"So, weapons are advancing, and so is the era," I said, locking my phone screen and speaking aloud, "If you had entered the underworld over a hundred years ago, the Du Lisan faction wasn't that powerful back then. You might have had a chance for revenge. But now, over a hundred years have passed, and Du Lisan of the underworld has become a powerful official, his influence growing like a snowball in winter. And you? In a hundred years, you've only produced a few 'ghost cultivators' of not-so-high a level. This strength isn't enough to even defeat an envoy commander of the Yin Messenger's office, let alone contend with that Du Lisan!"
This was no exaggeration. The highest level was no more than five green energies. Let alone a purple-energy commander, even other Yin Messengers with blue energy wouldn't be able to compete.
Of course, I was comparing strength between ghosts.
Ghost versus human, I had no idea what the outcome would be. But from what Ma Jiaojiao implied, ghost versus human would be a crushing victory. She believed the ghosts of Heishan Baozi were enough to overwhelm the Mohe Group. How exactly they would crush them, I didn't know, but I chose to believe Ma Jiaojiao's words. After all, she had been traversing the yin and yang realms for years and was an expert in this field.
"So? What are you trying to say?" the middle-aged man asked, his eyes darting to the cigarette in my hand, and he swallowed.
"Want one?" I gestured to my clothes on the girl.
"Can I?" the middle-aged man asked, somewhat hesitant.
"I don't know either, but how will you know if you don't try?" I chuckled. I was also a newbie Yin Messenger, with no experience.
The girl, looking puzzled, reached into her pocket and indeed pulled out the lighter and cigarettes. She handed them to the middle-aged man. He opened the pack, took out a cigarette, sniffed it with confusion, and a look of surprise flickered across his face. He quickly put it in his mouth, mimicking my actions, fumbled with the lighter, and lit the cigarette. He took a deep drag, his expression shifting from surprise to ecstasy. "Oh my god, it's been over a hundred years! I finally get to smoke again!"
Instantly, the crowd surged with excitement!
Not the "fèn" of anger, but the "fèn" of exhilaration! In those days, cigarettes had long become a popular item, and many villagers were heavy smokers. They all gathered around. The middle-aged man was generous and shared his cigarettes, but the half-pack of Yuxi only had thirteen left and soon ran out.
"Wait a moment, I'll go buy you more cigarettes!" I said, patting the grave mound dirt off my drum and standing up. I didn't know if this method of conversion was something I had pioneered or if previous Yin Messengers had known about it. But I suspected that not many people could actually achieve it. Who ever heard of a law enforcer buying cigarettes for a thief?
Bingbing quickly followed me. We left the chaotic graveyard, walked back to the Pajero, and drove back to a town we had passed earlier.
On the way, Zheng Bingbing, through my "monologue," had a rough idea of the conversation and what I intended to convey.
"That's brilliant, brother! Your move is so clever! Presenting facts, reasoning with them, letting them figure it out themselves, and then a small gesture of kindness. You're far more masterful than just 'teaching doctrines, imparting knowledge, and resolving doubts'!"
Such praise was quite satisfying.
Arriving at the town, shops were just opening. I went to buy cigarettes, and asked Bingbing to buy a few sets of clothes, as clothes were the carriers.
This cigarette shop had quite a variety, and I was a bit overwhelmed. The owner asked me why I was buying cigarettes. I thought for a moment and said, "As gifts."
"For gifts, you definitely need Soft Zhonghua!" the owner chuckled.
I shook my head. "They might not appreciate that. This Da Qianmen, when was it produced? During the Republic of China era?"
The owner took a box from the counter and turned it over. "Here, it says. Year 5 of the Republic of China, which means... uh..."
"1916. That should be just right," I said with a smile. "Give me ten cartons, and twenty lighters."
The owner, perplexed, brought down a carton of Da Qianmen for me. "Who are you giving them to, that you insist on using cigarettes from the Republic of China era?"
"People from the Republic of China era."
The owner, being a local resident, immediately guessed the correct answer. "You're going to offer incense to the ghosts of Heishan Baozi, aren't you!"