Chapter 147

A leaky attic, a rotting bed; warped floorboards, peeling walls.

Yin Meng sat on a wobbly stool, surveying her VIP room.

She knew very well that if she were to enter the spirit world now, she would see a magnificent, opulent scene. But she was afraid to enter the spirit world now; each brief foray into it caused her a hammering pain, as if her head were being chiseled with a nail hammer.

Outside the attic, two maidservants stood. They wouldn't be difficult to evade; she could simply climb down the other side to bypass them. However, although this area was at the edge of the palace, it was still covered by various mechanisms. More importantly, even if she left now, she wouldn't know where to find her companions.

Left with no other choice, she took out some powder from her backpack—a substance with weak toxicity but strong reaction. After breaking off a piece of wood in the room, she sprinkled the powder onto it and rubbed it in.

"Crackling, crackling..."

Red and blue smoke rose up.

She placed the wood on the windowsill. Rather than running around aimlessly, it was better to send a signal and wait patiently.

Indeed, she didn't wait long. In the distance, she saw Tan Wenbin and an unfamiliar middle-aged man approaching, accompanied by the shadowy figure of an eunuch. The eunuch sent away the two shadowy maidservants downstairs.

Xiong Shan remained below, while Tan Wenbin ran up.

"Oh, look at our Meng Meng's private villa!"

Yin Meng rolled her eyes at him, slung her hiking backpack over her shoulder, and asked, "Can we go now?"

"Wait a bit. First, give me all the incense you brought for Runsheng from your bag. I have something to take care of."

Yin Meng took out two boxes from her bag and handed them to him.

"What do you need to do?"

"Prepare some generous gifts, pull some strings, and use a backdoor."

"Who is that person downstairs?"

"That's Eunuch Wang. He's a good man, and he's from your hometown, Shu. His family committed a crime when he was young, and after their property was confiscated, he was sent to the palace and castrated to become an eunuch."

"You know I wasn't asking about him."

"His name is Xiong Shan. He's not one of us."

"I see."

Tan Wenbin put away the items, waved his hand, and said, "Alright, wait a little longer. I'll be back soon."

Downstairs, Eunuch Wang led Tan Wenbin away. Xiong Shan remained standing downstairs and didn't go up.

Not long after, Tan Wenbin returned, accompanied not only by Eunuch Wang but also by a senior eunuch dressed in red robes. This senior eunuch was older but had fairer skin, exuding an air of elegance and composure. The original Eunuch Wang, beside the senior eunuch, was cautious and had a fawning expression.

Xiong Shan genuinely felt that the young man named Tan in the youth team was very unusual. He seemed unassuming and a bit unreliable, yet he managed to achieve extraordinary results every time. He himself was a team leader, and from a team-building perspective, even if his comrades Lao Er and Lao San hadn't met with misfortune, his team truly lacked someone like Tan. Sometimes, not every problem had to be solved through force.

Xiong Shan suddenly smiled self-deprecatingly. What was the point of thinking about these things now? The deaths of Lao Er and Lao San had completely shattered his already tattered defenses. Now, he only wished to safely navigate this current challenge so he could "light the lamp a second time" and retire from the jianghu.

Tan Wenbin led the senior eunuch over. As they walked, the senior eunuch said: "Xiao Binzi, I trust you, that's why I'm willing to help you out. I'm a pitiable person too; not only did I lose my 'root,' but I also lost my life early. Whether you fulfill your promises afterwards will depend entirely on your conscience, Xiao Binzi."

Tan Wenbin: "Rest assured, Godfather!"

Xiong Shan: "..."

Yin Meng was called down. The senior eunuch accompanied them to the dilapidated palace. Upon his arrival, he immediately dismissed all the nearby maidservants and junior eunuchs, making the surroundings instantly deserted.

Tan Wenbin lit a thin stick of incense and stuck it into the ground, saying, "Brother Wang, you can 'smoke' this first." Next, Tan Wenbin lit a thick stick of incense, held it up, and brought it close to the senior eunuch, saying, "Godfather, please 'smoke' this."

"Just stick it in the ground; no need to tire yourself out."

"Heh, there's nothing else to do anyway. Just showing you my filial piety."

"You scoundrel, have you ever served your own father with such diligence?"

"I have, you just haven't seen it. When I was a kid, every time I made a mistake and my tutor called my dad in for a talk, I'd be incredibly diligent at home, washing clothes and mopping floors. When my dad came back, I'd practically kneel at the door to change his wooden clogs."

"Hehehe." The senior eunuch laughed. Little Eunuch Wang, who was squatting nearby "eating" the incense, also laughed.

"Put it down. Let's sit and 'eat' it slowly. It's always more satisfying to 'eat' by yourself than to be fed by others."

"Alright."

Tan Wenbin stuck the thick incense stick into the ground. Then, he took out rubbing alcohol from his bag, poured it into plastic cups, and placed a cup in front of each person. Little Eunuch Wang eagerly took a "sip" from the air; his translucent face actually flushed red, and he looked as if he were floating in bliss.

