Chapter 1: The Difficult Child

Curiosity arose, and I stepped inside

Afterwards, on several mornings, the master would open the courtyard door and always find a large package. Inside were wrapped tiger-head shoes, a small cotton-padded jacket, and some crumpled Renminbi notes could also be found in the pockets

Therefore, I was as if I had fallen seriously ill, lying in bed, burning with fever for many consecutive days. The master collected a considerable amount of plantain seeds, boiled them into a soup, and fed me several times. He also applied a strange yellow ointment on my left arm. After that time, I rarely fell ill, only occasionally experiencing some strange dreams

Then Zhe Bingrui shouted, "I want my dad to kill you, and I want my dad to kill your master"

The master sighed and said: "Do not give anything at all, what is the point of sending gifts? No one will forgive you."

The dilapidated temple has collapsed several walls, with mottled green shadows obscuring the view of what lies within. After lingering at the entrance of the temple for a while, I had the distinct feeling that a pair of red eyes was watching me; it was a damp little child, covered all over in droplets of water

I was abandoned in a dilapidated temple, awaiting what should be death, to be devoured by wild dogs. I have been crying continuously, sometimes I fall asleep, and the wild dogs have come to check on me a few times, seemingly showing no interest in a child like me

However, the master said that although venomous insects are difficult to raise, the most challenging to nurture is an unruly child who lacks understanding

I recall the scene where the master punished the disobedient poisonous snake, grabbing Zhe Bingrui's head and violently smashing it against the white wall. With that impact, Zhe Bingrui's nose struck the wall, staining the white surface red

With tears streaming down his face, Zhe Bingrui covered his nose, smearing blood all over his face

"A creature born with innate limitations cannot be subdued by death. Young one, I will take you away." The master lifted me up, suddenly bursting into hearty laughter, and then tears flowed from his eyes, transforming his murky gaze into one of clarity.

The master always says, "Alright, you little rascal, you stepped on a centipede"

No one stopped me

"Xiao Guan, if there is a threat to your life, dig out the jar, and it may save your life..." The master spoke, looking at me with a face full of ignorance, sighing several times, seemingly expressing concern for the fate that lay ahead.

After slapping him, I had already vented my anger. If Zhe Bingrui had not said anything further, I would not have hit him on the head either

The town is not large, and the master has raised a boy who is a malignant tumor, a fact that has long spread throughout the small town, including to my poor biological parents. Thus, at midnight, I sent some items to comfort their guilt

I looked at my master and said, Master, your face is very pale

I thought to myself, three years is equivalent to thirty-six months, which means that roughly every three months, my master has to worry that I might die

I quickly noticed something amiss; there wasn't even a single insect here. Suddenly, a powerful force of attraction emerged from beneath my feet. This is not good; something is pulling at my feet, and a chilling breeze swept through, making me feel the cold of autumn like never before

That year, I had no idea what would happen in the future

The master turned around, looking at me while feeding a newly raised batch of centipedes

My body swayed in the wind, and finally, I fell uncontrollably. ... In a daze, I felt something crawling on me, a pair of red eyes staring intently at me, breathing cold air, those eyes fixed on me, bright red, filled with blood vessels

According to my master, before I turned three years old, there were at least more than ten occasions when I nearly died from a high fever. On one of those occasions, my master stayed awake for three days and nights, believing that I was about to pass away, yet I unexpectedly survived. The intense emotions of great joy and sorrow were too much for him to bear

The master placed the sarcoma into a square-mouthed jar, wrapped it in three layers of oil paper, tied it with a red string, and wound several strands of black iron wire around it, muttering strange words. After finishing the incantation, the master's face turned pale, as if he were on the verge of death

The traces of the tumor on my arm have completely disappeared. I have started to grow taller, and my appearance has gradually returned to normal. By summer, I no longer have to wear long black sleeves and can run around in a tank top.

