Chapter 005: The Black Worm

We were having our meal when suddenly we heard a commotion outside, with sounds of wailing and lamentation coming intermittently. My mother and I couldn't help but look out the window, and we saw a crowd gathered on the small path in front of our door, as if they were watching some kind of spectacle

I suspect she might have gone to help me harvest corn. During the day, she mentioned she would find some helpers to work, but I don't know if that's true. After thinking it over, I still feel it's unlikely; can a ghost really do farm work? I waited for her at home, but even until after eleven at night, she still hadn't returned. I didn't sleep at all last night, and now that my nerves have just begun to relax, drowsiness overtakes me, and I gradually drift into slumber

"Brother Four Dogs, let us go back; look how tired you are," said Xiao Lian

Liu Xicai was in tears, having always considered himself quite manly, yet he cried silently. "Second Brother, look at how this child, Gen Gui, is now. In my decades of life, I have truly never heard of anyone suffering from such an illness. I suspect it is most likely hysteria, and a particularly dangerous kind at that. Ordinary Taoist priests would probably be of no help!"

Upon arriving home, my mother couldn't help but scold me a bit, saying that on such a sunny day, I should be working in the fields instead of running back home. I was at a loss for words. My mother then said that if I was tired, I could take a day off and go back tomorrow

Can she still find help? I do not understand what Xiaolian's words mean, but seeing her so confident, I decided not to say anything more, thinking I would wait until the evening to see what the situation would be like

"Even if I'm tired, I still have to work. If I don't, what will happen?" I sighed and said

To speak of the most skilled practitioner of magic in our area, it must be Daoist Zhou Fuxuan from Dagu Mountain Town. However, as you know, if we were to seek him..." Lord Kong paused here, hesitating to continue, and glanced at Liu Xicai.

I slept very soundly and didn't wake up until after 7 in the morning. After getting up, I found that Xiao Lian was chatting with my mother. My mother had already prepared the meal and brought it to the table, waiting for me to come and eat. I looked at Xiao Lian; she seemed to be in good spirits, but I had no idea what time she came back last night or what she had been up to.

Xiao Lian remained silent, quietly watching me work from the side. When a person is under sustained high tension to a certain degree, they tend to calm down instead. At this moment, I had somewhat grown accustomed to it; after all, I couldn't shake her off, so I might as well let things take their natural course

On that day, Xiao Lian helped her mother with household chores quite a bit. Her mother did not expect that a city girl like her could endure such hardships, not minding the dirt or the fatigue. If it weren't for the feeling that I was not worthy of her, her mother would have truly wanted to find someone to match us together. After dinner in the evening, Xiao Lian quietly told me that she needed to go out to take care of something and asked me to wait for her at home. After saying this, she left on her own.

Quickly find a highly skilled Taoist priest for the child, alas, if we delay any longer, we won't be able to protect his life.

As I passed by the village entrance, that brat Liu Genggui was still loitering there. Upon seeing me return with Xiaolian, he snorted disdainfully and shot me a fierce glare.

Liu Genggui's mother was kneeling on the ground, crying bitterly, her face resembling a rain-soaked pear blossom. She kept murmuring, "Oh my heavens, I can't go on living, what sin has our family committed, why must my son Genggui suffer like this..."

Uncle Kong reached out and patted his cousin Liu Xicai, who was squatting on the ground, and said: "Then let's invite a highly skilled Taoist priest; we need to act quickly. Look at those black bugs crawling back and forth in the root of Gui's eyes. If this goes on for too long, those eyes will be ruined."

Thinking back to what Xiao Lian said last night about going out to take care of some matters, I have even more reason to believe that it was Xiao Lian who turned Liu Genggui into this state of being neither human nor ghost. Is Xiao Lian really that fierce? I can't help but feel a sense of awe towards her.

At this moment, the previously silent Granny Sun squeezed over, scrutinizing Liu Genggui for quite some time, and said: "Why not invite my brother to give it a try"

Upon arriving in the field, I broke free from Xiao Lian's hand and said to her, "You wait for me at the edge of the field; I need to get to work now." As I spoke, I moved my hands, which had become somewhat numb from the cold, and began to prepare to harvest the corn

In the small village of Helong, even the slightest disturbance is known to everyone. Early in the morning, such a commotion arose that soon the entire village came out to watch. My mother and I also put down our bowls and chopsticks and stepped outside to see what was happening

I couldn't help but grimace; this is utterly disgusting. How could Liu Genggui have worms in his eyes? I scanned him again, and in fright, I closed my eyes. His right palm had lost all its flesh, revealing the stark white of the bone

Seeing Liu Genggui's parents in such deep anguish, and Liu Genggui himself lying there in a state worse than death, I couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy. Suddenly, I recalled the moment when Liu Genggui had playfully slapped Xiaolian's backside, and her words came back to me: "Sometimes, those who take advantage will end up suffering greatly." Xiaolian's words have truly come to pass. Could it be that Liu Genggui's downfall is indeed a result of her actions?

