“Is that so?”
Shui Miao stepped forward. “But I don’t see anything particularly special about you.”
Shui Miao was deliberately provoking the creature, hoping it would reveal something about itself.
“Hmph! I am the Spirit of Yin Sanctity! You, a mere low-level cultivator, are too weak to even recognize my obvious characteristics. I’m not even in the mood to play with you—get ready to lose your hand!” The creature growled angrily, and suddenly a mass of blood-red energy leapt from the basin and wrapped around Shui Miao’s hand. With a splash, the chicken blood poured to the ground, and Shui Miao’s hand turned black again, with the dice pattern reappearing clearly on the back.
So it really was the Spirit of Yin Sanctity!
Internally, Shui Miao was thrilled, but outwardly, he remained calm and expressionless.
Still, something puzzled him. Why hadn’t he known about the Spirit of Water Sanctity when he had absorbed it before? Could it have been that during that time on the boat, when he purified a ghost, that ghost had carried the Spirit of Water Sanctity within it? If that were the case, then this Spirit of Yin Sanctity was far more powerful—and far more vicious. Within seven days, either his hand would be severed, or he would be killed.
Shui Miao wasn’t the least bit worried about the Spirit of Yin Sanctity harming him, but he was concerned it might escape.
He had always had a vague feeling that the green Feng Shui Ruler given to him by the middle-aged Confucian scholar was a treasure, one that could protect him—it might even be a sacred artifact capable of repelling evil spirits.
…
Shui Miao glanced at the terrified crowd who had backed far away, then without a word, he simply turned and walked off.
On the way, he tried to speak to the Spirit of Yin Sanctity, but received no response at all.
Still, he could clearly sense its presence on the back of his hand, as if the hand itself had become its home.
He couldn’t help but wonder—why did this Spirit of Yin Sanctity enjoy making people lose their hands? It couldn’t be doing this merely for amusement. There had to be a purpose. Severed hands, ash urns, and dice—what was the connection between them?
With these questions in mind, Shui Miao continued walking forward in silence.
Before long, he saw an electric tricycle approaching. It was Huoxiang.
“Big Brother Shui Miao, I came to pick you up. Let’s go to the station together.” Huoxiang had just caused quite a scene after her mother abandoned Shui Miao. She was a grateful person—Shui Miao had saved her father’s life and paid for her schooling. How could she possibly abandon such a benefactor?
Without hesitation, Shui Miao accepted naturally and got on the vehicle.
During the ride, he remained silent, deep in thought about how to deal with the Spirit of Yin Sanctity.
After a few minutes, Huoxiang couldn’t help but ask, “Big Brother Shui Miao, are you angry?”
“Why would I be angry? I’m fine. You don’t need to overthink things.” Shui Miao gave her a slight smile.
She didn’t seem convinced. “But we left you behind—it was really wrong of us.”
“Don’t say that. I have my own path to walk, and you have yours. We should just follow our own ways naturally. So, you didn’t abandon me—I think it was more like I abandoned you.”
“Why do you say that?” Huoxiang was confused.
Shui Miao smiled faintly and said softly, “I brought you out, but then I left without properly settling you in. I can’t be sure whether your future fortune will be good or bad. If you rent a bad house, your business goes downhill, and your luck worsens, then it becomes my responsibility. After all, it was me who convinced your father to leave, so I would feel like I’ve abandoned you.”
“That doesn’t make sense! You’re thinking about it the wrong way,” Huoxiang immediately argued. “It’s like someone falling into a pit—you pull them out and save their life, but that doesn’t mean you have to be responsible for making sure they never fall into a pit again. If you feel responsible for every single thing, how can you live your life? If every word you say binds you to a lifetime of responsibility, you’d end up working yourself to death!”
“Hehe, that’s not how I see it. I’m just following my heart,” Shui Miao changed the subject. “By the way, I still don’t know which university you’re going to.”
The two started chatting.
Huoxiang was supposed to attend university in Nanjing, but after everything she’d experienced, she wasn’t even sure she wanted to go anymore. She really wanted to follow Shui Miao and learn Feng Shui, but she didn’t know how to bring it up. She also knew her idea was naive and impractical, but she still hoped to stay by his side and learn as much as she could about Feng Shui. So after answering his question, she began asking him about his personal life, like whether he had a girlfriend—subtle probes into his situation.
To discourage her, Shui Miao answered that he did.
Huoxiang felt a pang of disappointment, but quickly adjusted her mood and asked if he would be her master.
Shui Miao smiled faintly. Not wanting to entangle himself in more karmic ties, he said they could just be friends.
Time passed quickly, and the electric tricycle stopped near the station.
Shui Miao bought a mobile phone, gave the number to Huoxiang, and didn’t say much more to Huo Yuanliang.
Then, they parted ways.
Shui Miao bought a train ticket to Zhonghai City and waited in the station hall.
The hall was bustling with people. Shui Miao noticed that the Spirit of Yin Sanctity attached to his hand kept absorbing purple energy from the crowd. It never missed a single person who had such energy. This made Shui Miao increasingly annoyed and angry—because many of these people were ordinary citizens, struggling to make ends meet, and they desperately needed good fortune.
Since there were still over two hours before the train arrived, Shui Miao considered using the Feng Shui Ruler given by the middle-aged Confucian scholar to strike his right hand hard, hoping to destroy the Spirit of Yin Sanctity. But just as he was about to act, two figures suddenly appeared on either side of his seat—a ghost and a demon.
One was Bai Feng, the female ghost, and the other was the black serpent demon.
Of course, normal people couldn’t see them.
Bai Feng spoke coldly, “You can’t go back. My master knows you’re returning, and she will be furious. When she gets angry, she kills people—and I will suffer along with you. All my centuries of cultivation will be destroyed.”
“Little Master, I was sent by the Yin God to protect you. No matter where you go, I will follow,” the black serpent demon, now in spirit form, said. He had sacrificed his physical body after pledging allegiance to the Yin God, but the Yin God had given him a Soul-Strengthening Pill, making his demonic spirit even more powerful than Bai Feng’s.
Before Shui Miao could respond, Bai Feng continued, “If you insist on going back, then I’ll go with you. At worst, I’ll just reincarnate. But before that, I want to see clearly whether my master is really as despicable as the Yin God claims.”
“You don’t even believe what the Yin God says?” the serpent demon sneered. “But don’t worry, Little Master. The Yin God taught me two concealment techniques. We can sneak in quietly, no noise, no commotion. If we find that the old hag is truly evil, we’ll just retreat quickly and let the Yin God deal with her.”
Sighing deeply, Shui Miao suddenly said, “Taoist priests usually fight demons and expel evil spirits, but me? I’m surrounded by ghosts and monsters. I could even form a team to journey west to fetch the scriptures. How can I face this situation with dignity?”
Then, raising his right hand, he coldly smiled and said, “Since you two are so capable, why don’t you start by helping me fix my hand?”
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