GB Chapter 21

Chapter 21

When Old Master Qiu was born, the world was far less stable than it is now. The imperial court was engaged in continuous battles to quell rebellions, and there were frequent conflicts between the righteous and demonic paths in Jiangnan. Although it wasn’t as much of a living hell as when the Demon Lord rampaged, people were still in a state of panic everywhere. At that time, the common people’s greatest desire was nothing more than peace. Therefore, while still in his swaddling clothes, his father named him Qiu Taiping (Qiu Peace) before going to work in the fields.

At that time, no one thought that this little boy sitting on the edge of the field with snot running down his face would become the richest man in Jiangdu in the future. His parents’ expectations for him were no more than to become a good farmer in the village and spend his life guarding cattle. However, at the age of twelve, he knew how to use grass leaves to weave small toys like grasshoppers and drag adults to the city to sell them. These small toys, which were just for playing for children in the countryside, were very popular in the city, thus earning him his first income.

Qiu Taiping found that doing business was far more interesting than farming. Later, he learned various crafts and became a peddler walking between markets at the age of fifteen. He was naturally bold and meticulous, and he also had the temperament of someone who had been hardened in the fields. No matter how complicated the skills were, he did not feel tired. He would rather run to a few more towns to ensure that his goods were distinctive. Gradually, the city residents formed the idea that his family’s things were more unique. When buying something, they would always check his store first before looking elsewhere. In this way, he gained many regular customers, many of whom were local fishermen.

There were many cultivators in the Jiangnan area. Once resources became scarce, several major sects would send disciples to purchase goods with storage rings for emergency needs. Cultivators could fly on their swords for thousands of miles a day, and an ordinary storage ring could store at least a warehouse of goods. Therefore, necessities such as firewood, rice, oil, and salt had never been expensive in Jiangnan. However, other regions did not have such luxury. When Qiu Taiping learned from the fishermen that the price of salt in other places was several times that of Jiangnan, he knew that a business opportunity had arrived. He immediately put down his cargo box and used all his savings to build a ship to go out to sea, exploring a brand new sea route.

Qiu Taiping’s life was legendary in Jiangdu City. He finally achieved his childhood ideal of settling in Jiangdu City and even bought the best house in Jiangdu at the time. He married the daughter of a wealthy merchant in the city and had a fair and chubby son. His son no longer had to work in the fields. He could have whatever he wanted and would never have to experience the feeling of counting a string of copper coins repeatedly from dusk till dawn. Such a life should have been perfect. Qiu Taiping died peacefully, but he did not expect that his family would be so unable to withstand setbacks after his death.

He loved his son too much. He originally thought that the business association he left behind would be enough for his son to live a wealthy life. From a young age, he let his son do whatever he wanted, not seeking to become successful, but just hoping he could live safely. However, the world changed faster than he imagined. Watching the Qiu family decline, Qiu Taiping’s soul refused to go to the underworld to report for duty. He stayed by the money cabinet every day, telling himself that he would stay for a few more days, and as soon as his son filled this cabinet, he would go to reincarnate. And this stay lasted for a full fifty years.

For these fifty years, Qiu Taiping stayed in the narrow cabinet day after day. No one saw him, and no one spoke to him. He could only watch his son and grandson ruin the family fortune step by step, and watch the Qiu family he had built up through countless days and nights become what it is today. After Qiu Fugui started selling the family’s land, he finally could not help but give up the opportunity of reincarnation and turned into an evil ghost, revealing himself in front of him.

It was a pity that this kid didn’t even remember his grandfather’s appearance. After taking a glance at him, he was so scared that he was bedridden. He babbled for a few days before recovering. Later, Qiu Taiping covered his face with white paper and only showed his back to scare him when he was squandering the family fortune. He preserved the family’s wealth to prevent this unfilial descendant from wasting it. This led to the talk of a poor ghost causing trouble.

A wealth-guarding ghost is an evil ghost who refuses to reincarnate because of their attachment to treasures. They will always stay by their treasures, and anyone who wants to take away their treasures will be harmed in secret. Only when the treasures disappear can their obsession be dispelled. In terms of ferocity, they are far above poor ghosts. The Taoists that Qiu Fugui invited in the past might have had some skills. They thought that after the Qiu family sold off their valuables, this ghost would leave. Therefore, they took their family’s money with peace of mind. But they did not know that the treasure of this wealth-guarding ghost was that good-for-nothing son Qiu Fugui, whom everyone in the city looked down upon.

“Such an incompetent fellow is treasured by someone, how nice.”

