Chapter Nine, The Painted Skin

There is no television in the mobile phone store, so I took out my phone to play music, specifically choosing those explosive and noisy DJ tracks

"What exactly happened to you that day?" Huang Daxian asked me as he put down his clothes

What is going on here

If the Wong Tai Sin dares to act recklessly, he will surely lose two taels of flesh

I thought about it and called Ma Yong to tell him that I had been schemed against by the Wong Tai Sin, asking him to support me. He readily agreed and asked me to find him in the town tomorrow. He also inquired if I wanted to bring a few more brothers to help. I quickly replied that it was unnecessary, as this matter should not be made too public; one person was enough.

Let us seek justice. "Ma Yong closed the door and said with a smile, 'Huang Daxian, my brother says you have plotted against him. Is there any truth to this?'"

Under that large camphor tree, which I am certain and confident about, there is a thicket of thorns, and there is absolutely no house at all

The figure of Wong Tai Sin turned pale, glancing at me and then at Ma Yong. Seeing that we had no intention of letting him off easily, he slapped his thigh and said, "Alas, it seems this is a calamity destined for me, one I cannot escape. Come with me, and I will speak to you alone"

Or perhaps, both of them are ghosts, and one of them is impersonating the Yellow Emperor of Taoism

I am anxious and uneasy, it seems that something has truly impersonated him, that which has harmed me is a false Huang Daxian

"Why aren't you leaving?" Ma Yong asked me from behind as I stopped.

I came here today with no intention of being polite to him, gritting my teeth and saying: "Huang Daxian, I have a belly full of questions and I want to have a chat with you."

After my mother left, I tidied up and took a mineral water bottle and a funnel outside to collect dew. The air in the mountains is humid, and there is a significant amount of dew in the morning. Just shaking a few bushes feels like it is raining, and in no time, I collected almost half a bottle.

Is it you?

Soon, the voice of the Huang Daxian echoed in the room. As soon as he opened the door, Ma Yong and I pushed the door hard and squeezed in.

I am still a virgin | Male

Under the guidance of Ma Yong, I returned to the town and found the home of the Huang Daxian. He resides in a newly constructed commercial building that is only two or three years old, and there is no property management. We went directly up to the fourth floor and arrived at his doorstep

There was clearly a house here that day, how could it have disappeared

Ma Yong knocked on the door, and I hid to the side, fearing that if he saw me through the door opening, I would no longer have the courage to open the door

This dialect completely stunned me

The events that occurred that night are in clear conflict with the experiences of Ma Jialiang and me; it is unsettling to not have clarity on this matter for even a single day

What?

What?

After driving for a while, when I saw the address of the Wong Tai Sin family that I remembered, I was truly stunned

It is unacceptable; I must give away this virginity as a man, otherwise it would be too embarrassing to die as a virgin man.

I also coldly said: "Bring your nephew out here. If you do not provide me with a coherent explanation today, just wait and see how I will deal with you!"

After having breakfast, I returned to the shop and conducted business for the entire day, during which I kept pondering whether I should go and seek out the Wong Tai Sin

I am anxious and confused, wondering what I have done to attract so many strange occurrences around me

After finishing the divination, the Wong Tai Sin said: "The other day, after I left the village, I was struck by something; I am not sure what it was, and then I fainted."

Where is the home of the Wong Tai Sin? Ma Yong had a look of disbelief on his face and said, "Wong Tai Sin's home is in the town, why are you running outside the town?"

Could it be that what happened that day was really not done by him

The face of the Wong Tai Sin grew increasingly pale as he listened, and when he heard the part about burning me alive, his face turned deathly white. He said, "It's over, it's over. We are all being targeted. This is a great calamity; if we cannot get through it, we will die."

I have grown a mouth, what is this situation?

Seeing him being so cautious, I couldn't help but wonder what could possibly make someone like him, who has been a master for half his life, so fearful

I am only in my early twenties, yet I am already a person on the verge of death

What happened next? I asked.

"Hehe, I guess it's also my cowardice," said the Wong Tai Sin with a bitter smile, shaking his head. "Actually, I woke up halfway that day. To avoid getting involved with that matter in your village and fearing that you would pester me, I jumped out of the car when you turned a corner. You simply didn't notice.

It was only after 4 a.m., when the rooster finally opened its mouth to announce the first crow, that I completely collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep

After speaking, he lifted the shirt from his abdomen, revealing a gash on his belly that had been stitched with numerous sutures, which had already begun to scab over

Moreover, I once asked the fake Huang Daxian if he was hurt and whether it was serious. He replied that the blood was not his, which clearly contradicted the injury before me. Furthermore, when the fake Huang Daxian was running, he did not appear to be injured at all; he was running extremely fast

The taste of waiting is particularly difficult to endure, the mountain village is unlike the city, it is very quiet at night, so quiet that it becomes unsettling, I thought about making some noise, so that I wouldn't be so afraid

Wait a minute, could it be that Wong Tai Sin has two homes? The house outside the town looked quite dilapidated that day, it might very well be his old home

I said inexplicably, "Of course, let's go to Wong Tai Sin's house."

Less talk!

"Still pretending? That day, it was your nephew who drugged my tea." I was furious; this old man lied without a hint of shame or remorse.

It is my illusion

By the afternoon, I had made up my mind to pay him a visit. However, it would not be appropriate to call Ma Jialiang, as I could not let him confront Huang Daxian. Instead, I thought of another childhood friend, Ma Yong

... ...

"Nonsense!" Ma Yong was very certain, saying: "That day the village chief sent someone to invite the Huang Daxian, and it was I who went. How could it be false?"

