Chapter 42 Your Master's Wife is Missing
It was past three in the afternoon when Qi You arrived at Duan Anluo's residence.
After getting off the car, he looked at the scene in front of him in surprise. It was completely different from what he had imagined.
He thought that Duan Anluo would live in a luxurious villa, like the ones shown on TV, with a horde of servants and a butler directing everyone's comings and goings.
He felt uneasy the entire way. He wondered how many taboos existed in a Taoist home. Should one step in with the left foot or the right foot first? He worried that if he soiled the carpet, it would displease Master Duan. He was prepared to be looked down upon, perhaps even framed and driven out by his master.
Unexpectedly, there was a dead end in front of me.
It is only over a hundred meters long and two meters wide, and even a car can't drive in.
The ground was full of potholes, and the people living nearby had long since moved away. However, the outer wall of the house at the innermost part looked clean, as if it had just been repaired.
Is this where Master Duan lives?
Instinctively, Qi You felt that he shouldn't live here, this place didn't match his temperament.
Then, Qi You breathed a sigh of relief. A place like this shouldn't have so many rules, right? Could he live a more free life?
A dozen meters from the door, Qi You stopped again, hesitating and walking slower and slower. Would his fate change if he walked over? What would his future hold?
He laughed at himself, thinking he was crazy. He actually believed a stranger's words and ran to this strange place alone. What if he was deceived? What would be waiting for him?
He paused briefly on the side of the road, then his brows turned cold and he walked forward. Now that he had made a decision, he couldn't regret it. If he hesitated, nothing would change.
At this moment, a short, baby-faced man a few years older than him saw him, his eyes lit up, and he turned his head and shouted excitedly, "Grandmaster, he's here! My Seventh...Seventh Great Grandmaster Uncle is here!"
Qi You was stunned for a moment: What...ancestor?
Duan Anluo's thin figure walked to the door. When she saw him, her beautiful eyes and eyebrows immediately smiled, and she said cheerfully, "My Xiaoqi is here."
Qi You blushed. "My Xiaoqi?" This affectionate name made him feel inexplicably warm.
The anxiety and uneasiness he had felt along the way were actually alleviated by this sentence. He thought, if this person was a liar, he must be a very good liar who made people willingly be deceived by him, just like himself now.
He took a few quick steps and called out, "Master Duan."
Duan Anluo raised his eyebrows and teased him, "Why don't you call me Master?"
Qi You said seriously: "You said I want to be tested. If I can't pass the test, you won't want me."
Duan Anluo was amused and patted Qi You on the shoulder: "You have passed the test by having the courage to come here. I know everything you have done."
Qi You immediately lowered his head, not daring to look Duan Anluo in the eye. He felt guilty. Did Master Duan also know that he had sent his grandfather to that nursing home?
Duan Anluo looked at the anxious child standing at the door, clutching his schoolbag tightly, and his heart softened. Heaven is really a jerk. To hone these geniuses, they gave them life stories that were more difficult than the last.
"Master will give you your first lesson," Duan Anluo's voice was gentle but held an inexplicable power. "There are always people better than you. Since you've done it, you must be prepared for others to know. Therefore, you must be open and honest, and have a clear conscience. That way, when others ask you, you can stand tall and tell them: I did it, so what?"
Duan Anluo stared at Qi You's sweaty head and asked, "Do you feel guilty?"
Qi You thought about it and shook his head seriously: "No."
He has no regrets, and even if he had the chance to do it again, he would still make the same choice.
"Then stand up straight, hold your head high, look me in the eyes and tell me you are right."
Qi You raised his head. There was no blame or disappointment in Duan Anluo's eyes, only tolerance and relief. This warmth quickly soothed the anxiety and uneasiness in his heart.
Qi You took a deep breath, straightened his back, looked at Duan Anluo, and said seriously: "I am not wrong, I have a clear conscience."
"Good boy." Duan Anluo's smile deepened. He put his hand on the child's shoulder and led him inside. "Come in and cool down. Give me your schoolbag."
Duan Anluo naturally took Qi You's old schoolbag and put it on the chair by the door. "Jiang Yuan has been to the intersection several times and has been looking forward to seeing you all day."
