Chapter 27: Shopping
As it turned out, Jiang Hong's premonition was quite accurate.
He Jian asked, "How much is this?"
"That's a meteoric iron ring, capable of capturing various iron-made magical treasures. It costs 126,000. The maker is unknown. Once infused with spiritual power, it can generate a strong electromagnetic effect. Depending on the user's spiritual power, it can attract items weighing up to a ton."
The shopkeeper, a boy who looked like a middle school student wearing glasses, seemed a bit nervous and said softly, "If you really want it, I can make it a bit cheaper."
"And this?" Jin picked up a hand drum and asked.
"That's made from leopard cat skin," the boy explained, "It can break the illusions of the fox demon clan. It's made by a demon magical treasure artisan."
Jiang Hong, suddenly recalling what he learned in his magical treasure class, excitedly asked, "Because the leopard cat is a natural enemy of foxes?"
"Yes... yes," the boy replied, shrinking back a bit. "It's 220,000. It's on consignment, so no discount, please... don't try to activate it. It's very loud and could scare the other treasures."
Zhang Xiting noticed the boy's name, "Wang Leqin," written on a middle school exam paper on the counter.
"Isn't there an adult running the store?" Zhang Xiting picked up a dish to examine.
"Grandpa went to play chess with the leaders," Wang Leqin pushed his glasses up and said, "He won't be back for a while. You can look around first."
The store looked like a cluttered antique shop, with no price tags on anything. Jiang Hong and his roommates browsed for a while. He Jian picked up a cloak and asked, "What about this? How does it work?"
Wang Leqin stood up and said, "That's the 'Qingyang Fenglun,' a Qing Dynasty magical treasure made by Li Sheng. It can disperse light temporarily. I don't know the price; I have to ask Grandpa."
The cloak was woven with intricate patterns, and He Jian seemed to like it, saying, "Please ask."
Wang Leqin texted on his phone. Jin picked up a pestle and asked, "How does this work?"
Without looking up, Wang Leqin replied, "The 'Wuji Tianchu' must be used with the 'Hunyuan Bowl.' They're a set and can mix two things that can't normally be combined, like water and fire. But the result is very unstable and prone to explode. It's part of Liu An of Huainan's collection, and it's expensive."
Jiang Hong curiously looked at the bowl in Jin's hand, which also had a circle of unique runes around the edge.
"What about this?" Jiang Hong asked.
Wang Leqin replied, "That's my grandpa's back-scratching rake... not a magical treasure. But you can buy it if you want... twenty-five yuan."
Jiang Hong put the back-scratching rake back and then asked, "And this wind chime?"
Wang Leqin said, "Don't shake it, it's just a regular Ghost Summoning Bell, made by an intern at the Exorcism Commission. It’s been blessed by the great demon-subduing master, Chi Xiaoduo, and has a 65% chance of summoning ghosts, but what kind you'll get is random."
Pointing at an antique, hemispherical object, Jiang Hong asked, "And what about this?"
Wang Leqin: "That's the store's surveillance camera..."
Jiang Hong: "..."
Jiang Hong couldn’t tell what was a talisman and what wasn’t, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"Ah! I want everything!" He Jian looked around, visiting a talisman general store for the first time, wishing he could buy the whole store.
"I'll take this," Jin said, holding a set of medicine bowls and a pestle.
Wang Leqin hummed in response. He Jian had already set his sights on a cloak, and after a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xiting put down the wind chime and asked, "Do you have any artifacts with a talisman spirit?"
Wang Leqin replied, "Yes, just a moment."
Wang Leqin took out a key from the drawer. Jiang Hong remembered from his talisman class that some talismans, after absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth over time, develop a 'spirit' or consciousness. Some talisman makers even seal souls with certain powers into their creations during the process—most of these souls are evil, serving both as punishment for captured demons and as a way for these souls to atone for their sins.
These talismans were said to be extremely rare and capable of communicating with their owners... each one a priceless treasure.
Then, Wang Leqin opened the door to the back room and turned on the light.
As the light came on, hundreds of talismans on different shelves shouted out all at once.
"Is there a customer?!"
"A customer is here! Choose me! Choose me—! Pick me!"
"Buy me! You won't regret it!"
"Pick me! Hey!"
Jiang Hong: "............"
"Stop making noise," Wang Leqin said to the room full of magical artifacts.
The artifacts then quieted down in unison.
Jiang Hong thought to himself, what kind of madness is this! It's utterly spine-chilling. Where are the rare treasures they talked about? The room is full of prayer wheels, books, paintings, bells, and all sorts of jars and pots, all arguing with each other.
"Choose me," a hoarse voice said from the corner, "Hey, kids, I'm good value for money, you won't regret it!"
It was Jiang Hong's first time hearing someone describe something as "good value for money."
Zhang Xiting: "Uh..."
Wang Leqin weakly said, "Do you see anything you like? I can explain them to you."
