"Can't you do something a little more normal?" Qin Ye gritted his teeth as he suppressed the disdain in his heart.
"There is. For instance, when I rescued you, I had the ability to devour the souls of ten thousand ghosts. It wouldn't be a problem for me to devour the souls of a hundred thousand people with a single strike. For instance, you also have the ability to devour the souls of a thousand people with a single strike.
Most importantly, Hell isn't even at the level of an Emissary of Hell. How are you supposed to use it? "
Arthis continued patiently, "Don't worry, when Hell slowly expands, you'll be able to wipe out an entire city in a few hundred years' time."
"Furthermore, the true strength of an Emissary of Hell will never lie in their techniques. Rather, it lies in the soul slasher in their hands. Once they're dispelled, they'll be able to attain a state of invisibility …"
Qin Ye interrupted her sensibly, "Have you been reading one of the three great comics about migrant workers, God of Death?"
"I'm sorry … it slipped my tongue. Actually, it's more or less the same. Every Yin spirit you slay will nourish your soul slasher … no, your saber. And as soon as it enters a state of sharpening, it'll be able to crush all Yin spirits of the same level!
Even the three daolords are no exception!
This is the greatest authority that the Heavenly Dao has bestowed upon Hell!
So, what's the point of using techniques? "
"As for bringing it back … it'd be best if you can incinerate it here.
If not, I'll just use my Cosmic Sleeve to bring it over.
My rules come from the old Hell. A new Emissary of Hell like you can forget about it. "
Fine.
I'm just an ox or a horse anyway, right?
Qin Ye shook his head, stood up, and walked out of the park.
Now that he'd taken care of his escape route, there were only two things he needed to do.
Firstly, money.
Secondly, he needed to find out where the 40 credits were hidden.
He walked out of the back door of the park and furrowed his brows as he began to ponder.
His personality would always be lazy and laid-back unless it came to a critical juncture. But that didn't mean that his thinking would be sloppy and lax.
"Two months is a long time. But Mount Tai City is the capital of Insignia Province, and its main urban area is more than seven hundred square kilometers … Condition number one, we have to clock in every day."
As he walked, he murmured to himself, "This limits our time. There are no classes in the morning, and we have at least four o 'clock in the afternoon. In other words, we're left with eight hours from four o' clock to twelve."
"The second condition is that we mustn't reveal our identities, and it's even more impossible for us to question the local Special Investigations Department. We're in a city of nearly ten million people, and every single one of them is an important clue.
This is an impossible mission. "
Arthis responded placidly, "These two old men don't talk nonsense. But this time, they've made it a point to reiterate that you must never, ever score less than 60 points.
I'm guessing that it's quite possible … that those who score less than 60 points will face the danger of dismissal. "
Qin Ye nodded, "That's true. If they can't even meet the most basic of requirements, how can they possibly teach good students?"
The first batch of students of the First Academy of Cultivators came from all corners of the world, from the various major lineages and hidden sects. This was the first batch of students that the First Academy of Cultivators was going to make a name for itself. It was undoubtedly the most important batch of students.
Quality was much more important than quantity.
"Besides, now that I think about it, it's not as easy as I thought about it …" Qin Ye squinted his eyes, ignoring the various street vendors on both sides of the street as he continued to walk forward, "Although the physique of a cultivator is much better than that of an ordinary person, but … who knows if they wouldn't suffer from any ailments or illnesses?"
"Or if they're required to take half a day's leave of absence due to other matters, then … if they follow the rules of the academy, even if they lose a single point for taking half a day's leave of absence, they would still fail."
"In summary, these forty points can't be too remote, and they won't be easy to find either. I got it … let's take a taxi."
Qin Ye arrived at a bus stop. He waved his hand, and a taxi pulled up.
"You've got an idea?"
Qin Ye nodded and whispered, "Funerary street, and cultural relic market."
"Mount Tai City is the capital of Mount Tai City, so there's bound to be places like this. And these two places are the most suitable for our goal."
