Chapter 22

Hearing my proposal, Old Zhou was genuinely startled; wasn't this clearly asking him to 'see a ghost'?

Regardless of whether this matter was terrifying for an ordinary person, it was a significant challenge to Old Zhou's worldview. If he really had to 'see a ghost,' wouldn't the worldview he had built over many years be completely shattered?

Therefore, after being startled, he immediately refused me.

I had anticipated this outcome and could only say to Old Zhou, "Old Zhou, I have no intention of convincing you to believe in anything. Before you encountered this matter, you could think whatever you wanted, and I wouldn't interfere, because one person cannot dictate another's thoughts. But now that you have encountered it, and as your friend, I happen to understand this area, yet I can't find a perfect solution for you. If you are unwilling to find 'it,' I will give you two options. The first is that I will use a method to forcibly drive it away, but I don't know what consequences you will face afterward. And the premise is that it has truly helped you."

After I said this, Old Zhou's expression changed, becoming even more unpleasant. His eyes were particularly helpless. This state of Old Zhou made Qin Hainian feel some pain, and she couldn't help but want to hold Old Zhou's hand. However, she might have thought it was inappropriate, so her action turned into patting Old Zhou's hand and muttering, "So many mosquitoes."

Old Zhou looked at Qin Hainian speechlessly, while I ignored her whimsical behavior at this moment and continued to Old Zhou, "The second option is that you choose to help it. The specific content of what it needs your help with, we can roughly guess, which is to find the person who harmed it. We can almost be certain that the person who harmed it has an unclear relationship with the cat demon. Finding that person means provoking the cat demon. Regardless of whether we fear the cat demon, before that, I directly agreed to the person who lost your soul, that if he doesn't do anything that violates heaven and reason, and just has some perverted hobbies, I would ignore him."

After saying this, I solemnly told Old Zhou, "Old Zhou, gods and ghosts cannot be deceived. I have promised the cat demon, and this is a matter more serious than a promise, which can be understood as recorded in the heavenly way. If I violate it, even if the cat demon doesn't cause me trouble, I will suffer for it, which is the punishment of the heavenly way. You are my brother, and if you insist on me choosing the second option, I will agree. This is the friendship we have had since childhood. The words are said, and you choose for yourself."

Old Zhou's expression fell into a struggle after hearing me, and Qin Hainian, feeling heartache, interjected, "Ye Zhengling, there are other ways. Why do you have to make Zhou Zheng choose this way?"

"Other ways? Why don't you tell me?" I turned to frown at Qin Hainian.

"It's very simple. Just subdue the cat demon. If you don't act, you won't violate your promise. At worst, I will handle it." Hai Dafu said this quite easily.

"Are you very capable?" I asked.

"Of course." Hai Dafu proudly tilted his head, indicating that he was really very capable.

"If you are capable, wait to subdue demons in the future. In my view, this is Old Zhou's karma, and it's best to resolve it. It's not about solving problems with violence, but rather like repaying a debt. Of course, if action is needed, I won't hesitate." These words were said to Old Zhou, as Hai Dafu came from a different village, and due to different beliefs, our understanding of things was different.

Old Zhou anxiously remained silent for a long time, lighting another cigarette during this period. When the cigarette was almost finished, Old Zhou suddenly asked, "Old Three, I don't understand what karma is, but I, as a man, understand the principle of repaying debts. But I don't understand, what use is there in finding 'it'?"

"Negotiation. That is, to talk to it honestly. You can't find that man, which is beyond your ability. If it is willing, you can offer it a proper funeral, to let it put down these grudges. After all, it's already a matter of the past." I said seriously to Old Zhou, "Actually, unlike what is shown on TV, most Taoists do not easily act to drive away, subdue, or even destroy a spirit, as that would bear too much karma. As the saying goes, 'enemies should be reconciled, not made.' This is the reason. Because of this, Taoists do not easily intervene in such matters, as who can clearly say what is right and wrong? How can one ensure absolute fairness in intervening? Old Zhou, if you were not my brother, even if you found me today, I might not have thought of a way to make you negotiate with it."

After hearing my words, Old Zhou nodded seriously, but deep down, he was still uneasy and couldn't help but ask me, "Are ghosts scary?"

