After having lunch with Zhang Jinya, it was probably past two in the afternoon. Since we were going to stay at Zhang Jinya's place for a while, we decided to follow him home after lunch. Fortunately, his house was spacious enough with several bungalows, which was sufficient for us.
After assigning the three of us to one of the bungalows in the southeast, Zhang Jinya left on his own, saying he needed to go out to get some things. He was worried he might not make it back before dinner, so he told us to make our own arrangements.
Once Zhang Jinya left, Uncle Li started lecturing me, saying I was too impulsive in agreeing to help Zhang Jinya. He said the guy seemed sketchy, and if I agreed to help him with the exorcism, it would be hard to break away later.
I could only smile wryly at that. It seemed my ambiguous words were too suggestive, even Uncle Li misunderstood them.
But could I afford not to give those hints?
Zhang Jinya was someone who would seize every opportunity, even plucking out a gold tooth from a corpse's mouth. If I didn't give him some benefits, would he be willing to help me? I could only play it by ear and see how it goes.
I explained my thoughts to Uncle Li, and after some consideration, he agreed that there wasn't a better option. He seemed reluctant to let me get too close to Zhang Jinya. He advised me to be cautious in the future. As for himself, he planned to return to Taiyuan this afternoon, and he would also help me apply for an extended leave from school. After all, with the current situation, I couldn't go back anytime soon, and I couldn't just abandon the antique shop my dad left me. My livelihood depended on that shop.
As for Zhou Jing, Uncle Li decided to leave him with me. Although he and I didn't get along, he did have skills, especially in physiognomy. Having him by my side would provide some security.
I thought it made sense, so I agreed. I wasn't too concerned about my studies; university was mostly relaxed, with not many restrictions. Worst case scenario, I could bribe the teachers during exams, as long as I got that graduation certificate. What I couldn't let go of was the antique shop my dad left me. It wasn't just about living; it was the only thing my dad left me, something to hold onto.
So, after chatting with Uncle Li for over two hours, around five in the afternoon, I went to see him off. I felt a bit empty when he left. He was the only one genuinely helping me after my dad passed away. Now, I had to face those ghostly things on my own. Feeling a bit desolate was inevitable, but that's how fate was, and I didn't have a better option.
After returning to Zhang Jinya's house, I felt a bit hungry. I took Zhou Jing to a nearby small restaurant for a bowl of noodles. Then we went back to the room to sleep. The journey was quite tiring.
Maybe Zhang Jinya's house had good feng shui, or maybe I was just exhausted, but I slept especially soundly that night. I slept for three or four hours straight until I was woken up by knocking on the door around eleven thirty at night.
I groggily opened the door and saw Zhang Jinya standing outside looking exhausted. I wondered what trouble he had gotten into. His clothes were torn in several places, and his face had five bloody scratch marks. He looked miserable.
Seeing his appearance, I was both amused and curious. I couldn't help asking him what happened and why he looked like that.
"Some uncooperative women," Zhang Jinya grumbled impatiently. "It's nothing. Get dressed quickly, I'll take you somewhere before dinner."
So, that's what those scratches were about?
I chuckled inwardly, but I also had my doubts. Most likely, he had provoked someone again. How else would he end up with those scratches on his face? But seeing how annoyed he was, I didn't want to provoke him further. I asked what place he was taking me to in the middle of the night.
"Stop talking nonsense," Zhang Jinya snapped. "Can I harm you? If you want to live, come with me. I'll introduce you to a potential wife."
What does getting married have to do with staying alive?
I felt puzzled, but remembering the divination Zhou Lao mentioned a couple of days ago, about my marriage palace shining faintly and a possible marriage coming soon, could it be related to Zhang Jinya?
However, it was quite odd to go meet a potential wife in the middle of the night. Plus, I had never heard that Zhang Jinya was a matchmaker.
These thoughts crossed my mind, but I kept them to myself. Although I wasn't too pleased, hearing Zhang Jinya say it was related to my survival made me reluctantly turn back to the room.
After I packed my Hundred Refinements Knife and a talisman, Zhang Jinya was already waiting in the yard. He somehow managed to get a motorcycle, and there was a large black dog standing next to it, about five to six feet tall when standing. Its fur was particularly thick, and its eyes shone like bronze bells, quite intimidating.
