Nuages ivres, lune légèrement endormie - Chapitre 5
"Sir, it was my fault. I shouldn't have disbelieved you," the man said remorsefully, his head bowed.
"Then how did you know about this place?" the old man asked. The man revealed the truth: he was Zhang Liang, the director of an advertising company in Beijing, and he and the deputy director, Xu Youcai, were college classmates. They had both come to Beijing and looked for jobs together. However, they didn't settle down or buy a house in Beijing because their ambitions went beyond simply being a small director. They didn't want to fly to some area that seemed promising one day, and a house they bought would just sit empty. So, they searched for places to rent. Things weren't as simple as they imagined. Renting in Beijing for three years could buy a house in a small city, but due to unreasonable prices, they couldn't find a place to rent for a long time. Finally, after searching for a long time, they found a super cheap place. When Xu Youcai told Zhang Liang the rent, Zhang Liang couldn't believe it.
What puzzled them was that on this bustling street, only this one house was vacant, and despite the low price, no one lived there. The landlord explained that he was rarely home and was in a hurry to rent it out, so the two moved in from their dormitory without much thought. Nothing happened for the first few days, but in the following days, Xu Youcai noticed something was wrong. Every night he dreamed of children playing, and as this continued, he found himself constantly listless. He told Zhang Liang about it, but Zhang Liang dismissed it.
Tormented by the constant nightly ordeal, Xu Youcai finally broke down. He moved back to the dormitory from his new house, and after a few days, his spirits lifted and his mind cleared. A week later, Zhang Liang returned from dinner with his boss and suddenly fell down the stairs, ending up in the hospital. Under Xu Youcai's care, Zhang Liang gradually recovered. According to Zhang Liang's own account, someone kicked him down the stairs that night, but he couldn't see who did it.
Worried that someone might frame Zhang Liang, Xu Youcai moved back in to live with him. As soon as they entered the house, Zhang Liang said he was going to wash his face in the bathroom. He went over, and suddenly fell face-first into the dirt, cursing Xu Youcai for kicking him. This time, Xu Youcai saw it with his own eyes; the apartment floor was so flat, it couldn't have been from tripping. Zhang Liang must have been kicked by something! Xu Youcai recounted what he had seen to Zhang Liang. Zhang Liang still didn't believe him, and Xu Youcai didn't say anything more; the two of them washed up and went to bed.
The next morning, Xu Youcai woke up feeling something was wrong. Zhang Liang usually woke him up for work, but why wasn't he up yet? Xu Youcai got dressed and went to Zhang Liang's bedroom, opening the door. He saw two children dressed in ancient costumes playing on the floor, and the little girl had a red string hanging from her wrist, which was directly connected to Zhang Liang's wrist. Xu Youcai didn't know what to do and stamped his feet in frustration. In an instant, the two children and the red string on Zhang Liang's wrist disappeared. Xu Youcai quickly woke Zhang Liang and told him what he had seen. Afterwards, both of them broke out in a cold sweat. Xu Youcai then mentioned knowing a fortune teller in the capital and suggested they consult him. Zhang Liang nodded repeatedly. They each took out their phones; Zhang Liang called his company to ask for the day off, while Xu Youcai called the fortune teller.
The two sat on the sofa, too afraid to move or go downstairs. They were worried that if the little devil kicked them, they might fall and die on the stairs. When they heard a knock on the door, Xu Youcai hurriedly opened it. Seeing the fortune teller was like seeing a lifeline; he practically pushed and begged him to come inside.
The fortune teller wasn't one to be trifled with. After entering the room, he frowned, looked around, and said to the two of them, "Alas, this matter is not easy to handle." Zhang Liang took out most of his cash and handed it over, but the fortune teller refused.
"It's not about the money. This house has such a heavy yin energy. How did you two end up living here?" the fortune teller scolded.
"Can we move?" Xu Youcai asked, sensing an opening in his words.
The fortune teller shook his head and said in a low voice, "It's too late. The virgin boy and girl have already entangled you two. I can't do anything about it. However, if you go and ask Master Zhang from Maoshan in Changzhou and Master Le Shui from the Qi Yi School in Hebei, there might still be a chance to save you." After saying that, he wrote down the detailed address.
As a result, the two went their separate ways; Zhang Liang went to Hebei, while Xu Youcai went to Changzhou.
(The core plot of this story is based on true events; please don't take it too seriously.) =========================================================================================== Chapter 24: When Maoshan Meets Qi Yi (Part 1) - Yi Ge's Spirit - Collected and organized by
After listening, the old man nodded and said to Zhou Qiang, "Ji Ye, go pack your things and get ready to set off." Zhou Qiang obediently ran to the inner room and packed a few things. Zhang Liang thought to himself, "This is hopeful."
As Zhou Qiang was leaving, he felt something was missing. Finally, he remembered that he hadn't seen Granny Lexi yet, so he asked his master, "Master, where did Granny Lexi go? Shouldn't we inform her?" Old Man Lexi said helplessly, "Alas, a few days ago, your Granny Lexi observed the stars at night and discovered that the Yin Star in the east was appearing and disappearing. So she went to Shandong alone, saying she was going to find some kind of apprentice. I couldn't stop her." He sighed repeatedly after saying this.
"Then I'll lock the door." Zhou Qiang was genuinely looking forward to Le Xipo's return, because Le Xipo was very good at persuasion. If she found a suitable person, she could definitely seduce them, like himself. After thinking it over, he smiled and went out. Zhang Liang picked up the phone and dialed a few numbers: "Hello, is this Xiao San? Drive into the village." It turned out that Zhang Liang had driven this time because he wasn't sure what to expect until he saw Mr. Le Shui. What if he was a conman? Seeing that he had driven there, he would ask for an exorbitant amount of money. But in the end, the old man Le Shui didn't even mention the word "money."
Then a black Hyundai pulled into the village. Zhang Liang helped Old Man Leshui into the car, and Zhou Qiang sat in the back with him. Zhang Liang didn't forget to turn around and introduce them, pointing to the driver beside him and saying, "He's our company's driver." Then he pointed to Old Man Leshui and his apprentice and said, "This is... Mr. Leshui and his apprentice." He really didn't know how to address a ghost-hunting master. After exchanging greetings, they set off.
Meanwhile, Xu Youcai drove to Changzhou and found Zhang, the Taoist priest from Maoshan. He explained the situation, but Zhang refused to go, saying it was none of his business and he would seek help elsewhere. It wasn't until Xu mentioned that Mr. Leshui was also going that Zhang's eyes lit up. He was completely different from his previous nonchalant self, exclaiming, "Xiaolong, pack your bags, come with me to Beijing!" A young man in his early twenties emerged from the inner room. He had slightly dark skin, large, bright eyes, and full lips, but was only about 1.64 meters tall. The young man nodded and went to pack his bags with a smile. He was an infant Zhang had found at the train station twenty years ago during an exorcism. Since he was old enough to understand, he had never been to another place, and he really wanted to see what the outside world was like. Thinking about it, he smiled. Xu Youcai was secretly surprised by Zhang's change of heart, wondering who this Mr. Leshui was. Just mentioning his name had immediately changed Zhang's mind, and he began to flatter him. Zhang the Taoist ignored him completely, his mind filled with images of the old man Le Shui in his youth. Thinking about it, he couldn't help but laugh.
On the bus, Old Man Leshui muttered, "I haven't seen Junior Brother Zhang for decades. I wonder what he looks like now." Zhou Qiang asked curiously, "What Junior Brother Zhang? Master, do you have any junior brothers?" Old Man Leshui stroked Zhou Qiang's head and said, "I'm talking about Junior Brother Zhang from Maoshan. I remember the last time I saw him, I was only about your age." As he spoke, he couldn't help but reminisce about the past.
