Chapter 8: The Tactics of Lü Wannian

Later, I borrowed some money from my second uncle and returned it to Master Lü... After I chuckled, I continued, "My master is the most money-loving person in the world. If you don't pay him back, he will really make your life miserable. A few days after I returned, he dragged me back to the Frog's Mouth again. You tell me, what kind of attitude does a Taoist priest have towards a little kid like me? What family doesn't give their child a few coins for candy..."

However, Old Daoist Lü insisted on preventing me from leaving Erlang Temple, which made my biological father anxious. He insisted on taking me to Fengtian, while one insisted on taking me to the county town, and the other refused to let him take me out of Erlang Temple. The two of them quickly got into a heated argument, escalating from "What are you looking at?" to "Do you believe I will hit you?"

With Shen Liancheng and the others emboldening him, my biological father kicked open the door of the temple while scolding. After rushing into Shen Laodao's room, everyone was dumbfounded. According to my father's words, I should have already been unconscious from the fire, and compared to a dead person, I was just breathing. What was unexpected was that I was sitting on the kang, drinking corn porridge at that moment. Old Daoist Lü, in his great mercy, not only provided me with pickles but also fried two eggs in sesame oil for me.

As I spoke up to this point, Captain Lang became interested. He then said to me: "And then? Go on, what happened next..."

At that moment, Old Daoist Lü bent down to pick up the red string again. The old man did not even glance at the blind man and turned to me, saying: "This time, let's give Erlang a face; you little bastard, go back. I will send him to where he needs to go"

When Master Lu spoke, the blind man seemed as if he had been struck by lightning. His body first trembled violently, and then he tilted his head to one side, raising his ears to locate the direction from which the voice was coming. However, after turning around several times, he still could not determine from which direction Master Lu's voice was emanating.

It is impossible for me to hear the whereabouts of that small amount of sesame oil money from my mouth. After a cold snort, Old Daoist Lü continued to speak to me: "Kid, pay attention, perhaps you will find it useful in the future..."

Until Master Lu appeared behind the blind man, he had not sensed a thing. At this moment, my master was wearing a coat with a black background and red patterns. The campfire had completely extinguished, and it was unclear what words were printed on the surface where Shen Lian was located. Master Lu approached the blind man from behind with a peculiar gait

Just as I had lifted the stone in my hand, preparing for the final gamble, the blind man, who had already walked halfway, suddenly stopped without warning. Then, a strange expression appeared on his face. At that moment, a familiar voice came from outside the cave: "Speak! Is the money for the family incense offerings stolen by you, you little bastard? I'll give you one last chance; if you don't speak up, I'll let Sha tear you apart!"

In the end, my biological father was dragged into the courtyard by Old Daoist Lü by his hair, and was beaten into submission by two mouths on either side, covering his face as he fled from Erlang Temple. A few hours later, after dawn, my father returned with Shen Liancheng and the men of the Shen family to seek revenge on Old Daoist Lü.

After returning, I fell ill immediately and developed a high fever that night. In the beginning, I was talking nonsense due to the fever, and I would occasionally spit out some white foam to "liven up the atmosphere." My biological father, upon hearing this, hurried over to see me. He was also frightened by the sight; with such a high fever, how could I not be harmed? Traditional Chinese medicine cannot treat such acute conditions. I heard that a few foreign doctors had come to the county town, and Shen Liancheng's mother-in-law also had a fever. She went there and got an injection, and she was fine afterward. So, he insisted on taking me to the foreign medical clinic in the county town to see a Western doctor.

"Useless thing, how could I have been blind enough to take in such a little bastard like you back then. I was still hoping that you, this little bastard, would support me in my old age. Now it seems uncertain who will die first..." As he spoke, Old Daoist Lu also walked in, standing behind the blind man.

After hearing my words, Captain Lang was momentarily taken aback, then kicked me in the rear and scolded, "Pah! After listening for so long, it turns out it was you little bastard who stole the incense money. I almost let you get away with it..."

I was sweating profusely while eating and drinking when I was startled by these people bursting through the door. I quickly stuffed the fried eggs from the plate into my mouth and then mumbled, "Uncle Er, you are here. The sesame oil money is really not something I stole..." Remembering the incident at the toad's mouth, I felt a sense of grievance in my heart and cried out, "Wow."

