51

Capítulo 18

Basically, I believe her. But this "metabolism" has made me doubt that my spinal cord's blood-producing function can keep up with the rate of blood loss.

I clutched my stomach and struggled to leave for the hospital at midday. After waiting for over an hour, the doctor examined me for two minutes, prescribed a whole bunch of Panadol, and didn't even prescribe iron or calcium supplements.

I couldn't help but mention my concerns to the doctor, who became very impatient and said, "No one dies from excessive menstrual bleeding." Then he kicked me out.

Sweating profusely, I slowly rode my bike home. As soon as I got home, I rushed into the bathroom to shower, do laundry, and scrub the toilet. Then I collapsed onto the bed, unable to move.

Ten days later, the dragon, having had her fill of fun, came running back, while I was still lying in bed, nestled together with Huang E. Come to think of it, she was much better off than me. At least she could sleep on her back, while I was like a lobster, a steaming, cooked lobster, no less.

I was afraid He would come looking for me, but He swaggered around in the sky for two hours and then went off to have some fun.

I felt slightly relieved, but it lasted less than ten minutes. The ghost I had summoned flew in happily, and even in broad daylight and under Shuo's protective barrier, it couldn't stop him.

Seeing the document he was holding, a chill ran down my spine. This was the first time I'd ever seen an old man issue an official document, and I suddenly had a premonition that something terrible was about to happen.

“The master said,” the ghost said, hopping around, “that you must go see him immediately.”

I forced myself to look up at him from my pillow, and after a long while I mumbled, "...I...I'm not feeling well. Could I wait until...my period is over before I go see him?"

He asked with great interest, "Which aunt is it? Where is she? Why can't you go when she comes?"

I really wanted to strangle him, but I didn't have the strength at all.

"...Just tell the old man that, and he'll understand."

The quiet lasted less than fifteen minutes before he came again, shaking me awake very rudely.

“The old man said,” he tilted his head, “that even if you’re spurting blood from every pore, you should still roll him up the mountain immediately.” He looked even more interested. “Master, I didn’t expect you to know this trick. When are you going to perform it? I’ve never seen anyone spurt blood from every pore before.”

…It was my fault, it was all my fault. If the Stegosaurus wanted to eat, we should have let him. Why bother protecting these brain-dead brats?

Struggling to get up, the ghost messenger eagerly leaned closer and asked, "Master, when are you going to perform? Can you save it for when you're with the adults? Ah Yi and Ah Bing must really want to see it, and so must Mother's dolls..."

"Shut up!" I yelled at him, and then, because I spoke so loudly, my own head started throbbing. "Go back and tell the old man I'm coming. Don't just stand here!"

The desolate creature lying next to me had been rolling around laughing for a while, and now it's lying upright, tears streaming down its face, laughing weakly.

He tried to bury her under the pillow, but the fierce bird was too resilient and couldn't suffocate her.

With a hunched back and a pale face, he changed into his outdoor clothes, walked with difficulty downstairs, and slowly rode up the mountain at a speed of twenty kilometers per hour.

I can guess what the old man wanted me to do... It's really sad to think about it. Summer vacation isn't even over yet, and things have already gone so smoothly.

I don't know what the transfer exam process is like... I'd better check it out. I don't know if my grades are good enough to get into Feng Chia University... I'll try to visit Feng Chia University sometime to see if it's popular enough.

I want to live a few more years.

One of the abandoned industries

I knew the old man would get angry, but he was just too much.

According to custom, women who are menstruating are not allowed to enter the temple, but He was so angry that He told me to get in immediately.

“…Grandpa, I’m not feeling well.” I said sullenly, standing outside the ancestral hall.

"Just because I told you to come in doesn't mean I have to send you an invitation! You're getting bolder and bolder, aren't you?!" He was furious. "With your pathetic, short-lived fate, you dare to talk back to me like that? Get in here!"

I walked up to His altar with my head down. He was so angry that his beard flew wildly, and he roared in a voice like a bell, "You really think you're some kind of supernatural girl, Lin Moniang?! You think you're above my control just because it's summer vacation?! I don't really care about you either... but so what? Everyone thinks you're some kind of spirit medium helping me out! Don't you have eyes?! You broke the feng shui and released a dragon... did you borrow courage from the heavens?! Luckily, that dragon had a small horn missing from its head, otherwise it would have been a disaster... Are you out of your mind or something? It's one thing for ghosts to randomly pick up things, but you picked up a dragon... a dragon! It's a dragon!..."

I lowered my head and listened obediently, trying my best to appear sincerely repentant. To be honest, I was sweating profusely; my stomach ached, and my head felt like it was being chopped by an axe.

After jumping and cursing for a while, the old man placed a bowl of water on the offering table, grabbed a handful of incense ash, threw it in, and said, "Drink it!"

I stared in disbelief at the large, filthy bowl of water. "...Grandpa, is it really necessary to punish me like this? I already know I was wrong..."

He took a deep breath... and then roared, "Drink! Would I, an old man, harm you?! Actually, I shouldn't have cared about you dying... Drink!"

