Chapter Four, Eternal Benevolence

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Before long, Qiu Sanpin approached, clutching a porcelain bottle in his hand, pouring the diarrhea medicine from the bottle into his mouth as he walked

"Even if you move, you cannot guarantee the safety of this child." Qiu Sanpin tapped the table and said to Ding Zhiming and his wife, "I do have a win-win solution, but I wonder if you two are willing... This child living to the age of seven is already a miracle, which shows that his fate is extremely resilient. Now, if you want to ensure his survival, the only way is for me to take him back to the mountains a thousand miles away and take him under my tutelage in the Maoshan Taoist sect. Once he masters the Taoist arts, if he does more good deeds and cultivates his yin virtue, he might even be able to defy fate and change his destiny."

"Zhiming, I beg you, please don't move..." The three old folks of the Mu family were almost in tears, their faces filled with pleading.

That person is the same as the former Qiu Sanpin, and the young man is indeed the child who was dug out from the grave back then, Ding Ermiao

A disheveled old Taoist priest, with his hands clasped behind his back, stands in front of an incense altar. On the altar, incense sticks are lit, and three small bowls are turned upside down.

Is it a character for 'blessing'? Qiu Sanpin's face was filled with black lines as he casually flipped open the other two bowls. At the bottom of those two bowls, one was inscribed with 'prosperity' and the other with 'longevity'

Old Master Ding looked at his son and said: "Zhiming, just listen to the Daoist priest. This is the best way; it can save Ermiao's life and the villagers won't have to move."

Then... is there really no way to achieve a win-win situation? If there is truly no solution, I won't care about others' lives; I will move!" Ding Zhiming glared angrily at the three old men of the Mu family

Qiu Sanpin nodded slightly: "This character is referred to as the character for fate, determining the course of your life. 'Poor' signifies being destitute and having no wealth, never possessing money that lasts until the next day; 'Early Death' indicates that heaven does not grant longevity, leading to an untimely demise before the age of thirty, with even deities unable to save; 'Lonely' denotes a person who brings misfortune to their spouse and children, destined to remain single, living a life of solitude and hardship."

Qiu Sanpin shook his head: "Everyone has lived here for generations, who would want to move? Moreover, this formation is inherently tied to life and death, fortune and misfortune. Whether it is relocating or moving graves, it would bring catastrophic disaster to the entire village."

... ...

No, I will take the child back to the mountain right now

"You, you bastard..." Qiu Sanpin was so furious that smoke seemed to be coming out of his seven orifices, pointing at Ding Ermiao and cursing loudly: "It must be you who knew that today was the day to choose the fate character, so you secretly swapped my bowl. I, I... I am so infuriated by you that my eggs hurt!"

Ding Ermiao has a tall and slender figure, exuding an elegant demeanor, with strikingly handsome features and a vibrant spirit, which forms a stark contrast to the lewd and shabby Qiu Sanpin. Although Ding Ermiao is only nineteen years old and still bears a hint of youthful innocence in his appearance, his bright eyes sparkle with a cunning glimmer.

Qiu Sanpin grinned and said: "Master will not die, stop rambling, quickly choose a bowl!"

"Then what do these three characters mean?" Ding Ermiao asked

Ding Zhiming hesitated and said, "Then, shall the whole village move together, is that feasible?"

Such a large village, with a population of over 800, how easy is it to move all together

You little rascal... After descending the mountain, you must cultivate more virtuous deeds in the shadows. Only after accumulating ten thousand years of such merit can you return to your hometown and recognize your ancestors. Otherwise... otherwise, you will surely meet a bad end. Qiu Sanpin's expression was pained, yet there was not much blame in his eyes, and his tone was very solemn

"No, but after I take Ermiao away, the Ding family must not contact Ermiao in any way. Otherwise, it could easily disturb the spirits of the Hundred Ghosts Coffin Raising Formation, which would be very detrimental to Ermiao." Qiu Sanpin said while stroking his beard, "Once Ermiao masters the Daoist arts and accumulates great merit, he will return to recognize his ancestors and return to his roots."

"So, is it about studying the Dao at Maoshan?" Old Master Ding asked again

Qiu Sanpin's expression was one of extreme pain, his mouth twitching as he squatted on the ground, groaning a few times, and then cursed: "Have you never been down the mountain? Last month, you secretly slipped down the mountain to spy on Aunt Zhang's daughter, Hongyu, and Aunt Zhang has told me all about it!"

At noon, when the sun was at its zenith, Qiu Sanpin carried a small coffin and left the Muban Valley. The coffin was smeared with chicken blood, cinnabar, and other Taoist substances meant to ward off evil. Inside the coffin lay Ding Ermiao, asleep.

Ding Ermiao stroked his chin and said: "Because I have long wanted to descend the mountain, but you have never agreed. I have been on the mountain for eleven and a half years, and I have never stepped out of the mountain gate even once. How can I not be anxious? Therefore, I had no choice but to let you stay in the latrine for a few days so that I could escape.

"Master, why do we need to write characters in the bowl? What exactly are the characters?" Ding Ermiao was very curious.

Twelve years later, on Qiyun Mountain in Xichuan, a strange ceremony was taking place in a dilapidated Taoist temple.