The old man Huang Daxian sat on the sofa, lamenting: "As an old fool, I drew the solitary hexagram when I entered this profession, destined to live a life of loneliness. I have no parents above, no children below, and no brothers beside me. Where would a nephew come from?"

My nephew? Huang Daxian looked bewildered and said, "What are you talking about? I don't have a nephew."

I was so startled that I slammed on the brakes, and the inertia nearly caused the car to flip over, which made Ma Yong let out a strange cry.

What exactly do you want to do?" The Wong Tai Sin realized that Ma Yong and I were not here with good intentions, and he was frightened and retreated.

I spent the entire night with my eyes wide open, each hour felt as long as a year. Any slight sound or movement, such as the rooster crowing twice or the black tiger sneezing, could make my heart race uncontrollably.

That works as well. Ma Yong nodded, not dwelling on it too much, and said: "He has already moved, so it would be more reliable to look for him at his new home."

"Does the Wong Tai Sin live in the town, is that certain?" I asked once again

At this moment, Ma Yong also whispered in my ear: "Chun'er, is there a mistake? I have never seen this old fellow with a nephew."

I am completely dazed

I slowly recounted the events from the day I began to pursue him until the moment I returned home.

That day, the Wong Tai Sin took me to his home. I remember the way; it is not far outside the town, beneath a large camphor tree.

Why

The Great Immortal Wong glanced at me, paused for a moment, and then slowly said: "You should return to Hong Village and not go anywhere else. Our calamity begins in Hong Village and will surely be resolved there. Preserve your status as a pure youth, in preparation for the future"

I... I don't know how to explain it to Ma Yong, so I can only say: "Let's not go to the old home of Wong Tai Sin, let's go to his new home instead"

I unfolded a camp bed and lay on it, feeling anxious in my heart. I dared not sleep with the light on, and to prevent a power outage, I held a flashlight in my hand

I am confused and starting to have random thoughts

I nodded slightly, reassuring him not to worry

I am also feeling angry; this bastard wants to burn me alive. I must find trouble with him today. As long as I don't drink anything from him, that old man cannot do anything to me or Ma Yong.

Otherwise, a passing car or a cat outside could easily startle me

I placed the rooster back in the chicken coop, then poured dew and glutinous rice for it, leading the black tiger home for breakfast

I am completely foolish

Seeing this wound, I began to believe his words. Ma Jialiang also said that he encountered the Yellow Emperor halfway and even returned the car to him, which aligns with the story.

Driving, Ma Yong and I headed straight to the home of Wong Tai Sin. Ma Yong was sitting in the back of the car smoking. After a while, he suddenly said to me: "Wait a minute, where are you driving to?"

Who is it

Ma Yong works at a factory in the town. Upon seeing me, he began to curse the fortune teller, saying that this charlatan has no real skills and yet engages in funerary rites, causing the villagers to live in fear and anxiety

If it was pushed, it is impossible for there to be no traces left at all. Moreover, the dense thicket of thorns on the ground indicates that there could not have been a house here in a short period of time

However, do not be anxious just yet; I see a glow on your forehead, which suggests that you have benefactors assisting you. Otherwise, it would be impossible for an ordinary person like you to have lived to this day

Oh dear, what a tremendous injustice

The Wong Tai Sin, after listening to the solemn vow, stated that he has never had a nephew and does not recognize the "nephew" I mentioned.

I remained persistent and asked once more, even describing the appearance of that young man to him.

I didn't sleep for long after that. At eight in the morning, my mother came over to call me for breakfast. I didn't dare to open the door and told her to eat first, saying I would come out shortly, fearing that she would see the rooster and I wouldn't be able to explain.

Upon hearing this, I felt a chill in my heart and asked, "What is a calamity, and how is it defined?"

Upon entering the study, the Taoist priest Huang greeted me and invited me to sit down. He then closed the door and affixed several yellow talismans to the window and the door.

I suddenly recalled the rumors spoken by the elders in the village, which said that those who practice the profession of a yin-yang master must inevitably choose one among three fates: loneliness, early death, or poverty. If the Master Huang is indeed destined for loneliness, then he should not be lying.

I turned the car around to leave, and as I was leaving, I noticed that there seemed to be a dilapidated and abandoned land temple in the thicket, with moss-covered broken bricks scattered everywhere.

As soon as the old man saw us, especially me, his expression changed dramatically. He hurriedly said, "Isn't the matter of Hong Village already settled? Why are you still looking for this old fool?"

If I am not hallucinating, then Ma Jialiang is lying

Ma Yong tugged at me, signaling that I should be cautious, and also said that if anything happened, I should just call out, and he would rush in immediately

Early the next morning, I told my mother that I was going to the town to purchase goods. I drove the tricycle to the town, and before leaving, I took a fruit knife from home.

I was stunned; I couldn't find a house just now, and now I don't even have my nephew. Could it be that that day was truly just an illusion

Ma Yong is tall and strong. In his childhood, he was definitely the main force in fights for the Ma family. Later, he also served in the military and was braver than Liang from the Ma family.

Again, I asked the Wong Tai Sin: "What exactly happened when you came out of Hong Village that day?"

The Great Immortal Wong, with a mournful expression, said: "This is called a ghostly skin painting. A ghost can paint a skin resembling a person and wear it to deceive others, committing acts of harm and mischief. However, ghostly skin painting does not work on just anyone; it specifically targets those with weak yang energy, that is, those who are about to die"

I mentioned my speculation to Ma Yong, and upon hearing it, he also said it was possible. The Wong Tai Sin lives in a newly developed commercial residential building in the town, which is normal given that there are also old houses outside.

I let out a sigh of relief, I was terrified

Having said that, he stood up and walked towards a study room nearby