Zhang Xiting clearly had no interest in buying, nor in hearing any introductions, but since they had already opened the storage room, it felt rude not to say anything, so he asked Jiang Hong, "Jiang Hong, do you see anything you like?"
Jiang Hong thought: I want everything, but they're all so expensive! Even if I worked myself to death, I couldn't afford these artifacts!
"Buy me!" One of the artifacts heard the name "Jiang Hong" and called out with a hoarse voice, "Jiang Hong! Jiang Hong! I'm destined for you..."
Wang Leqin said, "Don't call the customers by name, you'll scare them away."
A bronze lantern at the bottom shelf started to scream like a parrot. Hearing it, the other artifacts joined in, shouting "choose me, choose me" and "take me home," creating a cacophony that made everyone's head spin in the small, less than five-square-meter storage room.
"Hmm..." Jiang Hong said, "Let me think."
Even Wang Leqin was getting annoyed and turned off the light. The light had a strange effect; as soon as it was off, the roomful of artifacts quieted down.
Zhang Xiting said, "I'll just choose that wind chime."
Now, it was only Jiang Hong who hadn't made a purchase. Wang Leqin then asked Jiang Hong, "Brother, what about you?"
Jiang Hong: "Uh... I'd like to ask, what's the cheapest artifact here?"
Jiang Hong didn't have much money; his parents only gave him twenty thousand for living expenses, which was already quite a lot.
"Oh," Wang Leqin wasn't surprised and said, "The cheapest one is that bronze lamp we saw earlier, for fifteen thousand eight hundred. Apart from being able to talk, it has no other functions..."
Wang Leqin turned and entered the storeroom, turning on the light again. The bronze lamp burst into laughter: "Kid! You finally came back!"
Jiang Hong: "What about the second cheapest?"
Wang Leqin: "The second cheapest is this one, let me show you..."
Bronze Lamp: "Young man, you won't go wrong choosing me..."
Jiang Hong: "Hmm, I think I'll take a look at the second cheapest one."
Wang Leqin walked into the shop and pulled out an old keyboard from under the counter.
Nobody found it odd because of Jiang Hong's limited budget, and they all gathered around the keyboard.
Jiang Hong twitched the corner of his mouth: "Are you sure this is a magical artifact? Isn't this a Little Tyrant learning machine?"
"This was made by Director Dou Kuan of the Qiwei Committee during his internship," said Wang Leqin, holding the Little Tyrant learning machine keyboard with a cassette slot, "Back in the day, as an intern, he created such an earth-shattering, ghost-crying magical artifact..."
Zhang Xiting: "Can we skip the unnecessary introductions?"
Wang Leqin weakly replied: "He asked to be introduced this way... Combining ancient magical artifact craftsmanship with modern computer science, the entire keyboard itself is a magical artifact. Nineteen thousand yuan, quite practical, you can use the keyboard to cast some simple spells."
Everyone: "......"
"…The specific operation is like this: you point the keyboard at an enemy, press 'Space', and it will bounce the enemy one meter away. Point it at something, hold 'CTRL' + 'C', then turn the keyboard around and press 'CTRL' + 'V'. This will create a shadow copy within a five-meter radius. Press 'DEL' to delete the shadow..."
Jiang Hong: "................"
"...Press 'ESC', and you can bounce yourself one meter away. If you hold 'ESC', you can keep moving backward at a speed of 0.8 meters per second, but there's a delay. Occasionally, you need to let go for a while. It's a practical combat magical artifact."
Zhang Xiting: "And then? After getting close to an opponent, does pressing 'Enter' activate some evil function?"
Wang Leqin: "You're thinking too much. The other keys are useless; Dou Kuan only developed these few functions. If you have a magical artifact master, you could try further development."
He Jian: "What's the use of this! Sorry, I just want to say, can't you just run with your legs? 0.8 meters per second is slower than walking. Do I really need to press 'ESC' to bounce and run?"
Wang Leqin: "Yes, but it's only nineteen thousand, which is quite cheap."
Jiang Hong now faced a tough choice between a talking bronze lamp priced at fifteen thousand eight hundred and becoming a legendary keyboard warrior.
Everyone watched Jiang Hong.
"Shall I take out that bronze lamp and show it to you again?" Wang Leqin said weakly.
Nobody offered to lend Jiang Hong money because he hadn't asked for it himself.
"Apart from talking," Jiang Hong said, "does that lamp have any other use?"
Zhang Xiting: "Like, for instance, consulting about history or some experiences?"
Wang Leqin pushed his glasses up and said, "Unfortunately, yes. It's been locked up in a tomb since it was created, so it doesn't know anything. After being dug up, it spent most of its time in the storeroom, but it's really energetic..."
Jin: "What's the spirit of the magical artifact inside?"
Wang Leqin: "I don't know, even it doesn't know what it is."
"It's probably a parrot," He Jian said, "That voice is definitely like a noisy parrot."
Wang Leqin shrugged, making a helpless gesture.
The light in the storeroom was still on, and the bronze lamp shouted again, "Choose me! Kid! You won't go wrong listening to me!"
