prynovel Chapter 7 1 silver dollars, Mountain Goddess!
Chapter 7 1 silver dollars, Mountain Goddess!
This blind old woman is definitely not an ordinary person!
Li Xiao seemed to realize that the world was not as simple as he had imagined.
A blind old woman finds herself without anyone to guide her.
The moment he showed any change, the other person noticed that his life force had hardened.
Furthermore, Lao Gang said that this old woman was very effective, and many high-ranking officials respected her greatly.
All signs indicate that the person in front of us might be a highly skilled individual!
Li Xiao didn't want to miss this opportunity to meet a master, and the other person seemed interested in chatting with him, so he asked, "Grandma, if you can't see, how can you see?"
"Do you want to know how to 'see' it?"
The fortune teller lowered her voice, her tone enticing, "Without opening your eyes, you can see things that others can't... for example, the 'life fire' on the top of a person's head."
"Life fire?"
This was the first time Li Xiao had heard this word.
"That's right."
The fortune teller clicked her tongue and said, "Everyone has their own destiny. Life is like firewood; once it's burned out, the person is gone. Those with strong yang energy, good fortune, and robust bodies have a strong life fire, like a small, warm stove. Those who are unlucky, plagued by yin energy, or nearing their end have a weak life fire, gray and dim, flickering in the wind. Some unclean things don't have this fire, or their fire is green or black..."
"Dirty things..." Li Xiao felt both curious and a little uneasy. "Grandma, is this ability to see dirty things some kind of magic?"
The fortune teller paused for a moment, then said, "You know these things, but... if you call it magic, then so be it."
Li Xiao asked cautiously, "Grandma, could you teach me?"
"Hehehehehe..."
The fortune teller chuckled, her voice chilling. "Want this skill? Fine, you're tough enough to take it, but everything comes at a price. Ten thousand silver dollars..."
Li Xiao: "......."
I thought this wise man regarded money as dirt, but he just opened his mouth and asked for ten thousand silver dollars.
Even if you chopped him up, you still couldn't raise enough money to sell him by weight.
Also, why would such a blind old woman need so much money?
However, Li Xiao didn't want to miss this opportunity, and hurriedly said, "If you ever need anything, just let me know. I'll go through fire and water for you, and even a hundred years from now, I, Li Asi, will still be grateful to you..."
Although the words weren't spoken explicitly, the meaning was clear to anyone with eyes to see.
It means to be filial at the bedside and to pay respects after death; this is something that elderly people like.
"You have a sweet tongue, young man."
The old woman smiled and said, "Alright, at my age, with half my body in the ground, I just enjoy listening to these kinds of things. You seem like an honest man, you wouldn't deceive an old woman like me... But this ten thousand silver dollars can't be short a single penny, otherwise, without sincerity, you won't learn the skills. Here, consider the ten thousand silver dollars a loan from me."
Li Xiao was a little confused. Why did he have to pay 10,000 silver dollars?
Does not spending 10,000 yuan mean you're not sincere?
What does learning magic have to do with sincerity...?
But since the other party has already agreed to lend it to me, what else can I say?
"Mother-in-law, what if I can't finish?"
"Then I will bear the consequences of your actions, but you are a blessed person, and I will not misjudge you."
As she spoke, the old woman pulled out a pair of black scissors from her tattered blue clothes and held them to Li Xiao's face, which startled him.
However, the other party did not intend to harm him; they simply cut off a tuft of hair from his head.
"What's your name? Your real name."
"Li Xiao, Li as in 'wooden son' and Xiao as in 'carefree'."
"A good name."
The fortune teller took out a piece of yellow paper, wrapped Li Xiao's hair in it, and put it into her purse.
Then he picked up his bamboo cane and prepared to leave.
"That's it? Mother-in-law, why didn't you teach me magic?"
"Spells? Hehehe... When the time comes, they will naturally appear..."
As they were talking, the blind old woman had already gone quite a distance.