Decades ago, Old Man Leshui's master painstakingly sealed away one of the Four Evil Spirits of Hebei, settling into a peaceful and tranquil life. One day, however, an old Taoist priest with a wounded face arrived at his home, calling out to see Master Kuxing. Leshui, seeing him calling his master's name, helped him into the house. Upon seeing Leshui's master, the old Taoist priest burst into tears. Leshui's master quickly helped him up and inquired about the situation. It turned out that one of the Four Evil Spirits, along with several lesser demons, had gone to Changzhou to seek revenge on the old Taoist priest. The old priest, outnumbered, was defeated and nearly killed. He had covered the house with talismans, temporarily sealing the demons. He then used a life-saving talisman to travel to Hebei, hoping to contact Leshui's master, Master Kuxing.
Under the meticulous care of the ascetic, the old Taoist priest finally recovered. The two then decided to seal away the evil spirit in Changzhou. At that time, Le Shui was just a young boy. Knowing the journey was fraught with danger, the ascetic priest left the young Le Shui behind under the pretext of caring for Le Xi Po. Before leaving, the ascetic priest gave Le Shui the sect leader's jade pendant, and then set off with the old Taoist priest. For a long time, they received no news of their master. Le Shui habitually stood at his doorstep every day, sometimes for an entire morning. Even the young Le Xi Po felt sorry for his increasingly thin senior brother. Suddenly one day, a young Taoist priest carrying a bundle entered the house and called out, "Is Senior Brother Le Shui home?" This man was the current Master Zhang. After some conversation, Le Shui learned that his master had first used the Devouring Ghost Technique to swallow the evil spirit, and then used his Incense Transformation Technique to summon five thunderbolts, killing both the evil spirit and the ascetic priest. Before his death, the ascetic priest repeatedly instructed that his body be cremated so that the evil spirit could be completely eliminated. The old Taoist priest was already filled with remorse; how could he bear to watch the ascetic's remains be burned by his own hands? So, he made a peach wood coffin overnight, filled it with human hair, chicken blood, and other things believed to have strong yang energy, placed the ascetic's body in the coffin, and buried it in his own courtyard. He then, imitating the Qi Yi sect, set up a powerful protective formation in the courtyard to prevent the demon from escaping. Later, the old Taoist priest took in a disciple and taught him kung fu for a year. However, the old Taoist priest still couldn't forget Le Shui from Qi Yi, after all, he was Qi Yi's male heir, and he felt he should at least inform him. So he summoned his disciple, ostensibly to inform Le Shui of their master's passing, but really also to spend some time with Le Shui.
Upon learning of their master's death, Le Shui and Le Xi, clutching the ascetic's clothes brought by the young Taoist priest, wept bitterly, a truly pitiful sight. The young Taoist priest's arrival, however, brought them some amusement. Afterwards, the young Taoist priest and Le Shui lived together in the same house, and they got along quite well. People need to eat, after all, so Le Shui, along with the young Taoist priest and Le Xi, would proactively seek out exorcism services. When someone died, the three of them would also perform rituals to help the deceased find peace, earning some food or money in return. Two years passed quickly, and Le Shui's reputation grew, becoming the foremost exorcist in Hebei—Master Le Shui. Finally, one day, the young Taoist priest became depressed. Le Shui asked him why, and he said he missed home and his master. Seeing his distress, Le Shui urged him to return to Changzhou. The young Taoist priest listened to Le Shui, packed his bags, and before leaving, told Le Shui and Le Xi that he would come back to see them. But he never returned.
Old Man Le Shui gazed out the window, deep in thought, while Zhou Qiang stared intently at his master's expression, wondering what was wrong with him, his face shifting between tears and laughter. Seeing his master's absorbed state, Zhou Qiang didn't think much of it and turned away to sleep. =============================================================================================== Chapter 25: When Maoshan Meets Qi Yi (Part 2) - Yi Ge's Spirit - Collected and Organized by
“Sir, we’re home. Let me carry you upstairs.” Zhang Liang was very sincere at this point, and the old man Le Shui didn’t refuse.
A knock sounded at the door, and it opened from the inside. A young man opened the door, presumably Xu Youcai. Two Taoist priests, one old and one young, were sitting on the sofa. Seeing the old man, Le Shui, enter, the older priest stood up and said, "Brother Le Shui, long time no see! You've already taken on disciples!" Seeing Zhang Liang close the door, the older priest asked curiously, "Hasn't Junior Sister Le Xi come yet?" His tone couldn't hide his joy.
Old Man Leshui snorted and said dismissively, "Hmph, all I know is your little junior sister! You still have a crush on him? If you want to die sooner, confess to him!" The old Taoist priest blushed to the roots of his neck and hurriedly explained, "No, I just miss you two." He then shamelessly hugged Old Man Leshui, who hugged him back, like two brothers. This left Zhang Liang and Xu Youcai dumbfounded; so they knew each other.
The young Taoist priest approached Zhou Qiang and extended his hand in a friendly manner, saying, "Hello, my name is Zhang Dalong." Zhou Qiang grinned and shook his hand back, saying, "Hello, my name is Zhou Qiang."
"Your name is so corny!" The young Taoist priest, naive and always prone to bluntness, exclaimed. Zhou Qiang, seeing the smiling young Taoist priest in front of him, felt an urge to bite him, but he rolled his eyes and ignored him.
Zhang Liang and Xu Youcai thought to themselves, "Haven't you scared us enough? Our lives are in your hands!" They tried to protest by coughing repeatedly. The old man Le Shui also came to his senses and said, "It's already dark. Let's catch the little ghosts first thing tomorrow morning." Both of them breathed a sigh of relief. Zhang Liang put on his coat and prepared to go out to buy some food. Just as he opened the door, the old man Le Shui and the old Taoist priest simultaneously called out to him, "Stop! Where are you going?" Zhang Liang, as if he had done something wrong, whispered, "Everyone's hungry too. I'm going to buy you all some food."
Old Man Leshui pulled a Qi-Changing Chart from his robes and handed it to Zhang Liang, saying, "Take this, for self-defense." Zhang Liang gratefully accepted it. The old Taoist priest scoffed, "Oh, so this is a Qi-Changing Talisman." Old Man Leshui, with a stern face, said, "Wrong! This is called a Qi-Changing Chart. You've been training in our house for two years for nothing, and you've even forgotten this? You're really getting old." Old Man Leshui then smiled, seemingly triumphant. The old Taoist priest, speechless with frustration, also took out a ghost-expelling talisman and stuffed it into Zhang Liang's hands, saying, "Take this, it's more effective than any unorthodox method." He glanced at Old Man Leshui every now and then. Old Man Leshui pretended not to hear anything and sat down to listen to the radio he had brought. After Zhang Liang left, Xu Youcai asked the two immortals what their best strategies were. The old Taoist priest offered a suggestion: "Right now we don't know the power of that evil spirit, and acting rashly will only cause trouble. Tomorrow morning, have Zhang Liang take a taxi to work. The little ghost will harass him when no one is around, so I'm sure it will follow his taxi. We'll follow it in our car, and when we get to your company, have Zhang Liang get out of the taxi, then we'll flag it down and trap him like a turtle in a jar!" He finished with a proud smile.