Jiang Hong: "Then I'll come back another time."
Wang Leqin: "Okay."
Bronze Lamp: "I'll tell you a secret! I know where the treasure is, don't close the door!"
"Let me calculate the total cost for you," Wang Leqin said, bringing a calculator, "The Wind Chime Nightwalker is ninety thousand, um... the Sunlit Cloak is one million one hundred and fifty thousand, the Supreme Sky Mace and the Primal Earth Bowl together are two million two hundred thousand..."
"Do you have Soul-Separating Powder?" Jin asked.
"The shop next door sells it," Wang Leqin replied, "That's a specialty material store. The third one to the left is for weapons, and the fourth is for pills. You guys must be really wealthy, all A-grade Demon Hunters, right?"
No one answered. Wang Leqin finished calculating and said, "That's a total of three million four hundred and forty thousand, after the discount it's three million two thousand seven hundred. Cash or card? Pay together or separately?"
The three roommates each took out their cards. Wang Leqin gestured for them to wait and bent down to get the POS machine from under the counter.
"I need to calculate this again..."
So expensive! Jiang Hong thought, that's like spending the cost of a house. Are the expenses of a Demon Hunter really this high?
Zhang Xiting said, "They are wealthy, but I don't have much money. Many Demon Hunters don't have much savings."
Jiang Hong and Zhang Xiting stood at the door chatting. Jiang Hong pondered for a long time. Buying a magical artifact would mean spending all his living expenses, but what about his end-of-term project?
Zhang Xiting asked, "Are you really not going to buy one? I can lend you some money."
Jiang Hong: "If I spend twenty thousand to buy a second-hand Little Tyrant learning machine, my dad will kill me!"
"You can come over for the lottery now," Wang Leqin called out from behind the counter.
"You guys go ahead," Zhang Xiting said, "I only contributed a small amount, so I won't join in."
He Jian suggested, "Jiang Hong, how about you?"
"No, no," Jiang Hong replied, "You guys go ahead, I didn’t buy anything."
Jiang Hong understood He Jian's intention to gift him a magical artifact, at least to have something for the end-of-term submission.
He Jian said, "If it weren't for you bringing us here, we wouldn’t have been able to buy anything. Come on."
Jiang Hong hesitated, and Jin said, "You draw first and see, if it’s good, then give it to He Jian."
Zhang Xiting said, "If you draw something you like, use it first. You can always pay him back later."
Jiang Hong thought to himself, that's right, maybe He Jian doesn't need it. I can use it first and then gradually pay him back.
"Alright," Jiang Hong said with a smile, "Here I come."
"Do you want to play ring toss or draw a lottery?" Wang Leqin asked, "The magical artifacts for the lottery, um... are nothing particularly good. Just a heads up, the lottery always has a prize, guaranteed."
"Let's go for ring toss," Zhang Xiting suggested, "We can see what’s available first."
"Give me a moment to set up," Wang Leqin said.
Wang Leqin then went inside to fetch the magical treasures and displayed them outside the shop. As soon as the treasures saw the sunlight, they started shouting and yelling again.
The bronze lamp exclaimed, "Kid! Listen to me!"
Twenty-four magical treasures were lined up about ten meters away, except for the bronze lamp which was placed less than a meter away, still yelling wildly.
"I know your name is Jiang Hong—"
Jiang Hong, holding a ring, stood at the ring toss spot.
Everyone: "…………"
Wang Leqin advised, "Whichever one you loop, that's the one you get."
Jiang Hong, in frustration, said, "How am I supposed to toss this? Aren’t you just forcing me to choose this lamp?!"
The bronze lamp cried out, "I've been locked up here for nearly ten years..."
Jiang Hong asked, "Is it still possible to switch to a raffle?"
Wang Leqin replied, "Yes, just give me a moment."
Wang Leqin went inside and brought out a box filled with folded slips of paper, shook it, and said, "Draw one, will you?"
"I have a bad feeling about this," Jiang Hong told them.
"Just draw," He Jian and Jin encouraged him together.
Jiang Hong then picked a slip of paper and unfolded it to see: [Fourth Prize].
"Wow," Wang Leqin pushed up his glasses and announced, "Congratulations to the buyer for winning the fourth prize!"
Jiang Hong asked, "What's the lowest prize?"
Wang Leqin bowed, picked up the bronze lamp, and presented it to Jiang Hong: "You have won this bronze lamp, truly a lucky prize! Congratulations!"
Jiang Hong: "……"
The bronze lamp exclaimed, "Finally! Finally! Kid! You see, it's fate..."
Wang Leqin said, "Let me give you a talisman as well. Stick it on, and it will quiet down."
As he spoke, Wang Leqin slapped a yellow talisman onto the lamp, and the shouting of the bronze lamp abruptly ceased.
"All done," Wang Leqin said. "There's one more thing, everyone needs to register their demon hunter's license with me."
The entire place fell silent in an instant.
Wang Leqin: "？"
Wang Leqin looked at the four of them.
