchen put away the silver ingot and revealed a mysteriously inscrutable smile, further alarming the old shopkeeper, who felt that he had beco embroiled in sothing very serious.
"Honorable guest, if there is anything the Mansion needs, a simple ssage would suffice; there was no need for you to take the trouble to co here in person," the previous haughty deanor of the old shopkeeper vanished in an instant, replaced by a very compliant display.
"Prepare a bundle of incense candles for , using the best ingredients, and two large bundles of paper money, handled personally by you, without any outsiders’ involvent. Money is of no concern," Xiang Fengchen got straight to the point.
The old shopkeeper’s complexion changed, and he bowed again, "Esteed guest, since you co from the Earl Mansion, you must know our rules here at Fushou Manor; we only have these kinds of incense candles and paper money. We dare not make those ominous items with added ingredients."
"Is that so?" Xiang Fengchen laughed, grabbing a handful of paper money, "Do you want to have soone seal up your shop for a thorough search?"
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