Flames engulfed Chubby Qin. In a panic, he dropped to the ground and rolled frantically.

Yet everyone present, except for Chubby Qin himself, remained completely unmoved. Yu Nan and the clerks from her cloth shop all knew that Old Mister Yao truly had real skill while Li Banfeng held great trust for Old Mister Yao.

After all, the fact that Chubby Qin could roll on the ground meant that his legs were already able to straighten.

In less than two minutes, Chubby Qin's clothes had turned to ash, and his hair and every strand of body hair were gone. He lay on the ground, groaning and writhing in pain.

Old Mister Yao bent down with a look of concern and asked, "Young man, what's the matter? Are you hungry?"

Yu Nan looked embarrassed. She knew Old Mister Yao liked to joke around, but this was hardly the right time. Li Banfeng, however, didn't find it awkward at all. He even thought Old Mister Yao's question made perfect sense.

On the other hand, Chubby Qin was furious and annoyed, but after checking himself carefully, he realized he actually was a little hungry.

The clerk went to prepare some food, and Old Mister Yao considered the matter settled. Taking the large money bag, he swayed out of the courtyard, three steps to every shake. Li Banfeng followed close behind.

Yu Nan rushed to block Li Banfeng. "Master Qi, there's no need to see him off that far!"

𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Li Banfeng slipped past her with ease. "I'm not the kind of person who forgets courtesy and manners."

"It's not about courtesy, it's that we can't…" Yu Nan reached out to stop him, but it was no use. The steps of a smoking cultivator were far slower than those of a wanderlust cultivator at the same level.

Old Mister Yao walked quickly. After leaving the house, his figure had already vanished. However, Li Banfeng was quick as well. In a few strides, he disappeared into the night after him.

Yu Nan couldn't catch up. Her brows furrowed tightly as she muttered, "This man really has no sense of the rules!"

***

For nearly an hour, Old Mister Yao walked ahead with Li Banfeng trailing behind.

When they entered a grove, Old Mister Yao suddenly turned around and stared at Li Banfeng. "Why are you still following me? Do you want to rob me of my money?"

Li Banfeng looked at Old Mister Yao and said respectfully, "The patient has already been healed. How could I take your money? I only wish to see you off."

Old Mister Yao gulped down some liquor and asked, "See me off? How can you see me off when you don't even know where I live?"

Li Banfeng thought for a moment before replying, "I'm guessing you live somewhere out of the way. Are we almost there?"

"We're still far from my home. Where I live isn't just remote. Even if your legs are strong, once you get there, you won't find your way out."

Old Mister Yao's words were a clear warning that Li Banfeng had better stop following. If he continued, Old Mister Yao might kill him.

Li Banfeng's smile didn't waver. "Sir, you are a man with real skills. I would like to be your friend."

Old Mister Yao let out a chuckle. "Heh heh… I've made many friends in my life.

"When I was eight, a so-called friend stole my sugar figurine and ate it. When I was eighteen, another stole my wife and slept with her. I made another friend when I was eighty, and he stole everything he could from me. My eyes are poor, and I've never been good at choosing friends. I don't want to make any more friends."

Li Banfeng replied, "Then let's not talk about friendship then. Let's talk business. I want to do business with you. What kind of price should I offer?"

Old Mister Yao took another gulp of liquor. "Who are you talking to? Do you know who I am? Who gave you the guts to do business with me?"

Yet, Li Banfeng showed no fear. With a solemn expression, he said, "You are a good man. You are a man of propriety and a man with real skills."

Old Mister Yao laughed. "And how do you know I'm a good man?"

"Because you saved Chubby Qin."

"I didn't save him for free. I took money for it."

Li Banfeng answered earnestly, "That's why I'm here to discuss business with you. I'm offering real silver and gold, not empty words that only bring you trouble."

Whoosh!

A cold wind swept across the grove, and for a while neither of them spoke.

"Hohoho!" The old man suddenly burst into laughter. "You brat, you really do get along with me. Tell me! What business do you want to discuss? Healing or medicine? If it's something else, I suggest you best not talk to me about it."

Li Banfeng asked, "I haven't decided yet. Once I do, where should I go to find you?"

Old Mister Yao glanced back at Yu Nan's house. "Don't they know? If you go to Hundred Fragrances Village, just have them call me over."

