Chapter 18: Opening Yellow Springs Part 1

The Landlord Wife said to Wang Ya, “Master Wang, my husband’s truck is parked outside the neighborhood. We can head out right now.” She hesitated a bit and asked timidly, “Master Wang, can I ask if it’s inauspicious to take my husband’s truck? Otherwise, I could try to call another car?” Fearing she had offended Wang Ya, she quickly added, “It’s fine to take my husband’s truck. Family, just family…” She was so nervous that her words tumbled out incoherently.

Wang Ya said to the Landlord Wife, “Whatever is most convenient. Don’t worry about it—as long as you follow my instructions and avoid taboos, there’s nothing inauspicious. But I need to make a few things clear. First, the fewer people on this trip, the better. Ideally, just you two as a couple, no one else. Second, everything must follow my lead. Once Yellow Springs opens, it connects straight to the Underworld Courts. If you disobey and break a taboo, losing your soul to the Underworld Courts, I won’t be responsible for retrieving it. I’m young, my cultivation is limited, and I don’t have the ability to go down to the Underworld Courts to rescue a Life Soul yet.”

The Landlord Wife and Landlord Sir promised profusely. The two security guards nearby looked at Wang Ya with eyes full of awe.

Wang Ya said to the Landlord Wife, “Let’s go.”

The Landlord Wife asked, “Master Wang, do we need to prepare anything else?”

Wang Ya waved her hand and said, “It’s so late; no need to fuss. Keep it simple.” Without waiting for their reactions, she urged the Landlord couple to lead the way to the truck.

Landlord Sir led Wang Ya out of the neighborhood and turned onto the road on the side, where Wang Ya spotted his truck. It was a six-wheeler Dongfeng big truck, egg-yolk yellow. Wang Ya had seen plenty of these in town—most long-haul merchants used them to haul goods, with a fifty-ton capacity. They could wreck village roads, so to prevent them from damaging the newly paved cement roads less than two years old, every village entrance had concrete barriers blocking them from entering.

Landlord Sir drove, while Wang Ya and the Landlord Wife squeezed into the passenger seat.

Though Landlord Sir hadn’t believed in ghosts before, the truck still had evil-warding charms and an Evil-Suppressing Talisman hanging inside. Wang Ya flipped open the talisman paper to inspect it, then pursed her lips in disdain. She asked, “How much did you pay for this talisman paper?”

Landlord Sir steadily turned onto the main road and replied, “My wife got it. Cost three thousand! Just for peace of mind. We drivers run night routes year-round, so we’re particular about these things.”

Wang Ya had drawn plenty of talismans earlier and still had some left. She pulled out a Zhang Evil-Suppressing Talisman and handed it to the Landlord Wife. “Mine won’t bring good luck, but it suppresses evil. If you want more later, come to me. It works better than this junk—for just two thousand.”

The Landlord Wife accepted it gratefully with both hands.

Landlord Sir focused on driving. On the city roads, pedestrians or electric bikes darted out now and then; such a massive truck required caution.

As the truck turned onto the ring road to exit the city, Wang Ya suddenly thought of a place heavy with Yin Qi, perfect for Opening Yellow Springs. Her eyes lit up with a mischievous grin. “Head to that new development on the city outskirts.”

Landlord Sir shuddered and exclaimed, “That complex is haunted—super vicious! A lot of people died there!”

Wang Ya was startled. “How do you know?”

Landlord Sir said, “How could I not? I used to deliver river sand there specifically! They say it’s a Fierce Ghost!”

Wang Ya laughed. “It’s not really a Fierce Ghost—just an Old Lady. The construction piling damaged her leg, so she wouldn’t stay quiet.” Speaking of the Dead Old Lady made Wang Ya smug. “The developers sent in several groups of people, and they all got wiped out inside, refined into Ghost Puppets by the Dead Old Lady!”

Landlord Sir broke out in a cold sweat, trembling as he pleaded, “C-can we go somewhere else?”

The Landlord Wife was terrified, shaking as she begged Wang Ya to pick another spot.

Wang Ya said, “That place has heavy Yin Qi; Opening Yellow Springs there saves a lot of effort. Don’t worry—it’s ghost-free now.”

Landlord Sir asked in shock, “Did the developers hire you, Master Wang?”

Wang Ya held up two fingers. “One point two million—handled perfectly!”

Landlord Sir and the Landlord Wife immediately relaxed like they’d swallowed a calming pill! A true Expert who could command such a sky-high price to eliminate that kind of Ferocious Ghost had to be incredibly capable.

Wang Ya glanced sideways at Landlord Sir. “Didn’t you say you don’t believe in ghosts?”

Landlord Sir smiled awkwardly. “I’ve always been half-believing, half-doubting. The construction site incident—though the boss forbade talk—it was too brutal. Lots of deaths, and the rumors got wilder. We were still scared. I just didn’t expect Master Wang to be so young and so skilled.”

Wang Ya smiled. “I’ve studied this since childhood. I don’t know anything else.”