Chen Ji watched the trace of helplessness that lingered between Chang Xu’s brows and chuckled. “Just kidding.”
Chang Xu nodded slowly. Once Chen Ji looked away, he let out a quiet breath of relief. Chen Ji had noticed but didn’t want to laugh outright at him. He knew Chang Xu was introverted and not great with words, so asking him to introduce friends must have made him a little uncomfortable.
But he’d done it on purpose.
There was something inexplicably cute about Chang Xu like this, and it made Chen Ji want to tease him a bit more.
Chen Ji finished the water in his bottle and tossed the plastic into the bamboo basket. For some reason, Chang Xu’s gaze followed the bottle. Noticing this, Chen Ji asked casually, “What’s up?”
“Nothing,” Chang Xu replied.
He seemed to feel that was too curt, so he added by way of explanation, “A lot of people just toss them away. If it’s hot out, they can easily start a mountain fire.”
“There was one about thirteen years ago, right? I saw it on the news and even had some folks from the village check on the Mountain Lord Temple for me.” An idea suddenly struck Chen Ji, and he probed, “So you come up here all the time to pick up drink bottles all over the mountain?”
“…” Chang Xu fell silent for a moment, then nodded quietly.
“Pfft.” Chen Ji tried to hold it in but couldn’t. The image of the handsome and noble Chang Xu picking up plastic bottles everywhere was just too funny. He doubled over laughing, tears squeezing from his eyes as he clapped a hand on Chang Xu’s shoulder. “Bro, don’t ghosts have a hard time coming out in the daytime? Won’t the sun damage your cultivation?”
Chang Xu: “…”
“What’s wrong?” Chen Ji realized something and added quickly, “No worries, you don’t have to say if it’s inconvenient.”
“…” Chang Xu said expressionlessly, “It won’t. My cultivation is profound.”
“Whoa!” Chen Ji pulled back his hand and cupped his fists toward Chang Xu. “My apologies!”
After the mock bow, he slapped his hand right back on Chang Xu’s shoulder. “Bro, how about I set up a plaque for you? I offer sacrifices to Grandpa Mountain Lord three times a day anyway. One more won’t hurt. As long as I’ve got a bite, you’ve got a bite—as long as you don’t mind!”
Chang Xu: “No need, thanks.”
“Don’t stand on ceremony!” Chen Ji said. “Tell you what, I’ll make you one first. Whenever you’re ready, just give me your name and birth details, and I’ll set it up right away. Deal?”
Having hung around Second Master Huang for so long, Chen Ji had picked up a bit of that Northeastern twang without realizing it.
Chang Xu: “…I won’t need it.”
“Aw heck, whether you need it or not, it’s the thought that counts! You treating me like a brother or what?!” Chen Ji patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. Come on, we’ve rested enough. Let’s head back—I’ll stew up a big pork knuckle for you…”
It seemed like refusing wouldn’t do any good.
Chang Xu lowered his gaze and stopped arguing with Chen Ji. He silently picked up the burlap sack and followed behind him.
They hadn’t gone two steps when Chen Ji turned back and asked, “What kind of material do you want for your plaque? How about gold-inlaid jade? That’s good luck! Fireproof and everything! Or golden nanmu wood? They import it now—ain’t too pricey. Lots of folks buy it for cutting boards. I’ve got a slab unused. Want to see it when we get back? If you like it, I’ll make yours out of that. It’ll shine like gold… Or jade, white Han marble, Xiuyan jade… Pink Dushan jade ain’t bad either…”
Chang Xu cut in as Chen Ji got more and more outlandish. “…Wood.”
“What wood?” Chen Ji segued smoothly.
“Birch.”
“Done.” Chen Ji agreed instantly. “Gold-edged? I could inlay a couple of flashy disco balls too. Come nightfall, you’ll be the coolest kid on all of Little Azure Mountain!”
Chang Xu: “…No.”
He didn’t know what a disco ball was, but his instincts told him it was nothing good.
Chen Ji said regretfully, “Alright then.”
With that, he shut his mouth decisively. Teasing any further might actually make Chang Xu flip out.
Back at the Mountain Lord Temple, Chen Ji caught Chang Xu just as he set down his stuff and tried to slip away. “Hold up, hold up. Didn’t we say you’d have a meal before going? I already thawed stuff in the freezer! You can sit at the temple entrance—no need to go inside. It won’t bother anyone.”
Chang Xu had been injured and stayed overnight at the temple once before, but he’d been eager to leave the next day. Chen Ji had found it odd at the time, but now he got it. Chang Xu was one of those spectral beings, like Brother Zhang. With Grandpa Mountain Lord around, they probably didn’t dare barge in.
After all, Grandpa Mountain Lord wasn’t exactly known for his even temper.
A hint of puzzlement showed in Chang Xu’s eyes. As Chen Ji dragged out the table and chairs from beside the cabin door, he explained, “Tech’s come a long way. Fridges let you thaw individual compartments right from your phone. You said you’d eat, so I started it. If you bail now, I can’t finish all that food alone—it’d be a waste.”
Chang Xu had no choice but to sit. Chen Ji even set up a big beach umbrella to shade him from the sun.
With the chicken soup simmering on the stove, Chen Ji laid out five plates of cold appetizers plus drinks, then cracked open a can of cola for him. “Dig in. I’ll sort the rest—the knuckle’s almost done.”
Chang Xu nodded and watched Chen Ji’s back until it vanished inside. He eyed the cola for a long moment, then tilted the can for a tiny sip. Surprise flickered in his eyes as he stared at the can, like it’d startled him.
