Infinite Professions from a Pearl Collector

With that, he ordered the others to prepare incense, candles, paper horses, and other ritual items. He also sent someone to fetch the local government officials.

Soon, a portly, middle-aged man in an official’s uniform arrived, flanked by two subordinates.

The man was the government official in charge of local security, and his name was Qiao Le.

The moment he saw the young Daoist, his face broke into a wide smile, his attitude utterly deferential.

It couldn’t be helped. In this day and age, everyone needed a favor sooner or later. This was especially true for Monks and Daoists, who could handle supernatural affairs. No one dared to offend them lightly.

"Daoist Ge, whatever you need, just say the word."

Ge Kun nodded. "Master Qiao, I don’t need you just yet. But once I begin the ritual tonight, I’m afraid I will have to trouble you."

"Of course, of course!"

Night fell, deep and silent. The surrounding residents had long since hidden inside their homes, not even daring to light their lamps.

Only Chen Ye, who was intensely curious about the methods of this world’s Daoists, slipped out quietly and hid behind a nearby corner to watch.

But he had barely gotten settled when the Daoist, Ge Kun, seemed to sense something. His gaze shot directly toward Chen Ye’s hiding spot.

"Friend over there, since you’ve come, why not show yourself?"

Chen Ye’s heart skipped a beat. Realizing he’d been discovered, he didn’t try to hide any longer and simply walked out from behind the corner.

Upon seeing his face, a flicker of surprise passed through Ge Kun’s eyes. He then smiled. "You must be the new apprentice from the Qingchun Troupe, aren’t you? You were the one who first noticed something was wrong with this well?"

"I am," Chen Ye nodded.

"Master Guan certainly found a promising one," Ge Kun praised, then asked with keen interest, "You’re not afraid?"

Chen Ye shook his head.

"And why is that?"

"Every grievance has a source, every debt has a debtor." Chen Ye looked at the well and said calmly, "I can sense it. She doesn’t want to hurt anyone. She just wants justice."

The surprise on Ge Kun’s face deepened. He gave Chen Ye a long, searching look, then clapped his hands and laughed. "Well said. That is precisely why I intend to perform a ritual of deliverance, rather than simply suppressing the spirit."

With a vengeful spirit like this, most Daoists would take the easy way out and simply obliterate it, scattering its soul to the winds, or seal it away with a Talisman. But Ge Kun was compassionate and couldn’t bring himself to do that.

He took a yellow sheet of talisman paper from his robes and handed it to Chen Ye. "Since you’re not afraid, you may watch from the side. Keep this talisman on you. It will protect you from being disturbed by the Yin Qi."

"Thank you, Daoist." Chen Ye accepted the talisman paper, expressed his thanks, and obediently stepped aside.

The hour had arrived.

Ge Kun’s expression turned solemn. He walked to the ritual altar, formed a sword sign with his fingers, and pointed it at the incense and candles on the altar.

WHOOSH!

The incense sticks ignited without a flame, sending up three straight plumes of green smoke. The smoke then drifted gracefully toward the mouth of the well and coiled its way inside.

Everyone present held their breath, their attention fixed on the scene.

A moment later, tendrils of white mist began to drift out from the old well. The surrounding air instantly plunged to a bone-chilling, freezing point.

Standing to the side, Qiao Le struggled to keep his legs from giving out, but the cold sweat beading on his forehead betrayed his fear.

Just then, Ge Kun’s voice boomed like spring thunder. "Show yourself! What are you waiting for?"

The words had barely left his lips when the mist at the well’s mouth began to churn violently. Then, a blurry figure of a woman in white slowly took shape within it.

Qiao Le’s face went white with fright, and he nearly collapsed to the ground.

Chen Ye, however, remained perfectly calm, quietly watching the figure.

Immediately after, Ge Kun began chanting in an extremely bizarre series of syllables. It was neither the official tongue nor a local dialect, and sounded abstruse and incomprehensible.

It was the language of ghosts.

After death, most vengeful spirits are disoriented. Their Spirit Bodies are frail, and they forget most human languages, only able to recall a few words tied to their deepest obsessions.

Therefore, to communicate with them, one must use this language that only ghosts can understand.

A moment later, Ge Kun stopped chanting, and the mist at the mouth of the well gradually subsided.

He turned, looked at Qiao Le whose calves were still trembling, and said in a low voice, "Master Qiao, this is where I’ll need your help."

