Chapter 5, Every sip and every peck

The matter of feelings was still conveyed by Wang Laodao to Chen Jianbin and the others. Wang Xiaobai, seeing that Chen Jianbin was unscathed, was filled with resentment. "Damn it, I helped you fight, and you came out unscathed, yet I got dragged into this mess. Now I have to come up with some nonsense to cover it up." With a furrowed brow, he thought for a moment and said: "Dude, I've encountered something strange. I got drunk, went to relieve myself, and when I saw you calling me, I rushed over. In a daze, I ended up by the river. I bumped into something on the way and saw that the person ahead wasn't you at all, but a weasel. I picked up a brick and threw it at it, scaring it away. I've just been wandering around here, unable to find my way back to school..."

Although he only caught a glimpse, it was enough. Wang Xiaobai was certain that what he saw was Huang Laoqi. Damn it, the lingering spirit was indeed haunting him, truly entangled with him. He recalled what Wang Laodao had said; he had sealed half of Huang Laoqi's mouth but still couldn't articulate what he resembled, which left Huang Laoqi stuck. It was certain that he would cling to him, and indeed, that was the case.

Wang Xiaobai's tall tales are a mix of truth and falsehood, and such stories are common in rural Northeast China. They often involve being bewitched by either a fox or a weasel. While not everyone believes them completely, most accept them to some extent. Moreover, Chen Jianbin was excitedly exclaiming on the side: "Damn, I get it now! Today, we should go teach that kid from Shuangshan a lesson. You knocked over the household deity shrine at the old cripple's house, and the God of Wealth is just giving you a little warning. Fortunately, nothing serious happened. Let's hurry up and leave..."

Just as Wang Xiaobai was about to fall asleep in a daze, that eerie, sharp voice reappeared, quite ethereal. The moment this voice emerged, all other sounds in the room vanished, which was truly remarkable. Wang Xiaobai could not hear his classmates snoring; he could only hear that voice, a haunting call: "Wang... Wang Xiaobai, Wang... Xiaobai, don't... don't sleep, I have... something to discuss with you..."

Wang Xiaobai turned on the flashlight and shone it towards the window, wanting to see if it was Huang Lao Qi outside. He noticed that there were five crooked characters written in the condensation on the window: "You look like a person!"

Chen Jianbin rode with several classmates from Liuhe Town to search for Wang Xiaobai all over the world. Upon hearing Wang Xiaobai's cries, they hurried over and, seeing that Wang Xiaobai was unharmed, Chen Jianbin breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Xiaobai, where the hell did you go to take a piss? Why did you run all the way to the riverbank? Does the Nen River really need your little bit of water? You scared the hell out of me; I searched for you for half the night. If it weren't for running into Old Wang, who sells popcorn, I really wouldn't have known you were here... You scared the hell out of me; I searched for you for half the night. If it weren't for running into Old Wang, who sells popcorn, I really wouldn't have known you were here..."

However, Wang Xiaobai did not know that, and still thought that, just as Wang Laodao had said, Huang Laoqi had entangled him. He could only run away quickly. After running for half an hour, he saw the riverbank, where several people were holding flashlights and calling his name. Wang Xiaobai shouted loudly: "I am here, I am here..."

But who could have imagined that it was all true, and that I personally experienced it, witnessing the weasel paying homage for longevity, the weasel worshipping the moon, the weasel speaking human words, and the weasel transforming into human form. Since there are fairies, then surely there are also ghosts and monsters. However, this is vastly different from what he learned, and it is also vastly different from the current world.

After thinking aimlessly for half a day without any clarity, Wang Xiaobai became drowsy as he pondered. Just as he was about to fall asleep, he heard someone calling him: "Wang, Wang, Wang Xiaobai, Wang Xiaobai... Wang Xiaobai, wake up..."

Wang Xiaobai felt a mix of excitement and anxiety, and he was also puzzled as to why Wang Laodao took him as a disciple and imposed tests on him, requiring him to pass three challenges. Tomorrow, he would have to go to the Huangxian Temple to find him. Was it similar to how the strange sect in Jiangnan tested Guo Jing's skills, requiring everyone to undergo a trial first?

