Chapter Nine, The Century of the Tiger's Claw

After my mother prepared the water as requested by Old Man Jiang, he pointed to one bowl of water he had brewed and said: "The main ingredient in this bowl is angelica dahurica. You should mix it into the basin; this is for the third young master."

After putting down the items, Old Man Jiang said to my mother: "Boil some water, I need to bathe and change my clothes"

Until the moment he fell asleep, Old Man Jiang let out a cold snort: "Still gathering without dispersing, truly giving face yet not knowing shame, tomorrow I will take care of all of them."

My father put a tiger's claw directly on me, and it is indeed strange; my breathing instantly became steady. The usual feeling of being choked was gone after just a couple of grunts. It truly has remarkable effects

Then my son... my mother was very anxious

"Not busy, your son's situation requires a ritual to resolve, which can drive away evil spirits. I have just consumed meat and alcohol, so it is not appropriate for me to perform the ritual now. I will stay at your home tonight, and tomorrow morning I will go up the mountain to retrieve some items, after which I will conduct the ritual. You should give this to your son to wear first; it will alleviate the situation somewhat." After saying this, my master took out an object from his pocket and handed it to my father.

Old man Jiang has settled down in my home, but he shows no interest in anything else. During dinner, he only ate a little vegetarian dish, unlike his usual gluttonous self. At other times, he enjoys holding me and examining me closely, occasionally letting out a silly chuckle, which makes my parents feel anxious and alarmed.

You hold him, immersing your entire body in this water from hetushu.com. You can soak for a while, then take a break before soaking again, just be sure to add some hot water. As for you three boys, I will absolutely not hold back. This fragrant broth is not something I easily prepare, as it requires a lot of effort. However, the white angelica broth wards off evil and eliminates the three corpses, making it quite effective. Just follow my instructions.

Old man Jiang boiled 2 small pots of water, adding various small ingredients during the process, and he remained by the stove the entire time, constantly adjusting the heat.

The fragrant soup is not easy to prepare, and every ingredient requires strict attention to cooking time. The water must also be a specific type, in addition to needing bath beans and a complementary honey soup. Indeed, I have put in considerable effort for Old Man Jiang.

My parents are farmers and do not truly understand how precious tiger claws are, let alone such tiger claws

My father took a look, and it was an object about three inches long, oil-yellow in color, smooth and pleasing to the touch. Moreover, one end had extremely sharp claws, while the other end was wrapped in yellow metal, adorned with patterns. There was a small hole in the yellow metal, through which a red string was threaded.

The water used for boiling the ingredients is the water brought by Old Man Jiang himself. My father asked him, "Master Jiang, what kind of water is that? Can't we use the water from our home?"

The Yang constitution is weak, and the body is naturally frail. A child born under the fate of a young boy is destined to face many tribulations, generally making it difficult to sustain oneself through books and illustrations. However, it is not without solutions. Furthermore, your son has attracted all the wandering souls and spirits in the vicinity. This is primarily because individuals with the fate of a young boy are inherently prone to attracting such entities, especially given the timing of his birth. The souls of young children are unstable, and being born under the fate of a young boy, with Yin prevailing over Yang, resembles the heavens enveloping the earth, with Yang and Yin in opposition. Your son's body is extremely incapable of containing his soul, and those wandering souls and spirits all wish to take his place. To obtain a human form is a hundred times better than the plight of wandering souls and spirits with no place to belong. My master succinctly clarified all the issues.

Old man Jiang's speech is becoming increasingly strange, and he does not explain why. My parents are left in a state of confusion, but they cannot ask too many questions. However, they are genuinely afraid that Old man Jiang might just turn around and leave, so they can only feign a natural demeanor.

"It is just taking a shower and changing clothes," said Old Jiang casually

Since he casually gave me something as precious as gold, and the things he gave are so effective, how could he possibly run away

At the request of Old Man Jiang, my mother boiled hot water for about an hour. This was because Old Man Jiang asked my mother to prepare three containers for water. One basin was for him to wash his body, another was for my bathing, and the last was a large tub used for bathing in our home, which Old Man Jiang intended to use for his bath.

"No, this is water without roots, it does not have any substance. The water used for simmering fragrant soup must be special water." Old Jiang maintained his usual style, offering no explanation and directly responding to mhetushu.com.

