Chapter 31 (1/2)

Translator: Atlas Studios

Editor: Atlas Studios

After a simple breakfast, Chen Hao began to get busy.

Wei Xiuhong had promised to come to see Li Meng, so he had to make some preparations.

After all, Li Meng wasn’t able to show his form before humans yet, so he needed to use some means to help Wei Xiuhong see him. Or, separated by life and death, she wouldn’t be able to see anything. How was she going to believe that a ghost was standing in front of her?

There were varied rumored ways in different places to let ordinary people see ghosts. Chen Hao knew of a few such methods.

Dip a fresh willow leaf in moving water and cover one’s eyes with it, smearing one’s eyes with cow’s tears, tapping one’s eyes with cinnabar. There was also looking over your shoulder at night, burn incense papers while wearing a black robe at night, etc.

Never mind the more complicated methods. Chen Hao pondered for a moment and decided to prepare some willow leaves and cow’s tears. This folklore had been passed down for thousands of years, and in the past, Chen Hao might have felt dubious about this, but now he absolutely believed it.

But while willow leaves were fine, seeing as it was the season where they grew in abundance and could be seen everywhere.

As for cow’s tears… the only thing that could be found in the city was beef noodles.

Without a choice, he had to take a bus down to the village below Stone City.

After much walking and asking around, Chen Hao finally found a family that reared cows. But when Chen Hao asked for cow’s tears, the old farmer asked for money, and it wasn’t a small amount either—one hundred yuan for one teardrop.

Chen Hao nearly cussed at him.

Are you a robber! Even 500g of your beef isn’t worth a hundred yuan!

But the old farmer calmly expressed that this was the market price. That he had been doing business for a few years, and that he was honest with all customers.

Stunned, it was only after asking that Chen Hao found out that talk of ghosts and monsters were rather popular all these years. Someone in Stone City wanted to, in accordance with ancient folklore, see what a ghost looked like, and it happened that the old farmer had a nearly twenty-year-old ox that was rather famous. Hence, many youngsters came to buy from him, and they were rather generous too. As a result, within the short span of a few years, this cow’s tears—which used to be not worth even a single dime—rose to 20 yuan and subsequently even fetched an exorbitant price of 100 yuan.

Chen Hao gritted his teeth upon hearing this, silently cursing those youngsters who had no idea of danger.

But since he urgently needed the cow’s tears, and the effects of the ox were better, he could only spend this money.

After painfully parting with 500 yuan, the old farmer generously gave him an extra tear for free and also welcomed Chen Hao to patronize him again.

Patronize your head. No way am I coming back again.

After leaving with the cow’s tears, Chen Hao went to pluck some fresh willow branches by the riverside, and also retrieved the spring water from Stream Mountain, to be used later.

Looking at the time, it was already 2 pm, and there was no news from Wei Xiuhong yet. Could that woman have regretted it overnight? How can I let this happen?

Worried, Chen Hao dialed Wei Xiuhong’s number.

Wei Xiuhong very quickly answered it and said in her heavily accented Mandarin, “Master Chen, we’re reaching Stone City soon. Can you wait for us at the entrance of the Stone City police station?”

Chen Hao chuckled to himself.

Indeed, she didn’t trust him. Arranging the venue at the entrance of the police station, and once she discovered something was wrong, he wouldn’t be able to escape.

But he wasn’t a fraud, so he was fine meeting anywhere.

After agreeing, Chen Hao gave Zhou Gang a call and told him Wei Xiuhong was coming and that she asked to meet him at the entrance of the police station.

Zhou Gang laughed upon hearing this. “Seems like you don’t have credibility, Hao’zi. She doesn’t trust you.”

Chen Hao said, “Never mind if she trusts me or not. In any case, after I do a sending for Li Meng’s soul, we won’t be crossing paths again. Mm, just in case, Brother Zhou, you should join in, lest she suspects me.”

Zhou Gang readily agreed.

When he arrived at the entrance of the police station, Zhou Gang was already there waiting for him. At the sight of Chen Hao, he quickly came out to welcome him.