Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Around eleven in the morning, I was sitting in a milk tea shop not far from the bus station. I had just sent my location to Hu Yalong, and his bus was about to arrive in about ten minutes.
I was playing on my phone when suddenly someone from behind wrapped their arms around my shoulders and laughed, "Haha, Brother Jiang Ling, it's been so long since I've seen you. How did you get so tanned?"
Hearing the familiar voice and feeling the weight on my shoulders, I immediately knew it was Hu Yalong. I pushed him off my shoulder with a hint of disdain and said, "Fatty, you should really lose some weight. If you keep getting this big, you won't even be able to walk."
I put away my phone and stood up to look behind me, only to find that besides Hu Yalong, the online streamer Wu Jie was also there.
Wu Jie flashed me a smile and waved, saying, "Master Jiang Ling, long time no see."
"Wu Jie, what brings you here? This is quite a coincidence," I replied with a nod and a smile. Then I turned my gaze to Hu Yalong, frowning slightly as I awaited his explanation.
Upon seeing my expression, Hu Yalong quickly guessed what I was thinking. He took out a package from his bag and handed it to me while explaining, "Brother Jiang Ling, you wouldn't know. Recently, the online streaming industry has faced a huge impact. The income for streamers like Wu Jie has plummeted; his monthly salary is less than what I earn in a week."
"I've been a bit overwhelmed managing the shop alone, so I pulled Wu Jie away from streaming. Now we're both running the shop together, and life is still pretty good."
I had watched streams online before, but I had been too busy lately to keep up with them. It was only now that I realized Wu Jie had stopped streaming.
I activated my Yin-Yang Eyes and glanced at Wu Jie, noticing that his Daoist Magic had reached the level of a Daoist apprentice. Although this was just the entry-level of Daoism, his cultivation was significantly stronger than Hu Yalong's.
Hu Yalong had started using his Wisdom Eye earlier than Wu Jie, and they both learned Taoist Magic from Liu Zhenxian around the same time. Yet now, Hu Yalong had only managed to cultivate a thin strand of Daoist Magic, far from reaching the level of a Daoist apprentice.
I shook my head in disbelief and took the package from Hu Yalong. Casually, I asked, "Fatty, why didn't Liu Zhenxian come with you this time?"
Hu Yalong wore a bitter smile on his face as he scratched the back of his head and said, "My master went to the school to find He Ying. Right now, he’s just hanging around her, and I have no idea what’s going on with him. During this time, we’ve only been able to see my master once a week, so bringing him here is simply impossible."
Hu Yalong and Wu Jie were unaware of the relationship between Liu Zhenxian and He Ying, which was why they felt this way. Although I was somewhat dissatisfied that Liu Zhenxian hadn’t come, I didn’t say much about it.
I checked the items in my bag and found that the Demon-Subduing Staff and Magic Sword were both there, which eased my mind significantly. I placed the two magical tools in a convenient spot on my person, then patted Hu Yalong on the shoulder and said, "Fatty, thank you for bringing my magical tools over. Since Liu Zhenxian didn’t come along, I might not have the energy to take care of both of you later, so it’s best if you two head back."
The expression on Hu Yalong's face instantly fell. He opened his backpack to reveal a large stack of drawn talismans and a Peach Wood Sword covered in vermilion symbols. Gripping my arm tightly, he said with a hint of grievance, "Brother Jiang Ling, we rushed over here without even waiting for dawn just to deliver your magical tools. We’ve barely been here an hour and haven’t used a single talisman. Brother Jiang Ling, you want us to go back now? That’s just too ungrateful!"
Wu Jie also grabbed my arm with a serious expression and said, "Jiang Ling, we can just watch from the side. If things go awry, we’ll retreat immediately; we won’t be a burden to you. Just let us follow you to see what happens."
Having studied Taoist Magic for so long, Hu Yalong and Wu Jie had spent most of their time managing the shop and had never actually faced a Ghostly Being in real combat. They had been excited all night after hearing I was going to confront one, preparing in various ways. Now that it seemed their hopes might be dashed, their emotions inevitably became agitated.
Seeing the look in Hu Yalong's eyes gave me goosebumps. Just imagine two grown men gripping your arms with forlorn expressions; it was hard for me to bear.
I pushed Hu Yalong away forcefully and nodded quickly, saying, "Fatty, let’s keep it civil; don’t get too handsy. I have a girlfriend; I’m not into that."
"I can take you along to see, but I can’t guarantee your safety. You two better follow my lead and stay alert; otherwise, if something goes wrong, I can’t save you."
I locked eyes with Hu Yalong and Wu Jie for a moment before seriously asking, "Think it over carefully—do you still want to go?"
Hu Yalong patted his backpack proudly and said, "Brother Jiang Ling, of course we’re going! With my talismans here, if those Ghostly Beings dare show up, I’ll send them fleeing in terror."
Looking at Hu Yalong's expression made me feel somewhat speechless. I had just glanced into his backpack and noticed that only about one-tenth of the talismans he drew were usable—and they were mostly half-finished products with hardly any power at all.
I shook my head and muttered to myself, "Sigh, as Fatty's brother, I might as well let him indulge in his self-adoration."
Wu Jie's eyes were filled with excitement, but he managed to keep his composure, unlike Hu Yalong, who was much more exaggerated. Wu Jie wiped the sweat from his palms and smiled at me, asking, "Jiang Ling, when are we leaving?"
"We're leaving right now," I replied, reaching out to pull the still-showboating Hu Yalong along with me. Ignoring the disdainful glances from the other customers, we quickly exited the milk tea shop. I hailed a taxi by the roadside and headed towards the address Lan Yue had sent me.
Comment 0 Comment Count