A blink later, he took another sip. His expression softened, and he downed the rest in one go.
By the time Chen Ji returned bearing the red-sauced pork knuckle, Chang Xu was hiccuping. He covered his mouth, glanced sideways at Chen Ji’s arrival, then let out another deadpan hiccup.
“You chugged that cola too fast.” Chen Ji popped open a can of Sprite and set it in front of him. “Drink seven gulps straight and it’ll stop.”
Chang Xu’s brows furrowed slightly. He picked up the Sprite and downed seven big gulps. He set the can down with a hollow clink against the table.
Chang Xu: “…”
Chen Ji: “…”
Chang Xu let out a massive, earth-shaking hiccup, utterly straight-faced. “Hic—!”
Chen Ji burst out laughing, nearly upending the dish onto the ground.
Luckily, that hiccup seemed to settle things—no more after that, or Chen Ji would’ve eaten his words.
How could he be this cute? He didn’t even know that trick?
Chen Ji recalled Chang Xu boasting about his profound cultivation. He might be some centuries-old ghost. Suddenly, it all made sense.
After that, Chen Ji stopped teasing him on purpose. He noticed Chang Xu had good table manners. If Chen Ji was talking, Chang Xu would set down his chopsticks to listen. Mealtime wasn’t great for chatting, so Chen Ji grabbed his phone and ate quietly too—being a gracious host and guest.
Chang Xu polished off nearly everything on the table. Chen Ji was pleased. “Thanks for today, Chang Xu.”
Chang Xu inclined his head. “Anything else you need help with?”
Chen Ji shook his head. “Nah, I got the cleanup.”
Chang Xu murmured in acknowledgment and left without lingering a second longer. He stepped into the woods, and in the blink of an eye, he was gone.
Chen Ji sat there a moment longer before getting up to tidy. System Cat trotted out with an insulated mug in its mouth and looked at him concernedly. 【Didn’t Second Master Huang say people shouldn’t hang around yin spirits too much? Quick, drink some ginger tea to ward off the chill!】
【I’m fine.】 Chen Ji cleared the table as he replied. 【I don’t think Chang Xu’s the same type as Brother Zhang. Being around him doesn’t feel off at all.】
Contact with Brother Zhang didn’t even require touching—if he was nearby, a chill crawled up from Chen Ji’s feet. You could see the dark red sha qi leaking from him with the naked eye. Brother Zhang avoided direct contact too, saying the sha qi was uncontrollable, like a pollution source. Even without touching, prolonged exposure in the same space caused mild negative reactions.
With Chang Xu, it felt just like being around a normal, living person. Apart from others not seeing him, there was nothing unusual. Chen Ji couldn’t spot any difference between him and an ordinary human.
Compared to a malignant ghost, Chang Xu seemed more like a ghost immortal—one of those who’d died unexpectedly, skipped the Underworld, cultivated in the mortal world for centuries, and harbored a compassionate heart.
【Still be careful.】 System Cat muttered. 【Why not ask the Daoist priest? He’s a bit dim but knows his stuff.】
Chen Ji chuckled. 【That’s an idea.】
He finished clearing the table—trash to trash, dishes to wash—then turned to the deliveries. First up was the insured parcel from Wudang Mountain: two thick stacks of yellow talisman paper, about palm-height. Chen Ji compared them to Grandpa’s leftovers; the feel was nearly identical.
System Cat: 【Analysis complete. Composition similarity 88%… Main ingredients match: plant ash, eggshell, and egg white. But the new paper has different minerals… System projects 95% chance it’s due to regional sourcing differences.】
Chen Ji browsed websites on yellow talisman paper. Some mentioned adding talisman ash, talisman water, spices, or minerals—the variance likely came from there.
Perfect timing—the cinnabar ink and pine soot ink had arrived too.
Both were pricey, sold by the gram, and had cost Chen Ji a pretty penny. But System Cat confirmed they were authentic cinnabar and real pine soot.
Chen Ji went with the pine soot. 【We’ll see how it works.】
He picked the Profound Penetration Talisman, his most practiced one. The Five Thunder Talisman was still a work in progress. Dipping the brush, he relaxed his mind and visualized the pattern, every stroke unfolding clearly in his head.
His wrist felt as if guided by an invisible hand. Clear lines traced across the bright yellow talisman paper, the brush dancing like a dragon—one fluid motion from start to finish in just three seconds.
This talisman was a success.
Chen Ji let out a long breath. He didn’t even need to look to know that this talisman had succeeded.
The System Cat poked its big head over for a look. 【Looks like it’s really effective! I’ve even detected energy fluctuations over here!】
Chen Ji set down his brush and admired his handiwork. 【Gotta thank Brother Zhang for this.】
Now that he had talisman paper, the next step was diligent study. If he could mass-produce Five Thunder Talismans, then no matter what demon showed up, he could just reach into his sleeve and hurl out thousands of them in an instant. He refused to believe he couldn’t blast the thing to death. If even that failed, well, he’d just have to secretly buy some electric fishing gear.
Chen Ji pulled out his phone. First, he thanked Brother Zhang. Then he made a video call to the Daoist priest. That unkempt face appeared on his screen, and Chen Ji hurriedly said, “Don’t hang up! It’s urgent! Lives are at stake!”
The Daoist priest blinked. “…?”
Chen Ji lowered his voice and spoke in a conspiratorial whisper. “There’s a little youth here with King Zhou’s… particular tastes…”
