Chapter 26

The aroma of tea, bitter, soothes the mind.

Xing's brows gradually relaxed, his face pale and smooth like a white jade plate, with a serene expression gently rippling on it. What a fine gentleman in this turbid world, he looked nothing like a ghost from the netherworld.

The owner of the teahouse was a ghost from the Tang Dynasty, who loved the art of tea and had studied the "Classic of Tea" in depth. He often sighed, lamenting that he and the tea sage Lu Yu were not born in the same era, "You were born when I was not, and I was born when you were already dead."

Tranquility leads to far-reaching thoughts.

The owner of the teahouse was a respectable old man, with a small tuft of gray beard hanging to his chest, wearing a white robe, one hand behind his back, and the other holding a large wolf-hair brush, dancing on the rice paper, black ink splashing, forming exquisite characters.

The environment of the teahouse was tranquil and distant, hard to find even in the vast city of Fengdu or the Netherworld.

"Quick, he's inside!"

"Damn! He actually stuffed me into the sewer, today I really messed up!"

"Damn! If I ever see him, I'll beat him up every time!"

...

Rude curses grew louder, and a group of bruised and swollen little ghosts stormed in, causing the tea connoisseurs in the teahouse to frown. Xing put down his teacup, a slight smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

"Hey, you! Come out!" Several little ghosts rushed in, grabbing benches, each looking fierce.

"Is it you?"

"Ah? Is it you?"

They held the legs of the benches, the other end facing the tea connoisseurs, and if they didn't like the look of someone, they would smash the bench down.

"Who are you? Get out of here, old man! The teahouse does not welcome you!" The old man raised his eyes, placing the large wolf-hair brush on the pen stand, and shouted loudly, his voice full of vigor!

"The old owner is angry, this will be interesting."

"Drinking tea for so many years, finally getting to see Old Tang in action, it's rare."

"Give these young brats a lesson, even as ghosts, they shouldn't be so arrogant!"

The tea connoisseurs began to whisper to each other.

"Hey, old man over there, if you have the guts, come out and fight me one-on-one!" One of the bratty little ghosts shouted, the others waving their benches and cheering.

"That old man seems pretty strong." The little ghost's strategist whispered.

The bratty little ghost was taken aback, then said, "One-on-one, you one-on-one all of us!"

"Right! You, you one-on-one all of us!" The strategist's eyes lit up, stuttering but confidently.

"Shameless!"

"Old owner, don't fall for it!"

The tea connoisseurs shouted, defending the old owner, and some strong young ghosts even wanted to stand up for him.

Xing sat like a bell, continuing to savor his tea, seemingly indifferent to what was happening.

"It's fine." The old owner raised his palm, walking towards the little ghosts, his steps brisk, his spirit vigorous, though his face was full of wrinkles, there was no sign of aging.

"Young man, as a ghost, you should be low-key, or you'll end up like this table, easily broken!" The old owner said, his gaze falling on the nearby tea table.

The restless little ghosts were instantly intimidated by the old owner's presence, the room falling silent.

"What is he going to do?" The bratty little ghost slightly turned his head, asking the strategist.

"Maybe he wants to drink tea, the old man must be thirsty." The strategist stuttered, his mind blank, unable to come up with any bad ideas.

"Hmph!"

The old owner coldly snorted, his calloused palm slamming down on the nanmu tea table.

"Bang!"

With a crack, the solid nanmu tea table split in half, the four legs shattered, but no wood chips flew, showing the precision of his control.

"Heart-Shattering Palm! It's really the Heart-Shattering Palm!" A tea connoisseur exclaimed, recognizing the old owner's move.

"Heart-Shattering Palm?" The little ghosts looked at each other, though they didn't know the name, they understood its power and felt a desire to retreat.

"Know the power, and leave. Don't force me to act." The old owner's hands were behind his back, his aura complete, like a martial arts master, everything was calm and composed, inspiring respect and caution from the ghosts.

"We, we won't fight one-on-one, that's not, not the way of heroes!" The stuttering strategist said, blinking his eyes.

The old owner waved his hand, letting them go.

"Wait!" Suddenly, a deep, resonant voice echoed, full of righteous energy.

Xing's face showed surprise, and the tea connoisseurs looked in the direction of the voice, seeing a middle-aged ghost official in red and black robes, with thick black eyebrows, hair like steel needles, and a resolute face.

"Ghost Catcher!"

The tea connoisseurs involuntarily shrank, feeling a chill down their spines, they had just wanted to scold the speaker, but seeing it was a ghost catcher, they were all frightened.

"What brings you here?" The old owner turned, asking calmly.

"What brings me here?" The middle-aged ghost catcher stood up, his thick eyebrows raised, eyes glaring, "Heart-Shattering Palm, what do you think I'm here for! It's been a long time, have you forgotten your old friend?"

"You are..." The old owner stared at the middle-aged ghost catcher, lost in thought.

