On the way back, Zhang Daoxuan took the Tianguan Blade from me and turned it over and over in his hands, as if he could turn this black fire stick into something wonderful after watching it for a long time. He frowned and sometimes looked thoughtful. His expression changed a lot, as if he had a lot of worries and never smiled.
How could I be any better if he was like this?
This trip back to my hometown was originally to find my father to solve my doubts, but after a conversation, there were not many answers, and my doubts doubled.
About the ritual official, about this business, about the tomb, and even my own future destiny...
I have too many things to think about, and these problems are not something I can figure out with my head. I can't help but feel dizzy and swollen after thinking too much, and finally I sighed.
When I returned to Taiyuan, it was already past three o'clock in the afternoon.
When the car passed the highway toll station, Zhang Daoxuan finally returned the Tianguan Blade to me, touched my head, and said softly: "Jingzhe, you will live with me in the Zhenwu Temple in the future. As for the store, you should not open it. I am not too worried about you being alone outside. It is better to follow me. After all, you are also the descendant of Qingwei Dao. You can learn as much as you can from the Taoist skills."
The relationship between people is very strange. There is something called status in the middle. Once this thing is determined, you can become much closer in an instant.
This is the case with Zhang Daoxuan and me. When the master was called out, it seemed that there was a bond between the two of us, which tied us together tightly. When he talked to me, he became much gentler and no longer cold, which made Zhang Xinya, who was driving, curl her lips repeatedly and was very jealous.
I hesitated. I didn't care much about the store, but my father did. He always emphasized that giving up the business would mean the end of the inheritance. If the store was really closed, I would always feel a little sorry for my father's perseverance.
"Even if I told your father, he would agree."
Zhang Daoxuan seemed to see what I was thinking and smiled, "In fact, there is no difference between being a Taoist priest and being a ritual officer. Both can be regarded as outsiders. What you cultivate is a heart that is extremely strong and upright. It's just that you have the same goal. Since you have entered the Qingwei Dao, it's better to say that you are a Taoist priest in the future."
He said it implicitly. I probably understood that this was a disguise. I don't know why. The ritual officer is quite taboo. This is probably a kind of protection for me.
After thinking it over again and again, I finally nodded and agreed.
"This thing, you have to use it with caution!"
Zhang Daoxuan knocked on the Tianguan Blade in my arms and said, "It has been sealed for two thousand years. I always feel that something is wrong with it. It is not the same as the legend. You should avoid provoking it in your current state. If you really want to use it, you must use it in your human state. Just wipe your blood and unseal it. Then you should know what a real ritual official is."
I looked at the Tianguan Blade and wanted to try it now, but I didn't have the courage after all. I still had a psychological shadow about this thing.
It's better to do it on the first day than the last. Since I decided to move to the Zhenwu Temple, I was too lazy to go back and move, so I just took Zhang Xinya's ride and went directly to the store.
That night, I was chased by the ghosts and the shop was in chaos. After that, I was busy and had no time to take care of the things in the shop. When I came back, I was immediately dumbfounded. The door of the shop was wide open, and almost everything that should be thrown away was thrown away. Except for the tables, chairs and benches, everything that was worth money was swept away, although there were really not many valuable things.
I rushed upstairs like a gust of wind to make sure that the various handwritten notes left by the ancestors were not lost, and then I was greatly relieved.
What surprised me most was the string of wind chimes, which were still hanging at the door. The thieves didn't know the gold and jade, and this obviously old antique was not taken away.
I knew very well that this wind chime was magical. If it hadn't been for this thing that day, I would have been tied up by the ghosts.
However, when I handed this thing to Zhang Daoxuan, he looked at it for a long time and didn't see any clues.
"It looks like a magic weapon, but not like one. As you said, if there is a person in this wind chime, it should be considered a Horcrux, which is an artifact inhabited by ghosts. However, there is no such thing in it now. Maybe it didn't end well after helping you. It was scattered. You should keep it. Maybe it can be used in the future. Other ghosts also live in it."
Finally, Zhang Daoxuan made such a conclusion.
I couldn't help feeling a little disappointed after hearing it. I was too impressed by the tough guy holding the double mace. He beat the ghost like a dog. How could such a fierce guy be so terrified in the end?
Perhaps I was a little unwilling, so I called my father again. When I heard his voice on the phone, I felt much more at ease. Although Zhang Daoxuan had roughly explained it, I was still a little hesitant. After confirming that he was fine, I asked about the wind chime.
My dad's reaction refreshed my worldview. He had forgotten that there was such a thing!
After I reminded him again and again, he said "Oh, oh, oh" several times on the other end of the phone, as if he suddenly realized something, and smacked his lips and said, "That thing…"
I thought he was pretending to be profound and keeping me in suspense. After waiting for a long time without any response, I asked him repeatedly, and he told me awkwardly that he didn't know what this wind chime was. It was left by my grandfather. He only said that it could ward off evil spirits. The thing was in our family and had been passed down for many, many years. It was not clear which generation it was passed down from, but no one found anything special. When my second grandfather was strangled to death by a ghost, this thing was hanging on the head of the bed, and no macho man jumped out. I was probably the first one to see the unusualness of this thing!
The reason why my dad left this thing to me was that he didn't expect it to really ward off evil spirits for me. He just wanted me to have peace of mind. After all, he was doing the business of burying the dead. Who wouldn't be panicked?
After experiencing the landslide of fatherly love again, I hung up the phone angrily. The moment I put away my phone, I felt so proud. This was the first time in my life that I hung up my father's phone without saying a word. I felt very happy.
As for the wind chimes, after hesitating for a long time, I still put them away solemnly. I instinctively thought that this thing was not as simple as my father and Zhang Daoxuan said.
In addition, I actually didn't have anything to move. There were only more than 2,000 yuan under the bed. If the thief stole it, my pockets would be clean. I just packed up the notes left by my ancestors and picked up a few clothes.
After that, we found a small restaurant in front of the door and ate something, and then drove away.
When we returned to the Zhenwu Temple, the sun had almost set. The mountains were covered with dense trees and looked a little dark. From a distance, I could vaguely see a person sitting on the steps in front of the mountain gate, with a large bag of things beside him. However, because it was too dark, I could not see the person's face clearly. I could only see a little red light flickering, which should be the person smoking.
"Helpers are coming!"
Zhang Daoxuan also saw this person, his eyes lit up, and he smiled: "Once this person arrives, our safety will be guaranteed when we go down to the tomb, and I am 70% sure that I can solve your problems!"
Is this the helper Zhang Daoxuan invited?
He said that to go down to the tomb, some preparations need to be made. Could it be that he is waiting for this person?
I also perked up and stared at the person through the car window. Zhang Daoxuan must be a capable person to be evaluated like this.
Creak!
Without any warning, a sudden brake sound was heard. Zhang Xinya was like a madman. She braked suddenly on the bumpy mountain road. The car almost flipped over. My head hit the car window with a "bang bang" sound.
"He is..."
Zhang Xinya stared at the man in front of the mountain gate, her whole body was trembling, her hands were gripping the steering wheel, her knuckles were white, and it was obvious that she was not calm. She asked in a trembling voice: "Uncle, isn't this Brother Yaozi?"
Zhang Daoxuan nodded with a smile: "Did you recognize him?"
"This is impossible!!"
Zhang Xinya's voice suddenly rose, almost screaming, and she said in a lost voice: "Didn't Brother Yaozi die a long time ago? I saw it with my own eyes, his head was chopped off! How could it be him?"