Chapter 21: Are You Running a Wholesale Business or Something?

"Sir, what do you think of this residence? It’s a Victorian-style villa, ninety percent new, two stories, with a courtyard. From the back room, you can see North Mountain, and there’s a terrace on the roof where you can grow some flowers and plants or soak up the sun. The location is tranquil, and it definitely meets your standards. The house is equipped with water and electricity, and it comes fully furnished. For such a fine place, it’s only three hundred wen a month, and we’ll take care of all the utilities for you. If you pay an extra fifty wen a month, I can even arrange for a maid who is responsible for cleaning and cooking—she’s someone who has worked for wealthy families before..."

Listening to the property agent’s chatter, Feng Xue carefully examined this "mansion."

Although the agent clearly didn't consider it a mansion for rental purposes, for Feng Xue, who came from a modern era where every inch of land was worth gold, this small villa with two or three hundred square meters of space and a courtyard was undoubtedly a mansion.

However, the cheap price of three hundred wen left Feng Xue feeling a bit uneasy. Despite being satisfied, he asked:

"With such a good house, why don't the original owners live here anymore?"

"Sigh, you wouldn't know, but the original owner of this house was quite a figure. However, his spendthrift son was a gambler who got set up in the Port City and owed a huge gambling debt. His father was a sensible man; he realized someone was plotting against his family’s business and, worried that his son would cause more trouble, decided to sell off the local assets and return to his hometown. This newly completed house was sold off at a bargain."

"Port City is too close to us, and any outsiders arriving for business go straight there. The wealthy families in the county have their ancestral homes, and the poorer ones can't afford to rent this. So, the property ended up stuck in our agency’s hands. If you are interested, for thirty guan, you can take it all—deed and title included! If you find the water and electricity troublesome, we can handle that for you too. I’ll throw in the first three years for free; after that, you can settle it year by year!"

Feng Xue was somewhat tempted. After all, this amount of money meant nothing to him. But he had only traveled here three days ago and hadn't even learned the layout of the county yet. Settling down so easily might invite trouble. After thinking for a moment, he said:

"There's no rush to buy. I’ll stay for a few months first to see how it goes. Did you bring the contract?"

"I did, I did!" Although he couldn't sell the property, any income was good. The agent quickly pulled a carefully rolled-up contract from his small cloth bag. As he spread it out, he didn't forget to explain:

"This house has a three-month minimum lease, with a deposit of five months' rent and one month paid in advance. It’s not that I don't trust you, but the furniture and decorations in this house aren't cheap. The flowers and plants in the front and back yards have gone wild; if you don't like them, you can clear them out and plant something else. Of course, I’ll accompany you to inspect the place first so if there’s anything wrong, we can spot it early. Also, although this is in the South City, it’s a bit remote. You’d better get a dog or hire two guards. Even though our Peace County has honest folk, you never know when a few thieving rascals might turn up."

During their conversation, the contract was finalized. Feng Xue paid the money promptly and entrusted the agent to procure some new bed sheets and quilts.

The agent stood to make a profit from this as well, so he happily agreed. Before leaving, Feng Xue suddenly called out to him:

"By the way, I heard there’s a shaman here called Ninth Aunt?"

The agent didn't seem surprised by this. He nodded and said:

"Ninth Aunt lives next to the rice shop in the West City. I happen to be going that way to help you pick up your household items, so I’ll go with you. But in the future, if you have any other matters like this, you must go to the rice shop and ask the manager; that’s the rule."

Feng Xue nodded in agreement, and without further ado, the two headed straight toward the West City.

...

Guided by the agent, Feng Xue bypassed the main road and soon spotted a small courtyard. Compared to the villa, this place looked more like an ancestral hall. Standing outside the door, one could already smell the scent of incense and candles.

Looking inside from the entrance, rows of eternal lamps and candles flickered continuously, yet there were no idols to be seen. Instead, numerous nameless spirit tablets and strangely shaped wooden carvings were placed meticulously on the altar. Even in broad daylight with all the lights on, it gave off an eerie, uniquely "Chinese horror" vibe.

Although he had already obtained a cultivation technique, Feng Xue didn't want to give up on this last lead. Just as he was trying to find the whereabouts of "Ninth Aunt," a voice suddenly rang out:

"Don't just stand there. If you have something to say, come in."

Feng Xue jumped in shock. He followed the sound and saw a woman walking toward him, carrying a massive wine jar. She looked to be in her early thirties—not young, but not old either. Her appearance wasn't stunning, but she was quite pleasing to the eye. Naturally, while observing her, Feng Xue didn't forget to check her lifespan.

Hmm, 22,791. She was a long-lived one.

"What are you staring at? Didn't you hear me say come in? Don't you know you shouldn't block the path of the spirits?"

As the woman spoke, she stepped forward, pushing Feng Xue into the entrance. She didn't say another word, carried the wine jar to the altar covered in various oddities, and poured the liquid into the lamp bowls.

Only then did Feng Xue realize that the jar didn't contain wine, but lamp oil.

"Why are you still standing there? Are you possessed or something?"

The woman set down the lamp oil and looked at Feng Xue with a frown. Feng Xue knew his behavior was a bit strange and immediately said:

"This... er, Miss, I am here to find Ninth Aunt..."

The woman laughed upon hearing this. She sat down boldly at the table in the center of the hall and said, "Young man, you speak very nicely. I am Ninth Aunt. Tell me what you need, and I’ll give you a twenty percent discount!"

Feng Xue was a bit surprised. Although this woman wasn't exactly ugly, she didn't fit the image of the shamans he had in mind. But since she had said so, Feng Xue sat down and said:

"I am a wild-path mystic practitioner. I don't have a master and only know some basics, so I wanted to ask..."

Feng Xue was observing her expression while speaking slowly, but Ninth Aunt waved her hand dismissively:

"Want to learn magic, right? That’s fine. But you're too old, you're a man, and you already have someone else's techniques, so don't even think about the core skills of my trade. Other minor spells, I can sell to you. As promised, twenty percent off—eight hundred wen per spell. I guarantee it's authentic, but I don't guarantee you'll master it. Want to learn?"

"I do!" Feng Xue didn't hesitate at all. Seeing his response, Ninth Aunt did something ridiculous: she reached under the table—much like the old beggar in *Kung Fu Hustle*—and pulled out a dozen colorful, worn-out manuals, slapping them onto the table. She said casually:

"Pick for yourself. Absolutely authentic!"

Feng Xue’s mouth twitched as he stared at the pile of manuals on the table. He couldn't help but glance under the table with an over-the-shoulder gaze...

"Holy hell!"

One look was enough to nearly stop his heart. Because under the table, for some unknown reason, a black-faced ghost was crawling there, looking just like the "first filial son" from *Naruto*!