Chapter 010: The Master

I find the name familiar, and after a moment of hesitation, I just cannot recall where I have heard this name before

What is this ... ... ? I am dumbfounded

"After tonight," Uncle Zhong said, "you will become a low-IQ adult, and in another week, you will turn into a helpless fool"

What? I said in a daze. I don't know what's wrong today; perhaps I didn't rest well, as my brain feels so sluggish.

I nodded slightly and said softly, "Alright, you go ahead and cover it first." I left the second half of the sentence unsaid; whether I would return it or not would depend on my mood.

He glanced at the clock: "The time is just right, it is almost midnight, let's go to Wang Yue's house"

My mind has somewhat regained its ability to think, and I blurted out: "Who are you?"

Li Damin, with great interest, said: "Uncle Zhong, I only knew you were an extraordinary person, but I didn't expect you to be a Yin Chai as well. Speaking of which, what exactly does a Yin Chai do?"

I was at a loss for words and instinctively said, "Then, what should I do?"

I stretched my limbs and felt an indescribable comfort throughout my body, as if I were floating lightly, almost transcending reality. Moreover, my mind was exceptionally clear, and all my memories surged forth like a tide.

Ah?! I exchanged glances with Li Damin, extremely surprised

In the next second, I fainted

I stared blankly at these two individuals, my mind momentarily short-circuited, unable to think clearly as I gazed at them

Watching the two of them bustling about, I am somewhat confused; is this still my home? Why are they so unreserved

Uncle Zhong said: "Borrowing a soul. I once collected thunder wood, which is the soul of a person struck by lightning. I originally intended to practice the Five Ghosts technique, but it was too difficult to gather the other four ghosts. Today is also a matter of fate; since we are destined, I will use the thunder wood to replace the soul you have lost. However, it can only last for one week. If your soul has not been found by then, even a Great Luo Golden Immortal will not be able to save you"

These two individuals are indeed quite familiar, and they are not being polite at all, simply entering my home. I felt somewhat annoyed: "What are you doing? Are you trespassing? Did I give you permission to enter?"

Li Damin first said: "It was I who found Uncle Zhong."

Li Damin laughed: "What sea are you talking about? Uncle Zhong is here to help you with feng shui, so you might as well enjoy it in secret."

Li Damin said: "This was just written by Uncle Zhong."

I also said thank you to him. As for what this stranger looked like and what kind of person he was, I had no idea. Later, I fell asleep again. When I woke up from this nap, it was already a dark night outside. I lay in bed and smelled a faint aroma of food wafting from the kitchen

I was furious: "Li Damin, how did you know my home address? You just came over, and even brought an outsider, writing on my front door? Aren't you being a bit excessive?"

"You need not inquire about what we are doing," Uncle Zhong said. "This is not something you should be prying into. Wang Yue has helped me in the past, and I owe her a significant favor. She has already made arrangements with me for today's predicament. Therefore, as soon as you arrived, I could not refuse and had no choice but to face it head-on."

I casually called out, "Li Damin"

"So comfortable." I stretch my arms and legs: "It's like recovering from a cold."

I heard Li Damin and Uncle Zhong laughing heartily, as if they were saying that this person is not completely foolish and still knows how to bargain

"What is late? What are you all talking about?" I am a bit confused, my mind feels as if it has been struck with a club.

I weakly said: "You, don't harm me."

The oddly shaped middle-aged man approached, extended his right hand, and pressed his thumb against my forehead. Somehow, I felt a stream of warmth surging from the center of my brow to my head and body, and I found myself subtly sweating all over.

Li Damin said that the moment he first saw Uncle Zhong, he knew that this person was extraordinary. After inquiring about his name, Li Damin did not hold back and recounted everything he had seen and heard that night at Wang Yue's home

"Do not rush," Li Damin said, "Uncle Zhong is indeed a remarkable person. Since you are not inviting him, I will go and invite him myself. Let us talk slowly once he arrives."

The middle-aged man, upon hearing our conversation, walked over, extended his hand, and looked at me with keen eyes: "Hello, my surname is Zhong. I am somewhat older, and my friends all call me Uncle Zhong."

Aren't you the one selling facial masks? I joked.

I put down my chopsticks and said, "Come on, let's talk about it. What is going on here?"

"Do you still want to procrastinate?" Uncle Zhong said, "In seven days, you will become a fool. Among us, you are the one who cannot afford to waste time the most"

After negotiating the price, Uncle Zhong began his work. I sat in the chair, feeling drowsy and unclear about the specifics of what he was doing. In a daze, I saw him holding a brush, writing on the floor of the living room. The characters were large, centered around my position, as he walked back and forth, depicting the long strokes of the character.

I said, "I haven't slept well." I replied, "It might be a cold."

The middle-aged man nodded and said, "Let's talk after we go in"

How do you feel?" He looked at me

"Having a cold lowers your IQ?" Li Damin scoffed, "If you don't have money, I'll cover it for you first; this is nothing to worry about."

