My father sat quietly, not saying a word.
Just then, the female warrior glided in through the door. I gave her a subtle nod, and she flashed me a smile—the first one she had ever given me. After that brief smile, she quietly moved to the corner of the room, where, naturally, only I could see her.
Xiaohui and Xia Chaoran sat for about ten minutes before leaving.
When they were gone, my father asked, "Want something to eat? I'll go get it for you."
"Just some congee will do."
"Alright, wait here. I'll check the hospital cafeteria."
With that, my father left the room, leaving only the female warrior and me.
"How do you feel?" she asked.
"Everything hurts."
I gave a short reply.
"Here, drink this."
She handed me a bottle of water, its contents dark and murky. Without question, I took the bottle and drank it, though the taste was so bitter I had to pinch my nose to swallow it.
Once I finished, the female warrior spoke again. "Your injuries are severe. You're likely to have some lingering effects. This medicine was prepared by an old acquaintance of your master. Drink it once a day for three days, and you'll be able to move freely without any lasting consequences."
"Three days to move freely? But my legs are broken! How can I possibly heal that quickly? Let alone walk!"
She spoke calmly, "Three days is slow. By the way, how did you get injured?"
I told her everything in detail, and suspected Xia Chaoran might be behind it all. I also asked for her help to find an opportunity to warn Xiaohui, pretending to be human, that Xia Chaoran was no friend.
Three days later, just as the female warrior had said…
I was almost completely healed.
I could move around freely with no trouble at all.
The doctors were stunned, calling it a miracle, praising my self-healing abilities. They even took a lot of blood from me for experiments.
Another four days passed, and I was discharged from the hospital.
In the meantime, my father had sold our house, and we moved to Qiling City, far away from Qingtian City.
During the journey, my mother constantly complained to my father, asking why he had argued with Uncle Zhao and lost his job.
My father hadn't told the full story. To protect his family, he had made up a lie and moved us to Qiling City, a place far from Qingtian. It was a northern city, close to the E'luozi border. The temperature difference between morning and night was huge, and winters were bitterly cold, with wind that felt like it cut through to the bone.
Five months later, we were settled in.
We rented an apartment nearby, and my father found a job, though the pay was low. I gave up on my studies to help support the family, working as a waitress at a nearby restaurant.
From seven in the morning until nine at night, I earned a thousand a month with no days off.
Every morning, I'd wake up at three, ready to train.
My body had changed drastically in the last six months. From the weak, frail figure I had been, I was now strong and fit.
I carried one hundred pounds of lead on me every day. Thirty pounds on each leg and twenty on each arm.
Every morning, I ran four kilometers while wearing the lead. And during the day, I worked with it on.
Of course, I also underwent a rigorous training regimen from the female warrior.
I have to mention that three months ago, she officially began teaching me Taoist techniques.
Every morning after my run, around four, I would open the window, face east, light three incense sticks, and place them in a bowl of rice. I would kneel on a mat, burn three Yang Talismans, bow three times, then sit cross-legged, eyes half-closed, with my tongue touching the roof of my mouth. My hands formed a ball shape and rested on my lower dantian. I'd practice the breathing technique of inhaling and exhaling three times, strengthening my Yang energy while cultivating the legendary internal power.
An hour later, around five o'clock, I would spar with the female warrior.
It turned out she hadn't been using her full strength during our previous fights. Despite my rapid improvement, she still managed to wipe the floor with me every day, leaving me feeling like a ragdoll.
After the brutal hour of sparring, at six, I practiced drawing talismans.
But talismans couldn't be drawn at any time. Each hour had a different level of spiritual energy, which affected the potency of the talismans. The best time to draw them was during the Mao hour, between five and seven in the morning.
For thirty minutes, from six to six-thirty, I practiced drawing talismans, then I prepared for work.
At that point, I could only draw three kinds of talismans: the Yang Talisman, the Yin Talisman, and the Clearing Heart Talisman.
One morning, after finishing my routine, the female warrior suddenly said, "Xiaolong(Bruce), I'm going away for a while—could be a month, could be six months, maybe longer. Just keep up your practice in the meantime."
