Unorthodox methods, cultivating immortality relies on rich women

Shen Qingzhou's middleman was an old man named Lao Zhong, also known as Lao Bi Deng.

This old guy wasn't a good person when he was young; he indulged in all five vices: eating, drinking, gambling, whoring, and smoking.

But his advantage lay in his quick thinking and extensive network of connections. As he got older, he started working as a middleman.

I'll take any job except murder.

This business deal was secured through Lao Zhong. The two had collaborated many times, so Shen Qingzhou always trusted him.

Thirty million is no small sum, which makes it hard not to be tempted. Even if Lao Zhong might receive far more than thirty million from the client, no one would complain about having too much money.

The place where Lao Zhong lives is called Haitang Bay, which is a villa area, consisting of two-story detached houses with yards.

Don't let Lao Zhong's unassuming and low-key demeanor fool you; he's actually quite wealthy, as those involved in shady businesses certainly make a lot of money.

Old Zhong's wife ran off with someone years ago. They have a daughter who lives abroad. He's the only child in China, and he's living a carefree life.

He had several mistresses, but this guy had rather unique tastes; he didn't like young girls, he only liked married women.

Moreover, they had to have been married before. As far as Shen Qingzhou knew, there were three such women. He wondered how the old man's thin and frail body could withstand it.

Shen Qingzhou arrived at his house and saw that the gate was not closed. He pushed the gate open and went in. The yard was covered with fallen leaves, and it looked like no one had taken care of it for some time.

Shen Qingzhou couldn't help but pinch the bridge of her nose, a very bad premonition rising in her heart.

I went to check the garage again, and Lao Zhong's car was still there.

He walked to the door, pushed it open, and entered. The door was unlocked. Shen Qingzhou walked into the room and looked around. The room was a little messy.

Walking to the living room table, there was a cup of tea on it. I didn't know how long the tea had been steeping, as tea oil was floating on the surface and mold had grown on the inside of the cup.

Judging from the mold, Old Zhong hasn't been here for at least a week.

Shen Qingzhou frowned and lit a cigarette for himself.

"Could this old man, Bi Deng, really have run off with my money?" Shen Qingzhou cursed under his breath.

But thinking about it, it seems impossible, after all, Lao Zhong knows his methods.

For an ordinary person, being caught stealing money would at most mean death, but if someone dared to steal his money, they would be ripped out of their bladder even as a ghost, and would never be able to rise again for all eternity.

Thinking of this, Shen Qingzhou sat down on the sofa, rubbed his fingers together, and took out his phone to look at their chat history.

Aside from this morning, the last time we chatted was exactly a week ago.

He proudly told Lao Zhong that he had a feeling the commission would be completed in the next few days, and asked him to tell the client to prepare the 30 million.

"I'm still too young, sigh..."

Shen Qingzhou couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

The reward was so generous that they didn't even collect the deposit. I've been working for nothing for six months, and the more I think about it, the angrier I get.

Shen Qingzhou thought for a moment, then came to the gate, glanced at the overgrown yard, and took out three incense sticks from somewhere. He went to the base of the right wall, lit them, and spun them three times clockwise in the air before finally sticking them into the ground.

At the same time, he muttered, "With incense as the guide, all requests will be granted..."

This is a soul-summoning technique; if there are any wandering ghosts or spirits nearby, they will surely be summoned by it.

The incense seemed to have come to life, its wisps of smoke hovering in the air like headless flies.

Shen Qingzhou stood aside smoking, and after the three incense sticks had burned halfway, he still hadn't seen a ghost. He couldn't help but get angry and kicked the incense sticks over.

The wisps of smoke that had been swirling in the air vanished instantly.

"Pah, what a godforsaken place, not even a ghost in sight."

Shen Qingzhou had no choice but to go back inside and search around. Finally, she found a curly hair on the bed and wrapped it up in a tissue with a look of disgust.

Then he left the villa without looking back.

-----------------

"Mr. Zhang, I've found your dog. Please come to Qingzhou Information Consulting Firm to pick it up. Our company address is..."

Shen Qingzhou hung up the phone and slumped into a chair.

All they do is look for cats and dogs all day long. They finally landed a big order, but the middleman just disappeared.

Shen Qingzhou became increasingly frustrated. He reached out and touched the Hongwan cigarette box on the table, squeezing the shrunken pack. There wasn't a single cigarette left. His gaze swept over the ashtray next to him, where he saw several cigarette butts stuck upside down, their filters chewed out of shape.