I blinked and looked at him, and he sprang up from the bed like a carp leaping out of the water

Uncle Zhong instructed Li Damin to help me sit on a chair, which was placed in the middle of the hall. Uncle Zhong opened his satchel and took out a large brocade pouch, then instructed Li Damin to bring a large plate from the kitchen

Uncle Zhong shook his head: "Xiao Li, whatever you say to him now, he won't be able to respond. His soul has already departed, and his intelligence will sharply decline. After tonight, he will become a child of less than eight years old"

At this point, Uncle Zhong chuckled and said, "I feel ashamed; my daughter is engaged in micro-business, and I happen to have a house, so I temporarily let her use it as a warehouse"

I am somewhat surprised; in the past, if I had heard of such a thing, I would have certainly reacted more strongly. Today, for some reason, my emotions surfaced slowly, like a small pebble thrown into a large lake, only causing very shallow ripples

At this point, Uncle Zhong said: "Do you know what I do?"

Li Damin came over and said: "Lin Cong, Uncle Zhong charges a fee for his spell. The borrowing of souls is too complex and troublesome, and Uncle Zhong wants 5,000 yuan. How about you transfer the money?"

Li Damin said: "No one is harming you. Are you not aware of your current state?"

I have a vague feeling that I may have fallen into the trap set by those two. This Uncle Zhong has an unclear background, does not look like a good person, and is exceedingly cunning. I faintly recall a story about a traveler who entered a shady establishment long ago, consumed a drug that clouded his mind, and in a daze, took out his money, ultimately ending up as a filling for human meat buns.

According to him, after he finished the call with me that day, he noticed my negative attitude, which made him extremely angry. In a fit of impulsiveness, he went to find Uncle Zhong. Uncle Zhong was indeed in Room 506 of Jingming Building. He was running a small business there, and the entire room was filled with facial masks.

I simply do not care anymore, as I am too exhausted and my mind cannot think clearly

Li Damin looked at me, wanting to say something but ultimately said nothing, only gesturing with his hand: "Come out for a meal."

I said in a daze: "Is tomorrow not possible? I need some time to prepare mentally; this is too sudden, isn't it"

In a state of unconsciousness, I vaguely saw a stranger approaching, seemingly saying to me: "I borrow your soul, though I truly do not wish to."

Li Damin did not respond to me, but cautiously asked the middle-aged man, Uncle Zhong, can we go inside now

What are you saying? I reluctantly replied, "Have I lost my soul?"

The middle-aged man released his hand, looked at Li Damin, and shook his head, saying: "It's too late"

Li Damin pushed the door open and entered from outside, "Oh, you’re awake? Hurry up and get up, Uncle Zhong has made century egg and lean meat congee. I can already taste it in my mouth, just waiting for you."

I am extremely angry: "What is this? Have you come to my house to sail, and you are still holding a compass?"

To be honest, my mind is really not functioning right now, like an old machine without oil

I saw a long, dark paper strip stuck to my front door, and I do not know when it was placed there, as it looks as if it has been burned. Next to this paper strip, someone wrote a character in red ink, which does not resemble a Chinese character. After looking at it for a long time, it closely resembles the character "避" which means to avoid.

Uncle Zhong smiled and said: "I didn't inform Xiao Li in advance; I will tell him once you all are here. In fact, my primary job is the same as Wang Yue's; I am also a ghostly messenger traversing the mortal realm."

We stepped outside, and the dining table in the living room was filled with a variety of dishes. The staple food was century egg and lean meat congee, with the white, creamy surface of the congee faintly revealing diced lean meat, subtly floating. Taking a whiff, oh, the aroma was indescribable, and my stomach immediately began to rumble. The congee was also garnished with some chopped green onions, vibrant green, which greatly stimulated the appetite

Uncle Zhong waved his hand in front of my eyes and said to Li Damin: "The loss of one soul and one spirit has begun to show its aftereffects, and the reactions are starting to dull."

Without allowing me to say a word, he pulled me into the house and locked the front door. The middle-aged man did not even take off his shoes, walking around my home, leaving shoe prints all over the floor. He twisted the beads with one hand and held a compass with the other, appearing very serious as he walked back and forth, stopping occasionally to look around.

I instinctively wanted to explode with anger, but no matter what, I couldn't express my rage. I forced a bitter smile and said, "Why is it so expensive?"

Li Damin said: "You don't know who Uncle Zhong is? Wang Yue asked you to find a master, and that is Uncle Zhong. You have been procrastinating and not looking for him, so I had to go. As soon as I mentioned it there, Uncle Zhong came right away."

Li Damin pulled me and pointed at the main entrance, saying, "You should take a look first before saying anything."

Uncle Zhong looked at me and said, "Just now, a ghostly envoy from the underworld entered your home and took away your soul and spirit. You are now a person with an incomplete soul and spirit."

I sat there, eating heartily and making loud noises, feeling so full that I burped repeatedly, while Uncle Zhong watched me with a smile.