FIMA Ch69: Shopping

Recently, the Special Bureau had enough talismans. For most paranormal cases, just throwing talismans at them could resolve the issue.

For others, this was naturally a great thing.

But for Gu Beilin, who felt uncomfortable without fighting for a day, it was a living hell, almost driving him crazy.

Luo Chuan’s eyes lit up as he played with his long hair, “Since you’re so restless and the Special Bureau isn’t busy today, why don’t we go on a date? The four of us. It’ll be fun. I’ve never tried it before. Besides, Xingxing hasn’t gone out shopping since he came to the capital, right?”

At this moment, Xie Xuanxing’s mind was filled with only two words, “date,” “date.” He couldn’t hear anything else…

He blinked his big, watery eyes, looking expectantly at Gu Siyuan.

Ever since the two of them kissed last time, their relationship had naturally been acknowledged. Since then, Gu Siyuan loved to hold him, kiss him, and pinch him whenever he had free time. But it seemed too straightforward, without any of the usual couple’s processes, almost reaching the final step.

No flowers, no gifts, no movies…

Gu Siyuan originally intended to firmly refuse. Who would want to go on a date with a nutcase like Luo Chuan?

But when he looked up, he met those beautiful, bright eyes.

The little assistant was deliberately acting cute.

Who could refuse that?

He coldly nodded, “Let’s go then!”

Gu Beilin wasn’t interested in such things, but since the other three agreed, he didn’t mind and nodded along, planning to continue practicing with his sword when they got back.

However, not even an hour after they went out.

Luo Chuan and Xie Xuanxing both wished they could hang the two brothers up and give them a good beating.

The place they chose to eat was near a street known for feng shui and metaphysics. There was an old and reputable restaurant with excellent food.

After the meal, they could conveniently stroll down the feng shui street, where not only did they sell ordinary items like yellow paper, cinnabar, and various herbal supplements, but also some magical tools and talismans.

However, the Gu brothers not only had expressionless faces throughout the meal, but they also remained the same while shopping, answering everything with a simple “good.”

“I really admire you two. We’re supposed to be out eating, drinking, and having fun, but both of you keep a cold face. Do I owe you money or something?” Luo Chuan mercilessly complained.

“You don’t know how the shopkeepers were talking about you. With those cold faces and black clothes, if you weren’t sitting with us during the meal, they would have thought you were our bodyguards.” Even Xie Xuanxing, who usually defended Gu Siyuan unconditionally, couldn’t help but grumble.

Luo Chuan, feeling defeated, said, “Hmph, if I had known it would be like this, I wouldn’t have come out. You two should just stay in the Special Bureau forever.”

But Xie Xuanxing was unwilling to give up. This was their first date, after all.

He grabbed his man’s hand.

Gu Siyuan, thinking he was still siding with Luo Chuan, immediately nodded, “Sure.”

The Special Bureau is great. It has a lab, a training room, and you can do experiments every day, occasionally going downstairs to practice. How delightful.

Gu Beilin also nodded, “Yes, what’s the point of buying those odd things? As a sword cultivator, having a sword is enough.”

“Fine then…” Luo Chuan said sarcastically, glaring at the two, “Let me tell you, just because the talisman online store went live today, and the four major families haven’t had time to hire assassins yet, doesn’t mean there will be another chance. Soon, even going out will be dangerous.”

“Yeah…” Xie Xuanxing sighed quietly.

Although he didn’t want to curse Gu Siyuan, his boyfriend’s actions were so astonishing that they almost changed the metaphysics world. Given the nature of the four major families, they might really do something drastic.

“Really?” Gu Beilin’s eyes lit up instantly, and he said cheerfully, “Then let’s go on more dates! I wonder how many assassins will come, and what their rankings will be? Will Jack from America, Anatoly from Russia, or Japanese Onmyoji come?”

“It could be interesting.” Gu Siyuan was also intrigued and asked Gu Beilin in a cold voice, “Have you fought with those foreign assassins? Their metaphysical systems should differ from ours. If they really come, we could capture them alive and bring them back to the Special Bureau for research, to see the characteristics of their energy particles?”

Xie Xuanxing: “…”

Luo Chuan: “…”

Luo Chuan and Xie Xuanxing exchanged silent glances. How did they end up with such a pair of brothers?

It was better when they said nothing at all; at least that was less infuriating.

“Hey… isn’t that Gu Beilin?”

“It is, isn’t it? So handsome!”

“Yeah, it’s Gu Beilin! Seeing him in person!”