After sighing softly, Zhuge Qingtian looked with envy at the thin young man who was still hiding behind the pillar, afraid to approach them. Once a ghost is tainted with evil aura, it becomes very difficult for them to reincarnate. He had worked hard for ten years just to re-enter the cycle of reincarnation. Qiu Taiping, on the other hand, was willing to become an evil ghost and remain in the human world for his grandson. Such affection was a kind of love that Zhuge Qingtian had never experienced in his life.

From being the richest man in Jiangdu to becoming a withered old ghost, Qiu Taiping’s expression was also a bit melancholic. He looked at the faded carved beams of the house and sighed, “Actually, these things can’t be brought into life or taken out of death. It’s okay to sell them as long as they can live well. But this kid doesn’t understand the market at all. Antiques worth millions were cheated away for a few hundred taels. How can I go to reincarnate in peace…”

Qiu Taiping thought, if he could have lived a few more years, he could have left a way out for the Qiu family even if the business association faced difficulties. He could have also taught his grandson how to make money and how to survive in this world. It was a pity that life was never up to people. He passed away too early and understood too late. In the end, he could only hide in the money cabinet and watch the Qiu family walk to their current state through the crack in the door.

Silently watching the evil ghost that he had previously vowed to capture, Mo Pan found that his understanding of the world had changed dramatically these past few days. Before, he had always thought that good and evil were irreconcilable, ghosts should be captured, and demons should be defeated. But the Demonic Cult’s Great Protector in reality was not the great demon that caused rivers of blood to flow, and the poor ghost that people begged him to subdue was not an evil ghost that harmed lives.

This man was right, the waters of the pugilistic world were too deep and wide, making him, who had just reached the lakeside, feel scared. Fortunately, he still had the Heavenly Master Mansion as a big ship behind him. Even if he fell into the water, his master could pull him up.

Master, subduing evil ghosts is the necessary task of a Heavenly Master Mansion disciple, but, while I’m still in confinement, can I be willful once?

Sighing in his heart, Mo Pan withdrew his true qi. The blood threads that were originally binding the ghost disappeared in an instant. He only lowered his head and said, “You can go, I won’t capture you anymore.”

“Thank you.”

With Qiu Taiping’s speed, as soon as the restriction was gone, he was gone in an instant. However, this scene was very frightening in Qiu Fugui’s eyes. Seeing that the evil ghost that had scared him so much he couldn’t sleep was escaping, he quickly stepped forward and asked, “Little Heavenly Master, how did you let him run away?”

Looking at him indifferently, Mo Pan, who was determined to become a righteous hero, finally spoke his first lie in this life, “Young Master Qiu, this ghost is too strong, I can’t subdue it, probably the entire Heavenly Master Mansion can’t.”

Qiu Fugui had seen Mo Pan’s power when he was subduing the ghost earlier. He knew that this little Heavenly Master was truly skilled. If even he couldn’t subdue such a powerful evil ghost, other monks and Taoists would probably have even less chance. He was immediately terrified, “This… what should I do?”

“Poor ghosts must be fed with money. You should still work hard to earn money. When the gold and silver fill the money cabinet, he will leave.”

As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. Mo Pan suddenly realized that lying didn’t seem that difficult. He just kept making it up. Afraid that this person would continue to waste his family’s wealth, he thought for a moment and added, “Since he has come to your house, the valuables in this house belong to him. If you sell his things, you will anger the evil ghost. You have to work yourself.”

Qiu Fugui had no doubts about this statement. Instead, he had an epiphany. No wonder every time he pawned the family’s belongings, he would see that evil ghost. It turned out that this was the case. He had already decided that the house was haunted. If he was told not to worry, he wouldn’t believe it. Now, by exaggerating the situation, he deeply believed it and worriedly said, “But no one has ever taught me how to earn money…”

“If you don’t know how, just learn. You’ve read books and there’s still some money in your family. You’re already much better off than your grandfather.”

After hearing Mo Pan’s words, Zhuge Qingtian understood his meaning. This person was obviously not someone who could be reasoned with. If he knew about Qiu Taiping’s existence and lost his fear, who knew how he would waste his family’s wealth? He immediately followed his lead and threatened him,

“This ghost is very fierce. If you don’t feed him well, he can kill your whole family. Even if you find a Taoist, they can only collect your corpses.”

“This must not be!”

