Thinking about it, I realized that question had been stupid as hell.
Then she changed the subject. "By the way, sis, did you count how many there were in total?"
"I did. There were three hundred and twenty-six."
"What's wrong? Was the number off?"
"You can't just casually lose these. For cultivators like you, these beans are very hard to come by.
"Especially beans of this grade. I sensed them.
"There are quite a few Yin soldiers at the Ghost Spirit level inside. You'd have to go to Ghost Gate Pass and catch them one by one.
"And you'd definitely have to fight them. Otherwise, there was no way they'd obediently enter the beans and let themselves be commanded.
"Ghost Spirit-level Yin soldiers are no pushovers. Even though I'm a Ghost King now,
"if I wanted to gather this many Yin soldiers, it would still take quite a bit of effort, let alone for a human."
I said I hadn't lost them, then told her from beginning to end about how my martial uncle had once said he would take six of them.
"That old man really treated you well," Nangong Yiyi said with feeling.
I sighed and thought to myself, My martial uncle really had treated me incredibly well.
I asked again how I could take the beans out, and whether I could do it myself.
Nangong Yiyi replied, "You can. Just do what you did before—imagine the beans no longer being inside the Yin gathering token. Or I can throw them out for you."
I nodded. Having gotten the answer I wanted, I withdrew my consciousness.
Seeing that there was still some time before departure, I went for a walk.
Feeling a little hungry, I found a noodle shop and ordered a bowl of noodles, eating them at an unhurried pace.
When it was time, I got up and headed to the train station. After boarding and finding my seat, I closed my eyes and nourished my spirit.
The train seats were arranged in groups of four. Beside me sat a middle-aged uncle, while across from me were two female students.
The uncle said he dealt in antiques, then began boasting to the two students across from us about the ghosts he had encountered while collecting antiques.
A bronze kettle that constantly cried, a vase that could move on its own, and so on—frightening the two girls into letting out startled cries from time to time.
I couldn't help laughing inwardly. When were ghosts ever like that? I have three inside my Yin gathering token. If they came out, they'd probably scare you to death.
The journey was long, so we listened to the uncle boast as a way to pass the time.
"By the way, what are all of you here for? Meeting is fate.
"Let's introduce ourselves. My name is Yang Mingjie. Like I said earlier, I'm in the antiques business," the uncle said.
"My name is Xia Meng, and this is Li Xinyi. We both attend university in Sichuan Province. School has started, so we're heading back to study," said one of the girls across from me.
"What about you, handsome?" the girl who had just spoken asked me.
"My name is Li Yutong. I'm here in Sichuan Province to travel," I lied.
At the same time, I remembered how my homeroom teacher had called me a few days ago, asking why I hadn't shown up.
I told him there were matters at home and that I wasn't going to continue school. He tried hard to persuade me, but I still insisted on quitting, and that was the end of it.
Given my current situation, how could I possibly go back? I had seen all those demons, ghosts, and monsters.
There was no way I could peacefully focus on studying anymore. It was as if I had become disconnected from ordinary people.
Perhaps different experiences led to different circumstances. The current me simply couldn't fit into the big family that was school anymore.
"Welcome to Sichuan Province," the girl who had remained silent said to me. Her name was Li Xinyi. I smiled back and thanked her.
"Where are you planning to visit? Want us to recommend some places? We've studied in Sichuan Province for several years, so we know this place well," Xia Meng said.
I said I was going to a certain city. Before I had even finished speaking, Xia Meng said, "What a coincidence! We study there too." I said it really was a coincidence.
"If you don't have anywhere particular to go, just tell us. We can recommend some places," Li Xinyi said.
"Ah... being young really is wonderful. You can go wherever you want.
"Unlike us, once we have families, we have to run ourselves ragged over firewood, rice, oil, and salt every day," the uncle said.
I hadn't looked closely before, but when I examined the uncle's face now, I noticed a faint trace of Yin energy around him, though it wasn't very obvious.
Could the things this uncle had talked about actually be true? I thought to myself.
"You're much older than us. Would it be okay if I called you Uncle Yang?" I asked.
"Sure. Call me whatever you like. It's just a form of address. Other people call me Yang Lao San—you can call me that too if you prefer."
I gathered my words, then asked, "Uncle Yang, do you believe there really are gods and ghosts in this world?"
"I do! I wasn't talking nonsense earlier. There are some things I've seen with my own eyes."
I said that was good, then took a Yin Dispelling Talisman from my pocket and handed it to him. "Keep this. If you run into trouble in the future, it can keep you safe."
Uncle Yang accepted it and looked at the talisman. "Oh, you know this stuff too?"
I said my family used to help people conduct funerals, and I had learned a little from my elders.
"Alright, then I'll accept it. By the way, can I have your phone number? If anything comes up in the future, I can ask you for advice."
I said sure, and we exchanged numbers.
The two girls beside us also asked for my number, saying they could ask me if anything came up in the future.
I was a little surprised and asked, "You believe in this stuff too?"
"Better to believe it exists than believe it doesn't. Our country is vast and rich, with thousands of years of history. There will always be things humans can't understand," Xia Meng said.
"Good insight. Such high ideological awareness. Unlike young people these days." Uncle Yang gave her a thumbs-up as he spoke.
The two girls covered their mouths and giggled. Then I exchanged numbers with them too, saved their contacts, and put my phone back in my pocket.
After that, we chatted about everything under the sun. I discovered that Uncle Yang truly had a silver tongue—no matter the topic, he could always say a few words about it.
I couldn't help sighing inwardly. People who roamed the world really did keep their eyes on six roads and their ears tuned in all directions.
Leaving everything else aside, just his gift of gab alone was probably enough for me to study for a lifetime.
And so, after sitting on the train for several days, amid the passengers' anxious yet helpless waiting,
the train slowly arrived at the station. We bid each other farewell and went our separate ways.
I took a taxi to a certain city. After spending several days and nights on the train, my whole body felt greasy.
When I ran a hand through my hair, my palm came away oily too. I found a small hotel and checked in first.
I figured that no matter how urgent things were, one or two days wouldn't make a difference, so I took a good shower.
Afterward, I went downstairs for a meal, bought two packs of cigarettes, and returned to the small hotel.
Lying on the bed, I considered where to go next. I should go to the antique shop first. I had no idea where Yan Zhi Qiu was.
The words my father had left me said that once I reached the Yun family, someone would tell me.
Then I should get a good night's sleep. Tomorrow, I would go to that antique shop and ask around.
Having made up my mind and found a direction, I felt much more at ease, then fell into a deep sleep...
Before you continue