Chapter 17

Awakening raised his hand and hailed a carriage drawn by two horses. The driver was a fierce-looking little demon, cracking his whip with a loud snap.

"Take me to Fengdu..." Awakening climbed into the carriage and gave a casual order. His destination was a very famous clothing store in Fengdu, where all kinds of clothing from ancient to modern times were available, except for official robes and dragon robes.

The driver nodded, cracking his whip and striking the horses' rumps. Awakening's pupils slightly contracted, feeling the familiar whip technique, and suddenly felt a chill. He then realized that the driver had once been a small demon responsible for driving away souls, with the same whip technique.

The horses, being stubborn, started galloping wildly after being whipped, causing the carriage to jolt violently. The scenery and ghosts along the road quickly receded.

Awakening's face turned pale, his body bent like a shrimp, and he clung tightly to the carriage pole, almost feeling his heart and liver being jolted up to his throat.

"No need to give me change." Awakening supported himself on the carriage pole as he stepped down, almost collapsing to the ground. He turned to look at the driver, who had cracked his whip and driven off, feeling a lingering fear. He couldn't help but sigh, "The underworld is indeed beyond the measure of common sense. In the future, I'd rather spend some money to buy a paper horse than ride a carriage again." Awakening had rarely experienced the feeling of riding in a carriage, but it felt like being bitten by a snake, making him wary of wells for ten years.

Crossing through the city walls, his field of vision suddenly opened up. Fengdu, with its diverse styles from ancient to modern times, perfectly blended into his view, exuding a strange aura. The ruggedness of the West, the delicacy of the East, the simplicity of ancient times, and the advancement of modern times, pavilions and towers were scattered everywhere, skyscrapers stood tall, and villas and mansions were dotted around, creating a magnificent sight!

Awakening opened his mouth, momentarily speechless at the inclusive and diverse Fengdu. Various ghosts came and went, and the traffic was constant, with wide roads that could accommodate eight large cars side by side. The prosperity was no less than that of the top cities in the human world!

"First time here, I didn't pay much attention. Now, I see it's really... No, I can't show surprise, I need to stay calm, or I'll be bullied and scammed again." Awakening thought to himself, closing his mouth and putting on a nonchalant expression, moving naturally.

Awakening frowned, realizing the driver hadn't taken him to his destination. He chuckled bitterly and had to find it himself. His knowledge of Fengdu was limited, mostly from what he had heard from customers in the bathhouse.

"First, I need to eat the Ghost City Spicy Chicken and Immortal Bean Curd..." The inviting aroma wafted from a street corner. Awakening swallowed his saliva, noticing many shops selling Ghost City Spicy Chicken and Immortal Bean Curd along the street.

Awakening's eyes twinkled as he followed the aroma into a shop and indulged in a feast. Soon, with a full belly, he moved on to another snack shop, determined to try all the special snacks in Fengdu.

Of course, while enjoying the food, he didn't idle. He perked up his ears, listening carefully to the conversations of the diners, gathering useful information.

Most of what Awakening heard was about which ghost had been unfaithful or which ghost had cheated, typical gossip for tea breaks. Important information was scarce, as their status was limited, and they dared not speak too much. No ghost would dare to gossip under the nose of the emperor unless they were truly tired of living and wanted to enter the Eighteenth Level of Hell.

In a teahouse, two ghost catchers were chatting, hinting at shocking news. They said that two evil ghosts, who were about to be sent to hell, had escaped and gone into hiding.

Some ghost servants were whispering, discussing the scandals of the mansion. Even the city management officers of Fengdu gossiped in their free time.

Awakening's lips twitched. Gossip and scandals had indeed transcended national boundaries and even crossed the world line, existing everywhere.

"I wonder what the Heavenly Realm looks like?" Awakening mused, the clear fragrance of tea spreading in his mouth, like a clear spring gushing out, making him feel cool all over.

"Good tea!" Awakening's eyes lit up, praising it inwardly.

At this moment, a pair of well-dressed ghost servants caught Awakening's attention. Their master must be someone important.

"I heard that the Princess of the Netherworld could walk and call her parents as soon as she was a month old," one of the ghost servants whispered.

Awakening's eyes widened, muttering to himself, "The Princess of the Netherworld was just recently appointed by King Yama, her real name is Yan Li. When the Empress had a difficult labor, Lady Meng Po went to assist, and I temporarily took her position."

Thinking about this, Awakening perked up his ears and continued listening.

"Indeed, King Yama dotes on her so much. The treasury is opened, and countless treasures are given to the little princess for nourishment. Just the pure yin energy leaking from the treasury, a few whiffs of it, and I feel my long-restrained cultivation is about to break through," the other ghost servant replied, his eyes shining with excitement, as if the treasures in the treasury were almost tangible.

The ghost servant smacked his lips, envious, "You got a good job, guarding the treasury. If I could get such a position, my stagnant cultivation would break through and reach the Sixth Level of Ghost Soldier."

