The Ghost Shopkeeper?
After Jiang Lin recorded everything Funo had said, he took the pile of cocoons to the mission center to turn in the Ghost Bridegroom task.
Because Funo was at the early stage of Great Ghost General, possessed a ghost domain, and there were hundreds of ghosts inside.
Jiang Lin ultimately received:
Advanced Cultivation Card * 3, Intermediate Cultivation Card * 5, Soul Stone * 30,冥币 (Underworld Currency) * 20000.
As he was about to leave, someone from the mission center called out to him.
"Sir, there have been many reports of ghost powers suddenly increasing recently. Please be extra careful."
Jiang Lin nodded and thanked them.
Ghost powers increasing.
The five items brought out from the ghost domain also had such effects.
Jiang Lin suddenly remembered the small bead he had given to the captain when he was in the Ninth Team.
That bead that could temporarily boost a ghost's power.
Could all these things be from the same place?
Where did that Ghost Shopkeeper come from, and what was their purpose?
After leaving the mission center, Jiang Lin did not return to the Eighteenth Hall.
He changed direction halfway and went to the Ninth Team's office where King Jian'an was located.
He wanted to see if there was any news about that bead.
It was such a shame, a rare trading partner who was a Great Ghost General.
In an ancient and elegant room.
A man wearing a red ghost mask and a black robe stood by a wooden shelf.
He played with a small red wooden carving in his hand and clicked his tongue.
"I never expected to encounter someone at the Ghost King realm. She was too unlucky."
He spoke words of pity, but there was no trace of sadness in his tone.
Instead, there was a sense of detached amusement, as if he were watching a show.
"Master, will this have any impact on us?" an old man appeared from the darkness.
The Ghost Shopkeeper slowly put down the small wooden carving. "It's just a ghost messenger. Tell those ghosts below to be careful not to die."
His words carried a hint of disdain.
The old man took a slight step back, feeling an invisible pressure washing over him.
"Yes."
Suddenly, the Ghost Shopkeeper looked towards the doorway.
He regained his nonchalant demeanor.
"Oh, a guest has arrived."
"This guest's aura smells very delicious~"
"Classmates, the monthly exam is coming up soon. Everyone, get ready."
"Zhuang Yifan, can you please study properly? What is all that stuff in your head?"
"You say you studied properly? Then why did the teacher say you were dozing off in class? Take a look at your report card!"
"If you continue like this, you won't even be able to get into high school, let alone college!"
It was night. The shops on both sides of the street were closing one after another.
Only the faint light from the streetlamps illuminated a small area, attracting a swarm of tiny mosquitoes.
*Swish*
The last supermarket pulled down its rolling shutter and closed.
A boy, who looked about fifteen or sixteen years old, squatted by the roadside, holding a twig and listlessly poking at an ant nest on the ground.
Beside him was his backpack, carelessly thrown aside.
And scattered on the ground were his torn homework and textbooks.
They were filled with ink, but now, they were discarded on the ground like waste paper.
Cars occasionally drove past on the road, bringing gusts of hot wind.
The papers on the ground flew with them.
"I did study, I really did study..."
"But I just can't absorb it, I can't absorb it."
"What can I do? Why don't you just open up my brain and see what's inside?"
Zhuang Yifan stared blankly at the ground, his eyes unfocused.
He kept muttering to himself.
"Why is it? I recognize them all, but I just can't do the problems."
"It's so hard. Why don't I let someone else do it? I don't want to do it anymore, okay?"
With every sentence he spoke, the invisible black mist around him thickened, clinging to him like grasping claws.
Suddenly.
He stood up in a daze and slowly walked into the alley.
It felt like something was calling him there.
After several twists and turns, he saw a light.
In such a secluded place, there was still a shop open.
"Little one, do you want to buy something?"
Zhuang Yifan turned his head and noticed an old man by the counter.
He must be the owner of the place.
He looked at the shop, which seemed like a general store, and instinctively asked:
"What do you have here?"
The old man smiled. "We sell everything. What do you need?"
Zhuang Yifan's gaze fell blankly on the shelves. What did he need?
What did he truly want?
"I think you might need this."
The old man at the counter, who had gotten up at some point, took a pen from the shelf and handed it over.
"This pen can write any answer you desire."
"Any answer?"
Zhuang Yifan blankly took the pen.
When he came to his senses, a car drove past on the road in front of him.
At his feet was his backpack, and most of the torn papers had already blown away.
Zhuang Yifan was startled. What had he done tonight?!
He quickly picked up the remaining torn papers from the ground, wondering if he could glue them back together at home.
It would be over if his parents found out!
He glanced at his watch. Heavens, it was already so late!
Putting the pen in his pencil case, he ran home quickly.
The Underworld.
When Jiang Lin arrived at the Ninth Team's office, King Jian'an seemed to have just returned from outside.
This surprised Jiang Lin a little.
In his impression, King Jian'an rarely left the office.
"You've come at the right time."
Seeing Jiang Lin, King Jian'an beckoned him into the office.
After they were both seated, he continued:
"I've studied the bead you brought earlier, along with similar items brought back by other team members."
"I suspect there are living creatures within those items."
Jiang Lin's heart tightened. Sealing living creatures to make ghost artifacts?!
"We can't confirm that yet."
King Jian'an said, "I've just had those items tested at the Ghost Artifact Workshop. The results should be out soon."
The Ghost Artifact Workshop is a place specializing in making ghost artifacts, belonging to the Underworld.
Jiang Lin's mourning staff and other ghost artifacts came from there.
If other ghosts wanted to craft ghost artifacts, they needed to go through layers of review.
Records had to be kept of who wanted ghost artifacts and which type they obtained.
However, the materials and craftsmanship required to forge ghost artifacts were themselves very expensive.
Ordinary ghosts had no chance to forge ghost artifacts.
"By the way, what brings you here this time?" King Jian'an asked after discussing ghost artifacts.
Jiang Lin took out the five items he had found in the ghost domain. "I'm here for this."
After leaving the Ninth Team's office, Jiang Lin reflected on King Jian'an's words.
He decided to have the five newly promoted ghost messengers train with the seniors for a while longer.
He had a premonition that it would not be peaceful recently.
Living creatures that could be sealed into ghost artifacts...
He could only think of a few possibilities.
(PS: ;_; Due to health reasons, I will try to make up the second update tomorrow during the day. Everyone, don't stay up late like Mushroom. Get some rest early~)