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As Zhou Zhen and Mao Guoxue chatted, noon arrived, and we all had lunch together. I must say, the chef at Upper Clear Academy was quite skilled; I managed to eat two large bowls of rice.
Not long after we finished eating, Mao Shiba finally returned, but he was all alone.
Mao Guoxue's brow furrowed as he asked, "Weren't you supposed to fetch Grandma Jiang? Where is she? You didn't run off to play again, did you?"
Mao Shiba replied irritably, "Second Uncle, don't blame me. I didn't get a chance to eat on the way; I went to find Grandma Jiang, but she wouldn't come."
"Wouldn't come?"
Mao Guoxue's expression tightened as he asked, "Why not?"
At this, I quickly looked at Zhou Zhen, who was also frowning slightly at Mao Shiba.
Mao Shiba explained, "Grandma Jiang said that if you want her to save someone, she will. But if you want her to come just because you say so, she won't. You think she's just anyone? However, she also said that if you want to save someone, you can just bring them to her."
Hearing this, Mao Guoxue couldn't help but chuckle helplessly. "I forgot about her quirky temperament."
Zhou Zhen smiled lightly and said, "I didn't expect that after a few years apart, Grandma Jiang's personality would still be the same."
Mao Guoxue nodded in agreement. "That's true. Since that's the case, let's tidy up and personally take Xiao Lin to see her."
"Then I'll trouble you, Guoxue Brother," Zhou Zhen said with a nod.
I quickly expressed my gratitude. Mao Guoxue reassured us that it was no trouble and instructed Mao Shiba to drive over and pick us up. Then we set off for Grandma Jiang's place.
Grandma Jiang lived not too far from Upper Clear Academy; it took about twenty to thirty minutes by car to reach her home in a small forest on the outskirts of the city.
As we approached, we could see the three small houses where Grandma Jiang lived from a distance. The mountain road was rugged, and there was a short stretch where cars couldn't pass, so we got out and walked the rest of the way.
In just a few minutes, we arrived at Grandma Jiang's doorstep.
Three rooms and a small courtyard sat atop a dirt hill. Although it was nestled in the mountains, the courtyard was exceptionally clean, though it felt somewhat desolate with no other houses nearby.
Noticing my curiosity, Mao Guoxue explained that Grandma Jiang chose to live here instead of at Upper Clear Academy for two reasons: first, she preferred the tranquility without disturbances; second, it was convenient for her to raise and catch some poisonous insects without scaring others.
As we entered, a beautiful girl around my age was sitting in the courtyard, engrossed in a book. She was the same girl I had noticed yesterday, the one who had caught my eye.
Upon seeing us, she quickly set down her book and stood up, calling out to Mao Guoxue with a casual tone, "Teacher Mao."
Then she turned to Zhou Zhen and exclaimed, "Uncle Zhou!"
However, she didn’t know my name yet, and since we weren’t very familiar—having only met once before, including this time—she merely smiled at me without speaking.
Her smile was carefree and electrifying. I quickly returned her smile and nodded in greeting.
She then addressed Mao Guoxue and Zhou Zhen, saying, "Teacher Mao, you’re here to see Grandma, right?"
Mao Guoxue nodded with a smile and replied, "Yes, Xiao Juan. Where is your grandma?"
Xiao Juan—I noted her name—responded, "Grandma is inside."
She then called out towards the interior, "Grandma, Teacher Mao and Uncle Zhou are here."
"Teacher Mao, Uncle Zhou? Is that Zhou Zhen? Now that's a rare visitor," came an old and hoarse voice from within the house. Soon after, an elderly woman with white hair appeared, looking at me curiously.
Our eyes met. Grandma Jiang first scrutinized me from head to toe before her gaze settled on my face. Then she reached out her hand, which resembled a gnarled branch covered in wrinkles, and grasped mine tightly as she examined my palm closely.
I noticed that as she continued to look at me, her already wrinkled brow furrowed even more tightly. After a moment, she released my hand and turned to Mao Guoxue and Zhou Zhen, saying, "This boy is born of Yin Time."
Zhou Zhen spoke in a serious tone, "It's not just the Yin Time; it's also the Yin Month and the Yin Day. Moreover, the time of birth coincidentally falls on the Seven, to the exact minute."
"Then that means it's the True Yin Time," Grandma Jiang pointed out, referring to the four Zheng Times in a day.
Zhou Zhen nodded and replied, "Exactly."
Grandma Jiang seemed to understand something, her gaze sweeping over me as she said, "You want Gu Chen to take him as a disciple."
