I created the myth of the Great Old Ones.

Lu Ban sat by the window and looked out.

The fields were barren, seemingly uncultivated for some time. On the high ridges, piles of straw, cloth, and other miscellaneous items were being burned, emitting thick black smoke.

As you approach the city, you can see some farmers standing in their fields, just watching the train with blank, indifferent expressions on their faces.

The black smoke from the burning object drifted into the sky, forming a cold and indifferent explanation of the system.

In chaotic times, human life is cheap.

On the surface, Jiangcheng is a hub of the times, where people from all walks of life from all corners of the country stage a grand drama.

Behind the scenes, even members of all sorts of schools of thought come here to exchange skills and techniques—a rare sight indeed.

The wheels of time keep turning, some traditions have faded away, while others remain vibrant and relevant.

[Task Difficulty: Enhanced]

[Mission Objective: To become a Mystic Lord]

[Mission Objective: Investigate the secrets of Jiangcheng Mountain]

These words dissipated like smoke. As the train entered the city, one could see soldiers in uniform marching in formation, foreigners in suits swaggering by, pedestrians hurrying along the roadside, and beggars resting with their eyes closed in the corners.

Even here, one could still smell the smoke of war, but Lu Ban's mission had nothing to do with this era, so he turned his gaze back to the car.

A child in a short-sleeved shirt said "Excuse me, excuse me" as he weaved through the crowd of people trying to get off the bus. Lu Ban noticed that the child's hand was not so still; it reached into someone's pocket and pulled out a wallet.

Just as Lu Ban was about to speak, the passenger next to him suddenly pressed him down.

"Accomplices?"

Lu Ban wasn't exactly a champion of justice; he was just acting on instinct. He glanced at the man wearing sunglasses and inexplicably felt that he looked familiar.

"I'll handle it."

The man said something and then stood up.

Lu Ban saw him pass by the child and, at a speed too fast for the naked eye to see, snatch the wallet back from the child's arms.

"Sir, you've lost your wallet."

The man said something to the person whose wallet had been stolen.

"Oh, thank you so much, thank you so much."

The person whose wallet was stolen was quite surprised. He then took out a banknote from the wallet and stuffed it into the man's hand as a token of gratitude. It can be seen that there was quite a bit of money in the wallet, a thick wad of cash.

The train arrived at the station, and the man got off as well. Lu Ban followed behind him, finding it rather interesting.

"You call this 'proper acquisition'?"

Lu Ban asked curiously.

"Not really, it's just that I have very good eyesight and can't tolerate too much dirt in my eyes."

He took off his sunglasses and then bowed to Lu Ban.

"My name is He Chong. May I ask if you have also come here for the Xuanjun competition?"

Chapter 550 Two bowls of tea, a dish of peanuts

Upon hearing what the other person said, Lu Ban observed the person briefly.

His hair was neatly styled, he wore a Western-style small hat, sunglasses, and a long mandarin jacket, and carried a small suitcase. He was a blend of Chinese and Western styles, somewhat resembling a charlatan feng shui master.

As soon as this feeling came over him, Lu Ban immediately realized exactly what made this person look familiar.

Does he have a great-grandson or great-great-grandson named He Jiaoyang?

Considering his previous statement about having good eyesight, this person is probably the inheritor of the Yin-Yang Eyes of this era.

"really."

Since that was the case, Lu Ban didn't hide anything and gave his name.

"Actually, I have absolutely no interest in this position of Xuanjun. My child was just born not long ago, and I'm at home helping people with feng shui, bringing good fortune and avoiding misfortune. My life is quite comfortable, and there's no need for me to come here and argue with them."

In the teahouse, He Chong ordered a bowl of tea to soothe his throat and a plate of peanuts, then spoke.

"It's rare for us to meet, so let me give you a piece of advice: to hell with Xuanjun. In this chaotic world, just stay home, make some money, and mind your own business. Don't get involved in these things."

He was a very straightforward person and didn't hide anything.

"Isn't the Mysterious Lord position supposed to be quite powerful?"

Lu Ban was curious.

It seems that these people with superpowers don't usually interact much, only gathering once every ten years. Perhaps some of their families have long since become secularized, used to living ordinary lives, and have forgotten about their supernatural abilities or simply used them for profit. They are not very clear about the situation of this competition with Xuanjun.

Lu Ban can easily ask questions, just like a newbie.

“The mysterious means profound and distant. Things that do not conform to the common sense of this world are all mysterious. The mysterious rulers are these illusory monarchs. The emperor on the surface has only just stepped down. How can the emperor in the heart sit securely?”

He Chong took another sip of tea.

"Face? Substance?"

Lu Ban thought it sounded like a term from a martial arts novel.

"Face is what everyone can see, the bustling traffic, the peaceful times amidst chaos."

He Chong paused, as if keeping someone in suspense, but quickly blurted it out.

"Sorry, it's a bit of a professional habit. The 'inside' refers to the streets and alleys, the places where even the emperor can't control those demons and monsters. But Xuanjun controls those demons and monsters."

What does "occupational habits" refer to?

Lu Ban immediately asked.

