Go all out

Chapter 14: What Is the Master Hiding?

What on earth was going on? Looking at the dense cluster of footprints by the doorway, my scalp prickled. I’d lived in the courtyard behind the shop since I was a child, walking back and forth countless times every day—how come I’d never seen a ghost before? But the evidence was right in front of me—I had no choice but to believe it! “Tian Zhan, tell me exactly what’s going on,” I asked, staring at him, my composure slightly shaken. “As for exactly why your master would do this, I don’t know.” Tian Zhan shook his head. “From what I can tell, the feng shui here is yin—ghosts can come in, and spirits can come in too. Maybe your master is even reading fortunes for these beings?” “Then why didn’t I know about this? My master has never taught me anything like this.” “I can’t explain that. Doesn’t your master have a rule about fortune-telling—only during the daytime on sunny days, and only three readings a day? Perhaps at other times, he’s reading fortunes for these beings,” Tian Zhan said after a moment’s thought. “That is indeed my master’s rule. I’ve always found it strange, too. Why limit it to three readings a day? And why only during the daytime? Does my master really read fortunes for those entities on cloudy days, at night, or when it’s raining?” I don’t know the answer to that. My master has always been very kind to me, and I don’t want to doubt things I can’t be sure of. Even if he is doing that, he must have his reasons. But the row of plum-blossom-shaped footprints by the door—are those my mom’s? Could it be that my mom also went to my master for a reading, or were these footprints just from her coming straight to the back to find me? My head is getting a little confused. “There’s one more thing: the way your master designed the entrance—most people wouldn’t notice it, not even a third-level feng shui master.” Tian Zhan continued, and I was taken aback once more. “Are you saying my master didn’t want anyone to notice this?” “You could put it that way.” I fell silent, because I had absolutely no idea what to say. Everything that had just happened was merely an analysis between Tian Zhan and me; as for why it was designed this way, I wouldn’t believe it unless my master told me himself. Tian Zhan hesitated for a moment, then walked over to me. “Brother, there are some things I’m not sure if I should say.” “Go ahead,” I said, looking at Tian Zhan calmly. “Your master might not be as straightforward as you usually think he is.” Tian Zhan said slowly, “There were things I didn’t understand before, but that’s changed now. So I want to share what I’ve seen with my brother.” “All right, I get it. My master treats me well. As for those fortune-telling sessions for ghosts and spirits—it’s just that my spiritual cultivation isn’t high enough yet, so he hasn’t told me about them.” I thought for a moment before saying this. “It’s enough to just have a general idea of certain things.” Tian Zhan nodded and said nothing more. He walked off to the back yard on his own, while I stared at the footprints on the steps for a few minutes before sweeping the dust off them with a broom. Everyone has their secrets—I have mine, too. As for these matters concerning my master, it’s simply that the time hasn’t come for him to tell me yet. It’s as simple as that. I closed the shop door, glanced at Zhang Fei’er, and asked, “Would you like something to eat?” Of course, what I really meant was to light a stick of incense for her. “No, thanks, Brother Tian,” Zhang Fei’er shook her head. “All right, then.” I walked over with a smile. “So where are you planning to sleep tonight?” “I’m not going to sleep,” she said, shaking her head again. “So what are you planning to do all night?” I asked, surprised. “I can’t sleep.” “You have to try to sleep even if you can’t. Whatever you do, don’t go outside—there are a lot of ghostly officials out there tonight,” I warned her. “Okay, then I’ll just sleep sitting in the chair.” With that, Zhang Fei’er sat back down and immediately closed her eyes. I smiled and walked out to the backyard. Tian Zhan was already sprawled out on my bed, so I’d have to make a spot on the floor. I’d never actually slept in the master’s room—I’d only been in there a few times, and it looked just like my own room. I spread out a straw mat and lay down. Tian Zhan, his eyes still closed, suddenly asked me, “Um, didn’t two people die in your village a while back?” As soon as I heard that, I sensed something was off. Tian Zhan was most likely part of the paranormal investigation team—after all, the two deaths were very suspicious. If he found out that my mom was the one who killed them, she’d be in real danger. So, had he come back suddenly this time because of this? “Why aren’t you saying anything? You think I don’t know who did it?” Tian Zhan suddenly sat up, smiling at me. I was momentarily at a loss for words, completely unsure how to