Fortunately, tonight is a night of a full moon, with the moonlight serene and visibility excellent. However, Wang Xiaobai grows increasingly anxious as he walks. Not only is he flustered by his inability to find the school, but he also has an unsettling feeling that something is following him. This sensation is utterly inexplicable; he cannot see anything, yet he can feel it, as if he has formed a strange connection with that entity.

Moreover, the matter of seeking a mouth seal is akin to falling in love at first sight; it can only be effective for the first person who encounters it. If one fails to obtain it the first time, there will be no second or third opportunity. Therefore, Huang Lao Qi can only follow Wang Xiao Bai to find a solution. The situation is not the same as before; in the Huang Xian Temple, Wang Xiao Bai did not dare to speak recklessly, but now it is uncertain. If he truly angers Wang Xiao Bai and utters a few careless words or insults him, Huang Lao Qi would completely ruin his cultivation and be finished. Furthermore, there is a formidable Wang Lao Dao; attempting to intimidate Wang Xiao Bai is out of the question.

It was the kind of bone-chilling sound that scraped against glass, extremely unpleasant and jarring to the ears. Wang Xiaobai couldn't help but turn his head to look at the window, reaching for the flashlight by the bedside. Under the moonlight, he saw something exhaling towards the window, and after a bout of laughter, a layer of frost formed on the glass.

It was only until 8 PM that everyone gradually fell asleep, still not quite satisfied. However, Wang Xiaobai could not fall asleep at all; he was very alert, lost in thought about the events of the day, as if he were dreaming with Te Ma. The events of today had a profound impact on his worldview. Previously, when he listened to the old ladies and old men in the town tell stories about gods and ghosts, it was quite frightening to hear, but he had never truly seen any of it, so he was only half-convinced. After entering junior high school, he became increasingly skeptical, feeling that those were just tales to deceive children, mere boring stories from a group of superstitious old men and women. The events of today had a profound impact on his worldview. Previously, when he listened to the old ladies and old men in the town tell stories about gods and ghosts, it was quite frightening to hear, but he had never truly seen any of it, so he was only half-convinced. After entering junior high school, he became increasingly skeptical, feeling that those were just tales to deceive children, mere boring stories from a group of superstitious old men and women.

In this world filled with the internet, mobile phones, computers, high-speed trains, and spaceships, this is what constitutes a normal world. However, behind this normal world coexists another realm. Thus, the question arises: which world is the true one? Is it the world described by teachers, or is it the world of gods and ghosts?

This is no joke; I have already sealed several weasels myself, yet Huang Laoqi is still pestering him. Wang Xiaobai recalled Wang Laodao, who surprisingly turned out to be a remarkable figure despite being just a popcorn vendor. By chance, they crossed paths. Does this mean that I, too, can learn genuine skills like the protagonists in fantasy novels?

Wang Xiaobai was not particularly timid, but in this situation, he felt increasingly anxious. Halfway through, he picked up a wooden stick about one meter long, gritting his teeth and steeling himself, determined that he would rather be beaten to death than scared to death. He walked to a tree, suddenly turned around, and saw a yellow shadow following him. Upon noticing his turn, it was startled and darted into the nearby bushes

What Wang Xiaobai did not know was that Huang Laoqi was a thousand times more troubled than he was, essentially entangling himself and digging his own grave. As Wang Laodao said, he was now stuck. Wang Xiaobai had only sealed half of him with his words and did not say what he resembled, which was quite distressing. If Wang Xiaobai continued to seal him by likening him to a human, he would basically be able to attain enlightenment. However, if Wang Xiaobai spoke nonsense, insulted him, cursed him, or said he deserved to die, comparing him to a turtle or something similar, then his cultivation would be completely ruined, requiring him to start over. Given his temperament, he could even be driven to death by anger. He did not say what he resembled, which was quite distressing. If Wang Xiaobai continued to seal him by likening him to a human, he would basically be able to attain enlightenment. However, if Wang Xiaobai spoke nonsense, insulted him, cursed him, or said he deserved to die, comparing him to a turtle or something similar, then his cultivation would be completely ruined, requiring him to start over. Given his temperament, he could even be driven to death by anger.