Old Man Le Shui stopped talking, frowning as he said, "I don't think it's that simple! Logically speaking, it's practically impossible for little ghosts to harm people, because they don't harbor much resentment after they die, especially not a man and a woman. I estimate..." The old Taoist priest also widened his eyes and chimed in, "Could it be... that there are evil spirits manipulating them behind the scenes?"
“That’s right, I suspect these two little devils were buried with the evil spirit when it died. It seems this evil spirit’s status and power are not simple either,” said Old Man Leshui. Zhou Qiang then came up with a mischievous idea: “Master, why don’t we summon the little devils and ask them?” After receiving Old Man Leshui’s approval, Zhou Qiang took out an incense burner wrapped in black cloth from his bag, lit three incense sticks, and placed them in the burner while chanting incantations.
The old man and the old Taoist priest opened their third eyes, but the simple-minded young Taoist priest still didn't understand what was going on. The old Taoist priest spoke, "Little Dragon, open your Heavenly Sight." The Heavenly Sight of Maoshan and the Heavenly Eye of Qi Yi are fundamentally different, or rather, each has its own strengths. Qi Yi's Heavenly Eye can see ghosts clearly, just like seeing people, forming a tangible image in the pupil. This allows one to clearly see every detail of the ghost in order to devise a countermeasure. On the other hand, when Maoshan's Heavenly Sight sees a ghost, it's just a ball of energy. One can only see the shape but not the physical features. Its strength is that it can penetrate walls and other solid objects to still see the ghost's energy. This minimizes the chance of the ghost escaping. Moreover, red energy indicates male and green energy indicates female, making it easy to distinguish between male and female, unlike Zhou Qiang, who, upon seeing a long-haired evil ghost, immediately guessed whether it was male or female. The young Taoist priest held his breath, his face turning bright red. Zhou Qiang glanced at him, thinking, "You're really quite stupid."
The incense burned slowly, and Zhou Qiang grabbed a handful of ash and scattered it on the ground, writing something on it with his finger. A chilling wind drifted from Zhang Liang's bedroom into the living room. With the windows closed in the dead of winter, any mention of a chilling wind was purely supernatural, and Xu Youcai felt a chill run down his spine. Zhou Qiang had the Soul-Destroying Dagger tucked into his waistband, ready at any moment.
A cold wind swirled in the room, finally settling opposite the incense burner. The smoke slowly dispersed, forming a human shape that gradually became clearer. Zhou Qiang could see clearly this time; the figure opposite him was indeed the boy Xu Youcai had mentioned. The little ghost's face was ashen, as if it had been smeared with flour. Only its two small, dark red eyes were particularly eerie, and it had a shrill, grating laugh that was exceptionally piercing. Zhou Qiang was about to pull out the Soul-Destroying Thorn when he was stopped by Old Man Le Shui's cane. Zhou Qiang turned to look at Old Man Le Shui, who slowly shook his head, signaling not to alert the ghost. But neither of them noticed a ghostly figure floating on the dark windowpane, staring inside. It should be called a ghost, because its features, except for its eyes, were almost completely disfigured. Zhou Qiang asked the little ghost, "Why do you harm people? Who is controlling you?" The little ghost didn't answer, only shrill-laughing. The old Taoist priest took a deep breath and said, "Such heavy Yin energy! Senior Brother Le Shui, can you smell it?" In fact, as soon as the Yin wind blew in, Old Man Le Shui could smell the heavy Yin energy supporting the little ghost. So he quietly took out a small bottle and released the evil spirit. The evil spirit did not attract anyone's attention and quietly approached the ghostly figure behind the building.
The little devil suddenly stopped laughing and asked, "What are you doing here?" He then started grinding his teeth, the sound clearly audible. "We're here to play with you," Zhou Qiang said with a grin. Xu Youcai, standing to the side, was dumbfounded, thinking, "This guy is actually talking to a little devil! How bold!"
Suddenly, the young Taoist priest stood up, snorted, and his face turned fierce. In an instant, a gust of cold wind swept through the room, and the little ghost was sucked back by the ghostly figure and disappeared. The young Taoist priest shouted, "Trying to run?!" He then grabbed his peach wood short sword and chased after the ghost to the window. At this moment, the evil spirit also floated over. The young Taoist priest swung his sword, but the evil spirit dodged it, flew over the young Taoist priest's head, and floated to Old Man Le Shui's side.
The young Taoist priest mocked Old Man Le Shui, saying, "So this is the Qi Yi School? You're nothing special, aren't you? You don't even know there's a ghost behind you." Zhou Qiang, enraged, stood up to punch the young priest, but Old Man Le Shui stopped him with his cane. The old priest quickly scolded, "Little Long, don't be so insolent! That's a ghost raised by your Uncle Le Shui. If you hadn't shown your fierce look, the old ghost wouldn't have sucked away the little ghost. Perhaps your Uncle Le Shui's evil spirits would have already captured the old ghost!" At this moment, the old priest couldn't help but secretly admire Old Man Le Shui's quick thinking. He then turned and apologized to Old Man Le Shui. Old Man Le Shui, quite magnanimous, chuckled and said, "It's alright, ignorance is no excuse. Don't always yell at children. What if they get angry and refuse to study?" Zhou Qiang thought to himself, "Haven't you insulted me enough already?"
The old Taoist priest, with a forced smile, said, "Yes, I understand, Senior Brother." The young Taoist priest also came over and said to Old Man Leshui, "I'm sorry, it's all my fault, Uncle-Master." Old Man Leshui laughed twice and gestured for the young Taoist priest to sit down. The young Taoist priest looked at Old Man Leshui gratefully, thinking how wonderful it would be if this were his master. As he thought this, he looked at Zhou Qiang, who was grinning at him from the side, his eyes seeming to say, "You got what you deserved! You got scolded! You brat, you deserve it. My master is better than yours. I'm so jealous!"
With a wave of his hand, the evil spirit transformed into black smoke and drifted into the small bottle. Xu Youcai sighed, feeling an indescribable warmth and a sense of security as he was with these immortals. After a while, Zhang Liang entered the house carrying large and small bags of hot food. He prepared the meal, and the group ate and chatted.
"Was anything unusual when you went out just now?" Old Man Le Shui picked up a piece of food, fumbled for Zhou Qiang's rice bowl, and put it in.
Zhang Liang said mysteriously, "Yes! When I went downstairs, I felt a crackling sound behind me, like being electrocuted. When I came back upstairs, I felt something bounce out in front of me."
The old Taoist priest poured all the meat from his bowl into the young Taoist priest's bowl, then said, "You put the Qi-changing talisman that Senior Brother Le Shui gave you in your back pocket, and the exorcism talisman I gave you in your front pocket, right?" Zhou Qiang, chewing on his food, picked up his chopsticks and said, "Wrong, it's the Qi-changing diagram." Both the old man Le Shui and the old Taoist priest laughed. Zhang Liang asked in surprise, "Master Zhang, how did you know?" The old Taoist priest remained silent, exchanging a smile with the old man Le Shui.
After dinner, the old Taoist priest, the young Taoist priest, and Xu Youcai squeezed onto one bed, while Zhang Liang and his disciple, the old man Le Shui, squeezed onto another. They all fell asleep quickly, except for Zhou Qiang. Zhou Qiang had slept all day in the car and was wide awake at night. He stared at the ceiling, pondering his strategy for dealing with the little ghosts the next day. =============================================================================================== Chapter 26: When Maoshan Meets Qi Yi (Revised) - Yi Ge's Spirit - Collected and Organized by
The next day, the group got up early, except for Zhou Qiang, who was still groggy and had dark circles under his eyes. After discussing it, they decided to follow the old Taoist's suggestion from the previous day. But first, they needed to remove the Qi-Yi Diagram and exorcism talisman from Zhang Liang so that the two little ghosts could approach him. It was almost eight o'clock when they finished eating the breakfast Xu Youcai had bought. They exchanged glances and proceeded with the plan.
