Chapter 28: Manifesting Holiness in Public (Seeking Monthly Votes, Seeking Follow-up Reads)

In a small mountain in Jinhua City.

The forest is lush and green, with nocturnal frost and dew hanging from the leaves, shimmering brilliantly under the moonlight.

Squirrels, reptiles, and rabbits wander among them, licking the dew off the leaves.

Rumble, rumble!

The sudden sound startles away a large number of animals; a ghostly carriage drives past, carrying a faint trail of light, vanishing in an instant.

Jiang Yan opens his eyes and looks at the crowded interior; he had expected a private car service, but he hadn't expected...

It’s an overloaded rideshare!

Fortunately, the space inside is roomy enough that it isn't cramped.

Rustling discussions break out; some of the people are not customers but stall owners preparing to set up shop, and they have already begun introducing their products as soon as they boarded the carriage.

Jiangnan people, who spend their whole lives grinding and doing business wherever they go!

However, inside there are things like human-faced carp that can cure sores, spirit snakes that twist their bodies to dance, and red embroidered shoes—or "shoe spirits"—that you can put on to travel a thousand miles at night even while sleeping.

Good grief, they only talk about how far you can walk, but they don't mention the meniscus damage for the user at all!

There are all sorts of strange and bizarre props, and there even appeared clothing worn by the shadows of displaced people.

Is it hard to imagine this is something humans would do?

Are you sure these aren't locusts that scrape the earth three feet deep?

Among them, one item catches Jiang Yan's attention.

The stall owner is a fatty wearing tight clothing and a mask, looking like a jade-faced fat mantis; he doesn't look very old and is currently pushing a pile of black "stones."

They are called Mountain Pellets.

The average person might not have heard of them, as they belong to a type of Inedia Pill.

They are magical items recorded in the Qing Dynasty's *Records of Ear-Eating*; it is rumored that a Daoist could use a bamboo interlocking ring to open a secret mountain cave realm, and he kept Mountain Pellets hidden in his sleeves, made by a special method, which would get stuck in one's throat when eaten but allow one to go months without food.

The prototype for the military ration pills in the comics of the Little Japan should also have been partially influenced by them.

"Speaking of which, the history of Little Japan originates from the Tianxia cultural sphere, and after local adaptations, it became even more twisted and eerie; I wonder how it is now?"

Jiang Yan feels a bit of schadenfreude.

As for the Mountain Pellets, he is somewhat tempted.

After all, he is about to enter a new Sickness Domain, and in case there is no human food inside and he gets trapped for a long time, this kind of prop would come in very handy.

He waits patiently for a while and hears the fatty state the price.

Ten thousand per piece.

Heh, it’s not that he doesn't have the money; Jiang Yan just doesn't like this kind of junk food that gets stuck in the throat.

It would be better to swipe some military rations from his unit and store them in the body of the Coffin Spirit when the time comes.

What?

This is a coffin?

Is it bad for storing food?

Just kidding, Jiang Yan treats it as his dearest friend and kin, the most excellent...

Lunchbox!

Anyway, the shape is about the same.

If a human corpse can be put in a coffin, why can't the corpse of food?

"It's just that this guy lacks social experience too much..."

Jiang Yan looks at the fatty who is still earnestly and enthusiastically pushing the Mountain Pellets and shakes his head, completely failing to notice that the gazes of quite a few people nearby have grown a bit more malicious.

The legend of the Mountain Pellets isn't considered obscure, and their ability isn't rare, but the key is that in the stories, the Mountain Pellets are only a supporting role; what is truly important is the storage space prop like the bamboo interlocking ring,

as well as the mysterious secret mountain cave realm!

Therefore...

Jiang Yan suddenly speaks up: "I'll reserve five Mountain Pellets; give them to me when we get off later."

As his words fall, some people cast dissatisfied looks.

It seems they are annoyed that Jiang Yan has come to snatch their prey.

"Do you want to weigh my strength?"

Jiang Yan sneers inwardly; although their disguises are decent, it is a pity that their life lamps have already betrayed their strength.

They don't even have a Dao Foundation!

"Hmph!"

Jiang Yan lets out a cold snort.

He directly releases the killing intent accumulated from hundreds of battles by Regional Commander Lu, which comes from the Sanskrit Sword and Buddha Armor.

Boom!

The killing intent surges, making the air in the entire carriage become faintly viscous.

It is as if they are placed on a battlefield covered in corpses.

In an instant,

there is dead silence; one could hear a pin drop.

"O-okay!" The little fatty is scared into a quail and says with a trembling voice.

Many malicious gazes retreat sullenly, carrying regret and mockery.

The regret is that they didn't act fast enough.

The mockery is...

This fatty has been targeted by a ruthless person.

