Dandan's eyes and hands, though granted the ability to see and act, were still relatively weak. His eyesight was blurry, and his hands could barely muster the strength to hold chopsticks. The Wang family, deeply impressed by my master's abilities, listened intently as he explained that Dandan's eyes and hands would recover to normal levels after acupuncture. They all turned their gazes towards the opposite Wanshou Hall, expressing their gratitude to my master repeatedly and with great excitement.
Wang Qin, holding her child, also expressed her deep gratitude. "Thank you, Daoist Gu, for your guidance. We will bring Dandan over shortly. Your kindness is immense and beyond repayment!"
My master waved his hand. "No trouble, no trouble. Go quickly, it will be dark soon. That old fellow might be drunk by then. Once this matter with the little ghost is resolved, I will notify you by phone."
The Wang family nodded, thanked him again, and then turned to leave Wanfu Hall.
Master Mo Ting, the proprietor of Wanshou Hall, Daoist Tang Lin, had some unknown friction with my master, but he was also a skilled Taoist master with genuine abilities. Mo Ting had mentioned that besides Taoist arts, Daoist Tang was also proficient in acupuncture, with very skillful techniques. He could invigorate muscles and blood, and treat ailments like headaches and fevers with just a few needles. I hadn't seen it myself, but my master always held a grudge against Daoist Tang. Yet, he was willing to let the Wang family take the child to Wanshou Hall for acupuncture. This indicated that Daoist Tang's acupuncture skills were indeed considerable.
After the Wang family left, my master picked up his pipe and began to smoke it deeply. As he puffed away, he said, "Little Qin! You'll go handle the matter of dealing with the little ghost later. Although the Duoming Tong hasn't fully matured, it shouldn't be underestimated. Remember to bring a pair of earplugs when you go. When that thing screams, it can shatter eardrums. After dealing with the little ghost, remember to burn its golden effigy for it."
Hearing my master's words, I responded with an "Mm." Then I continued, "Master, there's one more thing. My fortune has improved recently. My eyes can no longer see malevolent spirits clearly."
My master slapped his forehead upon hearing this. "Ah! I forgot about that. Wait a moment!" With that, my master, still holding his pipe, walked into the inner room. After a short while, he emerged with a small black medicine bottle, about five centimeters long, with a spray nozzle. He handed the small bottle directly to me. "This is a medicinal liquid mixed with seven-star grass and ox eye fluid. It can temporarily reduce your 'eye fire.' When you need to open your eyes, spray it on your eyelids and rub them in. It lasts for about half an hour. Use it sparingly; seven-star grass and ox eye fluid are not easy to obtain, and we don't have much stock left in the shop..."
Hearing this, I happily accepted the small medicine bottle. "Thank you, Master. I will be mindful." My master nodded, saying nothing more. He took out his phone and ordered two takeaway meals. After eating and preparing all the ghost-catching tools – peach wood sword, talismans, ancestral incense ash, and so on – it was already eight o'clock in the evening. Mo Ting also sent a message, asking when I could leave. Seeing that the time was right, I asked Mo Ting to wait outside. Then, carrying the talismans, peach wood sword, and the eye-opening medicine, I bid farewell to my master. My master was playing Snake and didn't look back, merely telling me to be careful and not to be reckless when dealing with the Duoming Tong.
Leaving the shop, I went out onto the street. Mo Ting was already waiting for me at the bus stop. Seeing Old Mo, I waved. Mo Ting rolled his eyes. "Brother Qin, hurry up! The great mission of slaying demons and eliminating devils rests on our shoulders; we cannot be slack." I chuckled heartily. This kid's chuunibyou sometimes sounded quite inspiring. I walked over and said with a smile, "It's barely dark, it's not late. By the way, how is Dandan's hand treatment going?" Mo Ting extinguished his cigarette butt. "It's going well. After my master performed acupuncture on Dandan, his arm strength and vision have recovered significantly." We chatted for a few minutes, and the bus arrived. Since Lu Yong's home was also near Shuanghu Park, taking the bus from here wouldn't take much time. There weren't many people on the bus; everyone was busy with their own affairs. Mo Ting and I quietly discussed the Duoming Tong and our strategy for dealing with it tonight. We had encountered it last night and knew the ghost child's strength. Besides speed, it had no other significant abilities. With Mo Ting and me working together, the ghost child would surely be no match for us. Therefore, we decided on the simplest and most direct approach: burst in the moment the door opened, and hack away at the ghost child until it was dead... After dealing with the little ghost, we would be done.
As we chatted, we arrived at the Shuanghu Park station. After getting off the bus, I quickly found Lu Yong's residential complex using the address he had provided. I swiped my access card and entered the community. The community environment was quite good, and it was bustling with activity. Many people were strolling, practicing square dancing, or playing basketball downstairs. Mo Ting and I didn't stop, found the building, and went straight to the eighteenth floor. Lu Yong's apartment number was 18-4. Seeing this apartment number, I couldn't help but smile wryly. This floor, this number – those with weaker fates might truly not be able to handle it.
During my time studying with my master, a customer came to ask about feng shui taboos when buying a house. The only available floors for him were the 4th and 18th. The reason these floors were often disliked was that the pronunciation of 'four' in Chinese sounds like 'death,' and the 18th floor corresponds to the eighteen levels of hell. I asked my master to examine the customer's birth chart and advise him on which to choose, and if there were any feng shui taboos. He also asked if buying a property on that floor would affect his career. My master, upon receiving his birth chart, calculated it. He then advised the customer to abandon the 18th floor, stating that the customer's fate was too weak, and the 18th floor was too high, representing the eighteen levels of hell; he wouldn't be able to live there and his fate couldn't suppress it. Forcing himself to live there would only bring misfortune. Conversely, the fourth floor would not only have no negative impact but could even help his career. I asked my master why, since 'four' also represented 'death.' My master replied that 'four' not only represented 'death' but also 'matter' or 'affair.' It all depended on the individual, their fate, and whether their birth chart was compatible. The customer's birth chart indicated he was born in April, on the 4th, which was a 'heavy building.' Adding another 'four' for his residence would make it 'twelve complete.' Not only would the fourth floor not affect him negatively, but it would also be an auspicious number. For that customer, it would lead to completeness in his fate. After hearing my master's explanation, the customer paid five hundred yuan for the consultation and left, half-believing. Less than a week later, the customer returned with a basket of fruit to express his gratitude. He said that after buying the apartment on the fourth floor and signing the contract, his braised meat shop coincidentally became famous overnight on a short video platform. He now had many unexpected customers and his business was booming. People wanted to buy his ingredient recipes and open branches using his brand. Although the customer's braised meat skills were indeed good, his business had been mediocre before he bought the apartment. But after moving into the fourth floor, just as my master predicted, his birth chart and residence aligned, and his career suddenly took off. This demonstrates that not only must one have fate in their life, but residences also have a significant impact on a person's luck and fortune...