Chapter 21: Holding Your Hand, Infusing the Azure Spirit with Qi

Even though Lu Chengfeng was a martial artist, he felt a chill down his spine. He turned and glared fiercely at the broker, thinking, "Since this fellow is a local expert in this area, how could he not know about this?"

"Uh, I... I forgot about that..."

"Hmph!"

The clerk glanced at him and spoke:

"Actually, our yamen specifically investigated this residence to catch the culprit, but we found nothing. We even invited eminent monks and Taoists to perform rituals. As for the true nature of this house, opinions vary. As a humble clerk, I'm merely fulfilling my duty by informing you."

Having said this, the clerk stroked his beard and looked at Lu Chengfeng.

"Young Master Lu, do you still wish to purchase this residence?"

Lu Chengfeng hesitated. Since the house was suspected of being severely ominous, it naturally couldn't be bought. Even the official records noted these details. If it were truly haunted, buying it would surely bring harm to Mr. Ji!

"Ah, since it's an ominous house, then I..."

Wait!

Lu Chengfeng paused mid-sentence, suddenly remembering who he was purchasing the residence for.

That was Mr. Ji, the eminent master who compelled the Tiger Demon of Niu Kui Mountain to kneel in reverence, seeking his guidance! What an incredible and powerful figure!

Then he suddenly recalled Mr. Ji's words from when he decided to buy the residence: "Why not buy such an affordable and elegant home? It's just a bit dusty; a good clean-up will make it perfect!"

"A bit dusty? A good clean-up?"

If the so-called ominous house were genuinely haunted, could Mr. Ji not perceive it? If it's not, then there's certainly no issue at all!

"Master Clerk, I will still purchase this residence. However, it is not for my own habitation, but for my esteemed teacher."

The clerk gazed at him with a hint of surprise. The other yamen runner in the room also couldn't conceal his astonishment, though the broker secretly rejoiced.

"Young Master Lu, have you considered this thoroughly? Since it's for your esteemed teacher, you should deliberate even more carefully! Are you... certain you wish to proceed with the purchase?"

"Master Clerk, please rest assured, I understand the implications!"

The clerk shook his head, offering no further persuasion. He had fulfilled his duty, and after all, there was no concrete evidence for the house being ominous. He then gestured towards the brush on the pen stand and the inkstone beside it.

"Very well. Young Master Lu, please sign the household registry on behalf of your esteemed teacher, and then remit 36 taels of silver!"

Lu Chengfeng said nothing more. He took the brush, dipped it lightly in ink, and then signed two characters in the registry. After returning the brush to its place, he handed over three 10-tael silver notes and one 5-tael silver note from a local bank, along with a one-tael silver ingot.

The clerk took the money, meticulously examining the silver notes and weighing the ingot before placing the funds in his drawer. He then turned to the registry, where the name "Ji Yuan" was neatly inscribed. Upon reflection, he realized there was no one by that name among the nine tiger-slayers.

"Very well. Young Master Lu, please wait a moment while I retrieve the house deed and land deed."

The clerk stood, searching among the large bookshelves behind him according to their labels. He then retrieved a stack of paper documents from a wooden box, located the deed for that residence, and turned to hand it to Lu Chengfeng.

"Here, please keep these safe!"

"Thank you, Master Clerk!"

After thanking him, Lu Chengfeng took the deed and quickly scanned it. All official seals, document annotations, and detailed regulations were present.

"Here, this is your commission: one tael and eighteen zhu of silver."

The clerk pushed the silver and a small pile of copper coins to the corner of the desk, where a small scale also sat.

"Ah, yes, thank you! Thank you!"

Unable to suppress his smile, the broker quickly took his commission from the clerk's hand and, without weighing it, slipped it into his money pouch.

If a transaction was completed, the commission, paid by the seller, would be higher for more expensive residences, up to a maximum of ten taels. If a deal didn't materialize, the broker would only receive a small fee from the buyer for his services as a guide.

Shortly after, Lu Chengfeng and the broker exited the yamen office where the clerk worked. The broker, fearing Lu Chengfeng would settle accounts with him, immediately scurried away.

"Hmph, just a common scoundrel!"

Watching the fleeing figure, Lu Chengfeng snorted coldly. He had indeed wanted to kick him a moment ago, but the fellow had scurried away faster than a loach, causing even a martial artist like him to miss the opportunity. Chasing him down for a beating now would be beneath his dignity.

***

The Cloud-Come Inn, a highly regarded establishment in Ning'an County, was conveniently located near the City God Temple and the bustling market. It was lively during the day and peaceful at night. The nine young heroes and Ji Yuan each occupied a superior room.

Ji Yuan was currently seated in his room, window open, idly listening to the lively hustle and bustle outside.

Having been in this world for several days now, Ji Yuan still felt quite lonely.

While Lu Chengfeng, Yan Fei, and the others were good companions, he neither wished nor was able to stay with them indefinitely. Ji Yuan had quietly consulted several doctors in the city, all of whom admitted they were helpless regarding his vision problem. As for the immortal destiny he had hoped for, there was currently no sign.