He gave the taxi the name of the funerary street, and they soon arrived. But the further they went, the more Qin Ye realized that something was amiss.
The atmosphere was different.
Mount Tai City might be pitifully low in Yin energy, but it was still there.
Yet, even before they entered the funerary street, they could already see countless unique shops lining both sides of the street.
Some were selling talismans, some were selling magic artifacts, some were selling jade ornaments … It was a dazzling array of goods, and the entire place was filled with a strong religious atmosphere.
"Master, what's going on here?" He asked in astonishment.
The driver explained as he drove, "Little brother, this must be your first time in Mount Tai City, right?
It's not that I don't want to say this, but things have been … quite strange lately. "
Qin Ye immediately understood why.
Hell no longer existed, and Yin spirits had nowhere else to go. Their Yin energy was thin, but as their numbers grew, the number of people who had seen ghosts was bound to increase!
It didn't matter if it was just one or two, or dozens, but what if thousands of people had seen ghosts?
Coupled with the fact that the government had deliberately laid the groundwork for everyone to see, the atmosphere of the supernatural naturally grew more and more intense. Even so, it was still under control.
The driver lifted his chin, "It's been like this since two years ago. Monks, Daoists, charlatans, and so on. Tsk tsk … I've heard that it's not just Mount Tai City. It's the same in other provincial capitals as well. Furthermore, the government hasn't been too strict this time around. Instead, they've opened up an entire street for these people to do business.
I've heard that business is booming, with a net profit of at least tens of thousands every month … "
Qin Ye nodded his head and glanced at both sides of the street.
Indeed, business was booming.
Every shop, regardless of whether it was a fortune-teller or a "magic artifact", would always be bustling with customers. There would always be at least a few people around.
It was completely different from how it was decades ago.
Qin Ye wasn't happy at all. Instead, his heart grew heavy.
This meant that the supernatural was getting more and more intense.
It was only when there was a threat that the citizens would seek peace of mind.
Soon, the car stopped at the entrance of the funerary street.
It was an ancient stone gate, and two one-and-a-half-meter tall statues of the Harken were placed right in front of the gate. What was different from the funerary street in the past was that there were significantly fewer stalls hanging white banners and paper money. Instead, there were more shops that were related to cultivation.
He casually walked into a shop called "Ning Clan Talisman Workshop". There were five or six people inside.
It was decorated in an antique style. On the left hung a portrait of the Three Pure Ones, on the right hung a portrait of Sakyamuni, and on the top hung a small palace lantern. The talisman paper, which looked a little worn and ancient, was drawn with red talisman characters, lying in a finely carved wooden box.
The interior of the shop was lit with sandalwood incense. As soon as Qin Ye walked in, an attendant dressed in a tunic suit walked over and smiled, "Sir, how may I help you?"
Qin Ye was somewhat disappointed.
He couldn't sense any true energy in the entire shop. All of the talisman papers were counterfeit goods.
He asked casually, "What are you selling?"
"Ancestral talisman papers."
The attendant smiled and pointed behind the counter, "Our boss is a disciple of the Soaring Dragon Province's talisman paper industry, the Ning Clan. The talisman papers he draws are all imbued with a Buddhist nature.
No matter what kind of demon or ghost it is, as long as you carry it with you, you'll be guaranteed a lifetime of peace. "
Qin Ye stuffed his hands into his pockets and turned to look at the wooden box on the odd-shaped shelf. The talisman drawings within the box stung his eyes, "Do you believe in such things?"
The attendant smiled flawlessly, "Sir, it's not that I don't believe in such things. It's that they really exist."
He deliberately lowered his voice and continued, "Over the last few years, or even more than a decade, there have been countless people and incidents of supernatural occurrences.
You can say that I'm just being superstitious, but do you still think that I'm joking when I look at all the paranormal posts on the internet and all the major websites? "
"The state hasn't denied it either. This is a disguised acknowledgment. If not for the fact that our Master Ning couldn't stand the suffering of the world, he wouldn't have left his seclusion to save the world."