She handed me a few ginseng roots. "These are for when you get injured again. They'll quickly boost your Yang energy. Also, you can start practicing exorcising and capturing demons. It's a lucrative job. Your master once earned two million for a job like that."
"But remember, you're not practicing for money. If you refuse to help the poor just because they're poor, it's wrong, understand?"
"I understand, female warrior."
As I counted the ginseng roots, I muttered, "I've learned how to use the Shadow Sword now, plus my martial skills and talismans. I shouldn't be in much danger anymore."
I looked at the small ginseng roots and sighed. "Only thirteen? I'll have to make these last."
She left shortly after.
I returned to the restaurant and resumed my "promising" job.
At lunch, the place was crowded, and my eyes kept drifting to a young woman.
She was in her early twenties, wearing a work badge from a local museum. She often came to the restaurant for quick meals.
I didn't focus on her because of her looks but because her aura had started to shift—there was a heavy Yin energy around her, unmistakably the sign of someone in grave danger. If left unchecked, she would soon fall ill, maybe even dangerously so.
As the head of the Niu family, it was my duty to eliminate all ghosts and demons in the name of the moon.
So, when I passed by her table, I quietly spoke, "Miss Xu, have you been feeling unusually cold lately? And seeing strange things? Ghosts, perhaps?"
I had been watching her for several days, and with her name tag, I knew she was Xu Xiaoling.
"You know about that?!" She asked, shocked.
I smiled faintly. "It's simple. When a person's Yang energy weakens enough, they start seeing ghosts. Right now, your Yin energy is overwhelming your Yang. If you want to live, come here tonight at nine after my shift. I'll help you then."
I didn't say anything more and went back to my duties. It was up to her whether she believed me or not.
That evening, around eight-thirty, she showed up!
But she wasn't alone. She brought a man along, likely a colleague. They ordered two drinks and sat down, talking quietly.
I hadn't planned on revealing my identity just yet. I was going to investigate her situation more thoroughly, but with my work demanding my attention and her condition worsening, I had no choice but to act.
At nine sharp, I finished my shift.
I waved goodbye to my boss and stepped outside, waiting for Xu Xiaoling and her companion.
I glanced around to make sure no one was looking, then pulled a Yin Talisman from my pocket. I focused the Yang fire from within me onto my fingertip, and the paper ignited instantly.
This was the result of months of training.
I could now ignite talismans with the Yang fire within me, a basic skill every true Taoist practitioner must master.
The Yin Talisman works by depleting a person's Yang energy, allowing them to see "ghosts" temporarily.
I wasn't carrying any Niu Tears with me, so I had to use this method to "open the eyes" to see the supernatural. Without it, I wouldn't be able to see the spirits.
The Yin Talisman has other uses, too, like making zombies unable to detect your presence.
Zombies can't see but can sense the Yang energy in living beings. The Yin Talisman hides that energy.
Whether it works or not, I'm not sure. But I've heard the stories.
There are three "lights" on the human body: one on the head, and one on each shoulder. As long as the lights are on, ghosts won't dare come near.
That's why, when walking alone at night, you should never turn around suddenly. The wind from turning can blow out the light on your shoulders, lowering your Yang energy and making you vulnerable to ghosts.
I used the burning Yin Talisman to mark my shoulders, then tossed the remnants to the ground and crushed the fire underfoot.
I could feel my Yang energy rapidly depleting. My vision blurred, and in that moment, I saw
figures materializing on the empty street—some walking, some floating, their faces grim, some even green.
On the opposite building, a man jumped from the rooftop. Oddly, he didn't die upon impact but stood up, patted his pants, and floated back to the top, only to jump again. He repeated the motion again and again.
I had heard a man had committed suicide there two days ago…
Xu Xiaoling and her companion walked out. The man spoke first, "Xiaoling, do you believe that kid? He's probably just a scammer."
"I believe him," Xu Xiaoling replied coldly. "You can go home, Cheng Dong. I don't need your company."
As they walked away, Cheng Dong shot me a contemptuous look. "Kid, if you don't want to spend a few years in prison, you'd better disappear. Xiaoling, there's no such thing as ghosts. You're probably just exhausted and hallucinating. This guy is just a waiter trying to scam you."
I looked him up and down, then asked indifferently, "You want to see a ghost?"