Chapter 14 Zhu Zhishan

"You're a ghost now, it's okay if you forget," Huan Ni said dismissively. "By the way, do you still remember your name?"

The female ghost in red nodded: "Of course I remember, my name is Zhu Xiangyun."

"Zhu Xiangyun, do you know Ma Rong?" Shi Yuan asked.

Zhu Xiangyun shook her head halfway, her eyes showing confusion: "I shouldn't know him, but for some reason, I always feel that there is something about me in him."

"But I'm too afraid to get close to him."

"What about the mountain god temple?" Shi Yuan asked again. "How did you know there was gold at the base of the wall?" She took out the gold to show Zhu Xiangyun and then asked her, "Why didn't you come in with us?"

When Zhu Xiangyun didn't reply, she only stared at the gold.

Seeing this, Shi Yuan took out the withered tree branch without the gold tip: "This one, bury it with the gold."

Shi Yuan watched as Zhu Xiangyun's face twitched a few times, revealing a look of fear and confusion, and asked softly, "What message do you want us to pass on to your father?"

“I want my father to dig up my remains and give them a proper burial so I can be reincarnated.” After saying this, Zhu Xiangyun added blankly, “But I’ve forgotten where my remains are.”

Shi Yuan and Huan Ni both turned their gazes toward Bei Shan.

What's your father's name?

"Zhu Zhishan, my father is a famous geomancer in town, very famous. You can find him by asking around." Zhu Xiangyun spoke quickly, afraid that she might forget her father in the next second.

Shi Yuan remained silent, finding it unusual that she couldn't bear to tell Zhu Xiangyun that her father's identity might no longer exist in town.

She solemnly agreed: "I will make a trip to town."

"Thank you."

"No need." Shi Yuan gestured to the large yellow croaker in her hand. "You've already paid me."

"Ah Da is out," Huan Ni whispered a reminder.

Shi Yuan fell silent and followed quietly. After A Da entered a detached house in town and did not come out again, Shi Yuan stopped waiting and went to the alley where she had bought the yellow talisman paper last time.

That person is also a fellow traveler of Zhu Zhishan; I wonder if he could find out Zhu Zhishan's whereabouts?

"It's you." The old man wearing sunglasses clearly recognized Shi Yuan. He asked with some surprise, "Have you used up all that yellow talisman paper? Could it be that you've become a middleman and come to him to buy more?"

Shi Yuan didn't know what the price was for inquiring about things in this era, but her experience in the apocalypse told her that the reliability of information was closely related to how much money she paid.

She handed him a 10,000-yuan note: "I'd like to ask you about someone."

The old man in sunglasses took the money and put it in his pocket with a very smooth motion, clearly indicating that he had experienced this kind of thing many times before.

Who do you want to inquire about?

"Zhu Zhishan was a very famous geomancer in town twenty years ago."

The old man's face darkened as soon as he uttered the first part of the sentence. When Shi Yuan said the name "Zhu Zhishan," the old man's eyes flashed with a sharp light as he stared intently at Shi Yuan: "Who are you? Why are you asking about Zhu Zhishan?"

"I was asked to do this." Shi Yuan wasn't intimidated and told the truth.

"Who? Who commissioned you?" the old man pressed.

Shi Yuan raised an eyebrow. If it were just someone he knew, the old man wouldn't be so excited. Could it be such a coincidence?

"Zhu Zhishan?" she called out tentatively.

The old man's expression froze.

"The client said that Zhu Zhishan was born with heterochromia."

The old man's hands trembled as he took off his sunglasses: "Tell me, who is the client?" His voice was muffled, filled with hope yet also despair.

He knew better than anyone that ordinary people wouldn't buy so many yellow talismans. Thinking of that possibility, his whole body began to tremble slightly.

“Zhu Xiangyun,” Shi Yuan said frankly, “is a ghost. She asked me to tell her father to collect her remains.”

"Xiangyun, she really is..." Zhu Zhishan collapsed to the ground, unable to continue.

After a long while, he finally spoke, his voice hoarse and choked with emotion: "Why didn't she come to find me herself?"

"She must have been placed under some kind of restriction, preventing her from leaving Qinglin Bay too far."

"Is she in Qinglin Bay?"

"yes."

“I’ll go with you.” Zhu Zhishan propped himself up from the ground, his face covered in tears. “I want to see Xiangyun.”

"You should wear sunglasses," Shi Yuan reminded him. If people saw his heterochromatic eyes, it would be too easy for them to make a fuss about it.

After all, she did receive two large yellow croakers from Zhu Xiangyun, so it's only right that she take on some after-sales service.

Zhu Zhishan nodded and asked Shi Yuan to wait for him. He took out a small ceramic jar from a hidden compartment behind the cabinet and then took a few willow leaves from the side.

He put on his sunglasses, straightened his collar and cuffs, and then said to Shi Yuan, "Let's go."

This town has been passed down from the old days, with the east being noble and the west lowly, and the south poor and the north rich.

More than 20 years ago, Zhu Zhishan lived in the northern part of the alley; now he lives in the western alley.

Ma Rong's detached house is on the east side.

Even in the new society, this unassuming southern town continues its old traditions, unbroken by anyone.

Inside the detached house, Ah Da finally saw Ma Rong and his wife.

"Ah Da? What are you doing here?" Ma Rong showed no joy at Ah Da's escape, only a cold question: "How did you get back?"

When Sang Rou rescued him, A Da was already unconscious. The woman didn't seem like a kind person; she wouldn't easily let A Da go.

"Have you leaked my information to anyone?" The questions were all accusations, not expressions of concern.

