“It’s a deal, Lil Tang. He will be coming in from the province tomorrow and meet us.”
“Alright! Thank you, Big Bro Liu!” Tang Hao agreed and ended the call.
Chapter 61 - Haunted House
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The next morning, Liu Dajun came to pick up Tang Hao.
Tang Hao saw the master in a cafe.
The master’s surname was Wu, and his first name was Qifeng. He was around fifty years old and carried himself with the bearing of a scholar. This left Tang Hao with a very good first impression.
“Boss Liu!” Wu Qifeng stood up and shook Liu Dajun’s hand.
“This must be… This must be Lil Bro Tang!” He shifted his gaze to Tang Hao and extended a welcoming hand.
After their handshake, Wu Qifeng said in anticipation, “Lil Bro, hurry up and show me.”
Tang Hao placed the bag in his hand onto the ground and gently unzipped it.
As he looked at it, Wu Qifeng’s eyes, which were completely focused on the package, widened. “Dear lord! Such a huge piece! Lil Bro, this is tremendous luck! This gigantic piece can sell for at least five hundred million in the current market!”
He continued after a pause, “That was a reserved estimate. Such exquisite pieces are diminishing in numbers and therefore, getting more and more expensive. I’ve not seen such an exquisite piece for a long time now.”
As he spoke, Wu Qifeng involuntarily rubbed his hands together in excitement.
“Master Wu, I place my trust in you!” Tang Hao responded respectfully.
“Alright! Don’t worry. I’ll definitely go all out in producing the perfect masterpiece with an exquisite piece like this,” said Wu Qifeng.
“Oh, by the way, Lil Bro Tang, your jade is huge, so it can be made into a lot of accessories. How many do you want to be crafted? What kind of accessory do you have in mind? Bracelets, necklaces, rings, or earrings?
“Also, are you customizing it for someone or otherwise?”
Tang Hao pondered and answered, “Customize it. I want whatever bracelets or necklaces that you can make. Might as well make a whole set. Oh, right, make Big Bro Liu a ring too.”
Hearing that, Liu Dajun chuckled, “Master Wu, make mine simple. It’ll be fine as long as it’s big enough.”
Wu Qifeng nodded and said, “Alright, I got it! Lil Bro, who are you customizing it for? Are there any pictures? To become the most perfect accessories, they have to complement the wearer’s appearance.”
Tang Hao rummaged through his phone and found a photo of Sis Xiangyi.
Wu Qifeng nodded thoughtfully after a long stare.
“Consider it done! I accept the challenge! Lil Bro Tang, I’ll come up with a few designs and then discuss this further. As for the jade, you should pass it to me then!
“I’m estimating that making a set of accessories won’t take up much time, and that there will be a lot of leftover jade,” said Wu Qifeng.
After that, the trio ordered coffee and started to chat happily.
Halfway through their chat, Tang Hao suddenly thought of something and said, “By the way, Master Wu, I have another small request. Can you craft another bracelet separately and set this bead inside it?”
As he said this, Tang Hao raised his right hand and tugged at his sleeve to reveal the blood-jade bracelet hidden underneath.
Hiss!
Wu Qifeng scrutinized it and sucked in a sudden cold breath.
“This… This… Is this a thousand-year blood jade?” He stood up agitatedly. Disbelief covered his face
“That’s right, this is a thousand-year blood jade. I want to take out one and turn it into another bracelet. What do you think, Master Wu?” Tang Hao said.
Nothing could enter Wu Qifeng’s head now, not even Tang Hao’s voice. His wide, beaming eyes locked onto the bracelet.
He paused for a long while before recomposing himself and sighing, “I didn’t expect to see two exquisite jade stones today—the glass-type imperial jade and the mysterious thousand-year blood jade. Both of them are invaluable treasures that all jade lovers dream to have.”
He looked at Tang Hao with a face that looked like it could burst into sobs at anytime.
“Lil Bro Tang, you’re no ordinary man!”
“You flatter me, Master Wu. I just got lucky,” said Tang Hao with a smile.
