Chen Yao had already joined, and she was my junior sister.
Protecting my junior sister was only natural.
I reassured Brother Chen.
Saying I would go over in the evening was to give Chen Yao some experience.
It was just about getting into the trade faster, nothing to worry about.
Brother Chen was much more relieved after hearing my words.
After waiting for about twenty minutes, Martial Uncle came out with Old Mo and Chen Yao.
"Martial Uncle! Old Mo, Chen Yao."
I stood up and greeted them.
Martial Uncle nodded when he saw me.
Old Mo made a gesture like Ultraman shooting lasers at me, incredibly chuunibyou.
Chen Yao grinned, showing her little tiger teeth, and called out to me:
"Senior Brother Qin Ze."
At this moment, Martial Uncle took out a wooden box wrapped in red string from under a cabinet:
"Little Yao! You will go with Little Mo and Little Qin tonight.
Your master is giving you this Scarlet Phoenix Peachwood Sword.
From now on, this will be your magical artifact."
After speaking, he blew a breath onto the wooden box, and a puff of dust emerged.
I didn't know about this peachwood sword, but Old Mo's eyes lit up when he saw it:
"Master, you, you're not giving it to me?"
Martial Uncle rolled his eyes:
"You brute, using an axe is enough for you.
This Scarlet Phoenix Peachwood Sword was the exclusive sword of your Aunt Yunxiao back then.
It was originally meant for women, giving it to you would be a waste."
As he spoke, he cheerfully opened the box and took out a relatively slender,
blood-red peachwood sword with phoenix carvings on it.
The moment I saw it, I felt a jolt of apprehension.
This was definitely made from high-grade peachwood, and it was very rare for it to be this red.
I was also surprised to learn that this was Aunt Yunxiao's exclusive magical artifact.
Aunt Yunxiao's status in Martial Uncle's heart was self-evident.
Martial Uncle had kept this peachwood sword for so long and was now giving it to Chen Yao.
It showed how much Martial Uncle valued Chen Yao as a disciple.
Chen Yao nodded and respectfully accepted it with both hands:
"Thank you, Master."
Old Mo's envy was completely undisguised.
But there was nothing he could do.
With this new junior sister, Old Mo's status was likely to be challenged.
Seeing Martial Uncle bestowing the sword upon Chen Yao, Brother Chen was also quite excited.
Brother Chen had wanted to learn the Dao for decades without success.
Now that his niece had become Martial Uncle's beloved disciple, he was genuinely gratified.
"Uncle Tang, if Little Yao misbehaves in the future, you tell me.
I'll definitely discipline her!"
"Second Uncle."
Chen Yao pouted.
Martial Uncle stroked his Eight-character mustache:
"Hahaha, I think Little Yao is quite good. She will surely carry our lineage forward.
It's almost time for dinner.
Let's go to the restaurant to eat."
Martial Uncle was very happy, and after speaking, he invited us to go out to eat.
Because Xiao Mei was sleeping, I didn't go back to call her.
I went straight to the restaurant.
In the private room, Martial Uncle explained the general situation for the evening.
And the reasons behind it.
Old Grave Slope, the mass burial ground on the west side of the city.
That was the same graveyard where Brother Chen had asked me to carry the yellow chicken to before.
When Old Mo and I went to the Underworld Building to ask for longevity, Martial Uncle wasn't playing chess with some old men.
One of the old men said that
his son had returned from that area and encountered something strange. Many people had approached him to talk, and he had ultimately passed out.
Now he had returned with only half his life left and was lying at home.
So, he asked Martial Uncle to take a look.
It turned out that the old man's son had been drained of his yang energy by a malevolent spirit, and yin energy had entered his body.
He had fallen seriously ill upon returning and was bedridden.
Martial Uncle burned a few talismans and gave the boy the talisman water to drink, which then led to some improvement.
Because the matter was "not major," just a ghost sucking human vitality,
he had planned to have me and Old Mo handle it after we returned from the Underworld Building.
After all, Martial Uncle was already of retirement age, and he didn't need to personally handle every matter.
The next day, before Old Mo and I could wake up,
Chen Yao, as per their previous arrangement, found time to come over.
At the same time, she formally became a disciple and offered incense to the ancestors.
In order to give Chen Yao some experience,
this matter had been delayed for three days, until now.
Our purpose for going today is mainly to resolve the matter at Old Grave Slope.
And to gain experience for Chen Yao.
Chen Yao had seen ghosts in the hospital and knew how powerful those things were, so she listened very attentively.
Old Mo, at this moment, patted his chest and said:
"Don't worry, Junior Sister Yao, with your senior brother here.
Those little ghosts will be dealt with in minutes.
When we go tonight, you just stand by and watch, go through the motions."
Martial Uncle listened, but raised his hand to stop him:
"We are not going there today for Little Yao to go through the motions.
If the malevolent spirit is not powerful, and while ensuring Little Yao's safety, let her handle it herself first to build her courage.
Then, we will eliminate all the evil spirits at Old Grave Slope."
Chen Yao was a nurse and had seen a lot of life and death.
She had also seen ghosts before.
Her courage was greater than that of ordinary people.
At this moment, she said very seriously:
"Master, don't worry!
Being a nurse is about saving people, and being a Taoist priest is also about saving people.
I have remembered everything you taught me.
I won't be a burden to my two senior brothers.
Once I learn the skills, I will be able to save more people."
Chen Yao was sincere, and this was not just a platitude.
Her philosophy for becoming a disciple was different from both me and Old Mo.
I had embarked on this path purely to survive.
Old Mo wanted to be a hero, so he joined and became a disciple.
Chen Yao was completely different; being a medical worker was her ideal.
Her belief in "saving the dying and helping the living" was deeper than all of ours.
As a nurse, she meticulously cared for every patient, even the smallest details were handled to the extreme.
She just wanted to save people, she didn't want to watch one vibrant life after another wither away.
She hadn't uttered a single lie.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have thrown herself to block the fatal claw of the yellow weasel crone for Old Mo...