Just as Shen Qingzhou was considering whether to help in an emergency, he caught a glimpse of a three- or four-year-old girl next to him, who was sticking out her round little bottom and lying on the dog bowl.

"Hey kid, that's dog food, it's for dogs."

The little girl looked up when she heard this, and said in a slightly aggrieved voice, "But I'm hungry."

"Come here." Shen Qingzhou beckoned to her.

The girl hesitated for a moment before getting up and floating towards Shen Qingzhou.

Clearly, this little girl was not human, but Shen Qingzhou didn't seem surprised or afraid at all.

The little girl had a round face and a watermelon-shaped haircut. She wore a black and white striped shirt underneath a blue jumpsuit with two large pockets on the legs, making her look very cute.

But her face was as pale as paper, and she had large dark circles under her eyes, as if she hadn't rested for many days.

She came up to Shen Qingzhou, scratched her little bottom, and looked at Shen Qingzhou with a curious expression.

"Can you see me?"

She tilted her head, her voice soft and delicate, her face full of curiosity.

"Yes, what's your name? How old are you?" Shen Qingzhou asked, reaching out to pat the little girl's head as he spoke.

This seemingly ordinary action surprised the little girl even more.

"You can still touch me? Are you a ghost too?"

"Of course not, you haven't answered my question yet."

"What should I answer?"

"What's your name? How old are you?"

"My name is Xiao Qiu, and I'm..." The little boy lowered his head, counted on his little fingers a few times, then raised his head and excitedly told Shen Qingzhou, "I'm four years old this year."

"Only four years old." Shen Qingzhou's face showed a hint of regret before adding, "That's dog food, for dogs. Humans can't eat it, understand?"

Xiao Qiu nodded to indicate that she understood, and then said again, "But I'm hungry."

Ghosts get hungry too, and when they are hungry, their souls become weak. Just look at her two big, panda-like dark circles under her eyes; you can tell she must have been starving for a long time.

"There are so many food vendors outside, why don't you eat that instead of dog food?"

The ghost's eating doesn't actually involve consuming food; strictly speaking, it's about absorbing the energy of incense or various foods.

"Mom said I can't eat other people's food," Xiao Qiu said pitifully, her voice full of grievance.

Shen Qingzhou was stunned upon hearing this. He had seen hundreds and thousands of ghosts since he was a child, but this was the first time he had encountered such an innocent little ghost.

Seeing her pitiful little face, Shen Qingzhou opened the drawer, took out three incense sticks, made a fingerprint with her fingers, and then lit them. The smoke curled up and the faint sandalwood fragrance filled the air.

"Let me tell you, I rarely offer incense to people. You're lucky."

Shen Qingzhou simply stuck the incense stick into the ashtray, showing no reverence whatsoever.

But Xiao Qiu didn't care about anything else. She took a deep breath, and her face turned rosy at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Yes, it's rosy-cheeked. Even though it's a ghost without a body, at this moment, it looks exactly like a normal person.

Moreover, her two large dark circles under her eyes were also disappearing rapidly.

Xiao Qiu rested her chin on the table and inhaled the incense smoke deeply. As she absorbed the wisps of smoke, her body became increasingly solid.

Looking at Xiao Qiu's appearance, Shen Qingzhou couldn't help but think of himself when he was a child.

He was different from others since he was a child; he could see things that others couldn't, and he was almost sent to a mental hospital for this reason.

Later, as he grew older, he realized that he was born with the ability to see ghosts.

As a result, he began to develop an interest in myths, legends, and magical practices. After he started school, he consciously collected books on these topics.

He conducted in-depth research on everything from the cultivation methods of Buddhism and Taoism to unorthodox folk practices.

Then he discovered that he had gained nothing from Taoist practices such as drawing talismans, refining elixirs, and breathing exercises, or Buddhist practices such as meditation, chanting scriptures, and visualization.

On the contrary, he could learn and master some unorthodox folk arts very quickly, and he could apply what he learned to other situations, even breaking away from old conventions and creating new ones, as if he was born for unorthodox practices.

Over the years, he has learned a whole bunch of random things.

"Offering incense" is one such practice. The incense, lit using secret methods, possesses various incredible powers, and ghosts who consume it experience numerous benefits.

Just then, the door was kicked open, interrupting Shen Qingzhou's thoughts.

Like a startled rabbit, Shen Qingzhou turned around and tried to jump out of the window behind him. He had offended quite a few people while helping others catch mistresses, find enemies, and seek out creditors.