Records of the Halls of Ten Thousand Affairs: Chapter 32: Mountain Spirit (Part 5)

Records of the Halls of Ten Thousand Affairs: Chapter 32: Mountain Spirit (Part 5)

On the way back, Chen Jiu repeatedly recited the Heart Purification Mantra several times. “Why did you stop me?” After she finished reciting, she still couldn’t help asking Yunshan. Yunshan stroked his beard and said. “What do you mean why? Didn’t you say you’d help me save face? Now the rice bowl is snatched, the face is saved. Why bother offending the boss who pays?” Chen Jiu’s face was expressionless. Indeed, that made sense. But so many human lives had been buried in that soil. If they didn’t eradicate it, didn’t dissolve the karmic sins, and just let it stay there, what was the difference from a time bomb? In the middle of the night, Chen Jiu kicked off the blanket in irritation. Beside her, Su Xiaoyu turned over fuzzily, still sleeping soundly. Chen Jiu sat up in a daze for a while, then got up and ran to the courtyard to stare at the southeast. Her heart still felt uneasy. Yunshan’s voice emerged from the side. He was waving a palm leaf fan and said. “Little Jiu, I know you’re unhappy. You feel this world always has all kinds of unfairness. But if we forcefully intervene, it may not necessarily make things better. The so called taking someone’s money to eliminate their disaster. If you don’t follow the employer’s wishes, how do you balance merit?” In their line of work, if you wanted to earn merit and also wanted to gather gold and silver, that was too greedy. There was no perfect destiny in this world. Where one thing is long, another is short. Unless you could change the employer’s wishes before starting to solve the problem. But for someone like Boss Qian who had been soaking in the gray zone for decades, who would still expect him to suddenly awaken his humanity? Chen Jiu liked to be lazy. And lazy people often had compromising clever solutions. Since the first order from the opening of the vegetarian restaurant, she had always leaned toward finding the balance point between profit and conscience. Unfortunately, this time it didn’t seem so easy to resolve. “Alright, I got it.” Chen Jiu squatted down numbly. She suddenly remembered that in the last order she had lost quite a lot of merit too. All because of that damned… already dead dog Zhao Fusheng. Yunshan said. “You relax. With my skill as your master, I can at least suppress it for a hundred years or so. Even if one day I go first, won’t there still be you few?” “Ptooey ptooey ptooey.” Chen Jiu spat several times. “If you’re going to chat idly then chat idly. Why talk such nonsense? Go where?” Yunshan laughed heartily and reached out to pat her head. Chen Jiu didn’t dodge and comfortably played the child for a while. The next day when they met Boss Qian again, Yunshan directly finalized that they would start the ritual to settle matters that evening. Upon learning the news, Liu Zhiyuan sent the contract termination notice to Old Zhao with relief. Sitting in his office chair, Old Zhao’s eyes went wide when he received the message. He didn’t expect that the master and disciple trio who suddenly appeared actually had such ability. With matters settled, Yunshan’s side didn’t need any more assistance. Chen Jiu’s task of bringing Su Xiaoyu to apprentice was complete. She packed up and prepared to leave. While packing, Yunshan stood with his hands behind his back watching Chen Jiu. But when Chen Jiu looked back, he averted his gaze. After several rounds of this, Su Xiaoyu curiously propped her chin, crouching between the two with Chen Xiaoxuan. Chen Jiu lost her temper and asked. “Master, what exactly do you want to say? Just say it.” “Hmph.” Yunshan resumed his initial awkward and aloof demeanor, rather tsundere saying. “Among you few, only your fourth senior brother and sixth senior brother are the most filial. They always remember me during festivals, always bringing things back.” Chen Jiu scratched her head. “Uh… why don’t you come down the mountain with us? Let’s go together?” Su Xiaoyu also joined in the excitement. “Yes yes, Master, let us take you away?” “Not going.” Yunshan said. “The mountain foot is noisy. I’m not used to living there. Alone, I’m at peace.” Chen Jiu clicked her tongue, thinking this awkward old man. “Master, there are also quiet places at the mountain foot. If we live closer, wouldn’t that be good?” Su Xiaoyu looked up at him and asked. Yunshan patted her head and said. “Little Yu, if your parents weren’t still alive, you would also have to spend over a decade of ascetic cultivation with me, you know?” When Chen Jiu heard this, she immediately laughed. “Huh? So that means in our sect, only Little Yu has both parents alive.” Yunshan stroked his beard and hmmed. “Indeed.” Su Xiaoyu felt sour in her heart listening. Her eyes went watery looking at them, her lips pursed, not understanding what was funny. If Master was willing, when her parents came home for New Year, she would bring her senior sister back to recognize her own parents as her parents too. Because her senior sister had also given Master to her. Chen Jiu quickly came to rub her face. “What are you crying for! We’re taking a long ride later. Shall we buy more snacks before getting in the car?” “Yes.” Su Xiaoyu nodded while wiping tears. Snacks were still wanted. The return trip was arranged in the afternoon. On the way back to the city, Su Xiaoyu quietly nibbled on snacks while Chen Jiu communicated with her senior brothers and sisters in the sect group chat. After all, it concerned Master’s retirement matters. Those nearby should help if they could. Second senior sister was the first to respond. Little Jiu, that thing may have been suppressed by someone long ago. The antique stolen by the workers might have