Another weight settled in my heart.
Calculating to Mao San can help, but I didn't expect him to ask for a price.
"How much do you want?" Taking a deep breath, I immediately asked.
Mao You San, however, smiled brightly at me, as if there was a reflection of my face in his glasses.
"Xiao Luo Zi, are you trying to deceive me?"
"I'm a body collector; I don't charge money. Besides, you just mentioned that you're in need of cash."
I: "..."
Raising my hand, my palm almost touched Mao You San's face.
"I'll take it back," I whispered.
"You won't be getting it back, for there are few people who can help you, and I'm sure the price I'm asking is the lowest." Mao You San continued to squint and smile.
"There may not be many, but it's not as if there are none. I can also find a way myself. It's better than giving my life to you."
I speak frankly.
Mao You San showed no sign of anger and continued, "Apart from me, there's only one other person who can help you, the head supervisor, but he's an old-fashioned conservative. The other person is your master, but he's in the coffin now."
"Xiao Luo Zi, do you think you've messed with something like what?"
"That's no ordinary ghost. It's a prisoner from the Twenty-Eight Hells. Tsk tsk, apart from me, even if your master were to jump out of his coffin, he couldn't guarantee a successful attempt. More so the head supervisor? His chances are even slimmer."
Mao You San looked smugly self-satisfied.
My expression changed.
Twenty-Eight Prisoners?
...
People commit five thousand evil deeds to become Five Hell Demons, six thousand to become Twenty-Eight Prisoners of Hell.
Such people are exceedingly wicked even in life, and their evil thoughts are even more overwhelming after death.
I had previously thought about whether he was a ghost from the Five Hell Realms or a prisoner from the Twenty-Eight Hell Realms. But when I truly learned that, the sense of panic in my heart was even harder to suppress.
Mao You San raised his hand and pressed my hand down, and then said, "Three years, that's all you have left to live. That's more flavorful than many people's thirty, fifty, or even a hundred years. Look at you, so weak; how many of them can you actually survive for three years?"
"The Twenty-Eight Prisoners of Hell will consume your soul, pull you to them through some unseen connection, or appear beside you. Your body will no longer be yours."
His demeanor and tone were incredibly seductive.
"Neither is it yours, no, it never was yours. Yet you've lost the chance and hope too. If he moves fast enough, Sun Zhuo won't be yours either." My face turned cold, reaching out and snatching his glasses off his face directly.
Mao You San's face was extremely stiff, and he stared at me without a sound. His small eyes flickered and twirled, as if deep in thought.
I snatched the dead person's clothes from him and put the glasses in my pocket before using a red string to wrap the clothes into a bundle.
As I rose and took a step, intending to leave the shop, Mao You San simultaneously stood up and blocked my way.
"Excuse me, could you make way?" I said without expression, and there was no tone to my voice.
"Your master's..."
"I know your master." I narrowed my eyes and suddenly said.
Mao You San's eyes flickered again, and he didn't deny it. He continued, "That's not important. What matters is, you can't let me work for free. I'm not just a businessman; I'm also a scholar. The profits and remuneration one deserves are not to be missed, otherwise it would break the rules."
It's obvious that Mao You San is looking for an excuse.
However, the skies over my heart remained unsettled.
Because, it was from Mao You San's just-said words that I deduced he knows Old Qin Head.
I'm not sure if continuing to deepen my relationship with Mao You San will lead to anything else.
Now he talks about rules and regulations, but what if one day he changes his mind?
What if... What if these rules I see now are a false illusion he's created, waiting for some opportunity?
Thinking too much would indeed be troublesome, but it would definitely lessen the trouble I face.
Mao You San is very cautious, such as hiding the fact that he knows Old Qin Head. This is extremely crucial!
The thoughts raced through my mind rapidly, and I sidestepped around Mao You San.
"You're not selling Buddhist talismans anymore!?"
Mao You San turned his head and growled again.
I ignored him and left the shop directly.
As I walked past the shop's door, the gentle chime of the bell suddenly disappeared, replaced by a somewhat noisy conversation.
These sounds were previously inaudible.
Mao You San stood there motionless, just staring at me.
The thin, dressed-down boss from the shop opposite kept glancing at me from time to time. His eyes in the glass cabinet were still moving erratically, and the fine blood vessels were quite eerie.
I turned around and walked up to his cabinet.
At this time, I noticed Mao You San take down the wind chime, as if he was staring at me, or perhaps the thin dressed-down owner of the shop opposite.
"I want to ask, where in the Underworld does one sell Buddhist talismans?"
I appeared polite and friendly.
The thin dressed-down owner of the shop glanced sideways at the narrow street deep in the distance and then said, "Continue walking straight ahead, and you'll see a shop that sells various items. If it's a legitimate item, he will accept it. However, if it's something obtained by killing or stealing goods, you'll need to walk over to the area where they sell these items yourself. These are called black goods. Shops in the Underworld do not sell black goods because they cannot provide after-sales service."
I furrowed my brow, thanked him, and continued on my way.
As I turned around, I was about to walk inward.
The thin dressed-down boss shouted again, "Wait, wait."
I appeared slightly surprised, but his gaze was falling on my waist bag, staring at Lao Gong.
Lao Gong's sly eyes were also fixed on him.
"Your eye in the Yellow Pages is very lively, not something you see often. Do you sell it?" The thin dressed-down boss licking his lips, asked with a smile.
I: "..."
The two shops at this street corner, one collects ghosts' eyes and the other collect dead people's bodies, even in the Underworld, this is abnormal to an extreme degree.
"Thank you, I'm not selling," Lao Gong said in a dry tone.
I suppressed the discomfort in my heart and smiled at the thin dressed-down boss, without offending him.
He also smiled, as if nodding and bowing, and didn't continue to speak.
I turned and walked deeper into the street.
I walked quickly and soon arrived at a shop I had previously seen, with many paper goods.
The boss appeared honest and straightforward, with an equally honest smile. His upper lip was covered with a full beard, and he shaved his head flat.
The signboard over the door read: "This store does not cheat children or the elderly, sells all kinds of goods with integrity, and strives for perfection without any regrets."
"Are you looking for anything, sir?" The tone of the owner's voice was as sincere as his appearance.
I shook my head and walked further away.
I need to find another way for the dead person's clothes.
There are many ways to deal with Buddhist talismans, and selling them is the best way.
I am indeed short of money, having given most of it to Tang Quan.
The money I have left on me is sufficient for myself, but it's not enough. I promised to give Zhao Kang's wife a sufficient amount of maintenance, and I also promised the old lady to try my best to find her son.
Both of these things require money.
The narrow street was long, and it took ten minutes to reach the end after passing the old tea house.
I originally wanted to ask someone where the pavilion area was, but it's no longer necessary now.
At the end of the street, there was a layout similar to an indoor market.
There were no shops, but there were dense cement platforms, with two platforms forming a row, with vendors standing in the middle, and customers walking along the sides.
Here it is even more bustling and chaotic.