As usual, Zhang Liang took his briefcase and went downstairs. Instead of taking Xu Youcai's car, he hailed a taxi at the apartment entrance. Le Shui, Zhou Qiang, and the others also came downstairs at this time and quietly slipped into Xu Youcai's car. The old Taoist priest sat in the front, gesturing for Xu Youcai to drive and follow Zhang Liang. Zhang Liang deliberately told the taxi driver to slow down. The driver wondered if this guy was crazy, unaware that he was carrying two ghosts besides a person. If he knew, he would definitely change careers. Xu Youcai's car slowly trailed behind the taxi. The old Taoist priest activated his Heavenly Eye and saw that the two little ghosts had somehow gotten into the car. He vaguely saw a red-clad figure and a female ghost floating around Zhang Liang. Zhou Qiang also strained his Heavenly Eye, but couldn't see through the taxi's rear window, his face contorted with rage. The young Taoist priest sitting next to him said, "Don't waste your energy, it's useless. You couldn't see anything even if you gouged out your eyes." Zhou Qiang grunted, leaned back in his seat, and closed his eyes.
The taxi arrived at the advertising company's entrance. After paying, Zhang Liang got out, clutching his briefcase, and leisurely walked upstairs. At this moment, Xu Youcai and the others also hurriedly got out of the car. Zhou Qiang, using his third eye, clearly saw that Zhang Liang had a red rope tied to his hand, and was leading a little girl—specifically, a virgin ghost—on the other end. A male ghost was also walking beside the virgin ghost. The male ghost looked around and saw Zhou Qiang get out of the car. Realizing something was wrong, he started running outside. Seeing the male ghost run away, the virgin ghost also tried to escape, but the red rope on her hand was tied to Zhang Liang. Unable to escape, she transformed into black smoke and entered Zhang Liang's briefcase.
The old Taoist priest called out, "Brother Leshui, the boy is trying to run away, and the girl has already gone upstairs with Zhang Liang." Leshui nodded confidently and said to the old Taoist priest, "We two will go after the boy. Tell your disciple to go upstairs with Jiye to catch the girl." "Okay." Perhaps it was a habit the old Taoist priest had developed; he had always been very obedient in Leshui's home. Whenever he disobeyed Leshui, he would always get into trouble, and Leshui would always help him resolve it. So the old Taoist priest gradually developed a habit of obedience. Unexpectedly, after so many years, the old Taoist priest was still as obedient as he had been as a child.
"Xiao Long, you two go upstairs and catch the virgin girl. Your senior uncle and I will go after the virgin boy," the old Taoist priest instructed the young Taoist priest. As soon as he finished speaking, the young Taoist priest and Zhou Qiang rushed into the building. The old Taoist priest and Old Man Le Shui got back into Xu Youcai's car. The old Taoist priest pulled out a compass as big as a washbasin, startling even Xu Youcai. The old Taoist priest carefully examined the compass needle, which kept bobbing around, finally pointing west. He then gestured for Xu Youcai to give chase.
Zhang Liang's office was on the fifteenth floor of the building. Upon arriving, he instructed his secretary to let anyone who came looking for him come in directly. He then entered his office, feeling uneasy. He knew the little ghost was nearby; what if it became desperate and killed him? Zhou Qiang and the young Taoist priest climbed the stairs. At the fourteenth-floor landing, Zhou Qiang pasted a Qi Yi Yang Sha diagram on the wall, its function being to repel ghosts and monsters. Upon reaching the fifteenth floor, Zhou Qiang and the young Taoist priest were led into Zhang Liang's office by the secretary. Seeing them, Zhang Liang almost cried, tears welling in his eyes, and said, "You've finally made it up." Zhang Liang had never felt time pass so slowly. After the secretary left, Zhou Qiang locked the office door tightly to prevent disturbance, but forgot to paste the Qi Yi Jin Gu diagram on the door. The Jin Gu diagram, as the name suggests, needs no further explanation.
While Zhou Qiang was closing the door, the young Taoist priest activated his divine sense and noticed a faint, foul aura emanating from the briefcase on the table. He immediately grabbed the briefcase, threw it on the ground, and took out a Taoist talisman from his pocket, rapidly scribbling it with his own blood. When Zhou Qiang turned around, the young Taoist was sticking the talisman onto the briefcase. The talisman on the briefcase burst into flames, eventually burning to ashes, while strangely, the briefcase remained intact. Zhou Qiang laughed and said, "Haha, your skills aren't up to par yet. Watch me." He then pulled a crumpled piece of yellow Xuan paper from his pocket and began scribbling on the young Taoist's still-bleeding finger. The young Taoist, quite displeased, said, "Why don't you use your own blood?" Zhou Qiang chuckled and said, "I'm afraid of pain. Since you bit your finger, it's a waste to let the blood flow."
After Zhou Qiang finished drawing the Qi Yi diagram, he didn't forget to say to the young Taoist priest, "Little Dragon, look at mine!" Then he picked up the diagram and slammed it hard onto his briefcase. Even Zhang Liang, sitting in his office chair, raised his buttocks to watch Zhou Qiang's actions. In the blink of an eye, the briefcase burst into flames with a whoosh, illuminating the entire office. The secretary and staff sitting outside stared curiously at the brightly lit director's office, wondering what kind of scheme the director and those two kids were up to.
This terrified the three people inside. Zhang Liang thought to himself that if the entire floor burned down, he couldn't bear the consequences. He took off his cherished designer suit jacket and covered his briefcase, but it couldn't stop the flames. Seeing Zhang Liang take off his clothes, the young Taoist priest also took off his coat to put out the fire, and said to Zhou Qiang, who was standing there dumbfounded, "Take off your coat too and put out the fire quickly!" Zhou Qiang was wondering how the fire had started when the young Taoist priest called out to him. He quickly unbuttoned his green cotton-padded jacket, but after unbuttoning the second button, he realized something was wrong. This was a jacket given to him by Old Man Le Shui, which he cherished so much that he hadn't even washed it despite its blackened surface. He then buttoned it up again and shouted, "Get out of the way, let me handle this!" Zhang Liang and the young Taoist priest moved aside. Zhou Qiang coughed twice, drew the ghost relic to his throat, opened his mouth, and exhaled. A jet of water shot out from Zhou Qiang's mouth, instantly extinguishing the flames on the briefcase. The three of them breathed a sigh of relief and sat down on the ground, their faces covered in soot, looking like coal miners.
"That's not right, my Qi Yi Diagram is fine!" Zhou Qiang said, frowning and pursing his lips. Suddenly, he realized something. "Oh! I know, it must be something wrong with your blood!"
The young Taoist priest glared back, retorting, "Nonsense! Any blood from a living person can be used to draw talismans. Of course, I'm still a virgin, so my blood energy and power should be even stronger. Don't you even know this basic knowledge? What are you learning to catch ghosts for?" Zhou Qiang blushed and lowered his head. Actually, he did know this much, but he just wanted to save face and fool the young Taoist priest. He hadn't expected to end up looking like he wasn't skilled enough. So he changed the subject, saying, "Open your briefcase and take a look."
