Chapter 006: Love is Unrequited, Fate is a Curse

If a person were to ask this while holding a dead child, it would be tantamount to taking the child's life. After you were born, you would certainly have already lost your life; someone must have used dark magic to forcibly snatch you back from the hands of the King of Hell

The old walnut stared at me with its two eyes and said: "Kid, do you know why you encountered misfortune a few days ago?"

The old walnut patted my shoulder and said: "Do not think about these matters for now. If there is a chance in the future, they will surely be resolved. You should consider whether or not to enter the mountains!"

In fact, the reason I agreed to take you as my disciple was that I felt my health was deteriorating day by day. In case I couldn't make it to your twenty-fourth year, you would be able to save yourself. Now that you want to enter the mountains, isn't that akin to delivering Tang Seng's flesh to the mouth of the mountain demon?

He said that those people all lost their lives because their vital energy was completely drained, and the one who acted was definitely a human. That person's methods were too ruthless; if he had only taken away a portion of their vital energy, the people in the vehicle would have merely fallen seriously ill. However, he left not a trace of life energy, and over thirty lives were thus extinguished.

Back then, when I picked you up from the snow, you were only wrapped in a set of funeral clothes, with your face painted in red. I turned the funeral clothes over several times before I finally saw a phrase: "Fate is not destined, love must be a curse"

The mountain spirit held the dead child and asked someone, "Can he live?" This was a way of borrowing the person's vital energy. The person being asked replied with a single phrase, "He can live," and thus the dead child could borrow a breath of the person's vital energy. With more vital energy, the child could transform into a little ghost, serving the mountain spirit.

Before I could ask, Old Walnut spoke up: "You little rascal, you come here with some strange intentions! Have you ever thought about it? Over the years, I have taught you all sorts of skills, but I never allowed you to open your ghostly eyes. Why is that? It is precisely because I fear that you might see the mountain spirits around you, not knowing the depths of the situation, and end up comparing yourself to them, ultimately being deceived into the mountains."

As soon as I heard it, I felt that this matter might be related to you. I specifically inquired about the location of that chaotic graveyard and went there the next day. After asking around in the vicinity, I indeed found out that there was such a thing. The master who helped handle the matter back then was also found by me.

What was even more eerie was that the eyes of those deceased were wide open, and no matter how one tried to cover them with their hands, it was futile. At that time, even the police did not dare to easily move the bodies. Eventually, they had to call in an expert to handle the situation, which allowed them to finally deal with the truckload of corpses.

The old walnut usually rolls the walnuts in silence, only making noise when there is something on his mind

He? Gao Datou spoke straight: "Li Ye, don't joke with me! How old is he? Just barely twenty, right? What can he accomplish by going up there?"

The old walnut's expression darkened as he said: "The things I taught you a few days ago, it seems you have forgotten again! Let me tell you, the ones who do this kind of thing and the librarians are most likely not your parents. If your biological parents wanted to save you, I could understand that. However, that person killed someone while borrowing Yang energy, which is harming you! A life is a hurdle; even if you survive, it will be full of disasters. If it weren't for the fact that you happened to run into me, you might be in a situation worse than death right now." A life is a hurdle; even if you survive, it will be full of disasters. If it weren't for the fact that you happened to run into me, you might be in a situation worse than death right now.

At that time, both I and the old walnut were surviving on charity, with not a single extra penny at home, where could we find the tuition fees? Just as I was desperately trying to gather the tuition fees, that old man came knocking at the door again, accompanied by Tall Head.

The mountain enchantress borrows the vital energy of others; even if those skilled in the art of numerology do not accept her, heaven itself cannot tolerate her. However, if they were to seize your vital energy, it would be entirely justified, for your vital energy does not originate from the righteous path

In these years, I have not allowed you to stray too far from me, solely to protect you from those malevolent spirits that seek your life. Once you turn twenty-four and have integrated all the borrowed vital energy, I will no longer need to watch over you.

After thinking for a long time, I finally gritted my teeth and said: "Into the mountains! Even if I die, I must give it a try!"

