Tomb Raider: The man is in the Nine Gates, but the system insists it's the Primordial Era.

"Lieutenant, there's something I need to tell you..."

"explain."

"Didn't the Buddha say earlier that he wanted the brothers to find a bigger shop for Eighth Master? There was a tea shop for sale next to Eighth Master's, and the brothers had already paid the rent. Who knew that some young punk would come along and spend a lot of money to buy the shop?"

"Did you tell him that it was the shop that Buddha had his eye on?"

"I told him, but nobody listened. He seemed to have spent the whole day busy renovating the shop, adjutant. What do you say?"

"There are too many people around during the day, and I can't go there wearing this outfit, lest the people who see me gossip about me. Once it gets dark, I'll take some people over there."

"In the past, should we take action?"

"Nonsense! Are you suggesting we go there in the dark and try to reason with them?"

"Okay, I understand. I'll have someone prepare it right away."

"..."

The soldier who had reported the news was pulled away by several comrades as he walked to the corner.

The soldier grinned broadly: "Done! We'll just kill them all when we get there. Don't let the news leak out, otherwise, if the Buddha's adjutant finds out that we were forcing a sale and abusing our power, he'll definitely not let us off the hook."

His companions nodded in agreement, a sinister smile creeping across their faces.

To the outside world, they were the gatekeepers of the entire city of Changsha, responsible for protecting the safety of the people within the city.

Internally, he is the head of the Nine Gates, the renowned Zhang Dafoye.

How could he possibly bully the common people for the sake of such petty gains?

It's true that he said he would help Qi Tiezui, who has always followed him, find a bigger shop.

It is true that the tea shop next to Qi Tiezui's, which had been abandoned, was merged into Qi Tiezui's business.

They've taken the money.

However, things changed once it fell into the hands of the person in charge.

……

"Do you really believe in gods and immortals?" Huo Xian'er looked at Su Mu seriously.

Su Mu shrugged: "I don't know, but there probably are. I've never actually seen a deity."

Huo Xian'er pressed further, "You said you'd open a shop selling pills and talismans, but will anyone buy them? Won't you lose all the money you've worked so hard to earn? You're alright because you have me, but those people..."

"Do you think I'm really stupid? It's a sure thing that I'll make a profit. They're not stupid either; they only follow me because they know I'm telling the truth. Okay, let's go inside and talk."

"Boss, do you have vermilion-colored paper and wolf-hair brushes?"

Su Mu walked into a shop selling funeral supplies on the street, knocked on the unattended counter, and called out the middle-aged man who owned the shop, who had a mustache.

The man sized up Su Mu for a moment: "Did someone in your family die?"

Su Mu: "..."

Su Mu spoke again: "Tell me, do you have all the tools needed to write talismans?"

The man stroked his chin: "Yes, we do. Do you want the cheap one or the expensive one?"

Su Mu asked in confusion, "Is there really a distinction between noble and lowly?"

The man nodded: "There are many kinds of paper used for making yellow paper, and cinnabar also comes in fine and coarse varieties. There are even more brushes. What's sold on the market is actually fake wolf hair brushes. Where do you get so many wolves to pluck for everyone? You use dog hair or chicken feathers..."

Huo Xian'er slammed her hand on the table: "Boss, stop swearing."

The man was taken aback: "It's not that chicken feather, oh dear, it is chicken feather. Never mind, I'll show it to you."

This was the first time Su Mu had ever heard of such a complicated system, even involving writing brushes, paper, and ink.

After a while.

The man took out a bunch of things from the shop used to draw talismans and placed them in front of Su Mu and Huo Xian'er.

Su Mu examined the items in front of him and asked, "By the way, boss, do you know how to use talismans?"

The man's lips twitched slightly: "So you two just want to play around with drawing talismans?"

Snapped!

Huo Xian'er took out her money and slammed the money bag onto the counter.

The man chuckled wryly, "I'm not a Taoist priest, but I do know a little about them. Talismans are usually pasted on a certain place to have a corresponding effect. Some need to be burned, and some need to be used with incantations. There are also some talismans that need to be dissolved in water and swallowed to be effective."

