Tianjin, starting with unorthodox methods to achieve immortality

Chapter 274 Progress of the Ten Thousand Soul Banner

"We're still short one ounce of realgar and cinnabar from Chenzhou, and haven't we found the vengeful spirit threads either?"

Chen Mo took out the materials list and checked it against each item one by one.

Ghost Banner Taoist lowered his head, a hint of shame on his face.

"Master Chen, the Soul-Reaping Silk is ten times harder to find than realgar and cinnabar from Chenzhou."

"You are unaware that these vengeful spirit threads are not naturally occurring spiritual materials."

"Instead, it must be extracted from the corpses of those who died unjustly in extremely yin places."

"From a hundred-year-old vengeful corpse, you can only extract a strand of vengeful spirit about an inch long. If you are not careful, all your efforts will be wasted."

He sighed, raised his sleeve to wipe non-existent sweat from his forehead, "Moreover, this thing is extremely evil. The person who draws the threads must have an extremely strong will, otherwise they will be possessed by resentment, and at best they will go insane, at worst they will die on the spot."

"In the early years, some unorthodox cultivators were willing to risk refining them. Later, the United Government strictly prohibited the private refining of vengeful spirit artifacts, and the Antiquities Suppression Divisions in various prefectures and cities investigated more strictly, so fewer and fewer people dared to touch these things."

An extremely yin place?

A century-old vengeful corpse?

Chen Mo frowned slightly, his fingers tapping lightly on the table. "Do you have any clues?"

Ghost Banner Taoist pondered for a long time with a bitter face before hesitantly speaking: "As for clues... I have heard of an old story before."

"There's a heretical sect in Shanghai called Xuan Yin Zhai. They say they have a sect-protecting artifact called Thousand Resentments, which is made entirely of threads woven from resentful souls."

He glanced at Chen Mo, and seeing that the other's expression remained unchanged, he continued, "However, these are all old almanacs from more than ten years ago. Xuan Yin Zhai disappeared without a trace later. Some say they were wiped out by the Zhenyi Division of Shanghai, while others say they moved to Kowloon."

"But if the Thousand Resentments Spell is truly made of resentful soul threads, the resentful soul threads wrapped around it must be at least seven or eight feet long. If you can find this magical artifact, your needs will naturally be met."

"However, this clue is too vague, and I dare not guarantee its authenticity."

Chen Mo pondered for a moment, then reached into his pocket, took out a stack of silver notes, placed them on the table, and pushed them over.

"Here is ten thousand silver dollars. In the next few days, go to the ghost market in the west of the city."

Ghost Banner Taoist's eyes lit up, and he quickly took it with both hands, but then hesitated: "The Ghost Market in the west of the city? Master Chen, I've been there before, and I heard it has reopened."

"However, most of what's circulating in the market are ordinary magical artifacts and spiritual materials. Rare items like the 'Spiritual Soul Silk' are probably..."

'

"You'll only know if it's there when you get there."

Chen Mo interrupted him, stood up, and said, "I'll go to the Hall of Merit of the Department of Strange Things this afternoon to check if they have these items in their inventory."

"Go to the ghost market in Jinshi. Whether you find out anything or not, return in three days to report back."

"OK."

Ghost Banner Taoist responded, carefully tucked the silver note into his pocket, bowed to him, and then turned and left.

The door creaked shut, and the footsteps faded into the distance.

Chen Mo sat on the sofa without moving, and only poured himself a cup of tea after watching him leave.

The tea had gone cold and tasted slightly bitter.

The Soul Reaper Silk is a taboo subject, and the United Government explicitly prohibited its private refinement back then.

Although the Zhenyi Division is not bound by the prohibition, it will not actively collect such evil spiritual materials.

Even if the warehouses of some unorthodox sects were raided in the early years, most of the vengeful spirit threads seized were destroyed back then.

If Curry really has some in stock, given its rarity and quality, it would be worth at least a thousand merits, and possibly even more.

He currently has only 600 merit points in his account.

As for the storyline involving the Xuan Yin Zhai in Shanghai, Chen Mo pondered it over in his mind for a while.

In recent years, Kowloon Island has taken in many unorthodox cultivators from the mainland. If Xuan Yin Zhai really moved there, Qian Yuan Yin might still be there.

However, Kowloon is a place where all sorts of people mingle, and powerful forces are deeply entrenched, making it even more dangerous than Ganzhou.

If he were to search for it himself, it would take at least half a month for him to go back and forth, and he couldn't afford to delay the things he was doing.

"Let's go to the headquarters first and see what happens."

Chen Mo downed the cold tea in his cup, glanced at the list on the table, and walked towards the door.

Li family.

The atmosphere in the living room was somewhat somber.

Li Jinrong sat on a mahogany chair, his plump body filling the chair to the brim. He was currently peeling peanuts with an unhappy expression, but his chubby fingers moved nimbly, making a constant cracking sound as the peanut shells were peeled.

