（I will slow down the translation speed in the near future, because I am a bit busy and need to modify the previous chapters）
“Ghost opera? Singing to ghosts?” Li Huowang’s heart sank at this thing. He knew it couldn’t be anything good.
“It’s nothing much, really. Just go to the ancestral hall and perform for their dead ancestors,” replied Lv Zhuangyuan.
“If it’s nothing much, why doesn’t Troupe Master Lv do this business yourself?” Li Huowang immediately countered, sensing that there was more to the matter than met the eye.
（In China, there are many ways to refer to “You” and “I”, including but not limited to using occupation and surname to address each other,This is difficult to translate in English, and English users also find it difficult to understand the meaning of these terms）
“Oh my, this is also the first time I’ve encountered something like this. I’m a bit scared, so I want to ask a Taoist Master like you to guard us, so we can do this business with peace of mind.”
“Troupe Master Lv, I’m sorry but I really can’t help you with this favor,” replied Li Huowang. He usually avoided anything spooky like this, and there was no way he would voluntarily get involved in this.
He and Lv Zhuangyuan were just traveling companions at best. There was no need for him to risk his life to help him out.
If Lv Zhuangyuan didn’t want to continue as their guide because of this, they could simply part ways. Li Huowang could go to the village himself and ask around. With so many people in the village, there must be someone who knows the way.
“Hey, Little Taoist Master, don’t interrupt me. How about we split the money in half for this business?” said Lv Zhuangyuan eagerly, gesturing wildly as he spoke.
“I didn’t want to take this job at first either, but the pay is too good to pass up. Lord Hu is very generous! He gave us ten taels of silver!
“One tael of silver is equivalent to a thousand copper coins, and ten taels of silver is ten thousand copper coins! My dear Little Taoist Master, that’s a lot of money! Even if you want to cultivate yourself into an immortal, but you still have to live like a normal person until then!”
（I used to convert grams and tael to each other, but I suddenly realized the word tael）
Li Huowang looked at the two sacks of dried sweet potatoes beside him,he realized that they really did need the silver now, not just for food, but also for other expenses when they reached Jianye Town.
Any place with people would require money.
“Little Taoist Master, I’m begging you!How……how about you take 60% and I take 40%? It’s not easy to make this much money these years!”
Lv Zhuangyuan pleaded with a mournful face, continuing to persuade Li Huowang.
If Li Huowang didn’t come, he really wouldn’t dare to take this job. After all, no matter how much money he earns, he must live to spend it.
Suddenly, Li Huowang turned his head and asked Lv Zhuangyuan, “Is there a blacksmith in this village?”
“What?”
Under the guidance of Lv Zhuangyuan, Li Huowang arrived at the only blacksmith shop in Wuli Hillock.
“What do you want to forge?”The shirtless, bearded man rudely asked,as he examined Li Huowang’s Taoist robe.
“I don’t need any iron goods forged. I just need something fixed. It can’t be hammered or melted. Can you restore this thing?” Li Huowang took out the copper bell and asked.
If it could be fixed, he could summon Master Wander, which would be helpful in many ways.
“Can’t be hammered or melted? What’s this nonsense,” the blacksmith took the copper bell and gently swung it a few times. He then took out two pairs of tongs and said, “Come on, lend me a hand.”
The tongs’ jaws were long and easily reached the dented shell of the copper bell. The two men gritted their teeth and exerted all their strength, but the bell remained immovable. This outcome was not unexpected.
“Hmm, strange. What kind of copper is this made of? It’s so hard,” the curious blacksmith was about to strike the copper bell with finger, but Li Huowang stopped him.
Li Huowang looked at the two tongs holding the shell of the copper bell and thought for a moment. He took out an elixir from the small gourd at his waist and put it in his mouth.
The elixir was given to him by Dan Yang Tzu as a reward, and he had eaten one before when he saved Yang Na at the mental hospital. Today, after eating this one, he would only have three left.
A burst of hot air exploded from Li Huowang’s lower abdomen, spreading throughout his body.
He took a deep breath and grabbed the two tongs on either side, pulling with all his strength.
“Two men can’t do it, and you want to……”
The blacksmith was about to say something, but before he could finish his sentence, a creaking sound was heard, and the dented copper bell was suddenly pried open by Li Huowang alone.
As the blacksmith opened his mouth wide, the copper bell reverted to its original shape.
“Hey, this is nothing. Let me tell you, Little Taoist Master’s magical powers are extremely profound,” Lv Zhuangyuan boasted to the blacksmith proudly. It was as if in his heart, Li Huowang was capable of anything and whatever he did was not surprising.
Li Huowang left the village and returned to the woods alone. He looked at the copper bell in his hand and shook it with a hint of anticipation.
