Chapter 527: Same old trick

Just past midnight on the fifteenth, I and Hu Yulin entered Gui Shi.

Hu Yulin insisted on coming.

Today Gui Shi was deserted, far less lively than before.

On our way to Yin Dang Hang, we actually encountered two patrols of netherworld officials, each wearing soft armor and armed, fully ready to enforce martial law.

We didn't want trouble; we just wanted to get into Yin Dang Hang quickly, so we avoided them if we could.

Lao San was still guarding the street entrance of Yin Dang Hang; tonight there were few customers coming to pawn, and no one was queuing.

He just glanced at Hu Yulin and said, "Fox Immortal, please wait; Xiao Jiu Zhanggui, go up to the second floor alone."

Hu Yulin raised his eyebrows: "Oh my, Lao San, why are you being so polite today? This isn't like you."

Lao San immediately glared and warned, "The netherworld has been unsettled lately; I have my duties, Fox Immortal, please cooperate."

It seems Lao San's bad temper wasn't innate; it's just that guarding Yin Dang Hang alone for so many years has made his hostility heavy.

Now Yin Dang Hang is back on track, and Lao San has become normal again.

I lowered my voice and asked, "What's going on? Just now on the way over, we ran into two patrols of netherworld officials, which we rarely saw before."

Lao San shook his head: "I don't know; you can ask my boss directly, Xiao Jiu Zhanggui."

My boss... Yu Nian, you've got quite the knack for managing subordinates.

I then went straight into Yin Dang Hang.

Only two or three customers stood before the counter.

I went up to the second floor, still in that same room; Yu Nian knew I was coming and was waiting for me.

The tea had already been brewed for me.

After a bit of small talk, I repeated the question I had just asked Lao San.

Yu Nian opened her mouth, but a man's voice sounded: "Same old trick; back then I was killed exactly like this, and I never thought they'd try the same old ploy again."

This voice... is so familiar.

Isn't this the voice of the person I made a deal with?

Yu Nian scolded resentfully, "I'm talking to Xiao Jiu; can you not butt in?"

"You weren't even in Yin Dang Hang back then—do you know the inside story?" the man said earnestly, "A Nian, are you making yourself clear?"

"Doing that will scare Xiao Jiu; it's very impolite."

"Scare Xiao Jiu? You're seriously underestimating your sister's courage..."

Blah blah.

I sat there and saw Yu Nian's mouth moving nonstop, a man's voice, then a woman's voice, just like two people arguing.

But in the whole room, besides me, only Yu Nian remained.

This feeling is really too weird.

After a while, Yu Nian was finally convinced by the man.

The man turned to me and said, "Xiao Jiu, I heard you succeeded in Nirvana—congratulations. Do you remember anything from before? Do you remember me?"

"Not yet," I said. "My memories have been tampered with; some were lost outright, some aren't mine at all—my memories of Yin Dang Hang are false."

The man wasn't surprised: "Then let me reintroduce myself—I'm Fan Chen, the boss of this Yin Dang Hang. I'm neither human nor ghost; if I must be given an identity, I could barely count as a spirit monster."

Eh...

That self-introduction is quite unconventional.

I politely asked as best I could, "What kind of spirit monster are you?"

Obviously, I'm Fan Chen—I'm just a speck of dust.' Fan Chen said, 'More specifically, I'm a speck of dust in the deep ravine in front of Yin Dang Hang. I've lingered in the abyss for who knows how many years, receiving the incense of Chenghuang Temple, undergoing monthly periodic floods of ash, and by chance I cultivated a cinnabar spirit bone, took form, and received the City God's enlightenment, thus opening this Yin Dang Hang at the yin-yang boundary.'

I was shocked.

I never would have imagined that the owner of Yin Dang Hang is... a speck of dust.

However, though dust in the world is countless, only Fan Chen has awakened, showing that even as a speck of dust, Fan Chen is itself a spiritual thing.

He is one of a kind, an irreplaceable existence.

"Haha, think it's unbelievable? I also feel lucky." Fan Chen said, "If it weren't for what happened back then, I wouldn't have ended up so miserable, and now I still have to cultivate using A Nian's body—how embarrassing."

Eh...

I was stunned again.

Fan Chen spoke of shame, yet I couldn't hear any bashfulness in his tone at all.

It's all just schadenfreude, right?

I lightly coughed into my fist, lifted the teacup and took a sip, then asked, "Back then, what exactly happened at Yin Dang Hang? Who exactly dismembered you?"

"Who knows!" Fan Chen said innocently, "Back then it was almost New Year, I gave the staff holiday leave, a rotating schedule, keeping five or six to guard the shop; Lao San also took leave to go home and visit his parents."

The situation was like that: first came news from the Nether Realm that someone had lost an important item, likely ended up in Gui Shi, and then on the fifteenth night, patrols of netherworld officials entered Gui Shi.

We at Yin Dang Hang just wanted to do business peacefully, always kind to others and never meddling; I truly never thought the fire would reach us.

Then not long after, a troop of netherworld officials rushed in, claiming the lost important item from the Nether Realm was in our Yin Dang Hang; the staff argued a few words, and they launched a massacre. Before I could react, my head was taken—fortunately, they only took my cinnabar spirit bone from my body, leaving my skull, giving me a chance to survive.

So that's how things were back then.

I continued asking, "What's the deal between Feng Wu Jiu and Yin Dang Hang? How many pawn tickets did she sign for you back then?"

Yu Nian reached up and touched her nose, feeling a bit guilty: "Feng Wu Jiu has some connection with the City God; she was also at her wit's end, wanting the City God to help her guard the Cangwu Dark Seal, but the City God said he couldn't interfere in the Feng Clan's karma, so he suggested she pawn the Cangwu Dark Seal with me."

Coincidentally, I also felt resentful and worried I'd never get a chance to rise again; we hit it off, I issued a few blank pawn tickets to her, she signed without asking, and I... I don't even know how many.

I raised a hand to my forehead, vexed: "So you still have unused pawn tickets signed by Feng Wu Jiu? When do you plan to use them?"

Yu Nian gave an embarrassed laugh.

Of course, that laugh wasn't Yu Nian's—it was Fan Chen's.

I reached out to him: "Since the transaction is already complete, the remaining pawn tickets should be voided automatically—give them back to me."

You're joking, what's the difference between this Pawn Ticket and a body-selling contract?

Fan Chen however restrained his smile, counter-asked: "Xiao Jiu, have you thought it through? A blank Pawn Ticket isn't something just anyone can sign whenever they want; I can use these blank Pawn Tickets to demand you fulfill your promise, likewise, you can also turn around and demand the same of me. Now that it's void, who exactly ends up losing out? Have you considered that?"