The two slowly approached the charred briefcase. The young Taoist priest used his peach wood sword to prop up the leather cover of the briefcase, revealing a terrifying head inside. Having been burned, the head was almost entirely hairless, and its face was a bloody mess, with only the eyes and mouth visible. The two guessed it must be the head of the young girl. The head's eyes were tightly closed, indicating it was dead. Just as the young Taoist priest reached for the head, the girl's head suddenly opened its eyes and flew up to bite his hand. Zhou Qiang, quick-witted, pulled the young Taoist priest back, shielding him with his own body. The head bared its sharp teeth and grinned, lunging at Zhou Qiang. Without a word, Zhou Qiang pulled out the Soul-Destroying Thorn he had prepared beforehand and inserted it into the top of the head. The head howled, white smoke rising from its head, and spewing out a white, viscous substance, seemingly brain matter. The cries from the head gradually faded until it lay still with its eyes open. The young Taoist priest boldly went over and kicked it, but there was no reaction. It seemed it was truly over.
A knock came at the door. Zhang Liang, who was closest to the door, got up and opened it. Zhou Qiang tried to stop him, but it was too late. The door opened a crack, and the secretary, seeing her director looking like he'd just returned from a coal mine, hadn't even had a chance to smile when a plume of black smoke suddenly flew from above and landed on her. The secretary's face darkened, her eyes fixed on Zhang Liang, saliva already trickling from her lips.
Suddenly, the secretary grabbed Zhang Liang's neck tightly, shouting viciously, "I'll strangle you! I'll strangle you!" Zhou Qiang knew he was in trouble; he must be possessed. He kicked and punched the secretary's hands, but the secretary seemed to feel nothing, refusing to let go no matter how much he hit her. At this moment, the young Taoist priest picked up a peach wood sword, stuck a talisman on the tip, and thrust it at the secretary's body. The moment the sword touched the secretary's skin, she was thrown back, and black smoke billowed from her body as she fled out the door.
Zhou Qiang and the young Taoist priest shouted in unison, "Little devil, where are you running to?" They instructed Zhang Liang to watch over the unconscious secretary, and then chased after him.
Did they capture the girl? And what about the boy who escaped? What magic did the old man and the Taoist priest use? Please stay tuned for the next chapter. =========================================================================================== Chapter 27: When Maoshan Meets Qi Yi (Part 2) - Yi Ge's Spirit - Collected and organized by
Zhou Qiang and the young Taoist priest gave chase, while the black smoke drifted down the stairs until it reached the Qi-Yi diagram Zhou Qiang had pasted, then seemed to be jolted back. The young Taoist priest, quick as lightning, thrust his peach wood sword down, striking the black smoke squarely. A strange cry came from within the smoke, which then transformed into a small paper figure. The young Taoist priest didn't even spare the paper figure, sticking on an exorcising talisman before picking it up along with the paper figure.
"Brother Qiang, I caught it!" The young Taoist priest had almost been bitten by the girl's head, but luckily Zhou Qiang helped him. The young priest had even developed a liking for Zhou Qiang and changed how he addressed him. "I'll take it back to show my master," the young priest said with a smug smile. Zhou Qiang immediately realized something was wrong. If the young priest took it back to hand in his report, where would his face be? He said, "Little Dragon, let me see." He then forcefully snatched the paper from the young priest's hand, quickly pulled out a Qi-Yi diagram, wrapped the exorcism talisman and the paper figure together, and swallowed it.
This infuriated the young Taoist priest. "How could you eat the little ghost? Even if I caught it, you didn't have to steal the credit like this!" He then rolled his eyes at Zhou Qiang. Zhou Qiang burped and said, "Hehe, what if the little ghost escaped on the way? I used my Ghost-Eating Technique to eat it, saving us both trouble." Zhang Liang's secretary woke up shortly after, looking somewhat dazed. Zhang Liang called a few employees to take the secretary to the hospital, and then he ran out himself. Seeing Zhou Qiang and the young Taoist priest, he asked, "Where's the little ghost? Did you catch it? Don't let it escape!" At this moment, Zhang Liang was afraid that the little ghost would come back, and then his life would be in danger, so he asked with concern. Upon learning that Zhou Qiang had eaten the little ghost, he was secretly surprised. He touched Zhou Qiang's stomach and even put his head close to Zhou Qiang's stomach to listen carefully. Zhou Qiang hurriedly pushed Zhang Liang out, shouting, "Brother, I'm not pregnant, okay!" Then the others laughed, and the little Taoist priest completely forgot about stealing credit.
Meanwhile, the old Taoist priest and Old Man Leshui had already chased the boy to a secluded grove of trees. After the three of them got out of the carriage, the old Taoist priest looked at his enormous compass and frowned, saying, "My compass needle is erratic. The boy should be nearby. Brother Leshui, let's search carefully." Old Man Leshui nodded, took out a copper coin, and handed it to Xu Youcai for self-defense. The old Taoist priest put the compass in the carriage and took out a medium-length peach wood sword.
(It is well known that peach wood is used to ward off evil spirits, but few people know the reason. In fact, peach trees can absorb the energy of the five elements and the essence of the sun and moon, making them extremely yang in nature. Furthermore, it is said that a peach tree grows in front of the gates of hell, representing the majesty of the underworld, and that ghosts who want to escape will return on their own upon seeing the peach tree, making it more effective than a lock. Even the gods in heaven hold a Peach Banquet, but why not dates or pears? The reason remains unknown. In contrast, locust trees are considered yin, and old locust trees can absorb unclean things. If someone has an old locust tree in front of their house or in their home, someone in the family might experience a ghostly encounter or see a ghost. Legend has it that Cao Cao, after achieving great success, ordered someone to cut down a centuries-old locust tree. As a result, with one blow of the axe, Cao Cao's face was splattered with blood, and he died in depression afterward, which was actually due to being haunted by a ghost.)
The old Taoist priest walked ahead, with Xu Youcai supporting the old man Leshui behind. When they reached a locust tree, the old man Leshui stopped. Xu Youcai asked, puzzled, "Sir, what's wrong?" The old man Leshui didn't answer, but suddenly swung his cane and struck the locust tree with force. With a cry of pain, the boy was knocked out of the tree and lay on the ground. The little devil was quite clever; he got up and tried to run again. The old Taoist priest smiled and said, "Trying to run?" The three of them quickly gave chase. The old Taoist priest vaguely saw the boy's back, raised his peach wood sword, and threw it. His decades of Taoist practice hadn't been for nothing; the peach wood sword struck the boy squarely in the back. The boy fell to the ground, white smoke rising from his wound, and he cried out in pain. The three approached and saw the boy staring at them menacingly, muttering something incoherently. The old Taoist priest snatched the copper coin from Xu Youcai's hand, spat out a mouthful of blood, and pressed it forcefully to the boy's forehead. The boy immediately fainted and eventually turned into a paper effigy. Xu Youcai stammered, "Gentlemen, what should we do?" The old Taoist priest gasped for breath and said, "Do you have a lighter? Burn it." So Xu Youcai burned the paper effigy.
Xu Youcai saw that the paper figures were almost completely burned, and asked the two men if it was time to leave. The old Taoist priest and the old man Le Shui remained silent, their eyes fixed on what lay ahead. Curious, Xu Youcai followed their gaze, and what he saw terrified him. He muttered, "This...this...whose...grave is this?!"