One cannot condense this kind of killing intent without having hundreds of dead souls on their hands.

As for the Dharma Assembly forbidding fighting between guests?

Rules are rules, but... there are plenty of ways to get around them.

Screech!

Accompanied by the screeching sound of wheels meeting the ground, the vehicle shakes and then comes to a stop.

The coachman's voice comes from outside:

"Honored guests, we have arrived at the Five Vicious Dharma Assembly."

The guests in the carriage disembark in an orderly fashion, while Jiang Yan remains seated, closing his eyes to rest.

As for the fatty, he is on pins and needles nearby, able to feel the pitying gazes cast by quite a few people.

After everyone has left, Jiang Yan opens his eyes and says coldly:

"Forget it, I don't want the Mountain Pellets anymore."

Having said that, he stands up, lifts the curtain, and gets off the carriage.

What comes into view is a bustling street.

"Is this the Five Vicious Dharma Assembly?"

Like a festival scene in a television drama, the houses are lined up like fish scales, and peddlers calling out their wares can be seen everywhere; it is exceptionally lively.

It makes Jiang Yan feel as if he has returned to his childhood, the days when he would go to the market with his grandfather; he would always demand to buy this and that, and then return home with his hands full...

Only to be scolded by his mother.

At those times, his grandfather would only shield him; although he was very thin and small, in the eyes of the young Jiang Yan, he was taller than the mountains.

"Beware of fire and candles!"

"Fighting is prohibited!"

"If there is a dispute in a transaction, please go to the center of the Five Vicious Dharma Assembly to find someone to adjudicate!"

However, this memory is quickly interrupted by a human-faced owl flying in the sky, holding a lantern and shouting loudly.

Jiang Yan comes back to his senses and, through the perspective of the Lamp of Ashes, sees quite a few mutated creatures hiding among the crowd.

There is even a guy who is a gecko spirit, currently selling his own severed tail, shouting with a red face that it is absolutely authentic.

It isn't because the Lamp of Ashes has seen through the illusion, but because the gecko itself didn't hide its shortened tail well.

It is very obvious that this customer has also noticed and is deliberately driving the price down.

"It really is... a mixed bag!"

Jiang Yan rubs his chin; although he had expected it, seeing it with his own eyes still feels a bit incongruous.

Thinking about it, it makes sense; after all, all kinds of folklore legends are complex, and not all mutated creatures like killing and destruction.

Among them are quite a few herbivorous spirits who just like a stable environment and order.

Regarding these types of guys, the authorities also turn a blind eye.

It has nothing to do with Jiang Yan; he is just here to buy things.

"Wait!"

Just as he is about to set off, a voice suddenly comes from behind him.

Turning his head, it is the fatty from the carriage just now.

He jogs all the way over, panting as he says:

"...Thank you, Brother Ruthless, for helping me out of the fix; these ten Mountain Pellets are a gift for you."

He is just slow and lacks social experience, but he isn't stupid, and he has already figured it out now.

When they were on the carriage, he must have been targeted by someone, and it was this ruthless person who helped him escape a disaster.

"Mm."

Jiang Yan nodded, not declining, and accepted the other party's gratitude as a matter of course.

Good people get good rewards; this is very reasonable.

What if the other party didn't send a gift?

That would mean the black-hearted villains of today have actually started disguising themselves as victims.

Seeing the other party accept the items, Fatty was overjoyed; he lowered his head and stammered:

"Um... could I invite Brother Fierce to stroll through the market together? I'd like to ask you to protect me and show me the ropes. Of course, I will pay..."

His father had told him that the sign of growing up is learning to be independent.

One must show even more sincerity when associating with excellent people.

What is sincerity?

Naturally, it is money!

That is why he stole the invitation and came to the Five-Vicious Dharma Assembly alone to do business, and now he is even taking the initiative to spend money to befriend a hero.

He was an adult now!

A long time passed, and he received no reply.

Fatty thought it was because he hadn't made it clear how much money he would pay and the other party was dissatisfied; he raised his head, just about to speak, when he discovered...

Jiang Yan had already vanished.

On the other side,

Jiang Yan did not care about this small interlude and strolled along the street, looking around curiously.

The only reason he intervened in another's karma was because he found the other party somewhat agreeable and didn't think he was a bad person; he helped simply because he wanted to.

But that did not mean... he liked getting involved with people.

The choices people make are the interweaving of karma, time and again.

Since Fatty came to the Five-Vicious Dharma Assembly alone, he must bear the consequences.

He had no interest in being anyone's babysitter.

Seeking monthly votes! Seeking recommendation votes, seeking follow-up reads! Jiang Yan is about to get on the right track; let this world taste whether his sword is sharp!

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(End of this chapter)