Jiang Yuan smiled and brought over the cold water, "Uncle Master, here it is."
Qi You quickly took it with both hands, "Thank you."
He glanced at Jiang Yuan quietly. Judging from his face, this man had accomplished nothing, had no wealth, and relied entirely on his ancestors for food and drink. How could such a person practice Taoism?
Duan Anluo could tell what the child was thinking from his eyes. The little guy had learned a lot on his own. "I've already cleaned up the room for you. You can live in this one."
Duan Anluo pointed at the room originally reserved for Si Cang. There was nothing he could do. Mu Qingzhuo, that brat, had taken up the last empty room, so Si Cang had to move in with him. Si Cang only came over occasionally anyway, and since they were brothers who had signed a marriage contract, it was okay for them to sleep in the same bed.
Qi You looked at Duan Anluo's calm face and hesitated to speak: "Aren't you angry? I knew that the nursing home was not good, but I still sent my grandfather there..."
"Why are you angry?" Duan Anluo said gently, "That was your own decision. Only you know how much you've suffered. No one has the right to interfere with your decision. If someone accuses you from a moral high ground, just send that lunatic to his home and be his grandfather."
Qi You's eyes lit up. He really liked his master's personality.
Duan Anluo naturally changed the subject, "What did you eat for lunch?"
"Shaobing." His uncle wanted to buy him something good, but Qi You didn't want to owe anyone a favor, so he spent the only money he had left.
"Well, I'll take you to eat something delicious tonight," Duan Anluo urged him, "Put your things in order and see if you need anything. Master will buy it for you."
Qi You stood there motionless, his body still a little tense.
"Silly boy," Duan Anluo laughed, "Relax, don't be so nervous."
The room was fully equipped with a wardrobe, desk, lamp, and other essentials. The bed was neatly made, with several new seasonal clothes on it. There were also some stationery on the desk, and even a brand new school bag.
So much was prepared in such a short time. Qi You stood at the desk at a loss, not knowing how to accept such kindness for a moment.
Duan Anluo stood at the door, looking at Qi You's nervous expression, and said with a smile: "I didn't buy you shoes. If you bought the wrong size for clothes, I can accommodate you, but not for shoes. I'll take you to buy some later."
"No thanks." Qi You quickly refused, feeling a little nervous, "What if I don't perform well..."
Duan Anluo walked over and suddenly pinched Qi You's cheek. The little guy was so thin that there was not a pound of flesh on his face, and it felt uncomfortable to pinch him.
"Don't worry about not performing well, I will send you away. Boy, you are in my hands now. If you don't become my apprentice, you will become my son.
If you behave badly, I will beat you. Have you ever seen a father beat his son? If you haven't seen it, you can search it. I allow you to cry and run, but you may not be able to escape.
From now on, you will accept whatever I give you. You can raise any objections, but I, your father, may not listen. Understand?"
"I understand." Qi You covered his cheek that was pinched and hurt. Strangely, his anxious heart calmed down and his tense nerves relaxed. Qi You pursed his lips and smiled in his eyes, "Thank you, Master. I like it very much."
Duan Anluo was satisfied. He didn't like timid children who had to constantly guess their thoughts and test each other. It was too tiring to raise a child like that.
"The formal apprenticeship ceremony will take a few days. I'll choose an auspicious day to enroll you in the family tree." Duan Anluo waved his hand outside, "Come, let me introduce you to the family members. This is the current head of our Xuanmen, Jiang Yuan. He will be a senior in high school soon. If you have questions, don't ask him. He probably doesn't know the answer."
He pointed at the three weasels that had gathered to watch the fun, "These three are our chefs. They're best at making fried chicken, and they're Jiang Yuan's partners."
Pointing to the group of small animals outside eating and drinking for free, he said, "These are workers. Give them food and they will help you with work. You have to get along well with them and not bully them just because they are weak."
"Also," Duan Anluo raised his voice: "Xiaobai, come out!"
Under Qi You's shocked gaze, the cabinet door of his room slid open silently, and a giant python, completely snow-white and almost as tall as his waist, slowly crawled out.
