The waiter was fiddling with the abacus, trying to emulate the shopkeeper's bookkeeping style, when suddenly an out-of-towner approached, cutting straight to the chase with a blunt question,
"Waiter, are there ghosts in this city?"
Such a question sent chills down the waiter's spine. Were it not for the fact that the man was a paying guest, he'd have cursed him outright.
Chen Yi noticed his shiver and understood that within this small Taixiang County, tales of hauntings were a common tune.
The waiter forced a smile and said, "Sir, what a joke you're playing. It's the first day of the Lunar New Year, not the time for such unlucky talk."
"I'm naturally lucky." With that, Chen Yi didn't waste words and pulled out a talisman from his chest, then shook the sword sheath strapped to his back. "Taoist."
The waiter eyed him suspiciously and asked, "Do you have a Dudie?"
