Chapter Thirteen: Keeping Promises
"This is to keep the promise I made some time ago!" After saying that, I stood up. I had told the old beggar that I would kowtow three times to him if he could save my life. Although it was Master Huineng who did it, it was also out of respect for the old beggar. I couldn't just take my words for granted. As for becoming his disciple, he didn't care, and so did I.
"You little rascal..." The old beggar was silent for a while after seeing what I did. He said, "You're not an ungrateful person. You still know how to appreciate me. I don't need your help. If I can't solve it, you can't solve it either."
After the old beggar finished speaking, he took out two more paper figures from his pocket and invited out the two paper figures from last time. He then called me over with practiced ease. Although I had experience, I still got goosebumps when the paper figures were placed on my wrist.
This time the walk took much longer than last time, and this time there was nothing behind me talking to me. I turned around, and it was so much quieter.
"arrive."
The old beggar had taken me to a place that was no longer in the city, but in the countryside. Although I was prepared for this kind of travel efficiency, I was still quite shocked by how fast it was.
"Young Master Chang! Young Master Chang! Come out!" The old beggar walked to the front of a house and began to knock on the gate while shouting. After a while, an annoyed voice came from inside the gate.
"Coming, coming! What are you doing, knocking on the door in broad daylight?"
Then the iron gate opened with a loud bang, revealing a thin, dark-skinned man with long, narrow eyes that slanted upwards, making him look quite unpleasant.
When he saw the old beggar knocking on the door, he slapped his forehead and hurriedly said.
"Who do we have here? It's Master Ma! You've come in person! Come on in quickly. I happen to have a 400-year-old ginseng here. I'll cut it up and make you some tea."
"Nonsense, if I need your help, why would I send someone else to deliver the message instead of coming to you in person? Is that reasonable?" The old beggar snorted and waved his hand.
"I don't care about your stuff, so don't try to curry favor with me. Just get the job done."
"Then you have to come in too. Oh, the young man in the back is the one you were talking about, right?"
The long-faced man glanced at me, and I don't know if it was just my imagination, but my discomfort intensified. Suddenly, the long-faced man's pupils turned into vertical slits, which reminded me of something like a snake. Then, remembering what the old beggar had said about the Chang family, I figured that this man's shaman must be a giant snake.
"Oh my god, oh my god, amazing! I can't look anymore, my eyes are going to go blind."
The long-faced man rubbed his eyes, veins bulging on his forehead, and waved at me again.
"Young man, come in. In my life, I've never been subservient to anyone. I truly admire this young man. He dares to provoke such a fierce creature. He's really tough."
"It wasn't my idea."
I was a little indignant. I didn't want to get involved with this, but I still listened to Changmen and went into the house. Changmen took out three stools and dragged over a table that was so low that it was almost like squatting when I sat on it. It was very uncomfortable, but I couldn't say anything in someone else's house.
"Come, come, this is good stuff, have a taste, have a taste."
"Uncle Ma, this is the ginseng I was talking about; the taste is absolutely authentic."
While drinking ginseng water, he talked and finished his story. Chang Men's face grew increasingly pale as he listened, and he was sweating profusely when he finished.
"Young man, to be honest, if I hadn't heard that Master Huineng had waded through this water, I wouldn't have dared to take advantage of this opportunity."
"Although this thing is attached to you, it's still yours in the end. Let me ask you, do you really want me to summon this thing to be your household spirit?"
"Get him out of here right now. I don't want to see him anymore. You can keep worshipping him as you like, as long as I can't see him."
When Changmen saw that I agreed, he grinned, and the grin stretched almost to his ears, revealing a set of white teeth that was quite frightening.
"Slap!" The old beggar slapped Chang Men on the head, and Chang Men's face immediately returned to normal.
Then the old beggar, with his nostrils flared, snorted.
"Stop baring your teeth, kid, and get on with the job!"
"Look what Third Master Ma is saying. The spirit on this young man is too fierce. I didn't mean to, but my grandfather is just being temperamental. Please forgive me."
Changmen quickly put the table away and led me into the inner room. The inner room was very dark, and Changmen lit candles one by one to make it a little brighter.
The inner room was spacious, with a wooden stake standing against the wall. In front of the stake were three offering tables. On the central table was an incense burner, and on the other tables were offerings that I couldn't identify.
Changmen first bowed to the wooden stake, then took out a leather drum from under the offering table and patted it with his hand.
With that thud, I felt as if some creature in the room had awakened; the drumbeat was like the heartbeat of some enormous being, sending chills down my spine.
Changmen was beating a drum while chanting incantations. I couldn't understand what he was chanting at all, but the sound seemed to be something moving around, making a roar.
As Changmen chanted, the three incense sticks in the incense burner began to burn wildly, emitting wisps of white smoke.
Strangely, the white smoke didn't rise straight to the roof, but instead coiled around the wooden post behind the offering table like a chain. The incense burned out quickly, and Changmen stopped chanting and drumming, turning around to face me.
I then realized that Changmen's eyes had completely lost their pupils, leaving only the whites of his eyes. Coupled with his narrow eyes, he no longer looked like a human. At this moment, Changmen spoke.
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