For ten years I practiced Gu poison in Southeast Asia; all living beings revered me as a deity.

My surname is Zhou.

The cripple smiled.

"His name is Jing, so he should be considered your senior brother... I heard that Master Diao has taken on another disciple, so I came to take a look."

Luo Feng keenly sensed some doubt in his words. He also noticed something odd: Zhou Jing's attire was somewhat strange.

Zhou Jing had a limp, but he gave off a spirited vibe. He had a gong and a copper gong hanging from his waist, and his forearms and calves were wrapped in white cloth strips. This attire reminded people of a common profession in the past: the night watchman.

"Excuse me, Mr. Zhou..."

Luo Feng did not directly address the other party as "Senior Brother".

"You just said 'He should be considered your senior brother,' which I don't quite understand. Could you please explain what you mean by that?"

"Haha," Zhou Jing laughed, "That's because Master Diao expelled me from the sect long ago and kicked me out of the Red-Headed Datuk Temple... so naturally I can't really be considered your senior brother."

Luo Feng and Ding Si, who was standing next to him, both stiffened upon hearing this. They hadn't expected that Zhou Jing would be Diao Wudou's disciple, and a disciple who had been expelled from the sect at that.

Seeing the expressions on their faces, Zhou Jing smiled slightly.

"Please don't misunderstand, I, Zhou Jing, still owe Master Diao a great debt of gratitude. Even though I am not a disciple of the Datuk lineage, I still remember the past favors I have received... cough cough, I just happened to hear about Master Diao taking on a disciple this time, so I came to see what kind of talent he has chosen."

He carefully examined Luo Feng.

"Young man, you are indeed a handsome and talented man. I hope we will have the opportunity to meet again in the future."

Zhou Jing clasped his hands in a salute, then turned and left without looking back.

"Fourth Uncle".

After Zhou Jing's figure disappeared, Luo Feng asked in a low voice, "Was there such a person in the Red-Headed Datuk Temple in the past?"

"I have no idea."

Ding Si silently shook his head.

"The Red Head Datuk Temple has been in Lipan for some years, but Mr. Diao moved here from the city and he is not a local... As for whether the old man had such a disciple in the past, I have no idea."

He coughed lightly: "No matter what, this person's arrival is a bit strange. At least in the Lipan area, I have never heard of this Zhou, and I don't know his background. Remember to tell Mr. Diao, that is, your master, about this, so that we can communicate and prevent any mishaps."

"I see."

Luo Feng nodded in understanding.

"It's getting late. Go to the temple later and explain the situation to Mr. Diao."

Ding Si gave him a few more instructions and then told him to take the rooster bowl and go to the Red Head Datuk Temple.

……

……

Luo Feng arrived at the entrance of the Red Head Datuk Temple once again.

It was just the time when the sun was rising, and the sunlight shone brightly behind the eaves of the temple, so bright that it was hard to open one's eyes for a moment.

In front of the temple gate archway is a grove of rambutan trees.

In front of the Red Head Datuk Temple, there is a row of green tiles and red walls, and the pillars in front of the gate are also painted red. There is also a large bronze incense burner with thick incense sticks burning at the entrance.

The incense burner was filled with densely packed incense sticks, and the smoke rose into the sunlight, as if shrouded in a veil, making it appear even more mysterious.

"It seems like no one comes to worship at this temple on ordinary days..."

He observed the temple from the doorway for a while and found that there was no one else outside the temple. From Ding Miaosheng's memory, he could also tell that the Red Head Datuk Temple was not the kind of temple where people "worship".

The people of Lipan are very respectful to Diao Wudou, but unless there is a "big event" or a festival, no one will visit the temple without permission.

Luo Feng slowly sorted through the information in his mind, while also comparing it with his knowledge as a modern person.

He knew that the strict "sea ban" policies implemented by the Ming and Qing dynasties had further weakened the livelihood skills of coastal residents. In order to support their families and escape famine, the residents of the southeastern coast of China had no choice but to leave their homes and travel overseas to Southeast Asia to make a living.

Like dandelions, they scattered across this unfamiliar land of Southeast Asia, taking root, sprouting, and multiplying.

These "overseas Chinese" were the many Chinese who came to Southeast Asia, mainly Hokkien, Teochew, Hainanese, and Hakka.

They came to the hot and humid Southeast Asia, cleared land, farmed, mined, and built roads. Life was difficult, and their beliefs, like dandelions scattered throughout Southeast Asia, gradually took root in the local communities.

Besides local Chinese deities such as Guanyin, the Nine Emperor Gods, Zhengde Tianshen Dabogong, Guan Gong, Huaguang Dadi, Mazu, and Sanbao Gong, there are also some deities that have absorbed local Southeast Asian culture and formed their own unique characteristics.