"Dao... Daoist, please, speak!" Qiao Le quickly replied.

"Please go to Stinky Ditch Alley and bring me a butcher by the name of Hu San!"

Hearing this, Qiao Le’s spirits lifted. After all, he was helpless against a ghost, but arresting people was his specialty. He quickly agreed.

"I know this Hu San. He’s a veteran butcher, built like a mountain and fierce as they come. It usually takes three to five men just to get near him!"

"But don’t you worry. With me on the case, I guarantee I’ll bring that fellow in for you."

With that, Qiao Le waved his hand and left, leading his two equally terrified subordinates away.

...

「Stinky Ditch Alley.」

Hu San’s home was at the very end of the alley, a rather spacious and impressive courtyard.

Inside, the courtyard was brightly lit, the aroma of wine and meat hanging in the air.

Hu San was bare-chested, his hairy chest exposed, currently raising a massive bowl as he drank and caroused with seven or eight local thugs.

He was a butcher by trade and naturally had a fierce look about him. Over the years, he had amassed a small fortune, which naturally attracted a gang of idlers. They followed him around all day, eating and drinking on his dime, stroking his ego until he was walking on air. He had effectively become the undisputed boss of the area.

"Third Master, your skills are second to none in all of Sea Guardian Guard!" a weaselly-faced man said with a fawning smile. "Just look at this pig’s head meat! It’s rich without being greasy. Delicious!"

Hu San roared with laughter, drained his bowl of wine in one gulp, and slammed it down on the table. "Damn right! I, your Third Master, have slaughtered more pigs than you lot have ever seen women!"

The crowd erupted in another round of raucous laughter and flattery.

Just then, the courtyard gate was pushed open. Qiao Le walked in, carrying a bottle of wine and followed by his two subordinates, a smile on his face.

Hu San flinched and scrambled to his feet, his face breaking into an obsequious smile.

"Well, well, Brother! What auspicious wind has blown you here today?"

"Just missed you, brother," Qiao Le’s smile was even warmer than his. He shook the wine bottle in his hand. "I just came by a bottle of fine wine and thought I’d come share a few cups with you."

"That’s wonderful! Brother, please, have a seat!" Hu San enthusiastically guided Qiao Le to the seat of honor. "Thanks to you, it looks like we brothers are in for a good drink tonight!"

Qiao Le didn’t stand on ceremony, sitting down and personally pouring Hu San a full cup of wine.

The two went back and forth, trading drinks and making small talk about trivial matters. It was as if Qiao Le had really come over just to drink and catch up with Hu San.

After several rounds of drinks and courses of food...

Qiao Le set down his chopsticks and let out a long sigh, a look of helplessness on his face.

"Brother," he began, "I actually came today because there’s something I need to trouble you with."

Hearing this, Hu San slapped his chest. THUMP! THUMP! "Brother, what are you talking about? If you have something to ask, just say the word! If I so much as hesitate, then I’m not my mother’s son!"

Qiao Le smiled. "It’s nothing major, really. It’s just that I’ve been given an assignment, and I need your cooperation."

"An assignment? You need my cooperation?" Hu San’s hand, holding his wine bowl, paused mid-air. He seemed a bit stunned.

Qiao Le’s smile didn’t waver as he said slowly, "The old well in Old Locust Tree Alley... I wonder if you know of it, brother?"

The moment he said this, the color drained from Hu San’s face.

He tried his best to hide it, raising his wine bowl and taking a large swig, but the panic in his eyes could never escape the notice of a man like Qiao Le, who had spent half his life in government service.

He knew he had him.

Meanwhile, Hu San forced a laugh. "Of course I know Old Locust Tree Alley. But what’s that well got to do with me?"

"We’ll find out if there’s a connection once we get there." Qiao Le’s smile faded. "So, you’ll have to take a trip with me, brother."

Hu San’s heart sank. He knew he’d been found out.

He tried to leap to his feet, but his body suddenly went limp. The world spun around him. He couldn’t stand, he couldn’t even find the strength to lift his hand.

"You... in the wine..."

Qiao Le smiled faintly and tapped the now-empty wine bottle lightly on the table.

"Did you really think my wine was so easy to drink?"

Then he jutted his chin toward his two subordinates, who had remained silent by the door the entire time.

"Tie him up!"