Chapter 002: Injury
Master, a few days ago I predicted that you would face this calamity. In a few days, I will certainly help you to reconstruct your golden body
Oh dear, my precious disciple, what has happened to you
After hearing Ye Tian's words, the old Taoist called out to Zhuang Tianqu. The reason he took Ye Tian as his disciple was, on one hand, the solitude of the deep mountains made him seek a companion.
Master... Master, my head has been broken by the ancestral master
Seeing Ye Tian on the ground covered in blood, the old Taoist was greatly shocked. He quickly picked Ye Tian up and examined him thoroughly before finally letting out a sigh of relief
Summer thunderstorms arrive swiftly and depart just as quickly. With the cessation of the thunderstorm, the temple returns to its usual tranquility, with only the sound of water droplets dripping from the eaves, producing a crisp and clear sound
Ye Tian weakly waved his hand; he had no energy to bicker with the old man. Looking at the pool of blood on the ground, Ye Tian felt a bit of fear. If the entire clay statue had fallen on him, he estimated that his life would likely be in jeopardy by now
The old master was quite dissatisfied with Ye Tian. Ever since he took this disciple, the tasks of boiling water and cooking, which were conditioned upon teaching martial arts, were all carried out by Ye Tian, who was only a few years old at the time
Although there are sayings in the art of magic about defying fate and seeking good fortune while avoiding misfortune, the course of destiny is already determined. To change the heavens and alter the day, it is essential to have a person who is destined to suffer, commonly referred to as a scapegoat.
Thank goodness the foundation laid by our ancestral master has not been destroyed
Ye Tian noticed the old Taoist's unfriendly expression, so he obediently began to recite. While reciting, he glanced into the old Taoist's eyes, but in his mind, he wondered why this old fellow didn't have yellow eyes and red veins.
Hmm? What is going on here?
He ran outside to fetch some well water, and after helping Ye Tian clean his wound, the old Daoist pulled out a box from his greasy Daoist robe. He took a small amount of black ointment with his little finger and applied it to Ye Tian's forehead, saying: "It's nothing serious, just a superficial injury. You've lost a bit of blood, but with a few days of rest, you'll be fine."
Oh, the eyes should be as clear as the sun and moon, with phoenix-like brilliance and dragon-like clarity; the greatest fear is the yellowish tint combined with red veins, which brings lifelong misfortune and unfulfilled achievements
The flashes of lightning and the rumble of thunder outside the temple cast flickering shadows within, where the light is also intermittently bright and dim
Disciple, look, our temple has fallen into disrepair over the years. I came down the mountain to seek some good connections and to invite someone to renovate it...
At first glance, judging by his facial features and skin tone, this Taoist appears to be in his forties or fifties. However, from his deep, ocean-like eyes, one can discern a hint of weariness, making him someone not to be underestimated
Although he mumbled, the old priest still fetched water from the well in the courtyard and took it to the back to boil. Ye Tian had injuries and could not drink cold water.
A flash of lightning illuminated the horizon, tearing apart the dark sky, winding down like a snake or a dragon. In the light of the lightning, one could see the small body of Ye Tian trembling slightly on the ground
Although Ye Tian is young, he is well-versed in texts such as "The Ma Yi Physiognomy" and "The Art of Concealment." Currently facing an inexplicable disaster, he naturally suspects that his unscrupulous master has plotted against him
Upon hearing Ye Tian's words, the old Daoist's face flushed slightly. The fish was indeed purchased, but that old hen was casually caught from a pile of firewood while going up the mountain
The feudal superstition of farting, the origins of physiognomy can be traced back to the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. The derived arts and sciences encompass astronomy, calendars, mathematics, as well as diagrammatic and textual divination, geomancy, talismans, auspicious date selection, miscellaneous divination, and sexual arts, which are indeed natural sciences
Ye Tian, who was originally in a deep sleep, was roused by the strong fragrance at his nose. This child is indeed full of vitality; although he lost quite a bit of blood yesterday, after sleeping for several hours, his spirits have nearly recovered.
Young man, you lie down and rest for a while, I will go get you something to eat
As the saying goes, the elderly become wise; there are indeed few things that an old master does not know. Although lacking in seasonings, when paired with several herbs from the mountains, this chicken soup is fragrant and aromatic.
"Alright, Master, this is not superstition, but could you please help me get some water? I am extremely thirsty"
The old Taoist priest was reluctant to buy; firstly, he was short on money, and secondly, in the countryside, no one was willing to sell hens that lay eggs
I see you are injured, so I, the old priest, came down the mountain to buy you a fish
Upon lifting the lid of the pot, Ye Tian immediately exclaimed. Having known the old Daoist for about five or six years, this was the first time Ye Tian enjoyed such treatment
Feeling a cool sensation on his forehead, Ye Tian became somewhat more alert. He looked at the old Taoist priest with an unfriendly expression and said, "Old man, you asked me to take a break and come find you; are you trying to make me help you with your tribulation?"
On the morning of the second day, after the rain, the sun began to shine, the mountains and forests were lush, and the vegetation was fragrant. A light mist hung like gauze, with wisps of thin clouds swirling among the deep valleys and secluded woods. At this moment, the trees on the mountain shimmered with a crystalline green.