Duan Anluo introduced enthusiastically: "Its full name is Bailong, you can call it Xiaobai, do you like it?"
Qi You looked up at the huge snake head, feeling a little scared, but still nodded: "I like it."
A slightly hoarse voice suddenly sounded: "This is the apprentice you mentioned. Is he so young?"
Qi You looked outside the door and saw a white-haired weasel looking him up and down, as if it was looking at a cheap commodity. Qi You subconsciously clenched his fists, as this look made him unhappy.
Duan Anluo said firmly: "You have to trust my judgment, he is very talented."
The white-haired weasel snorted, "I'm not familiar with you."
Duan Anluo raised his eyebrows, "Then are you familiar with my fist?"
The air was quiet and Baimao didn't dare to talk back.
Qi You knew that this weasel had been beaten by his master, so as long as he was strong enough, he could beat it.
After saying so much, Duan Anluo was already tired. He asked Qi You to clean up by himself and he went back to the house to rest.
Qi You was sorting his things while looking at Xiao Bai. Xiao Bai was also looking at him. It had seen Duan Anluo's former apprentice. Humans grow very fast. In a few years, they will become very tall, then grow beards, turn into white hair, and bury themselves in the soil.
It crawled out, climbed onto the bed under Qi You's defensive gaze, and patted the place next to it with its tail.
Qi You actually understood its meaning immediately. Was it an invitation to sleep together? This character didn't seem that scary.
Qi You stretched out his hand tentatively, "Can I touch you?"
Xiaobai took the initiative to move his head closer, rubbed Qi You's little hand, spit out his tongue, and memorized his smell.
Snakes are dangerous and fascinating animals. Qi You couldn't help but touch its scales and sighed, "So handsome!"
Xiaobai wagged his tail happily and said, "Thank you for the compliment. I'll catch a monster for you to eat when I have the chance."
In the evening, when the weather was not so hot, Duan Anluo took Qi You out and bought three pairs of shoes and two sets of clothes.
This time Qi You did not refuse. He thought, the so-called master probably means that the master treats him like a son, and he respects the master like a father, right?
The two returned home with their things and saw Jiang Yuan and three weasels sitting side by side on the sofa, all of them looking dejected.
Upon asking, I found out that they fried more than 20 kilograms of fried chicken and distributed it all to passers-by on the street as an apology for the trouble they caused yesterday.
Qi You counseled Jiang Yuan: "You have to think differently. Giving it away for free is a way to build brand awareness and publicity. Next time you go out to sell it, you'll definitely sell it faster than others."
Jiang Yuan's eyes suddenly lit up: "Really?"
"Of course it's true," Qi You said seriously with a stern face, "As long as your fried chicken tastes good, your business will be good. Money is like water, it's alive when it flows. If it only flows in but not out, it's like stagnant water."
After persuading Jiang Yuan, Qi You looked at the three weasels with droopy heads and asked them, "Why are you so sad? If it weren't for you guys, your ancestors wouldn't have gotten into such trouble. Instead of sighing here, why not go fry a few more pots and make back the money you lost?"
Duan Anluo listened from the side and couldn't help but raise his eyebrows. Look at his apprentice's comprehension. He couldn't wait and wanted to teach him now.
He stood up and said, "Come on, I'll take you to eat something delicious. Have you ever tried a free meal?"
Jiang Yuan stood up immediately and asked, "Master, what do you want to do now?"
Duan Anluo said confidently, "Of course I'm going to eat a free meal and then ask the boss to pay for it."
After saying this, Duan Anluo walked out first. He had spent a lot of money today, and he would definitely not spend another penny. He was determined to have this free meal.
The two children hurriedly followed from behind, fearing that Duan Anluo would go out and cause trouble.
Duan Anluo walked through the snack street for five minutes, picking and choosing, and finally stopped in front of a barbecue restaurant, "Let's go with this one."
The boss saw the guests and asked enthusiastically, "Three of you, there's an empty table inside. Would you like to sit inside or outside?"
Duan Anluo took a deep breath and said, "Let's sit outside and feel the atmosphere of the world."
The boss handed over a list and said generously, "Take a look at what you want to eat and I'll make tea for you."