Zhou Zhen did not hide this matter and nodded, saying, "For so many years, Senior Gu has been looking for a suitable candidate he can take as his successor. He saved my life, so now that I've encountered such a person, I naturally have to consider it for him."
Grandma Jiang nodded, "It’s commendable of you to have such concern."
At that moment, Mao Guoxue also spoke up, "This kid's physique is indeed suitable for our Taoist lineage. If Zhou Brother hadn't mentioned it first, I would have wanted to take him as a disciple myself."
"You should take him."
Grandma Jiang sneered disdainfully, "Isn't that kid Mao Shiba a descendant of your Mao Family? Would you really be willing to pass your family's secret arts onto an outsider?"
"Grandma Jiang, look at what you're saying."
Mao Guoxue felt his face flush with embarrassment at Grandma Jiang's words.
However, Mao Shiba couldn't help but chime in, "If Second Uncle is really willing to take him as a disciple, I wouldn’t mind at all. It would be nice to have a companion so I wouldn't feel too lonely."
Mao Guoxue remained silent. In reality, his suggestion of taking me as a disciple was merely talk; if he were to actually accept me, my status would likely only be slightly higher than those in the academy.
After all, the true successors of the Taoist Nine Meridians had always been passed down only through their direct bloodline.
Yet for some unknown reason, the bloodline inheritance of the Taoist Nine Meridians had dwindled significantly, with almost only one line being passed down and never exceeding ten individuals at most.
As for Gu Chen's lineage, he was the only one left. Now in his twilight years, having descendants was nearly impossible. Thus, he could only settle for finding someone virtuous and suitable for cultivating Metaphysical Arts to inherit his teachings.
Ignoring Mao Shiba's words, Grandma Jiang said, "Since you chose Gu Chen as your disciple, I have to give you some face. Let him stay with me for a few days, and I'll take care of the Yin Qi in his body."
Zhou Zhen quickly nodded and looked at me, saying, "Xiao Lin, hurry up and thank Grandma Jiang."
I hurriedly replied, "Thank you, Grandma Jiang."
"Forget it. Just be obedient when the time comes; otherwise, I'll make sure to deal with you," Grandma Jiang waved her hand dismissively, sending a chill down my spine.
Although I knew Grandma Jiang was just trying to scare me, the thought of those terrifying poisonous insects made me shiver. I quickly assured her, "Don't worry, Grandma Jiang. I'll follow your arrangements."
"That's best," Grandma Jiang nodded.
Seeing my pale face, Xiao Juan couldn't help but laugh and said to me, "Look at how scared you are; Grandma is just joking with you."
I awkwardly scratched my head, but deep down, I still felt uneasy. Honestly, Xiao Juan's smile was indeed beautiful, and she was lovely too. If I had to stay here for ten or eight days, I wouldn't mind at all.
"Xiao Juan."
Grandma Jiang shot a glare at Xiao Juan, pretending to be fierce. Xiao Juan pouted and fell silent.
At that moment, Mao Guoxue spoke up, "Grandma Jiang, this kid has a lot of troubles on him. I hope you can deal with it quickly so that I can handle the other issues he has."
"More troubles?" Grandma Jiang frowned slightly and turned to ask.
"The Eight Character Death Curse and the Demon King's Cauldron," Mao Shiba said at that moment, and Mao Guoxue nodded slightly.
"The Eight Character Death Curse and the Demon King's Cauldron?" Grandma Jiang was clearly taken aback; her expression instantly became serious as she looked at Zhou Zhen with a questioning gaze.
Although they both belonged to the Taoist Nine Meridians, Grandma Jiang's Jiang Family specialized in Gu Technique and wasn't very familiar with Maoshan Daoism or similar Metaphysical Arts. Therefore, she hadn't realized the situation within me until now.
Seeing Grandma Jiang's gaze upon him, Zhou Zhen spoke gravely, "That's why I brought Xiao Lin here to find you."
"I understand."
Having received confirmation, Grandma Jiang nodded and said, "You all can go back now. In two days, I'll have Xiao Juan take him to Upper Clear Academy. If you all stay here, you'll scare my precious one."
"Thank you, Grandma Jiang."
Mao Guoxue and Zhou Zhen exchanged a glance with me and thanked Grandma Jiang before turning to leave. As Mao Shiba walked away, he patted my shoulder and whispered in my ear, "You're in trouble."
I was already feeling a bit down, and his words only made my situation worse.
It felt as if Grandma Jiang would eat people alive.
"Xiao Lin, come with me into the house."
I stood there in a daze when Grandma Jiang's voice called out to me. She then instructed Xiao Juan, "Xiao Juan, go get my precious one."
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