Jin quickly reacted, saying, "We didn't bring our licenses with us. We'll bring them next time. We should go now."
"A photocopy or a photo would do. Just let me see it," Wang Leqin took out a form and said, "You can't take the magical treasures without registering."
He Jian: "……"
Zhang Xiting: "……"
Jiang Hong: "……"
After a few seconds of tense atmosphere, Wang Leqin suddenly realized something, his expression turning fearful: "You don't have professional licenses? How did you get in here?"
Five minutes later, the four were outside the shop, nervously discussing their next move.
"What do we do?" Jin asked. "Just run for it?"
"We'll get caught, right?" Zhang Xiting said. "They'll find us soon enough."
He Jian suggested, "But I don’t want to call my brother to bail us out. How is that different from asking my family for a magical treasure?"
"What about asking senior?" Jiang Hong said. "But that seems like cheating too. How would we explain where we got the treasure if the teacher asks?"
"The boss is coming," Zhang Xiting observed. "I'll try to negotiate with him."
Wang Leqin's grandfather arrived and immediately scolded his grandson who had been minding the store, leaving Wang Leqin bewildered.
"The money's already been taken!" Old man Wang exclaimed. "How can we refund it? Over three million!"
"I didn't know!" Wang Leqin said with a downcast face. "Isn’t it only demon hunters who can enter?"
Old man Wang advised, "You better leave quickly! If the demon-hunting committee's inspectors catch you, your school principal will have to come to collect you!"
Zhang Xiting said, "Um... Mr. Wang, is there any way you could make an exception? We're not ordinary people."
"I can't sell magical treasures to students!" Old man Wang said. "That's the committee's rule!"
As he spoke, Old man Wang scanned the group. He Jian said, "My brother is a demon hunter too. I promise we won't cause any trouble. It’s just for a term project."
Old man Wang harrumphed, but Zhang Xiting sensed a slight softening in his tone.
Zhang Xiting said, "I am from the Zhang family of Huzhou."
"I'm from the He family," He Jian added. "You must know about us."
"I know the He family," Old man Wang said. "Huzhou Zhang family, descendants of Zhang Daoling, right? Your father is Zhang Jing?"
Zhang Xiting quickly responded, "Yes, that's right."
"And you?" Old man Wang turned to Jin.
Jin said, "My family is from the Lion Town Demon Sect."
"Oh," Old man Wang said. "The lions of Maiji Mountain. And you? You look like an ordinary person. What do you do?"
Old Man Wang stared at Jiang Hong, who thought to himself, 'Perhaps I don't need this lamp after all.' However, Zhang Xiting signaled to Jiang Hong with his eyes, saying, "He is a descendant of a great Feng Shui master, trained in Feng Shui."
Old Man Wang asked skeptically, "Is that so? From which family?"
"He's from Chongqing," Zhang Xiting answered for Jiang Hong, "for five generations."
Old Man Wang stopped asking further, sat in an armchair with an itching stick, looking dissatisfied. His eyes scrutinized Jiang Hong from head to toe. Suddenly, he noticed the protective amulet Jiang Hong was holding in his hand, the one he had just prepared to summon Lu Xiu with.
Old Man Wang narrowed his eyes, pondering for a moment.
He Jian made a face at Jiang Hong, indicating that there was a chance.
"Like this!" Old Man Wang, pointing with his itching stick as if directing an army, said, "In Chongqing, there's an exorcist named Mai Qing. You must know him, right? Since both of you are Feng Shui masters and both in Chongqing, it's impossible you don't have any connections!"
Jiang Hong didn't know him at all and looked puzzled. Zhang Xiting glanced at Jiang Hong and asked, "You know him, right?"
Jiang Hong, putting on a brave face, said, "Yes, I know him."
Old Man Wang said, "He owes me a compass, called the Xuan Guang Jin Dou. Go and retrieve it for me, and these four magical artifacts will be yours. If the Exorcism Committee asks, I'll take responsibility."
An hour later, the four stood outside the Exorcism Committee, looking at each other.
"Do you really know this person?" He Jian asked curiously.
"No, I don't," Jiang Hong replied with a puzzled face, "Who is he?"
Jin: "What should we do? Should we ask for it?"
Zhang Xiting said, "Now that it's been said, what else can we do?"
The three had their purchased magical artifacts held back in the shop, except for the bronze lamp which was taken out. This was due to the Exorcism Committee's rule that "magical artifacts must not be 'sold' to non-exorcist personnel," but there was no rule against 'giving' them to unrelated people. Jiang Hong won the lamp in a raffle, so it wasn't part of the sale.
However, if they couldn't retrieve the Xuan Guang Jin Dou within three days, the shop would only be able to process a refund.
But what use do I have for it? Jiang Hong really wanted to throw it into the trash.
"Let's go and see," Jin suggested. "I have a feeling that this Mai Qing person won't return it."
Zhang Xiting said, "Let's go and see first, come on, buy the plane tickets."
Jiang Hong: "What is all this about! I just wanted to do my end-of-term project!"