Duan Anluo asked, "Are there any dietary restrictions?"
Qi You shook his head, "No."
Duan Anluo pointed at the menu the boss brought over and said, "I say, you write."
He extended a slender finger and pointed at the menu. "This, this, this, and this... Don't take these cheap ones. Give me five skewers of the others, and a roasted leg of lamb."
Qi You paused, "So many? Master, are we really going to eat a free meal?"
Duan Anluo watched the change in his apprentice's expression with a smile, and teased him deliberately: "Eat, you can't run away for a while, so I'll keep you here and wash dishes for the boss to pay off his debt."
Qi You smiled bitterly and nodded, okay.
Duan Anluo was amused by his expression, and then looked at his little disciple's handwriting. It was good, much better than Jiang Yuan's fly crawling.
The boss came over with tea and asked with a smile, "Have you decided what to eat?"
Duan Anluo handed him the marked menu, his lips curled slightly, "Boss, let me tell you in advance, we have no money, but I can save your son's life."
At this moment, a sneer came from the next table. "You want to dine for free? I just heard you say that."
Jiang Yuan glared back in dissatisfaction, "What nonsense are you talking about?"
The young man was about 1.85 meters tall, with thick eyebrows, big eyes, and a muscular body. He looked very tough. He taunted, "It's wrong to cheat for food and drinks, shorty!"
"Fuck! Who the hell are you calling short?" Jiang Yuan stood up all of a sudden like a monkey whose tail was stepped on, with one foot already on the stool. He was going to stand on it!
Just attack whoever you dislike, otherwise your mind will be unstable!
The height difference made Jiang Yuan feel that he was inferior to the other party, and he was determined to fight him even if he had to step on a stool.
Qi You's mouth twitched. Is the leader so powerful?
The other party didn't expect that the dwarf would be so angry. He was so angry that he laughed. It was the first time he saw a liar with such an arrogant attitude.
The boss quickly tried to smooth things over. "Come on, don't argue, everyone has their own inconveniences when they're away from home. I'll treat you to a meal. Home-cooked meals are still affordable."
The boss has been in business for a long time and has met many people. Looking at Duan Anluo's temperament and appearance, he knows that he is not an ordinary person, and he doesn't want to offend him.
Duan Anluo smiled and said, "If it's not enough, give me another thousand."
The boss gave a wry smile and said, "Dude, you're going too far. I'm running a small business."
Not only did the young man's face turn cold, but even the people eating next to him looked at him with dissatisfaction, "The boss has been very righteous, you can't ask for more."
"You're making trouble, right? If you do, I'll call the police! If you want to eat, eat. If you don't want to eat, leave!"
Duan Anluo curled his lips nonchalantly, propping up his chin with one hand, and looked at the boss lazily and said, "Your parents are both remarried. You have two half-brothers and a younger sister, but the relationship among the four siblings is very harmonious. Including this store, your two brothers helped you buy it.
You have a son. Your wife encountered a disaster when giving birth to him, and he barely survived. The child was born weak and sickly, so he was spoiled since childhood and is now rebellious.
The boss blurted out: "Did you check my household registration?"
Duan Anluo looked at the clock hanging outside a nearby shopping mall and said, "There's still a quarter of an hour left. Don't let your son get close to water, especially deep water, or his life will be in danger."
Boss: "Impossible! My son is about to enter his third year of high school and is taking extra classes at home. My wife does nothing but keep an eye on him."
As soon as he finished speaking, his cell phone rang. The boss looked and saw that it was his wife calling.
Thinking of what Duan Anluo had just said, the boss suddenly had a bad feeling.
He quickly answered the call, and heard a woman's anxious voice: "Did that troublesome guy go to the store? He ran away while I was feeding the dog!"
The boss suddenly panicked.
Duan Anluo was right. When his wife was seven months pregnant, she was in a car accident and the child was born prematurely. At that time, medical technology was not as advanced as it is today. It was a miracle that his son survived. The couple only had this one child. If something happened to him, it would be the end of him and his wife!
Duan Anluo raised his hand and pointed, "To the north, there is deep water."
The boss immediately thought of the newly built reservoir. His son had been there last week. He was so excited by the clear water that he almost drooled and wanted to swim in it.
