Those who accomplish great things do so with one of two attitudes: humility, or a controlled temper.
Zhou Shiming possessed both.
Zhou Li looked at the old Taoist in the yellow robe ahead. "Second Uncle, who is this?" he asked, a touch of confusion in his voice.
Zhou Shiming shifted slightly, a hint of awkwardness in his expression. "Your brother hasn't been reachable, and this project can't just stop. I had no other choice."
Yu Daochen offered a polite smile. "It's alright. Resolving it sooner is good. However, there's something wrong with this old Taoist!"
Zhou Li's expression immediately turned serious.
Zhou Shiming remained silent.
He didn't understand these matters, but seeing Zhou Li's grave look, he knew something was amiss.
"Second Uncle, where did you find this old Taoist?" Zhou Li inquired.
Zhou Shiming sighed with resignation. "We've already consulted several masters for this matter, but none have been able to resolve it. Two masters even went in and never came out. I encountered this one by chance."
After hearing Zhou Shiming's explanation, Zhou Li grew anxious. "Second Uncle, this old Taoist is indeed problematic!"
Zhou Shiming's face fell slightly. "I've signed a contract with him. If this matter isn't resolved, he won't receive a single cent."
Having navigated the professional world for many years, Zhou Shiming was well aware of its dangers.
A contract was merely one layer of insurance; the other was the underworld.
Most people involved in significant business dealings knew some people in the criminal element.
After all, sometimes problems truly needed to be settled with brute force.
Zhou Li understood his uncle's thoughts and exclaimed, "Second Uncle, you're being foolish!"
It was a laughable notion for an ordinary person to confront someone with supernatural abilities and magic.
How could an ordinary person possibly contend with those in their line of work?
Once they received their payment, they could ensure you'd never find them.
The more malicious ones might even ensure you lost your life.
Yu Daochen patted Zhou Li's shoulder, then turned to Zhou Shiming. "Contracts and conventional methods can only deal with ordinary people. For those in our profession, we must handle it ourselves."
Zhou Shiming looked ashamed. "I was careless."
Yu Daochen smiled faintly. "Leave the rest to us."
He then looked at Yu Yiyun beside him and chuckled, "Little girl, are you coming?"
"No," Yu Yiyun shook her head.
Such minor affairs no longer piqued her interest.
Her attention had already shifted to Zhou Shiming.
Yu Yiyun cleared her throat, looked at Yu Daochen, and a smile spread across her face. "Daddy, I want bubble tea and mousse cake."
Though she spoke to Yu Daochen, everyone present understood who she was really addressing.
The few people present understood.
Yu Daochen looked at his daughter, a sense of helplessness washing over him.
Where had she learned all these tricks?
He certainly hadn't taught her any of this.
Zhou Shiming, a seasoned veteran of the corporate world, immediately grasped Yu Yiyun's intentions. He turned to his secretary and instructed, "Quickly, take the little master to get bubble tea and mousse cake."
"Understood, Mr. Zhou," the secretary replied, preparing to drive.
Yu Yiyun giggled, her face beaming with the satisfaction of a successful scheme. "Then your daughter will go and enjoy some delicious food first."
Yu Daochen nodded helplessly, cautioning, "Alright, but don't cause any trouble for them."
"I know," she replied.
Yu Yiyun was already heading out.
Yu Daochen sighed, but said nothing more.
After all, what was the cost of a cup of bubble tea and a few slices of cake?
However, he mused, could the bubble tea and cake consumed by the wealthy be the same as those for ordinary people?
After the little girl departed, Yu Daochen pointed to the ominous energy above the building. "Little Li, do you know what 'yin energy gathering at the peak' means?"
"Yin energy gathering at the peak!"
Zhou Li murmured the phrase, then explained, "Yin energy gathering at the peak, as the name suggests, means the yin energy congregates overhead. This can also be interpreted as a ghost claiming territory."
Yu Daochen smiled with satisfaction. "Your studies are thorough, but you've missed one detail."
"Missed a detail?" Zhou Li looked puzzled.
He had consulted books; there shouldn't be any errors.
Yu Daochen smiled patiently. "Indeed. The books only record so much. But you must remember, anything that causes yin energy to gather at the peak is usually a powerful entity."
Those referred to as powerful entities were at least of the level of a冥鬼 (Ming Gui) or higher.
"Master, I understand," Zhou Li nodded obediently.
Yu Daochen's expression suddenly turned somber.
"I can teach you spells, and I can tell you about the characteristics of various ghosts, but you will only truly understand them through your own experiences. Why is it that some disciples, who are powerful within their sects, are killed by less skilled opponents during their trials outside the mountain?"
"The root cause is insufficient experience and a lack of decisive killing intent. Flowers grown in a greenhouse can never withstand the storms. This is an eternal truth."
"You cannot remain in the sect forever. You will have to venture into the martial world. I don't ask you to become a supreme expert, but you must survive."
"This is my requirement of you!"
As he spoke, Yu Daochen's face was etched with bitterness.
Zhou Li looked at his master's pained expression and promised, "I will certainly bear Master's teachings in mind!"
Indeed, his master had two disciples.
The elder disciple's whereabouts were still unknown, and the second disciple had fallen in battle.
Now, only he remained!
As they spoke, the two had arrived not far behind the old Taoist in the yellow robe.
The yellow-robed Taoist merely twitched his nose and, without looking back, chuckled, "Fellow Daoist, whatever you've seen, I advise you not to meddle. If you merely wish to share in the spoils, that can be arranged. After the matter is concluded, I guarantee you'll receive five hundred thousand."
Hearing this, Yu Daochen grinned, took two steps forward, and said with a smile, "Yin energy gathering at the peak. This place has already become a cursed land. If you continue your ritual to transform the cursed land into a place of auspiciousness, while no immediate harm may occur, countless people will die once the houses are built."
This old Taoist in the yellow robe had likely made a deal with the ghost within.
The old Taoist would perform his ritual, allowing the ghost within to absorb the souls of innocent people indefinitely to strengthen itself.
In return, the ghost within would guarantee no further disturbances until construction was complete.
These two, a ghost and a man, were cooperating perfectly.
"Fellow Daoist, are you intending to interfere?" the old Taoist in the yellow robe turned back, his expression turning sinister as he looked at Yu Daochen.
Upon clearly recognizing who had arrived, the old Taoist swallowed the words he was about to utter, his face filled with terror, his speech stuttering.
"Yu... Yu... Master Yu!"
Yu Daochen chuckled disdainfully. "Oh? You recognize me?"
The old Taoist immediately stopped his actions and bowed subserviently, smiling. "I do, I do, of course, I recognize you."