We waited outside for a while.
Uncle-master came out from the inner room wearing a Zhongshan suit.
Seeing Uncle-master, I immediately stood up and respectfully called out:
"Uncle-master!"
Upon seeing him, Wu Jing also quickly got up and tremblingly called out:
"Daoist priest!"
Uncle-master grunted and looked at Wu Jing:
"Playing cards with ghosts?"
Wu Jing nodded:
"Yes, I... I played and lost thirty years of my life."
At the same time, I handed over the IOU.
"Uncle-master, please look at this!"
Uncle-master's expression had been calm, but when he saw the IOU I handed him, his expression clearly changed.
His brows furrowed slightly:
"Life-span IOU!"
"Life-span IOU? Master, is there something special about this IOU?"
Old Mo asked.
I also looked at Uncle-master curiously.
After reading the contents of the IOU, Uncle-master's brows were tightly knit:
"A life-span IOU, also known as a life-and-death tally. It's a contract signed between the living and the dead. A debt is a debt, written on paper. It's difficult..."
As Uncle-master said this, Wu Jing became flustered:
"Daoist priest, Daoist priest, you must save me, save me!"
After speaking, Wu Jing anxiously tried to kneel down again.
But I and Old Mo held him up.
Old Mo even said:
"Master, what's so difficult about this! It's just gambling debt owed to a few ghosts, right? If we burn some more paper money for them, won't that settle it?"
Before Uncle-master could answer, I said:
"Old Mo, the ghosts lent him real money, RMB. Not spirit money."
"Ah? Lent real money? Playing cards with ghosts, and they're using real money?"
Old Mo was surprised and looked at Wu Jing.
Wu Jing nodded:
"Yes, the money I won at that mahjong hall before, all of it could be used. I bought clothes, pants, computers, phones, and I even topped up my games. Oh, and this watch that cost twenty thousand, I bought it with the money won at that mahjong hall."
The reason I came to find Uncle-master was because the money Wu Jing received was real money. If it were spirit money, there would be no need to worry about IOUs at all. We living people don't use spirit money. But the ghosts used real money and also took an IOU, so the situation was tricky. That's why I came to consult Uncle-master.
Old Mo was very shocked and pressed further:
"Then, how much did you win before?"
Wu Jing answered honestly:
"About two hundred thousand, I think! Besides what I spent, I later borrowed another three hundred thousand. But I lost it all, and ended up owing thirty years of my life."
After hearing this, Old Mo frowned:
"Then you were ripped off too much for your life. Thirty years is only worth three hundred thousand, and you didn't bring back a single cent. Now they have an IOU to claim your life. Damn it, it's a dead end!"
Uncle-master also sighed:
"When you borrow money from ghosts, how can you get a good deal? When you win money, they want your lifespan. The money you brought out before was exchanged for your life, that was your winnings. Mr. Wu's body has already lost at least ten years of its lifespan. Moreover, those ghosts won't bear any karmic debt because of this."
"Ten... ten years?"
We all looked at Wu Jing in surprise.
An inch of time is worth an inch of gold, and an inch of gold cannot buy an inch of time. Thirty years of lifespan, with the IOU in hand, there was still a chance to get it back. But the ten years of lifespan he lost at the beginning were truly gone just like that...
Uncle-master continued:
"The problem now is how to get the IOU back. And this IOU is for borrowing money with life as collateral. If it's not retrieved, thirty years of life will be gone."
Seeing Uncle-master's difficult expression, I also lowered my face slightly:
"Uncle-master, what should we do about this? Can't we do anything about this kind of ghost borrowing money and people selling their lifespan? Or should we really gather three hundred thousand and pay it back?"
At that moment, all of us looked at Uncle-master.
Wu Jing started crying on the spot:
"I... I don't have three hundred thousand. I'm from a rural village. Even selling my house wouldn't be enough! Even if I went to sell a kidney now, it would be too late!"
Uncle-master waved his hand, signaling him to calm down.
Then Uncle-master said coldly:
"Of course, it can be dealt with. It's impossible to pay back thirty thousand. Besides, when playing cards with ghosts, they win when they want to win and lose when they want to lose. There is no fairness at all. Money goes from one pocket to another. The borrowed money has already returned to their hands. Speaking more broadly, the country is now cracking down heavily on illegal loan sharking and illegal gambling dens. This kind of situation where wild ghosts lend money and sell lifespan, although the life-span IOU blocks karma and exploits loopholes, letting them do this disrupts the order of yin and yang! What are we, the maintainers of yin and yang order, for then? Moreover, in the end, those ghosts probably won't want money, they only want his life."
Hearing Uncle-master say it could be dealt with, Wu Jing saw a glimmer of hope. Old Mo and I also listened intently, wanting to hear how to handle a life-span IOU.
Seeing us all looking at him, Uncle-master continued:
"This matter is actually not difficult. It's just troublesome and requires a lot of talking. When you go to handle it, bring plenty of spirit money. Meet the ghost shopkeeper and talk it over first. See if you can get the life-span IOU back. It's also possible to pay some incense and votive offerings. After all, as long as the IOU exists, it is a death warrant and a karmic debt for Mr. Wu. If it's not retrieved, Mr. Wu will always bear this karma. Even after death, he will still be in debt. He will have to repay it in the next life. Of course, don't be too humble. We are Bai Pai Daoists, we cannot lose face. If it can be resolved peacefully, that's the best. If not, act according to the situation. Kill if you should kill, destroy if you should destroy. If you can't handle it, bring Mr. Wu back. Then I will take action. We cannot let these specters cause trouble in our territory..."