After all, it is one's own flesh and blood, a child only seven years old; as parents, how can one bear to part ways like this

Master, I forgot to tell you, "Ding Ermiao stepped forward a couple of paces, hands hanging down, and said: 'This bottle of anti-diarrheal medicine has also been replaced with diarrhea medicine.'"

Qiu Sanpin shook his head: "Maoshan is too close; the spirits in the Hundred Ghosts Coffin Raising Formation will detect Ding Ermiao's presence. Therefore, I must take the child to a farther place"

Master, it has been eleven and a half years. By this year's winter solstice, it will be a full twelve years. There are still six months left..." Ding Ermiao interjected.

Qiu Sanpin took a few more sips of tea, and with a look of pride said: "There is nothing in the bowl, but... at the bottom of the bowl, there is a character each."

Bastard! Before Ding Ermiao could finish speaking, Qiu Sanpin had already sprinted towards the alchemy room in the backyard. Behind him, Ding Ermiao shrugged his shoulders

In three bowls, the words 'Poverty', 'Short-lived', and 'Loneliness' are written, and you must choose one. You must select one. "Qiu Sanpin stroked his beard and said, 'This is a rule set by our ancestral master, and it has been so for generations.'"

Mu Cuizhen nodded while wiping her tears and stepped forward to say: "Daoist, could you allow the child to stay at home for a few more days"

Understood, understood! Ding Ermiao waved his hand impatiently and said, "Master, you will definitely die a good death in the future. You are almost ninety years old, yet you still help Aunt Zhang carry water and give her massages to relieve her muscles and bones. Truly, what great virtue you possess..."

With a thud, Ding Zhiming and his wife knelt before Qiu Sanpin, saying: "Daoist, I implore you to show mercy and save my child"

Ding Zhiming, feeling helpless, nodded resolutely, his eyes once again blurred with tears

This is impossible, Master! I really didn't go to see Hongyu at all. However... it seems that there is something wrong with the gold necklace around Hongyu's neck, as it is actually floating on the bathwater" Ding Ermiao said indignantly

Ah? Qiu Sanpin's expression changed dramatically as he crouched down, holding his stomach, and with one hand pointed at Ding Ermiao, cursing, "You ungrateful wretch, why do you treat your master this way?"

On this point, Qiu Sanpin has mentioned to his disciple many times. As long as Ding Ermiao approaches within three hundred miles of his hometown, he will be attacked by the Hundred Ghosts Carrying the Coffin formation. Currently, the only way to avoid this calamity is to accumulate more virtuous deeds.

Ding Ermiao bent down, examining the small bowls turned upside down on the incense table. He tapped this one and touched that one, then raised his head and asked, "Master, what is hidden under these three bowls?"

Ding Ermiao sniffed and said seriously: "Master, I don't think you have testicular pain; rather, it seems to be abdominal pain."

The couple Ding Zhiming hesitated.

Ah... ?" Ding Ermiao exclaimed, "Master, you are being too insidious, aren't you? This is not fun; let's change the way we play. What if I end up choosing a 'lonely' one? Wouldn't that mean I would defeat you?"

Ding Ermiao had a mournful expression on his face, mumbling incessantly. After a long selection process, he turned the bowl in the middle upside down

"You know nothing!" Qiu Sanpin's face flushed as he said, "Am I not trying to please Aunt Zhang so that she will make shoes and clothes for you? Everything you are wearing was sewn together by Aunt Zhang, stitch by stitch..."

Uh... how did you know? The dark lines on Qiu Sanpin's face increased by a few more.

In front of the Taoist, a tall young man stood with a bow, holding a cup of tea in his hands

Qiu Sanpin stated that this is the only way to safely take the child outside

Qiu Sanpin pulled up Ding Zhiming and his wife, sighed, and said: "This formation is extremely powerful; pulling one hair can move the entire body. A slight misstep could lead to a catastrophic disaster, and it is likely that everyone in the village would struggle to escape a tragic fate... Therefore, I cannot break this formation..."

Because I just put a little laxative in the tea I gave you earlier

Alright

Subduing a malevolent spirit that has existed for a century accumulates a century of virtuous merit; similarly, liberating a vengeful spirit that has lingered for a century also accumulates a century of virtuous merit. Following this reasoning, if Ding Ermiao wishes to amass ten thousand years of virtuous merit, he would need to subdue one hundred malevolent spirits that have existed for a century, or liberate one hundred vengeful spirits that have existed for a century

Aunt Zhang Jia has tarnished my reputation, and I cannot let her off the hook. I will descend the mountain now, and when I pass by her house, I will confront her directly and demand that she restore my honor

Master, what a good omen, it is actually the character '福'! Ding Ermiao looked down at the bottom of the bowl, overjoyed.

Stop talking nonsense! Qiu Sanpin glared at Er Miao and continued, "You have learned almost all of my skills. After you present the tea today, you will officially become a registered disciple of my Maoshan Taoism. Choose one of the three small bowls in front of you."

"May I ask, Daoist, after you took away the second sprout, will those ghosts from last night come back to cause trouble?" Mu Zhenhai asked cautiously

"Er Niao, you have been with me for twelve years now." Qiu Sanpin took the tea from Ding Er Niao's hand, took a couple of sips, and then spoke slowly.