He could, however, ponder matters related to martial arts. After all, Lu Chengfeng and the others truly possessed martial arts skills, unlike the fabricated historical dramas he'd seen on television in his previous life; their movements were genuinely sharp, and they could literally scale walls.

Yet, in the eyes of outsiders, he was blind, and in the minds of these companions, he was a reclusive master. How could he ask for secret manuals or seek guidance?

It seemed somewhat inappropriate.

Still in a daze, Ji Yuan's thoughts returned to the game of chess at Lan Ke. "Why did I stumble upon it? If I hadn't gone in then, if I hadn't foolishly played that central piece, would things have been different...?"

"Zzzzt..."

Amidst an imperceptible hum from within his body, his arm tingled as if electrified, similar to the jolt one feels when accidentally hitting an elbow, the numbness spreading directly to his index and middle fingertips.

A faint, ethereal image of a chess piece appeared at his fingertips, accompanied by a subtle electrical sensation.

"Holy crap!"

Ji Yuan blurted out a curse, his spirits suddenly soaring. The miraculous phenomena that had occurred after Lu Shanjun's departure were still fresh in his memory.

In the past few days since coming down the mountain, he had secretly attempted to replicate the effect countless times, even mimicking Spider-Man trying to shoot webs and striking various comical poses, all to no avail. He never expected it to reappear now.

But the question was, what could this actually do? Could it perhaps open up his *Ren* and *Du* meridians?

Unfortunately, no magical 'word becomes law' effect materialized. Ji Yuan felt no physical changes, nor did he succeed in unblocking any meridians or vital energy pathways.

However, a gentle breeze gradually stirred within the room, as if subtle currents were being drawn in from beyond the window.

Ji Yuan suddenly disregarded the soreness and half-opened his eyes. He observed faint, almost imperceptible wisps of green spiritual energy emerging around the illusory chess piece on his right fingertip.

Coupled with the faint breeze in the room, Ji Yuan, as if realizing something, turned to look out the window, occasionally catching sight of faint threads of green spiritual energy drifting in.

His gaze returned to his fingertips. The green spiritual energy formed a tiny vortex around the illusory chess piece, and the subtle breeze within the room gradually intensified, causing curtains and other items to gently sway.

At this moment, Ji Yuan's entire attention and focus were on the changes being induced. At a certain point of intuitive enlightenment, a thought sparked in his mind, and all the green energy instantly streamed into the chess piece.

"Thump, thump, thump..." "Mr. Ji, it's Chengfeng. I'm back from the county office!"

Startled by the knocking, Ji Yuan's concentration wavered, and the chess piece in his hand dissolved back into his fingertips, vanishing from sight.

Ji Yuan was still staring blankly at his fingers, immersed in the recent wonder. He wasn't particularly annoyed by the interruption; if it could happen once, it could certainly happen again.

"Mr. Ji, are you in there?"

Lu Chengfeng repeated his question from the doorway. Ji Yuan finally responded, turning his head to answer.

"Come in!"

Outside, Lu Chengfeng pushed open the door to the room, but froze before even stepping inside.

He felt as if a special aura had swept over him, leaving a brief, electrified tingling sensation on his body.

The fresh breeze circulating the room had not yet completely dispersed. Ji Yuan's right arm rested with his elbow on the table, his hand forming a relaxed 'sword-finger' gesture. The curtains in the room undulated, and the brush hanging on the desk swayed. The gentle wind seemed to encircle him, then quickly faded after Lu Chengfeng opened the door, leaving the room calm.

As the room gradually quieted, Lu Chengfeng found that even his own mind began to settle. With each breath, he felt his body become light and comfortable. He remained standing in the doorway, motionless, for quite some time.

Ji Yuan was still savoring the feeling from earlier. After the chess piece re-integrated into his body, he felt a profound sense of comfort throughout his limbs and bones, akin to a weary person having just completed a full massage. He then finally noticed that the dazed Lu Chengfeng still hadn't entered the room.

"Young Master Lu, why are you just standing there at the doorway?"

"Uh, Sir, is it convenient for me to enter now?"

"What inconvenience could there be?"

Ji Yuan was quite certain that the main transformations involving the chess piece had dissipated the moment the knocking started. Therefore, Lu Chengfeng would have, at most, only seen some wind, which was inconsequential, especially since the window was open.

"Oh, right, Mr. Ji, I've already purchased that residence for you. Here are the house deed, land deed, and keys."

Lu Chengfeng entered the room and took out the paper documents, the contract, and the copper lock keys from his inner pocket.

Ji Yuan, however, was somewhat distracted, meticulously savoring the sensation in his body while simultaneously examining the densely packed text, official clauses, and large red seal on the land and house deeds, as well as his own name prominently displayed on the documents.

From his previous life until now, this was the very first house Ji Yuan had ever purchased for himself.