Huang Lao Qi not only knows how to talk, but also knows how to write! ... Wang Xiao Bai couldn't help but roll his eyes dramatically ...

No matter how foolish Wang Xiaobai is, he knows that it was Huang Laoqi's doing. No one has such a sharp voice, and stuttering like this is quite a sight. Shouting loudly is to bolster his own courage, and he also hopes to wake his classmates to help him. However, his dormitory mates showed no reaction at all. Instead, a sharp sound suddenly came from outside the window near Wang Xiaobai's bed.

Wang Laodao left without a word, departing with great elegance, and before anyone knew it, he had vanished, leaving no time for Wang Xiaobai to react. He had indeed left, and Wang Xiaobai was left standing in the Huangxian Temple, dazed and still trying to comprehend what had just happened. It felt like a nightmare. In just a moment, the wind rushed into the Huangxian Temple, producing a chilling sound of howling. Suddenly, Wang Xiaobai realized this was not a dream, but something that had truly occurred. Not daring to remain in the Huangxian Temple any longer, he took off in pursuit of Wang Laodao, shouting, "Master, wait for me, I don't know how to get back to school..."

However, why does Huang Lao Qi seem to be quite afraid of him? Why does he not dare to come out openly to demand a closure? Could it be that Wang Lao Dao has been secretly protecting him? It is not impossible; according to the conventions of fantasy novels, this should be the case. With this thought, Wang Xiao Bai's courage grew, and he walked forward, cursing while holding a stick.

Or should we say that two worlds coexist? Then the question arises, how can the coexistence be so harmonious? The other world is hidden so well, isn't it? Apart from some legends and rumors, it is basically inaccessible. If it weren't for my own fortuitous encounter, having seen it myself, if others were to speak of these things, I would probably just take it as a joke.

Wang Xiaobai suddenly sat up with a start and shouted, "You son of a bitch, come out, I will kill you!"

The sound was sharp and piercing, extremely unpleasant, carrying a chilling and eerie quality. Wang Xiaobai suddenly woke up with a start, drenched in sweat, sitting up in bed. He looked around and saw that several classmates in the dormitory were snoring loudly, and he did not hear anyone calling his name. For a moment, he felt disoriented, thinking he must have misheard, and then lay back down to continue sleeping

As soon as Chen Jianbin explained, everyone believed it even more. Seven or eight boys rode their bicycles, whizzing away. Upon meeting their classmates, Wang Xiaobai finally felt a sense of security, secretly grateful to Wang Laodao. However, during the ride to school, Wang Xiaobai vaguely noticed that Huang Laoqi's ghostly presence was still following him.

Having exited the temple gate, Wang Xiaobai found that Wang Laodao's figure had long since vanished. Relying on his memory, he hurriedly ran towards the edge of the forest. Upon emerging from the woods, he found himself in a desolate wilderness, unsure of his exact location, and could only walk towards the direction of the light. However, in this vast and sparsely populated black land, after walking for quite some time, he still had not encountered a single household.

As the saying goes, every sip and every peck is predetermined. Huang Lao Qi, being overly greedy, has turned a matter that was originally reasonable into this state. He is anxiously trying to follow Wang Xiaobai to find a solution, but can only hide in the shadows to devise a plan. The situation has reversed; it is no longer Wang Xiaobai who fears him, but Huang Lao Qi who fears Wang Xiaobai, and he has no choice but to follow him.

Wang Xiaobai had no way out and secretly vowed to learn skills from Wang Laodao, then kill Huang Laoqi. Upon returning to school, the gates had long been closed. A few guys locked their bicycles outside and climbed over the wall to return to the dormitory, chattering excitedly about the group fight that day, boasting loudly, and also mentioning how Wang Xiaobai was enchanted by Huang Xian. Such things are not uncommon in Northeast China; everyone has heard of them. They shared the rumors they had heard, telling ghost stories for half the night.