Neither of them paid him any attention. The old Taoist priest said to Old Man Leshui, "Senior Brother, it seems we need to stretch our muscles a bit today." Old Man Leshui chuckled and said, "Yes, it's been decades since we last fought a demon together. I remember if it weren't for Leshui, we would have been dead long ago. I wonder if your skills have improved?" As he spoke, Old Man Leshui took out three incense sticks, preparing to summon the spirit at the grave. The old Taoist priest laughed heartily, "Senior Brother, decades have passed, and you're still using the same old tricks." After catching their breath at the grave, the two smelled a foul odor. This odor made them feel uneasy, and he couldn't use any magic on them. They waited quietly for Old Man Leshui to cast his spell. Suddenly, Xu Youcai's phone rang. He took it out and saw it was Zhang Liang calling. He answered the phone, stated his location, and then hung up. Old Man Leshui gestured for Xu Youcai to wait in the car. After all, Xu Youcai didn't know any magic, and if the demon came after him, he would only get in the way. Xu Youcai was eager to go back. After Le Shui finished speaking, he happily ran back to the car and waited for his helpers to arrive.
Zhang Liang borrowed the company car and quickly drove Zhou Qiang and the young Taoist priest to catch up. On the way, Zhou Qiang muttered to himself, "Why is he still running around at his age? I can handle this myself." Actually, he was worried about the safety of the old man, Le Shui.
After the three incense sticks were lit, the soil on the grave loosened slightly, and then a pair of bloodless hands emerged from the earth, slowly revealing the body along with the incense sticks. The old Taoist priest placed his peach wood sword behind him, waiting for the right moment. As the demon crawled to the opposite side of the three incense sticks, the old man calmly asked, "Who is this evil spirit? Why did you harm Zhang Liang?" The demon smiled and said, "That fellow's house was perfect for my cultivation, but unfortunately, he occupied it, adding yang energy and reducing yin energy. That's why I ordered my servants to drive him away."
The old Taoist priest was secretly puzzled by these words, thinking, "With your great abilities, harming Zhang Liang would be a piece of cake. Why only drive him away?" He looked at the old man, Le Shui, who was also bewildered, but asked, "Anything else?" The demon sat up and said, "As expected of a highly skilled Taoist, you could see through my intentions. Indeed, the area below that building is a place where yin energy gathers. If I were to kill that fellow, his vengeful spirit would surely reside there for a long time, eventually becoming a demon and seeking revenge. Sir, could you please let that fellow leave this room and help me cultivate? Later..." Before the demon could finish, the old man interrupted, "Since ancient times, humans and ghosts have been irreconcilable enemies. If I help you cultivate into a demon, will he still have a good life?" Upon hearing this, the demon revealed a ferocious face and said, "Then don't blame me." The old Taoist priest roared, and his peach wood sword stabbed at the demon. The demon calmly grabbed the tip of the peach wood sword with its claws. Although white smoke rose from its hand, the demon's expression seemed completely unconcerned.
With a sharp crack, the peach wood sword was broken in two by the demon. The old Taoist priest retrieved the broken sword, thinking that this might be troublesome. Looking at Old Man Le Shui, he saw he had taken out a small bottle and released a malevolent spirit. Although the spirit wasn't as powerful as the demon, it still glared fiercely at him. =============================================================================================== Chapter 28, The Third Incense Stick - Yi Ge's Spirit - Collected and organized by
Old Man Leshui, leaning on his cane, stood up and sighed, lamenting his old age and how unlucky it was that the two of them had encountered a demon. It seemed that today either the demon would die or they themselves would perish. The old Taoist priest bit his tongue and spat blood onto the broken peach wood sword. Because tongue blood was considered yang, spitting it onto the sword was believed to enhance its power. He then took out a sheet of Xuan paper and drew a yang-accumulating talisman, which, according to legend, could also increase yang energy. After preparing, the old Taoist priest stared intently at Old Man Leshui.
Old Man Le Shui didn't dare to be careless and immediately took out his trump card, the fire needle. Suddenly, the evil spirit pounced and bit the devil's arm. The devil tried to shake it off but couldn't. Enraged, the devil immediately raised his other hand to smash the evil spirit's head. This punch would most likely kill the evil spirit. But before his fist could land, Old Man Le Shui had already grabbed his cane and smashed it down, hitting the devil squarely on the forehead. At the same time, the old Taoist priest also stepped forward and took advantage of the devil's unpreparedness to chop down on the devil's raised arm. It's no wonder that the peach wood sword infused with tongue blood was so effective. With this strike, the devil's right arm was severed. The devil's face contorted in pain, and with a few piercing screams, a gust of cold wind swept through the forest, forcing Le Shui and the other man to cover their faces.
After the eerie wind passed, the old Taoist priest looked around and saw the evil spirit twitching to one side, its right hand gone. The spirit clutched its wound, enduring the pain without uttering a sound, green sweat beading on its pale face. Turning his head, he saw the demon chewing on the evil spirit's right hand, glaring fiercely at Le Shui and the old Taoist priest. Suddenly, the demon stood up abruptly, exhaling a puff of poisonous gas as it floated over. Surprisingly, the old Taoist priest and Le Shui didn't even flinch, which startled the demon. The old Taoist priest sneered, thinking that Le Shui's second incense stick was an antidote; inhaling the corpse poison was no different from inhaling air. Old Man Le Shui threw his cane at it, which the demon nimbly dodged. Before it could even feel smug, Old Man Le Shui was already in front of it. Despite his usually frail appearance, when faced with a ghost, Old Man Le Shui was quicker than anyone else. By the time the demon reacted, Old Man Le Shui had already plunged a fire needle into its heart. The old Taoist priest was no less formidable; he rushed over at the same time, leaping high into the air and plunging the broken peach wood sword deep into the demon's skull. Only the hilt remained exposed. Dark black blood streamed down the demon's face. Old Man Leshui slapped the demon across the face, then jumped back two steps. The old Taoist priest also tried to retreat, but before he could land, the demon roared and flung the old priest away, sending him crashing into a tree and falling to the ground. The demon's roar shook the surrounding trees.
The old Taoist priest swayed as he stood up, spitting out blood and leaning against a large tree. "Junior brother, are you alright?" Old Man Leshui seemed to have heard the sound of him spitting blood and asked with concern. The old Taoist priest coughed and said, "Alas, it seems I really am getting old." Seeing that the old Taoist priest was about to die, the demon floated towards him. Old Man Leshui, however, was not about to give up. He took out the Qi Yi Diagram, put it in his mouth, and then spat out a ball of flame to block the demon's path. Then, Old Man Leshui groped his way to the three incense sticks, picked up the third stick, and smiled. This smile terrified the old Taoist priest, who hurriedly cried out, "Senior brother, no!" He then ran towards Old Man Leshui with all his might, but still fell, slamming his fist against the ground in frustration. Old Man Leshui had slapped the demon earlier, but only to collect its blood. He rubbed his blood-stained hand on the third incense stick, then bit his own hand, smearing the blood onto the incense stick as well. This incense, named "Heaven and Earth United," is a last resort in magic. The caster summons a ghost, and its blood, along with the caster's blood, is smeared onto the incense stick. If the incense stick breaks or goes out, both the caster and the ghost will die; hence, it's also known as "A Thread of Fate." The only way to break this spell is to kill one of them before the incense burns out. At this moment, Old Man Leshui is attempting suicide to exorcise the demon. He sighs, regretting that he couldn't have his beloved disciple see him off in his final moments. Old Man Leshui's face hardens, and he's about to break the "Heaven and Earth United" incense when a voice calls out from behind, "Master! I'm here!"
