People worship their ancestors: I'm just burning some paper money, how did I become a Taoist ma

After a hearty meal, Li Fengnian ordered a pot of tea at Zuixianju and slowly sipped it to aid digestion.

After finishing his tea, he paid the bill, left Zuixianju, and strolled around the streets for a while.

When he passed by a cloth shop, he went in and bought himself several decent outfits: two sets of each of silk, cotton, and lined fabrics.

When he passed by the general store, he bought new bedding, pillows, teapots and teacups, and replaced everything that needed replacing.

Finally, he went to a carriage rental shop, rented a carriage, hired a driver, and prepared to move back to the shantytown.

Now that he has money, of course he can't live in that shabby place anymore.

Li Fengnian found a two-courtyard house in the best residential area of ​​the city. It had blue bricks and gray tiles, a spacious courtyard, and a small garden.

The price wasn't cheap, but he wasn't short of money, so he paid the deposit on the spot and arranged to move in the next day.

By the time everything was arranged, it was already dark.

The sky in the Land of the Dead is always gray and hazy; what is called darkness is just that the fog is thicker.

……

Li Fengnian lay in the rented inn room, on a soft bed with a brand new quilt, feeling so comfortable that he groaned, but he couldn't fall asleep no matter how much he tossed and turned.

My mind is filled with images of Li Mu and Li Xiaoran as children.

The two children burned so many things for him, allowing this old man who had suffered for so many years to suddenly live a good life. He couldn't be ungrateful.

But... how can I repay them?

Li Fengnian thought for a long time, then suddenly sat up.

A dream!

Yes, I'll appear in the children's dreams to thank them in person!

But the price of a dream...

Li Fengnian hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth.

Expensive is fine! He's rich now, what's there to be afraid of?

After the dream, have them burn more money, and use that money to seek blessings and fulfill their wishes!

……

Early the next morning, Li Fengnian went to the "Spirit Communication Bureau" in the underworld, which is the government office specifically responsible for communication between the living and the dead.

In the main hall of the Spirit Communication Bureau, a long-bearded clerk was handling official business. Seeing Li Fengnian enter, he asked without looking up, "What business do you need?"

"My lord, I wish to send a dream to my descendants in the mortal world," Li Fengnian said respectfully.

The clerk then raised his head and looked him up and down, seemingly judging whether he had the financial means.

"You know the price of a dream-inducing device, right?"

"I know, I know," Li Fengnian quickly replied, "It's charged by the hour, ten thousand gold coins per minute."

"Good to know," the clerk said, taking out a document. "Fill out the form. Write down the names, addresses, and birth dates of your descendants in the mortal world."

Li Fengnian took the pen and began to fill it out carefully.

Although his handwriting wasn't very good, he wrote each character with great effort, as if afraid of making a mistake.

After it was filled out, the clerk checked it and nodded: "No problem. You want to send dreams to two people, one named Li Mu and the other named Li Xiaoran, right?"

"Yes, yes, yes."

"We'll calculate the cost for each dream separately, with each dream charged on a timer basis. Are you sure you want to use this service?"

"Confirmed! Please send someone with me to my home to collect the money."

Afterwards, Li Fengnian led the two underworld messengers to his home to collect the fee for this dream visit!

The family's assets suddenly shrank by 70%!

This is just a dream. It is said that the Yin-Yang Bureau charges an astonishing amount for its prayer services, and in addition to money, certain conditions must be met in order to make a wish!

Given his current circumstances, it's nothing short of a pipe dream for him to pray for his descendants in the afterlife. He can only hope for a dream first, hoping his descendants will send him more money before he even considers praying!

……

The world of the living.

At Li Mu's home in Tianhai City.

As night fell, Li Mu lay in bed, tossing and turning, thinking about the events of the day.

Are those complicated sacrificial rituals actually effective? Could my great-grandfather really receive those things?

He didn't know, but he had a faint sense of anticipation.

As he pondered, drowsiness crept in, and Li Mu gradually closed his eyes.