His sister, Li Zijing, sat opposite him, holding a cup of coffee in her hand, her posture dignified.

She is four years older than Li Jinrong, and is twenty-six years old this year. Her dark blue cheongsam accentuates her slender figure.

His facial features bear some resemblance to Li Jinrong's, and his eyes reveal a shrewd and capable air.

On the surface, Li Xiaoqian is in charge of the Li family's businesses in Tianjin, but in reality, she has been handling all the dealings with Amei in recent years.

"Alright, you've almost finished peeling all the peanuts."

Seeing her younger brother's expression, Li Zijing put down her coffee cup. "Father knows what's going on at the docks. Why are you sulking like this?"

Why would I be sulking?

Li Jinrong slammed the peanut shells in his hand onto the table. "You saw it yourself. This month alone, three shipments of goods were destroyed at the South Wharf. Two ships had their bottoms punctured in the middle of the night, and the warehouse manager had his leg broken."

"We don't even know who the other party is yet. How am I supposed to swallow this?"

And the most important point that Fatty Li didn't mention is that he hasn't been to Wan Hua Lou in a long time.

Since his family business was clearly targeted, Li Xiaoqian has placed him under house arrest.

If you dare to go out, I'll break your legs.

Li Zijing didn't reply, but simply picked up her coffee and took a sip.

The Li family has been in the cargo terminal business in Tianjin for decades and has always been respected by various forces. The recent series of incidents is indeed unusual.

Footsteps echoed down the stairs, and Li Xiaoqian, wearing a dark gray overcoat, came down.

"What are you yelling about? We could hear you from two hallways away."

Li Xiaoqian sat down in the main seat, accepted the hot tea handed to him by the maid, and glanced at his son.

Li Jinrong immediately sat up straight. "Father, I've been investigating for several days, and it's almost certain that the Green Gang was behind this."

"The porters at the South Wharf said there have been some unfamiliar faces loitering around the wharf lately. I've noticed..."

"7

"What are you looking at?"

Li Xiaoqian blew on the tea foam and continued, "So what if you know it's the Green Gang? They're the biggest gang in Tianjin now, with tens of thousands of followers. What makes you think you can compete with them?"

Li Jinrong was taken aback. "Then I'll go find my uncle! I'll put in a good word for him with the Zhenyi Division. Even the Green Gang, no matter how arrogant, will have to think twice."

""

"It's not worth troubling your uncle with such a small matter."

Li Xiaoqian put down his teacup. "The Green Gang is just testing the waters this time, making a token gesture, they're not really going to do anything."

"If we really break off relations, it won't just be three batches of goods that will be ruined, it will be thirty batches."

"I'm going to Shanghai tomorrow. It will take me three to five days, or at most ten days to half a month."

"While I'm away for the next few days, you'd better stay home quietly at night, understand?"

Li Jinrong reluctantly pouted, but when he met his father's stern gaze, he could only nod sullenly.

Li Xiaoqian then looked at his daughter: "Keep a close eye on the dock affairs, carefully review the accounts, and don't let anyone take advantage of the situation."

"Understood, Father."

Li Xiaoqian didn't say anything more. He took the hat and cane from the servant and stepped out the door.

Only the brother and sister remained in the living room.

Fatty Li leaned back in his chair, his face full of resentment. "Father is being too cautious. What's wrong with the Green Gang? Our Li family has been rooted in Tianjin for so many years. Why should they ride roughshod over us?"

"Dad is right, you just can't keep your temper in check."

Li Zijing rubbed her temples. "The Green Gang has expanded rapidly in the past two years. They have swallowed up most of the territory in Tianjin. Our docks are the last few pieces of fat meat."

"They're testing us now. If you lose your temper and make the first move, you'll just give them an excuse to turn against you."

Li Jinrong snorted, about to say something, when the butler, Old Zhou, strode in.

"Young Master, Miss, Master Chen has arrived."

Li Jinrong's previously sullen face immediately brightened. "Chen Mo is here? Quick, quick, please come in!"

"Oh, right, those boxes of tonic herbs we agreed on last time, the ones with deer antler and ginseng, hurry up and have someone move them out of the warehouse so Master Chen can take them away later!"

Seeing her younger brother's enthusiastic manner, Li Zijing shook her head slightly, guessing it was just another one of his cronies.

Li Jinrong greeted him at the door, just as Chen Mo stepped in.

"Uncle Chen, what brings you here? Come, come, come sit in my yard!"

As she spoke, she led the way, guiding Chen Mo through the hanging flower gate and towards her own courtyard.

"I've had someone move the tonic herbs I promised you from the warehouse. You can take them with you in a bit."

"No rush."

Chen Mo waved his hand and, without beating around the bush, asked directly, "Does your Li family have any business dealings in Kowloon?"

"Hong Kong Island?"

Li Jinrong paused for a moment, then sat down in the large chair, which creaked under the weight.