Zhou Qiang and Zhang Liang rushed over. Zhou Qiang, unaware of what was happening, was overjoyed to see his master. Old Man Le Shui stopped what he was doing, listening blankly to his disciple's voice. The demon, seeing several more people arrive, cackled, thinking that a few more were just waiting to die. Zhou Qiang activated his Heavenly Eye and looked towards the sound. Damn it, this kind of Yin energy was definitely a demon. He pulled out the Soul-Destroying Thorn from his back and charged forward, releasing the Fiend Dragon along the way. "Damn it!" Zhou Qiang shouted as he thrust forward, but ridiculously, he kept missing. It seemed the demon didn't take Zhou Qiang seriously, only dodging and not attacking. In fact, the demon had already sensed the purple energy emanating from Zhou Qiang. Now, with his vital energy severely damaged, he feared that touching the purple energy would be fatal, hence his avoidance. The young Taoist priest went to help his master up, while the old Taoist priest didn't even glance at him, his eyes fixed on Old Man Le Shui. The old Taoist priest walked up to Old Man Leshui, snatched the incense, and scolded, "You old codger! You're so old and still risking your life! If you die, how will I live?" Before he finished speaking, his eyes were already red. This stunned the people around him, who wondered what was going on and why the old Taoist priest was cursing Old Man Leshui. Old Man Leshui sighed, thinking there might still be a chance, and shouted to Zhou Qiang, "Disciple, stab his kidney!" The young Taoist priest handed his master over to Zhang Liang and Xu Youcai to watch over, and ran up himself. But no matter how the two fought, the demon dodged. The evil ghost Chenglong fixed his eyes and shouted in a strange voice, "Get out of the way." As he spoke, he spat the small bead in his mouth to his lips. "Ghost Relic!" the demon, the old Taoist priest, and the young Taoist priest shouted in unison. Before the evil ghost could speak, it took advantage of Zhou Qiang and the young Taoist priest jumping aside to spit out a mouthful of fire. The demon dodged the flames, but a few sparks touched the hem of its clothes. The spark burst into flames with a whoosh, igniting the demon's entire body. The demon was in excruciating pain, unable to stand or sit, circling the grave while screaming in agony. The old Taoist priest, seizing the opportunity, shouted, "Now! Stab his kidneys!" Zhou Qiang and the young Taoist priest, one on each side, blocked the demon's path, then pressed forward relentlessly, finally stabbing the demon's left and right kidneys deeply from both ends. A burst of yin energy erupted from the demon's body, soaring into the air. The demon collapsed to the ground without a sound. As the flames died down, only a pool of blood remained. At the same time, the third incense stick went out. The old Taoist priest secretly breathed a sigh of relief, relieved that it had been so close.
Demons possess a constitution entirely different from other evil spirits, vengeful ghosts, and wronged spirits. Ordinary vengeful ghosts can have their yin energy drained and their souls scattered simply by striking their navel with a weapon imbued with strong yang energy. However, demons have fully formed hearts and kidneys. The heart belongs to fire, bearing the demon's physical power; the kidneys belong to water, and water is yin. The demon's kidneys contain all the yin energy within its body; damaging its kidneys drains the demon's yin energy, thus eliminating it.
The young Taoist priest, seeing his master's mournful face, asked the reason. The old Taoist priest told everyone the whole story, and everyone was shocked, except for the silent old man, Le Shui, who was casting the spell. The old man, Le Shui, went back to the evil spirit, chanted the incantation, and withdrew it. Zhou Qiang, his cheeks puffed out, followed and said, "Master, why didn't you tell me the purpose of the third incense stick sooner! If something had happened to you, what would my mother-in-law and I have done!" Tears streamed down his face. The old man, Le Shui, remained silent, his mind in turmoil, unsure what to say. City people are indeed city people; they know how to handle things. Xu Youcai, eager to ease the awkward atmosphere, came running over and said to the old man, "Mr. Le Shui, let me help you."
"No need." Zhou Qiang rolled his eyes at Xu Youcai, then bent down behind the old man, Le Shui, and said, "Master, let me carry you." The old man smiled and jumped onto Zhou Qiang's back. Zhang Liang also picked up the old man's cane and said, "Let me carry it for you." "No need." Zhou Qiang rolled his eyes at Zhang Liang again, snatched the cane, put it in his mouth, and mumbled something unintelligible. Zhang Liang and Xu Youcai thought to themselves, "What did I do to deserve this?" The young Taoist priest helped the old Taoist priest, and Zhou Qiang carried the old man on his back, and the group got into the carriage.
Back at Zhang Liang's house, the group stayed overnight before heading home. Before getting into the carriage, the old Taoist priest approached Old Man Le Shui and said, "Senior brother, your disciple is truly remarkable. Farewell!" Old Man Le Shui opened his arms, and the old Taoist priest, understanding the situation, embraced him. Le Shui whispered in the old Taoist priest's ear, "Junior brother, you must carefully guard against the mischievous demon in your household. I once divined your fate; you will face a great calamity when you are seventy-nine years old. Be careful." The old Taoist priest chuckled dismissively and said, "Of course, of course."
The young Taoist priest came up to Zhou Qiang, poked him, and said with a smile, "Brother Qiang, see you later!" Zhou Qiang smiled and replied, "Hehe, Little Long, you should practice your kung fu more, or you might get bitten by some little devil!" After hearing this, the young Taoist priest snorted, puffed out his cheeks, and jumped into Xu Youcai's car without even glancing at Zhou Qiang. Zhou Qiang laughed, thinking to himself, "This kid has quite the temper."
On the way, in the car, Zhang Liang took out a black paper bag and handed it to Zhou Qiang, saying, "Thank you both for your help this time." Zhou Qiang opened it and, wow, it was filled with a thick wad of hundred-yuan bills. He happily said to the old man, "Master, so much money!" The old man nodded and said, "Take only five hundred, give the rest to Zhang Liang." Zhang Liang stopped the car and turned to look at the old man curiously, as did Zhou Qiang. The old man smiled and said, "Zhang Liang, I've looked at your palm; you will become very wealthy." Then, turning to Zhou Qiang, he said, "Ji Ye, remember that good deeds bring good results." Zhou Qiang understood the hidden meaning in his master's words. Without saying much, he reluctantly took out five hundred-yuan bills and put them away, then tossed the rest to Zhang Liang.
Zhang Liang didn't even notice the money thrown at him; his mind was filled with the old man's words, "I will become very rich in the future." After thinking this, he wiped his drool and said to the old man, "Sir, thank you for your kind words." ====================================================================================== Chapter Twenty-Nine of "The Successor of Qi Yi" - The New Junior Brother - Yi Ge's Spirit - Collected and Organized by
After getting out of the car, Zhou Qiang helped Old Man Le Shui to the front door. Seeing the door wasn't locked, Zhou Qiang pushed it open and went inside, calling out as he helped Old Man Le Shui, "Grandma, Master and I are back. We'll make something nice today..." Before he could finish speaking, Zhou Qiang was stunned by the young man sitting dumbfounded in the yard. Actually, both Zhou Qiang and Old Man Le Shui knew that Old Woman Le Shui would most likely bring back an apprentice this time, but the young man's appearance still left Zhou Qiang speechless. The young man was about 1.8 meters tall, with bangs that covered his eyes, narrow eyes that gleamed coldly, a high nose, cherry lips, and fair, smooth skin that gave the impression of being delicate and fragile. Good heavens, is this even a man?
As Zhou Qiang was lost in thought, Old Man Le Shui noticed he was daydreaming, so he grabbed his cane and poked Zhou Qiang's right foot. With a cry of pain, Zhou Qiang snapped out of his reverie and looked at his master. Old Man Le Shui, as if aware of the extra person, said, "Nothing to be alarmed about, come inside." Zhou Qiang nodded and helped his master inside. The young man stepped back, blocking their path, and said in a low voice, "What are you two doing here? How rude, you bumpkins!" He didn't forget to roll his eyes at Zhou Qiang as he spoke.
