Ku the Cripple escorted Fatty and me back to the village, and as we reached the village entrance, we encountered Grandpa.

My family had been calling me for dinner, only to discover that I wasn't at home. Grandpa had been searching for me everywhere.

Seeing Ku the Cripple and me coming down from the back hill, Grandpa probably guessed where I had gone, but out of respect for Ku the Cripple, he didn't scold me.

Grandpa invited Ku the Cripple back home and treated him to fine wine and dishes.

After hearing about the ordeal Fatty and I had just experienced in the Yin Tomb, both my parents were pale with fright. Grandpa scolded me, saying, "You troublemaker, isn't causing trouble enough for you?"

Feeling a bit aggrieved, I muttered softly, "Uncle Qi saved my life. Is it wrong for me to pay my respects to him?"

Grandpa was very angry and slammed the table, "You dare to talk back?"

Ku the Cripple intervened, "Mr. Yang, don't be angry. Yang Cheng's actions can also be considered righteous and loyal! Although the matter with Uncle Qi has temporarily come to an end, you've made enemies with Huangpi, and that Yellow-Skin Ghost holds grudges. In the future, you all need to be more careful!"

Ku the Cripple raised his wine glass, took a sip of white wine, and turned to me, saying, "Kid, I won't always be able to protect you, so you need to learn to protect yourself. Have you read the 'Three Clearings Scripture' I gave you last time?"

Ku the Cripple looked very serious. I felt embarrassed and lowered my head. Truth be told, I had just left that book in a corner and never even touched it, let alone read it.

Seeing me lower my head, Ku the Cripple knew that I hadn't touched the "Three Clearings Scripture."

He sighed, "Yang Cheng, you are naturally attracted to the Yin realm, and in this life, you are destined to encounter many unclean things. I gave you this 'Three Clearings Scripture' to help you preserve your life. It's up to you what you do with it."

I nodded quickly and said, "Master Ku, from today on, I will definitely study the 'Three Clearings Scripture' carefully!"

Ku the Cripple said softly, "Let's hope so."

I swore that I really wanted to study the "Three Clearings Scripture" this time. The encounter with Huangpi had scared me deeply, and with Ku the Cripple saying that the book was my "life-saving talisman," I felt even more determined to study it. After all, nobody wants to die young. I want to live a long life!

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Grandpa said, "Why don't you kowtow to Master Ku?"

I quickly bowed to Ku the Cripple, and he said, "Alright, as the saying goes, 'The master leads the way, but the practice is up to the individual.' Whether you can break your destiny depends on yourself!"

Ku the Cripple's words were profound and mysterious, and I nodded as if I understood.

Grandpa respected Ku the Cripple very much and kept him company drinking until the evening. Ku the Cripple had a strong tolerance for alcohol. They started drinking in the evening and continued until the early morning hours, only stopping when dawn broke.

Ku the Cripple bid us farewell, and as we escorted him out of the courtyard, we saw a figure stumbling towards us. With a somersault, the person fell in front of Ku the Cripple, wailing loudly, "Master Ku, save me! You've finally returned, save me!"

As I looked closely, hey, wasn't this person lying on the ground Wang Baochang, who had disappeared a few days ago?

After Uncle Qi's transformation, Wang Baochang, fearing public criticism, had quietly slipped away. No one knew where he had gone, but it turned out he had been hiding in the village all along.

At this moment, Wang Baochang looked extremely ragged, his clothes tattered, his face covered in dirt, resembling a beggar. Bandages wrapped around his injured shoulders, stained with blood.

From Wang Baochang's tone, it seemed like he had been waiting here specifically for Ku the Cripple.

Upon seeing Wang Baochang, Grandpa was instantly furious, pointing at him and cursing, "You surnamed Wang, you swindler, you've caused us so much trouble! Without the skills, you shouldn't have taken on the job. Look at what a mess you've made of things! I... I really want to beat you to death..."

Since Grandpa had invited Wang Baochang back, and Wang Baochang had messed things up, it naturally implicated Grandpa. Although many people didn't say anything overtly, I knew that many in the village were cursing Grandpa behind his back, which made Grandpa very upset, with nowhere to vent his frustration.

Seeing Wang Baochang today allowed Grandpa to release his pent-up anger. Considering Ku the Cripple's presence, Grandpa had restrained his emotions a lot. In the past, Grandpa would have definitely picked up a pole and chased Wang Baochang away.

As I looked at Wang Baochang, a phrase came to mind: "You refuse to take the road to heaven and insist on barging into hell!"

Knowing how much Grandpa hated him, Wang Baochang still came to my house to seek his own demise. Ridiculous!

Ku the Cripple seemed to know Wang Baochang and squinted his eyes, "Oh, who do we have here? So it's Daoist Wang! How did you end up like this? Truly 'Three days apart and one should look at others differently!'"

Any discerning person could tell that Ku the Cripple was mocking Wang Baochang.

Wang Baochang raised his head, clasping his hands together and crying, "Master Ku, I'm about to die. Please don't mock me! Considering we are all practitioners, please save my worthless life!"

Wang Baochang's humble demeanor was completely different from before. I remembered when Grandpa invited him back to the village, Wang Baochang had been carrying a peach wood sword, strutting proudly like a rooster. But now, he looked like a stray dog. What had he been through? Why did he want Ku the Cripple to save his life?

Ku the Cripple said, "Daoist Wang, let's discuss your situation inside. If someone sees you like this, how will you ever show your face around the village in the future?"

Wang Baochang said with a bitter expression, "Master Ku, I only want to stay alive now!"

Ku the Cripple nodded and walked back into the courtyard with his hands behind his back. "Come inside if you have something to say."

Grandpa glared at Wang Baochang. I knew Grandpa really didn't want Wang Baochang to enter the house, but with Ku the Cripple there, he didn't say much.

Wang Baochang lowered his head, squeezed through the doorway, and hurried into the courtyard.

Ku the Cripple sat down on a stool and calmly looked at Wang Baochang. "We're all colleagues here. Speak up if you have something to say."

Wang Baochang gritted his teeth, untied the bandages on his shoulders, and a foul smell wafted out.

I looked at Wang Baochang's shoulders and immediately covered my mouth, nearly throwing up. Wang Baochang's shoulders had been pierced by Uncle Qi's nails before. Now, his two shoulders were black and swollen, and the injuries hadn't improved. Instead, they had worsened. The wounds had become rotten, emitting a foul odor, with black energy faintly lingering inside the wounds.