Li Banfeng nodded. "Senior, if I visit Hundred Fragrances Village again, I will definitely invite you out for a face-to-face discussion. But if I'm not here, how can I discuss business with you?"

Old Mister Yao uncorked his gourd and tipped back a great gulp of liquor.

"If it's not in Hundred Fragrances Village, it depends on how far it is. If it's outside Medicine King Gully, I'm unable to exert any strength. If it's within Medicine King Gully, I can lend a hand. As for how much I can help, that depends on your sincerity. Before we talk business, you'll need to give me a deposit."

Li Banfeng agreed at once. "Senior, that makes sense. I just don't know if I should hand the money to you directly, or offer it to you by burning it."

Whoosh!

Another cold gust of wind swept through the forest, making the leaves shiver and rustle.

Old Mister Yao froze for a moment, then bellowed. "You are quite young, but you have got very sharp eyes. If there's plenty of time, it's best you bring the money to me. If it's an urgent matter, you can give it to me by burning money. But you mustn't burn the money of the living. You have to burn joss paper[1]."

Knowing that it definitely wouldn't be the ordinary kind of joss paper, Li Banfeng asked, "Where can I buy joss paper?"

After fumbling through his tattered clothes for a long time, the old man took out a crumpled sheet of yellow paper and asked, "I've got one here. Fifty thousand. Do you want it?"

Li Banfeng had come prepared. He pulled fifty thousand in cash from the pouch at his waist and handed it to Old Mister Yao.

Old Mister Yao appreciated Li Banfeng's straightforwardness and gave a small nod. "Let me make this clear. Once this joss paper is burned, whether we do business or not, there will be no refund. If the business doesn't suit my identity, don't come to me. As for what identity I hold, think it over yourself. If you're smart, you'll naturally know once the deal is done."

Old Mister Yao turned around and walked away, vanishing into the mist.

After he carefully put away the joss paper, Li Banfeng returned to Yu Nan's residence.

When Li Banfeng returned safely, Yu Nan took a puff from her pipe. Her face showed a trace of displeasure. "Master Qi, whatever you do next time, at least tell us first. You were able to come back alive this time, but I don't know if you will next time."

Yu Nan was only venting about what had happened, but Li Banfeng didn't seem to understand.

The clerk explained more directly. "Shopkeeper Li, this Mister Yao is no ordinary man. He is an otherworldly master of the Hundred Fragrances Village. Since you don't know him well, it's better to keep your distance. If you offend this senior, the consequences could be dire."

Li Banfeng asked the clerk, "How do you usually get in touch with this master?"

The clerk lowered his head and did not answer.

Yu Nan said, "He's an otherworldly master. Of course he doesn't want to be disturbed. Without his permission, we wouldn't dare reveal the profound secret of how to reach him."

Li Banfeng thought about the time it had taken for the clerk to fetch Old Mister Yao.

The round trip had only taken half an hour, so the clerk clearly hadn't gone all the way to Old Mister Yao's home. His home was much farther away. Even at Li Banfeng's speed, the trip there alone would have taken more than an hour.

Thinking back to the smoke and fire clinging to the old man, Li Banfeng figured out the answer.

Li Banfeng looked at the clerk and asked, "You set up incense and candles to invite Old Mister Yao, didn't you?"

Considering the phrase, "A hundred delicate flavors, gathered at the tip of the nose," no ordinary scent could escape Li Banfeng's keen sense of smell.

The clerk stared at Li Banfeng in shock, then turned to glance at Yu Nan.

Yu Nan rubbed her index and middle fingers up and down her pipe.

Li Banfeng had noticed the behavior before when she was torn over whether to kill Rong Jin'an. It was clearly a small habit of hers whenever she felt tense.

Yu Nan usually acted like a seasoned veteran of the jianghu, but at this moment she didn't seem as sharp or capable as Li Banfeng had imagined. As for Old Mister Yao, perhaps even Yu Nan didn't know his true origin. Still, she had described him correctly. He was indeed an otherworldly master, for he had long since left the world of the living.

Just as the phrase said, "With golden eyes that see even the finest hair, discerning the secrets of yin and yang," Li Banfeng now had eyes sharp enough to tell yin from yang. At first, he thought Old Mister Yao's trousers were covered in moss, but when he looked closer, he realized he was wrong.

It wasn't moss at all. What clung to the fabric were clusters of green-blue flames, the very same ghost fires that flickered in graveyards.

1. Money for the dead ☜