Seeing this, the senior eunuch spat at him, "Useless fellow." Immediately, the senior eunuch "ate" some incense and then "drank" some alcohol: "Hiss, Xiao Binzi, this alcohol of yours is truly strong."

Little Eunuch Wang immediately nodded in agreement.

"Rest assured, Godfather, you'll never be without this drink during festivals and holidays." As he spoke, Tan Wenbin secretly winked at Little Eunuch Wang, signaling that he would also get some. Little Eunuch Wang secretly returned an "understood" smile.

"Ah, when I was alive, I always thought this blood food was so important. After I was castrated and entered the palace, I still had to take good care of my brothers' families, only hoping that my nephews and nieces would remember some of my kindness later on, and at least save a mouthful for me when they made offerings to their own parents. Now that I'm dead, it's just like this. Although it wasn't a case of 'a person's death is like a lamp extinguishing,' dead is dead. There's nothing to worry about anymore."

"Godfather, what you're saying isn't right. Favors received should be repaid. Although I'm not yet married, I do have a sweetheart. In the future, when I have children, and my children have children... when we cool off on summer nights, telling strange tales to the children, your experiences, Godfather, will naturally be an indispensable part of them."

"Hahahahaha." The senior eunuch was amused again. "Alright, since you've called me Godfather, and it's rare to encounter a godson with 'that,' when you get married in the future, your Godfather will also have to give a gift."

Tan Wenbin immediately rubbed his hands together and leaned forward, "Oh, you old man, you actually have a trick up your sleeve?"

"Of course." The senior eunuch glanced at Tan Wenbin. "When they were buried with the deceased, they were all thrown into a live pit. Some maidservants were even confined there and starved to death. But I'm different. When I was buried, I had a coffin. When you dig up my remains later, remember to smash open a hidden compartment in the coffin; there's quite a bit of gold, silver, and jewels inside."

"As an elder's gift, I dare not refuse. After I dig up those treasures, I'll first build you a tomb. As for the rest, ninety percent I'll donate to the village for building bridges and paving roads. The remaining ten percent will be considered your contribution. Once your memorial tablet is made, I'll bring my fiancée to pay our respects to you first."

The senior eunuch asked doubtfully, "Only keeping ten percent, isn't that too little? Although your Godfather I hid some, I didn't hide too much. The burial came suddenly, and I didn't have time to sell off those estates and shops. Although your father is an yamen runner, he's only in Moling. His family assets are probably just so-so, right? What kind of person is your father?"

"Upright and incorruptible."

"Then that's it. Just a poor ghost."

"Not necessarily."

"What profession will you pursue in the future?"

"Water conservancy projects."

"What? You'll have to perform corvée labor on the riverbanks?"

"Uh..." Tan Wenbin scratched his head. "It's a matter that benefits the country and the people."

"You certainly have ambition. You're a good child."

"You flatter me, Godfather."

Most of the maidservants and eunuchs here, including the Yuan soldiers and knights who appeared earlier, actually didn't know they were dead. They still believed they were alive and performing their duties from when they lived. A person of the senior eunuch's rank, who knew he was dead, was already at the "top" among these buried sacrificial victims. However, like the Unseeables, he possessed basic but still limited cognitive abilities. If you told him how many years had passed outside or what era it was, they wouldn't be able to comprehend. After all, they were *chang*, bound by their nature.

This was also why Xie Shun'an was able to deceive the ancestors of the three families into condensing such potent and immense curse power. Their self-awareness clearly knew that their descendants had made mistakes, and they were willing to actively use curses to punish them. However, the limitations of their minds prevented them from perceiving or understanding what terrifying disaster such immense curse power would bring to the human world now; it was no longer as simple as just punishing the three families or wiping them out.

Xiong Shan stood nearby, watching Tan Wenbin chatting so animatedly with the two ghost eunuchs, and found it incredibly strange. Yin Meng stood by, not feeling surprised at all. Everyone in the team, including Little Yuan, acknowledged Zhuangzhuang's abilities. She sometimes worried that her role in the team wasn't as significant. It seemed her most important value currently still lay in her "Yin surname," as Little Yuan would definitely have to go to Fengdu Ghost City again in the future.

After this experience of being treated as a "guest of honor," Yin Meng couldn't help but feel a bit helpless: Even in her generation, the Yin family was still living off their ancestors' legacy.

Just then, a ripple seemed to pass through the air. The senior eunuch slowly raised his head, "Oh, a message has arrived." Soon after, a group of maidservants and eunuchs started walking towards them. Little Eunuch Wang got up and drove them away. After a while longer, even more maidservants and eunuchs arrived, and Little Eunuch Wang couldn't stop them anymore. The senior eunuch glared at them and let out a heavy cough, "Get lost." The maidservants and eunuchs scattered like birds and