Wu Qifeng chuckled and appraised the bracelet for a while. His brows furrowed and he said, “Lil Bro Tang, there are twelve beads in this bracelet. Remove one, and it will be incomplete.”
“It’s fine!” Tang Hao replied.
With Chen Sandao constantly on the run, although he got Secretary Lin to arrange for a few police officers to watch over Sis Xiangyi, it was impossible to protect her twenty-four seven. There was always the possibility of him missing out on some crucial detail.
Even so, he could not keep protecting her this way. All of that protection would have to go away eventually.
Therefore, Tang Hao wanted to take out a bead from the blood jade bracelet and give it to Sis Xiangyi for protection.
This blood jade bead was both a defensive Artifact that could automatically protect the owner—it had its own spirituality—and could also expel evil spirits, hindering malevolent spirits from approaching the wearer.
“Alright, then! I’ll design another bracelet and set the jade bead into it.”
They continued chatting for a while before Qu Wifeng excused himself to prepare for his trip back to Shen City.
After sending him off, the two of them walked toward the car.
Suddenly, Liu Dajun’s cellphone rang.
“Hello!” Liu Dajun picked up the call.
In an instant, the expression on his face changed.
Tang Hao heard someone wailing at the other end of the phone, “Bro Liu, I’m doomed! Someone died in the villa!”
“What? What happened?”
“Bro Liu, I mentioned to you before about my suspicion that the villa is haunted. I didn’t want to believe it at first, but something happened the night before yesterday! The young couple who lived at the villa died.
“Also, their deaths were extremely horrifying! The husband hacked at the wife around ten times before hacking himself to death. There was so much blood! God, it’s horrible!”
With his forehead tightly creased, Liu Dajun replied, “Are you sure they were possessed and that this was not some psychotic incident?”
“Of course, I checked it out! I stayed there for a while yesterday night and heard unnatural sounds once midnight approached. I even saw the shadow of a ghost! I almost peed myself. Thankfully, I ran away fast. Otherwise, I’d have kicked the bucket.
“I’ve invited a Taoist priest over to exorcist this ghost. Do you want to come over, Bro Liu?”
“This…” Liu Dajun hesitated.
“Big Bro Liu, let’s go check it out!” Tang Hao butted in.
Tang Hao had some interest in ghosts and spirits. With his high cultivation base and good fortune, he could see things ordinary people normally could not—this was what people called the Third Eye.
Over the past few days, Tang Hao had already seen a few spirits when he cultivated sorcery at night.
However, since they were all harmless, Tang Hao did not get rid of them.
In truth, most spirits were usually harmless. It was the spirits filled with resentment that could cause harm.
“Why? Are you interested, Lil Tang?” Liu Dajun asked in a shocked voice.
“I’m slightly interested. I’m quite curious about how those Taoist priests exorcise ghosts,” replied Tang Hao. “Actually, I have some experience in exorcism myself, Big Bro Liu.”
Liu Dajun blinked and stared at Tang Hao blankly before saying, “You know about that too? Wait, no. Lil Tang, when did you learn how to exorcise ghosts?”
“Haven’t I told you before that I obtained a few medical books from the mountain last time out? Exorcism is recorded in
one of those books,” said Tang Hao convincingly.
Liu Dajun’s expression was still blank as he stared at Tang Hao in disbelief.
“Let’s go, Big Bro Liu!”
Tang Hao got into the car first.
“That’s weird!” Liu Dajun scratched the back of his head confusedly. Then, he got into the car, started the engine, and sped off.
Chapter 62 - Taoist Master Chang Qing
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The person who called was Liu Qiang, a distant relative of Liu Dajun, who earned a living by reselling and renting out houses.
The incident happened in one of the villas under his name.
The villa was located in a remote area in Great Peak Mountain, in the county’s suburbs. It was a western-style house from the time of the Republic of China with rumors of a long history. After purchasing the house, Liu Qiang could not find a tenant on such short notice and decided to rent the villa out to tourists on vacation.
After driving for more than twenty minutes, they arrived at Great Peak Mountain.
