Huh? Isn't this an adventure kingdom building game?!-Chapter 104 Money Tree

"Shh! Don’t ask too many questions. This isn’t something we should know," Hou Zongchen nudged him, gesturing forward, "We need to ask them for ghosts, you go ahead."

Ma Hongtu rolled his eyes helplessly; he regretted for the nth time not working diligently, which allowed this brother to take a share of the spoils.

Digging around in his pocket, he pulled out some leftover Copper Coins, approaching with a full smile to get acquainted, "Brother Ghost Messenger, I’m here to find an old ghost delivered a few days ago, can you see..." He pushed the Copper Coins over and whispered, "See if you can do me a favor."

"What’s the surname and name? Birthdate and eight characters?" The Ghost Messenger in charge of guarding weighed the Copper Coins. The visitor was merely inquiring for a reasonable price, so he lazily asked.

After listening to the description, the Ghost Messenger pointed in a direction, "Walk ahead to the third cave on the right; there’s an old ghost named Wan An. Go see if it’s him, speak quickly, don’t waste time. If you want to take time off to bring him out, more money is needed."

Ma Hongtu quickly thanked him and hurried over with Hou Zongchen.

"Ding-dong! Ding-dong!"

In the enormous dim cave, a chill was biting. A row of pitch-black ghostly figures, many of them with missing limbs, were still numbly swinging the Mining Pickaxe to strike on hard Stone. freewēbnoveℓ.com

Wan An, having followed his parents traveling since childhood, could tell stories for three days and nights without stopping for his grandson, yet he didn’t know that even after death, as a ghost, one couldn’t escape the fate of being a laborer.

Only now did he deeply understand the meaning of the saying ’human life is as insignificant as grass.’

When alive, he traveled, exhausted, just to earn a meal and survive. Now dead, he must heed orders and work day and night just to hold on to a breath of life.

It’s said that after a ghost dies, they go to even more terrifying places, enduring torture till they die and die again, ultimately turning to nothingness without even a chance at reincarnation. As for walking the path to reincarnation, it’s not a fortunate event all ghosts can anticipate, at least Wan An felt he wouldn’t endure until then.

Even more terrifying is that ghosts can feel pain too, the fire poison that burned him alive churned in the charred soul, and the chill emitted by this unknown material of Stone pained his bones through the seams. He numbly swung the Mining Pickaxe, not knowing how much longer he could persist.

"I don’t even know how Mingchuan is doing." He sighed softly.

A nearby, noticeably larger ghost of a burnt strong man heard him and also sighed, "Yeah, we don’t even know if they’ve all escaped. Even if they did escape the rat spirits, life must be still tough, or else they should have sent us some Paper Money sooner or later."

He looked enviously at a few bribing Ghost Messengers in the distance to get easier tasks and mumbled, "Grandpa, do you think our village is so poor and informal, maybe it doesn’t matter if they burn paper, and it doesn’t turn into money?"

"That’s possible." Wan An hunched his back, afraid of getting whipped, he didn’t dare stop working, lowering his voice even more, "I heard the Ghost Messenger say that most burnt Paper Money doesn’t even turn into Copper Coins. There’s a saying about burning Paper Money, and no one in our village cares about that. I’m afraid we won’t live to see it."

As they talked, two Yin Messengers walked in with official strides.

Ma Hongtu took a look and saw all damned burnt-black ghost shadows, indistinguishable by gender or age, so he could only clear his throat, "Wan An? Which one is Wan An?"

Upon hearing his name called, Wan An hurriedly replied respectfully, "I am; what can the Yin Messenger Grandfathers instruct me to do?"

"Are you Old Master Wan from Riverfront Village?" Ma Hongtu sized him up and grinned, thinking, with this appearance, who could recognize him when taken back?

Seeing the other nodding repeatedly, he asked again, "Do you have a grandson? What’s his name?"

Wan An felt an ominous premonition, wondering... has Mingchuan also been killed? Are grandfather and grandson going to meet in the Underworld?

"Wan Mingchuan, my grandson’s name is Wan Mingchuan! Yin Messenger Grandfathers, have you seen him?"