Chapter 27: Shopping
As it turned out, Jiang Hong's premonition was quite accurate.
He Jian asked, "How much is this?"
"That's a meteoric iron ring, capable of capturing various iron-made magical treasures. It costs 126,000. The maker is unknown. Once infused with spiritual power, it can generate a strong electromagnetic effect. Depending on the user's spiritual power, it can attract items weighing up to a ton."
The shopkeeper, a boy who looked like a middle school student wearing glasses, seemed a bit nervous and said softly, "If you really want it, I can make it a bit cheaper."
"And this?" Jin picked up a hand drum and asked.
"That's made from leopard cat skin," the boy explained, "It can break the illusions of the fox demon clan. It's made by a demon magical treasure artisan."
Jiang Hong, suddenly recalling what he learned in his magical treasure class, excitedly asked, "Because the leopard cat is a natural enemy of foxes?"
"Yes... yes," the boy replied, shrinking back a bit. "It's 220,000. It's on consignment, so no discount, please... don't try to activate it. It's very loud and could scare the other treasures."
Zhang Xiting noticed the boy's name, "Wang Leqin," written on a middle school exam paper on the counter.
"Isn't there an adult running the store?" Zhang Xiting picked up a dish to examine.
"Grandpa went to play chess with the leaders," Wang Leqin pushed his glasses up and said, "He won't be back for a while. You can look around first."
The store looked like a cluttered antique shop, with no price tags on anything. Jiang Hong and his roommates browsed for a while. He Jian picked up a cloak and asked, "What about this? How does it work?"
Wang Leqin stood up and said, "That's the 'Qingyang Fenglun,' a Qing Dynasty magical treasure made by Li Sheng. It can disperse light temporarily. I don't know the price; I have to ask Grandpa."
The cloak was woven with intricate patterns, and He Jian seemed to like it, saying, "Please ask."
Wang Leqin texted on his phone. Jin picked up a pestle and asked, "How does this work?"
Without looking up, Wang Leqin replied, "The 'Wuji Tianchu' must be used with the 'Hunyuan Bowl.' They're a set and can mix two things that can't normally be combined, like water and fire. But the result is very unstable and prone to explode. It's part of Liu An of Huainan's collection, and it's expensive."
Jiang Hong curiously looked at the bowl in Jin's hand, which also had a circle of unique runes around the edge.
"What about this?" Jiang Hong asked.
Wang Leqin replied, "That's my grandpa's back-scratching rake... not a magical treasure. But you can buy it if you want... twenty-five yuan."
Jiang Hong put the back-scratching rake back and then asked, "And this wind chime?"
Wang Leqin said, "Don't shake it, it's just a regular Ghost Summoning Bell, made by an intern at the Exorcism Commission. It’s been blessed by the great demon-subduing master, Chi Xiaoduo, and has a 65% chance of summoning ghosts, but what kind you'll get is random."
Pointing at an antique, hemispherical object, Jiang Hong asked, "And what about this?"
Wang Leqin: "That's the store's surveillance camera..."
Jiang Hong: "..."
Jiang Hong couldn’t tell what was a talisman and what wasn’t, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"Ah! I want everything!" He Jian looked around, visiting a talisman general store for the first time, wishing he could buy the whole store.
"I'll take this," Jin said, holding a set of medicine bowls and a pestle.
Wang Leqin hummed in response. He Jian had already set his sights on a cloak, and after a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xiting put down the wind chime and asked, "Do you have any artifacts with a talisman spirit?"
Wang Leqin replied, "Yes, just a moment."
Wang Leqin took out a key from the drawer. Jiang Hong remembered from his talisman class that some talismans, after absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth over time, develop a 'spirit' or consciousness. Some talisman makers even seal souls with certain powers into their creations during the process—most of these souls are evil, serving both as punishment for captured demons and as a way for these souls to atone for their sins.
These talismans were said to be extremely rare and capable of communicating with their owners... each one a priceless treasure.
Then, Wang Leqin opened the door to the back room and turned on the light.
As the light came on, hundreds of talismans on different shelves shouted out all at once.
"Is there a customer?!"
"A customer is here! Choose me! Choose me—! Pick me!"
"Buy me! You won't regret it!"
"Pick me! Hey!"
Jiang Hong: "............"
"Stop making noise," Wang Leqin said to the room full of magical artifacts.
The artifacts then quieted down in unison.
Jiang Hong thought to himself, what kind of madness is this! It's utterly spine-chilling. Where are the rare treasures they talked about? The room is full of prayer wheels, books, paintings, bells, and all sorts of jars and pots, all arguing with each other.
"Choose me," a hoarse voice said from the corner, "Hey, kids, I'm good value for money, you won't regret it!"
It was Jiang Hong's first time hearing someone describe something as "good value for money."
Zhang Xiting: "Uh..."
Wang Leqin weakly said, "Do you see anything you like? I can explain them to you."
