Chapter 60: Magical Past Events (2)

The family plagued by strange incidents had the surname Zhao, and speaking of the odd happenings in the Zhao household, they had already been going on for a year, something well known to everyone in the village.

The first to be affected was Elder Zhao, who was strangled around the neck by something in the middle of the night and nearly suffocated to death, but fortunately Old Lady Zhao, who was sleeping beside him, was alert enough, heard that the old man’s breathing was not right, and woke him up.

Next was the Zhao family’s daughter, who while sleeping often felt that there was a “person” beside her, even reaching out with a furry hand to touch her face, but when she opened her eyes, there was nothing there.

That was still a minor issue, but later the girl began having nightmares, constantly seeing a man in her dreams standing with his back to her, grinning “hehe,” and after laughing he would beat and kick her in the dream, yet she could never see his face clearly.

Even stranger was that although she was beaten in the dream, when she woke up there were bruises on her body, which made the Zhao family’s daughter too afraid to sleep.

These incidents were strange, but still not truly terrifying.

What was truly terrifying was that once, the Zhao family’s daughter finally saw the face of that “person” clearly in her dream, and it was sharp-faced, gaunt, and covered in fur.

What a horrifying thing that was. A human body, but a demon’s face.

The Zhao family’s daughter was almost driven mad from fear and had to take several doses of calming medicine before she finally recovered somewhat.

If these experiences were still manageable, the most serious situation was with the Zhao family’s young master, who had already gone “mad.”

He spent every day in a dazed, confused state, talking to himself, and his expression was one of extreme infatuation.

When asked, he said he had fallen in love with a girl named Wang Shu and was talking with her.

But how could anyone else see such a person?

When pressed too hard, the young master would start cursing people, even drawing a blade, saying others wanted to harm him and also harm Wang Shu.

Gradually, the servants no longer dared to stay in the Zhao household, filled with fear, and if not for the Zhao family treating them generously, they would have all left.

Even more heartbreaking was that the Zhao family had only one son and one daughter. Seeing their son go mad and their daughter growing increasingly haggard, they had no way to stop it.

As for moving away, this was ancestral property. In those times, filial duty was deeply valued, so how could they abandon their homeland and ancestral estate? And if they went elsewhere without land, how would they survive?

The Zhao family was clearly being pushed to the brink of desperation.

However, the Zhao family was still considered a well known household in the village and had some connections. In particular, Elder Zhao had a cousin who was an important figure in the city and very well informed. With his arrangements, the Zhao family finally invited these three people.

To be precise, only the old man among the three was the one they truly sought to invite. The two young men were said to be his disciples.

Elder Zhao had heard from his cousin that although the old man was not famous, looked ordinary, and dressed poorly, many truly influential people knew he possessed real skill, and considerable ability at that.

The old man’s surname was Li, and his given name was rather strange, Yiguang. In those times, names carried meaning, and Yiguang could imply sweeping everything clean, as in leaving nothing behind.

Moreover, the old man preferred others to call him Old Li, like a servant’s name, yet he had his own reasoning.

“Young, I was Little Li. In middle age, I am Big Li. In old age, I am Old Li. That is the most proper way to address someone, and also the pattern of a person’s life. Don’t bring all those respectful formalities, they are empty talk.”

Old Li was a strange man. He rarely took action, but when he did, it cost at least two “little yellow fish.”

No matter how wealthy or influential someone was in the city, he would not give face. If you wanted to negotiate further, fine, add more money.

So Elder Zhao’s cousin said, “Nothing matters more than saving lives. Do not be too concerned with money.”

Elder Zhao also made a personal promise to Old Li, “As long as you can save them, even if it costs me my entire fortune, I will not hesitate.”

Old Li only drank tea and did not respond.

On the first day Old Li arrived in the village, after having lunch at the Zhao household, he wandered around the village, doing nothing else but chatting with people to learn about the Zhao family’s reputation. That day, they did not meet my master.