At the age of five, I began attending elementary school and started living a normal life

The master said that he originally intended to spend the night in the dilapidated temple, but was suddenly awakened by my cries. In a flurry, he checked, and just then a beam of moonlight shone down from the roof of the temple, illuminating my left hand.

The story I am about to tell begins here

Zhe Bingrui is a coward; when I bumped into him, he broke his nose and blood gushed all over his face, after which he began to cry loudly, "Wah wah".

At that time, I was abandoned in a dilapidated temple on the outskirts of the town. The statue in the temple had lost its color, and the temple was silent, with few people coming to pay their respects. Perhaps it was due to the lack of spiritual efficacy, compounded by the fact that families often left their children here. Over time, what was once a bustling temple became a place heavy with an ominous atmosphere. By midnight, even the wild dogs that usually scavenged for food were unwilling to approach.

The master is not one who is adept at forgiving mistakes; he threw the tiger-head shoes and the cotton-padded jacket onto the street, along with those crumpled bills, which fluttered in the sunlight

With my backpack slung over my shoulder, I dashed out of the classroom and swiftly exited the school gate. I had no desire to return home, and I couldn't stay at school, so I wandered aimlessly like a stray dog, ultimately finding myself back at that dilapidated temple without even realizing it.

The once wandering master settled down in the town, spending money to build a house in the desolate outskirts, where he lived for many years. To feed me, the master often pleaded with women who had ample milk, but my dark, fleshy tumor frightened them, causing their faces to pale. Later, the old man raised a sheep, relying on its milk to raise me.

Don't run away, let's play together, I shouted loudly. The child with red eyes ran off, and I followed in pursuit.

A few of Zhe Bingrui's little followers were stunned by me and hesitated for a moment before trying to surround me. I glared fiercely, shouting, "Get away from me"

When I turned three years old, the master concocted a strange potion and soaked my left hand in the water several times. To my astonishment, the black tumor actually fell off. When the tumor fell, it seemed as if I could still feel something moving inside.

I think that if the parents had been ruthless at that time, perhaps there would have been no subsequent story

After that night, the master buried the square jar in the backyard and never mentioned it again, as if it had never happened. Many years passed like this, and I almost forgot about it.

My master is an extraordinary person who has raised many venomous creatures. He has kept golden-ringed snakes, silver-ringed snakes, king cobras, and blunt-headed vipers, as well as scorpions and highly toxic toads. Most peculiarly, he has also raised snails and turtles. At the peak of his collection, there were one hundred forty-seven snails and thirteen old turtles in his home. It is said that he has also raised poison insects that can kill without a trace

I picked up my backpack and left the classroom like a warrior with iron and gold.

Abandoned by my parents the year I was born. In fact, it is nothing much; a child with a black tumor on the left arm, not thrown into the water to drown, is already a blessing from heaven for me

What a coward

The reason is simple: it is because Zhe Bingrui insulted me in front of the entire class, calling me a bastard and saying that my master is a centipede

In the autumn of fifth grade, I got into a fight with the son of the local gang leader, Zhe Bingrui. I slapped him and grabbed his head, smashing it against the wall, just like a master punishing a disobedient snake.

I wonder, a dilapidated temple has always been deserted, how could there be red eyes watching me, how could there be a damp little child, could it be a child who, like me, has gotten into trouble, hiding here

The master shuddered, his pupils constricting, captivated by my left hand

I said with a smile, when you die, I will guard by your grave for three years, doing nothing but keeping watch for three years. Master, do you know that I love you

I began to like the girl at the same table, started to be mischievous, and began to steal oranges from the orchard

Thus, I survived

Just because of this one sentence, I rushed over and slapped him; the sound of the slap was so loud that the entire classroom could hear it

That brat is me. My name is Xiao Guan, and I live in a small town in the southeastern part of Hubei Province, which is one hundred and thirty kilometers away from the provincial capital, Wuhan

Two days later, a limping old man appeared in the dilapidated temple. This old man later became my master

I thought to myself, am I going to die here