As the saying goes, "when people are poor, their ambitions are short, their horses are thin, and their hair is long", I was so poor at that time that I could only quietly put down my bit of integrity.
The contract Zhuzi brought out is actually similar to a contract, clarifying the obligations of both parties and ensuring their respective interests. What caught my attention was a sentence on it "If either party dies in the cooperation, the benefits of the deceased party must be transferred to their next of kin."
This is also known as a settling fee, but after glancing at the contract, I frowned and asked, "Zhuzi, it doesn't say anything about what punishment should be given if a partner betrays the other."
Zhuzi smiled, and Lingqian beside him looked down her nose at me.
"Xiaoshan, this is the first time you've signed a contract, let me tell you something. Generally, we find trustworthy people as partners, so the possibility of stabbing each other in the back is unlikely. But if it does happen, you'll just have to admit your bad luck. That's how things are in our circle, dealing with ghosts and monsters all day, the rules won't be so upright."
Then I understood Zhuzi's words; it's actually quite simple, if you get betrayed by your own, it's your bad luck. The settling fee goes to the other side, and as for the treasure, it belongs to the other side.
I smiled. When Master Yuan asked me several times if I wanted to join the business, I had given a positive answer, so how could I go back now? After signing my name and pressing my thumbprint, the cooperation was considered settled.
"Good! I'll act as a notary, and the contract will be kept with me. Xiaoshan, bring out 'Mountain and Wild Tales'."
After I took the book out, Zhuzi flipped through a few pages and stopped at one, saying, "This is it."
I looked down, and saw that Zhuzi had turned to a page in 'Mountain and Wild Tales' that recorded a ghost called a Jiangui.
I should note that 'Mountain and Wild Tales' not only records primitive monsters, but also ghosts, evil spirits, and fierce ghosts, but unlike the detailed records of primitive monsters, the records of ghosts are somewhat vague, with many not having illustrations. Afterwards, I thought about it and it's quite simple; primitive monsters, similar to elves, all look similar and are therefore easy to draw. Each ghost is different, and based on the individual, it’s impossible to provide a clear image, isn’t it?
The term Jiangui actually originated from the idiom "letting a tiger work as a jiang". In ancient times, if a person eaten by a tiger harbored resentment, they would become a jiangui and entice the common people walking in the mountains and forests to be eaten by the tiger to satisfy their vengeful spirit. Generally, jiangui do not appear in places with many people, so they cannot be seen in towns. In addition, although they look the same as ordinary people, a small characteristic is that male jiangui do not have a small finger on their left hand, and female jiangui do not have a small finger on their right hand.
Therefore, if you see a lone man or woman with a missing finger in the deep mountain forest, you should be careful.
But back when I was young, we would go to the zoo to see tigers. Anyway, there are definitely no wild tigers around Shanghai or in the vicinity of Zhejiang. There might be some in the forests of the northeast, or perhaps in the Siberian region of the Soviet Union.
"A demon? They are rarely seen now, right?"
I said softly.
"Hmph." Lingqian responded with a disdainful snort, and I furrowed my brows. This woman is becoming more and more annoying.
"This time you are going to the eastern side of Yanshan Mountain, near the Nuruerhu Mountain. Let me tell you first, about a month ago, there were inexplicable disappearances of people in the villages near the Nuruerhu Mountain and Daheshan. Some friends in my circle went to investigate and found that it might not just be people disappearing, it is very likely that there are ghosts at play. My friends organized about three or four people to search in the mountains, and in the end, two of them were killed, and the other two escaped."
As I heard this, I couldn't help but furrow my brows. Four experienced people went and couldn't handle it, and it's just going to be me and this missy in front of me?
Before I could ask, Zhu Zi continued, "I didn't expect Lingqian to have been near Daheshan, so I contacted her brother, and her brother found me hoping I could get some help. I can't leave here, so I thought of you and Fatty. You have some understanding of ghosts and monsters from 'Mountain and Wilderness Tales'. Fatty should have some skill by now and it's a good opportunity to test his method. With Lingqian in charge, it's a good opportunity for you and Fatty to practice."
