Chapter 147 Contrary to Traditional Impressions…
Contrary to the traditional impression that execution grounds are located in the suburbs, Baishui Street is a famous snack street in this area.
It's next to a school, in an old residential area with expensive housing. Ride-hailing drivers pick up all sorts of people every day, so they know a lot of information. Judging from the driver's talkative manner, he must be a chatty person, so Pingyu took the opportunity of changing the destination to start a conversation with him.
She asked with a smile, "Uncle, are there many people like me who come to ask for divination cards?"
Pingyu laughed sheepishly: "I'm quite superstitious about these things. When I was preparing for the entrance exam for junior high school, I had my mom take me to a temple to burn incense."
Why would someone pray to Buddha and then ask for a talisman?
"I'm a pragmatist; I believe in whatever works. I even cast a wide net when sending out resumes, hoping that the more I pray, the more likely I am to succeed."
The driver chuckled, almost missing the red light ahead. But he quickly became serious and said earnestly, "It's best for children not to be exposed to these things too early. These things have heavy yin energy, and it can cause a lot of trouble. As they say, it's easy to invite a god in, but hard to send him away."
Nezha, expressionless, flicked the nodding ghost child.
Ping Yu continued, "Can anything be harder than the college entrance exam? But Uncle, is this Master Tai very effective? I feel like a lot of people have prayed to him. I found him on the internet too."
"Well, I'm not entirely sure either," the driver said, scratching his head. "But it seems to have only been open for a short time, I think it was about six months ago. Before that, it was a struggling incense and candle shop, almost going bankrupt, when it was taken over by a Thai master and revived in no time. I heard that anyone who has prayed for a Buddha amulet or acquired a deity statue there can have their wishes fulfilled. Whenever I get a fare to Baishui Street, it's almost always to that area. But having driven so many people, I've heard some strange tales." The driver paused here, then asked the two passengers in the back seat for their opinions: "Are you two afraid of ghosts? If you are, I won't say anything; if you're not, you can listen to it like an audiobook."
"We're not afraid, Uncle!"
Ping Yu tugged at his hand, and Nezha, who had remained silent until now, nodded.
The driver, who had been worried about getting a bad review, was relieved after receiving permission. He was a talkative person to begin with, and now he couldn't help but say, "I heard he became famous because he got involved with some gangsters."
Baishui Street, as an old residential area, was a hotbed of organized crime in the 1970s and 80s. Although anti-gang campaigns swept away some criminals, some deep-rooted problems remained. These grime and filth persist to this day, inextricably linked to the shadows of Baishui Street, becoming part of its street culture. Not long ago, the leader of an organization called "Chunhua Society" fell critically ill. However, the organization was undergoing a crucial transformation, facing threats from both sides, and its young leader was too young to effectively manage the organization. Beset by internal and external troubles, the "Chunhua Society," lacking leadership, was on the verge of collapse and disbandment.
When the second-in-command realized that the methods of the living were ineffective, he conceived the idea of "exploring the underworld."
Rumor has it that he invited ten masters to the boss's coffin, promising a reward of ten million dollars to anyone who could revive him. However, all ten masters failed, saying that the dead were beyond saving. Just then, Master Tai from Baishui Street arrived uninvited, saying he hoped to give it a try.
The second-in-command, having exhausted all hope, decided to try anything, so he approved the request. The specific method used to revive the boss inside the coffin is unknown, but...
"You can search for Chunhua Society."
The driver said.
Ping Yu, unfamiliar with social news, immediately opened his phone to search upon hearing this. A line of keywords instantly popped up on the screen: "Chunhua Chamber of Commerce" donating one million yuan to an orphanage. This news was published just last month and happened to include a picture. On the screen, among a group of men in suits, a young man wearing a white T-shirt, jeans, and covered in tattoos, wearing Buddhist beads around his neck, was handing a huge cardboard check to the middle-aged leader opposite him.
Only the eldest brother can stand in the center position.
"How come you're so young?" He looked like a college student.
"Yes, he is Chunhua's boss. Although it's publicly claimed that this is the old boss's illegitimate son who successfully won the competition and became Chunhua's new successor, insiders have revealed that this young man is actually the former boss who was supposed to be dead." The driver said mysteriously, "Master Tai not only cured him and brought him back to life, but also made that old man young again!"
"I see. Then it seems you really have skills."
Ping Yu responded in surprise, raising his hand to zoom in on the photo on the screen. The young man in the photo was handsome and spirited. However, upon closer inspection, one could indeed see a hint of "old age" in his demeanor. Nezha glanced at it only once before casually remarking, "He's dead."
It was the height of summer, but Nezha's words made Pingyu feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave.
She shuddered violently.
In the blink of an eye, the child vanished. In broad daylight, the driver broke out in a cold sweat.
I guess I talked too much about weird things earlier.