Following the mountainous road up, they soon saw the building that protruded halfway up the mountain.
It was a house built in the European-style; classy and beautiful. It seemed slightly aged and dignified with its rich history.
The villa was immersed in a refined environment on both sides. At a glance, it appeared to be a good location.
However, the scene that entered Tang Hao’s eyes was the complete opposite. It was clearly a sunny day out, but the villa’s surroundings were shrouded in a gloomy shade.
After scrutinizing the villa, he detected a dense and ominous ghostly aura surrounding it.
“Seems like there is a ghost, after all!” Tang Hao muttered to himself.
As their car approached the front of the villa, they saw a car that was already stopped there. Two figures stood next to the car. One of them was a slightly chubby middle-aged man clad in a suit while another was a Taoist priest.
The Taoist priest was gaunt and dressed in a robe with the Eight Trigrams symbol on it. A Taoist master hat sat on his head, adding to his sage-like look. He had the demeanor of a man with great sanctity.
Once the car stopped, the middle-aged man came up to them and said, “Oh, god. Bro Liu, you’re finally here! And this is…?”
“My name is Tang Hao!”
Tang Hao got out of the car and shook hands with the man.
“Qiang’zi, where did you get the Taoist priest from? Is he reliable?” Aaid Liu Dajun as he got down from the car and glanced at the Taoist priest.
“He should be reliable! He asked me put a hand out to retrieve something from thin air! It was a miracle! He is truly a master of the arts!” Liu Qiang claimed. “He’s even from Mao Mountain, and we know how famous Mao Mountain Taoist priests are.”
“Oh, from Mao Mountain!”
The expression on Liu Dajun’s face transformed into one of slightly more respect.
“My name is Liu Dajun. What should I call you, master?” said Liu Dajun warmly as he swiftly walked over.
“I’m but a humble follower named Chang Qing’zi!” Replied the Taoist priest indifferently as he stroked at his long beard, looking like a masterful being beyond the reach of ordinary people.
“Taoist Master Chang Qing it is! It’s an honor meeting you!” Nodded Liu Dajun.
Taoist Master Chang Qing nodded slightly and replied, “Alright, it’s time for me to go in! Don’t worry, no matter what kind of ghost it is—female or male ghost; a spirit born from the hatred in the world or a ghost that retained hatred after death—they will all suffer destruction by my hands.”
After saying that, he flicked up his long sleeves and headed toward the villa.
Tang Hao and the rest followed suit.
Taoist Master Chang Qing turned around and said, “You shouldn’t come with me. Fighting spirits is a dangerous procedure. You’ll be in big trouble if you get possessed by ghosts.”
Hearing that, Liu Chang shuddered and stopped in his tracks, unable to continue onward.
“Then… Then, I’ll just stay!” His face paled.
Liu Dajun rolled his eyes at Liu Qing and scolded, “Qiang’zi, why the hell are you chickening out for?”
“Bro… Bro Liu, I’m… I’m scared! You have no idea how terrifying it was yesterday night. I almost died!” Cried Liu Qiang as he shuddered again. His gritted teeth clacked loudly as they grinded against each other.
Meanwhile, Tang Hao said, “It’s fine, master. Actually, I’m rather interested in exorcism. I’ve learned a little myself, so I want to watch.”
Taoist Master Chang Qing glanced at him and sneered. “What a child! Your fearlessness is unfounded. Do you think exorcism is akin to playing house? That it’s something you can fool around with?!
“Don’t you dare think that you’ve become an expert in exorcism after simply reading some nonsensical articles on the internet. I’m telling you, you’re too naive for your own good.”
Nevertheless, Tang Hao was not upset. He replied, “It should at least be fine to watch, right?”
As they spoke, Tang Hao focused his eyes on the Taoist priest and looked him up and down.
Tang Hao detected ripples of Qi from the Taoist priest, which meant he was not a conman.
However, his Qi ripples were very weak. This also meant that this Taoist priest’s cultivation base was extremely weak; probably in the early period of the State of Qi Channeling—very early period, in fact.