"Ah! Finally found you, Old Master!" Ma Hongtu instantly plastered a smiling face and explained, "Congratulations, congratulations, Old Master, you’re going to enjoy some happiness! Your grandson has achieved success and apprenticed to learn martial arts, gaining the status of a Cultivator! His master entrusted me to bring you back for a reunion, but this..."

He glanced around; with his Yin Messenger body, he still found it bitterly cold, especially for ordinary ghosts.

In this place, taking orders is but consuming the limited energy left in their souls, soon unable to support their ghost shadows, falling to deeper layers to become a ghost eater.

"As for this tedious work, if you grease some palms, naturally you don’t have to do it!" Ma Hongtu made a rubbing fingers gesture to him, chuckling, "Old Master, come with me for a trip; you can’t meet your grandson in this state, causing him pointless sadness."

Upon hearing that Mingchuan had achieved success, Wan An’s entire ghostly self was in a muddled state, questioning if he was dreaming.

Ma Hongtu was eager to claim credit and rewards, pulled him ahead, "Hurry up, restoring your original appearance takes some time, and going back and forth, you’re wasting time that you could spend talking to your dear grandson!"

"But..." Wan An hesitated.

On one hand, thinking his grandson, after much effort, has succeeded finally, managed to employ a Yin Messenger to salvage him from the Underworld. He didn’t know what kind of price would be paid;

On the other hand, thinking that others might be dismissed, but the Lin Family always had close ties with the grandfather and grandson. Now, after death, they are making a living together here. It seemed improper to escape the bitter cold place and leave Lin Dayou here to suffer.

"Can you bring my fellow villager along too?" After a moment of conflict, he finally decided and asked quietly, "Whether in life or death, Lin Dayou took good care of me; now I can’t just think of myself. Even if it’s just allowing him to see his family and say a few words, it’ll be good!"

Hou Zongchen heard and impatiently pulled a face, "Hey, you old man threatened to take an inch..."

"It’s just bringing one more ghost, I’ll speak nicely to the Ghost Messenger in charge there, grease some palms, and it should work." Ma Hongtu kicked him, smiling, and made a promise.

Thinking, no wonder you got into this line earlier than me and still haven’t gotten anywhere.

Stubborn!

You’ve come this far to fish out ghosts, what’s the big deal about an extra one?

The old man is the grandfather of a young Cultivator, that young Cultivator may not be strong, but has a profound and mysterious master. In time, following a mysterious bigshot learning the Paperman and Paper Horse Skill, wouldn’t he send a mountain of gold and silver to his grandfather?

Old Master is a Money Tree, only wanting to take one more ghost, you can conveniently gain favor, why not? There’s a chance the other party, after seeing their family and making proper arrangements, can also get money and wouldn’t they share a portion with the benefactor who helped alleviate their suffering?

Wan An, hearing the straightforward agreement, felt both excited and apprehensive, "Dayou, quickly follow along, Mingchuan’s master has taken the trouble to have a Yin Messenger find us!"

Lin Dayou, bewildered, followed the Yin Messenger, ate some ghost food, and restored his living appearance, walking upstream against the Yellow Springs Road, still unclear about when Wan Mingchuan got a master? How did he come to know the Yin Messenger? Could they have been deceived?

Riverfront Village had lost a few more people.

Jiang Yuan faintly heard cries and curses, perhaps they had starved too long and upon seeing white flour and lard which they had never eaten, couldn’t resist, forcibly held back impatience, and upon grabbing it ate too quickly and hard, scalded themselves to death and others stuffed themselves to death.

Not knowing if there was a bewitching influence interfering from Zhuzi.

"Just now I kindly went to speak with them, not only did no one listen, they cursed me too. If not for their fear of Master, they probably would’ve tried to hit me too." Wan Mingchuan spat in frustration, muffled and sullen, "Really difficult to advise even well-intentioned damned ghosts."

Bai Yunqi was nearly asleep, voice growing lazier, "You’ll get used to it after seeing more of this. There are always some who are both foolish and stubborn, selfish and self-serving. Everyone has their fate and can’t be stopped. However, you should think carefully about what you plan to do after finding your grandfather’s lost soul?"