As the bell rang, that feeling of dizziness immediately appeared again. This time, Li Huowang did not stop but instead gritted his teeth and shook the bell harder.
He felt everything around him spinning, and the lines of tree branches began to twist and shift from their original positions, gradually taking shape.
“This is promising!” Li Huowang’s heart beat rapidly at this moment.
With the piercing sound of the bell accompanying it, Master Wander, who had been gone for a long time, reappeared before him. However, this time only one of them appeared before Li Huowang’s eyes.
Master Wander appeared as a high-frequency trembling mass composed of various twisted and intertwined lines, with no fixed shape to its body.
Li Huowang couldn’t stare at it for too long; he felt that if he stared at it for too long, he might stare it into pieces.
He was about to speak, but suddenly thought of something. He bent down and picked up a piece of damp mud from the ground, stuffing it into his mouth.
“Hwæðer þú meaht mīn sprǣc understandan??”
He asked, wondering if Master Wander could understand him,but his voice turned into a strange melody.
Regardless of what Li Huowang said, Master Wander surprisingly responded, “Yis,ic understande.”
This made Li Huowang ecstatic.With Master Wander’s help, his strength would greatly increase!
“Mægstu mec gefultumian?” Li Huowang leaned forward, asking the most crucial question.
Master Wander remained calm and patient, standing still and slowly but firmly responding, “Gehwylcne sīþ, þrýmónaþ lífes tíd, bebycgan.”
Li Huowang’s brow gradually furrowed, “Nāht, dýre.”
“Gehwylcne sīþ, þrýmónaþ lífes tíd, bebycgan.”
As Li Huowang sighed upon seeing Master Wander repeating the previous sentence, he realized that there’s no such thing as a free lunch. He couldn’t believe that summoning Master Wander to help him would cost him three months of his life each time.
When he asked Master Wander if Dan Yang Tzu had made such exchanges at that time, it remained silent this time and didn’t respond.
As the ringing gradually stopped, Li Huowang rested on the spot, holding his aching head for a while,and then he returning to Wuli Hillock.
“Little Taoist Master, what happened to you…” Lv Zhuangyuan looked at Li Huowang who with mud all over mouth, uncertain of what to say.
“I have agreed to the business you proposed earlier,” Li Huowang said, holding the copper bell tightly in his hand.
“Oh! That’s great! I will go talk to Lord Hu right away!” Lv Zhuangyuan was overjoyed to hear this.
（I will slow down the translation speed in the near future, because I am a bit busy and need to modify the previous chapters）
“Ghost opera? Singing to ghosts?” Li Huowang’s heart sank at this thing. He knew it couldn’t be anything good.
“It’s nothing much, really. Just go to the ancestral hall and perform for their dead ancestors,” replied Lv Zhuangyuan.
“If it’s nothing much, why doesn’t Troupe Master Lv do this business yourself?” Li Huowang immediately countered, sensing that there was more to the matter than met the eye.
（In China, there are many ways to refer to “You” and “I”, including but not limited to using occupation and surname to address each other,This is difficult to translate in English, and English users also find it difficult to understand the meaning of these terms）
“Oh my, this is also the first time I’ve encountered something like this. I’m a bit scared, so I want to ask a Taoist Master like you to guard us, so we can do this business with peace of mind.”
“Troupe Master Lv, I’m sorry but I really can’t help you with this favor,” replied Li Huowang. He usually avoided anything spooky like this, and there was no way he would voluntarily get involved in this.
He and Lv Zhuangyuan were just traveling companions at best. There was no need for him to risk his life to help him out.
If Lv Zhuangyuan didn’t want to continue as their guide because of this, they could simply part ways. Li Huowang could go to the village himself and ask around. With so many people in the village, there must be someone who knows the way.
“Hey, Little Taoist Master, don’t interrupt me. How about we split the money in half for this business?” said Lv Zhuangyuan eagerly, gesturing wildly as he spoke.
“I didn’t want to take this job at first either, but the pay is too good to pass up. Lord Hu is very generous! He gave us ten taels of silver!
“One tael of silver is equivalent to a thousand copper coins, and ten taels of silver is ten thousand copper coins! My dear Little Taoist Master, that’s a lot of money! Even if you want to cultivate yourself into an immortal, but you still have to live like a normal person until then!”
（I used to convert grams and tael to each other, but I suddenly realized the word tael）
Li Huowang looked at the two sacks of dried sweet potatoes beside him,he realized that they really did need the silver now, not just for food, but also for other expenses when they reached Jianye Town.
Any place with people would require money.
“Little Taoist Master, I’m begging you!How……how about you take 60% and I take 40%? It’s not easy to make this much money these years!”
Lv Zhuangyuan pleaded with a mournful face, continuing to persuade Li Huowang.
