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"This ghost domain was a manifestation of the corresponding region in the world of the living, like looking into a mirror. So everything we could see now had once existed in the living world!"

Old Daoist understood what Zhang You meant and added, "So the Martial Skill content pasted over the doors and windows earlier was real too, just incomplete. Pretty useless!"

"Let's search the other houses. Maybe we'll find something!"

Zhang You rummaged through the room, turning chests and cabinets upside down. When he found no Martial Skills in the end, he left the house and entered the first room they had visited.

"That really is possible! This patch of ruins in the living world used to be called Leyun Workshop. I heard that more than ten years ago, before the fire happened, a group of tomb raiders discovered a huge ancient tomb somewhere. In the end, only one person escaped, carrying a Night Pearl."

"Although that man escaped with his life, he was cursed. He went mad day after day and died not long after!"

"I heard that before even the first seven days after his death had passed, his corpse suddenly vanished one night! His family hurriedly reported it to the authorities and asked them to help search, but even after turning Xiaolin City upside down, they found no trace of it, as if it had evaporated into thin air!"

"Later, since there was nothing they could do, the matter simply fizzled out!"

"That man had a son, a gambler who gambled as if his life depended on it. At the time, he owed a mountain of debt. When his creditors came knocking, he had no choice but to take out that Night Pearl to pay them off!"

"What he didn't know was that the Night Pearl was anything but ordinary! It was a Spatial Treasure!"

"Among the debt collectors was a cultivator. Though his cultivation realm was not high, he noticed that the item was extraordinary and ultimately took the Night Pearl for himself."

"Perhaps too much time had passed and the treasure's spirituality was about to dissipate completely. The debt collector only poured in the tiniest bit of spiritual power, yet the Night Pearl exploded on the spot, scattering everything inside!"

"At the time, rosy light shot in all directions, drawing countless ordinary people and cultivators alike!"

"Spirit Stones, treasures, pills, and an enormous number of books covered the ground!"

"But most of the Spirit Stones, treasures, and pills had lost their spirituality, becoming a pile of useless junk. Only a very small number could still be used!"

"As for those books, apart from a limited number of Immortal Cultivation Manuals, most were related to Martial Arts!"

"At the time, the cultivators were all busy fighting over useful items and Immortal Cultivation Manuals. Those Martial Arts manuals, however, went unnoticed. They lay scattered everywhere and were snatched clean away by the surrounding residents."

"Afterward, they were used to start fires, paste over windows, prop up table legs..."

"Oh, right. It seemed the manager of your teahouse obtained an Immortal Cultivation Manual back then! The abbot of Fahua Temple seemed to have gotten a lamp! In any case, plenty of people benefited!"

"Afterward, the creditors were so furious they cried. That cultivator collecting debts was beaten alive until he exploded on the spot!"

"So it really is possible that some Martial Arts books remained here!"

Old Daoist revealed a secret.

"Martial Arts manuals are that worthless?"

Zhang You asked uncertainly.

"Of course they're worthless!"

"Are antiques worthless too?"

Zhang You's expression darkened.

That bastard Zhao Fa!

That motherfucker had screwed him over miserably!

"Martial Arts books—no matter what era they're from—are useless to ordinary people. Their price doesn't even compare to those erotic beauty books. Most bookstores just leave them there to gather dust, and they're often given away as free gifts to customers!"

Old Daoist spoke as if it were only natural, feeling that Zhang You's question was somewhat childish.

Wasn't this something everyone in the world knew?

It was not entirely Zhang You's fault. In the world he had originally lived in, once a book became an antique, its price would skyrocket beyond all limits.

He had thought the same rule applied in this world, so...

Zhang You drew a deep breath. Once they got out and he had the chance, he would definitely swindle that bastard hard!

This cluster of houses was not very large. At a rough count, there were only several dozen rooms.

They searched room after room, yet in the end, they did not find so much as a single hair.

They did, however, often spot incomplete Martial Dao manuals pasted over the windows of the houses!

Very soon, only two large courtyards remained, and Zhang Lin had already stopped holding out much hope.

This place lay at the end of the housing cluster. Beyond it stood a barren mountain.

The mountain could only be seen once they drew close. It was not tall, merely a few hundred meters high. Its hazy summit could be seen at a glance, thick mist curling around it and blocking the view, appearing and disappearing through the fog!

They were now at the foot of the mountain.

Since the powerful pressure they had sensed earlier came from the mountain, Old Daoist added several more layers of defense before barely managing to withstand the soul-searing pain.

"Just my luck!"

Inside the courtyard, Zhang Lin threw the book in his hand to the ground, utterly speechless.

It was a book about bedroom arts!

The courtyard's windows were not covered with Martial Dao books, but with a relatively high-grade kind of paper. Clearly, this had not been an ordinary household.

Yet they simply could not find any Martial Dao books inside, only miscellaneous works resembling the Four Books and Five Classics.

"I remember now! The owner of this place was a schoolteacher who returned home in glory."

"What a coincidence! More than ten years ago, a Hanging Ghost appeared in his household. I was the one who dealt with it!"

"At the time, I inspected every corner of this courtyard and accidentally discovered a hidden chamber beneath the bedroom. Maybe we'll find something there!"

The moment Old Daoist entered, the courtyard had felt familiar. After racking his brains for a long time, he finally recalled this incident!

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

Zhang Lin urged him on.

The two quickly arrived at a room. The furniture inside was complete, and the place was arranged quite neatly.

Old Daoist walked to the bed and pushed a round knob on the lower right side.

Crack!

An entrance opened in the floor ahead, with stone steps slanting downward inside.

Zhang Lin entered first, and Old Daoist followed behind him.

The underground chamber was not large, only several zhang long and wide. It contained some gold, silver, jewels, antiques, calligraphy, and paintings.

After searching for a long time, they still found nothing.

"Hm?"

At that moment, Old Daoist opened an exquisite chest. Several books lay inside.

But the contents of the books could not be seen. Even the words on their covers were a blurry mess!

"What's going on?"

Zhang Lin walked over and opened every book. Every single one was completely blank!

"There's only one explanation: the things in this chest are too high-grade. The ghost domain can only reflect their outer appearance!"

Old Daoist explained.

"This is an underground hidden chamber. Perhaps it still exists in the living world. We can dig around here when we get out!"

Zhang Lin immediately lost interest.

After finding nothing else, they arrived at the final large courtyard.

"This place is a school!"

"You know that too?"

"Hehe! I came here to exterminate a demon before! A Banana Spirit! She specialized in seducing students into doing those shameful deeds, then took the chance to absorb their vital essence. This Old Daoist eliminated her for the people!"

Not long after the two entered the courtyard, the Netherworld Flame outside struggled several more times. Looking closely, one could see a blurry human face on every flame!