"Yes, there are some, but not many."

"The Kowloon piers are not our territory. The business there is all done in cooperation with local merchants. We only supply goods and do not get involved in the pier business."

"What's wrong, Mr. Chen? Is something going on in Kowloon?"

"Help me find out something."

Chen Mo casually pulled out a chair and sat down. "Ask around Kowloon if there's a heretical sect called Xuan Yin Zhai."

"A heretical sect?"

Li Jinrong's eyes widened, and the fat on his face jiggled. "Why are you asking about this?"

"I need it, just ask around for me."

He didn't offer any further explanation.

The fat man was sensible. Seeing that Chen Mo didn't say anything, he didn't press further. "Xuan Yin Zhai... the name sounds familiar, but I can't remember where I've heard it before."

"Although our family doesn't have any big business in Kowloon, we have some connections with a few local shopkeepers. If we ask them to sound out the situation, we should be able to find out something."

"Keep it quiet, keep a low profile."

Chen Mo added a sentence.

"Understood. I know what I'm doing and won't make a big fuss about it."

"I told the people who went to say it was just casual conversation between businessmen, and that they were just asking around. It won't raise any suspicion."

He nodded. Although Fatty Li was sometimes reckless, he could still distinguish between what was important and what was not.

As they were talking, Li Zhong led two servants into the courtyard carrying a wooden box that was about half a person's height.

The box was quite heavy; the two servants were sweating as they carried it, and it made a dull thud when they placed it on the ground.

"Master Chen, this is what the young master instructed us to prepare for you."

Li Zhong lifted the lid of the box, and a rich aroma of medicine immediately wafted out. Inside, neatly stacked oil paper packets were arranged.

He turned sideways to let Chen Mo see the contents of the box, pointing to each item and explaining, "The deer antlers are from sika deer that were brought in from beyond the Great Wall this spring, and they are all of the highest quality."

"The ginseng is wild ginseng from Changbai Mountain, and it is over twenty years old."

"There are also several kilograms of top-quality donkey-hide gelatin and astragalus, both of which are excellent for replenishing qi and blood."

Chen Mo scanned the box with his divine sense and found that they were indeed all top-quality goods. These medicinal herbs would be worth at least several thousand dollars on the market.

They're still hard to buy.

I wanted to decline, but the words caught in my throat.

He himself didn't need these things, but sending them back to his hometown to help Chen Dachuan improve his health was just right.

The old man is getting on in years, and I could clearly feel that he was somewhat lacking in energy and blood when I went back last time.

"Okay, I'll take it."

Chen Mo jokingly cupped his hands in thanks to the fat man, "Thank you, Boss Li."

"You're welcome! You're welcome!"

Li Jinrong smiled so hard his eyes narrowed into slits. "Why are you being so polite with me? We're practically family."

As the fat man spoke, he beckoned to the two servants.

"Help Mr. Chen put the box in his trunk."

After seeing the two off, he approached Chen Mo, his playful expression fading slightly. "Uncle Chen, are you free tonight?"

""

"What is it?"

"Come with me to the pier."

Li Jinrong glanced subconsciously toward the courtyard gate, as if afraid of being overheard, "It's over at the South Wharf. Lately, those bastards from the Green Gang have been acting suspiciously there. Tonight, I want to go and see for myself who's behind this."

"My father won't allow it, but I just can't swallow this insult. I only feel at ease when you're here."

Li Zhong, who had just reached the courtyard gate, heard this and turned around to say something, but the fat man immediately glared at him fiercely.

"At night?"

Chen Mo tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest. To be honest, he planned to go see Wang Zhonghe that night.

If that bastard isn't dealt with, his days at the East District Inspection Bureau are definitely numbered.

But since the fat man had already asked, he felt obligated to accept the offer and couldn't very well refuse.

"Okay, what time tonight?"

After considering for a few moments, Chen Mo finally nodded.

Li Jinrong was overjoyed, a bright smile spreading across his chubby face. "Eleven o'clock!"

"Meet me at the back door of my house at 11 o'clock. The alley is out of the way, so no one can see you. It's just two streets from the back door to the South Wharf, which is very convenient."

"I'll have Li Zhong take more men over there; we just need to keep an eye on things."

Chen Mo calculated the time in his mind. He should be able to finish checking the Hall of Merits at the General Headquarters of the Bureau of Strange Things before dinner.

It's probably too late for Wang Zhonghe's matter tonight; we'll have to postpone it.

Fine, let that bastard have one more night of fun.

"Then I'll come on time tonight, and you can wait for me at the back door."

"Don't worry, don't worry!"

Li Jinrong patted his chest and assured him, then eagerly escorted Chen Mo all the way to the garage by the gate.

Despite being parked for over a month, the black Ford's paint remained as shiny as new.

It's obvious that someone cleans and maintains it regularly.

The fat guy really put his heart into it.

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