"Not scary. If it doesn't scare you, it's just like a person. If it scares you, you can choose not to be scared or remain unaffected, and there will be no problem." I said this simply, but it was useless, as fear comes from the unknown, and death itself carries a strong sense of terror.

Sure enough, Old Zhou didn't feel better because of my words. Instead, Qin Hainian kept urging Old Zhou's 'cowardice,' and couldn't help but say, "Zhou Zheng, what is there to be afraid of? For example, now, there is a small ghost sealed in this doll (the small ghost here refers to a young ghost). Do you find it scary?"

"Ah, don't come near me!" Old Zhou jumped up, almost rolling and crawling to a distance of three meters away from Qin Hainian.

I looked at Qin Hainian helplessly and said, "Do you know how to comfort people? Are you sure you won't scare Old Zhou to death?"

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The next day was a gloomy day. It was already 10 a.m., but the sun was nowhere to be seen, only thick clouds.

The miscellaneous antique shop, which had been closed for two days, reopened.

The time to meet the 'girl' with Old Zhou was set for after 11 p.m. today. Since there was nothing to do during the day, the shop had to open, and I especially instructed Old Zhou to do something today to prepare for the 'meeting' tonight.

Compared to a bright sunny day, this gloomy weather was even more stifling. I completely opened the shop door and didn't rush to turn on the air conditioner, just to let the stuffy air that had been in the shop for two days dissipate.

Although I am not a hardworking person, I am the only one in this small shop, both the boss and the employee. So, after wiping my face, I fetched a bucket of water, took a cloth, and started cleaning the shop.

Generally, in the antique business, there is a saying, "Three years without opening, one opening to last three years." My shop is not a pure antique shop, as it also has a category of lighters, which are not high in value, so it is relatively lively compared to other shops, and many young boys are interested in lighters.

But I didn't expect that less than half an hour after opening, a customer actually came to the shop, and at this time, I was still cleaning.

"Boss?" The person who came was a middle-aged man who looked somewhat yellow and thin, very short, wearing a sportswear that was clearly a knockoff, with Nike on the front and Adidas on the back, and a pair of men's loose shorts for coolness, and a pair of flip-flops.

This person suddenly appeared in my shop early in the morning and called out, "Boss."

I was somewhat surprised and looked at him, but only startled, and then my expression returned to normal, as in this industry, not judging people by their appearance is an absolute rule. Although I have no intention of doing business, I have become accustomed to it over the years.

"Yes. Feel free to look around," I replied to the man's inquiry and continued with my work.

In this industry, unlike other service industries, whether it's the staff or the boss, one should not be overly enthusiastic. Antiques are about eye appeal; if they catch your eye, they will naturally ask you. If they don't, no matter how eloquently you speak, it won't work. And for those who don't understand, I generally don't do business with them, as I don't rely on this to make money.

Time passed quietly in this silence. This strangely dressed middle-aged man actually looked around my shop seriously, and for a long time. Even after I finished cleaning and washed my face, he still hadn't left.

This made me, who is usually very lazy, feel a bit embarrassed, and I couldn't help but ask, "Have you found anything you like?"

However, the middle-aged man did not answer me but suddenly said, "Boss, you look very young, you don't look like..."

"Like what?" I found this statement quite puzzling.

"Oh, nothing, just that you don't look like an antique shop owner. I haven't seen anyone as young as you in this business before." The middle-aged man seemed a bit nervous and then explained to me.

I smiled in understanding. Indeed, it is rare for young people to be in this business, except for those who inherit it from their families.

Perhaps these two sentences of conversation brought us closer. The middle-aged man no longer looked around the shop but walked up to the counter, approached me, and said somewhat uneasily, "The things in your shop seem ordinary, but there are a few extraordinary items waiting for buyers, right? Wouldn't it be better to auction them off? In such a medium-sized city, you haven't moved around or sold them through connections, so it might be hard to find a buyer?"

He actually cared about my business? Indeed, there were a few exceptional items in the shop, which I used to maintain the shop's appearance. These were a few items from my impressive master's lineage.

Actually, I had no intention of selling them, as I have said, I have no interest in this business.

What did he mean by asking this? Did he want to buy them?

However, he surprised me by suddenly saying after this, "Actually, I came to sell something."

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