One of them is the prominent "Datuk Kong faith" in the Malay region.

The Datuk Gong is actually related to the early folk beliefs of the Malays; it belongs to an ancient form of worship known as "Kramat worship".

This is a primitive form of animism, in which locals believe that local guardian deities and spirits often appear in various forms.

For example, the spirits of saints, tigers in the forest, large trees, ant nests, and even ancient swords and rings may be incarnations of spirit beings, and Malays call these guardian deities "Datuk".

The Red Head Datuk Temple appears to be a fusion of local beliefs and Chinese beliefs.

"However, this temple is rather interesting..."

Luo Feng squinted, noticing the "Eight Immortals in Darkness" patterns hidden on the roof ridges and gables of the temple.

Flute, cloud clapper, lotus flower, fan, fish drum... these are all the magical treasures held by the Eight Immortals in legend.

"Datuk faith... Yin Master's spitting magic... Dark Eight Immortals, so many elements..."

He pursed his lips and whispered something, then strode forward and walked straight into the temple gate.

……

……

After entering the temple, Luo Feng encountered a mute old man sweeping the floor.

Led by the mute old man, he met the old man Diao, who was resting in a room in the temple.

This room should be Diao Wudou's bedroom; it's simply furnished with very little furniture.

The old man, Diao Wudou, was still wearing a long mandarin jacket and smoking a pipe, exhaling wisps of smoke.

Luo Feng first respectfully greeted his teacher, and then explained that he had met Zhou Jing that day.

"Zhou Jing?"

Diao Wudou's voice was neither hurried nor slow.

"I see... This person did indeed become my disciple, but later committed a crime and was expelled from the sect. You don't need to concern yourself with his affairs, and you shouldn't have anything to do with him, understand?"

"Yes."

Luo Feng lowered his head, his eyes downcast, and stood still.

"Did you bring the rooster bowl?"

Diao Wudou asked again.

"I brought it."

"very good."

Diao Wudou nodded in satisfaction.

"First, go and pay respects to the patriarch of the Datuk lineage. After that, I will examine your bones and determine your fate. The matter of choosing a spirit medium cannot be done during the day; it can only be done at night..."

The old man slowly got up.

"Come with me."

After speaking, Diao Wudou picked up his pipe and gestured for Luo Feng to get up and follow him.

"Here."

The old man used his pipe to lift a bamboo curtain behind the bedroom, revealing an even smaller room behind the bedroom.

A few incense sticks and candles were lit in the room, and there was an altar against the wall with a human figure that looked like it had been pieced together from various sources.

"This room is dedicated to the Nine Incomplete Ancestor of my Red Head Datuk lineage."

The old man pointed to the statue, which should be a wooden human figure with a strange shape. For some reason, it had a red cloth covering its head.

For some reason, the statue had a red cloth wrapped around its head. The cloth had been there for a long time, and some black marks remained on the grayish cloth, on which a blurry human face was imprinted.

From the front, the face is drawn comically, with hastily drawn eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. But at first glance, it makes one feel uneasy.

"This is our sect's founder, named Jiu Buquan. Legend has it that he was born with a crooked mouth, hunchback, cross-eyed, protruding ears, bald head, lame arm, sloping shoulders, and pigeon chest... He was abandoned by his parents at birth and made a living by begging. Later, he accidentally obtained a heavenly book, mastered great magic, and founded the Datuk lineage."

Diao Wudou told the story of the founder of the Datuk lineage.

"Let's kowtow to the patriarch first!"

Luo Feng saw a prayer cushion in front of the offering table, so he obediently knelt down, preparing to kowtow and pay his respects.

He knelt down, his head just about to kowtow.

Suddenly, just as his head hit the ground, his heart began to pound wildly in his chest, almost bursting out of his chest.

The surrounding air has changed, or rather, the atmosphere has changed.

Luo Feng sensed a strange power invading the room, and his intuition told him that the source of this strangeness was the statue on the altar.

He couldn't help but look up, only to find that the red cloth covering the statue's head had floated up slightly, revealing a corner of it—and from his angle, it seemed he could almost see the face hidden by the red cloth.

"That's enough!"

Diao Wudou let out a low shout, his voice like a thunderclap.

hum...

With a whoosh, the red cloth that had been fluttering down sank back down.

The strangeness on the statue of the Nine Incomplete Patriarch also disappeared in that instant.

"call……"

Diao Wudou exhaled: "Disciple, remember this, never try to peek at the face under the talisman of the Nine Incomplete Ancestor again, lest you lose your life."

Luo Feng froze, instantly feeling a chill creep up his back. Only then did he realize the strangeness of the statue... He had experienced that aura before; it was the aura emanating from a malevolent spirit, or perhaps an even more powerful evil spirit.