The Dao Sovereign of Shennong

The chubby ghost mindlessly walked toward the golden light, and then his shadow twisted before being drawn into the soul-luring lantern.

Seeing this, Zhao Xing didn't intervene. That kind of ghostly fortune was too distant, and even if he managed to get the ghost to reveal the location of the wealth, he would probably have to help fulfill the ghost's last wishes.

Too troublesome. Zhao Xing was here to make a quick profit from ghostly fortunes, aiming for instant riches. If the process was too convoluted, he might as well return to farming.

Moreover, this was part of the temple personnel's examination. If he put himself in their shoes, he wouldn't want outsiders meddling either. No need to offend anyone over a small fortune.

"No rush, there will be more opportunities," Zhao Xing thought, glancing away and soon heading back to the vendor.

When Xu Laoba saw Zhao Xing return, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. He had genuinely been worried that Zhao Xing wouldn't come back, which could have led to rumors and hurt the reputation of the "river scavengers."

"The young master told me to wait, and in a blink of an eye, he was gone."

"Oh, I just saw someone I knew. Let's head to the South Lake District," Zhao Xing casually brushed off the question again.

Xu Laoba was about to ask more, but seeing that they were finally getting down to business, he perked up, gathered his tools, and followed.

As they arrived at the South Lake District, it was still aglow with lanterns, though most of the light now came from the lake rather than the shore.

The atmosphere had quieted, with much of the earlier noise now gone.

"Hmm?" While walking along a bridge by the lake, Xu Laoba suddenly stopped, staring in a particular direction.

"What's the matter?" Zhao Xing asked.

"Oh, I spotted someone I know," Xu Laoba waved dismissively.

"…" Zhao Xing looked at him with a knowing smile. "Now you're using the same excuse on me?"

But in this case, Zhao Xing had misunderstood Xu Laoba.

"Young master, don't get the wrong idea. I really saw someone I know. You see the woman over there in mourning clothes, standing next to a girl in white? Yes, that pair by the small boat," Xu Laoba pointed.

"I see them," Zhao Xing nodded. Not far from the shore, a small boat was moored with a pair of women on board. The boat had several fishing lanterns lit, and they seemed to be busy with something.

"That's Lin Sanniang from Fourth Bay, same hometown as me. Her husband used to do this job, but after he met with an accident, she took over his work, becoming the new river scavenger."

"But after her son got married and settled down, she stopped diving. It's been years since she worked, so I'm not sure why she's out here again," Xu Laoba mused, puzzled.

Zhao Xing took a careful look, using his Night Vision spell, and could tell that Xu Laoba wasn't lying. The middle-aged woman's attire and tools resembled Xu Laoba's gear.

As for the young girl, she was neatly dressed, and the simple white clothes she wore even had a faint glow.

"Hmm? A first-tier enchanted garment?" Zhao Xing turned to Xu Laoba, "Is her daughter a weaver for the Weaving Division?"

Xu Laoba shook his head, "She doesn't have a daughter. That's her niece, Lin Baiwei, though she's practically like a daughter since Lin Sanniang raised her. She did join the Weaving Division in Gucheng."

The weaver maidens were officials under the Weaving Division. The Great Zhou Empire had long been open-minded, and it wasn't unusual for women to hold jobs or even official positions.

The weaver maidens were responsible for weaving enchanted garments, and the profession was actually considered a significant magical craft.

Zhao Xing nodded slightly, "It seems Lin Sanniang returned to her old trade for her niece's sake."

Xu Laoba asked, "How do you know?"

Zhao Xing pointed, "Lin Sanniang isn't out here scavenging for treasures; she's preparing to collect lake silk."

"The Weaving Division's examinations often involve enchanted garment weaving."

"Now that it's late August and the End of Heat period, the first, second, and last silkworms are long gone."

"Only water silkworm lake silk can still be harvested, and its quality is even better."

Seeing the admiration on Xu Laoba's face, Zhao Xing continued, "Weaver maidens who haven't advanced in rank usually rely on these materials. The finest, white and tough silk is used to make what's known as Helo Enchanted Garments."

"These garments provide warmth in winter, coolness in summer, help prevent cold and damp ailments, and can even promote the healthy growth of frail children."

"The slightly inferior ones are called String Five Garments, and the lesser ones are Feiguang Garments."

"Lake silk typically produces Helo Garments, but gathering it is a tricky process. It can only be done around this time of year, and only at night, since the lake silkworms retract during the day."

"That's why I said Lin Sanniang returned to her old trade for her niece. This kind of work is actually more efficient when done by scavengers like you."

Xu Laoba gave a thumbs up, "Young master, you really know a lot."

Zhao Xing smiled, "Since she's a familiar face, do you want to go greet her? I'm in no rush."

Xu Laoba hurriedly shook his head, "Lin Sanniang has to undress to get into the water. If I bumped into her at the wrong time… no, I'm not that kind of person. I won't go."

Zhao Xing chuckled softly, reassured by Xu Laoba's response.

Since the temple staff were conducting their examination onshore, Zhao Xing rented a small boat to head out onto the water.

By now, there were few people left setting off river lanterns. However, there were still a few large boats and about a dozen small ones on the water, with the glow of candlelight dotting the surface. The surroundings were tranquil.

Zhao Xing remained quiet, listening and watching in the stillness.

Though he didn't see many people, he did encounter plenty of wandering souls.

Some clung to the river lanterns, while others floated beneath, feeding on the incense and paper offerings.

These wandering souls weren't all human; some were the spirits of aquatic creatures or strange, mismatched amalgamations.

For instance, as Zhao Xing's boat passed a certain spot, he spotted a fish-headed, human-bodied ghost.

Even the more long-lived spirits would eventually be cleared out by temple officials.

He could even hear:

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going over there."

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going over there."

Not far off, by a large river lantern, two bizarre-looking wandering souls were having the same mechanical exchange over and over—one saying they wanted to go somewhere, and the other questioning their intent. Having lost their wisdom spirits, only their souls remained, endlessly repeating this conversation.

Again, these wandering souls posed no real threat. They were purely a natural phenomenon, with most of them dissipating within seven days.

"Let's stop here," Zhao Xing suddenly pointed to a spot.

Xu Laoba promptly paddled over, his eyes lighting up, "Young master, this water is clear, but there are plenty of fish swimming about. There might be a treasure attracting them. I'll go down and check."

"Go ahead." Zhao Xing's Night Vision easily discerned the lakebed, spotting two first-tier superior Donghu pearls below.

Their value was average, priced at about one tael of silver each. A particularly fine specimen might fetch a little more but never more than two taels.

After all, Donghu was abundant with such pearls. It wasn't until you got to the second or third tier that their price significantly increased.

Sure enough, Xu Laoba soon resurfaced, holding a sparkling, egg-sized pearl. "Young master, I found two lake pearls!"

"Thank you, come aboard." Zhao Xing accepted the pearls, both first-tier superior quality, which was enough to cover his costs.

However, before he had time to admire them further, a faint sound carried on the wind.

"Light, such a bright light, so dazzling."

"Cold… so cold over there, freezing me to death. I need to get away."