"Forget it, I've been guarding the treasury for so many years and am still stuck at the Fifth Level of Ghost Soldier. The Sixth Level of Ghost Soldier isn't that easy to reach. Actually, your position isn't bad either. Serving the Empress in the imperial palace, the leftover medicinal dregs are enough for you to drink," the other well-dressed ghost servant rolled his eyes, saying disdainfully.

The two well-dressed ghost servants continued their conversation, and after not hearing any important information, Awakening left the teahouse, leaving the tea money behind.

"Ah..." Awakening sighed softly. He wanted to find out about Shifei Xue, but found no trace of her.

"Indeed, we are not from the same world." Awakening sighed, a hint of reluctance in his expression. Over these days, he had to admit that he was somewhat attracted to the alluring Shifei Xue.

"Sixth Level of Ghost Soldier... I need to buy some clothes and start cultivating!" Awakening's mind shifted, moving his thoughts away from Shifei Xue. Having tasted the bitterness of weakness in his previous life, he yearned for strength!

Yintian Pavilion, the largest store in Fengdu, with no equal. Its building area alone covered hundreds of acres, not to mention the pavilions, lakes, and gardens. It was divided into various categories, from daily necessities to official careers and cultivation techniques, everything was available.

Awakening stood in the cultivation techniques section of Yintian Pavilion, having just come from the daily necessities section, where he bought two ordinary long robes.

"Truly the top merchant of the underworld, a hundred hearsays are not as good as one sight. Just hearing about it is not enough to describe the greatness of Yintian Pavilion." Awakening looked up at the signboard of Yintian Pavilion, and if he were to describe the entire Yintian Pavilion in words, it would probably take tens of thousands of words or even a whole book to do so.

Yintian Pavilion encompassed too many things, countless and endless. A rough estimate of the number of items available was in the tens of millions, an unimaginable number.

"Heaven and earth meet at Yintian Pavilion. I feel I will have more interactions with Yintian Pavilion, but I am still too weak now." Awakening sighed, stepping inside.

"Welcome to Yintian Pavilion." The receptionists on both sides bowed politely, their soft voices making Awakening feel instantly comfortable.

Looking at the "blossoming" beautiful scenery on both sides, Awakening chuckled. In his view, the owner of Yintian Pavilion was very savvy in business. Awakening had been a businessman in his previous life, so he understood the ins and outs of the business world.

"In my previous life, I engaged in many industries. Now, after death, I only want to focus on cultivation and become a powerful figure. However... in the future, I still want to talk to the owner of Yintian Pavilion and maybe invest in it..." Awakening fantasized, his eyes turning into two crescent moons as he imagined countless hell coins rolling in.

"Sir, may I ask what you need?" A gentle and soft voice woke Awakening from his daydream.

"Cough, cough." Awakening glanced at the beautiful lady, coughing awkwardly, which caused a string of silver laughter.

The lady smiled, displaying excellent professional qualities.

Awakening nodded, satisfied, and said, "Sister, take me to the beginner cultivation techniques section."

"Sister?" The lady giggled, rolling her beautiful eyes and giving Awakening a playful glare, "Little brother, please follow me~"

Feeling the cool and soft touch of her hand, Awakening's face turned red. He was not good with women, especially those who were beautiful and smart, so he let the lady lead him.

Turning left and right, the display cases were filled with various items, from precious cultivation techniques to rare books.

At the display cases, beautiful ladies stood gracefully, and a few special cases were guarded by towering ghosts, emitting a powerful aura that rivaled the ghost generals in the Ten Halls. They were responsible for the safety of the items in the cases.

Awakening, led by the lady, frequently glanced around, occasionally hearing the girl's silver laughter.

"Fish Sister, where did you find such a handsome guy?" A teasing voice came from nearby.

Fish Sister immediately rolled her eyes, her beautiful face blushing, and spat, "Go away, you silly girl, are you in love?"

Awakening smiled shyly, and the ghosts who didn't know his background thought he was a handsome young man, unaware that he was a wolf in sheep's clothing, hiding his true abilities since arriving in the underworld.

Arriving at the beginner cultivation techniques section, the display cases were filled with various beginner techniques, at least hundreds if not thousands.

"So many, Fish Sister, recommend one." Awakening glanced at Fish Sister, who was standing gracefully, and asked casually.

"Let me recommend one?" Fish Sister's beautiful eyes twinkled as she carefully searched the display cases, "There are so many beginner cultivation techniques, and customers have many different needs... Ah, I found it!"

Fish Sister picked up a grayish-brown book, about a dozen pages thick, which looked very unremarkable.

Awakening took it, feeling the weight of the dozen pages, like a dictionary. The cover was grayish-brown with a few large, messy, and unclear yellowish-brown characters.

"The Nirvana Sutra?" Awakening read, looking up at Fish Sister.

"That's right, it's the Nirvana Sutra, the oldest beginner cultivation technique in the underworld." Fish Sister's face lit up with pride, "It was once the most common cultivation technique, hailed as the best beginner technique!"