Chapter 47: Plan
“Pfft!” Su Feng, who was drinking tea, heard this abstract metaphor and couldn’t help but spit it out. Old Liu and Assistant Jin exchanged a glance, their expressions also quite colorful.
Full of catchy rhymes, it’s hard not to suspect that Jiang Ce has taken the postgraduate entrance exam.
“You—” Daoist Wang pointed at Jiang Ce, wanting to say something but was momentarily speechless, suddenly becoming very anxious.
What surprised him even more was that no one present spoke up for him.
“That’s enough.” Jiang Ce poured himself a cup of some unknown tea, smiling as he stared at him: “A Daoist Priest more nagging than a Monk, it’s annoying to watch. I hope you’re not wearing the Male Virtue Academy graduation uniform.”
“Absurd! Too absurd!”
But after Daoist Wang said that, he really quieted down.
He was perceptive enough, belatedly noticing the clues. He thought he had played a clever retreat-to-advance move, but in front of these shrewd people, such a trick to fool ordinary folks was too crude, full of flaws, and had long been seen through.
Better to say less and make fewer mistakes, better to behave and get to work. One more person means one more share, better than getting no soup at all.
Regarding the verbal sparring between the two, Old Liu didn’t want to step in as a peacemaker, which was no different from stirring up trouble. Whether the relationship could be mended or not, he would end up smelling bad himself.
Seeing the two calm down, he cleared his throat and seized the opportunity to explain the ins and outs of the matter.
“You two Masters don’t need to get too worked up. This matter is quite complicated. It might really require both of you to join forces to resolve it.
You two must have some preliminary understanding of the situation already. I’ll just share some inside information you don’t know.
It’s quite amusing. I’ve dominated the real estate industry for so many years, yet I never thought I’d be taken for a ride one day, only realizing after acquiring it that this plot of land has problems.
Although this land isn’t far from the City Center, it has basically not been developed. Almost everything within a one-kilometer radius is shantytowns. Many real estate developers have had ideas about this land, but they all came to nothing later.
Actually, I had my doubts at first. Such a prime location with such a complete plot of land—why hasn’t it been developed? But the relevant people kept telling me it was just that the holdout residents hadn’t been negotiated with yet, and once settled, it could be put up for tender and auction. So I didn’t take it too seriously.
It was a Feng Shui Master who had helped me before that, upon learning I had spent a fortune buying this land, came to see me specifically and told me there was a problem with it. That’s when I understood the severity.
It turns out this place was an ancient battlefield in antiquity, with an unknown number of people killed. Dead bodies aside, many corpses were piled into a Jingguan, causing Vengeful Spirits to linger and Resentment to soar to the heavens.
There was originally a temple on this land that could suppress these Undead, but through successive dynasties of constant Warfare, not only was the temple long destroyed somewhere unknown, but the Resentment grew even heavier. It was only in modern times that it barely gained some human presence.
I asked some Predecessors to check some records and found that relevant departments in the last century had ideas to develop this land, but all stopped due to various reasons. Apart from low bungalows, no large buildings could stand. That’s when I realized I had been tricked and become the sucker.
But I couldn’t let this land rot in my hands. Hoping for the best, I started construction anyway, but just as that Feng Shui Master said, no major projects could be done here. Even just digging the Foundation, before it was properly done, several workers were already seriously injured.
If this continues… Sigh.”
With that, Old Liu looked at Jiang Ce and Daoist Wang with a glimmer of hope in his eyes.
Daoist Wang looked troubled: “If it’s really as you say, Old Liu, that’s an ancient battlefield, and so many years have passed… This is tricky.”
Although he had anticipated it, Old Liu couldn’t hide his disappointment. He looked at Jiang Ce again: “Master Jiang, what are your thoughts?”
Jiang Ce pondered for a moment and asked seriously: “Do you have photos of the Jingguan? I’ve never seen one; I want to broaden my Knowledge.”
“…” Old Liu fell silent, and so did Su Feng and Assistant Jin.
Seeing that Jiang Ce had no good solution and was instead saying weird things, Daoist Wang felt delighted inside but sarcastically mocked on the surface: “I didn’t expect Master Jiang to be at a loss too. What a pity; I thought I could witness something impressive.”
“Spicy! You’re spicy!” Jiang Ce disdainfully glanced at Daoist Wang and said confidently: “Actually, there is a way, and it’s very simple to execute.”
“Oh?” A spark suddenly lit up in Old Liu’s turbid eyes.
Su Feng was greatly encouraged, and Assistant Jin looked ready to listen attentively.
Daoist Wang eyed Jiang Ce suspiciously, wondering what plan he would propose.
“It just requires Daoist Wang to make a small sacrifice.”
“Me?” Daoist Wang pointed at himself in astonishment, confirming repeatedly that he hadn’t misheard.
“Yes, I really need your help.”
Jiang Ce looked utterly serious:
“This is a method passed down from ancient Feng Shui Masters. For major undertakings, Sacrifice is always necessary—one to bribe the wild gods and ghosts, and two, to suppress Evil Spirits…
Before he finished speaking, Daoist Wang already sensed something was off.
“Including ancient bridge-building, Tunnel digging, and especially building Great Tombs or large structures—all required filling with living people to make them stable and sturdy.
Like when piles wouldn’t go in back then? Put death row inmates in concrete and stir—out comes a pillar, my goodness, hits wherever you aim.
So the simplest way is to find a Formation Eye, make a living person pile and drive it in—stable in one go. Just now, Daoist Wang said he came to solve the problem and was willing to leave if needed. So I think we can perfectly arrange for him to take a walk and make a small sacrifice.”
Daoist Wang was dumbfounded after hearing this and said tremulously: “This isn’t asking me to sacrifice a little; this is sacrificing me entirely! Is that necessary?!”
Hearing this, Old Liu sighed and waved his hand: “No, no, this won’t do. This… how can it? If worst comes to worst, let the land rot in my hands. I can’t trade human lives for wealth.”
Jiang Ce nodded inwardly. Unexpectedly principled. If he wasn’t two-faced in private, he might really be a good person.
He hadn’t planned to do it anyway; just scaring Daoist Wang a bit.
“In that case, we’ll have to go with the relatively more troublesome alternative plan.”
Jiang Ce said very confidently:
“Regardless of whether unclean things are really causing trouble, just find the culprits and Deliverance them all!”
“What arrogance! But if it’s about Deliverance of Vengeful Spirits and Undead, I have some insights too. Let’s have a proper contest then.” Seeing Old Liu reject the human pile plan, Daoist Wang got cocky again and started pontificating.
Jiang Ce looked at Daoist Wang coldly, growing more irritated the more he saw.
Can’t this clown act normal for once?
For no reason, as Daoist Wang was bragging about his past exploits, he suddenly felt a chill and an inexplicable fear.
For a split second, he felt his end was near.
Coming back to his senses, Daoist Wang found his back soaked in cold sweat. He looked around but saw no abnormalities on anyone’s face.
But that eerie feeling just now was clearly very real, giving him the bone-chilling sensation of a childhood winter when he peed on the kang, slept on the damp bedding all night, and woke up in the morning.
An ominous premonition rose in his heart. Oh no, is something going to happen tonight?
Fever’s gone down, but I’m wiped out—no reaction even to lewd pics. Whatever, I’ll push myself, finish typing the second chapter and post it. Personally, I don’t like splitting chapters; some Authors’ books used to kill me waiting— one at 8 AM, one at 8 PM, trying to rush who to death?
