CHAPTER 37: CHAPTER 37: TALISMAN PAPER

On the way, Lana’s eyes stayed fixed on the passing scenery.

The city lights outside blurred into long streaks of white and amber as the car sped through the midnight streets.

The first encounter with the ghost was rather unpleasant and traumatic.

It wasn’t her first time close to death, but Lana was genuinely scared.

After reaching the temple, Lana cultivated for the entire night without uttering a single word. Even with Mr. Crow’s repeated provocation, she remained silent.

The first ones are always difficult, but maybe the helplessness Lana had felt left a deep mark.

The gentle sunlight rushing in from the window bathed Lana with a golden hue. Her eyelashes fluttered, and slowly she opened her eyes.

A deep, profound glint flashed in her eyes before she took a quick shower and went to a nearby Talisman store.

On the way, she encountered Monk Anaro, who, in a good mood, stated,

"The money has arrived. Your $950 million in cash has been placed in your room. Did you see it?"

See it? She wasn’t in the mood to see anything apart from cultivation.

However, when she heard the amount, her mood soared.

"How much?" Lana asked; her eyes were practically glowing with dollar signs.

"Originally, the amount was $1 billion. After taking my 5% cut, i.e., 50 million, you were left with $950 million. I have placed it in your room."

Lana: !!!

A bitter taste spread in her mouth.

$50 million! It took her many years in her previous life to pay that amount back to the Almond family... and now... Monk Anaro was talking about it... as if it were a pie.

’Take a deep breath, Lana! It’s alright! He had given you a place to stay during your difficult time.’

The last sentence made the rage in her heart calm down.

Thinking about $950 million, her eyes brightened. With that money? She could practically bathe in notes!

Lana returned to her room and took out $20,000. She was planning to use the money to buy talisman papers, a brush, and an inkstone.

In their world, a talisman store near temples was very common. Many of the devotees buy the talisman and enter the temple in the hopes that they encounter some talisman practitioner, or priest/celestial master, with the ability to create blessed talismans.

Usually, blessed talismans aren’t even counted as such since they don’t require any strokes or energy input from the priest. But it is indeed effective.

A blessed talisman can purify a small amount of black luck lingering around a person.

Lana entered the talisman store and bought 1000 talisman papers. The papers were the size of a teenage human’s hand and were yellow in color.

Lana rubbed the soft yet firm paper in her hand and focused on buying brushes. Just 1000 talisman papers cost her $2000. Yup, a single talisman paper was worth $2!

Capitalist! Damn capitalist!

Lana bought a lightweight, flexible brush for $5000 and an ink and ink grinder for $10,000.

Seeing the $17,000 fly by, Lana sucked in a deep breath and adjusted the cap on her head.

In order not to draw attention, she had tied her silver hair into a bun and wore a cap to cover it.

On returning to her room, Lana considered buying a quiet mansion.

One that is far away from the Almond family. She couldn’t live under constant monitoring. It was suffocating and painful.

Instead, she wanted to start with a new life.

A life far away from the ghost of her past.

The place she was living was Xila City. A prosperous city owned and protected by a mystic cultivator.

It was one of the cities where people were dying to get in.

However, Lana’s heart burned with a different ambition.

’Once I reach Heaven Rank, I will own my city!’

Exorcism wasn’t a profession; it was a gold mine.

After the arrival of the ghost portal, many of the places became uninhabitable. Hence, slowly, the price of real estate rose.

Even in the city where she was living, no apartment could be bought for less than $1 million.

A mansion was even more highly priced; it was close to $50 million.

As such, those who owned a villa in the safe zone way before the arrival of the ghost portals became rich overlords overnight.

Such inflammation caused many of the economically weak families to perish. And remaining rented rooms in groups to pay off enough bills while taking odd jobs.

Lana had once gone through that, and hence she wanted to build her own city.

However, she wasn’t doing it out of kindness or anything; instead, it was a bitterness in her heart.

The class difference, the struggle, and the helplessness she had felt when Lucian died.

The government had given the right to people to take over any of the ghost zones and transform them into their own area.

Even though the city will still come under the government’s jurisdiction, the most powerful person after the government will be the city owner.

That power was enough for Lana to take revenge on anyone, and she will never have to live under anyone’s surveillance. The thought delighted Lana, and she almost laughed.

"You will need to be at the Celestial Core stage to own a city. And to reach the celestial core stage, you will require at least 500 years." Mr. Crow broke Lana’s bubble.

Lana pursed her lips and glared at him. "Can’t you let me enjoy just for once?"

Mr. Crow rolled his eyes. "I can’t bear to see the delusion you were living in."

"Oh? You look so handsome, Mr. Crow." Lana suddenly purred, causing Mr. Crow to puff up his chest.

"That’s a given."

"So handsome that you look like a chicken who has been roasted but is still alive!" Lana covered her mouth while making a surprised expression.

Mr. Crow: (;꒪ö꒪)

"You are racist!" Mr. Crow hissed.

"You are narcissistic!" Lana retorted, her eyes almost spitting fire.

"You... Just wait and see how I will take revenge on you!" Mr. Crow threw out a threatening statement lacking any real certainty and flew away.