"I was locked in a cave, but I escaped while she went home." The joy in Ah Da's eyes faded as he carefully answered, while simultaneously tucking his hand into his sleeve to cover the injury on his hand.

Ma Rong frowned, then thought about it again. It was normal for a country girl to be a bit fierce, but as for being cunning, he sneered. Apart from using bricks instead of gold to hit people, she was just lucky. After all, A-Da was most afraid of snakes.

Ma Rong glanced at Sang Rou, who was sitting listlessly at the lower seat, and his eyes revealed undisguised disgust. He ordered A'Da, "Go and bring that countrywoman here." Sang Rou's appearance would affect the quality of the demon blood, and thus affect him!

Ah Da: ...He just wanted to make money, he didn't want to risk his life!

Ah Da wanted to refuse and break up with Ma Rong, but he glanced warily at Sang Rou, who was sitting silently beside him, and bowed his head to reply, "Yes."

After A-Da left, Sang Rou whispered to Ma Rong, "A-Da was injured and his eyes were darting around. He was obviously hiding something from us. Moreover, he seemed reluctant to capture the country woman you mentioned."

Ma Rong snorted impatiently, "You placed a restriction on his body, and he watched you swallow Ah Xin with his own eyes."

"He wouldn't dare to have any ulterior motives." Very confident.

Sang Rou was very uneasy. If it weren't for the fact that the flower bed where the main body was placed had been blown up, she would naturally be confident in controlling A Da. But now, she was not so sure.

But seeing that Ma Rong was getting impatient with her, she fell silent.

Oh well, she's just a country woman. Anyway, they'll leave here temporarily after it's done, and we'll deal with Ah Da then.

Ah Da went to a shady clinic in West Alley to get some wound medicine. There was no other way; regular clinics wouldn't dispense medicine separately, and he couldn't explain his injuries.

As he left the shady clinic, Ah Da casually glanced up and met the eyes of that murderous god.

Ah Da: ...Heaven is going to kill me!

He almost instinctively covered his face with the oil paper package. The big, burly man looked like a little girl as he took small, quick steps to leave.

"Ah Da." Shi Yuan's smiling voice carried a chilling murderous intent. "Shopping around, what a coincidence." She then slightly raised her head, revealing the jade bracelet on her wrist.

As Ah Da was thinking that this country woman was really reckless, daring to bring out such a fine jade bracelet so ostentatiously, he almost subconsciously looked in the direction of the Revolutionary Committee office.

He was feeling quite pleased with himself when he noticed the jade bracelet move slightly, and he took a step back in surprise.

Heavenly Bodhisattva!

This isn't some jade bracelet at all! This is a damn bamboo viper! The bamboo viper that almost killed him that day it was stuck on his forehead!

This is a lifesaver!

This killer is even playing with snakes!

Ah Da stood still, no longer daring to slip away, and also abandoned his intention to report to the Revolutionary Committee.

Shi Yuan glanced at A Da, pondered for a moment, then gently stroked the bracelet with her fingertips, tilted her head slightly, and gestured for A Da to follow.

Ah Da was successfully threatened and followed from a distance.

Upon arriving at the familiar cave, Ah Da felt a sharp pain from the small holes piercing his body. Thinking about the torture he would have to endure later, he thought, "Why not just fight it out? At worst, I'll be bitten to death by a snake!"

"Ah Da, I have something important to do. You stay here and keep watch, don't let anyone in."

After Shi Yuan finished speaking, she entered the cave, leaving A Da bewildered in the wind. Isn't this the right thing to do? Can they really be trusted guards?

If his memory serves him right, just a few hours ago, she was poking holes in him with a dry twig!

Ah Da turned and was about to follow Shi Yuan into the cave; he was going to fight him!

Then, he met the eyes of the bamboo viper coiled at the entrance of the cave, which even flicked its tongue at him.

Ah Da took more than ten steps back, and suddenly remembered that the monster Sang Rou had once said to him in a soft and weak voice: "Those who know when to yield are the heroes."

Ah Da stood facing Zhu Ye Qing from a distance, while keeping an eye on the surrounding movements.

Inside the cave, Zhu Xiangyun excitedly rushed towards Zhu Zhishan, but passed right through him.

As if sensing something, Zhu Zhishan loosely folded his arms, his lips trembling as he turned to ask Shi Yuan, "Is Xiangyun here?"

Shi Yuan nodded: "Yes."

Zhu Zhishan nodded and said to the void, "Xiangyun, step back a bit and wait for your father."

Zhu Xiangyun did as she was told and stepped back.

Zhu Zhishan opened the enamel jar, dipped the willow leaves in it, muttered some incantations, and then stuck the willow leaves to his eyes.

Is this what Ji Ying meant when he said that if you soak your eyes in willow leaves with cow tears, you can see ghosts in broad daylight? Shi Yuan sighed, thankfully the zombies in the apocalypse haven't evolved ghost skills, otherwise just fighting against mutated cows and mutated willows every day would be tough enough.

Before she could finish her reflection, Zhu Zhishan had already taken Liu Ye and Zhu Xiangyun and they burst into tears.

Shi Yuan stared into Zhu Zhishan's eyes, wondering if he would still be able to see Zhu Xiangyun after he shed tears.

It proved to be possible.

Zhu Zhishan and Zhu Xiangyun talked for a long time. Shi Yuan did not disturb them, only thinking about whether this once famous geomancer in the town could solve Zhu Xiangyun's problem.

"Comrade Shiyuan, thank you for helping Xiangyun deliver the message." Zhu Zhishan choked up, "It allows my daughter and me to have another chance to meet."

"I received payment," Shi Yuan said with a smile. "No need to thank me."

"I wonder if Mr. Zhu could lift the restrictions on Xiangyun?"

A note from the author:

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