Chapter 0008 Where is the Way Out
What does the character "天" that Old Master Zhou wrote on the table actually mean? Who are those people they have been talking about?
I did not know, and just like that, I was foolishly led away from the room by Uncle Li
Old Master Zhou then beckoned to me, saying: "Ge family's young man, come here."
... ...
I opened my mouth, wanting to say something, but ultimately, I could not bring myself to speak. The truth is right before my eyes: Old Master Zhou collapsed from vomiting blood in order to divine my fate. This is an undeniable fact. What can I say? Even though all I wanted was to survive, I never intended to burden others.
At that moment, the little brat had already come in. Upon seeing his grandfather's condition, he immediately cried out, "Wow!" and shouted at me, "It's all your fault, you person who carries misfortune and debts of the underworld. If it weren't for you consulting the divination, would my grandfather have ended up like this?"
What the old man is doing here is not interpreting the hexagram for me; he is clearly making arrangements for his affairs after his passing! Even that little brat Zhou Jing sensed something was amiss and tried to speak several times in the middle, but he was glared at by the old man and quickly settled down.
Uncle Li hesitated for a moment, then finally glanced at the tearful Zhou Jing before nodding his head
Do not blame him
Old Master Zhou said: "Let me speak a few words with my grandson and remind him of some matters."
I am completely unaware of everything, and my mind is particularly chaotic. It seems that ever since I acquired this Hundred Slicing Blade, my life has suddenly become enigmatic... Fate is gradually pushing me towards an unclear direction...
Upon hearing about my situation, Uncle Li immediately became anxious and hurriedly asked, "Is it really true that Xiao Tian has no hope?"
Uncle Li sighed and took the piece of paper
In the East China Sea, there exists a spirit known as the White Toad, which has taken a thousand years to form and achieved full maturity over ten thousand years. It carries immortals on its back, and its shell is inscribed with the lines of fate, allowing access to the three lives.
Zhou Jing must be the name of that unpopular little brat. Although this guy is quite arrogant, he is very obedient in front of his grandfather. Hearing this, he nodded reluctantly with tears in his eyes and stood to the side
Uncle Li's expression suddenly turned grim: "Senior Zhou, is there really no other way? You know that the Ge family has only this one remaining descendant. If we were to seek them out, wouldn't that be pushing this child into the fire? Those people are engaged in a line of work where they risk their lives every day! Xiao Tian's father has fiercely protected him for over twenty years, all to keep him from getting involved in this mess. Yet now I am bringing him there; isn't that just asking to be backstabbed?"
This is the description of the white toad in the book "Records of Strange Objects in the Nine Provinces". The notion of it carrying immortals is rather far-fetched, but according to my grandfather, this white toad does indeed exist, and it is located in the East China Sea, albeit extremely rare. Throughout history, it has only appeared a few times. The turtle shells on their bodies are indeed treasures of the Xi Men, worth a fortune
I originally thought my family was just an ordinary household that collected antiques, but it now seems that this is not the case at all
I do not have much time left, so if you have no urgent matters, please wait outside for a while
What is destined to be will eventually come, while what is not destined should not be forcibly sought after
Can an ordinary fortune teller afford this thing
The conversation between the two was so vague that I truly could not understand it, and I couldn't help but glance at Uncle Li, but Uncle Li said nothing at all
Uncle Li asked: "Is there a way to resolve this?"
At this point, the old man turned to Uncle Li and said in a deep voice: "In my lifetime, I have calculated for countless people, revealing too many things that should not have been disclosed. I do not know how much karma is entangled with me. It is likely that on the day of my great limit, there will be no shortage of those coming to seek retribution from me. If they are human, it can be dealt with, but I fear that if they are not human, these malevolent creatures might harm my grandson instead. Please help this old man with this request."
Those who have never truly experienced the threat of death will never understand my feelings at this moment, the sensation is no less than having a loaded gun with a bullet in the chamber tucked in one's waistband, filled with anxiety, fearing that a moment of carelessness might lead to a disastrous outcome.