“Ah, I still remember the grand ceremony three years ago. Gu Beilin, ah, the Northern Heavenly Wolf, was so cool!”

On the feng shui and metaphysics street, there were either people from the metaphysical world or ordinary people interested in metaphysics. The grand ceremony held every three years was like the Olympics or the World Cup to them, never missing a session. Gu Beilin, who made a big splash three years ago, was naturally recognized at a glance.

Gu Beilin glanced at them, then turned his head indifferently. He had been used to this since he debuted.

Gu Siyuan, being someone who remained calm even in the face of a collapsing mountain, was even less concerned.

Luo Chuan and Xie Xuanxing, although always acting coquettishly and mischievously in front of the brothers, were two cold and glamorous beauties in public, not to be trifled with.

“Wow, Gu Beilin looked over! He’s really cool and aloof!”

“But the three walking with him aren’t bad either. Handsome guys really do hang out together. Especially that tall, cold one; he’s my type.”

“He looks a bit like Gu Beilin, but with more of an elite vibe.”

“They do look alike. They might be brothers, possibly from the Special Bureau too. The next grand ceremony is in just over a month. I wonder if he’ll participate?”

“It’s a pity that everyone can only participate once. We won’t see the Northern Heavenly Wolf this time. It would be great if the brothers could compete together.”

Some even started imagining scenarios and felt a pang of regret.

“Hey, isn’t Han Mingye in this session? They say his talent rivals the Northern Heavenly Wolf. There are many videos online of him practicing martial arts and exorcising spirits.”

“That’s just talk. Han Mingye is good, but how often does someone like the Northern Heavenly Wolf come along?”

“True.” The person who mentioned Han Mingye immediately gave up their point.

After all, the Northern Heavenly Wolf was indeed impressive. Since the rise of metaphysics, there hadn’t been anyone like him for many years, and there probably wouldn’t be anyone like him again.

After the speakers had walked away, two figures emerged from the back of a herbal medicine shop.

Xie Yuchen looked at Han Mingye’s gloomy face and smiled gently, “Mingye, don’t pay attention to them. The best way to shut them up is to prove them wrong, just like I did to Xie Xuanxing at the talisman conference in S City.”

There was something he didn’t say, something like what the Han family felt now.

He was out shopping with Han Mingye today to buy gifts for visiting the Han family tomorrow.

When he first came to the capital, the Han family didn’t think much of him, believing that no genius could come from a small place.

Until a few days ago, he won the favor of Master Cao Hongwen, the top talisman master in the country, and was accepted as a direct disciple. Now, even Han’s mother suggested that Han Mingye take him to visit the Han family.

Master Cao Hongwen was a significant figure in the talisman world, equivalent to half an aristocratic family on his own.

Han Mingye held his hand, his face unchanged, and said coolly, “You need to enlighten me? Don’t worry, I won’t take it to heart. I don’t even care about the Northern Heavenly Wolf himself, let alone these ignorant people.”

Luo Chuan stopped and glanced at him.

This guy did it on purpose.

He deliberately waited until they approached to say such things.

Gu Beilin reacted more directly, staring intently at him, “So, you want to fight me?”

He looked eager and thirsty.

Generally, cultivators viewed the Northern Heavenly Wolf as a madman and would avoid him if they could. This guy was actually provoking him, which made him very happy.

“…” Luo Chuan.

With such a partner, he didn’t even have a chance to defend him. Other people’s provocations were just what he wanted.

Gu Siyuan raised his eyes and looked at a martial arts gym not far away, saying indifferently, “There’s a dojo over there, just in time.”

Xie Xuanxing: “…”

Tsk, these brothers are really the same.

They would cause trouble even in calm situations, making big waves when there was already some.

They wouldn’t rest until they completely offended several metaphysical families.

Just as he was thinking, Xie Xuanxing noticed his boyfriend looking at Xie Yuchen with a cold smile, “Just now, I think I heard you mention the talisman conference in S City. Why not have another talisman duel with my assistant?”

Xie Yuchen narrowed his eyes and looked at Xie Xuanxing.

Xie Xuanxing also raised his eyes slightly and looked back at him with a faint sense of pressure.

Previously unnoticed, now Xie Yuchen felt something different about this person compared to in S City.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up with a mixture of shock and anger, “Did you use the half-ghost king’s soul orb?”

Xie Xuanxing nodded expressionlessly. “Correct.”

Xie Yuchen’s expression changed slightly. “You actually…”

That was a soul orb that almost turned into a ghost king.

In this age of declining magic, it’s difficult for human cultivators, and the same goes for other races. Beings like ghost kings haven’t been encountered in a long time.

