After leaving my grandma's house, my mom and I headed back home. This time, she didn't take the path up the mountain, probably because she was worried about running into the old lady from the desolate mountain. However, even so, I saw something I shouldn't have seen on the side of the road on the way back.
I remember it was a stinky ditch on the side of the road, and I saw a bloody person struggling with twisted limbs inside the ditch, looking extremely terrifying. When I first saw this scene, I couldn't help but be stunned, almost screaming out loud. But when I found that everyone around me ignored it completely, I understood that this was something only I could see. So I didn't make any noise and didn't tell my mom because I was afraid she would worry.
We arrived home at noon when the sun was shining brightly. My dad had just finished cooking lunch, so we ate first.
During the meal, my dad said that Bai Xinghua had already visited once in the morning and that the Taoist priest had been invited and was currently staying at her house. She wanted us to visit her after we returned home.
This news made us happy but also a bit worried about whether the so-called Taoist priest with the "Heavenly Eye" was effective or not.
After eating, my mom took me to Bai Xinghua's house.
Once we entered the main room, I saw an old man wearing a horse jacket, sunglasses, and a melon hat, with a small mustache sitting at the table smoking. This old man must be the Taoist priest with the "Heavenly Eye" that Bai Xinghua had mentioned. I heard that both of his eyes were blind, but I didn't know if it was true.
"Let me introduce you. This is the Heavenly Eye Taoist Priest," Bai Xinghua led us into the room and introduced us to each other.
"Sir, this young man is the Liu Yihen I told you about. We need your help this time," Bai Xinghua said to the Taoist priest.
"Oh, sir, you are a real expert! Please help our family's situation," my mother hurriedly approached the old man and spoke to him. However, to her surprise, as soon as she spoke, the old man frowned and his face darkened. He raised his smoking pipe and angrily told my mother, "Get out of my line of sight!"
This rebuke caused my mother to turn bright red and feel embarrassed. She awkwardly stepped aside and muttered under her breath, "Are you not blind? What line of sight do you have?"
The old man's frown deepened upon hearing her words, and he coldly snorted, clearly unhappy.
Seeing this awkward situation, Bai Xinghua quickly stepped in and led my mother away.
After they left, only the old man and I were left facing each other in the center of the room. I scrutinized him and saw nothing particularly noteworthy about him. If anything, his demeanor exuded a chilly air, making him seem like a reclusive master who had emerged from the mountains.
"Amazing, truly amazing!" The old man shook his head as he "looked" at me for a while. I couldn't understand how he could see me since he appeared to be blind and was wearing sunglasses. Nevertheless, he stood up, filled with wonder, and said to Bai Xinghua, "Mr. Bai, you've brought me a good opportunity this time. Hehe, not only do I not need your thanks, but I might have to thank you instead."
The old man's words left me puzzled. I couldn't understand why he referred to Bai Xinghua as "Mr." despite her being a woman. Additionally, he didn't want our thanks but instead wanted to thank us. What was going on?
Regarding the first question, I quickly learned the answer from Bai Xinghua. According to her, people usually refer to those who deal with Yin and Yang matters as "Mr." out of respect, regardless of gender.
As for the second question, it's a bit complicated. The old man was tight-lipped and spoke in a vague manner, so I didn't really understand what was going on at the time.
All I heard was Bai Xinghua saying to him, "Sir, please don't say that. We would be extremely grateful if you could help us. As I said before, this child's forehead has been injured and the bone has not healed properly, resulting in the Tianmen being wide open. We need to find a way to seal it up. Do you have any good ideas, sir?"
"Hehe, no rush, no rush," the old man chuckled when he heard Bai Xinghua's words. He sat down slowly and then said thoughtfully, "Black on the left, white on the right, the two ghosts of black and white are entangled in his body. This is the most bizarre ghost possession I have encountered in decades. Hehe, the key issue is that he is still alive and well. The black and white ghosts in his body have achieved a balance. Hmm, not bad, amazing, if we can train him well, he has an unlimited future."
"Oh my, sir, please give us a definite answer and save my son, please. He has been running a high fever for several days and has lost a lot of weight. If this continues, he may not survive," my mother pleaded desperately when she saw the old man's nonsensical talk.
Whether it was intentional on the old man's part or just bad luck for my mother, as soon as she spoke, the old man's face immediately turned cold, and he angrily asked her, "He who would do great things must first learn to endure hardship and labor. Can the suffering your child has endured compare to this? You are his mother and should think more about his future, not just the immediate benefits. Do you even know what kind of situation he is in right now?"
My mother was stumped by this question and stuttered for a long time without being able to give a clear answer. The old man then sneered and said, "If you don't know, then you are just blindly meddling. This child has the Tianmen wide open, with natural wisdom and talent for learning the principles of Yi. He is a rare genius that only comes along once in a hundred years. And yet, you want to seal off his Tianmen? Isn't that destroying his innate nature? That would be a huge waste! Do you understand what I'm saying?
The old man's words made my mother and Bai Xinghua feel embarrassed, especially my mother, whose face turned red and white. Seeing this, I felt angry and stepped forward to take my mother's hand, saying to the old man, "I understand what you're saying! You're just talking nonsense to show off, who knows if what you're saying is true or false? Even if you have real skills, I don't want you to save me!" After I finished speaking, I pulled my mother and walked out, ignoring Bai Xinghua's constant shouting behind us.
"Hahaha, young man, you have backbone and pride, very good!" We reached the door and the old man followed us out, standing at the door and looking at me from afar, saying, "But having just hot blood is not enough. I have already calculated that tonight is the seventh day after the death of the jade maiden. When her ghost returns home, it will surely make you wish for death. When you understand what it means to be better off dead than alive, you will naturally come find me. Let's wait and see. I'll be here waiting for you!"