The old man did not say much more, but had Zhou Jing bring him paper and pen, swiftly writing down an address and handing it to Uncle Li, saying: "I can only say this much about the matter. If you come to a conclusion, take the Ge family boy to this place to find this person. He is not malicious and at the very least will not harm the Ge family members. Moreover, as long as it is a member of the Ge family, he will definitely do his utmost to help. If the Ge family boy can stay by this person's side, his safety will be somewhat assured, as ordinary scoundrels cannot harm him"
Uncle Li nodded decisively, pulling me outside. As I looked at Uncle Li's face, which was filled with melancholy and concern, I felt that he had become increasingly unfamiliar to me
After waiting for him to finish speaking, Uncle Li anxiously said: "Senior Zhou, what is this..."
The old man wore a grave expression and slowly said: "What truly endangers the Ge family boy is the path that lies ahead of him! This child is entangled with dark debts, and he will likely have to deal with matters of ghosts and deities for his entire life. My grandson has just mentioned to you that the Ge family boy possesses a countenance with the potential of the Five Sacred Mountains, marked by great fluctuations, which foretells a life filled with calamities and misfortunes. If he cannot overcome a single hurdle, it is likely that he will lose his life!"
As for the young man from the Ge family
Although the time spent together was not long, I could sense that this elderly man with the surname Zhou was not the type to meet someone and say, "Sir, your energy is dark; you will soon encounter a calamity involving blood," like a charlatan. He possesses genuine skills. Not to mention that the divinations made by this grandfather and grandson align closely with my actual situation, the tortoise shell in the old man's hand is no ordinary object. The shell has a faint white hue, not due to natural weathering, which is quite peculiar. I have just realized that this item is likely the tortoise shell from a remarkable creature called the white toad, as recorded in my family's collection, "Records of Strange Beings in the Nine Provinces." Not to mention that the divinations made by this grandfather and grandson align closely with my actual situation, the tortoise shell in the old man's hand is no ordinary object. The shell has a faint white hue, not due to natural weathering, which is quite peculiar. I have just realized that this item is likely the tortoise shell from a remarkable creature called the white toad, as recorded in my family's collection, "Records of Strange Beings in the Nine Provinces."
Is the future life or death
Uncle Li fell silent
Alright, we will wait outside
The old man spoke decisively with a single word, then dipped his finger into the tea in the cup and slowly wrote a character on the table—"Heaven"
It is not hopeless; I have already said that the child is temporarily fine. There is a dark energy in his life palace that is holding back his vitality. Although it may not necessarily be a person who can save him, it should not harm him if all goes well. I believe the key to resolving this matter lies in that marriage certificate. Once we understand the origin of that marriage certificate, we will surely know what is protecting this child. Unfortunately, that thing is too powerful, and the old man cannot provoke it, so he cannot deduce what it truly is.
The old man sighed deeply and said with a bitter smile: "If it weren't for the lack of options, how could I let that brat from the Ge family seek out those people? But now, the crucial things that could harm him are beyond my calculation. It seems that only by following that brat from the Ge family can his safety be guaranteed, after all, you are also aware of those people's capabilities. This is the fate of that brat from the Ge family, something we cannot change. If you don't take him this time, he will still have to get involved in the future"
The old man waved his hand: "The old fellow had long calculated that his time was drawing near, but he did not expect it to be because of this brat from the Ge family. Nevertheless, it is for the best; at least when he reaches the underworld, he will have the face to meet Ge Dage, and he will not have let down the life-saving grace he received back in the day"
Uncle Li and I exchanged glances, but the emotions in our eyes were not very high.
There is!
The old man let out a gentle sigh: "The old fellow is incompetent, unable to deduce what exactly is threatening him."
An aged voice suddenly sounded at this moment, somewhat alleviating my embarrassment. It was Old Master Zhou, who I did not know had woken up at some point. His hair was disheveled, his complexion pale, and he looked very unwell. He barely managed to sit up and looked seriously at his grandson, slowly saying: "Zhou Jing, you must remember that our Zhou family will always owe a debt to the Ge family. If it weren't for Brother Ge back then, I would have died in that place many decades ago. Now, I have encountered an accident while divining for the descendants of Brother Ge, which can be considered a way to repay his kindness. You cannot blame him!"
I hurriedly sat down, and after a moment of hesitation, Old Master Zhou said: "Ge's boy, from now on, let Zhou Jing follow you. His parents passed away early, and he is a pitiful child. I trouble you with this. Fortunately, he has learned most of my skills, but he lacks some practical experience. Being by your side will also be of some help to you."
This week, after the old gentleman read my fortune, he suddenly coughed up blood and fell into a coma, which truly cast a shadow over my heart—could it be that I have really provoked something terrifying