Grandma, despite her frailty, forced a cheerful demeanor to hide her worry.
She was trying to comfort me.
The more she did, the more I resolved to protect her from further harm.
I first gave Grandma some Spirit Nurturing Tea to help restore her energy.
Then, I prepared some congee.
But Grandma had no appetite and didn't eat.
She was also drowsy.
I encouraged her to rest, then stepped outside to call my master.
My master sounded like he was in a bustling area, very noisy.
He seemed happy to hear from me:
"Xiao Qin, what is it?"
"Master, something has happened at home.
I need to ask how to handle this matter."
I spoke with a sense of gravity.
My master, sensing my serious tone, asked me to wait.
He found a quieter spot before speaking:
"What happened?"
Without hesitation, I recounted how I had returned a few days prior and eradicated the entire nest of weasels.
I also detailed how my grandmother was found by villagers to have jumped into a well last night.
And my suspicion that the weasels were responsible, explaining the entire sequence of events.
My master sounded utterly shocked after hearing my story.
Even for someone who had weathered many storms, he exclaimed in surprise:
"Good lad, you've only been away a few days, and you've managed to wipe out a whole nest of weasels."
"Yes, Master. All told, there were perhaps sixty or seventy of them, big and small."
I replied truthfully.
My master gasped on the phone, then gave a wry chuckle:
"Xiao Qin! Those weasels are no easy foe.
They are truly formidable when provoked, but once crossed, you must eliminate them completely.
Based on what you've said, it must be the weasels causing trouble.
They might be the survivors from that place called the逍遥楼 (Xiāoyáo Lóu).
Once you offend them, they won't rest until your family is ruined.
Here's what I suggest.
Do as I say tonight. If it is indeed that entity bothering your household, it will surely show itself.
Make sure you capture it then..."
I nodded repeatedly as my master spoke:
"Yes, Master. Tell me. I'm listening!"
I listened intently.
And my master began to explain his method.
He said the method was simple.
It was akin to "fishing." If I set the bait correctly,
The weasel that was tormenting my home would undoubtedly appear.
In my household, it's just my grandmother and me.
I now have cultivation, and I've wiped out an entire nest of weasels.
If it were a lingering weasel spirit, it would surely not dare to confront me.
Therefore, to seek revenge, it would target my grandmother.
So, my master's advice was this:
Tonight, I should leave the house alone, preferably leaving the village.
Leaving my grandmother at home by herself.
Then, I should seal all the windows and doors and draw protective talismans.
The old weasel, eager for revenge, seeing me leave the village,
And having failed last night, would see my grandmother alone at home tonight, vulnerable, and would surely try to harm her.
Meanwhile, I should have already dressed my grandmother in a talisman-adorned garment.
This would ensure her safety.
And keep my phone line open. If anything happened to my grandmother, I could immediately rush back to the village.
At that time, I could then capture the entity.
He also said I should ideally find someone to help.
This would guarantee my grandmother's absolute safety and also allow that person to block the main exit immediately, preventing the entity from escaping beforehand.
After all, once I left the village, I wouldn't be able to return instantly.
During that interval, even with my grandmother wearing the talisman garment, it couldn't be entirely guaranteed that unexpected events wouldn't occur.
Hearing this, a hint of joy sparked within me.
Because Old Mo had said he would be visiting my home today.
It was perfect to have Old Mo act as my helper...
After finishing my conversation with my master, I committed his words to memory.
I also asked him where he was, and why it was so noisy.
It turned out he had joined a senior citizen tour group to the neighboring city.
Afterward, my master and I chatted for a while longer before ending the call.
During our conversation, my master cautioned me to be extremely careful.
He mentioned that the group of weasels I encountered might not have had high cultivation.
But weasels are known for their deep-seated vengefulness, which can often extend for three generations.
And I had, after all, eliminated an entire nest of these malevolent creatures.
He said the feud was significant, and very deep.
If I encountered them again, I should show no mercy, leaving none behind, big or small.
He stressed the importance of never showing kindness.
Otherwise, not only my home, but the entire village could be in peril...
I firmly remembered my master's words, and I had also followed them at the 逍遥楼 (Xiāoyáo Lóu).
It was just that I hadn't expected there to be any survivors!
After hanging up the phone,
I let out a long sigh.
Then I sent a message to Old Mo, asking where he was.
Having done that, I prepared to go and draw the talisman garment.
But before I could finish handling the current matters, another unexpected event occurred.
My second uncle rushed into my home from outside.
As soon as he reached the courtyard, he shouted loudly:
"Qin Ze, it's bad, Qin Ze..."
Hearing my second uncle's voice, I walked out.
Seeing his hurried demeanor, gasping for breath, I frowned and asked:
"Second Uncle, what's wrong?"
My second uncle, seeing me, placed his hands on his knees and panted:
"Something has happened, the Old Wei family has had an incident."
"Something happened? The Old Wei family?"
I was a bit confused.
My second uncle nodded repeatedly:
"Yes, Old Man Wei's body is missing..."