I roughly outlined my plan of action for tonight.
Old Mo nodded slightly after listening and said,
"Alright then!
Master didn't intend to directly intervene in this matter, so it's up to the two of us to handle it.
I'll go prepare some gear.
We'll meet up when Mr. Wu arrives."
I gave a hum and chatted with Old Mo for a few more sentences before getting up and returning to the shop.
I also needed to prepare some gear for myself.
After resting for so many days, it was time to stretch my limbs.
Completing this job should add a good amount of oil for my lamps.
Back at the shop, I prepared the peach wood sword, talismans, the Bagua mirror,冥钱 (míng qián - spirit money), and other items, packing them into a bag.
I took a look in the backyard; Xiao Mei was still sleeping in her nest.
I decided not to wake her and would go with Old Mo tonight.
After scrolling through some short videos,
After about three hours, Wu Jing arrived at the shop in a hurry, carrying several bags.
"Priest Qin, I, I'm back."
Hearing his voice, I sat up from my chair.
Seeing Wu Jing return with his items, I stood up and said,
"Yes, that's fine!
Did you buy all these things with the money you won earlier?
They seem a bit scarce."
I roughly estimated the items he brought, including electronic products like computers.
They looked like several large bags, but in total, they were worth at most ten to twenty thousand yuan.
Yet, he himself claimed that his spending on physical goods, excluding food and drink, exceeded seventy to eighty thousand yuan.
I felt that this guy was still holding back.
He hadn't brought out all the things he bought.
Wu Jing put down his bags and said pitifully,
"These are all I have, Priest Qin. Look, this is the Maca wine I bought a few days ago, I've brought it all..."
He said, placing all the bags and packages he was carrying to the side.
I nodded,
"Alright!
But to be honest with you.
These things of yours were all bought with your own lifespan.
The more you spit them out now, the less lifespan you'll lose."
Wu Jing was stunned when he heard me say that.
His expression clearly changed.
But then, he quickly resumed his normal demeanor, smiling and wiping the sweat from his brow.
"There's really nothing else, Priest Qin.
Look at these things, along with the watch from earlier, can they be used as payment for the services?"
Seeing his shifty eyes and fake smile,
I confirmed my thoughts.
He probably hadn't brought out all his possessions and had hidden some.
But I wouldn't say another word; my advice was given.
His life was his own, and the path he chose was his own.
I had already done my utmost to help him reduce his lifespan loss, fulfilling my duty of benevolence.
Yet, this fellow still had his own little schemes.
Did he really think I cared about his used second-hand goods? His aphrodisiac wine?
Human nature, human hearts.
Even when you try your best to help someone, you don't earn their complete trust.
I couldn't be bothered to explain or waste more words, as the lifespan loss wasn't mine.
I directly wrote out a receipt.
It stated: Received goods from Wu Jing...
Below, I meticulously listed each item, each of which represented a portion of Wu Jing's own lifespan.
Now, for every item I recovered, he would live a little longer.
At the end, I had Wu Jing sign and imprint his thumbprint.
I, on the other hand, stamped the receipt with the official seal of my No. 81 on the Path to the Underworld shop.
Taking the receipt, I fumigated it with the incense.
Then, I burned a yellow talisman.
I possessed the Yin-Yang Envoy Talisman and held half a position in the underworld.
Doing this was like filing a record down below.
The money Wu Jing had previously earned by selling his lifespan and then buying these items was now being offset and returned to me.
Having entered this profession, I was protected by the Grand Ancestor.
His life debts were thus resolved with me.
Doing this would help him reclaim some of his lifespan.
As for how much lifespan these items could help Wu Jing recover, I couldn't say.
But having something was better than nothing.
However, as soon as I finished fumigating the receipt with the incense,
Wu Jing, standing beside me, suddenly gasped for breath without any warning.
He took a sharp intake of air.
I instinctively glanced at him and noticed that after this breath,
His complexion, which had appeared sallow just moments ago, suddenly improved significantly.
A flicker of spirit returned to his eyes.
Wu Jing himself might not have noticed.
He just stood there, patting his chest.
But I saw it all; this might be a manifestation of his lifespan recovering.
By the time this was done, it was already evening.
I called Old Mo and asked him to join me for a bite to eat outside.
We discussed the departure time and subsequent details.
Because Wu Jing mentioned that the haunted mahjong parlor operated at eleven o'clock at night.
Going there earlier wouldn't be of much use.
It took us two hours to reach the southern suburbs.
Therefore, we decided to leave at eight-thirty.
After eating, we rested at the shop for a bit.
Around eight-thirty, we left the shop on time, carrying our respective bags.
Old Mo hadn't obtained his driver's license yet, so we had to take a taxi.
We arrived in the southern suburbs at ten forty-five at night.
Fifteen minutes before the haunted mahjong parlor opened.
I scanned our surroundings: a dark road with no streetlights, stretching into the distance.
To the left was an undeveloped vegetable field, and to the right, a patch of wild forest.
The haunted building was located within this wild forest.
The three of us lit cigarettes and took a few puffs.
Then, I heard Old Mo say,
"You really know how to pick spots for your river fishing.
To come all the way to such a desolate place to fish, with no villages ahead and no inns behind, if you don't run into ghosts, who will."
Wu Jing looked embarrassed.
"Didn't they say the more desolate the place, the bigger the catch?
That's why I came here to fish."
I smiled.
"There was indeed a big catch, you became someone else's big catch.
Alright, time's almost up, let's go!"
With that, I stomped out my cigarette butt and started walking towards the wild forest...