Chapter 6, The Taoist
"Five days and five nights, is this the number?" Mr. Yang answered me casually without waiting for me to unveil the suspense
No need to thank me. Last time you mentioned that your name is Yang Yuanshan, so I will address you as Mr. Yang. Mr. Yang, you have finally woken up; you have no idea how long you have been in slumber!
The middle-aged man, who had been in a coma for several days, finally woke up in the early morning. When I entered his room, I saw his weak complexion, which showed a slight improvement. His trembling fingers weakly waved in the air, and he struggled to utter a single word... "Water!"
Hoo-ta ... ... Hoo-ta ... ...
I hurriedly poured some water and brought it to the middle-aged man, helping him to sit up. I carefully fed him the water, and after he finished drinking, he looked around in astonishment. Finally, he fixed his gaze on me, and in the silence that followed, he simply said, "Thank you."
"Extend your hand," Yang Yuanshan said, furrowing his brow as he struggled to sit up straight. He grasped my hand and gestured for me to open it. Confused, I complied and opened my hand. The next scene startled me... I watched as Yang Yuanshan extended his finger and, without hesitation, bit it, causing blood to flow instantly. It made me wince, even though it wasn't my flesh he was biting... He truly was fearless. Immediately after, Yang Yuanshan began to draw on my palm with his bloodied finger, murmuring incantations. I couldn't make out what he was saying, as his breath was still very weak; it was already remarkable that he could speak.
Oh, in response to Mr. Yang, I said, "My name is Li Ergou, the only heir of the Li family for generations, hehe!" I joked, but then immediately frowned and asked, "Mr. Yang, how did you know that my family has recently encountered a great disaster, but that..."
Nowadays, I am in a state of utter confusion. Whether or not I believe in the existence of ghosts and deities, in just a few short days, I have witnessed bizarre events that I could never have encountered in my lifetime. I do not know whether to believe or not; I only know that a great incident has occurred at Zhao Liushun's home. I do not want my grandfather to also face trouble, so I must believe this time, no matter what.
A day without incident, as night fell, the tranquil moment was soon replaced by a storm, which buried everything... What I did not expect was that this storm was so fierce, even...
Mr. Yang, why do we have to wait five days? By the way, the old woman from the fox clan also wants me to marry the girl who just died in their clan within five days. That girl is the fox my grandfather brought back a few days ago, but my grandfather does not know the reason behind it and has skinned the fox. However, that fox was not killed by our family, and now it is too late to say anything... As I spoke, a wave of regret surged within me. If I had known earlier, I could have stopped my grandfather from skinning the fox, and at least our family would not have encountered such a disaster.
Hmph... Do you really think that half-dead, stinky Taoist can save your lives? What a delusion! How dare you secure the doors and windows; do not think that this will allow you to escape this calamity. You cannot escape; you will all die! You will all die...
Water
"Er Gou, I have awakened at an inopportune time; I should have remained asleep for another two days. However, your family has shown me kindness, and I cannot stand by and watch you perish. Do not ask too many questions; my time is limited. This time, I can only remain awake for a quarter of an hour. If you wish to avoid this calamity, you must do as I say; otherwise, no one will be able to save your family!" Yang Yuanshan looked at me with a serious and earnest expression, and from his gaze, I could tell that he was not joking.
With a loud bang, the courtyard door seemed to be forcefully pushed open again. My grandfather and I exchanged a glance, both of us resolute in our decision not to look outside any further, for we knew what was coming.
The howling wind, mixed with torrential raindrops, relentlessly pounded on the roof of my house, causing my slightly calm heart to churn with waves of turmoil. I do not know what is about to happen, but perhaps I can foresee that the moment I pressed my handprint outside, it already signified my stance to completely oppose the Fox Clan
The people of the mountain village have historically held a profound reverence for the concept of deities and spirits, viewing it not as a matter of belief or disbelief, but rather as a tangible issue that exists in reality.
Although I am in a deep coma, I still have some awareness of everything happening in the outside world, such as the great disaster your family has recently caused..." Mr. Yang spoke with great difficulty, pausing after a few sentences to catch his breath before continuing, "What is your name?"
Good! In any case, as long as there is a glimmer of hope, I will give it a try. Although I still do not know who he is, I believe he will not harm me. Perhaps I truly have no way to cope with all of this, because I really do not want anything to happen to my grandfather
I do not know whether it is the bricks on the wall or the branches of the surrounding trees that are being violently blown down and broken by the raging wind, one after another, as if my home is about to collapse at any moment!