…I succumbed to the evil forces. Even though it was disgusting, I didn't dare vomit and obediently drank it all. My stomach was full of water; I felt terrible…

But my discomfort suddenly subsided, and at least I could straighten my back. The old man continued his tirade, muttering and reciting.

Old people are just talkative... or should I say they're arrogant?

After listening to Him scold me for a long time, I don't know how many times I said negative things, before I could barely calm Him down.

"Girl!" He said sorrowfully, "I know you have a kind heart and are pure of heart. But some things really shouldn't be your concern. You pity that innocent dragon, but why don't you pity the creatures on this island? It's unavoidable that He's stationed there... it's just fate. With you meddling, who knows what natural disasters or man-made calamities might occur? Will the Taoist priest who captured that dragon forgive you? What right do you have to talk to him? You're such a weak little girl..."

The old man said that when they first moved to Taiwan, natural disasters and man-made calamities were constant, causing their leaders considerable headaches. Later, they commissioned a Taoist master to set up several auspicious feng shui formations in the north, central, and south of Taiwan, with the dragon that was about to ascend to heaven at the heart of the formations. Only then did this small island, which was plagued by malevolent energy and frequent floods, stabilize and achieve its current prosperity.

As time passed, the formations in the north, central and southern regions were destroyed one after another, replaced by roads or houses, leaving only the dragon at the formation's core struggling to hold on.

It turns out that He was imprisoned in this way for nearly half a century.

"...Old man, what wrong did He do to deserve the burden of an entire island?" I knew I shouldn't talk back, but I just couldn't help it.

The old man was speechless after I asked him, and it took him a while to say, "I told you it was a calamity."

"And who decided this calamity?" I was even more unhappy. Just so that humans could survive, they captured a dragon that hadn't done anything wrong and imprisoned it underground, using it as the core of some kind of formation. With that kind of energy, why not put their efforts into practical matters? "Since it has been released, shouldn't its calamity be over? I just happened to be there."

"You're making such a clean scramble to deny it to me!" The old man jumped up. "Do you even know if He's round or flat, good or bad? Didn't you just save Him first? How dare you talk back so recklessly! You idiot! Luckily, that dragon isn't quite right in the head and doesn't know to hold a grudge... In the end, He came to thank me because you did my bidding! Do you even know what connections I have?! I'm just a local earth god!"

I bowed my head and let Him vent His anger, knowing the situation was actually quite serious. To capture a dragon, one would likely have already bribed superiors, since He was a high-ranking Taoist priest… And I had so rashly released the dragon, which had even transformed into a dragon…

My superiors and subordinates couldn't help but show some "concern." Since they couldn't just bombard me with criticism, they had to go to my "boss."

The poor old man had no choice but to grit his teeth and help me carry the burden, even if it was just a formality.

So I obediently listened to His scolding and reprimands. To be honest, the number of people who genuinely scold me for my own good is countless; it's a blessing that someone is willing to scold me.

Just think of all the official jargon the old man endured for me... Even if he forced me to drink a whole vat of incense ash water, I would obediently pour it down.

But I didn't expect that the dirty incense ash water would actually be effective.

Back home, she ran into Shuo downstairs. She pursed her lips, "...The Earth God still got involved. Whether this is a blessing or a curse for you is unknown..."

As I've said before, truly wise people speak in lofty and profound ways. If I could understand them, my IQ would have already surpassed 180, and I'd be on stage at Tsinghua University. How could I possibly be suffering in this lousy university?

Completely bewildered, she climbed the stairs back to her room… and as soon as she entered, she let out a shriek. Weak from illness, she leaped to her feet, crashing into the window twice before staggering away, cursing as she fled, “That old geezer, why is he trying to steal my man?! Heartless bastard… trying to kill me?!…”

I stared in disbelief as she flew out and crashed into the yard. Guan Haifa carried her back in. I told you, she was completely wicked, her tongue was slurred, and she was limp, yet she still kept cursing with great vigor.

He reached out to hug her, but she screamed piercingly, "Don't come near me! Spare me! What did that old geezer give you to drink? It stinks!"

This was her most unfortunate fate. Even though she couldn't stand it, she still had to stay with me until school was about to start, and she barely managed to adapt.

That period was truly the strongest I've ever been in my life. Not to mention Huang E was terrified, even that bunch of oddballs who always followed Tang Chen fled at the mere sight of him.

…Yes, Tang Chen really did come to be my neighbor.

I don't know who designed Shuo's café, but it faces east. The first floor is the shop, and the second floor is the residence. There are three suites on the second floor, each with a balcony at the front and back. Strangely, the front and back balconies are connected. Shuo and I both live in the corner rooms, while Tang Chen lives in the middle one.

The bad thing is that Tang Chen and I live next door to each other, and we can't even hang our clothes out to dry on the back balcony without looking at each other, since there's not even a wall between us.

…If Miss Lioness finds out, I probably won't live to see the third grade.

I was feeling utterly dejected, but Huang'e was overjoyed. Ever since Tang Chen moved in, she'd been clinging to him like glue. But it wasn't all bad... thanks to Tang Chen's influence, Huang'e finally recovered somewhat and was no longer bedridden.