The term “ghost king” sounds terrifying and frightening on the surface, but if one were to actually encounter one, all cultivators would try to capture it by any means.

After all, the benefits it brings are enormous.

As for that half-ghost king last time, it was clearly him and Han Mingye who did the most work, yet they didn’t get any benefits.

The so-called compensation from the Special Bureau to the various families was just ordinary cultivation resources, which couldn’t compare to the soul orb.

Moreover, he had always felt that the soul orb of this half-ghost king should have belonged to him. Sometimes cultivators have a sense of destiny.

Who knew it would end up in Xie Xuanxing’s hands, someone he should have long surpassed.

He gritted his teeth. “Taking something that doesn’t belong to you, can you really handle it?”

Xie Xuanxing remained calm, but there was a hint of battle intent in his eyes. “Or, you can try.”

Between Han Mingye and Gu Beilin’s stare, the tension was palpable, almost ready to erupt.

At this moment, a young man, about thirty years old, walked up from somewhere.

He first nodded at Gu Siyuan and the others, then walked over to Han Mingye.

Han Mingye called out, “Fourth Uncle.”

The two huddled together and spoke for a while. After a while, Han Mingye glanced coldly at Gu Beilin. “After I defeat your junior at the grand ceremony, I won’t let you go.”

Gu Beilin rolled his eyes in boredom. “So, you’re not fighting today. How dull!”

Han Mingye and Xie Yuchen glared at them unwillingly before following the fourth uncle away.

In a secluded place, Han Mingye vented, “Fourth Uncle, why didn’t you let me fight?”

Fourth Uncle Han glanced at him. “You are not his match.”

Han Mingye’s gaze was icy. “How do you know without fighting?”

Fourth Uncle Han pulled open his collar, revealing a smooth chest with a rough, vicious scar. Through this scar, Han Mingye seemed to see the fierce and determined strike that caused it.

Fourth Uncle Han sneered. “This was left by Gu Beilin.”

Han Mingye’s eyes widened in shock. “Impossible.”

He knew his fourth uncle, though looking young and not much older than himself, was the family’s second greatest expert, second only to the ancestor. He was even stronger than his father, the family head.

He couldn’t even beat his father yet, let alone his fourth uncle.

But Gu Beilin could…

Fourth Uncle Han continued, “The families have already decided to put the Special Bureau in its place at this grand ceremony. You cannot lose to Gu Beilin before that, or it would be a huge blow to our morale.”

Han Mingye lowered his eyes and said nothing.

Fourth Uncle Han patted his shoulder. “Mingye, your talent is undeniable. It’s stronger than mine, even stronger than the ancestor’s. You have the Han family backing you. Gu Beilin is alone, without a complete inheritance. You will surpass Gu Beilin eventually. Don’t rush.”

Han Mingye finally nodded. “Yes.”

Fourth Uncle Han nodded in satisfaction. “I’m leaving. You continue playing. Remember to return to the old house on time tomorrow.”

Xie Yuchen responded obediently, “Okay, take care, Fourth Uncle.”

Han Mingye also lifted his head, his expression softening a bit. “Goodbye, Fourth Uncle.”

After Fourth Uncle Han left, Han Mingye’s face turned cold again.

Gu Beilin…

Gu Siyuan.

What use is it to surpass them in the future? Right now, he had lost completely.

First, at Luojun Mountain, Gu Siyuan used him, and he lost the half-ghost king.

Now, he had to avoid Gu Beilin’s challenge.

Xie Yuchen, seeing Han Mingye’s expression, knew how proud he was. He immediately reached out to hold his hand. “Fourth Uncle is right. There’s a long road ahead. I couldn’t make talismans back then, but didn’t I eventually step on Xie Xuanxing?”

Han Mingye recalled Xie Yuchen’s captivating performance at the talisman conference in S City, and it was indeed uplifting.

His expression softened slightly, and he returned Xie Yuchen’s hand squeeze. “Let’s finish our shopping.”

The two walked out of the alley. As they reached the entrance, they heard a city management officer driving someone away. “You can’t stay here. Pack up your stall and leave!”

For some reason, Xie Yuchen looked at the middle-aged man being driven away and suddenly felt a flash of insight, as if a voice told him to go there because there was something valuable.

He blinked and lightly tugged Han Mingye. “Let’s help him.”

The middle-aged man, visiting this place for the first time, felt somewhat restrained.

He had first gone to the nearby antique street, but no one there was interested in his price, so he thought he’d try his luck on Feng Shui Street.

When his grandfather passed away, he said this copper seal was very precious.