If Li Huowang didn’t come, he really wouldn’t dare to take this job. After all, no matter how much money he earns, he must live to spend it.
Suddenly, Li Huowang turned his head and asked Lv Zhuangyuan, “Is there a blacksmith in this village?”
“What?”
Under the guidance of Lv Zhuangyuan, Li Huowang arrived at the only blacksmith shop in Wuli Hillock.
“What do you want to forge?”The shirtless, bearded man rudely asked,as he examined Li Huowang’s Taoist robe.
“I don’t need any iron goods forged. I just need something fixed. It can’t be hammered or melted. Can you restore this thing?” Li Huowang took out the copper bell and asked.
If it could be fixed, he could summon Master Wander, which would be helpful in many ways.
“Can’t be hammered or melted? What’s this nonsense,” the blacksmith took the copper bell and gently swung it a few times. He then took out two pairs of tongs and said, “Come on, lend me a hand.”
The tongs’ jaws were long and easily reached the dented shell of the copper bell. The two men gritted their teeth and exerted all their strength, but the bell remained immovable. This outcome was not unexpected.
“Hmm, strange. What kind of copper is this made of? It’s so hard,” the curious blacksmith was about to strike the copper bell with finger, but Li Huowang stopped him.
Li Huowang looked at the two tongs holding the shell of the copper bell and thought for a moment. He took out an elixir from the small gourd at his waist and put it in his mouth.
The elixir was given to him by Dan Yang Tzu as a reward, and he had eaten one before when he saved Yang Na at the mental hospital. Today, after eating this one, he would only have three left.
A burst of hot air exploded from Li Huowang’s lower abdomen, spreading throughout his body.
He took a deep breath and grabbed the two tongs on either side, pulling with all his strength.
“Two men can’t do it, and you want to……”
The blacksmith was about to say something, but before he could finish his sentence, a creaking sound was heard, and the dented copper bell was suddenly pried open by Li Huowang alone.
As the blacksmith opened his mouth wide, the copper bell reverted to its original shape.
“Hey, this is nothing. Let me tell you, Little Taoist Master’s magical powers are extremely profound,” Lv Zhuangyuan boasted to the blacksmith proudly. It was as if in his heart, Li Huowang was capable of anything and whatever he did was not surprising.
Li Huowang left the village and returned to the woods alone. He looked at the copper bell in his hand and shook it with a hint of anticipation.
As the bell rang, that feeling of dizziness immediately appeared again. This time, Li Huowang did not stop but instead gritted his teeth and shook the bell harder.
He felt everything around him spinning, and the lines of tree branches began to twist and shift from their original positions, gradually taking shape.
“This is promising!” Li Huowang’s heart beat rapidly at this moment.
With the piercing sound of the bell accompanying it, Master Wander, who had been gone for a long time, reappeared before him. However, this time only one of them appeared before Li Huowang’s eyes.
Master Wander appeared as a high-frequency trembling mass composed of various twisted and intertwined lines, with no fixed shape to its body.
Li Huowang couldn’t stare at it for too long; he felt that if he stared at it for too long, he might stare it into pieces.
He was about to speak, but suddenly thought of something. He bent down and picked up a piece of damp mud from the ground, stuffing it into his mouth.
“Hwæðer þú meaht mīn sprǣc understandan??”
He asked, wondering if Master Wander could understand him,but his voice turned into a strange melody.
Regardless of what Li Huowang said, Master Wander surprisingly responded, “Yis,ic understande.”
This made Li Huowang ecstatic.With Master Wander’s help, his strength would greatly increase!
“Mægstu mec gefultumian?” Li Huowang leaned forward, asking the most crucial question.
Master Wander remained calm and patient, standing still and slowly but firmly responding, “Gehwylcne sīþ, þrýmónaþ lífes tíd, bebycgan.”
Li Huowang’s brow gradually furrowed, “Nāht, dýre.”
“Gehwylcne sīþ, þrýmónaþ lífes tíd, bebycgan.”
As Li Huowang sighed upon seeing Master Wander repeating the previous sentence, he realized that there’s no such thing as a free lunch. He couldn’t believe that summoning Master Wander to help him would cost him three months of his life each time.
When he asked Master Wander if Dan Yang Tzu had made such exchanges at that time, it remained silent this time and didn’t respond.
As the ringing gradually stopped, Li Huowang rested on the spot, holding his aching head for a while,and then he returning to Wuli Hillock.
“Little Taoist Master, what happened to you…” Lv Zhuangyuan looked at Li Huowang who with mud all over mouth, uncertain of what to say.
“I have agreed to the business you proposed earlier,” Li Huowang said, holding the copper bell tightly in his hand.
“Oh! That’s great! I will go talk to Lord Hu right away!” Lv Zhuangyuan was overjoyed to hear this.