……

In a daze, Li Mu found himself standing in a gray, misty space, surrounded by fog that obscured his vision.

Where is this?

As he was wondering, an old figure emerged from the mist.

He was an elderly man with gray hair and a kind face, dressed in a brand-new silk outfit, his face glowing and full of energy.

As Li Mu looked at that face, a picture suddenly flashed through his mind—his great-grandfather's portrait!

"Great...Great-grandfather?" Li Mu's eyes widened, and his voice trembled slightly.

"Great-grandson! You've grown up!" Li Fengnian walked up with a smile, reaching out to pat his shoulder, but then withdrew his hand halfway. "Oh dear, I forgot, you can't touch someone in a dream."

Li Mu was completely stunned.

He was definitely dreaming; he could sense it, a feeling that was both illusory and real.

"Great-Grandpa, is that really you?" Li Mu subconsciously took a step back, then couldn't help but move forward again.

"Who else could it be but me?" Li Fengnian's eyes narrowed into slits with a smile. "Great-grandson, thank you so much, great-grandfather! I received all the things you burned for me yesterday, not a single one was missing!"

Li Mu's heart skipped a beat.

Received it? Really received it?

"Great-grandfather, how are you doing down there?" Li Mu asked hurriedly.

"Sigh, don't even mention it," Li Fengnian waved his hand, his smile fading slightly. "It was so tough before, I was exhausted and hungry, and I couldn't even get a hot meal. If you hadn't cooked so much for me, I probably wouldn't have made it through."

Li Mu felt a pang of sadness upon hearing this.

Although he had never met his great-grandfather, after inheriting the memories of this body, those childhood scenes were vivid in his mind—his great-grandfather holding him, telling him stories, and secretly giving him candy...

"Great-Grandpa, don't worry, I'll burn incense for you often from now on!" Li Mu blurted out.

"Alright, alright," Li Fengnian nodded repeatedly, "That's exactly what I was waiting for!"

He paused, then leaned closer and lowered his voice, saying, "Great-grandson, your great-grandfather has something to tell you. Things down here are even more pragmatic than up here. You have to bribe people for everything. Especially when it comes to protecting relatives up here, the prices are astronomical; ordinary people simply can't afford it."

"Protect your family?" Li Mu was taken aback.

"That's right," Li Fengnian explained, "You think ancestral blessings are given for nothing? You have to spend money and make arrangements down there! For example, if you want your great-grandfather to protect you and keep you safe, I have to go to the underworld to submit a petition for your safety and pay some 'protection money' before they'll take care of you. Or, if you want to get rich, I have to go to the God of Wealth's office to smooth things over and have them arrange some good fortune for you..."

Li Mu was stunned.

This realm of the dead is too realistic, isn't it?

"So," Li Fengnian said earnestly, "you should burn more paper money for your great-grandfather in the future. With money, he can do things for you. If you need anything, just write it down on the petition, and your great-grandfather will take care of it once he receives it. Dream-based rituals are quite expensive; I have limited time, so burn paper money for me as soon as you get up."

Li Mu nodded repeatedly, his mind suddenly clear.

So that's what it means for ancestors to manifest their power! No wonder those who performed simple rituals in their past lives rarely had their wishes fulfilled—it wasn't that the ancestors didn't want to help, it was that they didn't have the money to bribe them!

"Alright, alright," Li Fengnian suddenly quickened his pace, "Is there anything you'd like to pray for? Tell me quickly, and I'll go pray for you as soon as the money arrives."

"Great-Grandpa, all I want right now is to get rich and be free from the pressures of life; Li Xiaoran is facing the college entrance examination, and I hope she can do well," Li Mu hurriedly said!

"I understand!" Li Fengnian said, backing away until his figure gradually blurred. "Remember, burn plenty of paper money! Don't forget!"

"Great-Grandpa, I remember!" Li Mu shouted.

As soon as he finished speaking, the scene before him shattered, and Li Mu abruptly opened his eyes.