"Alright, leave the covert investigation to us. You, on your side, find out the origin of the junkyard and all known old items as soon as possible, even if it's just a clue."
I nodded, knowing Zhang Qiang's predicament.
There was no more useful information here, so I set up an evil-repelling array for the paper ruler, put it in the trunk, and drove away from the old street in the south of the city.
This old object is not actually the key to solving this mystery.
Where to go next?
Luo Tianhe started the car and asked.
I rubbed my temples and then pressed my somewhat shrunken belly.
I was on edge the whole time, and after working so hard for so long, I didn't feel that hungry.
In fact, I started preparing for the soul-summoning ceremony at six in the morning and it's already afternoon now, and I haven't even had a bite to eat.
“Let’s eat something first, then go find Li Huai. Why should he be enjoying himself while we’re working like dogs outside? Let him do some work too.”
I have confidence in Dr. Sun's medical skills. Li Huai only sprained his ankle, and I estimate he's fully recovered by now.
Moreover, I'm not only going there to find Li Huai to work for, but also to ask Doctor Sun about some rumors or ways to break this evil practice of harvesting life and mutilating flesh.
He's a very knowledgeable and experienced person; he might actually have a solution.
Luo Tianhe was also quite hungry. After hearing what I said, he randomly picked a restaurant that looked decent by the roadside, and we went in for a hearty meal. Then we drove to Dr. Sun's clinic.
As dusk fell, a faint scent of herbs filled the clinic, which was brightly lit.
Li Huai was sitting on a small stool in the inner room, holding a bowl of dark, murky medicine, sipping it with a worried expression. His foot had clearly been treated, but his face was still somewhat pale.
But my energy and spirit are so much better than before!
When I opened my third eye, I found that his previously somewhat turbulent soul had now completely settled down.
Although Doctor Sun often beat and scolded Li Huai, he genuinely treated him as his apprentice.
"Dr. Sun, it's been a long time! You're still as vigorous as ever!"
I exchanged a few pleasantries, then looked at Li Huai.
"Wow, your sprained ankle healed so quickly. Old ginger is spicier. You couldn't do anything about it yourself, but Dr. Sun solved it for you with ease."
Seeing that I was deliberately bringing up a sore spot, Li Huai immediately showed an angry expression and gritted his teeth as he finished drinking the medicine in the bowl.
His expression was so ferocious that it made me want to laugh.
Upon hearing this, Dr. Sun's smile instantly turned into anger.
"This good-for-nothing can't even treat a sprained ankle. He's a disgrace to me. Don't tell anyone he's my apprentice when he gets out of here!"
“I, Sun Changfeng, have always been upright and honest throughout my life. Whether in my work or in my personal conduct, I have never been willing to be inferior to others. The only thing I have done that is to teach others is to be a great disgrace in my life!”
After cursing a few times, Dr. Sun realized that Li Huai was just like that, and couldn't help but feel sorry for himself.
My lips twitched. To be honest, this really wasn't Li Huai's fault.
He had only been a student of Doctor Sun for a few days when he began to study Doctor Sun's acupuncture techniques every day, and it could be said that he was being tortured to the point of death every day.
As for a minor injury like a sprained ankle, although it's very simple, Dr. Sun had never actually taught him about it.
But people like Dr. Sun probably think that such simple methods don't need to be taught at all; they're easy to understand at a glance.
After all, being hailed as a miracle doctor by his neighbors, he must have been a genius in medicine.
He was probably his master's proudest disciple back then.
Luo Tianhe, standing to the side, couldn't help but add fuel to the fire, sighing:
"Yes, what's that saying again? Right, a disgrace in old age!"
Upon hearing Luo Tianhe's words, Li Huai's expression became even more ferocious.
But Dr. Sun's anger, which had just subsided, reignited.
He took the ruler and banged it on Li Huai's head, making a sound like hitting elm wood.
He even scolded her with disappointment:
"If you had even half the performance I had as an apprentice back then, I could die with a smile on my face!"
"I really envy my master for having such a good disciple like me!"
Li Huai dared not hide, nor dared to make excuses; the ferocity on his face just now turned into utter despair.
After reprimanding Li Huai, Doctor Sun glanced at us sideways:
"Good heavens, what kind of unclean things have you two gotten yourselves into again? Your faces are all dark."
When this was mentioned, Luo Tianhe and I immediately stopped laughing.
He briefly recounted the events of the day, from the summoning of the spirit to the library paper cutter, the investigation of an old case, the speculation based on the eight characters of birth, all the way to the old teacher's brass paperweight in the southern city.
Li Huai's mouth gaped open as he listened, and he almost dropped the medicine bowl.
So much happened in just one day, which was really beyond his expectations.
He thought that a simple summoning of the spirit would be enough to uncover the truth.
Dr. Sun listened silently, his fingers unconsciously twirling his goatee. As I spoke, his gaze grew increasingly solemn.
"The practice of 'harvesting and mutilating' involves using the birth date and time as evidence, and employing evil substances as a lure to target specific parts of the human body..."
Dr. Sun spoke slowly, his voice carrying a sense of vicissitudes from having experienced the world.
My eyes lit up immediately. What does Dr. Sun know?
Sure enough, the next moment, Doctor Sun continued:
"I had heard some rumors about this insidious method when I was young and traveling around practicing medicine. I never expected that decades later, it would reappear in this big city."
"Dr. Sun, do you know the origins of this evil magic?"
I perked up and quickly pressed for more information.
"I can't say I have a solid foundation; I only know a little bit about it."
Dr. Sun gestured for us to sit down, and then picked up his teacup and took a sip himself.
"This evil art has a long history, and it should be related to some ancient methods of pursuing longevity and refining evil objects. Later, it spread to the common people and mixed with witchcraft, exorcism, and even some cult ideas, becoming all sorts of different forms, but the core principles remain the same!"
At this point, Doctor Sun's eyes suddenly sharpened, and he shouted:
"Stealing the life force and specific spirituality of the living to nourish oneself or to create evil artifacts!"
"Dr. Sun, is the spirituality you mentioned related to the five elements represented by one's birth date and time?"
Luo Tianhe, who was standing to the side, remembered what I had mentioned before and couldn't help but ask.
"That's one way to understand it, but it's not entirely accurate."
Dr. Sun pondered for a moment.
"In the eyes of those who know their stuff, a person's birth date and time not only represent the interaction of the five elements, but also contain their innate fortune, talents, and even destiny!"
"Just like Li Huai, he was born with an extremely ominous destiny, and his life can be described as extremely bumpy, which is inseparable from the word 'ghost'."
Hearing this, Li Huai couldn't help but give a wry smile.
"Moreover, a person with a strong fire element in their birth chart may be naturally passionate and courageous, with a strong will. When that evil magic took away his heart, it didn't just take away his flesh and organs, but also that vigorous fire energy of his heart!"
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