Seeing that these two powerful figures were both saying this, Qiu Fugui was truly terrified. For the sake of his life, he sighed with a face full of sorrow, “There is still a general store in the family, I’ll try it for now. Alas, how unlucky is my Qiu family to encounter such a fierce evil ghost…”

He was so frightened by the two’s collaboration that he was worried about how to feed the evil ghost. Naturally, he had no intention of pleasing these experts. The three of them also had no intention of getting a free meal, so they walked out of the Qiu residence.

Walking on the street, Mo Pan turned his head and glanced at the old ghost soul on the roof of the Qiu residence who bowed to him. He knew that this failed mission would definitely damage his reputation in the pugilistic world. In the future, his peers would inevitably mock him for being the heir of the Heavenly Master Mansion but being so incompetent. He used to care a lot about these things, but now he didn’t have any regrets. He only sighed softly, “I never thought that I, a dignified heir of the Heavenly Master Mansion, would have a day when I would scare the people like a wandering mystic…”

As if sensing these words, before they had even taken a few steps, Ling Sui Daoren, with his whisk in hand, appeared at the street corner. He smiled politely at Qian Ren, “You two, my disciple has troubled you.”

As soon as he saw him, Mo Pan’s body stiffened. He was the heir of the Heavenly Master Mansion, and he represented the younger generation of the sect. Today, he couldn’t even handle a poor ghost. It would not be a good thing to spread that news. However, he didn’t want to force himself to capture Old Master Qiu for the sake of his reputation. He could only obediently step forward and admit his mistake, “Master, I said that there are ghosts that the Heavenly Master Mansion cannot subdue, which has damaged the sect’s reputation. Punish me, this time I won’t run.”

“My Heavenly Master Mansion establishes itself in the pugilistic world based on true ability, not reputation. You did nothing wrong, but don’t think you can escape the remaining days of your confinement.”

This kid had always been very naughty. In the past, no matter how tight he was confined, he could always find ways to sneak out. Today, it was rare for him to be so obedient. However, Ling Sui Daoren had naturally investigated the mission his disciple had taken on. With his experience, he had already judged the truth. At this moment, he didn’t blame him too much. He only said lightly, “However, have you ever thought that the ghost might be deceiving you?”

“What?” Mo Pan’s eyes widened instantly, not expecting this possibility.

“Don’t worry, this ghost is really Old Master Qiu, but the ghosts you encounter in the future may not be the same.”

Looking at his shocked disciple, Ling Sui Daoren shook his head and smiled. He gently tapped his head with his whisk, “As a cultivator, you still have a lot to learn.”

Hearing these words, Mo Pan finally calmed down. He touched his forehead, which had been tapped, and followed his master, regaining his usual vitality. He still smiled and said, “Anyway, with Master here, I will definitely become a very powerful cultivator in the future.”

Here, Ling Sui Daoren caught the disciple who had snuck out. Watching the master and disciple leave, Zhuge Qingtian’s eyes were filled with envy. Qiu Fugui had Old Master Qiu watching over him at all times, and Mo Pan was also slowly walking towards the pugilistic world under Ling Sui Daoren’s careful guidance. Although he was more powerful than those two, he had nowhere to return, and no one was protecting him like that. He could only sigh softly in the quiet street, “How nice…”

Zhuge Qingtian rarely showed such a lonely expression. In the past, no matter how cold he was treated, he could respond with cheerfulness. But even those who were good at comforting themselves would eventually want to be comforted one day. Turning his head to look at him, Qian Ren still reached out and patted the young man’s head. The coldness in his voice was a little less than usual, “You didn’t cause me any trouble today, you did well.”

Although he had already lost his sense of touch, when the man’s fingers landed on his hair, Zhuge Qingtian still felt a magical warmth. In his previous life, he had never experienced such a feeling of wanting to be with another person for longer. He didn’t know how to react properly, so he could only, as always, raise his head and say the most straightforward thought, “Wife, can I hug you?”

Of course, as usual, he only received a serious warning from the man, “No, I’ll beat you.”

Although he was rejected, Zhuge Qingtian felt better. He walked forward side by side with Qian Ren, and he looked at the man’s still expressionless face. In his heart, he was itching to try something, he was actually quite resistant to being beaten, anyway, it was not as if he hadn’t been kicked before, should he try to pounce on him?

The author has something to say: Zhuge Qingtian: Did you see that! I was patted on the head! I feel like the distance I’ll be kicked away when I hug him this time will be reduced by half!

He Ku: You’re an idiot, can’t you just pounce on him when he’s in bed!

Author: What strange topic are you two bottoms discussing!

Qian Ren: Actually, I want to be his dad.jpg

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