Chapter Six, one must encounter eighteen tribulations in life

I listened in a daze, feeling that the old Taoist had a point, yet I could not discern where the truth lay, leaving me at a loss for words.

The old Taoist in green had a serious expression, yet in response to my father's enthusiasm, he reluctantly waved his hand and said, "I just happened to pass by here and lent a hand, it's a trivial matter."

The old Taoist in green glanced at me anxiously and said: "Heaven has a benevolent nature towards life—every life in this world is unique and deserves respect. If it is possible to avoid using lethal force, then do not resort to it; this way, both your hands and your heart will remain clean"

This beast is a dull gray, resembling a large dog, yet it possesses a lithe physique, with a coat that is sleek and shiny. The fur on its neck stands erect, and its long, large mouth reveals a set of white, menacing teeth. It is incomparable to the local dogs raised by the villagers of Longjialing. In an instant, it lunged towards us, coming within about 10 meters, its entire body crouched low, with a pair of glistening green eyes fixed intently, exuding a terrifying ferocity. Although I could not discern the exact nature of the situation, I felt as if I had plunged into an icy abyss.

My mother was in a state of panic, and I was also startled, holding the little monkey on my shoulder, feeling at a loss. At that moment, a low growl came from behind us. We instinctively turned our heads to look and saw two slightly smaller gray wolves leaping out from our rear, directly blocking our way back.

I was initially paralyzed with fear by the howling of the gray wolf, but upon hearing that ethereal voice, for some reason, my heart suddenly became filled with tranquility

I looked at his clean hands and felt a sense of disbelief, saying, if it is as you say, then why would the wolf want to eat me again

In June, the wilderness was both damp and hot, and as a result, we were being watched by this wild beast, causing our family to become increasingly restless.

This little monkey may not seem very big, but its claws are quite hard. I don't know how it happened, but it suddenly scratched the wolf's eye. The beast shook its head, and I temporarily escaped the danger of being bitten to death

At that moment, my father, seeing that the wild wolf had run away, felt a slight sense of relief. He took a few steps closer to the old Taoist priest, his eyes filled with excitement, pointed at me, and opened his mouth to speak.

At this moment, the old Taoist in the blue robe cast a faint glance at the three trembling wild wolves, and then said, "Let's go, what are we still doing here, waiting to be eaten?"

A sharp cry erupted like a torrent: "Ah, ah... help!"

My mind cannot hold too many things, but I am curious about what method he used just now to lift that ferocious beast into the air, and how he suddenly appeared here with us

The old Taoist in green attire unexpectedly revealed a hint of a smile on his originally stern face, saying that the wolf wants to eat you; that is its nature, for if it does not eat you, it will starve to death. However, if you were to kill it, that would be out of hatred, which has nothing to do with survival—killing born out of hatred is the demonic nature that resides in people's hearts, and it must be discarded. Only then can you live peacefully and joyfully in the future, without any burdens in your heart

Did he run so fast that there was not even a sound?

However, that wolf did not charge over here again; not only it, but even the other two slightly smaller wild wolves ran over to its side, whimpering softly and trembling.

"Oh my dear, it's a wolf!" Upon seeing this beast, my father's voice immediately trembled. Unlike Luo Daqiao's father, who chases mountain dogs, he is a genuine barefoot doctor, and nearly all the farm work at home is done by my mother. Like the scholars of old, how could he possibly handle this? Strangely enough, although Wuguniang Mountain is vast, wolves are indeed rare. In the more than ten years my father has been in Mali Mountain, he has never encountered one. Who would have thought that a casual remark could actually summon such a creature?

I saw those wild wolves running away, and my face suddenly turned anxious. I hurriedly grabbed the hem of the old Taoist's green robe and shouted, "Ah, don't let them escape, kill them!"

I watched the old Taoist in green from the side, thinking about the performance of the book and the attitude of my father. Could it be that the old Taoist we came to find in the mountains this time is him?

