My parents treated Uncle Liu with utmost respect, while this guy took it all for granted. It really bothered me, but I wasn't ungrateful. So I could only stand obediently to the side without saying a word.
Uncle Liu also looked down at me haughtily. There wasn't a shred of tenderness in his cold eyes.
My dad told him that I was still young and had been spoiled by them. He asked Uncle Liu to be more tolerant of my little temper after we went out today. He said a whole bunch of conciliatory words.
In short, the gist was that I was going to leave with him today.
"Mom, you dragged me back right after I started my summer vacation for this forced marriage, and now you're driving me away. Where am I supposed to go?"
Although I knew the situation, just thinking about marrying a stranger made me feel extremely aggrieved. My eyes welled up with tears, and they started to fall one by one.
"What are you talking about? Do you believe I'll beat you? It's your blessing that Uncle Liu is willing to marry you. Our whole family should be grateful." My dad said, barely holding back his sadness.
"Moreover, this time Uncle Liu is taking you to repay a debt of gratitude. You were once helped by an old beggar many years ago. Now that the old beggar is in trouble, shouldn't you repay this kindness?"
I always thought my parents were lying to me when they told me these things. It wasn't until what happened yesterday that I finally realized that I had just been deceiving myself before.
As the old saying goes, it's only natural to pay back debts.
My dad was so emotional that tears welled up in his eyes. He was sick, and I couldn't let him be sad for me anymore. I quickly wiped the tears off my face and said, "I'll repay, of course I will. Dad, hold on. Don't cry. Tears are like pearls. The more you cry, the more like a pig you'll look."
My dad almost burst out laughing. He tapped me on the head and said, "Silly girl, listen to Uncle Liu when you're out. Got it?"
Both of them said the same thing. I was so tired of hearing it that I had no choice but to accept it reluctantly.
After breakfast, my parents sent me to the bus at the village entrance and then left.
I kept turning back to look out of the window from time to time until I couldn't see them anymore. Then I sat back in my seat.
Uncle Liu was sitting next to me, eyes closed as if dozing off. The sun shone on his face, outlining his perfect facial features. I stared at him, transfixed.
"What are you looking at?"
This guy knew I was looking at him even with his eyes closed.
I retracted my gaze awkwardly. "Nothing. I'm just curious. With the sun so bright, aren't you afraid of getting sunburned?"
Uncle Liu kept his eyes closed and didn't look at me. He replied, "Because I'm a snake, cold - blooded. It's only natural for me to bask in the sun to regulate my body temperature."
I had almost forgotten that he was a snake. Now that he brought it up himself, the little bit of good impression I had just developed towards him vanished instantly.
"Ah, I thought snakes would be afraid of the sun after they died, just like ghosts." I regretted saying this the moment it came out of my mouth, because the next second he opened his eyes suddenly, his cold and fierce gaze locking onto mine.
I lowered my head instinctively, not daring to look at him. But his cold right hand forcefully grabbed my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze.
"Listen up. I'm neither a celestial nor a ghost, nor a demon or a monster. My identity is not something a low - level human like you can casually speculate about. If you keep speculating randomly and anger me, be careful or I'll swallow you whole."
His expression was serious, not a hint of joking. His look was as cold as the ice in a deep pool. Just one glance would make anyone shiver. I was really scared, and my body started to tremble involuntarily.
I replied timidly, "Yes, I understand."
"Also, my name is not 'ah' or 'hey'. My name is Gu Yuan. Remember it."
I nodded repeatedly in fear.
After he finished speaking, he let go of my chin and then turned his head and lazily closed his eyes.
I raised my hand and touched my chin, which was sore from his grip. I felt so stuffy in my heart that I wanted to cry out of grievance.
This guy, no, this celestial, no, this unknown thing was so unpredictable in his mood. It seemed I was in for a tough time in the future.
There weren't many people on the bus, but they couldn't see Gu Yuan. So the people on the bus looked at me as if I were a fool, which made me feel even worse.
After enduring for about an hour, we finally arrived in Ganglian City. According to the address my dad gave me, I finally found the old beggar's home, but it was already too late.
The old beggar's home was filled with funeral wreaths, paper figures, and paper horses.
The old beggar's body was lying under a makeshift mourning shed, covered with a yellow cloth. There were three thick incense sticks on his head, a long - burning lamp, and a bowl of last - meal rice. To prevent the body from decaying, his family had placed a lot of ice under it.