Originally, the turtle shell was dull and colorless, but after being stained with Ye Tian's blood, the entire shell seemed to come to life, as the blood permeated the back of the shell, revealing mysterious patterns one after another
Master, what are you cooking? It smells so good? And - picture - book
Secondly, it is because Ye Tian's fate is peculiar that the old Daoist has developed a sense of curiosity. However, after spending five to six years with Ye Tian, he has still been unable to discern Ye Tian's destiny.
After drinking the chicken soup, Ye Tian's pale little face finally showed a hint of color. After his eyes darted around, he looked at the old Taoist priest and asked, "Master, have you come down the mountain to cultivate good relationships? If this temple is not repaired soon, I fear you might not even have a coffin when the time comes"
Seeing Ye Tian in such a pitiful state, the old Taoist carried him into the inner room and laid him on the bed. After such heavy rain yesterday, there was no hope for blankets or anything else; even the bamboo bed was soaked with rainwater.
Unlike common compasses, this tortoise shell does not have an inner plate; instead, it is replaced by a Taiji yin-yang pattern. Surrounding it are the eight trigrams "Qian, Kun, Zhen, Gen, Li, Kan, Dui, Xun," which gives it an exceptionally ancient and mysterious appearance
Upon waking from his stupor, Ye Tian felt a surge of anger after hearing the old Taoist's words. This old fellow often boasts of being the fiftieth generation descendant of the Ma Yi lineage, yet it seems he has never accurately predicted anything.
After more than an hour, the old priest returned to the temple holding a fish and a hen. Seeing that Ye Tian was sleeping soundly, he did not wake him up, but instead prepared to kill the fish and butcher the chicken to cook a meal for Ye Tian
Ye Tian touched the wound on his head that had already formed a blood scab and said irritably: "Master, that is religious culture; what you have is feudal superstition. Can they be the same?"
The old Taoist's face turned slightly green at Ye Tian's words. He intended to teach him a lesson, but seeing that Ye Tian was injured, he held back. With a stern expression, he said, "Recite the section on eye features from 'The Ma Yi Physiognomy.' I want to see if you are slacking off."
"臭 hetushu .com .com kid, can you speak human language?"
Wow, old hen, and fish soup, Master, you are truly kind to me
A mere small wound, and yet you act so delicate. In my day, I could lead hundreds of little devils wandering in the mountains, with several bullet holes in my body.
Suddenly, a thunderclap echoed outside, and the light within the entire temple brightened momentarily. Above the tortoise shell, a faint Taiji pattern emerged, transforming into a wisp of blue smoke that entered Ye Tian's brow. Meanwhile, the tortoise shell on the ground vanished with the sound of the thunder.
Ye Tian did not dwell on this matter, but he was somewhat curious about the old Taoist's whereabouts yesterday, so he asked, "So why did you go down the mountain?"
Fortunately, it is summer, so one won't catch a chill. After settling Ye Tian, the old Taoist turned around and descended the mountain again, of course, with plenty of grumbling remarks.
Regarding this matter, the old Taoist displayed a face full of indignation, "Why is it that the repairs of the main peak of Maoshan are the responsibility of the state, while we, mere wandering souls and wild ghosts, are left unattended?"
Master, did you not foresee that I also have a calamity to face
... ...
Upon hearing Ye Tian's words, the old Taoist suddenly jumped up. After enduring a decade of calamity, life had just begun to improve a little. He was preparing to revitalize the Ma Yi lineage, but unexpectedly, his disciple labeled it as feudal superstition.
I am over one hundred years old, yet I still have to serve you, this little child. What a loss it is to take on such a disciple
A figure moved through the forest, and although the path was muddy and slippery, the figure showed no signs of hesitation. Before long, it had arrived at the entrance of the Taoist temple
Just as Ye Tian looked at the old Taoist, he suddenly felt a wave of dizziness in his head. This sensation lasted only a few seconds, but when he returned to normal, Ye Tian found that it seemed as if something had been added to his mind.
Not far from Ye Tian's head, a fragment of a clay sculpture, originally dark and palm-sized, suddenly emitted a faint glow after being stained with Ye Tian's blood
Just last year, the government allocated 30 million yuan for the large-scale restoration of the Jiuxiao Wanfugong and Yuanfu Wanninggong temples on the main peak of Maoshan.
Just waking up, Ye Tian felt a bit dizzy. He reached up to touch his head, only to find his hand covered in blood. No matter how clever Ye Tian was, he was still just a child of a little over ten years old, and he immediately screamed in shock
Looking at the dilapidated Taoist temple, the old priest made a gesture of respect with one hand on his chest. However, when he saw the situation in the main hall through the drafty doors and windows, he couldn't help but exclaim in distress and quickly walked inside
If there were people present at this moment, they would discover that the object emitting fluorescence is not a clay sculpture, but rather a dark-colored turtle shell, intricately engraved with complex patterns, somewhat resembling a compass used by geomancers
This is a medium-built Taoist priest, whose robe is as tattered as the temple itself. His topknot is somewhat disheveled from the journey, his complexion is slightly rosy, yet there is not a single wrinkle on his face
Looking at the empty altar, the old Taoist priest pretended to count on his right hand with several fingers, yet he momentarily failed to notice a small body on the muddy ground.
Where is it? You, born in the second month of the Year of the Dragon, I, an old master, simply cannot deduce your fate...
At that time, the old Taoist priest wanted to take advantage of the situation and have the construction team conveniently repair the Mayi Taoist temple for him. However, he did not expect to be driven back by the Taoist priest on the main peak, which left him feeling resentful.