Boom! Boom! Boom!

The Soul-Sealing Altar continued to sway, constantly colliding with the ground, emitting a crisp and melodious sound.

I stared at the altar, which was dancing alone, not daring to make a sound.

In the silent temple, only the sound of this boom, boom, boom lingered in my ears endlessly.

I didn't know how long it had been, but the Soul-Sealing Altar finally stopped shaking.

I licked my dry lips, only then realizing that my vest had been soaked with sweat, and even my hair tips were dripping.

"Is it over?" I asked Lame Ku hoarsely.

Lame Ku nodded, heaved a sigh of relief, and lifted the Soul-Sealing Altar with both hands, placing it in the middle of the ancestral tablets: "After forty-nine days, the ashes of our ancestors will gradually dissipate Yin Hongyi's resentment. By then, we'll take out the white bones from the Soul-Sealing Altar, burn them, and end this once and for all!"

I nodded. The matter of Yin Hongyi was finally settled, and I had saved my own life. The stone that had been hanging in my heart finally fell to the ground.

I bowed to Lame Ku, expressing my gratitude.

Lame Ku said, "Don't thank me. You should thank your little snake wife. If she hadn't intervened, we wouldn't have been able to find Yin Hongyi's remains so smoothly!"

Closing the temple door, Lame Ku took me back home.

The family was still awake, waiting for my return with their eyes wide open.

Seeing me safe and sound, they were all very happy. The old man couldn't wait to grab Lame Ku's hand: "Lame Master, how did it go?"

Lame Ku rubbed his chin and said, "Rest assured, everything is over!"

"Over? Cheng'er won't have any more trouble, right?" The old man's eyes lit up with joy.

"Not for the time being!" Lame Ku said.

The smile on the old man's face stiffened for a moment. "For the time being? Master, what do you mean?"

Lame Ku said, "Yang Cheng was born with an ominous fate. He'll be haunted by unclean things all his life. While the matter with Yin Hongyi has indeed been settled, who can guarantee that there won't be another Liu Hongyi, Zhang Hongyi, or Wang Hongyi in the future?"

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The old man sighed with a worried expression.

Lame Ku said, "Everyone has their fate. This is Yang Cheng's fate!"

At that time, I was still young and didn't quite understand the meaning of "fate." I couldn't imagine what would happen in the future. Anyway, Yin Hongyi no longer harassed me, which was the happiest thing for me at the moment.

My parents were also busy, quickly slaughtering chickens and cooking. They prepared a large table of delicious food and wine to entertain Lame Ku.

Lame Ku didn't stand on ceremony either. He sat down, eating and drinking with gusto, holding a chicken leg in his left hand and a wine glass in his right, showing no trace of the demeanor of an immortal.

Lame Ku had a good capacity for alcohol. Cup after cup, his belly seemed like a bottomless pit, never getting drunk.

After three rounds of wine, my father gave my mother a signal with his eyes. My mother went into the house and took out a red envelope, respectfully placing it in front of Lame Ku.

Lame Ku was our benefactor, saving my life. Giving him a red envelope was only right.

Dad smiled and raised his glass to Lame Ku, saying, "Lame Master, this is a little token of appreciation from our Yang family. Please accept it!"

In our rural area, we call this kind of expense "appearance fee." Whether it's for inviting gods for blessings, celebrating weddings and funerals, or relocating for better feng shui, an appearance fee must be given. Yin and Yang masters like Lame Ku rely on these appearance fees to make a living. Generally, Yin and Yang masters won't actively demand appearance fees. The amount of the red envelope given by wealthy families will naturally be larger, while poorer families will give smaller amounts. Regardless of the sum, Yin and Yang masters will accept it with a smile and then be treated to a meal and drinks, and the matter will be considered settled.

Lame Ku nodded, accepted the red envelope, and didn't pretend to refuse.

There is a saying that Yin and Yang masters must accept red envelopes when they handle matters; this is called "choosing happiness." Otherwise, the Yin and Yang master may bring bad luck upon themselves.

Lame Ku put down his wine glass and looked at the old man. "I have a suggestion!"

The old man poured wine for Lame Ku. "Speak freely, Master!"

Lame Ku pointed at me. "How about Yang Cheng becomes my apprentice?"

Lame Ku's suggestion came very suddenly. The old man was stunned, as were my parents and I.

The old man smiled. "It would be an honor for Cheng'er to become your apprentice, Master. However, such matters depend on fate, and we can't make the decision. Let's see what Cheng'er thinks!"

Facing Lame Ku's suggestion, the old man didn't say much. He could only leave the decision to me.

To be honest, I've never had much interest in supernatural things. While I'm truly grateful to Lame Ku for saving my life, I'm not keen on learning all these strange Daoist practices from him. Especially after experiencing the matter with Yin Hongyi, I just want to stay away from all these monsters and ghosts. I don't want to get involved in this terrifying vortex again. I want to be an ordinary person, like other children, living a normal life and going to school.

So, almost without hesitation, I blurted out, "I don't want to!"

As a child, I speak straightforwardly, unlike adults who beat around the bush. My answer was decisive, like a stone thrown to the ground. The cheerful atmosphere suddenly became solemn. I saw a hint of embarrassment flash across Lame Ku's face.

My father kicked me under the table and hurriedly smiled at Lame Ku. "Master Ku, kids speak their minds. Don't take it to heart. Come, let's drink, let's drink!"

I pouted, thinking that if I didn't want to, then I didn't want to. Is it wrong to express my own thoughts?

Lame Ku smiled. "Kid, you have character, I like that! But fate is something you can't resist! I know you don't want to enter this circle, but you were born with an ominous fate. Sooner or later, you'll enter this circle! Since you don't want to right now, I won't force you. Here, I have something to give you. You can take a look at it when you're free. It might benefit you greatly!"

Lame Ku magically took out a tattered book from his pocket and handed it to me.

The book had a vintage feel, with yellowed pages and frayed edges. There was no cover; Lame Ku probably made it himself with parchment paper. On it, three large characters were written in black ink: "Sanqing Scripture."

This reminded me of the funny scene at the end of "Kung Fu," where an old man holds a child's hand and says, "Young man, I can see you have extraordinary bones. You must be a martial arts prodigy. I have a secret martial arts manual here, only ten dollars!"

Holding this tattered book, I thought to myself, "Forget about ten dollars, even one dollar is too expensive for this book in such a state!"

Lame Ku seemed a bit tipsy, shaking his head and muttering to himself, "The mysteries of Yin and Yang are endless, the two poles return to one, nineteen palaces. If one can understand the principles of Yin and Yang, the heavens and earth will be in the palm of their hand!"

Lame Ku's words were obscure and difficult to understand, like reciting scriptures. I listened with incomprehension.

But I didn't want to offend Lame Ku, so I pretended to be very happy as I tucked the "Sanqing Scripture" into my arms. I solemnly promised, "Thank you, Master, I'll treasure this book!"

We continued eating until dawn. Lame Ku, belching from the alcohol, stood up to bid farewell. As he was leaving, he patted my shoulder and said, "Kid, let's make a bet. I bet that when you're eighteen, you'll come begging to be my apprentice!"