"Let me help you remember, October 1st, Black Wind Month, a hundred-mile chase!" The ghost catcher said, his tone cold and icy.

"October 1st, Black Wind Month, a hundred-mile chase?!" The old owner suddenly looked up, surprised, "You are the young constable from back then!"

"Hmph, finally remembered!" The ghost catcher sneered, walking towards the old owner, his ghostly body emitting a tangible yet formless aura, growing stronger with each step.

The old owner's hands, behind his back, trembled slightly, but he remained calm, "Li Mu! What do you want? I've retired for many years, as a ghost, I just want to live a peaceful life!"

"Ha ha ha..."

Li Mu burst into laughter, "What a joke, who would have thought that Tang Cui Xing, who caused countless bloodshed and made even three-year-old children cry, would now say he's retired and wants a peaceful life?"

"But you've hidden deep enough. To catch you, I even gave up the chance for reincarnation, enduring great hardships to become a ghost catcher in Fengdu. I never thought, my eyes were blind, that you were always in Fengdu, and I even often came to your teahouse to drink tea!"

Li Mu spoke, his tone full of sorrow and indignation, his large hand resting on the sword at his waist.

"I suffered countless tortures in the Eighteenth Level of Hell, and after my sentence was completed, I gave up the chance to be reborn, opening a teahouse in Fengdu, truly wanting to live a peaceful life as a ghost." The old owner said calmly, his dim eyes filled with guilt.

"The suffering has been endured, the sins have been redeemed. Now I am a ghost, owing no one. If you act, I am not afraid of you!" The old owner's eyes suddenly changed, sharp and piercing, like two bright knives.

His calloused palm lifted, the large palm emitting pure ghostly energy.

"A Ghost of the Sixth Heaven and above?!" Xing's pupils suddenly contracted, feeling a chill, not expecting an old owner in the outer district of Fengdu to have such cultivation, especially after surviving the Eighteenth Level of Hell, he was not to be underestimated.

"Ha ha ha ha, old ghost!" Li Mu quickly moved, a bright flash of lightning in the air, a real large sword appeared, cold and icy, with a cold moonlight glow, definitely not an ordinary weapon!

Xing's mind raced, his eyes fixed on the large sword Li Mu drew.

Could that be a ghostly weapon? He thought, recalling the descriptions in books like the "Comprehensive Mirror of the Three Realms."

"A big battle is about to start!"

"Old owner, the tea, the tea money, I'll pay it next time..."

The tea connoisseurs, seeing the situation, left one by one.

The little ghosts' hearts trembled, about to sneak away.

"Swish!" Like a silver waterfall, the large sword sliced through the air, a bright blade of light landing in front of the little ghosts, several tables and chairs silently splitting.

"My goodness!"

The little ghosts, like lambs, trembled and fell silent.

"Ghost Catcher, what do you want? We are innocent..."

The strategist was pushed to the front by the other little ghosts, and had to speak up.

"Stay!" Li Mu said simply, his large sword flicking, a flower of blades blooming.

"Good swordsmanship!" Xing suddenly praised!

There were still ghosts who hadn't left, and Li Mu and the old owner looked over, seeing a fine young gentleman still there, calmly sipping tea.

"Why haven't you left?" The old owner asked, puzzled.

"What does your feud with the ghost catcher have to do with me? Why should I leave!" Xing said calmly, wanting to observe the battle between the Heart-Shattering Palm and the ghost catcher.

As a modern person, being able to witness the human-ghost feud of the Tang Dynasty was truly rare.

"A strange little ghost." The old owner muttered, no longer paying attention to Xing. Li Mu also glanced at Xing, not taking him seriously.

"It's him!"

The little ghosts suddenly shouted!

"Oh, it's you, what a coincidence!" Xing pretended to just see them, greeting them like old friends, even inviting them to sit and drink tea.

"What a coincidence, my sister! I'll greet your mother!" The little ghosts exploded in anger, cursing.

"Did you enjoy the scenery you spied on? Hey, weren't you entangled with that man? Was it thrilling? Did you find the coin you dropped in the sewer?"

Xing, not angry, smiled, and greeted them back.

"You!" The little ghost, red-faced with anger, eyes blazing, grabbed a bench to smash, but Xing, sitting on the bench, didn't move, his foot suddenly kicking the tea table, moving himself and the bench away.

"You need to drink tea to calm down!" Xing said, smiling, one hand holding the teapot, the other a teacup, sipping leisurely.

"Everyone, beat him up!" The little ghosts, enraged, forgetting their fear of Li Mu, their eyes red, pushed Li Mu aside, grabbing the legs of the benches, rushing to beat up Xing.

Xing watched them, his legs moving, walking between the tea tables, occasionally picking up a bench to throw.

After an hour, the little ghosts hadn't even touched a hair on Xing's head, but they were bruised and battered, hit by the benches.

The old owner and Li Mu, who were supposed to be the main characters, stood there with black faces, stiff and motionless.

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