Chapter 36: Rules

“Let go first, okay, Chengyi?” Chengxin’s face turned very ugly. On the one hand, he might not know what to do because he had let the cat out of the bag, and on the other hand, because I had used too much strength when I grabbed him, it was hard for him to bear.

When I let go of his hand, I could clearly see a circle of red and blue around his wrist.

“Chengyi, don’t ask any more about your master. I won’t let Chengxin tell you. Don’t glare at me, it’s useless to glare at me, because this is your master’s wish. It’s also the wish of the rest of us!” Uncle Li’s tone was particularly serious, and there was no doubt about it. I simply couldn’t argue with him.

I sat down on the sofa, speechless. I always felt that life was so bitter. Why was it that everyone who loved me and cared about me could not be with me in the end? Even their news was sometimes the last I heard.

Seeing me like this, Qin Huai and Su Rou, who were also my buddies, felt my discomfort. Almost at the same time, they put their hands on my shoulders and squeezed them hard, as if only in this way could they convey strength to me.

This was originally our business, and as outsiders, they shouldn’t have interfered. At this point, Qin Huai couldn’t help but say, “Uncle Li, now that it’s been confirmed that the people from that village are after Chengyi, what should we do next? Should we hide, or take the initiative? There has to be a solution, right? Chengyi has been marked with a mark. You said that if it’s not removed in time, it will last a lifetime. What about Su Rou? Su Rou is also infected with the poison.”

Yes, at this point I was already in a state of despondency and didn’t want to think about anything. Qin Huai, as my buddy, was naturally worried about my situation. I didn’t care, so he couldn’t just ignore it, could he?

As soon as Qinhuai finished speaking, Su Rou looked at Qinhuai with a look of gratitude and said, “Qinhuai, I didn’t expect you to care about me so much.” Then, he changed the subject and said, “My situation isn’t that serious. At worst, I’ll be a hero for a few hours every day. I don’t approve of taking the initiative to do anything. That’s it. I can’t let Sanwa take risks. Didn’t you hear what that serious uncle said? It’s worse than death.”

I don’t know if it was the warmth and strength I felt from their hands on my shoulders, or if it was their words that warmed my cold heart, but I finally calmed down. Yes, I heard the news about my master, and I was not calm. My uncles did not tell me, which made me extremely disappointed. But I still have such good friends, and the entire martial arts world really values me.

Sipping a mouthful of tea, my mood finally calmed down. I asked, “Uncle Li, tell me, what should I do next?”

“Next, you should follow your Uncle Wang. He is unpredictable and has a good sense of auspiciousness and inauspiciousness. Follow him for two years,” said Uncle Li calmly, not mentioning my master at all. I didn’t ask because it was pointless to ask.

“Yes, follow me first. I promised to teach you some feng shui techniques back then, and it’s time to fulfill that promise. I’ll protect you for two years,” said Uncle Wang.

I didn’t say anything, because in front of these elders, I had no room to express my opinions. I listened quietly as Uncle Li continued to make arrangements.

“Well, follow Li Pu for two years, and for the remaining six months, I will come to you personally and take you to Ling Qing. You must go to her for the last six months. There are many things… many…” When he finished speaking, Uncle Li’s brows furrowed, as if a great burden was weighing on him. He was very tired, and he was almost unable to bear it.

“Yes, before you go, come with me to Hangzhou first. I’m staying in Hangzhou with Chengxin for the time being, and I’ll help you deal with the mark on your shoulder.” Uncle Chen paused for a moment, and then said, “But it can’t be removed. I can only use poison to fight poison, and use more intense poison to suppress it. So for the last six months, you must go to Lingqing’s place.”

I was speechless and stared at Uncle Li, asking, “Uncle Li, don’t you also not know where Grandma Lingqing is? Why did you say that I should go there for the last six months?”

