My hand holding the flashlight kept trembling, breathing continuously adjusted, but my chest still felt stuffy. Although I didn't want to vomit, my head was heavy and dizzy.
The monster on the ground twisted for about twenty seconds before quieting down and then remained motionless. Zhuo climbed up from the ground and walked quickly to the side of the monster, first pulling out my bone knife, then skillfully turning the monster over and stripping off the skin where the scar was!
The fat man helped me up, whispering, "Have a drink when we get out, my grandpa said that when they used to go to war, new recruits had to have a drink, or they wouldn’t dare to kill the enemy."
I nodded dumbly. Every time I think about it now, it seems funny. But for me, it was indeed a very precious memory. Without the experience of escaping death time and time again in the past, I wouldn't be who I am today.
It's just appropriate to express it in a phrase I like the past shapes the present.
The short monster didn't catch up yet, the three of us ran wildly towards the way we came. Although there were continuous roars behind us, we didn't see any pursuers. It was only when we climbed out of the stone slabs and reached the well's mouth outside that we could finally catch our breath.
Sitting in the courtyard of Xuanming Temple, I finally felt a little relieved. Pearl handed over the dagger and the peeled-off piece of skin, saying, "This scar was indeed branded, and the pattern is the same as the one I saw three years ago. There must be a big secret underground in Xuanming Temple, that monster is not simple."
I nodded and took back the bone dagger, carefully examined it, and fortunately, there was no obvious damage.
The main difference between a bone dagger and a metal dagger lies in their sharpness and polishability. The former is easy to polish, while the latter is more solid and sharp. Of course, later on, I got a bone dagger made from the bones of a soil animal for business, which is a different matter.
The second exploration of Xuanming Temple yielded no results, but Fatty and I were somehow pleased. We were fortunate not to impulsively rush in. This time, if it weren't for Pearl, we might have never seen the sun again.
"I'll keep this piece of skin for now. I'll ask my friends and give you an answer later. Rest during this time. Several of my brothers are dead. I'll look for your help in the future when there's business. You both should use this time to hone your skills and stay away from Xuanming Temple. I feel something sinister below, but the nearby residents seem unaware. It's strange that there's such a sinister place in the outskirts of Shanghai."
In fact, Pearl's thoughts coincided with mine. This is after all Shanghai, even though it's the outskirts, it's still a big city, and it's quite puzzling that the surrounding villages and townships seem to be unaware of the secret underground in Xuanming Temple.
After leaving Xuanming Temple, we helped Pearl settle in at the guesthouse, and after a few drinks, Fatty went back to Master Han's house, while I went back home.
I stayed at home for several days, during which my parents arranged job interviews for me, but I declined them all. This exploration of Xuanming Temple made me deeply aware of my naivety and inadequacy.
First, I lacked self-defense skills. I never served in the military, nor did I learn any martial arts. If I encounter a creature like the "Fangwei," I can manage, but if I meet a monster like the "Baimian," I would probably have to flee on my own. Second, my knowledge was too narrow, and my lack of experience was something I couldn't make up for. How can I expect to win a hundred battles without knowing my enemy?
Therefore, during the time at home, I practiced the "Wudang Five Elements Technique" that Lao Song taught me and studied "Mountain Wild Tales." Unfortunately, real life is not like the stories told by the literati. The "Wudang Five Elements Technique" is certainly useful, but there are too many obscure and incomprehensible parts, and back then I didn't have a cellphone, so I couldn't reach Lao Song. I had to rely on myself or go to Master Han for help. On the other hand, the later part of "Mountain Wild Tales" began to describe some ghosts and monsters with few illustrations, which caused a great inconvenience for my understanding.
I also visited Master Han frequently and always saw Fatty sitting in front of the altar, meditating with strange makeup, mumbling to himself from time to time. It was about a week after our third exploration of Xuanming Temple when Pearl came to see me.
He asked me to meet him at a nearby teahouse, but he wasn't alone.
"Xiaoshan, this is Lingqian, a walker from Yuyang. Lingqian, this is the Ba Xiaoshan I mentioned to you."
The girl who came with Pearl had long hair that reached her waist, wearing a dark green corduroy jacket and a pair of black round-toed leather shoes. With a white shirt and a flowery bow tie, she was quite stylish, in our terms back then! She seemed like a lady from a wealthy family, but being able to mix with Pearl, she should not be an ordinary person.
She was very pretty, and the first time I met Lingqian, she left an impression as if she had come down from a movie poster.
Her skin was smooth and white, her eyes big, with shallow dimples, and she had an extraordinary temperament. When she entered the teahouse, she attracted a lot of attention.
"Hello."
I hurriedly shook hands with her. Her hand was a bit cold, but her smile was very sweet.
"Xiaoshan, my brother and Lingqian have known each other for a long time. Their family's ancestors were once high-ranking officials and are a truly scholarly family..."
Pearl's brother introduced with a smile, but Lingqian shook her head and said, "No, let me introduce myself. I am a descendant of the Yuyang Kunyu faction. I just completed my apprenticeship two years ago, and now I'm working as a walker. This time I have some business and wanted Pearl's help, but he recommended you to me."
Yuyang Kunyu faction? Walker? I hadn't heard of either, they sounded like something from mythology. I blinked and didn't know how to respond for a moment, but Pearl chuckled and spoke up for me, "Xiaoshan has just entered the industry not long ago, but he has learned from Master Yu, the senior of the Zhengyi faction in Beijing. You're his senior, and I hope you can guide him this time."
"Oh? Is it Senior Yu Fangxian? You are indeed lucky. He is a senior of the Zhengyi faction, and a few years ago, I had the honor of meeting him once with my Master. I don't know what skills you learned from Senior Yu? I have been a walker for some time, and my older brother has a good reputation in the circle. If you're new, joining my brother's side is also a good choice for making a living."
She seemed to have changed her tone, seeming a bit cold when she learned that I had just entered the industry.
I didn't fully understand until I got here. It's revealing that a stranger makes someone follow them for a meal as soon as they meet, it's a clear sign of the haughty demeanor.
Her temperament doesn't match her appearance, she looks calm and gentle but is actually from a noble family, and is also a descendant of the Kunyu sect, so extremely arrogant. Even though I'm a social outcast and a wanderer, I still feel somewhat indignant. This girl speaks too harshly, and immediately puts on an air of superiority just after meeting, so I lost all the good impression I had of her. Honestly, I can't stand these kinds of arrogant and ignorant people. It's the era of reform and opening up, yet they still think they are superior.
"Oh, I haven't learned any skills, and I'm not considered his disciple. In short, I'm just an ordinary person. Zhuzi, I have something to do, so I'll be leaving."
As the saying goes, "people of different paths can't work together". If you look down on me, I don't want your respect either. I don't want to argue with a woman, so I'm leaving.
I didn't expect that as soon as I stood up, Zhuzi smiled and said, "This time, the business is a big one, and it can't be done without you."
I was stunned and turned to look at Zhuzi, asking, "Brother, what do you mean?"
"This time we need to catch a ghost, which was recorded in your 'Mountain and Wild Tales', but unfortunately I sold the book to you. So I brought Lingqian to find you to join us. The price is not low, five thousand yuan, will you do it?"
I was taken aback, five thousand is not a small amount for me, it can also support Fatty and his uncle, without money, one has no confidence. Besides, I'm not so principled, as long as it doesn't cross my bottom line, I'll let go.
"How will we split it?"
I asked.
"I won't participate, each of you will get half. If you agree, let's sign a contract and start work tomorrow!"
Zhuzi took out a piece of paper from his pocket and spread it out in front of me.