What Zhu Zi said didn't make sense. If it's just a practice, why would it have to be me and Fatty? But on second thought, if the underground of Xuanming Temple is a big evil ground, it means it is very likely a treasure trove. Fatty and I might have found a sweet deal by bringing him there, which would be a return in some ways.
"You can leave the demon to Lingqian, and you and Fatty will be in charge of support. I have a client who needs a ghost demon to refine tiger bones, and this fits perfectly. If you agree, inform Fatty today, and you can set off tomorrow."
After Zhu Zi finished speaking, I nodded. Lingqian stood up and said, "Let's settle for this, I hope you don't drag me down."
After saying that, she shook her long hair and left. I stuck my tongue out at her back.
"Little Shan, don't take it to heart. Her brother is really capable, and I'll introduce you to him in the future. Don't be scared by them, those who were killed by the demon are not skilled, not as capable and lucky as you and Fatty. Lingqian is skilled in dealing with the Yin, and she is a disciple of Kunyu. You two will make a profit by following her, heh heh."
Zhu Zi was quite righteous and didn't mean to trick me. I nodded, then asked in surprise, "Zhu Zi, what do 'Yin people' and 'Kunyu sect' mean?"
"Oh, you don't know. Let me tell you a bit. 'Yin people' is a profession, and our line of work is collectively called 'trafficking ghosts and selling monsters', but there are corpse drivers in Shu, lamas in the Tibetan area, and witchcraft in Yunnan, each with its own methods and professions. The 'Yin people' are a profession from Yuyang, usually not dealing with earthly monsters. They will lock the ghosts and then bring them into the Yin world in a special way, give them to the ghost messengers, and receive rewards after the ghost messengers accept the ghosts. They earn a living from this, so they are called 'Yin people'. Kunyu sect is also from the Yuyang area, a branch of Maoshan art, mainly for refining Qi, somewhat similar to today's Qigong, but the real deal. Don't underestimate Lingqian just because she appears to be a missy, she has a lot of skills. You should follow her and Fatty this time, it's a sure win."
Zhu Zi gave me a lesson, then said he had things to do and left. I rushed to Han Master's house to inform Fatty. Unexpectedly, as we entered the door, the inner hall was tightly closed, and there was a strange sound of a bell inside. I didn't speak, and Han Master led me to the entrance of the inner hall and whispered, "Zhen is practicing inside, using the divine strikes. When he is in the lock point, we shouldn't disturb."
Han Master and I walked to the side, and I asked with doubt, "Han Master, what is the skill of divine strikes?"
"Oh, it's normal that you don't know. Divine strikes are a kind of Maoshan art, but not a major skill of our school. It originated from the art of child warriors, and is practiced by a virgin boy to sense the aura of heaven and earth, inviting gods to come down and subdue demons. Even if the practice time is not long, it is useful. A man with blessings and sufficient yang energy would practice it. At first, only divine boys could be invited, that is, boys under the tutelage of the master. After a few years of practice, the master could be invited, and by then, the skill would be even greater."
After hearing this, I looked envious and said, "Han Master, can I practice it?"
"About that...," Han Master smiled and shook his head, "You had intimate contact with a female ghost, so your yang energy is lacking, and you can't practice it."
I immediately looked disappointed and dejected. However, Han Master patted my shoulder and said, "But don't be discouraged, my senior brother has passed on 'Wudang Five Elements Skill' to you, it's also a good skill. It may not take effect as quickly, but it might have an advantage over divine strikes in the future."
While we were talking, there suddenly came a banging sound from inside the hall. Startled, we turned around and saw that the main door of the inner hall had been opened, and Fatty, dressed in strange makeup, exuding billowing white smoke, walked out mightily.
"Fatty..."
I called out, and he turned to look at me. Clasping his fists, he exhaled a puff of white air, and his whole aura immediately diminished, and finally he sat on the ground, breathing heavily.
Han Master hurriedly walked up, raised his hand and patted Fatty on the back of his head, saying, "You fool, I've told you so many times, the divine strikes rely entirely on your breath, you can't speak! Speaking leaks the breath, and if the breath leaks, the god will leave!"