Su Mu's eyes lit up: "I see."

Among the ancient books he possessed were some talismans for healing and saving lives.

For example, there are talismans for dissolving fish bones, as well as talismans for stopping bleeding, dispelling cold, and clearing away plague.

He had previously thought that not all talismans could be like the "Rain Master's Edict" talisman, which would take effect simply by being held in his hand and chanted.

Surprisingly, the owner of this funeral supplies business actually knows a thing or two.

"Wow, you bought so much! Is your house haunted?"

The middle-aged man with a mustache had an exaggerated expression as he watched Su Mu buy everything in sight, his eyes wide.

Su Mu was too lazy to explain to the other party and didn't respond.

Huo Xian'er, on the other hand, suddenly became interested and whispered mysteriously, "To be honest, we're planning to open a shop selling talismans on Old Tea Street. If your house gets haunted, or if any other homes that come to buy things from you get haunted, you can come here to buy them, and we'll give you a talisman..."

"I'm gone."

Su Mu dragged Huo Xian'er, who was still playing games for him, away from the shop.

After packing the items and carrying them on his back, Su Mu continued walking forward. He thought for a moment and said, "By the way, the Huo family also deals in antiques. Could you keep an eye out for those genuine antiques with legendary stories for me? I can buy them from your family later."

"Speaking of this, I suddenly remembered a bronze tripod that my family brought back from outside a while ago."

The person who bought and sold this bronze tripod said it was one of the nine tripods that sank into the Si River in ancient times, known as the "Jing Tripod".

"Which nine tripods? How so?"

"It's the Nine Tripods of the Nine Provinces that Yu the Great forged after controlling the floods, haven't you heard of it? Oh right, you haven't attended a private school."

How is that cauldron explained in mythology?

"To safeguard the nation's destiny."

"..."

Su Mu tentatively asked, but Huo Xian'er refused to mention it.

Even if Huo Xian'er becomes the head of the Huo family, Huo Jinxi will probably not allow the cauldron to circulate in the world again.

Huo Xian'er said that Huo Jinxi took a liking to that ancient bronze cauldron at first sight and had already added it to her personal treasure vault, and would not easily show it to others.

Upon hearing what Huo Xian'er said...

Su Mu suddenly had a guess.

He was looking for those legendary artifacts that the system might determine had real value.

Could it be that they've all actually ended up in someone's treasure vault?

In ancient times, it was better because people always died.

Those who are reluctant to part with their deceased loved ones will bury them underground as funerary objects.

The people Su Mu summoned at this time were mostly experienced tomb raiders, who would eventually unearth those legendary artifacts.

But if it falls into the hands of someone like Huo Jinxi, who is currently alive and well and has a relatively long lifespan.

So, if Su Mu wants to obtain these ancient artifacts, he'll probably be out of luck, no matter how hard he tries.

"Never mind, we'll definitely find a way to see this cauldron eventually."

"I want to write a couplet for the entrance of my shop. Do you know where I can buy one?"

"This way, or do you want someone to help you carry your things?"

"Can."

"..."

Led by Huo Xian'er, who was extremely familiar with all the shops and businesses in Changsha, Su Mu quickly found a shop selling door couplets, door gods, and other similar items.

"How many couplets would you like, sir?"

"I have all of these written here, all by the hands of calligraphy masters. Would you like to take a look?"

"I don't want something ready-made; I want something written on the spot."

"Written on the spot? That's fine too. Come on, this way please. Would you like to hold the pen or should I write it for you?"

"..."

Su Mu turned to Huo Xian'er and said, "I remember you have good handwriting. Come on, write two pieces for me."

Huo Xian'er nodded and picked up the pen and ink handed to her by the shopkeeper: "What should I write? I think it should be something like the wandering martial arts world of my family..."

"Yes, write this."

"Thirty-three heavens beyond nine layers, where immortals dwell. These immortals were originally mortals, but I fear that mortals lack the willpower to persevere..."