As soon as I came out, Zhang Jinya pointed at the big black dog. "Blackie, stay close to him. Got it?"
"Woof!"
The big black dog barked and ran towards me, sniffing around me and drooling, getting its saliva on my pants.
I had never seen such a fierce-looking dog before. My calves were cramping with fear. I didn't dare move. With such a big dog, if it decided to bite me, I would be skinned alive. I became anxious and asked Zhang Jinya, "What are you trying to do?"
"Stop blabbering. I told him to protect you!" Zhang Jinya waved his hand dismissively. "If not for you being from the Ge family, I wouldn't bother having Blackie protect you. You should know how to appreciate it. Blackie isn't an ordinary dog; it's a Tibetan Mastiff. Do you know what that means? I put a lot of effort into raising it!"
Zhang Jinya's words made it clear to me. Since ancient times, there's been a saying that goes, "Nine dogs and one mastiff". It means when a mother dog gives birth to a litter of puppies, the owner locks them up without food or water for a month. In order to survive, these puppies fight each other. The last puppy remaining becomes the mastiff. These mastiffs are exceptionally fierce; they can run alongside a wolf pack and even fight a lion!
So, Blackie was one of those mastiffs. But I didn't feel the slightest bit reassured. Instead, I felt more afraid. I asked Zhang Jinya what he meant by that.
"Stop being so noisy!" Zhang Jinya scolded. "If it weren't for your Ge family background, I wouldn't bother having Blackie protect you. Why don't you know how to appreciate it? Blackie is not an ordinary dog; it's a Tibetan Mastiff. I put a lot of effort into raising it!"
After hearing that, I understood. Since the guide uncle warned us about Zhang Jinya's character, saying he often sneaks into women's restrooms, it seemed he went there to get this "Red Dragon" after all.
I felt like I was being used. With my weak aura, Zhang Jinya surely knew it. Taking me to a graveyard in the middle of the night, he clearly intended to make me uncomfortable.
I cursed inwardly, but I also understood. The "Red Dragon" was said to ward off evil, so I reluctantly stuffed it into my pocket. It felt very awkward.
"Alright, let's go. I'll take you to meet your bride!" Zhang Jinya grinned, patting me on the shoulder lazily, and we walked up the small mountain, followed by Blackie. But whether it was my imagination or not, I felt his smile was somewhat sinister.
The mountain wasn't particularly high, just a small one. However, the forest inside was dense, so the path wasn't easy.
I don't know if it was just me, but I felt unusually cold on the mountain. It was eerie, and if Zhang Jinya wasn't there, I would have turned back long ago. After experiencing a few strange incidents, I had developed a fear of such cold places. After reading "The Secrets of Faqi", I learned that places like this, with dense Yin energy, were more likely to be haunted. But as fate would have it, I had weak Yang energy. The chances of attracting evil spirits were sky-high.
I followed behind Zhang Jinya, feeling nervous. After a few twists and turns on the mountain path, we finally came out of the dense forest. The scene before us was shocking.
What lay before us was a vast wasteland, covered in mounds of various sizes. I couldn't see the end of it.
Though I didn't have much knowledge, I knew what this place was – those mounds were clearly not natural. They were man-made burial mounds, and there were no tombstones, indicating this was a mass grave!
These places usually buried those who died unidentified or without relatives. They were hastily wrapped in shrouds and buried in pits. With many such burials, a mass grave was formed. "The Secrets of Faqi" mentioned that these places had strong Yin energy, and the deceased usually had grievances, so the likelihood of them becoming wandering spirits was high.
I had heard my grandfather tell a story. One of his friends once slept in a mass grave after getting drunk. He kept hearing whispers all night. When he woke up, he was terrified and ran home. But soon after, he fell seriously ill. Doctors couldn't determine his illness, and when they invited two Taoists to see him, the Taoists were scared away as soon as they entered the house. Not long after, the man passed away!
Didn't Zhang Jinya know my life was weak in Yang energy? Taking me to a mass grave like this, did he want to give me a hard time?
I had tens of thousands of grass-mud horses running through my mind. I grabbed Zhang Jinya and asked him what he meant by this.
Zhang Jinya's eyes glinted with mischief, and he grinned widely. "What do you think? I'm taking you to meet your bride, of course!"