Zhang Xiting clearly had no interest in buying, nor in hearing any introductions, but since they had already opened the storage room, it felt rude not to say anything, so he asked Jiang Hong, "Jiang Hong, do you see anything you like?"
Jiang Hong thought: I want everything, but they're all so expensive! Even if I worked myself to death, I couldn't afford these artifacts!
"Buy me!" One of the artifacts heard the name "Jiang Hong" and called out with a hoarse voice, "Jiang Hong! Jiang Hong! I'm destined for you..."
Wang Leqin said, "Don't call the customers by name, you'll scare them away."
A bronze lantern at the bottom shelf started to scream like a parrot. Hearing it, the other artifacts joined in, shouting "choose me, choose me" and "take me home," creating a cacophony that made everyone's head spin in the small, less than five-square-meter storage room.
"Hmm..." Jiang Hong said, "Let me think."
Even Wang Leqin was getting annoyed and turned off the light. The light had a strange effect; as soon as it was off, the roomful of artifacts quieted down.
Zhang Xiting said, "I'll just choose that wind chime."
Now, it was only Jiang Hong who hadn't made a purchase. Wang Leqin then asked Jiang Hong, "Brother, what about you?"
Jiang Hong: "Uh... I'd like to ask, what's the cheapest artifact here?"
Jiang Hong didn't have much money; his parents only gave him twenty thousand for living expenses, which was already quite a lot.
"Oh," Wang Leqin wasn't surprised and said, "The cheapest one is that bronze lamp we saw earlier, for fifteen thousand eight hundred. Apart from being able to talk, it has no other functions..."
Wang Leqin turned and entered the storeroom, turning on the light again. The bronze lamp burst into laughter: "Kid! You finally came back!"
Jiang Hong: "What about the second cheapest?"
Wang Leqin: "The second cheapest is this one, let me show you..."
Bronze Lamp: "Young man, you won't go wrong choosing me..."
Jiang Hong: "Hmm, I think I'll take a look at the second cheapest one."
Wang Leqin walked into the shop and pulled out an old keyboard from under the counter.
Nobody found it odd because of Jiang Hong's limited budget, and they all gathered around the keyboard.
Jiang Hong twitched the corner of his mouth: "Are you sure this is a magical artifact? Isn't this a Little Tyrant learning machine?"
"This was made by Director Dou Kuan of the Qiwei Committee during his internship," said Wang Leqin, holding the Little Tyrant learning machine keyboard with a cassette slot, "Back in the day, as an intern, he created such an earth-shattering, ghost-crying magical artifact..."
Zhang Xiting: "Can we skip the unnecessary introductions?"
Wang Leqin weakly replied: "He asked to be introduced this way... Combining ancient magical artifact craftsmanship with modern computer science, the entire keyboard itself is a magical artifact. Nineteen thousand yuan, quite practical, you can use the keyboard to cast some simple spells."
Everyone: "......"
"…The specific operation is like this: you point the keyboard at an enemy, press 'Space', and it will bounce the enemy one meter away. Point it at something, hold 'CTRL' + 'C', then turn the keyboard around and press 'CTRL' + 'V'. This will create a shadow copy within a five-meter radius. Press 'DEL' to delete the shadow..."
Jiang Hong: "................"
"...Press 'ESC', and you can bounce yourself one meter away. If you hold 'ESC', you can keep moving backward at a speed of 0.8 meters per second, but there's a delay. Occasionally, you need to let go for a while. It's a practical combat magical artifact."
Zhang Xiting: "And then? After getting close to an opponent, does pressing 'Enter' activate some evil function?"
Wang Leqin: "You're thinking too much. The other keys are useless; Dou Kuan only developed these few functions. If you have a magical artifact master, you could try further development."
He Jian: "What's the use of this! Sorry, I just want to say, can't you just run with your legs? 0.8 meters per second is slower than walking. Do I really need to press 'ESC' to bounce and run?"
Wang Leqin: "Yes, but it's only nineteen thousand, which is quite cheap."
Jiang Hong now faced a tough choice between a talking bronze lamp priced at fifteen thousand eight hundred and becoming a legendary keyboard warrior.
Everyone watched Jiang Hong.
"Shall I take out that bronze lamp and show it to you again?" Wang Leqin said weakly.
Nobody offered to lend Jiang Hong money because he hadn't asked for it himself.
"Apart from talking," Jiang Hong said, "does that lamp have any other use?"
Zhang Xiting: "Like, for instance, consulting about history or some experiences?"
Wang Leqin pushed his glasses up and said, "Unfortunately, yes. It's been locked up in a tomb since it was created, so it doesn't know anything. After being dug up, it spent most of its time in the storeroom, but it's really energetic..."
Jin: "What's the spirit of the magical artifact inside?"
Wang Leqin: "I don't know, even it doesn't know what it is."
"It's probably a parrot," He Jian said, "That voice is definitely like a noisy parrot."
Wang Leqin shrugged, making a helpless gesture.
The light in the storeroom was still on, and the bronze lamp shouted again, "Choose me! Kid! You won't go wrong listening to me!"