That night, Old Li stayed at the Zhao household. Strangely, nothing unusual happened that night in the Zhao residence. Even the Zhao family’s young master, who had been incoherent and obsessed with his so called “romance” to the point of losing interest in food and drink, became slightly more normal.

He no longer talked to himself, though he was still dazed, and even ate a bowl of plain rice. This was something he had never done since his “romance” began. During those days, unless he was forced by extreme hunger or by his family, he would never eat, and even when he did, it was at most half a bowl of porridge.

There was another detail mentioned by the Zhao servants: after the young master finished eating, Old Li grabbed him and sniffed him all over, then said, “You are covered in a foul stench. Go wash yourself.”

These words nearly made the young master lose his temper on the spot. If Elder Zhao had not stopped him, he would likely have drawn a blade and started cursing again.

In the end, the young master stormed off in anger, but Old Li did not care. He only said to Elder Zhao, “I know what is causing this. I will settle it tomorrow. It is a small matter. Prepare the payment. I do not work without compensation, that would not be proper.”

Of course, he also muttered quietly, “Speaking of which, coming here is fate. It was meant to be, meant to be.”

But no one thought deeply about it. People with abilities often spoke mysteriously and would always say it was fate wherever they went.

My master appeared the next day. He worked as a cattle herder for villagers, and the Zhao family was one of his biggest clients. That morning, he went to collect the cattle for grazing, as he did every day.

The Zhao servants were already familiar with my master and said to him after letting him into the house, “Today a ritual master has come to perform exorcism. You can only take the cattle out later. He says he has set up some kind of formation that allows entry but not exit. You can watch the excitement for now.”

Although my master was mature for his age, he was still a child, and curiosity was natural. Hearing there was something exciting to watch, he followed along.

The Zhao family was polite and did not say much when they saw the cattle herder child being led in. Everyone’s attention was focused entirely on Old Li, their expressions tense. Only Old Li’s two disciples were calm, chatting among themselves.

At that moment, Old Li was walking around the courtyard, occasionally squatting down to draw something or tossing a stone. His demeanor was relaxed and calm, in stark contrast to everyone else’s tension.

As Old Li moved around, my master did not notice him at first. Instead, he noticed the two young men. The two youths had refined brows, neat clothing, and carried an indescribable scholarly air that gave others a sense of learning and culture, making it difficult for anyone to feel hostility toward them.

When my master looked at them, both young men casually glanced back. The younger one merely smiled slightly and nodded politely before turning away. The older one, however, stared at my master for quite a while, his lips moving slightly.

Those standing closer even heard him softly say “huh,” as he looked at my master for a long time. Several times he seemed about to walk over, but hesitated, confused, and did not move.

At this time, Old Li had been wandering through the courtyard and rooms, and as he moved around he came to stand near my master. At a glance, he saw my master.

He also let out a “huh,” just like his disciple. The difference was that his disciple’s eyes showed confusion, while his showed surprise and delight.

He grabbed my master, startling him greatly, and my master immediately struggled.

Elder Zhao, after spending a day with Old Li, already knew that this man spoke and acted without following any pattern and never bothered to explain himself. He quickly reassured my master, “Jiang Xiao’er, do not panic. He is not a bad person. Do not struggle. He is a capable man.”

My master respected Elder Zhao, and upon hearing this, he calmed down. Old Li said nothing more, but held my master and examined him for a long time. Even more strangely, he reached out and felt him all over, as if searching for something.

Finally, he nodded with satisfaction and said to my master, “What is your name?”

“My name is Jiang Xiao’er. I do not have an official name yet.” Out of respect for Elder Zhao, my master still answered politely.

“Oh, his foster father has the surname Jiang, so we all call him Jiang Xiao’er. He has not been given a formal name,” Elder Zhao explained from the side.

“Where do you live?” Old Li ignored Elder Zhao completely and only questioned my master.