Dao Qi Wu Zang Guan Guan: I became a Daoist Master in the 1990s

Chapter 91: The World is Difficult
Upon hearing Qi Yun's words, Wang Xiang's anxiety vanished, replaced by overwhelming joy, and he hurriedly bowed deeply.

He kept repeating to himself, "Thank you, Taoist Master! Thank you, living immortal! You are truly a bodhisattva who saves people from suffering!" He rubbed his hands together and led Qi Yun away.

Two blocks apart, no more than a hundred steps. I entered a drab, gray tenement building. The stairwell was piled with honeycomb briquettes and broken baskets, and the walls were blackened by cooking fumes.

Upon reaching the third floor, Wang Xiang took out his key and opened the door of a tin-framed apartment on the left.

As soon as the door opened, a blast of mixed, foul air hit me. The main lights weren't on; only a dim, yellowish light bulb was lit.

As far as the light could reach, the scene was astonishingly chaotic: the four walls were covered with talismans made of yellow paper and cinnabar, layer upon layer.

On a small square table against the wall, there were several dusty statues of gods, including a clay Guanyin, a porcelain Guan Gong, and even a wooden Jesus statue with peeling paint. In front of it, three thin sticks of incense were stuck in the incense burner, the wisps of smoke adding to the gloom.

The ground was cluttered with miscellaneous items, several bamboo chairs were askew, and unwashed dishes and chopsticks were piled up in the corner. The air was so thick it seemed you could wring water out of it.

A gaunt, middle-aged woman came out from the inner room upon hearing the noise. Her hair was disheveled, her eyes were red and swollen, and she was wearing a faded blue blouse.

She stared at Qi Yun warily, and asked Wang Xiang in a hoarse voice, "Xiangwa! Where did you get this guy from? And who is he?"

Wang Xiang stepped forward, a hint of excitement in his voice: "Mom! This is Master Qi, whom I specially invited! He's a truly skilled master! Last night..."

Before he could finish speaking, the woman's face changed drastically, as if she had been pricked by a needle. Her voice suddenly rose, interrupting him with a sob and long-suppressed anger: "An expert?! Another expert!"
Those 'experts' have swindled all the money in the house! We're barely making ends meet, and you're still trying to lure us in!

"You little brat! Do you want this family to fall apart even faster?!"

Wang Xiang stamped his foot in frustration and pointed at Qi Yun: "Mom! Let me finish! This Taoist priest is different!"
Last night at the alley entrance, I saw him knock me down in two moves!
Those two bastards chasing after debt collectors on the street just now were really fierce.

The Taoist priest made a move, and the man lay down without uttering a sound! That's real skill! He's truly incredibly capable!

Upon hearing the words "debt collection," the woman's face turned deathly pale. She swayed, grabbed Wang Xiang's arm, her nails digging almost into his flesh, and her voice trembled uncontrollably: "You unlucky brat! You...you dare mention debt collection?! You beat them up?!"
Good heavens! You're bringing trouble right into our house!

"What can't those people do? They can't find him!"

She pointed sharply at Qi Yun, her eyes filled with fear and resentment, "Aren't you coming to find us, mother and son?! You idiot! Don't you think before you act?!"

Qi Yun frowned slightly, stepped forward, and said in a calm voice, "Those two attacked first; I was merely protecting myself."

Whatever the consequences, I will bear them myself; I will absolutely not implicate you and your child. I have come here solely to exorcise evil spirits.”

The woman shook her head repeatedly, tears welling in her cloudy eyes, her voice filled with a desperate clarity: "You make it sound so easy! Which of those people is reasonable?"

Now that you've entered my house, and they know about it, who would believe it has nothing to do with you?
"How can we withstand this? Please, leave now! Don't hurt us anymore!" As she spoke, she reached out to push Qi Yun, the force not strong, but with a desperate resolve on the verge of collapse.

“My man… he’s gone mad! He’s mentally ill! What’s with all this ghost stuff? Look at all these gods and bodhisattvas in the room, all these talismans! Do they work? No, they don’t!”

