Chapter 28 – Shopping

At exactly 6 a.m., Zhang Xiuqi opened his eyes. However, he didn’t immediately get up today. Instead, he lay flat on the bed for about a minute before turning his head to glance at the person lying beside him. The man next to him was sleeping soundly, his posture somewhat unstable, curled up close to Zhang Xiuqi, legs slightly bent as if trying to form a half-circle.

If a psychological expert were present, they would likely point out that this sleeping posture indicated a lack of security. However, Zhang Xiuqi had no understanding of what “security” meant. He merely frowned slightly, feeling that he needed to do something. But after pondering for a long time, his incomplete soul couldn’t come up with any solution. Seeing that the person beside him showed no signs of waking, he slowly sat up and walked toward the bathroom.

He squeezed exactly two centimeters of toothpaste onto his brush, wrung out the towel until it no longer dripped before hanging it up, and ran the comb through his hair from root to tip. Even using the toilet followed a fixed routine. After meticulously completing his morning routine, Zhang Xiuqi stepped out of the bathroom and stood in the middle of the room. The room was much larger than the one he had lived in before, but he wasn’t entirely comfortable with it, mainly because the person he was with often disappeared from his sight. For Zhang Xiuqi, this wasn’t a good thing. In his extremely simple and not-so-bright mind, “not being able to find someone” was a source of great anxiety. If it wasn’t for the purpose of eliminating evil spirits, he wouldn’t leave the side of someone he was familiar with—previously, it had been his uncle, and now it was the man sleeping in the bed, the one who carried the Longhu Mountain Talisman Jade.

“Wei Yang,” he called out almost unconsciously. He knew the man’s name was Wei Yang, as his uncle had told him. But when he called out this name, he felt something flicker in his mind. Losing his Heavenly Soul didn’t kill him, nor did it interfere with the other souls in his body that controlled movement or learning. However, it did strip away his ability to perceive and express emotions. Zhang Xiuqi wasn’t stupid, but his body simply couldn’t retain what was known as “emotions.” He lacked joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure, and his reactions to the world around him were unusually slow. The remnants of emotions that remained became the things he needed to cling to.

These were “kill” and “follow”—kill any evil spirits he encountered and stay close to the people he was familiar with. These two emotions were equally important, but the Soul Stabilizing Formation would make the choice for him. Whenever his soul was relatively stable and his consciousness clear, the urge to kill would take precedence, driving him to eliminate evil spirits. When he was seriously injured and his consciousness muddled, he would instinctively return to the side of someone he knew, following them like a fledgling bird. To ensure Wei Yang would take in his nephew without worry, Zeng Jingxuan hadn’t told the young conman about this. As long as he returned in time, it wasn’t a big deal. However, Zeng Jingxuan hadn’t anticipated that, unconsciously, Zhang Xiuqi would make some changes on his own.

As if suddenly sensing something, Zhang Xiuqi lowered his head and looked down. At some point, Lao Ye had crawled to his feet and was now biting the hem of his pajama pants. Seemingly aware that his tenant had noticed him, Lao Ye let go of the crumpled pants and began waddling toward the balcony. After a couple of steps, he turned his head and let out a “Ah.”

Zhang Xiuqi silently followed the turtle into the small balcony, where Lao Ye had already placed his claw on the edge of his food bowl, patting it with a sense of urgency. It seemed that someone had been too drunk the previous night to prepare the turtle’s food.

Surprisingly, Zhang Xiuqi understood this level of communication. He bent down and asked, “Hungry?”

Lao Ye: “Ah!”

Zhang Xiuqi: “…”

Lao Ye: “…”

Both man and turtle turned their gaze toward the bed, where their caretaker was still curled up, fast asleep, showing no signs of waking up. Zhang Xiuqi glanced at the food bowl that Lao Ye was patting impatiently, walked over to the bed, and gave Wei Yang’s shoulder a push. The action wasn’t particularly gentle, but Wei Yang merely buried his head deeper into the sheets, muttering, “Don’t… let me sleep a bit longer…”

Zhang Xiuqi thought for a moment, then bent down and picked up the turtle at his feet, placing it on the bed. Lao Ye didn’t hold back, chomping down on the fleshiest part of his caretaker’s buttocks with a loud “Ow!”

“Fuck!” Wei Yang nearly rolled off the bed in pain, clutching his buttocks in shock. “Master, how did you get up here?! Brother Qi, did you put him on the bed?!”

Lao Ye: “Ah!”

