Corpse Recovery Diver
Chapter 383 - 68_2

Chapter 383: Chapter 68_2

It’s usable, because although he doesn’t understand what "addition, subtraction, multiplication, division" means, he has memorized the answers to basic arithmetic.

This is also why he often gets nosebleeds from overexertion; it’s partly due to his young age and physical immaturity, but mainly because his computational method starts off massively.

"Is it Brother Yuan?"

The old man indeed had a different attitude towards Li Zhiyuan, adding a polite term after his address, unlike the straightforward ’fool’ he called Tan Wenbin.

"Um-hmm," Li Zhiyuan responded, "hello."

"Yin Fuhai, seated at Fengdu Pier, may I ask which pier Brother Yuan sits at, or which Dragon King do you pay respects to?"

As he spoke, the old man also made a set of hand gestures commonly seen on the river docks.

Not every industry gives birth to jargon and hand gestures. These forms of identity confirmation are designed to resolve conflicts and prevent disputes.

Another group that is commonly known and likes to use such posturing are bandits.

"Dock" implies local influence, "seated" means he’s just a member there, not the boss.

"Dragon King" refers to a big shot at the docks.

Li Zhiyuan rarely deals with proper colleagues, so this information is gleaned from the literal meanings.

But he didn’t know how to respond. What status does his Grandmaster hold?

Seated at Nantong Haohe Pier?

In fact, the place where his Grandmaster lives is far from the Haohe in the city center, and the most essential matter is that no one has taught him the local gestures. He couldn’t just imitate the gestures given, could he?

It was really Grandmaster’s unreliability that made it such that even when he stepped outside, he didn’t know how to report his own family’s name.

Comparatively, Li Zhiyuan thought that Mr. Shan from Run Sheng’s family might know some of this, but Mr. Shan never performed this ritual towards Grandmaster, perhaps never considering Li Sanjiang as a genuine colleague.

All Li Zhiyuan knew was the Inner Door Etiquette of the Qin Liu families, but performing that wouldn’t be quite right.

However, seeing the boy didn’t respond with a ritual, the old man became angry, and his tone grew heavier:

"If you look down on me, seated at Fengdu Pier, why then stay at my house?"

Li Zhiyuan had no choice but to respond with the Inner Door Etiquette of the Liu family.

With this ritual, there was no need to verbally announce his family’s name.

Clearly, the old man knew his stuff; the moment he saw the return ritual, he turned transparent.

That was from being scared, nearly ending his Underworld presence.

Presumably, even the body lying in the coffin, paralyzed by a stroke, also twitched twice.

After a long while, the old man calmed down. When he spoke again, the previous anger had dissipated, and he adopted a flattering demeanor:

"Liu Family visiting, a distinguished guest, a rare guest; how wonderful, after so many years, the Liu family is crossing the river again."

There was no obsequiousness in the old man’s flattery on his face.

Li Zhiyuan asked, "You know about the Liu family?"

"Any old bastard on the river who’s been around long enough has heard of it."

"What I mean is, do you know the Liu family is gone?"

"I do," the old man replied very frankly, "It’s precisely because I know how the Liu family members disappeared that I hold them in higher esteem."

"I’m not surnamed Liu."

"A registered disciple from outside the gate?"

"Um-hmm."

That night at the Ding family banquet in Mountain City, Grandma Liu pushed him forward to return the ritual. Although he had not formally entered the door as an apprentice yet, an unspoken pact had been made between the two parties, just waiting for Alii’s illness to improve significantly.

"Anyway, it’s the same, honored guest please excuse the offense, I cannot personally host you."

"Don’t be a stranger. I’ll call you elder, you call me Xiao Yuan, and we’ll both feel more comfortable."

"Honored guest... oh no, Brother Xiao Yuan, are you friends with my Meng Meng?"

"Kind of, but I’m here to repay a favor to Yin Zhiwang."

"Ancestor? Oh, I see, then your status is much too high."

"Elder, are you not doing business anymore?"

"Ah, I am, definitely!"

The old man walked up to the shop’s door, where Yin Meng had secured the door panel when they closed for the night. Instead of moving the door panel, he placed his hand on a mirror on the wall and gave it a light twist.

At that moment, the solid door panel became somewhat transparent.

Li Zhiyuan and Tan Wenbin both saw that, although it should be quiet out in the streets at this late hour, several black figures appeared.

Among these dark figures, there were also a few bright ones.

These were probably living people, a couple of drunks arm in arm, and two individuals on their own.

Which is why, it’s best not to wander alone on the empty streets when you have nothing to do at night because the street might be much livelier than it appears.

The old man sat back behind the counter as if waiting for customers to come in.

Tan Wenbin positioned himself carefully at the corner of the counter, eyeing the "passersby" outside.

Li Zhiyuan walked up across the old man and asked, "This a feature of Ghost Street?"

"I heard that there were similar places in other regions, but I’ve never visited them, I’m unsure of the specifics, but places quite like our Fengdu Ghost Street are probably few."

"Them, are they ghosts?"

"Yes and no. On every Ghost Festival, they come out here at night."

Tan Wenbin asked, "Have you ever captured one to study?"

The old man hastily waved, "A visitor as soon as they step in; what I run here is not a sinister establishment."

At that moment, a dark figure walked in. His shape was hazy and indistinct, just barely making out a human form.

He stood in front of the counter, and the old man whispered a conversation that Li Zhiyuan couldn’t hear clearly.

Soon, the shadow left, dropping a paper money note into a water jar at the door.

As soon as the money touched the water, it turned into black ash and scattered.

The old man smiled, touching his beard.

Only then did Li Zhiyuan realize, the water jar in front of the shop served this purpose.