Early the next morning, my parents woke up, but upon waking, they discovered that Old Man Jiang was missing. He had mentioned the day before that he would go up the mountain to fetch something, so it was presumed he had gone there. However, no one knew how early he had left. It was only that I, who had never slept soundly since birth, had surprisingly not stirred at all last night; I was sleeping soundly until they woke up.

"Master Jiang, you said you could save my son, so please save him now!" My father was extremely anxious

My parents were even more respectful towards Old Man Jiang, truly serving him with utmost deference. However, this time Old Man Jiang did not accept my parents' attitude. He simply said, "You should treat me as you usually do. From now on, we are all people with a connection, and this attitude is inappropriate. Otherwise, I will leave."

This is quite complicated; my mother can hardly imagine the numerous rules that Old Man Jiang has for taking a bath. Moreover, while my mother was boiling water, Old Man Jiang was mysteriously concocting something.

In popular belief, it is known that dogs ward off evil spirits, as evil entities fear dog teeth the most, said to be capable of biting into souls. However, compared to dogs, cats are actually more effective at dispelling evil. The reason is simply that cats are lazy by nature, indifferent in disposition, and unwilling to intervene.

Master Jiang, what is this? My father truly cannot recognize this matter

Hehe. Old Jiang was reluctant to say much; after laughing, he simply stated: "This is my duty. The bond between your son and me is long-standing. Let him wear it first."

My parents are very happy and would never think that Old Man Jiang ran away. My mother carefully examined my tiger tooth pendant yesterday and concluded that it is wrapped in gold. The most precious item in my mother's dowry is a gold ring given to her by my grandmother, so she is familiar with gold.

The main ingredient of this pot is peach skin, which I used, and it can be mixed into that large wooden barrel.

The remarkable aspect is that your son is born under a special fate, having come into this world at this particular moment. The soul of one with such a fate is exceptionally powerful, and sometimes a phenomenon known as "double destiny" occurs. This means that the child’s spirit and the original soul have not fully merged, resulting in a unique condition of having two souls, hence the term "double destiny"—which refers to having two sets of destiny charts. In simpler terms, the soul belongs to the yin category, while the physical body must belong to the yang category. When the soul is excessively strong, the individual tends to exhibit an imbalance, with yin being dominant and yang being weak. Being yin is not necessarily a bad thing; at the very least, it indicates a heightened spiritual awareness. The birthmark on the back of your son's head signifies that his spiritual awareness has developed to the point of forming an eye, and with a powerful soul, he is highly perceptive of the world around him. " Elder Jiang explained in detail, and my parents listened with a sense of partial understanding.

In general, malevolent entities are merely wary of dogs, but they truly fear cats, especially their claws

What exactly is wrong with my son? My father knows that I was born at a very inauspicious time, but he believes that in such a large country as China, there must be others born at that time. Why is it that his own son is haunted by ghosts?

"Bathing and changing clothes?" My mother was momentarily taken aback.

What my parents said was rather inexplicable, yet it was not appropriate to ask too many questions

The peach skin fragrance soup he uses is primarily made from the bark of the peach tree after the cork layer has been removed, which is particularly invigorating and refreshing. This is to prepare for the task he is about to undertake.

Indeed, as soon as dawn broke, Old Jiang arrived at my home, looking different from usual. He carried a cloth bag on his back and held a bucket in his hand, which surprisingly contained water

"Tiger claw! Over fifty years old, the claw of a seasoned tiger. Just let your son wear it," Old Jiang said casually, as if this matter held little significance in his eyes

It is also because of the importance placed on this matter that I even personally brew the fragrant soup to ensure that everything is flawless

My mother followed what Old Man Jiang said and then asked in confusion: "Master Jiang, is it appropriate for such a small child to be soaked in water?"

The tiger is a large cat, directly corresponding to the White Tiger among the Four Symbols. Its claws are truly the best talisman for warding off evil! Tigers have a short lifespan, and those that reach maturity, especially large cats over fifty years old, are exceedingly rare. Only my master is capable of presenting such a specimen; where would an ordinary Taoist find such a thing

Only my mother, with her keen eyes, spotted the yellow metal at a glance and hesitantly spoke up, "Master Jiang, this wrapped item is gold, isn't it?"

Even so, my parents have come to understand a little, which is that their son has a fate marked by darkness, and was born during an inauspicious time; how could that be acceptable