Chapter 290: People of Talent, Land of Spirit

Although called a slum, Jilongzhai didn't seem as chaotic to Feng Xue as he'd imagined—at least compared to places like the Philippines' garbage mountains or Dalit shantytowns, its layout was fairly orderly.

Added to that, it was the end of the year; though no one could afford lanterns or decorations, most still pasted red spring couplets and upside-down fu characters on their doors, and children in patched cotton coats ran wildly down the streets waving millet stalks, stomping them underfoot to produce crackling sounds as their own poor-man's firecrackers.

These low houses formed a network of alleys within Jilongzhai, while at its edges stood buildings resembling sheer walls.

Five- or six-story buildings weren't nearly as tall as in later eras; they looked like pigeon coops, with two-meter-high floors tightly packed with tiny units under ten square meters—but those who lived inside were often relatively well-dressed residents.

As he walked, Feng Xue faintly spotted a wisp of white smoke, so he simply walked over—and immediately winced.

The smoke wasn't problematic—it was a porridge stall, where several bald monks… no, several monks were ladling thick grain porridge to beggars in line; occasionally, some people with soot-blackened faces and less tattered clothes came to collect, and the monks said nothing, simply serving them a bowl and uttering "Amitabha."

But Feng Xue winced because beside this porridge stall stood another booth, where several men dressed as priests were handing out watered-down grape juice and wheat cakes to the queue, occasionally glancing at the monks, the atmosphere strangely tense.

Further ahead, one could see self-proclaimed calligraphy-practicing scribes offering to write letters; a kind-hearted cook selling rotten-meat noodles from a giant outdoor pot; a craftsman who occasionally shouted out, sharpening scissors and grinding kitchen knives; a woman driving a donkey cart loaded with jars of homemade wine, vinegar, and soy sauce…

And their shared trait? Cheap prices—and long life.

"Alright, there really are quite a few. Makes sense—in a slum, it's easy to accumulate merit and gather vows."

Feng Xue nodded inwardly, then suddenly spun, grabbing a young girl by the arm—but he didn't underestimate her, for the two million days of remaining lifespan on her head proved she was no ordinary person.

"Interesting. How did you find me?" The "girl" put on a timid expression, but the voice that reached Feng Xue's ears was ancient and weary.

"Don't you see how everyone—adults and children alike—avoid me? Only you came close. If not you, who else could possibly be the problem?"

Feng Xue rolled his eyes, slipped his wallet back into his pocket, and the "girl" returned the exact same eye roll:

"You know adults and kids avoid you? Come to Jilongzhai and change into something appropriate!"

"Can't I just be strolling around?" Feng Xue caught her meaning but still grinned wickedly. The "girl" squeezed out two tears:

"If you don't let go, I'm going to cry!"

"No one's going to come rescue you anyway." Feng Xue laughed casually. The girl, surprised that such a seemingly low-cultivation youth had such a calm demeanor, immediately dropped the act:

"I can tell whether you're just wandering or not. Speak up—what business do you want to start? I'll steer customers your way."

Seeing the girl had dropped the pretense, Feng Xue released her, his tone now more courteous:

"I plan to open a clinic. May I ask for your guidance, Elder?"

The girl's eyes darted as she rubbed her wrist, wearing an expression like a thief who'd just escaped capture, speaking words utterly incongruous with her appearance:

"A clinic? Black-market or legit? Pills or talisman water? Jilongzhai already has sellers of strength pills and dogskin plasters—don't step on their toes!"

Feng Xue merely loosened his collar, revealing a cute jade rabbit pendant. The girl didn't notice at first—but as Feng Xue slightly lifted the seal on Su'e Huiye's aura, her expression instantly shifted to realization—

"Then it's settled. I'll send you business later!"

The girl turned to leave, but Feng Xue's expression grew peculiar. After a moment's hesitation, he shook his head and continued strolling.

…

"Bai Yi, who is that boy?"

After walking half a street, the girl found a tea stall. The owner poured her a large bowl of tea, then whispered:

"A witch-shaman, worships the moon—not from Chu tradition, feels more northern, but differs significantly from shamanism. The jade carving style looks familiar. Also, her body gives off a prickling sensation—she must be practicing some powerful thunder art. And she's obscenely rich—her wealth fortune is nearly touching the heavens… Holy shit?!"

Seeing Bai Yi suddenly curse, the owner blinked—then saw her clutching a clump of black mist, frowning:

"Xiao Zhou, what's wrong?"

"Mama! That woman really went all out—slapped me flat! But she looks familiar… I think I saw her with Papa…" The black mist emitted a voice only cultivators could hear, pitifully laughable.

Bai Yi's expression twisted. She snapped:

"Either stop calling me 'Mama,' or stop calling him 'Papa.' Otherwise, what are we?"

"No way! Papa gave me life, Mama raised me—father gives, mother nurtures—it's natural!"

Watching the spirit stubbornly cling to its logic, Bai Yi gritted her teeth. The tea stall owner quickly intervened:

"Elder! Don't get worked up! Spirit ghosts are always like this! Let's talk about the newcomer!"

"Oh, right." Bai Yi shoved the spirit back into her pocket. "Anyway, he's a rich kid planning to open a clinic—probably wants to collect vow energy for jade rabbits. But judging by his affluent aura, he won't stay long in Jilongzhai. I'll have someone test his skill. As long as he doesn't kill anyone, the rest doesn't matter."

…

Feng Xue didn't dwell on Mo Ying nearly crushing the spirit with one slap. He wandered outside for half a day, ate a bowl of rotten-meat noodles, then slowly returned to the alley following the markers.

"Whoa, did I get lost?" Feng Xue stepped into the alley and felt absurd—the alley, which had looked like a typical urban village by day, now looked completely transformed. It wasn't luxurious, but it stood out like a crane among chickens.

"Welcome back, sir? I just delivered the furniture—take a look!" Sensing Feng Xue's arrival, the realtor-cultivator immediately popped out of the house, door wide open, gesturing for him to inspect.

Feng Xue was reasonably satisfied, but looking at the surroundings, he couldn't help saying:

"Isn't this house a bit too conspicuous?"

"No problem—it's enchanted with a幻型咒. Even cultivators won't see its true form unless they specifically use Qi-sight. If you still think it's not enough, you can strengthen it yourself…"

(End of Chapter)