My uncle activated the iron needle with Daoist techniques, causing it to emit black mist and runes. He exclaimed in shock that it was a "Black Demon Needle," a term I had never heard from my master before.
At the same time, Old Mo walked out from the house holding a water cup. Seeing the "Black Demon Needle" suspended in front of my uncle, he curiously asked, "Master, what is this thing?"
My uncle's expression turned grim. Staring at the Black Demon Needle, he explained, "This is a magical artifact of the Black Demon Cult. It can make ghosts become frenzied and their strength multiply for a short period."
My uncle was right. Last night, that female ghost had gone berserk after the iron needle was thrust into her heavenly spirit gate. But what exactly was this "Black Demon Cult"?
"Master, what is the Black Demon Cult?" I and Old Mo both asked, confused.
My uncle, however, retrieved the Black Demon Needle and put it away. "It's a cult from the southwest that practices some peculiar evil arts. They were quite famous in the southwest years ago. Their most formidable weapon is this Black Demon Needle. When I was young, my master and I encountered them. But later, they were annihilated by the righteous sects. I never expected the Black Demon Cult to reappear after so many years."
Upon hearing this, Old Mo and I exchanged glances, a sense of unease creeping into our hearts. What was going on? The Underworld Cult, the Longevity Society, various wild immortals and demonic beasts, and now the Black Demon Cult. I felt like the world had descended into chaos.
Seeing my silence, my uncle continued, "How did you encounter those ghosts last night?"
As my uncle pressed, I recounted my experience ordering takeout last night, from encountering the takeout ghost to finding the ghost couple through it. I also told him about helping the female ghost Deng Xiaoxiao wake her brother at the hospital today.
After listening, my uncle nodded slightly. "Yes, Xiao Qin, you did well. Although we know methods of slaying demons and expelling ghosts, sending them away is often better than killing them. The merits accumulated this way are usually greater. However, this Black Demon Cult is no good thing. They caused a lot of trouble in the southwest years ago and committed many evil deeds. They had human cultivators, ghost cultivators, and demon cultivators alike. But a characteristic of the Black Demon Cult is that they always have a black mark on the palm of their left hand. The appearance of a ghost cultivator from the Black Demon Cult in our city indicates that their forces are definitely active in our area. You two must be extra careful when you go out."
"Understood!" Old Mo and I replied in unison.
Then, my uncle took the Black Demon Needle in his hand and, in front of us, snapped it in half. Strangely, as the Black Demon Needle broke, it immediately turned into black powder and disappeared with the wind. It had felt like an iron rod before, but now it seemed it wasn't.
Now that the origin of the iron needle was clear, I chatted with Old Mo and my uncle at the shop for a while before returning to the premises. I didn't have time to cook, so I ordered takeout and went to the back room to sort out my master's belongings. After all, with my master gone, I couldn't use most of his possessions. Since I planned to move in, I needed to clear out his room.
My master didn't have many belongings, just personal items and clothes. However, while tidying his wardrobe, I found many bank transfer slips and certificates in a drawer. Out of curiosity, I picked them up to look. To my astonishment, I saw that most of these transfer slips were made out to the Red Cross, disaster areas, and impoverished children in mountainous regions. They ranged from a couple of thousand to thirty to fifty thousand. The certificates were thank-you notes from the recipients for my master. It was then I realized where most of the money my master earned had gone – he had donated it all.
However, the card my master left me when he passed away still had over 130,000 yuan, mainly for the shop's daily expenses and operations. As long as I continued to run it normally, given the current profitability of our shop, there would be no losses. I gathered all these transfer slips and certificates, along with his old clothes, and packed them together, intending to burn them for my master.
I spent the entire day tidying up the shop and my master's belongings. Four or five customers came in, but they only bought incense and candles; none of them came for readings. In the afternoon, I informed Xiao Mei and closed up shop to return to my rented apartment. As I was leaving, Old Mo invited me for a drink, but I declined because there were still many things to sort out at home. I told him another time.
Upon returning to my rented apartment, I began packing my things. At the same time, I called my landlord to inform him that I would be moving out the next day and asked him to come and inspect the apartment and return my deposit. My landlord, being a stingy old man, immediately changed his tone upon hearing I was moving out. He told me to wait for him tomorrow morning, and that if any furniture or items in the room were damaged, I would have to compensate them at full price. His words were unpleasant. I didn't take it to heart, though, as I had lived there for a year and hadn't broken any of his furniture. That night, I meditated for a while before going to sleep.
The next morning, my rather harsh landlady came to collect the keys.