respond. Tian Zhan also knew about the time when my mom had raised me in the snow for several days when I was a child. Now that his spiritual powers were so strong, he must have sensed that something was definitely wrong with my mom. I paused for a moment, then asked seriously, “Tian Zhan, tell me the truth—what exactly brought you back this time?” “What? Don’t you welcome me back?” Tian Zhan deliberately changed the subject, asking with a smile. “It’s not that I don’t welcome you—it’s just…” “I know what you’re getting at, but all I can tell you is that, as a brother, I’d never do anything to hurt you. Does that put your mind at ease?” Tian Zhan was being so evasive—he was even keeping things from me. It seemed his sudden return as a master of Taoist arts wasn’t as straightforward as it appeared. “Also, in front of you, I’m still the same person I’ve always been. That’s one thing that won’t change.” Hearing that, I couldn’t help but want to spit in his face. A guy saying that to me—it sounds a bit suggestive, doesn’t it? “Don’t get any funny ideas about me, kid. I’m a straight guy through and through.” “Screw you,” Tian Zhan laughed, cursing under his breath. We both laughed. To be honest, it had been a long time since I’d joked around with a friend. Life only has real flavor when you have friends—when you have brothers. Although I didn’t know exactly why Tian Zhan had come back, he’d already made that promise to me, so naturally I felt at ease. After exchanging a few more casual words, I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep. I slept soundly until dawn. When I woke up in the morning, Tian Zhan was no longer in bed, but I saw his backpack was still there—he must have gone out to buy breakfast. I got dressed and walked over to the shop. Zhang Fei’er was standing there quietly, as if she’d been waiting for me for quite some time. She walked over, looked at me, and said, “Brother Tian, do you have a jade pendant or something like that? I’m staying by your side today—I’m not going anywhere—and I’ll leave tonight.” “I do. Wait a moment.” I nodded and walked to the counter, pulling a copper coin jade pendant out of a drawer. Zhang Fei’er said, “I’ll go inside now,” and then turned into a wisp of smoke, slipping into the pendant. The pendant instantly felt cool, like a block of ice. I smiled as I tucked it into my chest, opened the door, and set off for the hospital in the city to pay my master’s hospital bill. The 20,000 from yesterday was more than enough to cover my master’s hospital stay and medical expenses for three days, which put my mind at ease a little. After paying the bill at the hospital, I walked into my master’s room. His face was still pale, his lips chapped, and he hadn’t woken up yet. A lump formed in my throat—my master’s injuries were so severe, and he’d lost so much blood; I really didn’t know when he’d wake up. “Master, don’t worry about the shop. I’ll take good care of it until you wake up. And please, just rest. I’ll handle the money—you just rest easy.” After whispering these words, I stayed in the room for a few more minutes before opening the door and walking out. I took a taxi back to the shop, but when I arrived at the entrance, Tian Zhan was still nowhere to be seen. I was puzzled—where on earth had that kid gone so early in the morning? Though puzzled, I didn’t dwell on it and simply opened the shop to do business—after all, I needed customers to come in so I could earn the money for my master’s medical bills. I sat there all morning, and to my disappointment, hardly anyone came in today. Very few people were buying anything, let alone coming in for fortune-telling. Out of desperation, I went to the back and quickly whipped up some egg fried rice to fill my stomach, then got ready to continue in the afternoon. But even after sitting there all afternoon, the shop’s revenue was only a few dozen yuan. I started to panic—if tomorrow was like this too, how would I come up with the several thousand yuan a day for my master’s medical bills? By evening, I’d lost count of how many times I’d sighed. “Tian, don’t worry. Business isn’t great today, but it’ll definitely be great tomorrow.” I could hear Zhang Fei’er’s voice in my ear. “Thanks,” I said softly. Come evening, I was just about to call Tian Zhan—it was already late, and I needed to take Zhang Fei’er home—but the moment I pulled out my phone, someone walked in through the door. When I saw who it was, I jumped to my feet. “Uncle He, what brings you here? Are you looking to buy something?” I asked with a smile. Uncle He was an old acquaintance from the village; he’d always been kind to me when I was a kid, and he was very close with my master. “I’m here to pick out a few things for myself,” Uncle He said with a smile as he stepped inside. Just as I was about to go greet him, I suddenly heard Zhang Fei’er’s wary voice in my ear: “Brother Tian, don’t go over there yet!” I froze. What’s going on?