Compared to the current Tang Hao, the Taoist priest was undoubtedly weaker.
After ascending to the middle period, Tang Hao had been absorbing the spiritual Qi from the spirit stones. His cultivation base had been skyrocketing daily such that he was approaching the late period in his State of Qi Channeling.
One of them was in the early period, and the other in the late period. They were incomparable.
Therefore, even though Tang Hao could see the Taoist master’s cultivation base clearly, the Taoist priest had not the slightest clue of Tang Hao’s cultivation base. To the Taoist priest, Tang Hao was nothing more than an ordinary guy.
Taoist Master Chang Qing’s eyebrows furrowed. He waved a hand and said, “Fine, fine, nothing I say will change your mind anyway! But, remember to be careful. Stay behind me and don’t wander off.”
COMMENT
After saying that, he turned around and pushed open the main door to the villa.
“Big Bro Liu, let’s go!” Tang Hao followed him into the villa.
“Qiang’zi, don’t you dare back out now! Do you call yourself a man?!” Liu Dajun dragged Liu Qiang along into the villa.
“No! No! Bro, I’m scared!” Liu Qiang’s face was streaked with tears as he gripped the door tightly.
“Tsk! Useless piece of trash!” Liu Dajun loosened his grip and walked away.
“Eh! Bro! Don’t go! Don’t leave me alone!” Liu Qiang started to feel nervous again. He looked to his left, then to his right. After this, he gritted his teeth and ran in after them.
After walking through the main door, they entered a spacious hall that was dimly lit. It looked rather creepy in its eerie ambiance.
Taoist Master Chang Qing retrieved a geomantic compass from the yellow pouch by his waist and held it in his hands as he walked forward.
On the geomantic compass, a needle spun frantically.
After looking at it, Taoist Master Chang Qing’s eyebrows furrowed. “The ghostly presence here is strong. This proves that this place is indeed haunted. Moreover, this is no ordinary ghost. It is one filled with a tremendous amount of hatred.”
At the back, Liu Qiang instantly shuddered upon hearing these words.
The group headed upstairs. They saw pools of dried up blood on the floor. It was a bone-chilling scene.
The long corridors and the walls around them were covered in harrowing bloodstains.
When they reached the room where the tragedy had taken pla
ce, the needle sitting on the geomantic compass spun even quicker. It gyrated madly for a while before coming to a sudden halt, pointing in a certain direction.
Walking toward the direction that the needle was pointing, Taoist Master Chang Qing arrived at a window. He pulled the curtains aside to reveal a barren forest outside.
“The ghost… is there!”
The Taoist master said in a low voice and pointed outside.
“It’s still daytime now. The yang qi in the heavens and earth are dominating. Thus, the ghost will lie dormant somewhere until it subsides. The ghost is resting somewhere in this barren forest.”
Tang Hao walked over. He squinted and stared at the area carefully. Dark fog shrouded the forest, giving off a dark ghastly aura.
“Master, look. There’s a well there,” said Tang Hao as he pointed at a structure.
“Oh! There is! The ghost must be there.”
After saying that, the Taoist master turned around, descended the stairs, and ran toward the barren forest behind the villa.
As they stepped into the forest, even the initially bold Liu Dajun’s expression changed slightly. Their current environment was too terrifying. In the wild forest of this barren mountain, the ground was littered with dried leaves whilst an old well sitting smack-dab in the middle of the thicket.
All of this resembled scenes from horror movies.
Taoist Master Chang Qing’s footsteps slowed down too as the expression on his face became stern and focused.
After a while, all four of them approached the old well.
The needle on the geomantic compass shook gently before suddenly pointing at the well.
“It’s there! Everyone, back off!”
Taoist Master Chang Qing put his geomantic compass away and opened up the pouch by his waist. He took out two red-skinned calabashes and hung them at his waist. Then, he took out a fistful of yellow talismans and walked slowly toward the old well.
Once he reached the side of the well, he pinched a yellow talisman and mumbled something.
The Mightiest Little Peasant c1-799 Page 30