Jiang Hong: "Then I'll come back another time."
Wang Leqin: "Okay."
Bronze Lamp: "I'll tell you a secret! I know where the treasure is, don't close the door!"
"Let me calculate the total cost for you," Wang Leqin said, bringing a calculator, "The Wind Chime Nightwalker is ninety thousand, um... the Sunlit Cloak is one million one hundred and fifty thousand, the Supreme Sky Mace and the Primal Earth Bowl together are two million two hundred thousand..."
"Do you have Soul-Separating Powder?" Jin asked.
"The shop next door sells it," Wang Leqin replied, "That's a specialty material store. The third one to the left is for weapons, and the fourth is for pills. You guys must be really wealthy, all A-grade Demon Hunters, right?"
No one answered. Wang Leqin finished calculating and said, "That's a total of three million four hundred and forty thousand, after the discount it's three million two thousand seven hundred. Cash or card? Pay together or separately?"
The three roommates each took out their cards. Wang Leqin gestured for them to wait and bent down to get the POS machine from under the counter.
"I need to calculate this again..."
So expensive! Jiang Hong thought, that's like spending the cost of a house. Are the expenses of a Demon Hunter really this high?
Zhang Xiting said, "They are wealthy, but I don't have much money. Many Demon Hunters don't have much savings."
Jiang Hong and Zhang Xiting stood at the door chatting. Jiang Hong pondered for a long time. Buying a magical artifact would mean spending all his living expenses, but what about his end-of-term project?
Zhang Xiting asked, "Are you really not going to buy one? I can lend you some money."
Jiang Hong: "If I spend twenty thousand to buy a second-hand Little Tyrant learning machine, my dad will kill me!"
"You can come over for the lottery now," Wang Leqin called out from behind the counter.
"You guys go ahead," Zhang Xiting said, "I only contributed a small amount, so I won't join in."
He Jian suggested, "Jiang Hong, how about you?"
"No, no," Jiang Hong replied, "You guys go ahead, I didn’t buy anything."
Jiang Hong understood He Jian's intention to gift him a magical artifact, at least to have something for the end-of-term submission.
He Jian said, "If it weren't for you bringing us here, we wouldn’t have been able to buy anything. Come on."
Jiang Hong hesitated, and Jin said, "You draw first and see, if it’s good, then give it to He Jian."
Zhang Xiting said, "If you draw something you like, use it first. You can always pay him back later."
Jiang Hong thought to himself, that's right, maybe He Jian doesn't need it. I can use it first and then gradually pay him back.
"Alright," Jiang Hong said with a smile, "Here I come."
"Do you want to play ring toss or draw a lottery?" Wang Leqin asked, "The magical artifacts for the lottery, um... are nothing particularly good. Just a heads up, the lottery always has a prize, guaranteed."
"Let's go for ring toss," Zhang Xiting suggested, "We can see what’s available first."
"Give me a moment to set up," Wang Leqin said.
Wang Leqin then went inside to fetch the magical treasures and displayed them outside the shop. As soon as the treasures saw the sunlight, they started shouting and yelling again.
The bronze lamp exclaimed, "Kid! Listen to me!"
Twenty-four magical treasures were lined up about ten meters away, except for the bronze lamp which was placed less than a meter away, still yelling wildly.
"I know your name is Jiang Hong—"
Jiang Hong, holding a ring, stood at the ring toss spot.
Everyone: "…………"
Wang Leqin advised, "Whichever one you loop, that's the one you get."
Jiang Hong, in frustration, said, "How am I supposed to toss this? Aren’t you just forcing me to choose this lamp?!"
The bronze lamp cried out, "I've been locked up here for nearly ten years..."
Jiang Hong asked, "Is it still possible to switch to a raffle?"
Wang Leqin replied, "Yes, just give me a moment."
Wang Leqin went inside and brought out a box filled with folded slips of paper, shook it, and said, "Draw one, will you?"
"I have a bad feeling about this," Jiang Hong told them.
"Just draw," He Jian and Jin encouraged him together.
Jiang Hong then picked a slip of paper and unfolded it to see: [Fourth Prize].
"Wow," Wang Leqin pushed up his glasses and announced, "Congratulations to the buyer for winning the fourth prize!"
Jiang Hong asked, "What's the lowest prize?"
Wang Leqin bowed, picked up the bronze lamp, and presented it to Jiang Hong: "You have won this bronze lamp, truly a lucky prize! Congratulations!"
Jiang Hong: "……"
The bronze lamp exclaimed, "Finally! Finally! Kid! You see, it's fate..."
Wang Leqin said, "Let me give you a talisman as well. Stick it on, and it will quiet down."
As he spoke, Wang Leqin slapped a yellow talisman onto the lamp, and the shouting of the bronze lamp abruptly ceased.
"All done," Wang Leqin said. "There's one more thing, everyone needs to register their demon hunter's license with me."
The entire place fell silent in an instant.
Wang Leqin: "？"
Wang Leqin looked at the four of them.