Before the words were finished, Old Daoist Lü had already tugged on the red rope, pulling the blind man up. At that moment, the man resembled a submissive young wife, lowering his head and taking small, timid steps behind the old man. The gap behind Old Daoist Lü was fully exposed to the blind man, yet he showed no intention of ambushing the old fellow, nor did he dare to reveal any desire to escape.

While speaking, Master Lü took out a red string tied with copper coins from his pocket, and then he swung one end of the red string around the blind man's neck. After the copper coins wrapped around the man's neck a few times, they secured it tightly.

Help! ... You should go ask my second uncle ... Just consider it as my theft, I won't be a Taoist anymore ... Please let me go home ... '' What Elder Lu did not expect was that upon hearing his own voice, I suddenly sat down on the ground and began to wail loudly.

At that moment, the blind man also sensed someone behind him. Just as he reached out to grab, Old Daoist Lü took two steps back and casually tugged on the other end of the red string in his hand. With this movement, the blind man's body tilted to the side, and he steadied himself in front of him, preparing to turn around and grab Old Daoist Lü. ... That old fellow shoved the copper coin tied to the red string into the blind man's hand ...

Just as the last flicker of flame was completely extinguished, a sound resembling that of an owl emerged from the mouth of the "person" outside the cave. Subsequently, he slowly entered the cave, taking one step at a time towards my direction. I picked up a cool stone the size of a fist from the ground, waiting to fight desperately with that "person" as he drew closer.

After confirming that I had no matters to attend to, these individuals left Erlang Temple with a sullen expression. Shen Liancheng, with a smiling face, offered a plethora of flattering remarks, and before departing, he presented twenty dollars as a token of appreciation, which finally appeased the anger of Old Daoist Lü

Looking at my mouth full of eggs, it hardly resembles someone in a dire state. The men and boys of Shenjiabao felt somewhat embarrassed. Lu Wannian has been a monk at Erlang Temple for quite some time; aside from his obsession with money, this old Daoist has no major faults. Moreover, Lu Wannian is well-known for his abilities; last year, when Shen Liancheng's brother's wife was enchanted by a yellow weasel, it was Lu the old Daoist who rescued her. Now, it seems, after listening to Shen Lianjia (my biological father), he has become estranged from Lu the old Daoist. ... Furthermore, Lu Wannian is renowned for his skills; last year, when Shen Liancheng's brother's wife was bewitched by a yellow weasel, it was Lu the old Daoist who saved her. Now, it seems, after heeding Shen Lianjia's (my biological father's) words, he has fallen out with Lu the old Daoist. ... In the future, if any sinister matters arise, who will take responsibility for the people of Shenjiabao ...

At this moment, Old Daoist Lü squinted his eyes and glanced at the old and young men who rushed in, then said in a nonchalant tone: "I thought it was the bandits from the mountains coming to my temple to borrow grain, but it turns out to be you, Lord Shen. Tsk tsk... Looking at the situation, it seems like you are ready to fight and kill. What law have I broken? Or is it that I, the old Daoist, have become an eyesore to you, and you intend to drive me out of Shenjiabao?"

The blind man clearly sensed that another person had entered the cave, completely unlike before when it seemed as if his eyes could see me. After the appearance of Old Daoist Lu, he began to become agitated. He kept howling at the air, and even when Old Daoist Lu stood behind him, the blind man remained completely unaware.

The blind man let out a sudden scream the moment he touched the copper coin, and then he saw thick smoke rising from the hand that grasped the coin. As flames flickered on his palm, the blind man hurriedly threw the copper coin away. Although the coin had left his hand, the man appeared gravely injured, slumping weakly to the ground. ... Dark purple blood continuously oozed from the cavities where his nose and ears once were ... Although the coin had left his hand, the man appeared gravely injured, slumping weakly to the ground. ... Dark purple blood continuously oozed from the cavities where his nose and ears once were ...

At this moment, my mind is completely blank, and I have forgotten all the methods that Master Lü taught me for exorcising evil and avoiding misfortune. As I watched the flames on the ground being completely extinguished, that 'person' at the cave entrance was about to rush in. I dare not think about what would happen next

Under the guidance of the old Daoist Lu, the blind man stepped out of the cave. At that moment, I still felt somewhat dazed; I pinched my thigh and, feeling the pain, realized that I was not dreaming. As I reflected on everything I had just experienced, a sense of fear began to creep in. I glanced at the pitch-black scene outside the cave and hesitated to descend the mountain immediately. It was only after the dawn had fully brightened that I made my way back to the Daoist temple.