Spirit Binding and General Dispatch: A Real Immortal Appeared in the Tenement Buildings!

In just a few short minutes, all the tenement buildings on the east side of Southern Mountain Residential Compound had exploded into commotion!

Lights flicked on one after another in every household, and hurried footsteps came from all directions, all converging on the same place.

"Quick, quick, quick!"

"How could they do something like this!"

"Aren't they dragging down the whole compound? That kid from the Lu Family has no sense of public decency at all!"

Complaints and discussions rose one after another, eventually gathering on the floor where Lu Chen's family lived.

The stairwell was packed with people, and the room was even more impenetrably crowded—barely fifty or sixty square meters, yet crammed with twenty or thirty people.

Counting those inside and outside, there had to be over a hundred people at the very least!

In the living room, Father Lu and Mother Lu wore awkward expressions. Mother Lu occasionally shot Father Lu a glare, blaming him for making such a big fuss.

Lu Wan was frightened by the scene and timidly hid behind her brother.

Lu Chen gently patted his sister's head, but there was a smile at the corner of his lips that no one could fathom.

"And you're still smiling!" Second Elder couldn't help barking. "You've invited King Yama into your home, and you can still smile?"

As three of the elders in charge of Southern Mountain Residential Compound, the three elders carried considerable authority in the tenement buildings.

Whenever any household had a problem, they would ask these three elders to step in and mediate.

At this moment, the three elders sat stiffly on the living room sofa, their expressions darker than the last.

Something like this had happened in the compound—wouldn't people laugh their teeth out if word got around?

If it got serious, the entire compound might be shunned by the surrounding neighborhoods, who would think this place was unclean.

"Speak! Where did you invite these two divine statues from?" First Elder slammed his cane heavily against the floor, his expression stern.

Lu Chen remained unhurried. "First Elder, where else could I have invited them from? Of course, a God Temple."

"A God Temple? Through legitimate channels?"

"What else?"

"Heh, Xiao Chen, don't think us old men are fools." First Elder snorted. "Everyone here knows how much it costs to invite a god from a God Temple. Where did you get that kind of money?"

"Exactly! One Lord God of Wealth and one King Yama—at market price, even one of them would cost six to eight hundred thousand! You invited two in one go, and you're saying it was through legitimate channels? Who are you trying to fool?"

"Eight hundred thousand isn't enough! For someone like Lord God of Wealth, I'd say it starts at a million at least! Xiao Chen, it isn't that Uncle Zhou looks down on your family, but if you were really that rich, you'd have moved into some grand mansion long ago. Would you still be squeezing in this lousy tenement building with us?"

The neighbors began talking over one another.

Mother Lu had just wanted to speak when Lu Chen stopped her with a look.

Lu Jianming also looked at his son and wife in confusion.

Yeah, where had all that money come from?

Hadn't it only been fifteen thousand yesterday?

First Elder continued with a stern face. "Xiao Chen, First Elder has always thought you were a sensible, good child. First Elder will promise you this first: today's matter will be resolved within our compound alone. We elders have always helped our own, not reason. Even if you've made a mistake, if we can protect you, we definitely will. No matter where you invited these statues from, you must send King Yama back!"

He paused and swept his gaze around the room. "Our Southern Mountain Residential Compound absolutely won't allow this kind of Yin God to be invited into anyone's home. It's for the good of the entire compound. The people living here are all unfortunate souls, and our fortunes are already poor enough. If you bring Him back here too, aren't you making everyone even more unlucky and cursed?"

"That's right! Just standing in your home, I can feel cold gusts of yin wind, and my whole body feels uncomfortable!"

"This kind of Yin God is far too taboo. How could you invite one into your home?"

"No wonder I felt something was off when I came back tonight. So your family was behind it! Xiao Chen, if you won't think for yourself, at least think for us! If some family in the compound suffers a disaster, maybe it'll be because this Yin God harmed them!"

The more the neighbors spoke, the more agitated they became, and soon they were all pointing fingers.

First Elder struck the floor with his cane again, and only then did everyone quiet down.

Second Elder and Third Elder spoke in turn.

Second Elder said, "Xiao Chen, do you understand what First Elder said? We don't care where these divine statues came from, and we won't report it to the police. But let me make this clear too: if anyone dares report it in private and we catch them, they'll bear the consequences themselves!"

Third Elder pushed up his glasses. "That's right. People in one compound should love and help one another. We absolutely can't stab each other in the back. Xiao Chen, send the statues back. If you insist on keeping that... what was it, Wealth God?"