Then, he stroked his beard, his gaze piercing as he looked at me, word by word: "This child has a darkened brow, surrounded by a deathly aura, and is afflicted by the water element... More importantly, he is destined to face eighteen calamities, and will not live beyond eighteen years!"

At that moment, the chubby girl on my shoulder suddenly jumped onto the head of the gray wolf and swiftly reached out her claws to scratch its eyes

I fell to the ground, feeling as if the entire world had turned foul and putrid. I didn't even have time to raise my hand in defense before I saw those white, bared teeth coming towards my neck.

However, before he could finish speaking, the old Taoist in green interrupted my father with a gesture, saying: "I know what you want to say, and I also understand the purpose of your visit..."

My father is not really that brave; he wouldn't dare provoke even a slightly fierce dog from Longjialing, let alone a wolf. However, with my wife and children by his side, he had no choice but to steel himself, taking a chopping knife to stand in front of us. My mother also held a chopping knife, crying out, "Old Chen, Old Chen, what should we do? How about we both stand in front and let Er Dan run away?"

In stark contrast, a voice, both distant and near, resonant with the weight of time yet ethereal, echoes in the air, as if it originates from the horizon or is almost at one's ear: "... If in the temple of ghosts, beneath the mountains and forests, in the land of great plagues, amidst the graves, in the lair of tigers and wolves, in the realm of snakes and vipers, remain vigilant and unyielding, and the multitude of evils shall be kept at bay..."

Those wild wolves seemed to understand human speech. As soon as the old Taoist uttered these words, they let out a whimper, tucked their tails, and ran away as fast as they could.

After experiencing the terror of death, as I gradually regained my composure and turned my gaze, I saw the gray wolf rolling on the ground several times. It then suddenly got back up, its entire body tense, and its foul-smelling mouth wide open, letting out an extremely mournful howl directed at a yellow piece of paper that was slowly burning and floating in the air: "Aow... Wu..."

As the gentle breeze stirred, I suddenly noticed beside me, at some unknown time, an old Taoist priest with a stern expression and an ethereal presence. He wore a blue robe, his hair was styled in a topknot, and his temples were grayed. Two neatly arranged strands of mustache hung down from the corners of his lips. His hands were exceptionally clean—I've never seen such clean fingers, long and white, even more beautiful than those of a young maiden, resembling tender shoots, exquisite and translucent.

My father's nerves were already highly tense. When he saw a dark shadow pouncing towards him, he instinctively swung the hatchet. However, the blow did not hit the gray wolf at all. This creature is a very cunning animal; it feigned an attack and then fell short, noticing that my father had missed, it immediately leaped and lunged towards me. Caught off guard, I was knocked down by the wolf, and its foul-smelling mouth was almost right in front of me.

At this moment, I had already reacted, reaching out to push its body. However, despite this wolf being about the size of a large dog, it was incredibly heavy, dead weight. Before I could free myself, it had already thrown the little monkey away and lowered its head again, intending to bite my neck

I felt completely dazed, and it was at that moment that I truly sensed the terror of death. I didn't even know how to cry, as a hundred thoughts, a thousand thoughts, a myriad of thoughts flooded my mind, all revolving around the notion that I was going to die, I was going to die, I was going to die

Before we could clearly see the two newly emerged gray wolves, a foul wind suddenly swept in from behind us. Turning my head, I saw the large gray wolf in front of me leap directly towards my father.

Just now, I fought with that wild wolf, and my father was still in a state of shock. When he saw this old Taoist in green, his expression suddenly became incredibly excited: "Master Tao, Master Tao, how could you be here? Thank you for saving the lives of our entire family!"

The gray wolf in front of us was not far away, its claws digging into the ground, a fierce look on its face, emitting a terrifying sound from its throat. Its body seemed like a coiled spring, ready to pounce at any moment

At the moment when my heart was completely consumed by the fear of death, feeling flustered and helpless with no choices left, suddenly my entire body felt light. The gray wolf that had been pressing down on me was unexpectedly lifted into the air, and then with a "bang," it fell to the ground.