"Take the documents and go with me to ransom someone? Why does that sound so awkward? It always feels like I'm being sold and counting the money for the buyer.
Seeing me stare blankly at Chen Yun, she quickly explained, "That's what they said on the phone. The documents and you are both indispensable. If you don't want to go, I won't force you. After all, this is not within the scope of my protection. You can choose not to go, and I won't blame you." She wore an expression of righteousness, but her eyes held a hint of disdain, as if implying that if I didn't go to save the person, I would be untrustworthy.
If it were just Chen Yun looking at me like that, I could easily ignore it. I promised to protect you for one day, but I never promised to go into a dragon's den and a tiger's lair with you. That would be like an old man with a birthday wish to hang himself, thinking his life was too long.
Huang San, afraid I might change my mind, jumped out from behind me and looked at me with his characteristic mournful expression. Although he didn't say anything, it was written all over his face: if you don't go save Xiao Yun, I'll die in front of you.
Unable to stand their synchronized act, one person and one rat, I shook my head helplessly and said, "I'll go, I'll go, alright? I don't know what bad luck I've had to agree to earn your money. I'm truly cursed."
Huang San naturally showed joy, with a hint of embarrassment in his eyes. Chen Yun was more direct, saying, "Once Xiao Yun is rescued, I'll add four million to the original amount."
Hearing this, my expression remained unchanged, but my heart rejoiced. I had already earned enough money to pay off my master's debt to the Ox-Head and Horse-Face after two trips to Tianhua City. This business deal was truly unparalleled.
"Deal. A gentleman's word."
"A promise is a promise. Stingy." I got into the car under Chen Yun's contemptuous gaze.
Chen Yun was driving, and I sat in the passenger seat. Huang San was in the back. As dawn was breaking, his body kept changing, sometimes appearing human, and other times curled up in the shape of a weasel.
Huang San knew about his condition. After informing me that he was going to revert to his original form, he asked me to open my backpack and crawled inside. Chen Yun's face didn't show much surprise at Huang San suddenly transforming from a living person into a weasel, appearing unfazed and calmly frowning.
"Why are you treating your household spirit so poorly? You even only received half of the 'mouth seal.' It's fortunate he follows you so devotedly. Aren't you afraid he'll develop resentment and kill you?"
Taken aback by Chen Yun's words, I asked, "What household spirit? Huang San is my friend. Which of your eyes saw him as my household spirit? And what do you mean by receiving only half of the 'mouth seal'?"
I was confused. I vaguely remembered my master mentioning that for wild spirits to transform into human form, they needed to receive a 'mouth seal.' Once they successfully obtained it, they could transform. But I had never heard of receiving only half of the 'mouth seal.'
Seeing that I genuinely didn't know, Chen Yun sighed and showed a look of pity, saying, "I don't know what Huang San was thinking. His cultivation is higher than Xiao Yun's, yet he insists on following a fool like you. Isn't that like casting pearls before swine?"
Just as my face was about to turn as dark as a pot, Chen Yun began to explain the matter of wild spirits seeking 'mouth seals.' It turned out that seeking 'mouth seals' was divided into three levels.
The best level was naturally seeking it from deities, the legendary immortals. However, deities were mythical beings and had long since vanished in modern times, so no wild spirits considered them anymore.
Next was seeking it from humans. But most people, upon seeing a talking fox, weasel, or large snake, would be scared out of their wits. Many would simply faint, and even if they didn't, they would flee in terror. This made it incredibly difficult for many wild spirits to obtain a 'mouth seal.'
Some might ask why they don't seek it from cultivators like those in the Yin realm or Taoist priests. I can tell you that you're overthinking it. Cultivators appear benevolent, but more often than not, they see themselves as tasked with eradicating demons and evil spirits. Even if a wild spirit has cultivated for five hundred years without harming any living beings, in their eyes, they are still considered evil. This belief is deeply ingrained in their very bones and cannot be changed. Seeking a 'mouth seal' from them is akin to seeking death. It's better to try with ordinary people, where there might still be hope.
The last category for seeking a 'mouth seal' is from ghosts. However, this type of 'mouth seal' carries significant karma. Although obtaining it can greatly increase one's cultivation and allow for human transformation, there is a huge drawback. That is, the human form can only be maintained at night. As soon as the rooster crows and dawn breaks, they revert to their original form.
Hearing this, I couldn't help but interrupt Chen Yun and press, "Are you saying that the 'mouth seal' Huang San obtained was bestowed by ghosts?"
Chen Yun glanced sideways at Huang San, who was hidden in my backpack, and said, "Based on his symptoms, it seems he sought a 'mouth seal' from ghosts, but I'm not entirely sure. His situation is a bit unusual."
"Unusual in what way?" I quickly asked. After all, I was overjoyed that Huang San could transform into a human, as it meant Bai Ling'er, whom I was going to the Beishan mining town with, could also transform.
But if Huang San's human transformation was due to seeking a 'mouth seal' from ghosts, would Bai Ling'er be the same? It's known that one can deceive gods and spirits, but one should never incur karma from ghosts. There's a lot of wisdom in that. Otherwise, I wouldn't know that my master owed the Ox-Head and Horse-Face ten million and that I was desperately trying to earn money to help my master cover this huge deficit.
If you owe karma to ghosts and fail to repay it by the due date, you will have to repay double. If you can't repay it in this life, you'll have to in the next, and it will be accompanied by many calamities, making even drinking water a struggle.
"You mean Huang San was sealed by ghosts? That shouldn't be! Huang San isn't an idiot. How could he not know the karmic implications? Who but a fool would seek a 'mouth seal' from ghosts? How could he do something like that?"
"You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask? You'll understand when you see Xiao Yun. Her cultivation is lower than Huang San's, yet she still appears as a human during the day. Tell me, how big is the difference?" Chen Yun's retort left me speechless, and I could only suppress my frustration, planning to discuss it further when I met Xiao Yun.
Looking at Huang San, who had fallen asleep in the bag, I felt a surge of worry for Bai Ling'er. I hoped she wouldn't fall into the same karmic trap as Huang San, or how would I explain it to Wu Gege when we met?
As the east began to show a fish-belly white, Chen Yun's car gradually slowed down. Since it was a bit dim when we arrived, I hadn't paid attention to where we were going. Now that the car had stopped, I saw that we had pulled up in front of a Taoist temple.
"Chen Yun, did you bring us to the wrong place?"
"No, this is the Hu family's stronghold – the Fox Immortal Temple!"