Uncle Li smiled bitterly and said, “I really don’t know where Ling Qing’s village is, and I can’t contact her at any time. But I have a way to let her know that I’m looking for her. I’ll prepare as soon as possible. If I’m lucky, she’ll know the next day. If I’m unlucky, she won’t know for three or five years. I hope I’m lucky and she’ll find me within a month. If not, I’ll have to use the power of the relevant departments to investigate, but Ling Qing will probably be very unhappy about that.”

“But what about Su Rou? He’s also been poisoned by the parasite!” I can’t just leave Su Rou alone.

“Don’t worry, before we settle things with that village, both Qin Huai and Su Rou must stay with Ling Qing. Of course, you can also move around in Yunnan, and the gong seed will protect you. The gong on Su Rou’s body is under A Bo, and he is just a small figure. Ling Qing should be able to solve it.” Uncle Li said wearily.

Qin Huai was unhappy to hear this. As a young master, how could he leave the glamorous world of Beijing to go to a remote village of the Gu Miao? He said, “What kind of village is so powerful? I can’t do it. If the planes and cannons go over, how can those monsters turn the sky upside down?”

“Aircraft and cannons passing by? Haha, Qinhuai, this is not the kind of childish talk that befits your status! Not to mention that the roads there are almost impassable, and it is rarely visited by people. Cannons and tanks cannot get in, so just think about what the consequences of an air raid would be! What would the people say when they see fighter jets passing by? What would some of the forces that have been monitoring our country think? In addition, if there is a way out of that village, what kind of effect would it have if the people retaliated against society in a crazy way? Moreover, the internal affairs of this country are complicated. The incident in this village was suppressed back then, so no one mentions it now and it has almost been forgotten. Let me tell you, this village cannot be touched now, not even by your department. At least the government cannot touch it. Except for the power of the people! Uncle Li said a few words to Qin Huai in a cryptic manner.

Then, he sighed, leaning back in his chair, exhausted, and muttered, “If only Master were here.”

Qin Huai was still unconvinced. He muttered, “It’s so serious. Do you have to have planes and cannons? An army of infantry? Throw an atomic bomb.”

This is indeed a bit naive, but I think Qin Huai really doesn’t want to stay in that village for so long, and he can only move around within the scope of Yunnan.

“What a load of crap, dropping an atomic bomb in our own country’s forest?” On the contrary, Su Rou was much calmer, so he was much more rational. At this time, he could feel Qin Huai’s nonsense.

However, he didn’t understand Qin Huai, who was just acting like a spoiled child.

Chengxin also shook his head and said with a smile, “The army’s role in a primitive forest full of poisonous insects is not necessarily very great. I’m afraid that many people will die on the way to the village. The village has not done anything that has caused such a public outcry and cost the country so much that it has to mobilize the army. Besides, can the country’s army be easily mobilized? Who in this world is not watching who else? If it weren’t for maintaining stability, why would you stay in that department? You have to use the right force against the right force. Taoists deal with demons and monsters, and that is only natural. It is not something ordinary troops can get involved in.

“Moreover, the state departments can’t get involved in this matter now. You don’t understand this, so I won’t say anything more.” Uncle Li waved his hand and once again revealed a tired look.

At this point in the conversation, the uncles had already done their best to tell me everything they could, and even made arrangements for my future. I could also understand their intentions regarding Qin Huai and the crispy meat. They were afraid that the Miao people would not be able to find me, and would make things difficult for my best friend.

Thinking about the craziness of the Miao people, I was very worried about my family, but Uncle Li said to me, “Even if the village is crazy, they won’t take your family as a scapegoat, unless they are cornered. Your family is not involved in this matter, and ignorance is safety. Even if many big names have left now, the rules still do not allow people to break them. If they play with ordinary people, it will be a cause of anger and resentment. We are not forcing them now, and they will not make things difficult for your family. Everyone is playing within the rules.”

I was curious. What big people? What rules?

But Uncle Li didn’t have the strength to explain, so he just sent us a few younger ones out of the study and let us play downstairs, while he stayed with a few uncles.

I always had the feeling that my uncles were very tired, as if they had a lot on their minds, but they wouldn’t say anything.