Now that I'm better, I still feel like Huang'e has something to say to me, but he's hesitant to speak. We've been entangled for a lifetime, our emotions deeply intertwined, so it's really not true that Huang'e would put up high walls around me.

"What exactly are you trying to say?" I grabbed her.

She turned her face away in disgust. "Ugh, you stink... Don't come near me. You old geezer, what are you trying to do with me?"

"Who can an old man steal from you? He's not going to steal from me, is he?" I replied half-jokingly.

I thought she'd snap back, but she didn't say a word. That actually startled me. "...What does the old man want me to do?"

"What else can they do?" she replied gruffly. "Just follow orders and carry out tasks? Those civil servants only think about how to slack off..."

Hearing her say that, I actually relaxed and laughed.

I'm not familiar with the Otherworld, but I can't be completely ignorant of it either. Huang E chatters on and on all day long; even if I don't understand it, I've at least become somewhat familiar with it.

The so-called "receiving a decree to carry out an order" simply means that the gods find a representative. In this era, there are no longer any well-trained shamans who can communicate with gods and spirits. It is not uncommon for each god to use their own supernatural powers and find mortals with decent physical constitutions to act as their representatives.

But finding a spokesperson to carry out orders is a privilege reserved for "officials" to put on airs; it's not the place of the local earth god. To use a human analogy, they're either the head of the personnel bureau or the minister of supervision. No matter how powerful our school's earth god is, he's just a local police officer in charge of the area.

Have you ever heard of a district magistrate putting on airs?

Of course, I think my grandfather is very capable, like a master of the decathlon, a black belt expert. But even with such a powerful grandfather, he only managed a school that was originally a cemetery.

"There's no need for the local deity to send someone to carry out orders without a written message," I laughed.

Huang E held back for a moment, but still shouted, "Other local deities might not work, but who is this old geezer? I don't care, Hengzhi, you're not allowed to do anything for him! He's already stinking like this after drinking a few sips of incense ash water... How can I live if you do anything for him? Do you hear me?!"

I was surprised. "...Who is our old man?"

But no matter how I asked, Huang Eshi refused to tell me.

Huang E once said, "The districts over there are not difficult to get along with."

But in all the time I've known her, I've never seen her be willing to "get along" with anyone. I heard that when I came to university, the local earth god and land deity near my old home set off a long string of firecrackers.

Originally, we all lived in cities, where even powerful ghosts were rare, let alone monsters of any significant importance. Since there wasn't such an urgent need, it was understandable that the local earth gods and spirits were peaceful and easygoing.

This made Huang E arrogant for many years, and also made her very impolite to these civil servants of the divine realm.

But when I think about it carefully, Huang'e calls other local deities with an arrogant "Hey," but when he calls us old folks, he calls us "old geezer" with a huff.

This was excessive politeness for Huang E. After all, the word "politeness" was practically nonexistent in her vocabulary.

I suspect that Huang'e may have known or been acquainted with the old man for some time. But since Huang'e doesn't want to talk about it, I don't want to ask either.

Of course, everyone has curiosity. But curiosity is often the fastest path to trouble. Since I have no intention of "taking orders" or holding any official position, there's no need to pry into the old man's privacy. It would be too late to complain if things escalated to the point where I have to accept an official position and can't extricate myself.

Think about it, I'm such a thin-skinned person, if someone called me a "charlatan," could I handle it? But if I just act as a priest and don't become a monk, I can't live on dew and rice.

Besides, school has started, and there's a ton of stuff to do. Living next to Tang Chen is also incredibly exhausting... The day he moved in, the lioness came to assert her dominance. I really wanted to run away... but because of my terrible interpersonal relationships, I couldn't actually do it.

Finally, Shuo invited her for tea and said something to her, which made her feel a little relieved, and the illusory lion that had been lurking there every day disappeared without a trace.

“A very talented child,” Shuo said to me.

I chuckled dryly, but dared not offer her any advice. To be honest, Miss Lioness was more suited to be Shuo's student than I was. But I thought, if Miss Lioness really became Shuo's student... I probably wouldn't even see the sun rise the next day.

“It’s a pity that talent alone isn’t enough.” Shuo shook his head regretfully. “She has no awareness of her own abilities and still thinks it’s just part of a dream. But as a human being, her subconscious is so sharp… she’s definitely not cut out to be a witch.”

She looked at me, making me uneasy. "...I'm not cut out to be a witch."

“Really?” she laughed. “Actually, a good sorcerer must first learn to be a human being.”

…It's really tiring to talk to these experts.

But I didn't have time to ponder the deeper meaning of her words. Now I live at the foot of the mountain, and it takes me thirty minutes to get to school. Ever since Tang Chen put on that "car crash and flying into the sky" act on her first day of school, I've been completely terrified.

His brand-new motorcycle suddenly went out of control on a gentle slope and crashed into the mountainside, sending him flying into the air before landing on the asphalt road ten meters away. My motorcycle was right behind him, even though neither of us was going more than twenty kilometers per hour.

I don't understand, I really don't understand. Driving at such a slow speed, that brand new motorcycle, which I bought less than a week ago, was completely smashed into a pile of scrap metal.