Over the next few days, aside from burning paper offerings for my parents, I didn't go anywhere.
My family had no relatives to visit either, so I stayed cooped up at home every day, studying the Apotropaic Art.
There was just one minor interruption: the village matchmaker came to my door to introduce me to a girlfriend.
She said that now that I drove a Mercedes-Benz and worked at a major hospital, someone with my qualifications could easily be matched with a suitable girl.
I simply smiled and told her I had already found someone, turning the matchmaker down.
After she left, Grandpa narrowed his eyes and stared at me.
He said that if I had already found a girlfriend, why hadn't I told him?
He even asked whether I had a photo. He wanted to see his future granddaughter-in-law.
I awkwardly shook my head. Xiao Yu and I had been together for so long, yet we had never taken a picture together.
I said no, but also told him that if the opportunity arose, I would bring her back for him to meet.
Still, I was truly afraid that Grandpa might be frightened if he learned the truth.
Grandpa took it seriously and said he was free anytime, telling me to bring her home as soon as possible.
I smiled bitterly inside but agreed aloud.
For the rest of my time there, I immersed myself in studying the Curse-Suppression Art every day.
This art was indeed powerful.
But it was extremely difficult to learn.
Just the forbidden curse diagram that had to be drawn before casting the art took me two days to figure out at home.
And I still hadn't completely understood it. After that came procedures such as chanting incantations, surveying with the eye, breaking ground, claiming