Zhang Xiuqi: “Hungry.”

The Little Celestial Master pointed at the turtle, indicating that it was the one who was hungry. Wei Yang, faced with the duo, was utterly defeated. He scratched his head and struggled to get up. “I’m sorry, Lao Ye, please don’t bite me again. I’ll get your food right away…”

Grumbling as he rolled out of bed, Wei Yang fetched the turtle’s food and took the opportunity to educate the Little Celestial Master. “Brother Qi, this is Lao Ye’s food. He usually eats this, but sometimes I’ll give him some small fish or shrimp as a treat. I’ll keep the food in the cabinet. If he gets hungry, make sure to feed him, and don’t let him bite me again…”

After serving Lao Ye his meal, Wei Yang shuffled over to the refrigerator in his slippers and opened the door. “This is called a fridge. I’ll keep some prepared food in here from now on. If you’re hungry, you can come here to eat. So, do you want breakfast now?”

After assessing the state of his stomach, Zhang Xiuqi nodded. Wei Yang sighed. “The takeout here is pretty good, but there aren’t many breakfast options since it’s a new area. How about I go to the supermarket to stock up on some instant food, and we’ll make do with breakfast at home?”

The Little Celestial Master naturally had no objections to this suggestion. Wei Yang resignedly went to wash his face, grabbed his wallet, and prepared to head out. Seeing his actions, Zhang Xiuqi also changed his clothes, ready to accompany him. Wei Yang couldn’t help but ask, “Brother Qi, are you coming with me? Have you been to a supermarket before?”

Noticing that the other man showed no reaction to the word “supermarket,” Wei Yang chuckled wryly. “Seems like Master Zeng really kept you well-protected. Alright, let’s go to the supermarket together. You can help me carry some things.”

Between 7 and 8 a.m., the supermarket belonged to the domain of aunties and grannies, and even the new district supermarket was no exception. Wei Yang had never been to the supermarket at this hour and was immediately startled by the wave of bargain-hunting women. Awkwardly pulling Zhang Xiuqi away from the crowd, the two headed to the snack aisle, where they quickly picked up a bunch of junk food—crackers, chocolate pies, instant noodles—and a few bags of nougat. Then they made their way to the frozen food section, with Wei Yang chattering along the way. “Brother Qi, you can’t eat anything in the supermarket before paying. You have to check out first before you can eat. This nougat is really good. When I was a kid, my grandpa was worried I’d ruin my teeth and wouldn’t let me eat much of it. Now it’s like I’m making up for lost time. Later, I’ll bring a few extra pieces when we go out. If you’re hungry, you can snack on them. No one will notice…”

And it won’t ruin your cool, aloof image. Wei Yang swallowed the latter half of that sentence, smiling as he picked up several packs of frozen dumplings, custard buns, and other quick meals. Finally, at the prepared food section, he grabbed some soy milk and a few large meat buns before heading to the checkout counter, fully loaded. The checkout lanes were completely dominated by the bargain-hunting aunties, making the two young men stand out even more. A plump auntie behind Wei Yang couldn’t help but strike up a conversation. “Young man, you’re out shopping so early?”

“Yeah, just moved here, so I need to stock up on some essentials.” Wei Yang smiled harmlessly, the picture of a model young man.

This friendly demeanor was clearly more appealing to the aunties than Zhang Xiuqi’s icy expression. The plump auntie chuckled and asked, “Oh, you just moved here? Which neighborhood are you in?”

“Chaoyang Community.”

The moment these words left his mouth, they attracted a wave of surprised glances. The plump auntie’s mouth opened in shock before she quickly smiled again. “You moved at just the right time! There were rumors of hauntings there recently, but a Feng Shui master has already taken care of it!”

“I heard about that too. Was the master really that good?” Wei Yang asked with a smile, genuinely curious about how the story had spread.

“Oh, he was amazing! They say he caught a fierce ghost from Building 3! Dog blood was splattered all over the place! And that lotus formation in the fountain—wow, it really worked!” The auntie spoke with such enthusiasm it was as if she had witnessed it herself. Though Wei Yang couldn’t help but wonder why a Feng Shui master would have dog blood on hand.

It seemed that Director Chang and the others had done a good job replacing the previous security guards in the community. Wei Yang smiled politely. “That’s great. It makes us feel much safer living there.”

“Exactly! You’re really lucky!” The auntie’s tone shifted as she glanced curiously at Zhang Xiuqi. “By the way, is this young man your colleague?”

