Chapter One: Conversations Between Humans and Spirits

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You have already caused me enough suffering, what more do you want from me

Say

Oh Baoshu, you must be my 'golden finger', yet you do not bloom, nor do you bear fruit, and your appearance is also unsightly, not even worthy of being a craft.

On the only wooden bed in the room, there were no blankets, only a few patched garments strewn about.

Leisurely, with a tone that carries a hint of enjoying the spectacle without concern for the trouble it may bring

The pale light converges into the trunk of the tree, resembling a bonsai. The branches are bare, dividing into seven limbs that stretch outwards, devoid of flowers and leaves. It is described as a tree, yet it resembles more a sculpture made of rock

In just a few seconds, a group of people rushed in. Before the scholar could resist, a burly man seized him and delivered a heavy punch to his face

The Master said

He stroked the bare tree beside him and said

After a few breaths, he spoke

As for the depletion of family wealth, are you still blaming me? When you foolishly decided to donate the family assets to that old temple fraudster for exorcising your demons, did I not advise you enough?

I am fully aware of how useless you are, so do not shift the blame onto me

Again speaking of

I am quite bored, let's chat for a while

The night is very quiet, and one can even hear the snoring of the beggar in the nearby shack, as well as the laughter and conversation of drunken miners on Fengshan Street in the distance

In such a state of distress, having not consumed a single grain of rice or a drop of water throughout the day, I grew weary and ceased my reading. After extinguishing the lamp, I lay down on the wooden bed, muttering a few words before drifting off to sleep

Then the sound paused

Wait for me to tell you when to strike, then draw the dagger and stab to the right without holding back, aiming for his neck or the right femoral artery. A single thrust will suffice, and then use the dagger to subdue him

Accompanying the wicked and the vile

As for money, how can you still have the face to speak!

Just as it had just begun, it was interrupted by a sharp reprimand

What exactly are you useful for

He looked as if he had seen a ghost, hurriedly dropping the book, rushing forward a couple of steps, grabbing the broken bowl containing the medicine, taking a big gulp, and then, holding the strange handprint, spinning in circles on the spot while muttering incantations.

The voice in my heart sounded again, carrying a hint of helplessness

I have said it many times already, I am not a ghost. No matter how much talisman water you drink or how many exorcism spells you recite, it will be of no use. Moreover, the recipe for your talisman water was bought for ten coins.

That voice did not intend to argue with Jiang Shusheng, and seeing that the scholar was once again entranced, the voice gradually faded into a low murmur

He is definitely tormenting me in this way

From the heart of a scholar

As Jiang Shusheng sat in the swaying carriage, feeling anxious in his heart, he heard that voice resonate in his mind

But this time, the sound did not come from outside the hut

Scholar, do not sleep. There are several people outside the door, armed and not here with good intentions, be careful

In recent years, in order to drive you away, I have failed in my studies, squandered my family fortune, lost both my parents, and even found myself embroiled in a criminal lawsuit, forcing me to hide in this remote and impoverished place

You have gotten yourself into trouble that you cannot resolve, you unfortunate one

Then go ahead!

They rolled up their sleeves fiercely, preparing to give this brat a good beating

If I hadn't reminded you in advance, you would have been kidnapped long ago and sold to a brothel, and would you still have the chance to escape to this Phoenix Mountain

The flickering lights in the room cast a shadow on the rough and uneven ground

The beggars exchanged a few words with each other, and as the night wore on without sleep, watching a madman have a fit became rather uninteresting. Before long, they each muttered their curses and returned to their own shanties.

Isn't this to invite Mr. Jiang to meet with the person in charge of my household? There is no need for further discussion, just come with us.

On the contrary, his constant hunching over gives him an appearance of a pathological unhealthiness

The scholar, with his eyes closed and muttering incantations, was inwardly cursing

Listening to that sound, gradually fading away, the scholar Jiang Ziheng remained dissatisfied. He shouted loudly, demanding it to come out and confront him. This commotion irritated several beggars in the nearby shanties.

Yet there was not much sorrow between the brows, only a silent sitting there, as if gazing down at the world from the night sky, able to see Jiang Shusheng sleeping soundly.

Do not meddle in my affairs

Although his hair was neatly styled in a scholarly manner, it did not add a hint of intellectual demeanor to him

He said

"Speaking of reason? Heh, very well."

This rope is tied in a complete mess, the technique is very rudimentary. First, slowly loosen it by moving your shoulders, do not rush. The person to your left has a dagger hanging at their waist, you can reach it with your hand.

He grabbed the wooden stick for self-defense nearby, hid by the side of the bed, and cautiously observed outside the shack.

Do not rush to take action

After speaking, a rag was stuffed into his mouth, and a sack was placed over his head. As the scholar struggled and whimpered, he was taken out of the shed and placed into a horse-drawn carriage, heading towards the mine.

It is agreed

You occupy my heart and soul, yet desire to take my body, and disturb my state of mind day and night; are you not a ghost? What else could you be?

A young man dressed in tattered clothes turned a page of a book under dim light, his gaunt face reflecting the malnutrition he suffered from, and his long shirt was patched, showing signs of having been washed and faded.

Only when he was tied up with a rope did he recognize the identity of the person before him, and he shouted loudly:

After all, regardless of the type of man, when faced with the threat of losing his dignity, he will rise up in resistance

The scholar was taken aback, forced a smile, and then inwardly cursed, thinking that this vile beggar was not to be trifled with, lacking the decorum of a sage. If he were to provoke his anger, he would surely end up getting beaten.

Hello, scholar, are you asleep?