One guest also thought of this, "There's deep water in the north, could it be a reservoir?"
"Isn't there a restaurant nearby? I know the owner's phone number. Do you want to call and ask?" A kind-hearted person who was having dinner saw this and quickly found the phone number on his mobile phone.
The boss's hands were shaking when he dialed the number.
It was too mysterious that such a thing could be calculated. He usually didn't believe in such things, but he couldn't afford to take the risk now.
The boss was also kind-hearted and rushed to look for the boy after hearing his request. Fortunately, the rebellious boy was caught on the spot, along with several of his classmates.
The naughty kids were about to go into the water and took off their pants. When the boss's strong spotlight shone on them, the little white washboards were frightened and ran away holding their clothes. The big colorful shorts looked like big moths spreading their wings and flying.
The boss bowed to Duan Anluo with trembling hands, thinking that he had met a master today.
The onlookers saw this and realized that Duan Anluo's calculations were really accurate. The righteous young man was also confused. No, he really could calculate. "Sorry, I spoke too loudly just now."
Duan Anluo waved his hand nonchalantly, "Young man, you've been having a lot of luck lately."
After hearing this, the young man blushed in surprise. I hope it’s true, hehe.
Qi You was shocked. Is it possible to eat and dine like this?
Duan Anluo placed his hand on Qi You, leaving a trace of spiritual energy in the child's body, like leaving a seed of the same origin. "Feel the path of the spiritual energy. In the future, you must learn to control it, let it circulate in your body, and let it continue to grow."
Duan Anluo took Qi You for a walk, and the spiritual energy finally stopped at Qi You's eyes. "What can you see?"
Qi You looked at the world in front of him in shock. "Colors, so many colors. The colors on each person are different. That person's forehead is pink, like the color of peach blossoms."
Jiang Yuan was even more shocked. "No, you learned so quickly? It took me a year and a half to learn it!"
Duan Anluo felt relieved. A child like Qi You was exactly the standard for him to accept as a disciple in his Xuanmen!
While waiting for the boss to serve the food, Duan Anluo took Qi You to check the faces of everyone who passed by. Qi You had already memorized what the various colors represented. He loved to learn, and he asked the boss for paper and pen, intending to go back and take notes.
Jiang Yuan was not shocked at all. He looked at Qi You with admiration, his eyes shining like little stars.
Qi You felt embarrassed when being stared at, but he didn't feel any contempt or jealousy at all.
Since he was willing to learn, Duan Anluo was willing to teach him. He also told Qi You the method of controlling spiritual power, "I will only teach you once. Once you learn it, you can teach it to your future junior apprentices, or even senior apprentices. Whoever has higher skills will be the senior apprentice. You came earlier than them, but you are not as capable as them. Tsk tsk tsk, you should just forget about it."
Qi You: “…”
In the middle of the night, Duan Anluo was awakened by the chaotic spiritual energy, and saw the spiritual energy around him running towards Qi You's room. Duan Anluo was very moved, Xuanmen was saved!
The next morning, Qi You excitedly told Duan Anluo, "Master, I've learned it! By controlling the spiritual energy and wrapping it around my hands, I can touch the spirits. Look at my fingers!"
Duan Anluo praised him in a good-natured manner: "You are such a little genius. If you can wrap your entire hand with spiritual energy and slap a spiritual being within a week, Master will buy you a mobile phone."
Qi You went to practice happily. If he had the chance to go back to his hometown, he would beat up all the ghosts who bullied him.
After breakfast, Duan Anluo instructed: "Practice well at home. I'm going out for a while. Your master's wife is missing."
Qi You was shocked, "Master's wife?"
At this moment, he had the same thought as Mu Qingzhuo. If his master looked like this, how beautiful must his master's wife be? A fairy?
Duan Anluo sighed worriedly, "He doesn't answer the phone, and he doesn't reply to messages."
Duan Anluo was vaguely uneasy about Si Cang's departure. In their profession, they only read fortunes for others and the heavens, not for themselves. They could only read their own fortunes three times in their lifetime, otherwise they would be retaliated against. Si Cang and he were too deeply involved, so he didn't dare to rashly read Si Cang's fortune.