"Lord God of Wealth," Lu Chen reminded him.

"Right. You can keep that Lord God of Wealth I've barely heard of if you want. But that King Yama statue must be sent back. There's no room for discussion!"

The three elders and the neighbors all nodded heavily.

Only after everyone had finished speaking did Lu Chen take a step forward.

He didn't immediately refute them. Instead, he first gave the three elders a deep bow.

"First Elder, Second Elder, Third Elder, thank you for your concern. Honestly, I was quite moved when you said you'd help your own, not reason. Over the years, Southern Mountain Residential Compound may have been poor, but with the three of you presiding over things, every household has remained fairly harmonious."

The three elders' expressions eased slightly, though they still maintained their dignity. "All right, Xiao Chen. This is simply our duty. Just give everyone a straight answer—when will you send this King Yama back? Will tomorrow do?"

But Lu Chen shook his head. "Sorry, First Elder. These two divine statues really were invited from a God Temple. As for where the money came from, I won't hide it from everyone—it was something I asked Lord God of Wealth for!"

"Xiao Chen, why are you so stubborn?" someone couldn't help cutting in. "A few days ago, your family couldn't even afford meat! Your father said you'd practically been vegetarian for a month! And now you're telling us you had several million to invite divine statues? Is your Lord God of Wealth more effective than Zhao God of Wealth? Even if Zhao God of Wealth bestowed blessings, he couldn't possibly bestow this much at once!"

"Exactly!"

"Enough, shut up! Let him speak!" Second Elder waved his hand, stopping the crowd's chatter again.

Lu Chen paused, then continued. "As for King Yama, I just reached an agreement with Him. In the future, I will help the Netherworld gather more Incense Fire among the living. So it's even more impossible for me to send Him back. Besides, I can't send Him back at all."

"What did you say? You reached an agreement with King Yama?" Third Elder looked stunned and turned to Lu Jianming. "Jianming, why don't you... take Xiao Chen to the hospital tomorrow? If you don't have money, everyone can chip in. Listen to the things he's saying! You're just a wet-behind-the-ears kid with neither power nor influence. Why would King Yama make an agreement with you?"

"Yeah, this is getting more outrageous by the minute!"

"I can testify that my son isn't lying!" Mother Lu finally couldn't hold back and stepped forward. "Before all of you came, my son had been talking to King Yama the whole time. I was in the inner room!"

"I can testify for my brother too!" Lu Wan timidly raised her little hand.

However, all they received was a burst of collective laughter.

"You really don't believe us?"

"Of course we don't!"

"All right. Since none of you believe me, I'll demonstrate it myself."

Lu Chen had long been itching to try.

No matter how much he said, it was better to put it into practice!

He looked at First Elder and said solemnly, "First Elder, what I'm about to say may be somewhat offensive. Please forgive me in advance."

First Elder frowned slightly, not understanding what he meant.

Lu Chen took a deep breath and said, "If I remember correctly, Aunt Qiu has been gone for half a year now..."

"You brat! Why bring that up?!" Second Elder and Third Elder sprang to their feet as if struck by lightning when they heard the subject, their faces changing dramatically.

They immediately looked nervously at First Elder.

First Elder's surname was Qiu. The "Aunt Qiu" Lu Chen mentioned was his most beloved youngest daughter, who had died of illness half a year ago.

It was said that in order to save his daughter, First Elder had nearly spent his entire fortune and prayed every day in a God Temple for blessings to prolong her life. Yet in the end, he still couldn't avert the tragedy.

For a white-haired man to send off a black-haired one was life's deepest pain.

From then on, everyone in the compound noticed that First Elder had become taciturn, and smiles could no longer be seen on his face.

Everyone knew that "Aunt Qiu" had become a taboo subject. No one dared mention his daughter in front of First Elder.

But now...

At once, everyone was blazing with anger, blaming Lu Chen for lifting the lid off the pot that mustn't be opened.

And as expected, First Elder's face had turned ugly to the extreme, so gloomy it seemed water could drip from it.

Yet Lu Chen didn't retreat in the slightest. He continued looking straight into his eyes. "First Elder, if I said I could let you see Aunt Qiu once more, would you want to see her?"

Those words were like a stone shattering the heavens, leaving everyone frozen where they stood.

First Elder's pupils slowly widened. His mouth opened and closed involuntarily, and he shakily rose to his feet. "Y-you, what did you say?!"

Lu Chen said with absolute certainty, "Right here, right now, I have a way to let you see Aunt Qiu!"