“He’s my cousin, staying with me for a few days.” Wei Yang’s expression didn’t change as he smoothly fabricated the story.

The auntie’s small eyes sparkled as she smiled sweetly. “You two don’t look much alike. He’s quite handsome. Are either of you seeing anyone? I have a lovely young lady next door who’d be a great match…”

As the casual conversation veered toward matchmaking, even Wei Yang, the young conman, began to feel overwhelmed. He quickly paid for the groceries and led Zhang Xiuqi out of the supermarket. Instead of heading home immediately, the two sat down on a stone bench outside, eating their breakfast of soy milk and buns. They finished their meal in no time, tossing the plastic bag into the trash. Wei Yang stretched lazily. “We’ve got the groceries. Let’s go home and get everything sorted. By the way, Brother Qi, do you have any plans for today? Are you going to keep drawing talismans? Maybe take a day off at home…”

Zhang Xiuqi had finished his meal neatly, barely getting any grease on his hands. Hearing Wei Yang’s question, he seemed to think for a moment before reaching into his pocket and pulling out something. “Out. Need to buy more.”

Wei Yang’s eyes fell on the object and he couldn’t help but twitch his mouth. In Zhang Xiuqi’s hand was a copper coin, an authentic one with traces of rust. Instantly recalling the scene when they had killed Yellow Husk, Wei Yang felt a mix of fear and curiosity as he reached out to take the coin, examining it carefully. “Does Longhu Mountain use these to trap evil spirits? So the Five Emperor Coins are really useful… Huh? This isn’t a Tongbao coin.”

What he held wasn’t a Tongbao coin but a Wuzhu coin. Wuzhu coins were first minted during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han. The ancient Chinese used characters to represent numbers, starting from one and ending at nine, with five representing the middle number and symbolizing the harmony of heaven, earth, and man. The coin itself was round on the outside and square on the inside, representing the concept of a round heaven and a square earth, embodying the “supreme virtue” of the universe. These Wuzhu coins were used from the Western Han Dynasty until the Tang Dynasty, when they were replaced by Kaiyuan Tongbao coins.

Most subsequent coins were inscribed with reign titles and labeled as Tongbao. In the Feng Shui world, the most famous coins are the Five Emperor Coins from the Qing Dynasty, consisting of coins from the reigns of Shunzhi, Kangxi, Yongzheng, Qianlong, and Jiaqing. It’s said that these five emperors were the most prosperous of the Qing Dynasty, embodying the three energies of heaven, earth, and man, along with the power of the five emperors and the coin’s own protective properties, making them effective in warding off disasters, attracting wealth, and blocking evil. Almost every Feng Shui shop sells them, and they’re among the most commonly counterfeited coins.

But why would a real Celestial Master use Wuzhu coins instead of Tongbao? Wei Yang stroked his chin and asked, “Brother Qi, do you only use Wuzhu coins, or do other coins work too?”

“They need to have energy.”

“So the coin needs to have energy? What about Kaiyuan Tongbao?”

The Tang Dynasty was no less prosperous than the Han Dynasty. Wuzhu coins began during Emperor Wu of Han, while Kaiyuan Tongbao emerged during Emperor Taizong of Tang. In terms of prosperity, the two dynasties were evenly matched. Zhang Xiuqi nodded, acknowledging this point. This was completely different from what Wei Yang had thought. If only coins from the prosperous eras of the Han and Tang Dynasties worked, then the Qing Dynasty, especially the Shunzhi era, couldn’t be considered prosperous. During that time, the Qing army had just entered China, and atrocities like the Jiading Massacre and the Yangzhou Massacre occurred. A “prosperous era” built on the deaths of tens of millions of people couldn’t possibly carry any positive energy—if it wasn’t cursed, it would already be a miracle. Could it be that the so-called “Five Emperor Coins” were just a marketing gimmick?

However, if they were looking for Wuzhu or Kaiyuan Tongbao coins from prosperous eras, it would be much easier than hunting for rare coins. In the collectors’ market, coins with limited mintages or those from transitional periods between dynasties were the most valuable and expensive. In contrast, coins from prosperous eras were produced in large quantities, and if one wasn’t picky about their condition, they could be bought for as little as five or ten yuan each. But the so-called “energy” of the coins clearly couldn’t be determined by their appearance alone.

Wei Yang tossed the coin in his hand and smiled. “If we’re picking coins, then the street markets are probably the best place to go. Brother Qi, tomorrow is Saturday. I’ll take you to check out the Ghost Market.”