To be honest, Li Xiao was a little confused.
He didn't teach her any magic, just cut a lock of her hair and left.
I suddenly found myself owing ten thousand yuan in cash without even knowing why...
However, since the two of them didn't sign any written agreement, it's still uncertain whether it counts.
It all seems a bit mystical; I have absolutely no idea what's going on...
"Li Asi, what did that fortune teller say to you?"
Before anyone knew it, the old man walked up to Li Xiao and asked, looking surprised.
Because this fortune teller had already personally approached Li Asi twice.
You should know that this old woman of fate is not someone that ordinary people can talk to.
"The fortune teller held my hand and said I was blessed, a truly blessed person. Isn't that strange?"
Li Xiao naturally wouldn't tell the truth, so he made up a story.
To everyone's surprise, upon hearing this, the old man's eyes lit up, and he grabbed Li Xiao's hand with a serious expression.
"Brother Si, you're definitely a lucky man. From now on, I'll follow you and share in your good fortune. Anyone who dares to bully you will have to step over my dead body first. I won't even flinch from a mountain of knives or a sea of fire, okay?"
Since things had come to this point, Li Xiao naturally agreed immediately: "Sure."
This old geezer is a seasoned veteran at the docks. He's strong, quick-witted, and has seen a lot in life. Having such a helper is bound to be beneficial.
The key is that this guy is incredibly superstitious, so maybe he can actually help in some way.
"Ah Si, we're working over there, and you're slacking off here. You'll have to carry a lot more bags this afternoon."
At this moment, Wang Sheng also came out of the warehouse and spoke.
This guy is a seasoned veteran, always looking for an opportunity to take advantage.
Work at the rice mill is not paid by piece.
If Li Xiao carries more bags, others will carry fewer bags.
He's a newcomer, so who else would we bully if not him?
"Wang Sheng, have you no shame? We were just smoking inside, who did any work?"
Old Gang, with a stern face, immediately spoke up to defend Li Xiao.
Normally, Lao Gang wouldn't offend Wang Sheng; they were both old-timers at the dock.
But in terms of seniority, Lao Leng is older.
This left Wang Sheng blushing and speechless.
He didn't know why this old man was suddenly so protective of Li Asi.
"Alright, get to work."
Li Xiao waved his hand, offering a way out, and then took the initiative to carry the sack inside.
"Everyone out here, let's get to work..."
Old Gang immediately shouted, as if he were praising Li Xiao to show off, and called out the people inside.
"Not bad... so he's become my follower?"
Li Xiao couldn't help but feel a surge of joy.
With such a senior figure speaking up for me, life at the docks will be much easier from now on.
.......
Treasure Pavilion in Wuling County.
This Zhenbaoge chain spans eight provinces and has countless branches.
The place is frequented by high-society people, and it sells martial arts manuals, divine weapons, rare and precious materials...
The price is naturally sky-high, and ordinary people can forget about getting in.
"Granny, you've arrived! Here comes the finest stuff, just arrived! Take a look!"
The shopkeeper, dressed in purple silk, looked at the fortune teller as if he had seen the God of Wealth.
He enthusiastically invited the fortune teller to the VIP room and ordered his servants to bring the goods.
In the VIP room, one after another sandalwood boxes were opened, each containing a unique collection of rare and precious materials.
The fortune teller sat down in front of the grand master's chair. Her cloudy white eyes did not linger on the open sandalwood boxes. As if she could really see them, she "looked" directly at a few of them.
"The old rule applies: live, not die."
"I know, I know. It's prepared for you, how could I dare to fool you with a 'dead egg'?"
The shopkeeper smiled obsequiously, picked out three boxes from among the many, and placed them on the tea table next to the fortune teller.
Inside a box lay a ginseng root with all its hairs and beard, shaped like a small child. Its skin was dark yellow and glossy, the root was plump, and it had a faint, rich medicinal aroma.