He went to ask the president where Si Cang had gone and whether he was in danger.
It was just right to ask the president to help Qi You transfer schools. He estimated that Qi You could learn more than Jiang Yuan during these two months of summer vacation.
It’s just the right time to find a good school for him and let him enter the school as a mystic.
Qi You's mind was full of his master's wife. Duan Anluo said with a smile: "Your master's wife is tall, with long legs, broad shoulders, a thin waist, and eight-pack abs. But she is timid and shy. She doesn't want to live in the same room with me."
Qi You couldn’t even imagine it, a fairy with eight-pack abs?
Duan Anluo was afraid that the child might misunderstand, so he explained, "Don't worry, your mistress has a good temper. She won't bother with children. If you offend her, she won't bother to care. She will only beat you to death if you offend her severely. Don't be afraid."
The last time Mu Qingzhuo acted so recklessly, Si Cang ignored him. This shows that Si Cang has a very broad mind!
Qi You: “…”
The clouds are low and the mountain wind is howling.
At this time, Qi You's "master's wife" was sitting under a tree in the mountains, looking at the pendant in her hand with a gloomy face. Without wearing this thing, she couldn't leave Duan Anluo for more than five days. Wearing it, she couldn't stay away from Duan Anluo for more than ten days, otherwise the black energy would return.
Now this thing has absorbed too much black air and cracks have appeared.
Bai Ziyue took another photo and posted it in the group: Boss is thinking of someone again, tsk tsk tsk~
Unfortunately, there is no signal here and no information can be sent.
At this time, Si Cang's brows turned cold, and his left hand fell on the scabbard. The ink-black long sword felt the murderous aura of its master, and trembled in the scabbard, making a low humming sound, like a ferocious beast smelling blood.
Bai Ziyue was startled, and then he realized that if the boss was angry, he would at most kick him, but would not chop him with a knife.
Si Cang didn't even look at him. His cold phoenix eyes were fixed on the depths of the dense forest. "Back off."
Bai Ziyue obediently ran back dozens of meters and found a safe place. At the same time, he swung the backpack behind him forward and took out a chessboard.
The white piece flung out, a halo of light emanating. The black piece swung back, a murderous aura emanating from it. He used himself as a barrier to protect the people below the mountain.
"Boom!" With a sound, the whole mountain shook violently!
The ground was cracked layer by layer like a spider web, and dead leaves and gravel from the mountains rolled down. In the distance, the sound of falling trees and the frightened cries of small animals in the mountains could be heard.
Si Cang drew his sword with one hand, the blade flashed with a cold light, and the black flames filled with murderous aura pierced directly into the ground.
The spiritual energy surged, and Si Cang's spiritual energy followed the route of the spider web and slammed back fiercely.
The trembling mountains returned to calm, and behind Si Cang, the trees, flowers and plants were not affected at all.
Not far away, a hoarse sneer slowly rang out: "Black flames of the Nether Abyss, ink-colored long sword..."
The sound of dead branches snapping approached from afar. A hunched black figure emerged from the mountains. Beneath his rotten cloak, a face covered in corpse spots was revealed. His cloudy eyes stared at the knife in Si Cang's hand. "Have all the Si family members died? How dare they let a child, still wet behind the ears, wield the Nether Skeleton Knife?"
What answered him was Si Cang's murderous knife. The old man didn't expect Si Cang to kill him without saying a word. After dodging, he asked gloomily: "Is the head of the Si family this generation mute?"
His answer was still a fatal blow. Si Cang was too lazy to talk nonsense with him. He killed him as soon as possible and went back to repair the pendant.
At that moment, Duan Anluo's phone received a notification: A 5.1 magnitude earthquake occurred near Qingjun Mountain. No casualties were reported so far. Secondary disasters such as landslides and rockfall are possible. Everyone is reminded: Stay away from Qingjun Mountain! Safety first!
The author has something to say:
On weekends, there are always a lot of people at home, so I write very slowly QAQ I'm sorry for keeping you waiting for a long time [burst into tears]
This chapter will draw 60 red envelopes tomorrow~
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