If it weren’t for A-Nan’s urgent need, he wouldn’t want to sell it.

But now, he had no choice but to use it to save A-Nan’s life.

“This item has an unusual shape!” Xie Yuchen said lightly.

The middle-aged man looked up, his eyes brightening. This handsome young man seemed well-dressed; maybe he could afford it?

Han Mingye took the cue and said coldly, “It looks old, but the craftsmanship is rough and lacks aesthetic value. Antiques must be both ancient and pleasing to the eye to have value.”

This is why those fancy Qianlong imperial kiln porcelains fetch higher prices than jade from thousands of years ago—because of their superior craftsmanship and artistic value.

Though in Gu Siyuan’s eyes, the protagonist couple were just fools.

But to ordinary people, they looked dignified and spoke convincingly.

Hearing this, the middle-aged man’s face fell into despair.

This was also the most common comment he heard on the antique street. They all said that although his seal looked old, its shape was peculiar, and its craftsmanship was rough, so it had no collectible value.

If the price were lower, some antique enthusiasts might buy it for fun, but he wanted 280,000 yuan, so everyone just waved him away.

Xie Yuchen glanced at the middle-aged man, lightly patted Han Mingye, and joked, “Hey, don’t look so cold. I think this thing looks quite old. If the price is right, we could buy it for fun.”

With that, he nonchalantly sighed and said to the middle-aged man, “Hey, how much do you want for it? Let’s see if I’m interested.”

“That thing is not ordinary,” Xie Xuanxing said calmly, looking over.

It was quite a coincidence. The four of them were about to leave but happened to run into Han Mingye and Xie Yuchen here.

Luo Chuan, propping his chin on his hand, smiled brightly. “You noticed too?”

Xie Xuanxing nodded, rather pleased. “Since I started using the soul orb, I’ve become much more sensitive to the outside world. That thing should be a magical artifact, and definitely not an ordinary one.”

Gu Beilin also nodded. “It reeks of blood. This artifact has seen a lot of death.”

Gu Siyuan: “…”

Should he say something too? But after all, he wasn’t from this world and didn’t have the same dog-like intuition as these three.

However, he knew the plot in advance.

Gu Siyuan looked at the middle-aged man, a slight smile on his lips. So, it was today.

He remembered in the original plot, the protagonist Han Mingye accompanied Xie Yuchen to the metaphysics market to buy gifts and accidentally encountered a middle-aged man selling his ancestral item because his loved one was seriously ill.

And Xie Yuchen, in the end, gave the middle-aged man 300,000 yuan with a mix of persuasion and trickery.

The plot reasoned that giving too much money would bring danger to the ordinary middle-aged man.

Gu Siyuan’s lips curled into a mocking smile. In the 21st century, who doesn’t have a few millionaire friends, and none of them get killed just by stepping out?

Moreover, such transactions can be done via bank transfer. If neither party speaks, where’s the danger?

But the protagonist always has their own sense of justice.

In the end, Xie Yuchen gave the artifact to the protagonist Han Mingye, and it was indeed a powerful magical artifact. Han Mingye, with this item, became invincible.

Originally, Gu Siyuan followed a path combining science and metaphysics and didn’t care much for the artifact, but since he ran into it, how could he let Xie Yuchen and Han Mingye have their way?

Gu Siyuan said coldly, “Let’s go take a look.”

Xie Xuanxing immediately nodded.

Luo Chuan smiled, “If those two try to cheat him, we’ll give them a taste of their own medicine. Although this middle-aged man looks timid, I can see from his aura that he has a righteous mind and has done many small good deeds.”

Luo Chuan was quite skilled in divination.

When the four of them walked over, the middle-aged man was naming his price.

Probably intimidated by Han Mingye and Xie Yuchen’s attitudes, he hesitated, first holding up five fingers, then looking at Han Mingye’s cold face and Xie Yuchen’s furrowed brow, and was about to lower two fingers.

But he made up his mind, thinking: 300,000, this is the final price, no less!

280,000 for surgery, the remaining 20,000 for A-Nan’s recovery.

At that moment, several shadows fell over him.

The middle-aged man watched as the faces of the two wealthy young men in front of him suddenly turned sour. He instinctively stopped naming his price and turned around.

Seeing Gu Siyuan and the others approaching, Xie Yuchen immediately felt uneasy.

He should have directly asked for the price and bought it cleanly, but he was afraid that this seemingly honest middle-aged man might be cunning and would jack up the price seeing his eagerness.

Now, his cleverness had backfired.

