Huang Jiu, holding onto what I needed, looked smug and said, "Xiao Yangzi, I'm quite pleased that you're offering to support your Ninth Lord, but I really don't like the way you're speaking to me."
Just like a dog that can't stop eating poop, he's back to giving me ridiculous nicknames.
But I had no choice—if he wouldn't talk, I really couldn't do anything to him.I couldn't exactly skin him and throw him in a pot, could I?
As the car neared the haunted building, I grew anxious. I put him down and said, "You're just upset because you bowed to Old Lame Song and got nothing in return, right? From now on, if you need the Blood Thorn, just say the word—I'll let you use it anytime. Deal?"
Huang Jiu bared two large canine teeth and grinned. "Honestly, it's not that big a secret. The yang-based killing aura in the Blood Thorn is only one part of its power. The second is…"
He trailed off deliberately.
I was so mad I could barely breathe. He'd clearly forgotten the lesson from before and was back to raising the price.
But with the haunted building already visible through the window, I didn't have time for his nonsense. I clenched my teeth. "Two hens. Throw in two old hens."
Finally satisfied, Huang Jiu said, "The 108 war souls inside the Blood Thorn? They're actually shikigami—the most powerful kind of battle shikigami."
My eyes lit up.
Shikigami were originally deity figures used in astrological charts representing the twelve zodiac generals. Later, when the concept made its way to Japan, it was redefined as spiritual beings that could be controlled by Taoists or onmyoji.
While they're somewhat like ghost servants, real shikigami are far stronger.
And those 108 spirits inside the Blood Thorn? They correspond to the 108 stars of destiny from the classic Water Margin—righteous souls full of upright energy in life.
Such shikigami were natural enemies of evil—a once-in-a-lifetime treasure.
No wonder Huang Jiu had knelt so decisively back then and remained bitter about not receiving anything.
Second Uncle seemed unsurprised, as if he had known all along.
Looking back, I remembered him once warning me that if I ever did something evil, even if Old Lame Song forgave me, the 108 spirits wouldn't.
That had been a hint—they weren't just parasitic spirits. I simply hadn't dared to think that far at the time.
I pondered for a moment and felt the name "shikigami" was a bit insulting, considering its Japanese roots.So I decided to call them the 108 Divine Generals—a more fitting tribute to our ancestors.
Huang Jiu muttered sourly, "You little brat really got lucky, stumbling into treasure like a pig rooting out a truffle."
I furrowed my brow and gave him a warning look to stop with the disgusting metaphors.
Still, I couldn't hide my excitement. "If that's the case, this haunted building is nothing to worry about. I'll just summon the 108 Divine Generals and clean house."
Huang Jiu rolled his eyes. "Are you still dreaming? With your weak spiritual power, summoning even one or two of the lower-ranking generals is already pushing it."
"What a pity," he sighed. "If Old Lame Song hadn't retired so early, if he'd absorbed blood essence for a few more years, this Blood Thorn could've truly become a divine weapon."
But I didn't see it that way. As the saying goes, nothing is perfect in this world. If the Blood Thorn really was flawless, it probably wouldn't have ended up in my hands.
As for blood essence, sure it's harder to come by these days, but I could slowly accumulate it over time.
Second Uncle stopped the car—right outside the haunted building.
He reminded me, "Stick to the outer wall as you go up. If something happens, throw something down the stairwell—I'll rush in as soon as I hear it."
Tang Quan was also giving Xu Wanrong instructions. Compared to my simple setup, he was loaded—peach wood sword, coin sword, compass, and other tools hanging all over him.
He even changed into a Taoist robe, and honestly, he did look the part of some reclusive master.
I had brought Grandpa's Taoist robe to the city too, but I hadn't thought to wear it. If I had, I wouldn't look any less formidable than Tang Quan.
Seeing me empty-handed, Tang Quan looked puzzled. "Kid, don't you have any weapons of your own?"
I couldn't casually use the things I'd taken from Laoshan, and the items from Second Uncle were more for psychological comfort than actual defense—so I simply didn't bring anything.
Seeing my silence, Tang Quan handed me a peach wood sword about twenty centimeters long. From the patina and wood grain, it looked like it had been used for decades and was made from a tree over a hundred years old—a fine piece.
When I didn't move, he stuffed it into my hands and said, "Here—take it, no need to be polite."
I was touched. "Master, if you give me your sword, what will you use?"
Tang Quan waved it off casually. "I'm your senior. I'll just make do."
As he spoke, he pulled out another sword from the back seat—over a meter long, pitch black, and gleaming.
I was absolutely stunned.
This was his idea of making do?
Tang Quan nonchalantly asked, "Anything else, kid?"
As the saying goes, you can't complain after receiving a favor. I felt a little uncomfortable but couldn't say much, so I shook my head and said nothing.
He looked at his flashy gold watch and said, "It's about time. You take the left side, I'll take the right. See you on the eighteenth floor."
Then, striking a sword pose, he turned sideways like a giant yellow crab and shuffled into the haunted building.
Still staring at the sword in my hand, Xu Wanrong, who always had it out for me, sneered, "What? My master kindly gave you a weapon—are you too good for it or something?"
Sure, I'd scored a decent peach wood sword for free, but my heart felt like I'd just swallowed a dead fly—and I still had to force a smile at that annoying woman.
The more I thought about it, the more annoyed I felt.
I didn't bring the cat carrier this time—Huang Jiu was perched on my shoulder. I followed behind Tang Quan into the haunted building.
Inside, the light was dim. The two of us stepping in felt like being swallowed by a giant beast—insignificant and helpless.
The moment we entered, a surge of yin energy hit us.
Tang Quan swept aside his robe and ascended using the Seven-Star Stride. His spiritual energy radiated outward, forming a shield against the oppressive yin aura.
My own spiritual power wasn't strong enough for that, but the Buddha's relic and the Blood Thorn kept the yin energy at bay.
The building had been abandoned for a long time. The stairwells were covered in dust. When I reached the second floor, the space was littered with trash blown in by the wind.
As I stepped onto the landing, a cold wind blew through, spinning the trash into a vortex that hovered in the air.
Luckily, I had studied the haunted building when dealing with the museum vehicle. I knew the densest yin energy was above the twentieth floor.
As long as I stayed below that, I still had confidence.
Without waiting for the trash vortex to settle, I headed toward the third floor.
Halfway up the stairs, I suddenly heard a rhythmic thump thump from above—like someone bouncing a ball.
In a place like this, anything abnormal was definitely something to worry about. My heart tightened.
I carefully finished climbing the stairs and peeked around the corner.
In the middle of the empty corridor stood a child in red.
He faced away from me, bouncing a dark, shadowy ball in his hand.