The master pointed his sword, and as the incantation was uttered, the cinnabar talisman on Dandan's body suddenly flashed. In the next second, Dandan, who had been sleeping soundly, began to tremble violently. The flames of the eight candles surrounding Dandan flickered as if stirred by a wind, all pointing towards Dandan in the center and emitting a "huhu" sound. It looked exceptionally eerie.
I stood beside my master, motionless. The Wang family, however, could no longer remain calm. Especially when they saw Dandan twitching amidst the candles, they became agitated. "Dandan!" "Master Gu, will my son be alright?"
My master remained very calm, waving his hand. "Do not be alarmed. This humble Taoist is using the Six Ding Protective Spell. In a little while, the malevolent energy within the child will be forced out by the power of the talismans. Once the flames of the eight candles are extinguished, you can bring the child out."
As soon as my master finished speaking, wisps of black energy, visible to the naked eye, began to emanate from Dandan's blind left eye. Witnessing such a strange scene, the Wang family became restless. Dandan's twitching gradually subsided as the malevolent energy dispersed. The eight candles surrounding him were extinguished one by one. My master, meanwhile, sat leisurely nearby, smoking and drinking tea.
After about five minutes, the last candle around Dandan was extinguished. At that very moment, Dandan's body arched upwards like a curved shrimp, and he let out a sharp gasp. The Wang family, startled and fearful, rushed forward. Wang Qin hugged Dandan, her voice filled with concern, "Dandan, Dandan..."
Dandan did not respond, but opened his mouth and began to vomit "wawa" sounds. What he spat out, however, was mouthfuls of thick, sticky black blood. "Master Gu, Master Gu, my son is spitting blood!" Wang Qin cried out anxiously.
Before my master could respond, I answered from beside him, "Don't worry, Sister Qin, Dandan is all better!" Although I didn't know what Dandan had vomited, I saw the calm expression on my master's face and the black film over Dandan's left eye was gone. Thus, I made my conclusion. After vomiting, Dandan's condition had clearly improved. He rubbed his eyes and then said in surprise, "Mom, I can see you with this eye now."
As Dandan spoke, everyone noticed that the hand he used to rub his eyes was his naturally crippled left hand, which doctors had diagnosed as having muscular atrophy. "Dan-Dandan, you-your hand can move too?" Uncle Wang and Auntie Wang widened their eyes in astonishment, crouching down to examine Dandan's left hand and eye. Wang Qin and Lu Yong also looked incredibly surprised and emotional.
Dandan looked at his left hand in confusion, then exclaimed with joy, "It's true! My hand can move, it can move..." Seeing this, the Wang family was overcome with uncontrollable joy. They danced and cheered, and Wang Qin hugged Dandan, weeping with emotion. They had visited countless hospitals, but no one could cure Dandan's eyes and hand. They had long given up hope on this matter. Yet now, Dandan's hand and eyes had been healed by my master with a tub of bathwater and a few candles and talismans. This left them so surprised they wondered if it was a dream.
Uncle Wang hurried forward and thanked my master profusely. "Daoist Master Gu, you are truly an immortal descended to earth! You have so easily cured my grandson's chronic ailments." My master waved his hand and chuckled a few times. "Daoist Master Gu, your kindness is immense. I kowtow to you!" Lu Yong even knelt before my master, tears of emotion streaming down his face.
My master put down his teacup. "Young man, there is no need for this. This humble Taoist has been cultivating since childhood. Exorcising evil and warding off misfortune is my duty. Healing the child is also a meritorious deed." My master spoke with a smile, appearing as a recluse of the world. I helped Lu Yong to his feet.
The Wang family was now utterly convinced of my master's abilities. If my master said a rock was an immortal pill, they would likely believe him without question. This was because of my master's profound skill, effortlessly healing Dandan's eyes and hand, and dispelling the malevolent energy from his body. After expressing their gratitude, the Wang family inquired about the fees with a hint of nervousness in their eyes. After all, our Wanfu Hall was not a charity. Our livelihood of observing matters and exorcising spirits came with a price. Seeing the considerable expense of the Chinese herbs I had bought, they anticipated a high cost.
However, the Wang family did not know that my master generally treated ordinary clients at a reasonable price. He only extorted the exorbitant fees from wealthy patrons who were overly superstitious and profited from illicit gains. Excluding the cost of over nine thousand for medicinal herbs, everything else totaled to thirteen thousand, which also included the expenses incurred tonight dealing with the ghost child. Upon hearing this price, the Wang family felt they had struck an incredible bargain. Never mind sending away the ghost child, a life-threatening task that tested true skill; they had already spent tens of thousands at various hospitals to treat Dandan's hand and eyes with no success.
The Wang family was overcome with gratitude and thanked my master and me repeatedly, paying the full amount upfront. Lu Yong also gave us his house key and address. He even asked if they needed to assist us when sending away the ghost child tonight. My master waved his hand, telling them not to worry and that Wanfu Hall would handle the remaining matters. He then pointed to the shop opposite, Wanshou Tang. "There's a fellow named Tang Lin in the shop across the street who is skilled in acupuncture. Go there shortly and have him give the child some acupuncture to unblock the meridians. The child will be like a normal child in no time..."