The old walnut said slowly

I had only been at home for a day when that old bandit came over again with Gao Datou. Old He Tao thought for a long time before finally letting the two of them into my room, pointing at me and saying: "Only he can handle your matter"

I blinked vigorously, forcing the tears back, yet I couldn't quite articulate the feeling in my heart. I had long known that I was an abandoned child, but I never expected there were so many complexities involved. After a long silence, I inexplicably asked, "Haven't you heard whose vital energy I borrowed back then?"

I have named you Li Nie, precisely so that in the future you can trace your roots

"Shut up!" Old Walnut exploded on the spot: "Have you become capable or what? Get the hell out of here!"

At that time, I was almost driven mad with anxiety, feeling as if I could just go out and knock someone out to get the tuition fees. In my desperation, my head became hot, and I pushed the door open and barged into the room: "I will take on this deal!"

I felt a sudden jolt in my heart; the incident from a few days ago still weighed heavily on my mind. With so many people in the village, why did the mountain spirit choose to come after me? It was as if everything had been meticulously planned in advance, even the dog was brought out. When Old Walnut told me about it, he was vague and ambiguous, and I always felt that he was deliberately hiding something from me.

After the two of them left, the old walnut sat on the edge of the kang, puffing away at his cigarette, while the catalpa wood in his hand crackled loudly as he rubbed it.

A few days ago, I went to a convenience store to buy some liquor and overheard a resting driver say that more than ten years ago, a long-distance bus disappeared without a trace; later, it was found in a chaotic graveyard, and all the people on the bus had died. Each of those deceased was still seated in the bus, their faces distorted, clearly indicating they had died of fright

When I first picked you up, I sensed that something was amiss. I even made a point to inquire in the villages to the left and right, and they all said that no one had encountered anything strange. Thus, this matter was left as it was.

"Just let me take it!" As I spoke, my eyes turned red. I have never felt so wronged in my life. Why, when the thing is right in front of me, does the old walnut refuse to let me reach for it?

Old Walnut finished a bag of cigarettes before speaking: "You brat with that stubborn temper... I know that if I don't make things clear, even if I tie you up, you would still find a way to escape and take on business."

Old Walnut, besides enjoying a sip or two and a puff or two, also loves to rub walnuts. A pair of walnuts in his hands can be polished to a bright red sheen in just six months. This is how Old Walnut got his nickname

I crouched outside the door and listened for quite a while, faintly hearing them say that they seemed to want to invite Old Walnut out of retirement to handle a matter, and that they were willing to pay a high price if the matter was successful

Your vital energy is borrowed from others, and not just from one person. Although those who helped you extend your life have allowed you to survive, they have also sown the seeds of disaster for you

I remained silent on one side, just waiting for him to nod.

Old Walnut disagrees with everything, which makes me anxious and I keep stamping my feet outside

Although I do not want to admit it, I believe that Old Walnut's words are certainly correct. If it were not for Old Walnut, the outcome of my m.hetushu.com.com would have been uncertain

I was taken aback at that moment: "How did I end up in such a strange situation?"

The old walnut looked at me for quite a while, then sighed and said to Tall Head, "You all go back first, within three days at most, I will give you news."

It was precisely because of this matter that I wasted time, almost allowing several opportunistic individuals to take advantage of the situation

After listening, my eyes became warm, and tears were about to flow down. However, Old Walnut sighed and said: "Think it over; if you want to go into the mountains, I won't stop you. Once you have learned a skill, you will eventually need to use it; you can't just let it rot away. Hurry up and hold that urine back; it's annoying to watch!"

"Go ahead! I will tattoo an eagle on you, and you will be considered initiated; you can do whatever you want." This time, Old Walnut truly did not stop me; instead, he pulled out a box of green ink from the bottom of the chest, took a steel needle, and tattooed a thunderous eagle on me that looked exactly like his.

After listening, I was at a loss for words. However, Old Walnut spoke on my behalf: "Do you think that person is ruthless, or do you believe he is willing to risk everything to save you, like a mother wolf?"

It is true, I assure you!

I said it so simply, but at that time, Old Walnut had been pricking me for a full two days. The cold sweat from the pain on my body came and went, drying and then reappearing, and I lost count of how many times I was tossed about in this manner before Old Walnut finally finished that tattoo on me and taught me how to open the ghost eye. This time, I had truly learned all of Old Walnut's skills.