PCJ – Chapter 476 Like-minded People

“You mean those few shops? They are a bit special; they usually don’t entertain outsiders,” Wu Yuan stammered, unable to explain clearly.

“Have you been there?” Zhang Jiaohua asked.

Wu Yuan shook his head. “No, I haven’t been there. I heard from others that they mainly sell things related to superstitions, called talismans or something. If this were a few years ago, they’d have been shut down. Now, it’s fine, they even dare to open a shop.”

“Let’s go take a look,” Zhang Jiaohua said, becoming interested.

Wu Yuan hesitated, not daring to go. He had visited those shops before, and when he stepped inside, the people inside gave him such an eerie look that he felt chills all over his body. He quickly ran out, and for several days afterward, he had nightmares. He had developed a psychological trauma toward these shops.

“Forget it. There’s nothing to see,” Wu Yuan waved his hands repeatedly, refusing to go with Zhang Jiaohua.

“Then you wait here. I’ll go take a look,” Zhang Jiaohua said, looking at Wu Yuan with contempt.

Wu Yuan ignored Zhang Jiaohua’s look and actually hoped that Zhang Jiaohua would repeat his own experience at the shops.

Zhang Jiaohua paid no attention to Wu Yuan. As they say, “A frog in a well cannot discuss the ocean; a summer insect cannot discuss ice.”

Wu Yuan, grinning mischievously, watched Zhang Jiaohua’s back and muttered to himself, “Go ahead, go ahead, if you get unlucky, don’t blame me for not warning you. I wonder if this little brat will be scared out of his wits. Hehehe, I can’t wait.”

The door to the shop was actually ajar, with the outside world shut out. Zhang Jiaohua had a strange sense of familiarity with these shops. He gently pushed the door open, and with a creak, the sound echoed in the quiet, spacious room. Inside the shop were two people: one behind the counter, and the other in front. One was the owner, and the other a customer. The owner looked to be in his fifties, his hair already graying, dressed in a plain white shirt and khaki pants. The customer, in his forties, wore a Daoist robe, an attire rarely seen in modern cities.

Both the owner and the customer turned to look at Zhang Jiaohua. Their gazes were sharp, deep, and heavy with meaning. Anyone else might have been intimidated just by their eyes, but it was clear that this wasn’t a place for ordinary people.

Zhang Jiaohua was no ordinary person. He exchanged a brief glance with both the owner and the customer, then walked in nonchalantly as the door closed behind him.

“Young man, you seem to have come to the wrong place,” the owner said, smiling at Zhang Jiaohua. Despite finding Zhang Jiaohua’s calmness strange, given his age, the owner found it hard to believe that this young man could be one of his kind.

“What do you sell here? Is it not okay to come in and take a look?” Zhang Jiaohua asked curiously.

“Looking is fine, but I worry you might regret it afterwards,” the owner replied.

“It’s fine, I just want to take a look. This shop is really strange, though. No sign outside,” Zhang Jiaohua said as he looked around.

There were many items on the counter, and they seemed antique, but they lacked the refinement seen in other antique shops. However, Zhang Jiaohua could sense the true aura of this place.

None of the items here were simple; he could even feel a faint magical energy coming from some of them. These were talismans crafted by cultivators. It seemed that the capital was indeed a place of mixed sorts, and here he had encountered people with real power. Zhang Jiaohua came from the sacred land of the Meishan Water Division, but even there, it was rare to encounter people with true cultivation.

“Hehe, this little brother didn’t come to the wrong place after all. Boss Shi, it seems you were mistaken,” the Daoist said with a smile, greeting Zhang Jiaohua.

“Really? Ah, I must be getting old and losing my sight. I didn’t realize that this young man is one of us,” the owner, Shi Yan, chuckled. He immediately switched from calling him “young man” to “little brother.”

“I am Zhang Yichen, Daoist name Lei Faitian. This is Boss Shi, also one of us. Little brother, what do you go by?” the Daoist asked.

Zhang Jiaohua nodded to Zhang Yichen. “I’m Zhang Jiaohua, Daoist name Zhang Chengdao.”

Zhang Jiaohua felt that since this Daoist had a Daoist name, he should have one too, or else he’d lose face. It was funny, though, how many Daoists he had encountered were also surnamed Zhang.

“Indeed, every generation brings forth new talent. We’re getting old, and casually meeting someone like you, it’s surprising how much talent you have,” Zhang Yichen sighed.

Shi Yan nodded. “I knew it. I gave up the cultivation path early, managing this shop, and asking fellow Daoists to give me some face so I could make a living.”

“Should I also find a backup plan soon?” Zhang Yichen laughed.

Shi Yan smiled wryly. “Zhang Daoist, are you mocking me? Little brother, let’s not worry about the old man here. What can I help you with?”

Zhang Jiaohua needed some cultivation materials, such as yellow paper for talismans, cinnabar, and other symbolic talismans. Shi Yan’s shop had many items, but only a few could truly be called magical tools.

However, Zhang Jiaohua wasn’t interested in these so-called magical tools. He had inherited powerful items and wasn’t impressed by these elementary ones. He picked a few to make a show of it but didn’t choose any of the items imbued with magical power.

“Zhang Laodi, you should practice your eye for these things. There are some good items in my shop,” Shi Yan said with a smile.

Zhang Jiaohua smiled. “These few are good enough. There aren’t any monsters or ghosts I need to deal with at the moment.”

Zhang Yichen chuckled. “Shi Yan, stop bragging. Your so-called good items, this young man didn’t even look at. I saw him eyeing those few items as soon as he walked in, but he’s just too disdainful of them.”

“Ah?” Shi Yan looked at Zhang Jiaohua. Zhang Jiaohua smiled without confirming or denying it. Clearly, Zhang Yichen hadn’t said anything wrong.

Meanwhile, Wu Yuan paced back and forth in front of the medical tools shop, anxiously watching Zhang Jiaohua enter the shop. He had hoped that Zhang Jiaohua would get some kind of lesson. He couldn’t stand Zhang Jiaohua’s arrogant attitude, but now that Zhang Jiaohua had been in there for so long without coming out, he started to worry.

“This kid’s been inside for so long, did he meet his end? Serves him right! He didn’t listen to me, now he’s in trouble. He’s not related to me, and we even have some grudges. Why should I care if he’s dead or alive? Well, at least I’ll be rid of this little troublemaker.”

Although Wu Yuan muttered to himself, he continued pacing back and forth, taking a few steps toward the exit, scratching his head, then walking back. He had no idea how many times he had walked back and forth by now.