Chapter 38: The Feast at Hongmen

Wang Qiang frowned as he looked at me, his eyes locked onto my face as if searching for evidence of a lie.

After a moment, he turned his head away. "Can people really raise ghosts? Can ghosts really do these things?"

I nodded without answering. These are things only those who have experienced them can understand and truly believe.

Wang Qiang pondered for a moment before saying, "After controlling a soul, can you make the person do whatever you want?"

I mused for a bit and replied simply, "Not entirely. You can only control their thoughts; you can't force them to do other things."

"What if you wanted to make someone jump off an eighteenth-floor building?" Wang Qiang asked, hesitating slightly.

"It would take only a single thought," I said. Fearing he wouldn't understand, I added, "The controlled person would only know to keep walking forward, unaware of what lies below."

Wang Qiang placed his hand under the faucet, waiting for the water, his brow furrowed deeply. I knew he was contemplating what I had said, considering the possibilities.

"Can you prove it to me?" After a while, Wang Qiang looked at me, his brows knitted tightly.

I shook my head.

Inside, I thought: Why should I prove such a thing? It has nothing to do with me. Even if I took a step back, my relationship with Wang Qiang hadn't reached that point.

"I can pay," Wang Qiang said after a long silence.

I shook my head again. "Why bother? The chance of such a thing happening is too slim, and even if proven, it couldn't be used as science."

Wang Qiang stood there stunned. I ignored him, turned around, and walked away.

Back at the table, we started drinking again. I stopped after half a jin. Last time, I had blacked out and become completely incapacitated. Today, carrying a three-million-yuan check, I couldn't afford to get drunk.

Li Si and Old Wan were certainly enjoying themselves; they were soon tipsy and started challenging each other to drinking games.

Just then, Wang Qiang came over, nodded to Li Si and Old Wan, and looked at me. "Brother Fang, Boss Zhang wants to have a drink with you. Do me a favor, for old time’s sake."

Frowning, I turned to look. Boss Zhang was holding up a glass, signaling to me. Helpless, I went over.

Predictably, I blacked out again. When I woke up, Boss Zhang and Wang Qiang were sitting on the sofa, smoking.

I sat up abruptly and reached into my inner pocket.

Cold sweat broke out instantly.

My check was gone, and my God-Slaying Whip was missing too.

"You're looking for these, aren't you, brother?" Wang Qiang said, sitting on the sofa with a smile, holding up the check and shaking it.

My heart hammered against my ribs. I narrowed my eyes at the two of them, thinking: It’s over. The weasel offering New Year’s greetings to the chicken is never up to any good.

I rubbed my face, got out of bed, and walked toward them. I knew this was a "Hongmen Banquet"—a trap—and I would only be allowed to leave safely if both of them agreed to it.

"Brother, we’ve been investigating a case involving the spread of feudal superstitions. Would you be interested in hearing a story?" Boss Zhang said with a smile.

I rubbed my face and sat down, trying to clear my head quickly. I knew why I had blacked out last time; it was their handiwork, and today was no different.

"Boss Zhang, on your turf, who would dare not listen to your story?" I retorted sarcastically.

"Haha, little brother, if you don't want to listen, that's fine too. I remember saying I owed you a favor. You could use it to skip the story."

My heart jumped with excitement; I was just about to say, "Great."

But reason told me it wouldn't work. Even if he kept his word and let me go today, he would come back for me tomorrow. He worked for the government; he had too many ways to handle me.

"Boss Zhang, don't joke. How could I dare accept a favor from you? Since you have something to say today, I'm all ears. I’ll do as you say."

"Hahaha, if you're not going to use that favor, then I'll speak."

"Boss Zhang, please!"

"Good, let’s keep it short. I want to see what these ghosts you talk about look like. I don't believe in them!" Boss Zhang stared at me.

Wang Qiang looked away, as if none of this concerned him.

I stared blankly at Boss Zhang, thinking rapidly. If I didn't give him a result today, he wouldn't give up.

"Little brother, feudal superstitions do great harm, and spreading them is illegal. Especially with a case involving three million yuan—if we pursue this, that's at least five years in prison."

Hearing Boss Zhang’s words, I was momentarily dazed, as if frozen by some force. I knew he was dead set on this; if I couldn't satisfy him, he would make his move.

I wiped my face with my hand and sighed. "I exhausted my cultivation at Old Wan’s place. Give me one day to recover."

"Fine!" Boss Zhang stood up and smiled. "Little brother, I’ll be waiting in one day’s time."

With that, Boss Zhang left. Wang Qiang remained on the sofa; it seemed he was staying behind to watch me.

I gave Wang Qiang a bitter smile. "Brother, I'll have to trouble you then. I’m going to rest; I need to recover my energy."

"Brother, please understand, I have no choice in this!"

"I understand." I nodded and returned to the bed to sleep.

It was still night. I needed to start my practice exactly when the first ray of sunlight appeared.

Today’s practice was more effective than ever. The extra white energy I had absorbed increased my progress significantly. By the end of the morning, I had recovered nearly half of my magical power.

I felt my strength growing. The faint white silhouette around the tiny "sesame seed" in my spirit sea had been replenished, and the light around the seed had grown by half a circle.

I was secretly thrilled. I surmised that those two ancient coins must have contained concentrated Yin and Yang energy, which was exactly what I needed to cultivate my body and spirit.

The Yang energy entered my body, easing the cold Yin energy within me, accelerating my cultivation and boosting my magic. The Yin energy, in turn, acted upon Huang Liulang, allowing him to grow as well.

A new idea formed in my mind: I needed to find more sources of pure Yin and Yang energy to absorb. Both were beneficial to me.

I began to ponder where such things might be found. After thinking for a while, given my current circumstances, the only places that came to mind were antique shops, where a large number of ancient objects gathered.

I stood up, and Wang Qiang looked at me.

Only then did I remember that I wasn't a free man; I was under surveillance.

I smiled bitterly. "Brother Wang, I suppose I can't go out, can I?"

Wang Qiang frowned and thought for a moment. "Would you leave without asking?"

His question took me by surprise. I replied, "If I wanted to leave without asking, why wouldn't I just use that favor? Why would I climb out a window when there's a front door?"

Wang Qiang nodded. "Exactly. You’re still a free man; I’m just keeping you company so you don’t get bored."

I was stunned. These people really knew how to talk. "Fine then, let’s go for a walk. I’m feeling stifled."

I headed for the door, and Wang Qiang didn't stop me. We walked out of the hotel, chatting as if we were friends.

I flagged down a taxi. "Driver, take us to Antique Street."

Wang Qiang’s expression was one of suspicion, but he didn't say a word.

We strolled through Antique Street, shop by shop. At every store, I channeled my energy to scan the items quickly, searching for antiques that carried pure Yin and Yang energy.