When I asked this question, my master did not answer immediately.
Instead, Xia Qiu Xi spoke up, saying:
"The requirements to become a disciple who 'chu ma' are very strict.
One needs to endure all human suffering and experience the full spectrum of human warmth and coldness.
After undergoing the various trials and tribulations of a 'chu ma xian', and finally gaining recognition, only then can one possibly become a 'chu ma' disciple."
"Ah? That difficult?" Old Mo asked in surprise.
I was also very shocked.
My Uncle Master chuckled coldly:
"Do you think the Dao is so easy to cultivate? Without a firm will, how can one be valued by those wild immortals?"
I took a deep breath.
I never imagined that becoming a 'chu ma' disciple would be so demanding.
I felt I had truly gotten incredibly lucky to be able to apprentice and cultivate.
My master's so-called trials for me were actually too simple.
It was just walking alone at night and selling eggs at a ghost temple.
However, becoming a 'chu ma' disciple also had one benefit.
That was that one's own "seven orifices" would open, and these immortals could then "reside" within them.
When encountering something, all it would take was for the immortals to take action.
In a very short period, one could gain the support and help of a group of wild immortals...
We talked for a while in place, then called for two cars to go back.
The matter of the rat demon Hui Sanshi'er could be considered concluded for today.
I thought to myself.
However, I never would have imagined that this matter seemed far from over...
The cars arrived not long after.
Our group got into the cars and left the South Mountain Cemetery.
I didn't return to the shop. I got off the car halfway and went back to my own residence.
Returning to my rented room, I lay down on the bed for a long time.
Looking at the rat whiskers in my hand, I thought about everything that had happened today.
The red scar on my chest resembling a fire cloud, the ghost family.
My master's illness, the online Taoist community.
The rat demon Hui Sanshi'er, the 'chu ma' disciple Auntie Shu Guifang, the bottomless old mother of Hei Ni Ling, and so on.
I had experienced a lot tonight.
And my understanding of the world I now knew had expanded and deepened.
Beneath a world of peaceful sunlight, there also existed the bizarre and grotesque in the darkness, and our group of people who secretly protected this world.
I was very fortunate that I was now one of these people.
I put away the whiskers and then looked at my ghost lifespan money.
After the encounters of these past few days,
the lamp oil obtained from the ghost lifespan money had increased significantly, turning a faint purple.
The lamp oil was enough for me to live for four to five months without any problem.
But I felt this was ultimately not a solution.
Could the lifespan that was consumed truly not be fully recovered?
What if, one day, for some reason, the ghost lifespan money on my wrist fell off, what then?
As I thought, I couldn't figure it out.
Finally, I decided not to think about it and just go to sleep.
After all, I couldn't figure it out.
For now, all I could do was to continuously improve my cultivation and spend as much time as possible with my master.
The next day, I woke up early and went to work.
My master was, as usual, drinking morning tea.
But as soon as I entered the shop, I took out the whiskers.
And said to my master:
"Master, eat this!"
When my master saw me take out the whiskers and say this,
he was stunned:
"What for? This was given to you by the Bottomless Old Mother."
"Master, I don't really have any use for it.
Look! I have the Wu Chang Spell for protection, this thing can't save my life even if I keep it.
It's better to let you eat it and use the whiskers' spiritual energy to replenish your body."
I said with a smile.
I truly wished for my master's health.
But my master, while drinking tea, said nonchalantly:
"You kid, you do have some filial piety.
But didn't I tell you?
I'm not going to die anytime soon.
As for these whiskers!
You keep them for yourself. When I really need to extend my life, you can give them to me then."
Although my master said so, I could clearly feel that he genuinely didn't want them.
It was useless to say more, so I didn't insist further.
I just kept the whiskers with me for now.
For the next week, everything was as usual.
Nothing special happened, just work and going home.
My master would still occasionally guide me on cultivation matters.
And show me some specific books.
The only difference was that Aunt Yun Xia would bring Xia Qiu Xi to our Wan Fu Tang and Wan Shou Tang almost every day.
I could see that my master was very happy every time he chatted with Aunt Yun Xia.
And during this week, the relationship between me, Old Mo, and Xia Qiu Xi also became much better.
At least, we were not as unfamiliar with each other as before.
Old Mo and I, with the help of Xia Qiu Xi and the recommendations from her contacts, successfully joined the Taoist forum small community.
At first, Old Mo and I thought that this small community was filled with like-minded individuals discussing topics like demon slaying and monster extermination, etc.
But after joining, we realized.
It was a complete mess of a forum where people just bickered.
They were either arguing with each other or posting selfies to show off.
Topics about demons and monsters were extremely rare.
Even if there were one or two posts, they wouldn't get much attention.
Because everyone was in the same profession, they were all accustomed to it...
After browsing around, Old Mo and I were quite disappointed.
I only opened it twice, and felt there wasn't much substance to it, so I stopped looking at its content afterwards...
During this week, Xiao Mei, except for sleeping in the yard, would go out to the old Huang Mountain behind us to roam around.
Occasionally, she would join us in learning some speaking skills and pronunciation.
Qing Dai also did not appear. Everything was peaceful and quiet. No troublesome matters arose, nor did we hear of any evil spirits harming people anywhere.
Even business was very normal.
It felt like everything had returned to a normal state.
And this morning, after my master and I finished breakfast.
Just as I was about to tidy up the shop's goods as usual.
And start to strengthen my talisman drawing practice, my phone suddenly rang.
I picked it up and looked. The call was from a string of unfamiliar numbers...