It was obvious that he was dead. If he was dead, then who could be my guiding master for my spiritual practice? If I couldn't complete Gu Yuan's three tasks and become his spiritual disciple, would my life really come to an end? I was only twenty - two years old. I still had a long life ahead of me and didn't want to die so soon.
I looked worried. I paced outside the door for a while before going in. In the mourning hall, a seventeen - or eighteen - year - old boy greeted us. He was said to be the old beggar's son.
After I explained my purpose, instead of objecting, his son treated me with great respect, not at all like someone of the same generation. After a few words of greeting, he led his family out of the mourning hall.
Now there were only Gu Yuan and me in the mourning hall.
The old beggar was my savior. Bowing three times and offering incense was a must. After I kowtowed three times, I filled a porcelain bowl with water as Gu Yuan had instructed. Then I placed four chopsticks on the edge of the bowl and finally stood a bamboo chopstick upright in the bowl full of water. To my surprise, the chopstick stood straight in the bowl without any support.
Although I didn't quite understand what it meant, I could roughly guess that it wasn't a good sign.
Just as I was thinking, the celestial beside me spoke.
"Pull the yellow cloth off his face."
"Aha?" I looked up at Gu Yuan in disbelief. Did I hear him wrong? He wanted me to pull the yellow cloth off the old beggar's face?
"To be my spiritual disciple, you must first be brave and meticulous. There will be many more terrifying scenes than this when you establish your spiritual altar in the future. If you can't do it, I'll have to find someone else."
"What will happen to me after you leave? Will I die?" This was what I was most concerned about. If he let me go and I could still be alive and kicking, I'd be more than happy for him to stay far away from me.
Gu Yuan tilted his head slightly, showing his perfect jawline. The corner of his mouth curled up slightly as he let out a cold snort. "What's not mine, what's the use of keeping it?"
Saying that, he turned around and was about to leave.
Did Gu Yuan mean he was going to give up on me? This wouldn't do. I was still alive. If he left, would I drop dead on the spot?
Thinking of this, I suddenly had an epiphany. Pulling off the yellow paper was no big deal. In this world, apart from life and death, everything else was just a small matter.
"Wait!" I said with a mournful face. I hugged Gu Yuan's calf tightly and refused to let go. I looked at him with a face full of grievance.
"I'll do it. I'll do it. Please don't leave... Waaah..."
However, Gu Yuan in front of me was unmoved by my act of crying and making a scene. He looked down at me haughtily, without a trace of pity.
"Let go!"
I obediently let go of his leg. I felt so frustrated inside. Sure enough, he was a cold - blooded animal.
It didn't matter. As long as I could save my life, I'd even kneel down and call him my ancestor.
I got up from the ground shakily. My legs were weak, and my hands hovered over the old beggar's head for a long time. I didn't have the courage to pull off the cloth.
Just as I was still mentally preparing myself, suddenly a pair of extremely cold hands reached from behind and grabbed my wrists.
Gu Yuan's cold chest pressed against my back, making me feel at a loss.
"Don't tremble. Pull off the yellow paper and see his reaction after death."
Gu Yuan's hands guided mine to gradually pull off the yellow paper on the old beggar's face.
When I saw the old beggar's expression, I couldn't help but gasp. I almost stopped breathing.
The old beggar's face was emaciated. His facial features were distorted. His eyes were wide open, and his mouth was shriveled and wide - open. The moment I pulled off the yellow paper, two lines of blood - tinged tears flowed from his eyes.
I was so scared that I quickly withdrew my hands and buried my head in Gu Yuan's chest, closing my eyes tightly and not daring to look anymore.
I swear this scene was scarier than any horror movie.
But then Gu Yuan's next words made me wish I could just faint on the spot. If I fainted, I wouldn't know anything.
"The body is reanimating!"
As soon as he said that, the old beggar's body suddenly sat up. His eyes glowed with a green, fierce light. His head twitched as he moved it, making a clicking sound of bone joints colliding.
I was so scared that my soul almost left my body. In a blink of an eye, I found that Gu Yuan had disappeared too.
I stood there stiffly, not daring to move at all. It wasn't until the old beggar's empty eyes met mine that I finally couldn't hold it in anymore and let out a scream.
"Ah..."