I thought to myself, let this guy be arrogant for now; I won't pay him any attention. When the opportunity arises, I'll show him how to deal with it. I glanced at Liu Genggui out of the corner of my eye; this guy was leering at Xiaolian's private parts with a lustful gaze, as if he wanted to devour her whole. Xiaolian seemed oblivious to him, holding my hand affectionately as we walked home, which made Liu Genggui's face turn green with anger.

Upon hearing the name "Zhou Fuxuan," Liu Xicai frowned. After pondering for a moment, he waved his hand and said: "Let's forget it. If we ask him to intervene, his fees are high. We are not afraid of that; we can afford the expense. However, I do not have a young maiden to honor him. I have heard that in addition to charging a fee for exorcising evil and alleviating disasters, he also requires a beautiful young woman to spend the night with him. Otherwise, even if he grants you peace at that moment, he will leave you with lingering troubles."

I looked at her and saw that she seemed to feel a bit sorry for me. I didn't know whether to be happy or helpless. Finally, there was a girl who cared for me, but unfortunately, she was a ghost

The mad old woman was also watching the crowd, clicking her tongue incessantly, her two small yellow eyes darting back and forth, as if deep in thought, yet she remained silent.

Liu Xicai felt as if his heart were being cut with a knife; his son was his most cherished possession. Having had a child later in life, he was in his thirties when Liu Genggui was born, and he had always regarded him as his precious treasure. Seeing his son in such a dire state, Liu Xicai urgently asked, "Second brother, you often travel outside and have seen much of the world; can you help me think of someone with exceptional skills who can save my son?"

I looked at Liu Genggui lying on the wooden board, and my heart suddenly sank. Although my courage had increased significantly after meeting Xiao Lian, seeing Liu Genggui's tragic state almost made me vomit what I had just eaten. Liu Genggui's eyes were tightly closed, resembling a corpse, his face was pale without a trace of blood, and his eye sockets were dark, making him look like a living dead person. The most terrifying part was that small, line-shaped black worms were crawling in and out of his eyes. Upon closer inspection, there were as many as seven or eight of them, each about an inch long, black with white stripes. Liu Genggui's eyes remained tightly shut, resembling a corpse, his face was pale without a trace of blood, and his eye sockets were dark, making him look like a living dead person. The most terrifying part was that small, line-shaped black worms were crawling in and out of his eyes. Upon closer inspection, there were as many as seven or eight of them, each about an inch long, black with white stripes. A few of them even poked their heads out from the corner of Liu Genggui's left eye, only to quickly retract, and then they would appear from his right eye, flashing by, leaving one horrified.

The seven or eight black worms with white stripes occasionally swam in and out of his eyes, yet Liu Genggui lay there without any reaction, resembling a living corpse. The onlooking villagers sighed repeatedly; although Liu Genggui was not well-liked in the village, seeing his current pitiful state still weighed heavily on everyone's hearts

"Hehe, you don't need to worry about this. I'll find some help tonight, and we'll finish the work in one evening." Xiao Lian smiled mysteriously, and before I could say anything, she took my hand and led me home.

In Northeast China, there is a saying about the "autumn tiger." The weather is cool in the early morning and evening, but it becomes unbearably hot around noon. By around 10 a.m., I was already sweating profusely. At that moment, my companion, Xiao Lian, who had been silently by my side, suddenly approached me and took out a white handkerchief from her pocket to help wipe the sweat from my forehead

Old Master Kong gritted his teeth upon hearing this and said resentfully, "Indeed, one cannot deny that Daoist Zhou is certainly profound in his practice, but this particular aspect is quite lacking in virtue."

Only the village's "richest man," Liu Genggui's father, Liu Xicai, was squatting on the ground, continuously smoking, looking dispirited and lacking the former air of arrogance. Beside him lay a large wooden board, on which a young man was resting. Upon closer inspection, it was indeed Liu Genggui.