Qin Ye's smile was somewhat complicated, "Then … how much does this talisman cost?"
"This talisman is called the Spirit Treasure Clearcloud Peacemaker Talisman. The price is 666 RMB."
The attendant smiled faintly, "Sir, please don't think that it's too expensive. The cost of a single talisman is already something that has long been lost in history. Moreover, the amount of energy required to produce it is unfathomable.
We're new to this street, so we're selling it at cost price. It's already much cheaper than the Wan Rongfu, Auspicious Peace, and Tranquil Peace. "
666 RMB for a single talisman … Qin Ye sighed. If not for the fact that he was in the City of Salvation, he would have opened a shop of his own. This was practically daylight robbery!
Was the cost price even 30 RMB?
Putting aside everything else, he could simply draw a few strokes of the brush and summon the aura of an Emissary of Hell. Which ghost would be foolish enough to come looking for death?
"Great Immortal Ning …" He shook his head with great emotion. The attendant smiled and interjected, "You're a great immortal, not a great immortal."
Qin Ye nodded, "Does he … recognize what he's drawing?"
"This old man does recognize it."
An old voice called out from behind before he could even finish speaking. Qin Ye turned around, only to see an old man of average height staring at him with bright eyes.
The old man appeared to be in his sixties. He had a white beard that reached his chest, and his white hair was tied up in a loose bun with a black ribbon draped over his shoulders.
He was dressed in a white coat, black silk trousers, and a pair of white socks and black cloth shoes. His entire demeanor was that of an immortal.
"Master Ning." The attendant immediately greeted.
Master Ning waved his hand, and the attendant immediately went off to greet the other customers.
Master Ning and Qin Ye exchanged a glance, and neither spoke a single word.
Master Ning's expression remained unchanged, but his heart was already on high alert.
For some reason …
He couldn't help but look at the old man as soon as he stepped through the door. Furthermore … he couldn't help but feel a sense of trepidation in his heart.
There were plenty of people who dared to open such shops and fish in troubled waters. But given the current state of affairs in Cathay, it would take at least two or three years before they would know whether talismans and jade ornaments were useful or not.
As a result, there were fewer and fewer people who dared to fish in troubled waters. Even if they weren't strong, they would still have some understanding of the trade. At the very least, they would have some knowledge of their ancestors.
The Seven Great Underworldly Craftsmen had gone to great lengths to usher in a prosperous market, so they would not go easy on them.
Grandmaster Ning didn't know how to describe this feeling. Just now … he seemed to have seen a black cloud, a black cloud that he had never seen before. It rushed in from outside the door, causing his entire body to go cold. And … and this young man seemed to be dressed in ancient clothing, with a head full of white hair, as though he had just crawled out of a coffin.
"You're …" Qin Ye drew a deep breath and lowered his voice, "Lord Underworldly Craftsman?"
Underworldly Craftsman?
Qin Ye shook his head in amusement.
He looked at Master Ning with interest, wanting to see what else he wanted to say.
Beads of sweat dripped from Grandmaster Ning's forehead.
It wasn't an underworldly craftsman … But why was it that the closer he got, the colder his hands and feet became?
It was as if the other party had blinked his eyes. If the King of Hell wanted him to die tonight, no one would dare to stay until tomorrow.
"Sir …" He muttered hoarsely, "I … didn't cross the line, did I …"
"You … are usually in the Ghost City. This street is just for us to eat, that's all …"
Qin Ye smiled and ignored him. Then, he turned around and walked away.
"Sir!
Sir! "
Master Ning immediately caught up to Qin Ye before he could even step out of the door. Then, to the bewilderment of the attendant and the bewilderment of the other customers, Master Ning bent over and made his way to Qin Ye's side with a fawning expression on his face, "Are you here for the cat as well?"