"Why don't you ask about demons and monsters? Fine, let's look at feng shui and face reading. Whether our predictions are accurate or not is another matter. There are some things we can't say carelessly."

He Chong glanced at the next table, where three people dressed as students were sitting, seemingly discussing something.

"Even if the other party is truly facing a bloody disaster and their face is darkened, you can't tell them in front of them. You need to observe their expressions and say what they want to hear. Don't leave things unsaid, or the divination won't be complete. Otherwise, even if you have real skills, your reputation won't be very good."

He picked up two and popped them into his mouth.

"You really have real skills. So, you really do have the ability to see ghosts?"

Lu Ban put his newfound knowledge to use and followed up on the other person's words with his questions.

"You do know these things? Alas, it's just a trivial skill. The ancestors of the He family once studied martial arts at Wudang. Later, they made a mistake and were punished to guard the back mountain. Every day, they kept company with those demons and monsters. Over time, their eyes were also polluted, and they could see unclean things. They were given the ability to see ghosts."

He Chong was probably in a good mood because he had recently had a son. Seeing that a junior like Lu Ban respected him, he said a few more words.

"You know about the three religions and nine schools of thought, right?"

"I know a little."

Lu Ban nodded.

"The three teachings need no further explanation: Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. As for the nine streams, there are two interpretations. We are referring to the upper, middle, and lower ones. However, that's just the superficial interpretation. In reality, the nine streams we're talking about are people like us."

"The term 'flow' refers to the movement of water. The reason it is called the Nine Streams is because it means the flow of water. No matter how the mountains and rivers change or how the water bends and branches, the water always maintains itself. This means that although the traditions of the Nine Streams have changed, they have always adhered to something."

At this point, He Chong instinctively tried to keep everyone in suspense, but after pausing, he continued.

"The seven main professions that still exist today are the Yin-Yang Eyes, storytellers, paper cutters, corpse sewers, star pickers, mountain movers, dragon hunters, and hundred-mile travelers. Some of the others were implicated and wiped out during the change of dynasties because of their high status, while others became wandering hermits and disappeared without a trace. When the nine professions became the seventh, fifth, or even the lowest professions, they had nothing left."

"Are these all aristocratic families? And do they all possess supernatural abilities like yours?"

Lu Ban became curious.

Of these named schools of thought, he had heard of some, but had never heard of others before. At least in modern times, these things may have been lost or hidden away.

Thinking about it carefully, if he hadn't met He Jiaoyang, he wouldn't have known that the ability to see ghosts existed in this world.

"Pretty much. The ability to see ghosts has been passed down in my family for generations. As for storytellers, they use the past to satirize the present, and they are very eloquent. It is a master-disciple relationship. The last time I saw it was ten years ago. I wonder if that teacher will come this time."

"Although the paper-cutting official has the title of official, he is actually a craftsman. His paper-cutting is so lifelike that it seems as if he is possessed by a spirit. The mortician handles corpses and suppresses ghosts. The star-picking is a master thief who steals, robs the rich to help the poor, moves mountains to find dragons and locate burial sites. He also calls himself the tomb raider, who runs a security escort agency and can travel a thousand miles a day."

He Chong briefly explained that these professions all seemed a bit out of place, and Lu Ban felt that they couldn't be understood just from their literal meanings. For example, the Yin-Yang Eyes seemed to allow one to see things in both the Yin and Yang realms, but in reality, there were no ghosts in this world. The Yin-Yang Eyes were a weaker version of the "True Vision," capable of capturing the aura of strange things and reacting to the pollution of other realms.

Therefore, the paper-cutting official, who appears to be a paper-cutting and window decoration craftsman, probably also possesses some special function.

I wish I could see it with my own eyes.

"By the way, Brother Lu, what school of martial arts do you belong to?"

After taking a sip of tea, He Chong remembered something else.

"I guess you could call me an actor, someone who performs for everyone's amusement."

Lu Ban answered casually.

"If you're not from the lowest class, frankly, there's no need for you to get involved."

He Chong then offered further advice.

He was probably the first among the lower classes to give up, and he kept dragging others down with him.

Lu Ban felt that he and Qin Tiantian must have a lot in common.

Upon hearing this, a burst of cheers, applause, and shouts suddenly erupted downstairs. The two looked down and saw a car parked in front of the teahouse. A man in a suit and tie, wearing a top hat and with his hair slicked back, stepped out.

The man was about the same age as He Chong, but he appeared generous and natural, with a calm demeanor that suggested he had seen the world. He looked up and saw the two people looking down from the railing of the teahouse.

He took off his hat, bowed, and quickly went upstairs, sitting down at the table with the two of them as if they were old friends.

"Well, there's nothing I can do, it's just too popular."

He ordered a cup of tea, watched Xiao Er return trembling with fear, and then smiled.

"You're fine, Brother He?"

Lu Ban looked at the man and felt that he looked somewhat familiar.

Chapter 551 suggests breaking his legs.

The well-dressed man greeted He Chong and then looked at Lu Ban.

"And who is this young man?"

"He's here to participate too, his name is Lu Ban..."