been the suppressing instrument. So even Master who lived long on the mountain didn’t discover it. It’s just that when the construction team excavated, they accidentally broke the seal. The aura only started spreading from that day. Chen Jiu suddenly realized. No wonder. Second senior sister, do you know what that worm like thing is? Second senior sister. I can’t judge just from description. Best if you can send pictures. Chen Jiu. @Yunshan, Master did you get any? The old man had no movement at this time. He should be napping or preparing the ritual instruments needed for tonight’s ritual. Second senior sister. I infer this might be karma threads. Touch them and you enter causality. Those contaminated mostly have symptoms of insomnia, nightmares, inexplicable hand tremors, light sensitivity. More severe cases lead to death. Her inference was about eighty to ninety percent accurate. Looking deeper, among the first batch of construction workers, those who died or were injured all had these symptoms. These symptoms normally don’t cause death. But if they suddenly attack while driving or during high risk work, that’s ten deaths and no survival. Chen Jiu. Heaven, karma threads have formed. This must have been suppressed for hundreds of years? Second senior sister. These are all speculations now. Specific circumstances, we’ll wait for Master to come and discuss. A few decades of yin malice already had considerable power. A few centuries of yin malice, Chen Jiu really wanted to challenge it. Sixth senior brother. Little Jiu, you’ve already left? I just got back. Didn’t get to meet you. What a pity. Chen Jiu. Sigh, you properly coax this old man. I can’t coax him. Chatting for a while, the two sisters leaned together and dozed off on the bumpy bus. When they woke, there was darkness outside the window. They had already left Qinghua. Chen Jiu picked up her phone to check. The group messages were still at the place where several senior sisters were joking around. Yunshan hadn’t responded. Her heart suddenly thumped with an inexplicable unease. She wasn’t reassured, so she called back. Yunshan didn’t answer. She called again and it was still busy. Those who have entered the Dao generally cannot cast divination for their closest relatives and friends. The so called a doctor doesn’t treat himself, a person finds it hard to cross himself. She had no way of knowing what happened to Yunshan. A gradually rising ominous premonition welled up in her heart. Su Xiaoyu rubbed her eyes fuzzily and also woke. “Senior sister, what’s wrong?” “Little Yu, I…” Chen Jiu started to speak. She had already delayed Su Xiaoyu’s studies for several days. If she went back and forth again, how would she explain to Teacher Xu? Was there no service for mailing children alone? No no, even if there was she wouldn’t be at ease. Su Xiaoyu blinked at her, patiently waiting for what her senior sister would say next. “I must go back now.” Chen Jiu said. Su Xiaoyu nodded. “Oh oh, then let’s go back.” “No, you have to go to school.” Su Xiaoyu thought about it. “Oh oh, then I’ll go back alone. That’s fine too.” Chen Jiu broke down. “How can that be? How could I possibly let you go back alone?” Su Xiaoyu processed for a while, somewhat reacting. She put her hand on Chen Jiu’s arm and said passionately. “Senior sister! Then let’s go back together!” Chen Jiu paused for a moment, squinting at her. Hmm, it seemed this little girl didn’t want to go to school that much either. Missing a few days seemed to make her happier. Chen Jiu patted her shoulder, her tone heavy. “If Teacher Xu asks later, I can’t protect you.” “I will strive to obtain Teacher Xu’s forgiveness.” Su Xiaoyu’s expression became serious. She clenched her fist and said. “Senior sister rest assured, I will definitely balance both sect and studies, striving for two blooms.” Chen Jiu held her hand and said gratified. “Alright, worthy of being my junior sister. So responsible at such a young age. Let’s go!” After exchanging opinions, one big, one small, and one cat immediately decided to return. Of course, Chen Xiaoxuan had no opinion. Chen Jiu’s opinion decided its opinion. After spending this time together, Chen Jiu’s view of Su Xiaoyu changed again. She found that although this girl looked soft and gentle, she had great resilience. Occasionally when she got mischievous, she quite resembled her own childhood self. It’s just that her own childhood was even more outrageously unrestrained. These were all dark memories that Yunshan was unwilling to mention. Meanwhile, on the other end, Yunshan specifically put on that gray Taoist robe before performing the ritual. The mountain wind was blowing it loudly. The reason he didn’t answer Chen Jiu’s call was because that suppressed force had been faintly opposing him. According to his plan, the suppression process was originally very simple. The flashy preliminary steps served to appease Boss Qian’s heart. The subsequent drawing of talismans, chanting incantations, and arranging formations were the truly practical steps. And now he was stuck at the final step of the formation, unable to suppress the Tianxuan position. Originally everything went smoothly. The accident came from the talisman paper Old Zhao left behind. Old Zhao’s some half baked talisman was easily melted by the underground karma. During all this time underground, it not only failed to suppress the yin malice of this area, but rather acted like some kind of storage bag, storing all the vengeful soul power accumulated over these years, growing increasingly intense. Unexpectedly, his talisman paper had extra moisture. With this one talisman applied, it not only didn’t help suppress, but aided the tyrant’s cruelty. This shows how important the handover work is. This self taught Old Zhao really deserves to die.