Chapter 98 - 95: Going Home

Chapter 98: Chapter 95: Going Home

The South Sea, Antique Shop Zero.

Jiang Chaosheng carried the Taboo Items recovered from his latest mission into the back room.

He placed the Taboo Items on different shelves, organizing them by the number of characters in their names.

He let out a long, heavy breath.

Relaxed.

More relaxed than he had ever been since taking over Antique Shop Zero.

The Curse was lifted. From now on, he could walk in the Human World at any time.

As long as he continued to recover Taboo Items in a timely manner and contain as many as possible, the Curse would not return.

Jiang Chaosheng placed the Dragon Pearl back on its shelf and said softly,

"Elder Dragon, you’ve worked hard."

The Jing River Dragon King had suffered considerable trauma this time.

It was a good thing he had brought the Old Dragon King along.

If not for the fact that both Daji and the Old Dragon King could summon rain, he feared he would have met the same fate as the Sea Coachman.

This trip to the sea had been perilous.

On the other side of the Great Western Sea, a member of the Taiping Dao, holding the Celestial King Demon-Suppressing Umbrella, had been watching his every move.

If Yang Xiao hadn’t scared him off, the consequences would have been unimaginable had that Taiping Dao member decided to interfere while he was trapped in the dark clouds.

"The Taiping Dao..."

Jiang Chaosheng muttered the organization’s name.

Their ambitions were not small. Many of their members possessed Taboo Items, and some could even wield them perfectly.

Antique Shop Zero had two duties.

First, to contain Taboo Items.

Second, to feed the Taboo Sculpture in the basement with Soul Power.

The Taiping Dao was already in conflict with the first duty of Antique Shop Zero.

For the foreseeable future, this organization would certainly be an enemy of Antique Shop Zero.

Why only for the foreseeable future?

Because the Taiping Dao, having a conflict of interest with Antique Shop Zero, could not possibly survive for long.

Jiang Chaosheng’s gaze was dark.

’The Taboo Association must continue to grow, and at a faster pace.’

In the time since the Curse was lifted, Jiang Chaosheng had discovered that this world held many secrets.

Setting aside the origins of gods and Taboo Items, even a worldly secret society like the Taiping Dao was enough to command his full attention.

Being empty-handed could never compare to having a group of powerful and loyal subordinates.

Jiang Chaosheng’s gaze passed down the hallway.

Zhong Shu was still in the front hall.

Jiang Chaosheng was very interested in the Li Xinyuan that Zhong Shu could summon.

It possessed immense power, capable of taking on three members of the Taiping Dao who wielded Taboo Items and defeating them. It was a valuable asset.

...

In the main hall, Zhong Shu stared blankly at his surroundings.

It was antique and elegant, like an ancient palace.

The tables, chairs, staircase, and counter—every single item had a quaint, classical air. They were most likely genuine antiques.

What was most astonishing was that:

there was no electricity here. The light came from bronze candlesticks placed all around!

’A man like him ought to live in a place like this,’

Zhong Shu thought to himself.

Just then, a thin stream of tea poured from his side into the cup before him.

"Thank you!"

Zhong Shu said quickly.

When he turned to see the ’person’ pouring his tea, he shuddered in fright.

It—it was a Crow, holding a teapot in its beak and pouring tea for him?!

The Evil Crow put down the teapot and said,

"We used to have a waitress, but she’s had a lot on her mind lately and hasn’t been coming out of her room much."

The waitress the Evil Crow mentioned was, of course, Jin Meiting.

After getting a tip from the Evil Crow, Jin Meiting had immediately begun planning how to serve Jiang Chaosheng by creating a religion centered around him.

Zhong Shu swallowed hard.

"Th... thank you!"

A moment later, Jiang Chaosheng emerged from the back room and sat down opposite Zhong Shu.

Zhong Shu immediately sat up straight, not daring to be disrespectful.

The Evil Crow poured a cup of tea for Jiang Chaosheng.

Jiang Chaosheng paid no attention to whether the Evil Crow or Jin Meiting had poured the tea.

In other words, he couldn’t care less.

As long as someone could do the job, it didn’t matter who it was.

Just as the Evil Crow had told Jin Meiting: to Jiang Chaosheng, everyone was a tool. He would use whichever one was most useful.

Jin Meiting had indeed become disconnected from Antique Shop Zero, gradually being pushed to the periphery.

Jiang Chaosheng rubbed the warm teacup.

"If you have questions, ask them."

Zhong Shu couldn’t hold back any longer and spoke up.

"Sir, is Bai Tasha... alive?"

Jiang Chaosheng said,

"Life and death depend on your definition.

Physiologically speaking, she died ten days ago.

But aside from lacking a physical body, this dead person is the same as any normal person.

So, in my eyes, she is alive."

Zhong Shu lowered his head.

"Can I see her again?"

Zhong Shu suddenly thought of something.

"If I join the Taboo Association, will I have a chance to see her again?"

A flicker of movement in Jiang Chaosheng’s eyes.

"You want to join the Taboo Association just to see a woman?"

Zhong Shu was silent for a moment.

"There are other reasons, too."

"Such as?"

Jiang Chaosheng took a light sip of his tea.

Zhong Shu’s hands suddenly clenched his pant legs.

"I can’t stand seeing good people suffer, and I can’t stand seeing bad people act so arrogantly.

The man on the train who stole my flintlock gun, the masked person who shot the passengers after getting off—I despise them!

I want to do something, I want to change something!

I feel like the Taboo Association is a chance for me to make a clean break with my past!"

Jiang Chaosheng set down his teacup and suddenly scoffed, his eyes filled with disappointment as he looked at Zhong Shu.

Zhong Shu stared at Jiang Chaosheng in astonishment, his lips trembling.

"Sir, don’t tell me you also believe in the law of the jungle, that the strong should bully the weak?"

Jiang Chaosheng shook his head.

"I have no interest in changing anyone’s worldview.

Whether you think the Human World follows the law of the jungle or that it should be a place of universal harmony...

...that’s your own opinion.

Only children nitpick over right and wrong."

Hearing Jiang Chaosheng’s words, an ’I knew it’ expression appeared on Zhong Shu’s face.

’A figure like him, someone so far beyond the mundane, wouldn’t concern himself with petty distinctions between good and evil.’

It was like that popular topic of debate online:

When a sheep is eaten by a wolf, it’s the wolf’s cruelty.

But if someone intervenes and saves the sheep, that is a cruelty to the wolf.

How do you know that wolf won’t starve to death?

How do you know there aren’t a few starving pups waiting in its den?

Zhong Shu said,

"But... Sir, you were disappointed by what I said just now."

Jiang Chaosheng said,

"You said you couldn’t stand the evil deeds of the man who stole your gun on the train. You said you couldn’t stand the masked person who shot the passengers."

Jiang Chaosheng paused, his gaze fixed on Zhong Shu’s eyes with a hint of mockery.

"But I didn’t hear you say that you couldn’t stand the tyranny of the Sea Train, even though that train was the cause of the entire disaster."

Zhong Shu froze.

It was true. He hadn’t thought of that.

’Why...?’

’Why hadn’t I thought to hate the Sea Train?’

He had never considered the Sea Train an object of hatred, only how to avoid being killed by its attendants.