What do you mean by saying that the corpses I sew are all ominous creatures?

"Yes," Jin Wanliang said in a low voice.

"There was a guy in the old city of Fengtian nicknamed Wang Daya. On the surface, he was an antique dealer, but in reality, he was the guide to the Fengtian Ghost Market."

He and I have had several major business dealings, and he owes me a personal favor.

I've already spoken to him. When we get to Fengtian, we'll go find him first.

He had access to information on the recent flow of all the rare materials in the ghost market.

Li Qing chimed in from the side, "Old Jin, my master said that the meteorite iron from outer space must be imbued with star energy; ordinary meteorite iron can't repair my flagpole."

As for the Dragon Vein Breath Soil, that stuff is even more mysterious. Can Wang Daya handle it?

"Finding him for the meteorite iron should be helpful, but the dragon vein soil is indeed difficult to deal with," Jin Wanliang sighed.

"That thing is usually in the hands of the five major shamanic families."

Especially the Liu and Hu families, who guard the ley lines of Changbai Mountain, must have some stockpiles.

But money alone probably won't be enough to get them to give it back.

I touched the blue brocade pouch in my arms, which contained Chang Tianqing's snake-skin brocade.

"Go to Fengtian to find Wang Daya first."

I made the decision: "The materials will be the priority."

Let's test Wang Daya's abilities. If he can't handle it, we'll go to Changbai Mountain and ask the Liu family for help.

Li Qing gave me a grateful look; he knew I was accommodating his magical artifact.

"Old Chen, once I fix this flag, I'll be able to walk around the Northeast with my head held high."

"If anyone dares to touch you, I'll bury them right into the ley lines."

"Alright, stop joking around."

I smiled and turned to look at Jin Wanliang.

"Old Jin, are you coming with us this time?"

Jin Wanliang showed a hint of struggle on his face, but finally shook his head.

"Brother Chen, I'm not in good health enough to go out in the freezing cold."

Moreover, there are quite a few vacant businesses in Jiangcheng recently, and there are plenty of businesses waiting for me to take over.

However, I have already booked the fastest tickets for you, and I have also arranged for someone to check your luggage.

Also, Director Lu has issued you special passes from the Bureau of Folklore; you can bring all your ritual implements on the plane.

I nodded. I've always trusted Jin Wanliang to get things done.

After discussing the details, it was already late at night.

Back in my rented room, I began to pack my luggage thoroughly.

Aside from a change of clothes, I didn't have anything else to bring.

After carefully cleaning the other lancets in the box under the bed, I brought an extra one as a backup, in addition to the one I always carried, which had been reforged.

Finally, I carefully placed the black bone needle close to my body, keeping it in a state where I could release my energy at any time.

……

The next morning, at Jiangcheng Airport.

Li Qing was wearing a thick leather jacket and carrying a huge hiking backpack filled with his compass and battle flags.

"Old Chen, do you think all the girls in Fengtian are like the legends say—beautiful, well-proportioned, and fiery-tempered?"

While going through security, Li Qing couldn't resist making sarcastic remarks to me.

I gave him a helpless look: "You should think about how to deal with Wang Daya first."

Jin Wanliang said that the guy's nickname was "Big Tooth" because his two front teeth were made of pure gold, and that he had an extremely eccentric personality, only recognizing money and rare items.

Just as Jin Wanliang had predicted, things went through security.

The alarm went off when the security officer scanned the scalpel in my bag and the strange metal components in Li Qing's bag.

But before the security officer could speak, a man in a black uniform walked over and gestured for the officer to let him through.

That was a liaison officer from the Folklore Bureau stationed at the airport.

He nodded slightly to me and said in a low voice, "Mr. Chen, Mr. Li, have a safe journey."

Director Lu instructed that if any problems encountered in Fengtian were beyond the reach of the authorities, people could contact the local office, but should try to avoid resorting to force.

I returned the greeting with a "Thank you."

Three hours of flight time have passed.

When the plane landed at Fengtian Taoxian Airport, a gust of biting cold wind rushed in as soon as the cabin door opened.

Spring has arrived in Jiangcheng, but the air still carries the lingering chill of winter, and you can even see remnants of snow accumulating along the edge of the runway.

I tightened the collar of my windbreaker, feeling the air that was completely different from that of the south.

"Hiss—it's fucking cold."

As Li Qing walked out of the airport, she shivered and hunched her shoulders.

"The wind here is like a knife, it hurts terribly."

"Let's go, let's head to the city center first."

I patted him on the shoulder and said.

We hailed a taxi and headed straight for the old town.

Fengtian's old town retains a large number of buildings from the Republican era and even the Qing Dynasty, with gray bricks and red tiles, which appear particularly somber under the gloomy sky.

The taxi stopped at the entrance of a winding alley.

"Gentlemen, the car ahead can't go any further. The destination is at the very end of the alley, there's a sign for a big-toothed antique shop."

The driver, speaking with a heavy Northeastern accent, kindly offered this advice.

I nodded my thanks, paid the money, and walked into the alley side by side with Li Qing.

The alley was quiet, and the path underfoot was uneven stone slabs.

Occasionally, strange markings could be seen on the walls on both sides of the courtyard. Li Qing went over to take a look, and his expression changed slightly.

"It's a guardian spirit's mark for warding off evil. I bet everyone in this alley has one in their home."

I nodded, signaling him to be careful.

As we walked to the end of the alley, we indeed saw a small shop.

The first thing you see is a dark wooden door with a rickety sign hanging above it.

The sign read "Da Ya Antiques" in large gold paint, but unfortunately, most of the gold paint had peeled off, making it look rather shabby.

I stepped forward and gently knocked on the door knocker.

"Excuse me, is Mr. Wang Daya here?" I asked loudly.

Before he finished speaking, a rustling sound came from inside the room, followed by a series of violent coughs.

The door creaked open a crack, and a strong smell of tobacco wafted out.

An old man, as thin as a monkey, poked his head out.

He was wearing a faded mandarin jacket and a pair of round-framed reading glasses perched on his nose.

Most strikingly, when he opened his mouth to speak, his two enormous gold teeth gleamed in the dim light.

"Who is it? What's all the noise about in broad daylight? It's not opening time yet."

The old man muttered irritably.

"Jiang Chengjin Wanliang introduced him."

I answered calmly, and casually took out a special copper coin that Jin Wanliang had given me from my pocket and handed it over.

Wang Daya took the copper coin, weighed it in his hand, and then bit it.

When he confirmed that it was a token from Jin Wanliang, a glint of light suddenly flashed in his cloudy eyes, and his attitude changed 180 degrees in an instant.

"Oh dear! So you're Mr. Jin's friend! My apologies for not recognizing you!"

He quickly pushed the door open fully, his face beaming with smiles: "Please come in! Please come in! It's cold outside, but warm inside!"