"A century-old mansion... Where am I supposed to find that?" I muttered, feeling perplexed.

"My junior brother might have some hundred-year-old dragon liver, but the price is a bit steep. It's 3,300 yuan per gram. Given your condition, you probably need three grams of hundred-year-old dragon liver."

"What on earth? 3,300 for a gram of that mediocre stuff? Are you trying to swindle me?"

"If you think I'm swindling you, please feel free to leave," Chen Yuanshan ordered.

Not wanting to stay after such a comment, I stood up and walked towards the exit. As I reached for the door handle, everything suddenly blurred. The world spun around me, and I felt a sudden loss of strength. My legs gave way, and I collapsed at the doorway.

"Damn!"

Seeing me on the ground, Chen Yuanshan exclaimed in frustration.

The middle-aged woman who had been crying on the sofa rushed to my side. She pinched my acupuncture point, and suddenly, I was awake. She then helped me up and laid me on the sofa.

"You're losing yang energy rapidly. If you don't find a solution, you might not make it through tomorrow. Let's talk about the hundred-year-old dragon liver. It's incredibly rare and more valuable than gold. Even if you have the money, it's hard to find."

"If you're short on cash, call your family. I'll explain the situation to them," Chen Yuanshan suggested.

Ignoring him, I closed my eyes silently.

"You're quite stubborn. Nowadays, young people like you are a rare sight," Chen Yuanshan remarked, no longer paying attention to me.

"Master Chen, what about my daughter?" the middle-aged woman, still in tears, asked.

"I can't help with your daughter's situation. You should leave now," Chen Yuanshan replied.

"No, you must help me with this!"

The middle-aged woman grabbed Chen Yuanshan's arm, pleading.

"Let go! Your snot is on my clothes. Bring your daughter here, and we'll discuss it face to face."

Chen Yuanshan's frustration was evident. The woman reluctantly released him and hurriedly left Daozun Hall.

"Young man, don't linger here. Leave quickly," Chen Yuanshan ordered as he saw me lying on the sofa motionless.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"I want to leave, but I have no strength left," I weakly replied.

Chen Yuanshan returned to his seat, dipped a brush in cinnabar, and drew a talisman on a yellow piece of paper. Then, he went upstairs and came back down with half a bowl of white wine.

Chen Yuanshan held the burning talisman over the bowl, setting the wine ablaze. He then turned me over and applied the fiery liquid to my back, rubbing a specific acupoint vigorously. A warm sensation spread through my body, and I felt revitalized.

"Now, how do you feel?" Chen Yuanshan asked after stopping the treatment.

"Surprisingly better. I have strength, clarity of mind, and the alternating hot and cold feeling is gone," I replied, getting up from the sofa.

"I used the talismanic wine on your Dazhui acupoint. It gathers yang energy and stimulates the entire body. However, it's just a temporary solution. To completely rid your body of yin and resentment, you need the hundred-year-old dragon liver, the Rootless Yin Yang Water, and the Gather Yang Talisman. Each is indispensable."

Chen Yuanshan handed me a paper with an address written on it.

"You're young, and you can always earn money. But if you lose your life, you lose everything. Here's my junior brother's address. He might have the hundred-year-old dragon liver. If you think I'm deceiving you, you can leave. I won't charge you for the treatment."

Chen Yuanshan seemed sincere as he spoke. "Thanks," I said, taking the address and leaving Daozun Hall.

Exiting, I carefully examined the address: 68 East Street, Feng Shichao, New City District.

The funeral street I was on was close to the city, about two miles away from the funeral parlor in the western suburbs of Yuanbao District. Today was my first visit to this place, and I hadn't heard of it before.

Commonly known as Funeral Street, it was officially named Fuyuan Alley. Chen Yuanshan's Daozun Hall was at No. 8 Fuyuan Alley.

As I left Fuyuan Alley, I stood at the bus stop to catch a bus to the city and then transfer to another to reach 68 East Street to find Feng Shichao.

Lost in thought, I was startled when a bus silently appeared in front of me, opening its front door.

Without much thought, I stepped on board, realizing that the bus driver was the only person inside.

The driver, around forty years old, wore a black top hat, a well-fitted black suit over a white shirt, and shiny black leather shoes.

Though I frequently took buses, this was the first time I saw a bus driver dressed so formally, and something about him seemed peculiar. I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

Seeing me find a seat, the driver started the bus and moved forward. The strange part was that the engine made no noise, and the ride was unusually smooth.

After about five minutes, drowsiness overcame me. Leaning back, I dozed off.

"Don't sleep anymore. Get off quickly. This isn't the bus you should be on."

As I slept soundly, a young girl's voice woke me up.

I opened my eyes to find the bus now full of people, all wearing either black or red. The passengers had pale or bluish faces. Next to me sat an old lady dressed in a peculiar funeral attire.

I suddenly remembered seeing similar clothes at the funeral clothing store opposite Daozun Hall.

Looking closely, the old lady's eyes were pitch-black, just like the female ghost I encountered last night. This revelation sent shivers down my spine, and I began trembling.

"Young man, this isn't the bus you're supposed to be on. Get off quickly," the old lady said with a weathered voice.

Terrified, I stood up and ran towards the rear door. As I passed the passengers, I noticed they all had pitch-black eyes.

"Driver, I need to get off! Let me off!"

I shouted towards the bus driver in panic.