In accordance with Yang Yuanshan's instructions, I marked the blood symbol above the door frame of the main room, as well as on both sides of the windows. At this moment, my grandfather had already woken up and, seeing my flustered actions, couldn't help but feel a bit surprised. I immediately recounted Yang Yuanshan's words to my grandfather in detail. After listening, my grandfather was first shocked, and then revealed a trace of indescribable fear. I was unsure whether my grandfather believed what Yang Yuanshan had said, but I felt that he was likely to believe it to some extent.
What I truly want to say is that this is clearly not a normal disaster, but rather an extraordinary calamity that defies reason. If I were to go out and say that my family has offended the fox clan and is about to face a catastrophic disaster, others would probably think I am insane. Yet this person casually pointed out the issues my family is facing, which makes me increasingly curious about who he really is
An aged voice suddenly echoed in the courtyard like a raging wind. The moment I heard it, I recognized it unmistakably as the voice of that white-haired old woman with a cane. She was outside, and unable to resist my curiosity, I quietly leaned against the window to take a glance while my grandfather was not paying attention. I wished I hadn't looked, for that single glance left me utterly terrified, my entire body turning cold as ice.
Thinking about the plight of Zhao Liushun's family, I truly cannot fathom how severe the situation would be if it were to befall our family
When a person dies, the seventh day is significant, and the forty-ninth day marks the completion of the seven-day mourning period. For those spiritual beings that have passed away, the period extends to nine days, as their cultivated forms are not as precious as that of a human. There are taboos associated with everything, and nine days after death represents a critical juncture, a major calamity of life and death. If one cannot pass through this calamity, they must reincarnate and cultivate for another thousand years to return to their current level of attainment. Nine lives and nine deaths constitute eighty-one minor calamities, yet this first calamity is the most crucial. If one can evade it, they can maintain their original level of cultivation without change, merely borrowing a physical form and utilizing elixirs to return to vitality. Calculating the days, the fox has already been dead for four days, and if it cannot evade this calamity in the remaining five days, then... to have you wed to her may indeed be the reason. However, if you agree to this matter, you will surely perish in the future, while she will survive, for what she desires is your vital essence. Yang Yuanshan spoke, his voice growing fainter. I could only anxiously lean closer to his lips. Although I understood little of what he said, and was unaware of the significance of the seven-day mourning period or the concepts of major and minor calamities, I still listened earnestly. No, it was not that I finished listening; rather, he had not completed his words before falling unconscious again.
I could only understand the two characters "Imperial Edict" above, and below it was a single stroke, not knowing what it depicted. After finishing, Yang Yuanshan suddenly raised his right hand high, intertwining his fingers, with only the middle finger extended, and forcefully pointed towards my palm in the air, tapping three times. Immediately after, he went limp all over and collapsed onto the bed again, gasping heavily... "This is... this is the 'Heaven and Earth Demon Suppression Talisman', which uses the righteous energy of heaven and earth to dispel evil, capable of driving away a hundred malevolent spirits. Er Gou... suddenly pointed towards my palm in the air, tapping three times, and immediately after, he went limp all over and collapsed onto the bed again, gasping heavily... "This is... this is the 'Heaven and Earth Demon Suppression Talisman', which uses the righteous energy of heaven and earth to dispel evil, capable of driving away a hundred malevolent spirits. Er Gou... you, you must imprint this talisman above the doors and windows, and be sure not to overlook anything. Within five days, neither you nor your grandfather can leave this house even a single step, remember, remember.
Grandfather is just that kind of person. After much contemplation, he decisively followed Yang Yuanshan's advice and instructed me to strictly adhere to what Yang Yuanshan said: not to leave this house for five days. After enduring these five days, we can discuss other matters. After all, this has far exceeded what ordinary people can imagine, and we are powerless to resist anything. We can only do our best and leave the rest to fate. I also hope that Yang Yuanshan will awaken after five days, as it seems that only when he wakes up will I inexplicably feel a sense of security in my heart. After all, this has far exceeded what ordinary people can imagine, and we are powerless to resist anything. We can only do our best and leave the rest to fate. I also hope that Yang Yuanshan will awaken after five days, as it seems that only when he wakes up will I inexplicably feel a sense of security in my heart.
Uh... how do you know? However, you have said too much. My grandfather brought you back after you had been unconscious for three days and three nights. So, that means you had already been unconscious for two days and two nights before that. But how do you know this so clearly? I curiously stared at this Mr. Yang, whom I had never met before. The strange events that occurred when my grandfather encountered him, combined with his accurate estimation of the time after waking up, made it seem as if he knew everything. He truly is a peculiar person
Mr. Yang! Mr. Yang! Yang... I anxiously called out to Yang Yuanshan, but before his words could finish, he had already fallen into a coma. I do not know when he will wake up next. It turns out he could have awakened in two days, but in order to save our family, he woke up early. I suddenly feel a bit guilty towards him, but I still need to verify what he said first, as it is still uncertain whether we can withstand the invasion of the fox clan.