Chapter 8: Old Stories
The old man spoke directly, "You children, your fate is very light. Such a fate is naturally prone to attracting malevolent entities. However, if it were only this, it wouldn't be so dangerous. Yet, he has also opened his yin-yang eyes, and those malevolent entities are just waiting for him to die in order to occupy his body."
My home is a newly built house, and the walls should originally be spotless. However, at this moment, the once pristine walls are covered with bloody handprints
After listening to my parents recount these past events, I was also taken aback; I never expected that I actually had such a remarkable history.
Just when the whole family was at a loss, a scruffy old man came to visit.
"Of course I will save him; it is not easy to find a disciple most suitable to inherit my teachings..." As he spoke, the old man began to utter strange words again, roughly meaning that he had consulted an oracle, and the signs indicated that his disciple would appear in this vicinity in the coming years
My father quickly spoke up, "Please, Master, help save my son"
After Su Banjian glanced at me, he gave my grandmother a set of talisman water, instructing her to boil it and mix it with milk to feed me. If it still had no effect, there would be nothing more she could do
But the question is, how were the handprints left on the ceiling
My mother's milk is insufficient for me, and I have to borrow milk from a woman in the neighboring village whose child has passed away.
He then continued to speak to my father, saying, "Later, you should kill a goose and collect its blood in a small bowl. Do not pluck the feathers from the killed goose; instead, place the whole goose under the child's bed. Let the child sleep alone in the side room at night, and pour the goose's blood at the door. In the morning, clean it up, and this matter will be considered settled. As long as the necklace is not taken off in the future, the child will grow up safely and soundly. I have some matters to attend to now. When the time is right, I will come to pick him up. Here is my number; if anything happens to the child, you can call me."
During these sixteen years, I have become entirely different from when I was born; my body is particularly strong
My parents exchanged glances and ultimately followed the old man's instructions, killing a large goose
However, every time I arrive at the hospital, I do not need to take any medication, and my illness inexplicably improves. Yet, as soon as I return home, I become ill again.
The bowl of goose blood that was originally placed at the door has now completely disappeared
In terms of studies, I am performing poorly; to check my academic ranking, you can simply start from the last position and work your way up.
Thus, he searched in our town for three years, only finding it today
The old man entered and went straight to the bed where I lay waiting for death, looking at my face with curiosity, murmuring, "Ah, yes, yes, I wondered why it took three years to find you; it turns out you weren't even born yet."
The most crucial aspect is the *illustrated* book; the old man possesses an indescribable aura, which prevented my family from directly driving him away.
My father paused for a moment, wanting to say something more, but the old man spoke up, "This is destined. Of course, if he doesn't want to learn from me in the future, I won't force him. Consider this a small gift I am giving to the child."
I am a premature baby. When I was just born, my health was poor, and I had a fever and fell ill every day
The old man has said all there is to say, and my father has nothing more to add
Suddenly, I began to admire it, yet I also felt quite uncomfortable inside
Under this enormous appetite, I too began to thrive
My grandmother said that I had encountered something supernatural and was frightened, so she called the village's fortune teller, Su Bansian, to take a look at me
However, whether it is the tiger bone necklace or the method of the great goose killing ghosts, it is evident that this is a person of great skill
Fortunately, the old man did not take me away immediately, but said he would come for me after I turned seven, and he also wanted to know my opinion.
It is evident that the blood handprints on the walls and ceiling are from those geese.
This time going to the hospital was futile; after three days of treatment, the hospital issued a critical illness notice to my parents, advising them not to waste any more money.
The complexion visibly became more rosy
My parents recalled the words the old man murmured before he left yesterday, and suddenly it became clear that this was the work of a master.
Later, my mother recalled that although the old man appeared quite dirty, his eyes were very bright, with a clear distinction between black and white, resembling the eyes of a child
That feeling is akin to a person running around with goose blood on their hands
When my mother came to my room the next day and saw it, she let out a shriek
These nonsensical words have left my family somewhat bewildered, completely unaware of what the old man is talking about
I muddled my way through to high school, completely abandoning my parents' hopes of me attending university. In their view, as long as I could obtain a high school diploma, that would be considered quite good. As for going to college, I might as well just sleep and dream; anything is possible in dreams.
If it is said that the old man is a person of no ability, then so be it
After drinking the talisman water, I did feel better for a while, but that night, I suddenly developed a high fever, experienced rapid breathing, and my face turned purple.
Strangely enough, I was originally gasping for breath, on the verge of death, but the moment I put on this necklace, I instantly recovered
Upon hearing the old man's words, my parents were extremely frightened. Their educational background is not high to begin with, and coupled with the fact that my illness is indeed somewhat peculiar, they almost immediately believed what the old man said
The large goose that was originally placed under my bed, with its pure white feathers, has now become dark and glossy.
There are still areas that can be negotiated in the middle
My grandmother went to seek Su Bansian, but Su Bansian also said there was no way left.
Seeing that I had come back to life, my family was all overjoyed. My father, however, glanced at the gold necklace, which was made of both tiger bone and gold, clearly of considerable value. He spoke up, saying, "Master, this item is too precious."
Strangely enough, before that, I was a frail premature infant, extremely weak, but after that, it seemed as though my appetite suddenly opened up.
This is a necklace made of tiger bone, called the Pure Yang Lock of Tiger Bone, specifically used to ward off evil and lock souls. You must put it on the child and remember never to take it off, not even while bathing. The old man cautioned as he placed the Pure Yang Lock of Tiger Bone around my neck
It is evident that the object leaving fingerprints is not that of a normal person
Their level of education is not high, so their expectation for me is simply to attend university. However, it is quite evident at this point that I am not destined for this path
Yes, it is the blood handprints, densely covering the walls and extending to the ceiling, all of them.
An old man circled around me, then took out a strangely shaped necklace wrapped in gold from his pocket. On the gold, there was a simple engraving that resembled a lovable and amiable tiger
That was the second day of the Lunar New Year in 1994. During that year, everyone was not in very good circumstances, and my mother gave birth to me at home
Thus, a night passed
Due to my robust physique, I became the little tyrant of our class, climbing trees to raid bird nests, sneaking into fields to steal watermelons, swimming in the reservoir, and leading both boys and girls into fights, truly embodying the essence of a mischievous child
Thus, my parents held me and took me home, remaining silent the entire way
After leaving a note, the old man disregarded my parents' pleas and turned around to leave directly
After I peacefully fell asleep, the old man also let out a cold laugh and murmured to himself, "Dare to lay a hand on my disciple, I will make your soul scatter."
Even the provincial basketball school came to our school, wanting to train me to play basketball, but my parents rejected it; they still want me to go to university
I remember that when I was eight years old, I was already 1.5 meters tall. In our area, seven-year-old children are just over 1.2 meters tall. With my height, I could compare with those boys in the fifth and sixth grades.
It feels as if someone is choking me by the neck
In the blink of an eye, sixteen years have passed just like that. During these sixteen years, that old man seems to have evaporated from the world, never having come to our home again.
Frequent visits to the hospital are not a solution, and my family's circumstances do not allow me to be hospitalized every day
"It doesn't matter; anything good is worth giving to your own disciple," the old man waved his hand.