I've already taken leave from work; I'm taking him to Beijing tomorrow to get his head checked out! To a major hospital! That's the proper thing to do!

"Mom, no matter what, let the Taoist priest try first. He's a doctor who helps the world and doesn't charge money!"

The woman was devastated when she heard the words "saving the world and helping the people," especially since Qi Yun was about the same age as her son.

While crying and shouting, she desperately pushed Qi Yun away. Wang Xiang's eyes turned red with anger, and he held tightly to his mother's waist, preventing her from pushing him.

The mother and son began to struggle in the narrow, dimly lit passageway. A bamboo chair was knocked over, and an enamel basin crashed to the ground with a bang, rolling several times.

The woman's cries and curses, Wang Xiang's pleas, and the clattering of basins rang out in the tenement building, drawing a few muffled complaints from next door.

Qi Yun stood by the door, watching this chaotic and desperate scene full of human suffering, feeling a mix of emotions.

His determination to slay demons and monsters was unwavering, but he never expected to run into the insurmountable walls of worldly morality.

He sighed silently, shook his head, and said only, "Good things come to those who wait," before giving up and turning to go downstairs.

I had just stepped down onto the wet cement floor when I heard hurried footsteps behind me.

Wang Xiang caught up with her, his face covered in sweat and tears, with several red marks left by his mother's fingernails.

He grabbed Qi Yun's Taoist robe sleeve, his voice trembling with sobs: "Master! I'm so sorry! I... my mother..." He gasped for breath, tears welling up again.

"She hasn't been to work these past few days, staying up with my old man every day. She's exhausted, and her workplace is pressuring her. Plus, she was badly scammed before, so she's very anxious... and her temper... Please be magnanimous and don't hold it against her!"

I truly believe you! Really! Please, please save my old man! He...he just can't take it anymore!

He squatted on the ground, buried his head in his hands, and began to sob.

The commotion attracted several neighbors downstairs who peeked out. When they saw it was Wang Xiang and heard the crying, they all shook their heads, sighed, and retreated back into their rooms.

Qi Yun reached out and helped him up, his voice calm and even: "It's only human nature, I understand."

Slaying demons and eliminating evil is our duty, and now that we have encountered this matter, we will not stand idly by.

Since it's difficult to enter the house, please tell me in detail about your father's illness.

Wang Xiang wiped his face with his sleeve, sobbing as he tried to explain clearly: "My old man... at the end of last month, he worked a long night shift. After carrying the last one, he came back and something was wrong."

He lies down and talks about having nightmares, saying that he can't move while lying in bed, and that he's experiencing sleep paralysis!
Then...then I heard footsteps! Coming closer and closer, right towards the bed!
It's getting closer every day! At first, we didn't believe it, thinking he was just exhausted... Later... Later, he was so scared that he didn't dare to sleep, so he tried to sleep during the day and stay up all night.

Strangely enough, at exactly twelve o'clock, as if someone had hit me on the head with a club, I closed my eyes and fell into a deep sleep!

No matter how I call out to him, splash him with cold water, or pinch his flesh, I can't wake him up!
I can't wake up until six in the morning!
Later on... he couldn't hold on during the day either, and could barely eat a few bites of food. He became visibly thin and emaciated!
You don't know, my old man used to be quite fat, but in just a few days...?
She's even thinner than me! Her skin is all sagging and droopy! I've been to the hospital several times, had all sorts of tests done, but they can't find anything wrong! The doctor just said it's neurasthenia and prescribed some sleeping pills... sleeping pills?

He sleeps like a dead man, what use is an anesthetic? Isn't this like being haunted?!

By the end, Wang Xiang's voice was shrill and urgent, filled with deep fear.

After listening, Qi Yun had already made up his mind and nodded, saying, "In that case, I will come again today. Is there a place to stay nearby?"

Upon hearing that there was still hope, Wang Xiang quickly said, "Yes, yes, yes! There's a 'Red Star Guesthouse' right at the street corner! I... I'll go with you!"

(End of this chapter)