The middle-aged woman, tears streaming down her face, looked at the child in her arms with great sadness.
Although I didn't possess my master's abilities, based on my previous experiences and the little boy's current state, he seemed very similar to how I had been a few days prior. Combined with the woman's words, I felt her inference was highly likely. This child was probably being plagued by an unclean spirit, causing his luck to wane and his yang energy to diminish. That's why he appeared so drowsy and listless.
However, I wasn't experienced enough to make an immediate judgment. I told the woman not to worry, and that my master would be out shortly. If it truly was some sort of ailment, my master would surely be able to resolve it for her son.
Hearing my words, the middle-aged woman's mood improved somewhat. Not long after, my master emerged from the house, wearing a Zhongshan suit. Although his eyes were still a bit bloodshot, he generally appeared quite energetic.
"Master! This lady said her son has been having nightmares about his deceased father and often wakes up crying at night." I stepped forward and explained the problem the middle-aged woman was facing.
Seeing me call out to my master, the middle-aged woman quickly stood up. "Are you Master Gu? I beg you to examine my son." She nudged the child in front of her.
My master nodded slightly, his expression calm. "Madam, please do not panic. Kindly tell me the situation again."
After listening, the middle-aged woman recounted the details to me, but this time, more elaborately. She explained that her husband had died in a car accident half a month ago. Before the seventh day after his death had even passed, money inexplicably appeared in her son's clothes pockets, sometimes one to two hundred yuan, other times thirty to fifty.
Initially, she thought her son had taken money from home and had even reprimanded him. But later, she realized something was amiss, as no money was missing from the house. Furthermore, there wasn't much loose change lying around at home. Yet, intermittently, money would still appear in the child's pockets, which greatly puzzled her. She then suspected her son had found some of his father's hidden savings. However, after searching the house thoroughly multiple times, she found nothing extra. The child himself consistently claimed ignorance.
Moreover, she had watched her son the entire day, making the situation even stranger. Just as she was at a loss, her son began waking up and crying multiple times a night. When asked why, the child couldn't explain it clearly. It wasn't until a few days later that the child said he had seen his father! His father made funny faces to scare him and put money into his pockets. Coupled with the money frequently appearing in his clothes, the middle-aged woman finally pieced things together, wondering if her deceased husband had returned.
Holding her child, she began to speak through her tears, "My husband and I were a couple who had lost a child. We finally had our second baby at forty. My husband and I doted on him immensely. I thought perhaps my husband couldn't bear to leave our child and had returned to see him. At first, I was quite happy. He's dead, yes, but he is still my husband, the child's father. Even in death, he thinks of our child and sends money back for us. Every day, I cooked meals for three. Although I never saw my husband, I thought that as the child's father, he wouldn't harm him. So, I told my son not to be scared, saying his father was coming back from work to play with him.
But after a few days, the child's complexion grew worse. He would often cry for no reason and tremble uncontrollably. I told a neighbor about it, and she said it was a ghost visiting. The dead should not be close to the living. If this continued, my child might be taken away by my deceased husband. A neighbor introduced me to this place..."
At this point, the middle-aged woman was sobbing uncontrollably, clutching her child tightly. I stood by, listening intently, and finally looked at my master. "Master, what do you think of this? Has the child's father really returned?"
My master, perhaps accustomed to such situations, showed no change in his emotions. He merely nodded and said, "That's right, the child is entangled by an unclean spirit. His yang fire is currently weak, and his vitality is not strong. If this continues, it will be like your previous situation, with the possibility of losing his life!"
Hearing this, the middle-aged woman's face turned ashen. She knelt down with her child with a thud. "Master Gu, Master Gu, you must save my child! He is my life. If he is taken away by his father, I don't want to live either."
The child, startled by his mother's intense reaction, suddenly began to cry. "Wah, wah, wah," he cried, holding onto his mother. It was heartbreaking to witness. This family was already pitiful enough. To lose another child would inflict such immense trauma upon them.
Seeing her kneel, my master quickly helped the middle-aged woman up. "Madam, please get up. Since you have found me, I, Gu, will not stand idly by. Since it is your husband who is clinging to the child, the matter should be easily resolved. Tonight, I will have my disciple go over. He will meet your husband and explain the situation clearly. Once he understands, he will naturally leave..."
Hearing this, my heart skipped a beat, and I looked at my master in surprise. Me? I'm still being plagued by a ghost! Can I handle this?
"Master..." I started to speak, but my master stopped me. "Say no more. Since you have entered this path, you will encounter such matters sooner or later. Moreover, accumulating virtue and performing great deeds is also a way to replenish your inner strength..."