The other box contained a dark brown Solomon's seal shaped like a crouching tiger, with an oily, smooth surface that looked as if it could drip honey.
In the last box was a fist-sized, dark, unremarkable tuber with a pitted surface, yet it emitted a strange aroma that was a mixture of earthy and sweet scents.
"The 800-year-old wild ginseng king was dug up by several hunters who died. It is the best for replenishing vital energy and strengthening the body."
"A thousand-year-old Solomon's seal, growing in the crevices of rocks on the shady side of Mount Emei, is practically a spirit..."
"This piece of 'earth marrow' is relatively young, estimated to be three hundred years old. Its advantage lies in being a naturally occurring, unique species from the miasma forests of southern Yunnan, which is most effective at removing filth and calming the spirit."
The shopkeeper knew them all like the back of his hand.
The fortune teller stretched out her withered hand and lightly brushed it over the three items in turn, as if sensing their aura.
The shopkeeper held his breath, not daring to disturb him.
"Yes, it was just unearthed; you're not trying to fool this old woman."
The fortune teller nodded slightly. "These three items will do. Wrap them up."
"Okay!"
The shopkeeper was overjoyed.
These three items are all top-quality treasures; even a wealthy family would have to spend a fortune to buy just one of them.
He quickly agreed, then tentatively asked, "Fortune teller, ten thousand silver dollars..."
The fortune teller pulled out a silver note worth ten thousand silver dollars from her bosom, stamped with the seal of HSBC—hard currency!
Who would have thought that a shabby old woman could easily pull out ten thousand silver dollars!
After carefully packing her belongings, the fortune teller left the Treasure Pavilion, where a carriage was waiting.
Once on the carriage, the horses galloped away.
They left the city and headed towards Fragrant Hills.
Late at night, the carriage stopped at a temple at the foot of Fragrant Hills.
"Mother!" "Mother!" "Mother!"
Two or three children, about seven or eight years old, came out of the temple to greet us; two boys and one girl.
The fortune teller stepped down from the carriage, glanced at one of the pretty girls, and said, "The tail is showing."
Behind the little girl, a snow-white fox tail was swaying. When the old woman spoke, the little girl smiled sweetly, closed her eyes, and pulled the tail away forcefully, and it disappeared.
"Take these to a secluded place and raise them well, make sure they survive..."
"Yes, Mother."
The girl took the box of herbs and immediately went up the mountain.
The remaining two boys carried the fortune teller up the mountain in a bamboo sedan chair...
As the night deepened, moonlight bathed the mountains and forests.
After winding through the mountains, the bamboo sedan chair finally stopped at a secluded cave hidden by vines.
"Don't let anything else disturb your peace..."
"Yes, Mother."
Under the command of the fortune teller, two boys stood guard at the entrance of the cave, one on the left and one on the right.
The old woman walked towards the cave entrance, and the vines moved aside on their own, then covered it again.
The cave was deep and dark, with moonlight filtering through the cracks in the rocks.
Like scattered silver, it was sprinkled on the clear pool water, gleaming with a cold, eerie light.
A mountain spring seeps silently from a crevice in the rocks and flows into the pool.
The old woman walked around the cold pool reflecting the moon's image, stopped in front of a flat black stone by the pool, put down her bamboo cane, straightened her faded blue cloth shirt, and slowly knelt down.
She first took out a square piece of yellow paper from her bosom.
He then took out a vermilion pen and wrote the two characters "Li Xiao". He put Li Xiao's tuft of hair into the paper, rolled it up, placed it in the red candle next to the incense burner under the cracked wall, lit it, and threw it into the incense burner, where smoke rose in wisps.
She clasped her hands together and knelt in devout worship.
"Master, please..."
"The fortune teller dares to ask for an opportunity for Li Xiao, a young man from the mortal world."
"Using my remaining years and accumulated good karma as collateral, and with a fortune in my life force as bait, I'm begging this ignorant and arrogant young man... to be kind enough to... and get him to join my sect..."