A Pricey Purchase and a Familiar Address

“Wanwan, is this kind of incense suitable?”

They stood in a corner of a sprawling chain supermarket, a section exclusively dedicated to luxury aromatherapy products.

Driven by her intense craving for the scent of incense, Liu Hanzhi skillfully located a bundle of aged incense, presented in exquisitely delicate packaging. Even through the wrapping, she could discern its fine, mellow fragrance, a scent so enticing it made her mouth water.

Though the bundle remained unlit, its pervasive aroma utterly captivated the little ghost, Liu Hanzhi, leaving her unable to resist.

From its intricate craftsmanship to its pristine appearance, it was undoubtedly a superior product.

“It’s suitable, yes, but the price…”

Bai Wanwan gazed at the small, gift-boxed bundle of incense, noting with a slight frown that its price hovered close to ten thousand yuan.

Though the incense was undeniably of high quality, a mere handful of sticks for ten thousand yuan felt like an exorbitant rip-off to Bai Wanwan, who understood such markets well.

‘It seems I’ll have to make incense myself from now on.’

Having scoured numerous locations to finally procure this acceptable bundle, Bai Wanwan decided against prolonging their search any further.

If the price was a bit steep, so be it. She could always hand-roll her own in the future.

Truthfully, Bai Wanwan felt a touch of relief, grateful to have found such incense even in the late hours of the night.

Its exquisite craftsmanship meant it appealed not only to ghosts but also to humans, who flocked to its sophisticated aroma. This explained its presence in the supermarket’s exclusive luxury aromatherapy section.

“It’s no matter,” Liu Hanzhi reassured. “We’ve already earned ten thousand yuan tonight. Once we package and ship those paper effigies, the money for this incense will simply come right back, won’t it?”

As they exited the supermarket, Liu Hanzhi continued to comfort Bai Wanwan, whose face was etched with an expression of heartfelt distress.

It wasn’t the money itself that pained her, but rather the notion that purchasing these items at such an inflated price was simply not worth it.

If an item’s intrinsic value aligned with her expectations, Bai Wanwan would pay without a moment’s hesitation, even if the price was exorbitant and she knew the seller was making a tidy profit.

What Bai Wanwan truly detested was the practice of buying low and selling high, where all the profit was siphoned off by middlemen.

Neither the actual creators of the incense nor Bai Wanwan, as the consumer, reaped any substantial benefit from the transaction.

“I’m not bothered by the money,” Bai Wanwan clarified, “it’s just that the quality of this incense isn’t particularly good.”

“Not good quality?”

Liu Hanzhi was utterly stunned by Bai Wanwan’s assessment. ‘Not good quality? What kind of incense could possibly be considered good, then…’

“This is already quite excellent!”

As Liu Hanzhi spoke, her mouth nearly watered once more.

Bai Wanwan observed the utterly gluttonous ghost, a wave of helplessness washing over her. Ultimately, Liu Hanzhi was a small, unmoored ghost, unable to reincarnate, who had never even had the chance to savor truly fine incense.

“For me, though,” Bai Wanwan explained, “later, I’ll let you taste the agarwood incense I make with my own hands. *That* is truly exceptional, a supreme product. This, however, is merely passable.”

Bai Wanwan guided Liu Hanzhi to a relatively open space. There, she reverently bowed towards the east, then proceeded to open bottles of wine, arrange them carefully, and finally, light the incense.

In the midst of her preparations, Bai Wanwan didn’t forget to lightly tap Liu Hanzhi on the head, a subtle reminder not to sneak any offerings.

How could Liu Hanzhi possibly dare to steal? This was incense offered as tribute to immortals. Stealing offerings meant for divine beings? Liu Hanzhi possessed no such audacity.

Kneeling on the ground, Bai Wanwan murmured devoutly, her words a blend of heartfelt gratitude and humble apologies for any perceived inadequacies in her hospitality.

Even as Bai Wanwan spoke, the three bottles of wine arranged on the ground were already completely empty. The three sticks of incense, too, had burned down far more rapidly than usual.

Having completed all the rituals, Bai Wanwan slowly rose to her feet, exhaling a long, steady breath.

“So, it’s resolved?”

Liu Hanzhi inquired cautiously.

“Yes,” Bai Wanwan affirmed. “The most crucial matter is settled. Now, it’s time to address our own affairs.”

Bai Wanwan picked up her phone, its screen spiderwebbed with cracks, and gazed at the nearly ten thousand yuan in revenue displayed on the live streaming platform’s backend, along with several pending orders.

Scanning the addresses on the orders, Bai Wanwan’s scalp prickled with unease. Every single one pointed to remote, ancient forests that even maps could only pinpoint via coordinates, or else to uninhabited, desolate zones.

One address, in particular, struck Bai Wanwan as eerily familiar…

Happiness Community, Building 4, Room -401.

‘Isn’t this where my rented apartment is located?’

‘I reside in Room 401. This old complex doesn’t even possess a single basement level, so from where could a Room -401 possibly appear?’