"A leopard?" Zhou Qiang finally realized what was happening, looked at his dirty green cotton-padded jacket, and was about to explode with anger when suddenly Granny Lexi came out of the kitchen, smiling broadly. "Senior brother, you're back! We're having mutton dumplings tonight, come inside!" she said, taking the other arm of old man Leshui. "Jiyan, this is your senior uncle, and this is your senior brother." She then introduced the two, Leshui and his apprentice.
Zhou Qiang was sulking and holding back his anger when Le Xipo glared at him and said, "Jiye? What's wrong? Are you unhappy?" Zhou Qiang displayed the ancient Chinese face-changing art to its fullest extent, smiling as he said to Le Xipo, "No, no." Without even glancing at his impolite junior brother, he went into the house.
At the dinner table, Zhou Qiang and Old Man Leshui ate dumplings in silence. The young man's eyes darted around, thinking, "I've already offended my senior uncle and senior brother on our first meeting. I'm doomed." He smiled and said to Old Man Leshui, "Senior Uncle, you're truly impressive! The moment I saw you, I knew you were extraordinary, with a chivalrous air about you. I knew you were a reclusive master the moment I saw you. You must have been very handsome and charming in your youth, captivating many girls." Old Man Leshui and Zhou Qiang nearly choked on their food. Old Man Leshui had been a bachelor his whole life. Despite his indifference to money, he blushed deeply when women were mentioned. Everyone has weaknesses, I suppose. Old Man Leshui coughed twice, swallowed the dumpling in his throat, and said with a smile, "Your name is Ji Yan, right?" The young man hummed in agreement, "Nephew, you have such a sweet tongue!" He grinned from ear to ear.
Zhou Qiang, watching anxiously from the sidelines, thought to himself, "You little rascal, all that glib talk, you're definitely no good. I'll teach you a lesson sooner or later." The young man seemed to hear Zhou Qiang's inner thoughts, turning around with a smile and saying, "Senior brother, please forgive my earlier rudeness. You seem like a very easygoing person; you certainly won't hold a grudge against your junior brother. I truly admire you for not holding it against me." Zhou Qiang, completely different from before, laughed heartily and said, "Not at all! I'll protect you when we go out on business!" As he spoke, he sprayed crumbs of dumpling all over the faces of Old Man Le Shui and the young man. Old Man Le Shui muttered curses under his breath, but dared not shout loudly, as if afraid of ruining his image in his junior's eyes.
That evening, Old Man Leshui woke up Zhou Qiang and his fellow disciples, who were fast asleep in their den. Zhou Qiang was fine; he was already used to sleeping during the day and playing at night. Poor Ji Yan, a handsome young man, had gotten a black eye. Old Man Leshui said, "Ji Ye, take your junior brother to practice." Ji Yan cursed inwardly as he got dressed and followed Zhou Qiang out the door.
After the two left, Le Xipo quietly entered Le Shui Laotou's room. Le Shui Laotou seemed to know she was looking for him; he sat on the edge of the bed, eyes closed, and asked, "Junior Sister, how did he find you?" Le Xipo smiled and explained. It turned out that that night, Le Xipo observed the stars and discovered that the Yin Star had appeared. Following the direction of the stars, she traveled by carriage to Tai'an, Shandong. After getting off the carriage, Le Xipo found a secluded place and used her Yin-gathering technique, which is how she found the source of the Yin energy. Only after being led to the gate of a wealthy family did Le Xipo confirm that the Yin energy was emanating from inside. She then began to inquire about the situation inside.
After inquiring, Le Xipo learned that their family had just had a son named Xie Qifeng who had returned from military service, so Le Xipo was certain that the Yin Star was this person. That night, Le Xipo stayed at a hotel, removed her hairpin, and released the vengeful ghost she had brought from Song Peng's house. She said to the ghost, "You now have a chance to be reincarnated, but you must help me with this favor." As a result, Le Xipo instructed the ghost to treat Xie Qifeng the same way it had treated Song Peng.
That night, a vengeful ghost came to Xie Qifeng's house, causing him sleep paralysis and dream manipulation. Dream manipulation occurs when a vengeful ghost enters a person's dreams at night when their yang energy is weak, disturbing their thoughts. In Xie Qifeng's dream, the vengeful ghost appeared and chased him, terrifying him and leaving him drenched in sweat. When it caught Xie Qifeng, the ghost didn't harm him, but instead told him that if he didn't have an exorcism performed, it would take the lives of his entire family the next day. This torment continued until Xie Qifeng woke up the next morning, at which point the ghost finally stopped. At breakfast, the whole family said they had all dreamt of the evil ghost coming to claim their lives, which made the situation very strange. None of the family knew a ghost exorcist, which left them completely perplexed.
Suddenly the doorbell rang. Xie Qifeng ran to open the door and saw an old woman dressed in tattered clothes—it was Granny Le. Granny Le sighed and said to Xie Qifeng, "Young man, could you give me some food?" Seeing that she was a beggar, Xie Qifeng was about to go inside to get a steamed bun when Granny Le walked into the living room herself. The family frowned at Granny Le, but being kind-hearted, they didn't say anything. Xie Qifeng handed the steamed bun to Granny Le, saying, "Grandma, if you're still hungry, I'll give you more." Granny Le smiled at him, thinking that she hadn't made a mistake this time. Granny Le, as if she hadn't eaten for three days, took a bite of the bun and said, "Everyone, do you have any evil spirits in your homes that cause nightmares?" Although the people didn't know what "evil spirits causing nightmares" meant, the mention of ghosts and dreams meant that Granny Le was right, and they nodded repeatedly. Xie's father quickly invited Granny Le to sit down and ordered a feast of fish and meat to be served.
Lexi Po gestured that it wasn't necessary, and hurriedly said, "There is a way to break the spell, but I have a condition. If you agree, the spell will be performed at ten o'clock tonight. If you don't agree, then this old woman will leave."
Everyone hurriedly asked what his demands were, and Xie's father repeatedly said, "I'll pay whatever it takes." After all, it concerned the lives and fortunes of his entire family. Grandma Le pointed at Xie Qifeng and said, "I want to take him with me, to be my apprentice!" Everyone was taken aback, unsure what to say. Grandma Le smiled and continued, "I know you have concerns, think it over." Then she went back to eating her steamed bun.
Mr. and Mrs. Xie hesitated. They wondered how their child would manage living with this poor old woman, and they didn't know when he would return. Their son had just come back from military service and now he had to leave again; they were heartbroken. =========================================================================================== Chapter 30 of "The Successor of Qi Yi" - The Spirit of Brother Yi - Collected and organized by
Xie Qifeng's parents couldn't make a decision right away, so they invited Granny Le to stay for lunch. At the table, Xie Qifeng, also feeling something was amiss, asked Granny Le, "Grandma, how did you know there was a ghost in my house?" Granny Le didn't even look up, took a sip of her rice porridge, and said, "Why wouldn't I know? I also know you were born at 1:15 PM on the ninth day of the sixth lunar month in 19**." Xie Qifeng gasped, secretly astonished that this seemingly ordinary old woman knew so much about him.
Suddenly, Le Xipo turned her head and looked coldly at Xie Qifeng, saying, "Didn't you almost die when you were eighteen? If I'm wrong, then I've come to the wrong person." After saying that, Le Xipo picked up a piece of food and showed a satisfied and intoxicated expression on her face.