Gods Sing, Ghosts Chant, Aiding the Hero's Song - Along the Roads and Through the Towns, Seeking My Peerless Ghost Servants

For several days after his night of elegant conversation with the ghost, Xing Yan remained jumpy, seeing ghosts in every shadow. Only after drinking several doses of calming tea brewed by Xueyi did he finally settle his nerves. Then, at a teahouse tavern, he heard some well-informed travelers of the martial world say that farther along the road stood a remote village called Yin-Quelling Manor. In that settlement, every family could command ghosts, and every household could commune with spirits!

Although he had only argued to relieve his boredom, and did not actually disbelieve in ghosts and gods, Xing Yan had turned the old ghost's fervent insistence that ghosts existed over and over in his mind, finding it rather interesting. Now that he had heard of such a place, he immediately became curious about the mysterious Yin-Quelling Manor and decided to visit, to see just what these supposed ghostly affairs really were. Come to think of it, his own Daoist tradition included plenty of rites for delivering ghosts and departed souls, and he knew them well. After all, back in Raozhou City, he had gone with old Daoist Qinghe to wealthy households and made quite a commotion on several occasions.

Before they reached that village, however, a small incident occurred along the way.

That day, they passed through a large town at a crossroads. At noon, Xing Yan took Qiong Rong and Xueyi to eat at the Fortune-Gathering Restaurant. After their travels, very little money remained in his purse, so he resolved to economize. He ordered only a few ordinary vegetable dishes and three small bowls of coarse rice, all inexpensive fare.

Seeing how little he spent, the waiter serving them began to look displeased. At first, noticing that the three young travelers all seemed extraordinary, he had eagerly led