Farewell

Before the old Taoist arrived, my family had already told me I would be leaving with him.

I had no idea what awaited me. I was terrified and didn't want to leave home at all.

At the time, I felt as though my family had sold me off.

Our village was small, but it was where I had been born and raised. Although many of the villagers called me a freak, did their best to avoid me, and wouldn't let their children play with me, I still couldn't bear to leave.

I couldn't bear to leave Grandpa, who doted on me, or my parents, or my only good friend, Xiao Pang.

Xiao Pang had already been discharged from the hospital, but he still had to crouch in a horse stance to walk, inching forward a little at a time.

I even went to see him specifically to say goodbye. I told him I was leaving for somewhere far away and might not be able to come back to visit him for a long time.

Xiao Pang looked reluctant to see me go. "Once you leave, I'll be dead last in class. There won't even be anyone below me anymore. What a shame."

I wondered what on earth went on inside Xiao Pang's head. I had come to say goodbye, such a sad occasion, and that was what he brought up. He just had to hit me where it hurt. What a blow to our friendship.

Suddenly, I felt perfectly fine about leaving Xiao Pang behind. Let him come last in class. Better yet, let his dad beat his backside raw.

The old Taoist arrived as promised. The last time he had come, I had been unconscious the whole time and hadn't seen him.

When I saw him, despite his stern manner, I felt an inexplicable sense of closeness to him, as though he had been destined to be my master. I had no idea why that feeling had suddenly come over me.

The old Taoist, Li Xuantong, was dressed in rags just as he had been before. He looked only slightly better than a beggar, and not by much.

Seeing him like that, Dad immediately felt that I certainly wouldn't have a comfortable life if I left with him.

If the old Taoist were well off, he wouldn't be dressed like that.

At that moment, Dad sorely missed Yang Gaoyi, who had originally wanted to promise his daughter to me.

Who could have known that this old Taoist would suddenly turn up and scare all four of them away?

As soon as the old Taoist arrived, he glanced at me. He didn't seem particularly good at dealing with people. He immediately wanted to take me away, without wasting a single word on pleasantries.

Holding my hand, Dad said reluctantly, "Taoist master, what's the rush? Have a meal before you go. You'll be my son's master from now on. We may not have any delicacies, but we can at least offer you a simple meal. Eat your fill before leaving."

"No. I'm pressed for time," the old Taoist said coldly.

"Taoist master, may I ask you something?" Dad asked hesitantly.

"Go ahead," the old Taoist said calmly.

"Why are you so determined to take my son as your disciple? Apart from looking a little strange when he was born, there's nothing special about him. He doesn't study properly, either. He's always dead last in his class. If I weren't afraid of those yellow weasels coming after me, I'd beat him eight times a day."

I glanced at Dad then and finally understood. So the reason he had never hit me was that he was worried those yellow weasels would take revenge on him?

I had always thought Dad loved me too much to hit me.

Apparently, I had him all wrong.

What a touching father-son bond. My attachment to this home diminished a little more.

A faint smile appeared on the old Taoist's face. "This boy is naturally gifted, has exceptional aptitude, and possesses an unusual destiny. His poor schoolwork isn't because he's stupid, but because he hasn't put his mind to it. You've also failed to discipline him. But don't worry. If you don't dare hit him, I'll make sure to straighten him out."

Wasn't it a little inappropriate to discuss how he was going to deal with me right in front of me?

"Taoist master... I'll be entrusting Little Jie to you from now on." Grandpa took me from Dad and personally handed me over to the old Taoist.

The old Taoist took one of my hands, but Grandpa still clung to me, refusing to let go. His eyes reddened, and he continued, "This child will be gone for ten years. By then, I'll be over eighty. I don't know whether I'll live to see him again."

"Rest assured, you will. I can see that your Palace of Life is flourishing. You still have many years left. You needn't worry about that," the old Taoist said solemnly.

Grandpa finally let go. Without another word, the old Taoist led me straight outside.

Just then, my mother's heart-wrenching cries rang out behind us, and she rushed toward me. She had been hiding inside the house, afraid to come out and see me off because she worried she would lose control, cling to me, and refuse to let me leave with the old Taoist.

But now that I really was leaving with him, she finally ran out and swept me into her arms, sobbing bitterly. Through her tears, she said, "Little Jie, you'll have to take care of yourself from now on. Listen to your master and stop being naughty, do you hear?"

I nodded and began to cry, too.

Mom would always be the one who loved me most. What mother in this world didn't love her own child?

My mother was a reasonable woman. She knew that if the old Taoist hadn't saved me back then, I would already be dead.

So his request to take me away as his disciple was hardly unreasonable.

Mom held me and cried for a long while, still unwilling to let go.

The old Taoist grew a little impatient. "All right, all right. It's not as though you'll never see him again. I'm taking this boy away to teach him skills. Go back inside."

With that, he pulled me away and headed for the door.

Someone else stood at the doorway: Granny Liu, the Spirit Medium who had watched me grow up.

I had seen her often over the years. She had doted on me since I was little and frequently brought me treats, treating me as though I were her own grandson.

This time, she had come especially to see me off.

Granny Liu's eyes were red, too. She first bowed to the old Taoist, then said respectfully, "Taoist master, I know you possess great supernatural powers. Little Jie will be in your care from now on."

The old Taoist nodded. "You deserve much of the credit for my disciple surviving this long. I don't have much to offer in thanks, so take this book. Read it carefully when you have time. It may be of some use to you."

The old Taoist took out an old, thread-bound book. I couldn't recognize the characters written on it.

But the moment Granny Liu saw the book, her eyes lit up, and her whole body began trembling with excitement. "Taoist master... this is far too precious. Surely I shouldn't accept it."

"Take it. Surely my disciple's life is worth more than a book?" the old Taoist said matter-of-factly.

Granny Liu accepted the book with both hands as though she had been given a priceless treasure.