Hearing the driver's words, I was stunned on the spot, and quite surprised;
"Ghost money?"
The driver, still angry, said:
"You can see for yourself?"
As he spoke, the driver threw the two ten-yuan bills at me.
At first glance, they looked no different from regular ten-yuan bills.
The color and size were the same.
But upon closer inspection, my pupils dilated sharply; there was indeed something wrong with the money.
The bills clearly bore the four characters "Heaven and Earth Bank".
Seeing this, my face changed drastically.
These twenty yuan were given to me by that brother in the minivan last night.
I paid two hundred, and he gave me twenty in change.
The money was very wet at the time; I remembered it very clearly.
How did this perfectly fine money turn into ghost money?
"See clearly now? In broad daylight, you're bringing bad luck to me with this stuff?"
Taxi drivers are very superstitious.
Receiving ghost money is particularly taboo.
It's like cursing someone to die, or scolding them for having a car accident as soon as they start their route.
Naturally, he wasn't happy with me at this moment.
Admitting fault and feeling uneasy in my heart,
I apologized to the driver:
"I'm sorry, Master, I took the wrong change. I'll find you the correct amount."
Saying that, I collected the twenty yuan.
I got more money and gave it to the driver.
Seeing that I was sincere and had a good attitude, the driver's demeanor softened considerably.
He let out a sigh and told me to be more careful next time.
He said that they, as drivers, were very averse to receiving money associated with the dead!
It was an even greater taboo than being present for a birth, encountering death, or handling ashes.
After all, their entire family relied on the car for their livelihood.
Everyone wanted to be safe and sound; who wanted to deal with money from the deceased?
He even said that if he encountered someone with a bad temper, they might immediately get into a fight with me.
After getting out of the car, I looked again at the two ten-yuan ghost bills in my hand and thought of the rusty minivan from last night.
It seemed to be full of peculiarities. Could the vehicle that picked me up last night have been a phantom carriage?
I shivered all over, feeling a chill.
I didn't want to think about it any further; my own safety was the most important thing right now.
I walked directly into the Wanfudtang.
As soon as I entered the shop, I smelled incense and paper money.
Master Gu was leaning back on the sofa, enjoying his morning tea, looking very relaxed.
Seeing me enter, Master Gu's body visibly stiffened.
Then, a faint smile curved his lips:
"You're back!"
After saying that, he blew on his tea and took a sip.
With bloodshot eyes, I approached Master Gu.
I placed the ten old coins and ten root-like herbs I had exchanged last night on Master Gu's coffee table.
Then, without any further words, I knelt directly before Master Gu:
"Master Gu, I've exchanged the money and the herbs. Please save me."
After taking a sip of tea, Master Gu slowly put down his teacup.
He looked at the old coins and herbs on the coffee table, then glanced at my disheveled state.
He nodded, then pushed himself up from his knees:
"Good. You, kid, have the guts, the luck, and the destiny.
You are indeed suited to this 'living off the dead' profession.
Your ability to pass my test shows we have a connection, and your fate is not to end here.
I, Gu Hui, keep my word. I will take you as my disciple and save your life.
Your life is not lost!"
Hearing this, my face lit up with joy.
For me, right now, survival was more important than anything else.
Being his disciple for a few years was nothing.
The dangers and horrors I experienced last night seemed insignificant.
Without a second thought, I kowtowed three times to Master Gu:
"Master!"
Each kowtow was heavy, and my forehead turned red.
This act, however, completely changed my future destiny.
Gu Hui nodded;
"Get up! From now on, we are master and disciple.
Although this master-disciple relationship is somewhat involuntary!"
Gu Hui said with a wry smile, helping me up with his hand.
I didn't think much about it.
If Master Gu was willing to save me, as long as I could live to see my grandmother off, and get rid of those unclean things,
even if I had to become Master Gu's disciple and sign some contract, it wouldn't matter:
"Master, can you help me deal with that female ghost now?
I've been so tormented by her, it's unbearable."
Thinking about what I had gone through this past month, I was truly on the verge of collapse.
Every day was spent in suspicion and fear.
Afraid that something would suddenly jump out and take my life...
Hearing this, my master chuckled:
"Your problem isn't as simple as dealing with one female ghost."
At these words, I frowned, my face full of confusion.
Wasn't it just this female ghost that was plaguing me, causing me to be in such a sorry state?
Gu Hui clearly understood my thoughts.
He continued speaking:
"Let me put it this way! You're not just being haunted by an ordinary evil spirit.
Your great fortune has been stolen. Even if I deal with this female ghost,
another second, third, fourth will appear, until you die.
Without solving the root problem, you still won't survive."
Hearing this, I was utterly shocked.
It wasn't the female ghost's problem?
My great fortune had been stolen?
I was completely bewildered, perplexed, and full of questions:
"Master, what is great fortune? And how was it stolen?"
My master remained calm and continued:
"Great fortune is your lifespan, or you can understand it as your essence, energy, and spirit.
Let me put it this way!
A person is like an oil lamp. How long a person lives depends entirely on the lamp oil and the wick.
You are now a lamp with only a wick, devoid of oil.
And this lamp has also been gnawed into ruin by those unclean things.
With a puff of air from someone nearby, this lamp of yours might extinguish.
That's why your luck is getting worse and worse, and the unclean things clinging to you are increasing.
They all want a bite of your essence, energy, and spirit, to consume your last lamp oil.
To fundamentally solve this problem, we must first repair this lamp of yours..."