With that thought in mind, he stiffly turned around and said, "We've arrived. Be careful when you get off the bus."
"Thank you, Uncle!"
Pingyu pulled Nezha off the bus.
The moment the car door opened, Nezha glanced at the driver in the driver's seat, who was muttering divine incantations seeking protection. With a casual flick of his finger, a wisp of black mist slowly drifted out from the driver's head and was caught in his palm.
Nezha clenched his fists, and the fine black sand fell to the ground and disappeared silently.
Because of the large flow of people and the narrowness of Baishui Street, the driver only dropped the two of them off on the opposite side of the street. Even though they didn't arrive on time, Nezha and Pingyu witnessed the influence of the so-called "Thai Master" in Baishui Street. Nine out of ten people passing by wore golden amulets around their necks.
Walk forward and cross the road.
Looking in from the outside, the already dilapidated street was filled with greasy stalls. Countless plumes of oil mingled in the summer heat, visually distorting the asphalt road. Amid the clatter of slippers and the clanging of spatulas, cicadas chirped among the sparse vegetation on both sides.
On everyone's shoulders, more or less, sat a child, smiling sinisterly.
Even the ghost child Nezha was carrying became arrogant, now that they were back on home turf. Nezha felt the infant spirit in his hand suddenly stop struggling. He looked down and saw that the spirit had crossed its arms, looking disdainful. Seeing Nezha's gaze, it said, "Kid, I advise you to be sensible. This is my master's territory. You won't get anywhere with just a mortal!"
Pingyu, who can become a god after collecting the last demon and living this life: Who is the culprit, me?
As the ghostly child finished speaking, he suddenly felt a shadow descend upon him, covering everything. The next second, the girl's face appeared before him. Ping Yu bent down, staring intently at the rotting face of the infant spirit.
Even though the ghost child wasn't afraid of mortals, it was slightly startled by this. It stammered, trying to sound intimidating: "What are you doing!"
Ping Yu flicked his finger against the ring and, with lightning speed, gave him a hard flick on the forehead.
"It hurts!" the infant spirit screamed.
"Hmph," she snorted, the recoil from her previous movement had left her wrist numb. Ping Yu swung her wrist and said irritably, "You'll suffer if you underestimate mortals, you little brat."
Nezha's deathly gaze relentlessly assailed the infant spirit from above, leaving it furious but speechless. Then, Ping Yu clenched his fist and demanded, "Speak! What does your master do?"
"How dare you! How could you two mere mortal brats understand what my master does? I'd rather die than tell!"
Ping Yu gave Nezha a look. Nezha nodded, and Hun Tian gathered into a needle, instantly striking the center of the infant spirit's eye. When the tip of the red needle was only millimeters away from his pupil, the infant spirit raised his hand.
He calmly said, like a traffic cop stopping a car, "But while you're alive, you can say, 'Please let me go.'"
Ping Yu thought to himself: How cowardly.
However, without needing to back down and confess, someone soon approached them. The person wore a standard volunteer vest, but the fabric wasn't the usual red or green; it was gray. It was wrinkled and looked like a tattered rag when worn. Yet this unkempt attire belonged to a young student. She looked about Ping Yu's age, her round face beaming with a smile, and handed them two flyers.
"Friends, are you here to make a wish too?"
But what caught Pingyu's attention wasn't her radiant smile, but rather her earlobe. It was thin as paper, with a red mole resembling an ear piercing. In face reading, this was a sign of a short and unfortunate life. Pingyu responded, "Yes, I'm here to see Master Tai," shifting her gaze. She looked at the girl's neck, where she too wore a Buddhist amulet adorned with a string of gold beads.
Unlike other people's tin, gold alloy, or gold-plated silver ornaments, Pingyu, who had been a wealthy young lady in the Shang Dynasty for more than ten years, immediately recognized that the ornament on her neck was pure gold, real gold.
Wearing this could bring bloodshed to someone with a life of misfortune.
Ping Yu hesitated, wondering how to best remind the other person. The girl, however, seemed oblivious to the obvious struggle on her face, and pointed in a direction, saying, "Go in this direction to the third incense and candle shop. The small iron gate next to the shopkeeper leads to Master Tai's execution ground!"
The volunteer girl enthusiastically asked, "Would you like me to take you there?"
Ping Yu's ears burned as Nezha leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Something's wrong with her. I need to take another look."
“Okay,” Pingyu immediately put on a smile: “Then I’ll trouble you.”
"No trouble at all, I'm just handing out their flyers anyway."
After the volunteer walked away, Ping Yu breathed a sigh of relief, turned around and asked softly, "Do you also think her jewelry is wrong?"
"Not just this."
Nezha stuffed the ghost child into the leopard skin bag, then pointed his free finger downwards and drew a circle in the air, saying, "Didn't you notice how clean she is? There isn't a single black line on her."
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