Jin quickly reacted, saying, "We didn't bring our licenses with us. We'll bring them next time. We should go now."
"A photocopy or a photo would do. Just let me see it," Wang Leqin took out a form and said, "You can't take the magical treasures without registering."
He Jian: "……"
Zhang Xiting: "……"
Jiang Hong: "……"
After a few seconds of tense atmosphere, Wang Leqin suddenly realized something, his expression turning fearful: "You don't have professional licenses? How did you get in here?"
Five minutes later, the four were outside the shop, nervously discussing their next move.
"What do we do?" Jin asked. "Just run for it?"
"We'll get caught, right?" Zhang Xiting said. "They'll find us soon enough."
He Jian suggested, "But I don’t want to call my brother to bail us out. How is that different from asking my family for a magical treasure?"
"What about asking senior?" Jiang Hong said. "But that seems like cheating too. How would we explain where we got the treasure if the teacher asks?"
"The boss is coming," Zhang Xiting observed. "I'll try to negotiate with him."
Wang Leqin's grandfather arrived and immediately scolded his grandson who had been minding the store, leaving Wang Leqin bewildered.
"The money's already been taken!" Old man Wang exclaimed. "How can we refund it? Over three million!"
"I didn't know!" Wang Leqin said with a downcast face. "Isn’t it only demon hunters who can enter?"
Old man Wang advised, "You better leave quickly! If the demon-hunting committee's inspectors catch you, your school principal will have to come to collect you!"
Zhang Xiting said, "Um... Mr. Wang, is there any way you could make an exception? We're not ordinary people."
"I can't sell magical treasures to students!" Old man Wang said. "That's the committee's rule!"
As he spoke, Old man Wang scanned the group. He Jian said, "My brother is a demon hunter too. I promise we won't cause any trouble. It’s just for a term project."
Old man Wang harrumphed, but Zhang Xiting sensed a slight softening in his tone.
Zhang Xiting said, "I am from the Zhang family of Huzhou."
"I'm from the He family," He Jian added. "You must know about us."
"I know the He family," Old man Wang said. "Huzhou Zhang family, descendants of Zhang Daoling, right? Your father is Zhang Jing?"
Zhang Xiting quickly responded, "Yes, that's right."
"And you?" Old man Wang turned to Jin.
Jin said, "My family is from the Lion Town Demon Sect."
"Oh," Old man Wang said. "The lions of Maiji Mountain. And you? You look like an ordinary person. What do you do?"
Old Man Wang stared at Jiang Hong, who thought to himself, 'Perhaps I don't need this lamp after all.' However, Zhang Xiting signaled to Jiang Hong with his eyes, saying, "He is a descendant of a great Feng Shui master, trained in Feng Shui."
Old Man Wang asked skeptically, "Is that so? From which family?"
"He's from Chongqing," Zhang Xiting answered for Jiang Hong, "for five generations."
Old Man Wang stopped asking further, sat in an armchair with an itching stick, looking dissatisfied. His eyes scrutinized Jiang Hong from head to toe. Suddenly, he noticed the protective amulet Jiang Hong was holding in his hand, the one he had just prepared to summon Lu Xiu with.
Old Man Wang narrowed his eyes, pondering for a moment.
He Jian made a face at Jiang Hong, indicating that there was a chance.
"Like this!" Old Man Wang, pointing with his itching stick as if directing an army, said, "In Chongqing, there's an exorcist named Mai Qing. You must know him, right? Since both of you are Feng Shui masters and both in Chongqing, it's impossible you don't have any connections!"
Jiang Hong didn't know him at all and looked puzzled. Zhang Xiting glanced at Jiang Hong and asked, "You know him, right?"
Jiang Hong, putting on a brave face, said, "Yes, I know him."
Old Man Wang said, "He owes me a compass, called the Xuan Guang Jin Dou. Go and retrieve it for me, and these four magical artifacts will be yours. If the Exorcism Committee asks, I'll take responsibility."
An hour later, the four stood outside the Exorcism Committee, looking at each other.
"Do you really know this person?" He Jian asked curiously.
"No, I don't," Jiang Hong replied with a puzzled face, "Who is he?"
Jin: "What should we do? Should we ask for it?"
Zhang Xiting said, "Now that it's been said, what else can we do?"
The three had their purchased magical artifacts held back in the shop, except for the bronze lamp which was taken out. This was due to the Exorcism Committee's rule that "magical artifacts must not be 'sold' to non-exorcist personnel," but there was no rule against 'giving' them to unrelated people. Jiang Hong won the lamp in a raffle, so it wasn't part of the sale.
However, if they couldn't retrieve the Xuan Guang Jin Dou within three days, the shop would only be able to process a refund.
But what use do I have for it? Jiang Hong really wanted to throw it into the trash.
"Let's go and see," Jin suggested. "I have a feeling that this Mai Qing person won't return it."
Zhang Xiting said, "Let's go and see first, come on, buy the plane tickets."
Jiang Hong: "What is all this about! I just wanted to do my end-of-term project!"