He squinted at Gu Siyuan and the others. “We were discussing this deal first. If you interfere, you’ll break the rules.”

In the metaphysics and antique trades, it’s crucial to have a keen eye, so when buyers and sellers are negotiating, others are not allowed to interrupt, or they would be despised by their peers.

Xie Xuanxing, seeing Xie Yuchen’s defensive posture, couldn’t help but smile.

There was a time when Xie Yuchen, after gaining some inheritance, seemed to float above everyone else.

But since meeting Gu Siyuan and coming to the capital with him, everything had slowly changed.

Xie Xuanxing glanced at him lightly. “We won’t break the rules. We’re just waiting here, not speaking or acting. Whether the deal succeeds or fails depends on the buyer’s decision. If you blow the negotiation, we’ll step in immediately. This is within the rules.”

Xie Yuchen’s face darkened.

The four of them standing there openly was already a statement. Even if the middle-aged man hadn’t realized it before, he would now understand that the item might be valuable.

Otherwise, why would two groups be fighting over it?

Sure enough, the middle-aged man’s eyes lit up, and he said directly, “Since both of you want my item, how about this: both sides name a price, and I’ll sell it to whoever seems sincere. If the prices are the same, I’ll sell it to these two gentlemen who came first.”

Gu Siyuan nodded coldly but first asked, “This item looks like it has been well-preserved since it was unearthed. Are you selling it today because you lack funds?”

The middle-aged man smiled bitterly and nodded. “This is indeed a family heirloom, always told to keep it well, but now I need money for my partner’s medical treatment. I have no choice but to sell it.”

Luo Chuan squinted, staring at the middle-aged man’s face for a moment before saying directly, “I see from your features that you have few close relatives. Your partner is a man, and you will have no descendants. If you always planned not to sell this item, what would you do with it after you pass away?”

The middle-aged man looked at him in shock: “You… How do you know so much? Are you a master?”

Luo Chuan nodded.

The middle-aged man raised his hand to touch the treasure in his arms, feeling a bit melancholic: “If A-Nan weren’t sick, I would have planned to donate it to the state in the future. I don’t know if the state would even want it.”

Hearing this, Xie Yuchen and Han Mingye’s faces suddenly changed.

A mere farmer, but with such high aspirations.

This is bad…

Gu Siyuan looked at him intently: “Perfect timing. We are people from the relevant state department.”

As he spoke, he signaled Gu Beilin to take out his work ID to show the middle-aged man.

“If you sell this item to us, we will take care of all your partner’s future medical and recovery expenses. Additionally, we will give you a compensation payment, although it may not be a large amount. However, once your partner recovers, I can arrange for both of you to have temporary jobs at our department, which will be easier than your current work. Moreover, you will still be able to see this artifact often. It may be borrowed by colleagues from time to time, but it will never belong to any individual.”

The middle-aged man’s eyes brightened immediately, and he directly shoved the item into Gu Siyuan’s arms, saying decisively: “Alright, it’s yours, it’s yours. I’ll give it to you now.”

Gu Siyuan: “…”

So decisive!

The middle-aged man looked at them curiously and asked, “You are masters, so interested in this item. Is this the legendary magical artifact that can control the weather and exorcise demons?”

Gu Siyuan nodded: “It’s a very powerful artifact.”

The middle-aged man sighed: “It seems my grandfather didn’t lie to me. You must make good use of it!”

Gu Siyuan and his companions all nodded in unison: “We definitely will.”

The middle-aged man smiled contentedly.

Then he remembered something and looked at Han Mingye and Xie Yuchen, awkwardly rubbing his hands: “I’m sorry, even though you came first, but…”

Han Mingye snorted coldly and turned away.

Xie Yuchen only glanced at Xie Xuanxing and Gu Siyuan, saying coldly: “Leave a way out when you do things, so it’s easier to meet in the future. Aren’t you afraid things will end badly for you by being so aggressive?”

After saying that, he didn’t look at their reactions and ran to catch up with Han Mingye.

Luo Chuan sighed twice: “They probably don’t know about Gu Siyuan’s printed talismans. If they did, they wouldn’t say such things.”

Xie Xuanxing chuckled: “They don’t understand. These two brothers never consider how things will end; they can’t wait to overturn everything.”

“Hahaha!” Luo Chuan laughed uncontrollably, leaning on Xie Xuanxing’s shoulder: “Xingxing, I didn’t know you could be so witty.”

Seeing these two hugging each other again.

Gu Siyuan and Gu Beilin’s faces both darkened simultaneously, and they exchanged a look, each conveying only one message: Take care of your own partner! Stay away from my wife!