The soul leaned against the strange tree, reaching out to touch the cold branches beside it, and it whispered:

It has been three years since I became self-aware

Shut up! It's so late and you're still reciting poetry, are you not going to let anyone rest?

No

From the nearby shack, it seems that his "neighbor" is not having much success in begging today, and his voice carries an anger that has nowhere to be vented.

There are still cases involving loss of life

In another bowl is a peculiar black liquid, with a strong herbal aroma

Hehe

The several beggars in the nearby shack observed this scene; they exchanged glances with one another but ultimately said nothing, returning to their own shack, covering their heads, and continuing to sleep

The voice in his mind faded once again, carrying a hint of sarcasm, and said

As the sound of snoring began, in Jiang Shusheng's consciousness, another soul in a corner remained wide awake

The so-called exorcism spell is even offered as a buy one get one free promotion

From the perspective of living conditions, this shack does not seem to be an environment conducive to his studies. The sorrow on his face is unmistakable, perfectly embodying the definition of the term "down-and-out"

Did we not already agree with Manager Huang to serve as the accountant for him to settle the debts?

He must have some unresolved worries that he can only alleviate by reading in this unbearably silent night

Why do you still cling to me when I am such a useless person? Just leave! Take your cursed tree with you! It is all because of this cursed thing that I am so unfortunate!

The scholar Jiang, encased in a burlap sack, muttered softly:

But seeing him shouting and screaming alone in the shed, as if possessed by madness, one by one they stopped what they were doing

This is my hell

These thugs who only know how to act tough are quite easy to deal with; as long as you intimidate them, it is very simple for you to escape.

Am I something he has imagined

This is all your fault

At the beginning, I advised you not to borrow high-interest loans from local bullies; there are many ways to make money. You never listen to me about anything, so do as you please.

Alas, why has this scholar lost his mind again

Do not try, it is futile

It is you who refuses to listen

The incident involving a criminal case was an accident

If you had any ambition, with my assistance, you would not have fallen to this state.

You worthless thing

Alas, perhaps it is because I did not do good deeds in my previous life that I have ended up in this situation

Jiang Shusheng was startled awake, cursed fiercely once more, then grabbed a tattered piece of clothing, covered his ears, turned over, and continued to sleep

Do you need me to help you

I have made an agreement with Manager Huang; it is only 10 coins, and I will return it to him. Manager Huang is a reasonable person, and I will reason with him.

The leader, with a face full of flesh and a hint of a malicious smile, said to the bound scholar:

Upon hearing this, the scholar immediately rose to his feet

I do not wish for this either, Jiang Ziheng. If I had a choice, I would never have coexisted with someone as pedantic and incompetent as you for so many years. Over these past few years, I have been watching you closely.

This damned thing has trapped me here, unable to come or go, not even able to deal with that useless person, constantly chattering away, I am almost driven to death by his annoyance

Shut up

Do not pay attention to him; he tells everyone that there are ghosts inside him, which makes him appear quite abnormal. He may have been a madman long before this.

The voice within fell silent

Jiang Shusheng caused a commotion for a while and became tired himself

There is water in a bowl

It resonated directly in his mind, leaving the scholar's face pale as a ghost

Both of my parents have passed away, and they succumbed to the plague; it was not poison that I administered.

Do as I say, there will be no problem

Jiang Ziheng, I know that in your world there are ghosts and deities, as well as cultivators, but to think that you can learn true magic for just ten coins is rather unrealistic, don't you think

It is unclear whether this ghostly entity is good or bad, but over the past three years, the wandering scholar has indeed avoided many troubles thanks to the reminders from the ghostly entity

Due to the use of the lowest quality kerosene, the smell in this dilapidated house is quite unpleasant. On the table, there are two worn bowls that resemble the props used by beggars to collect money, albeit slightly cleaner.

Do you think I do not want to leave

I would like to see how you reason with him

You have grown so much from a single seed, yet I am still trapped here, unable even to take my own life. For three whole years, he has called me 'ghost', and I have begun to doubt myself.

I have become like this now, all because of you

The Master said

Behind him, there is a small tree rooted in consciousness

That is a person from Ruyi Fang

I also saw him often talking to himself alone, tsk tsk, at such a young age, with delicate skin and tender flesh, truly pitiful

After a few moments, the sound echoed once more

He had just begun, and had not yet read the wise words from the book, when he was interrupted by a loud and coarse shout.

This shadow belongs to a person sitting by the bed, holding a book, and the elongated shadow seems to fill this impoverished place, making it appear less desolate

He bears a resemblance to Jiang Shusheng, sharing about seventy percent of his features

Your failure in studies is due to your lack of diligence, which began when you were a child.

The night outside is deep and dark, yet the room, resembling a makeshift shelter, is illuminated. A worn-out oil lamp flickers to life, casting its glow from the corner of the table.

He is the local tyrant of Fengshan Mine, and in this mine, no one dares to interfere in their affairs. It is unclear what trouble Jiang the Mad has gotten himself into, but it is certainly not something that a few beggars can handle

This ghostly being is very cunning and knowledgeable, always able to turn peril into safety for the scholar

Scholar

The eastern land of the Bitterwood, the border of the Phoenix Ming Kingdom, the old mine of Phoenix Mountain

Let go of me! You all let go of me! Alas, don't pull, don't hit! This is truly disgraceful behavior! Don't pull my hair! That ten cents...

I do not know who brought me into this world, but I believe that he must hate me very much, which is why he bound you and me together with Lao Jiang

The scholar's tone turned resentful as he shouted:

The tree cannot speak, and thus it did not respond to him; only this trapped soul remains here, talking to itself

Thus, the scholar chose to recite silently in his heart

After a few breaths, his tone became increasingly helpless