I smiled faintly as I read my master's reply.
Although Master was a truly skilled master, capable of warding off evil and banishing demons,
He could easily teach me a few tricks to deal with spirits.
The formidable mother-child fierce spirits, in his presence, couldn't even last a single move.
But Master, he couldn't escape worldly habits either.
He constantly had a cigarette in his hand, out of place for his age, and loved playing computer games.
I exited the WeChat interface and called for a ride-hailing car to go back.
By the time I reached my rented room and finished washing up, it was almost four in the morning.
Drowsily, I lay back down in bed to rest.
Recalling the events of the day, I still felt a bit uneasy in my heart.
However, there was one thing I couldn't quite figure out.
That was, when I raised the talisman and charged towards the wood spirit, and it clearly raised its claws to strike me, why did it suddenly retract them in fear?
It seemed to be afraid of something.
And this gave me an opening, allowing me to strike its chest with the talisman, thus shattering its nascent soul.
But at that moment, besides Mo Ting and myself, there was no third person present.
What was it afraid of?
But then I wondered if I was overthinking things, being too worried?
With lingering doubts, and considering it was already very late, plus having had some alcohol with the barbecue, I was utterly exhausted and soon fell asleep.
When I woke up, it was already noon.
After getting dressed, I went out for a rice bowl and then took the bus to work.
After getting off the bus, I glanced at Wanshou Tang and then walked into the shop.
As soon as I entered, I noticed there were customers in the shop.
Upon closer inspection, it was Ms. Zhang and her son.
They were the wife and son of the Underworld Chariot master.
It had been over a week since I last saw them.
I noticed Er Bao's complexion had improved significantly.
Seeing them here, it was likely they had come to "repay the favor."
"Master, Ms. Zhang, Er Bao..."
I greeted them as I entered the shop.
I also patted Er Bao on the head.
Master, holding his pipe, nodded and said, "Mm."
Ms. Zhang saw me and smiled, saying:
"Master Qin, you're here at the perfect time. I truly don't know how to thank you.
Last night, I dreamt of my husband..."
Ms. Zhang said with emotion.
As soon as she finished speaking, Er Bao chimed in:
"I also dreamt of Dad! Dad told me to listen to Mom!"
I "Oh"-ed, showing a hint of surprise.
Ms. Zhang happily recounted her dream.
She said that last night, in her dream, she saw Master Li again.
Master Li said he had arrived in the afterlife and was doing well, and that they shouldn't worry about him.
He hoped she and her son would stay healthy and not miss him too much.
And since I had helped Master Li pass on, Er Bao no longer cried at night and had recovered physically.
The insurance company had also processed the claim smoothly, resulting in a payout of four hundred and fifty thousand.
It wasn't a lot, but it was enough to ensure Ms. Zhang and her son's livelihood.
Ms. Zhang's visit today was exactly as I had guessed.
She was here to "repay the favor," meaning to give a thank-you gift, to express her gratitude to Master and me for our help.
Hearing this, I felt a sense of relief.
It made me feel that what I had done before had become very meaningful.
Although Master Li had passed away in a car accident, bringing grief and misfortune to Ms. Zhang's family,
In our line of work, we allowed those who could not rest in peace to find their peace.
And we also ensured that those who were left behind were no longer disturbed, which was also very meaningful...
Ms. Zhang stayed in the shop for about half an hour.
Besides expressing her thanks, she also requested two talismans for her family before leaving the shop.
After Ms. Zhang and her son departed, Master refilled his pipe with tobacco and casually asked:
"Xiao Qin, did things go smoothly last night?"
Hearing this, a bitter smile crept onto my face:
"Master, last night was far from smooth. I was almost killed by that wood spirit!"
"What? A mere wood spirit capable of such a feat? Were the Eight Trigram Mirror and the fox spirit claws on you just for show?"
Master asked in surprise.
I then recounted the events of the previous night, omitting no detail.
Mo Ting didn't mention him at all, only saying that in the end, a "Town Evil Talisman" was used.
That shattered the wood spirit's nascent soul, and only then was the coffin nail driven in.
Master listened intently, smoking his pipe with a frown.
Finally, he looked at me with surprise, saying with some disbelief:
"I never expected this wood spirit to become a half-demon.
But you're quite something, lad. You've only been learning talismans for a short while, and you can already cast the Town Evil Talisman!"
Master's eyes held surprise, his face showed gratification, and he praised me repeatedly.
I smiled and scratched my head, then asked:
"Master, I've been learning to draw the Town Evil Talisman for over a week now.
Is my progress really that fast?"
As soon as I said this, Master gave a wry smile:
"Fast doesn't even begin to describe it. When I was learning talismans back then, it took me three, three..."
He had just started to say this when Master suddenly coughed, pausing his words.
Then he regained his composure and said:
"Cough, cough, cough.
Back then, it took me three days.
Your speed is a bit slower than mine.
But it's still good, your talent and all..."
I noticed Master's strange expression; it was clear he was lying.
I suspected he was going to say he took three months to learn talismans, not three days.
Because he was slower than me at learning talismans, he felt embarrassed and didn't say it.
But as a disciple, I didn't expose him.
I just smiled faintly, feeling that embarking on this path due to fate was a very correct choice.
Now, learning talismans and entering the Dao, I've set foot on a thorny path.
The road may be bumpy,
But I've discovered that I truly have quite a bit of talent in this area...