Uncle Squid Charges 20,000

Uncle Squid was very straightforward. After speaking, he turned and walked ahead.

Judging by his manner, he definitely had real skills.

I did not hesitate at all. I had come here to find him, so I quickly followed.

Uncle Squid's stall was tucked away today, at the entrance of an alley.

There was hardly anyone around.

He arrived at his stall and leisurely took out several squid.

He lit the stove and slowly began frying them.

As I watched him and wondered how to begin,

Uncle Squid spoke first:

"Kid, yesterday I saw that your vital fire was barely there, and you'd also taken that Ghost-Falling Money.

Logically speaking, someone in your condition shouldn't have lived to see this morning.

But I'm pretty curious—how did you survive last night?"

He did not look at me. Holding a spatula, he pressed down on the squid.

The squid sizzled as oil bubbled out, filling the air with the fragrance of fried food...

My stomach was a little hungry, and I unconsciously swallowed.

Still, I answered,

"Uncle, last night I smeared a dead person's paper ash over my clothes.

Then I held a white paper bowl in my hand and hid out like that for the night."

When Uncle Squid heard that,

his hands suddenly stopped moving.

Then he glanced at me in surprise and said,

"Oh! Ash-Coated Clothes, Bowl-Held Longevity.

No wonder you made it through last night.

Interesting, interesting.

Did you come up with that method yourself?"

Uncle Squid stared wide-eyed at me, full of curiosity.

But I shook my head.

"No. A delivery guy taught me."

"A delivery guy?"

Uncle Squid was even more puzzled.

I then told Uncle Squid everything that had happened to me last night.

Including how it started raining later, how I hid in the pavilion, and how a group of filthy things nearly stole my clothes.

I told him how I fought back with the white porcelain bowl and drove them away by chanting scriptures...

After hearing it all, Uncle Squid no longer looked as calm as before.

He even stared at me with a face full of shock and disbelief.

Only after a long while did he draw a breath and laugh.

"You're one of those people who gets rewarded for doing good.

You met a little ghost who helped you.

But for an ordinary college student like you to drive a whole pavilion full of wandering ghosts away with just a white paper bowl and a few casually chanted scriptures—that's pretty unbelievable too."

I gave an awkward smile.

I had indeed chanted scriptures at the time and fought those filthy things with the white porcelain bowl.

As for that faint, strange smell I had caught then,

even now, I could not be sure whether my ex-girlfriend Xiao Yu had really appeared.

After hesitating again and again, I did not mention it...

Seeing me nod, Uncle Squid took a deep breath and said,

"Not bad. You've got some guts, kid, and your life isn't meant to end yet.

Since you ran into me, it means we're fated.

My surname is Yu. You can call me Uncle Yu.

As for your problem, I can handle it..."

At that point, the squid he was frying was ready, and he raised a hand to pass it to me.

Delighted, I took the squid and thanked him repeatedly.

"Thank you, Uncle Yu."

Then I asked,

"By the way, Uncle Yu, why is that coin called Ghost-Falling Money?

Why have I been seeing filthy things so often lately?"

After hearing that, Uncle Yu merely said lightly,

"Ghost-Falling Money has another name: One Drop Becomes a Ghost.

People with weak birth characters will die if they take this kind of money.

You can also think of it as a kind of Life-Swapping Money.

Those filthy things use it to mark you.

It makes it easier for them to absorb the yang energy from your body.

Your luck is low, your yang energy is insufficient, and you've been close to the dead.

Naturally, that lets you see filthy things.

And those filthy things especially like clinging to people like you."

Hearing this, I became thoroughly unsettled.

But Uncle Yu grinned.

"Don't be afraid. As long as you drive those filthy things away,

get some more sunlight, and your vital fire will naturally grow stronger.

When that happens, you won't be able to see those filthy things anymore.

I told you yesterday that if you came back, I'd take your Ghost Money.

The squid is on me, so eat your fill.

Go on, try it..."

Holding the squid in my hand, I gave a bitter "Mm."

But it tasted good—better than the fried squid from yesterday.

Then Uncle Yu spoke again.

"Little brother, one thing at a time.

Yesterday, I said I'd treat you to squid for free, and I did.

But if you want me to save you and take your Ghost-Falling Money,

that's another matter entirely.

So you'll need to pay me some additional compensation."

The moment I heard that, I stopped eating.

I raised my head and looked at Uncle Yu in front of me.

He was in his forties and somewhat overweight.

There were barely any hairs left on his head, and he looked rather greasy.

At the moment, he was watching me calmly.

"Uncle Yu, how... how much do you charge?"

I asked instinctively.

My family lived in the countryside, and I had grown up with my grandfather.

The family's only source of income was selling chickens, ducks, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and other crops. We barely got by.

Even my tuition was paid with loans.

Most of my living expenses came from working odd jobs during summer and winter breaks.

Financially, I was quite strapped.

Uncle Yu said nothing and held up two fingers.

My heart tightened.

Testing the waters, and almost embarrassed to ask, I guessed low.

"Two hundred?"

Uncle Yu shook his head.

When I saw him shake his head, I knew I could not afford it.

I continued asking,

"Two thousand?"

But Uncle Yu still shook his head and said,

"Twenty thousand!"

The moment he said that, half my body went cold.

Two thousand was already the limit of what I could afford. There was no way I could come up with twenty thousand.

Seeing the troubled look on my face, Uncle Yu lit himself a cigarette.

"Twenty thousand isn't much.

Your vital fire has already dropped to its lowest point.

Corpse spots have even appeared on your body.

If you don't have a professional like me deal with this,

the corpse spots on your body will continue spreading.

After tonight, they'll grow onto your face.

And tonight, forget smearing incense ash over your clothes.

Even if you slept buried in incense ash and covered yourself with a bowl,

you would still undoubtedly die.

When the time comes, you'll either die at the hands of your drowned classmate and become her substitute,

or die at the hands of some other filthy thing. Either way, you won't meet a good end."

Uncle Yu spoke with absolute certainty.

And after saying that, he took another drag from his cigarette.

"This concerns your life. Twenty thousand is already the student rate I'm giving you.

After all, helping you solve this problem will cost me no small price..."