Night Lights

Chapter 6 Bai Shibao Apprenticeship

The law of Tongyin has five built-in ones, one is magic, one is a talisman, one is hand, one is step, one is array, and the five complement each other. Practitioners cannot do without one, and they are all five. Opening one door of spells can control supernatural beings, opening talismans can control ghosts, and opening three doors of hand-step formation can call gods and ghosts to help. ——Excerpted from Tongyin Eight Volumes of "Wordless Book of Heaven".

……

Bai Shibao saw a small black cricket in the crock, with a round flat head and a pair of beautiful yellow wings, biting the big glazed yellow cricket's legs and not letting go. Everyone on the big yellow cricket cheered nervously.

This kind of cricket fighting was very popular at that time. There were teams of fighting crickets everywhere in the streets and alleys. When a crock pot was broken, the wet soil was buried on the flat bottom and leveled. With a straw stick or a horsetail mane, two crickets would fight. up.Crickets are also distinguished according to their color. White is not as good as black, black is not as good as red, and red is not as good as yellow. Thoughtful people set up traps in the rocks and grass where snakes and scorpions live to catch crickets, then practice their teeth and legs, and finally place their bets gamble.

"This little guy is really strong, is he still fighting?" The person who teased the cricket separated the cricket with a horse's tail mane, and the loser caught the little yellow cricket back and threw it into the small grass cage, moaning and sighing constantly.

"Look at how powerful my 'Fire Eye Suanni' is!" A person flashed by Bai Shibao, opened the cricket cage, and threw the big cricket into the crimson jar.People with good eyesight looked at it and said: "Yo! This one is in good condition, it can fight with 'Black King Kong'!" At this time, someone shouted to place a bet. , with a curly beard and no fighting spirit, even though the 'Black King Kong' fought several times in a row, it did not lose its prestige, and its legs were fat and strong, it was worth a bet.

"If you win a little money, wouldn't it be better to sell some wine for Master when you go back?" Bai Shibao said this just to find a reason for himself, how could he miss this opportunity due to his addiction to gambling.

Bai Shibao squatted in front and carefully looked at the 'Black King Kong'. When he was about to place a bet, someone behind him suddenly grabbed his hat and said, "Yo! This man has a beautiful black braid, it's a pity to cut it off!"

Bai Shibao turned his head and saw that this person was actually Yan Xisan.

This Yan Xisan is a "Yin Le", and what he does is a guide who takes people to various casinos and introduces the gameplay and gambling methods.Whenever there is a big gambler with some money on his body, he doesn't know where the gambling game is hot, so he goes to Yinle. They know where the opening is, what kind of gambling method is there, what is the ratio of winning and losing, and they are very good at calculating. If they win, ask for money as a referral fee.This group of people usually idle around, they are indispensable wherever there is a game of gambling, casino gamblers draw money at both ends, Yan Xisan is such a master!
Seeing that Bai Shibao was still wearing braids and uncut, everyone looked at him one after another. Bai Shibao was startled, turned around and snatched the hat from Yan Xisan's hand, saying, "This is not a big deal!"

"Everywhere in this city is arresting people and cutting their heads, why are you running out with your braids on?" Yan Xisan said with a smile.

"Body, hair and skin, I received it from my parents. I can't cut off the braids. It's something passed down from my ancestors." Bai Shibao said anxiously.

Yan Xisan saw that everyone was staring at Bai Shibao and discussing, so he pulled Bai Shibao to a secluded place, looked around, and whispered to Bai Shibao: "Don't bet on the cricket fight."

"Why?" Bai Shibao asked.

"The person who set up the game has his own skills. He set up the game first and won two games. If you place a bet at this time, he will use the horsetail mane to pierce the cricket's leg. If the leg strength is gone, how can you fight? Just lose!" Yan Xisan Said.

Bai Shibao cursed: "Gambling is all about skill, how can you spoil the fun with a trickster!"

Seeing that Bai Shibao was angry, Yan Xisan persuaded him: "Don't be angry because of this, I have a gamble, and the man who sits in the bank is a famous master. Assuming that no one can break this game for the time being, the game is simple and the money is more than ever before. I wonder if you dare to take a gamble?"

Hearing this, Bai Shibao calmed down, regained his energy, and hurriedly asked, "What kind of bet?"

"This master's whole family's women are suffering from a strange disease, and he has invited doctors all over the city. The last Taoist priest said that the feng shui of his family's ancestral tomb is not good, and there is a ghost fan grave. The master didn't believe it, and said that he was talking nonsense and beat the Taoist priest. , what happened later was even more strange, the women in his family were bedridden one after another, talking nonsense in the middle of the night, the master was afraid, so he asked the Taoist priest back, but he couldn't find it, so he set up this gamble to find out the truth If anyone dares to sleep on the ancestral grave in the middle of the night, he will be rewarded with fifty silver dollars."

Bai Shibao thought to himself that he had even walked through the underworld, and there was a master who was able to communicate with Yin at home. This matter is a gamble, but it is not difficult, so he asked: "Do you think I can go?"

"It's possible to go, but recently I went to three people in a row. I heard that when they came back, they were all crazy. They didn't get the money but they fell into a dementia. Whether you have enough courage, you have to think about it."

"My ancestors once received the title of 'Shenji Camp Thousand Chiefs', and then went to the 'Pro-Military Academy' in martial arts. Isn't it embarrassing for you to say that?" Bai Shibao did not forget that he was from a family of warriors. willing to listen.

Seeing that Bai Shibao readily agreed, Yan Xisan laughed and said, "Success! That's all for now. Wait for my answer. I'll go to Changle Square to find you when it's ready! But..." Yan Xisan stretched out his palm and raised two fingers in front of him. Bai Shibao gestured in front of him, and continued: "Look at me, I'm so busy, if you succeed, don't let my hard work be in vain."

Bai Shibao smiled and said, "Success! You only make a living for this, I won't let you work for nothing, I just wait for your letter."

"Come on! Master Bai has made a decision. Go slowly and wait for my good news."

After watching Bai Shibao leave, Yan Xisan spat on the ground and said, "It's been so long, and I still think of myself as the leader of the banner! If I didn't draw some money for you, I really wouldn't look for you for this business; However, it's good if it succeeds, and if it fails, I will kill your arrogance."

On the way back, Bai Shibao weighed the two silver dollars with his hands. Fortunately, he didn't gamble with crickets, or he would lose everything again, but the game Yan Xisan mentioned was quite interesting, and fifty silver dollars was enough to eat and drink for a whole month. What are you afraid of sleeping on the cemetery, I, Bai Shibao, am a person who has walked through the shadows, isn't there a master for everything!

"By the way, Master is still waiting for me at home, why did I almost get confused?"

Bai Shibao turned his head and went to a wine and meat shop, cut half a catty of cooked meat, wrapped it in oiled paper, poured another pot of shochu, and walked back, thinking about worshiping this blind man as his teacher as soon as possible; Seriously teach yourself that if you have no money in the future, you can still earn pocket money by going out for a walk.

When Bai Shibao just walked to the door of the house, he found the door was ajar. He thought that Blind Zhang had already left, so he hurried into the house.Pushing the door open and entering the room, I saw Zhang Blind Man lying on the edge of the bed, with a purple complexion and a dry cough in his mouth, coughing up large chunks of purple and black blood. Bai Shibao hurried forward, helped Zhang Blind Man to sit up, and asked : "Why did master cough so badly? How about I grab some medicine and fry it, and give master medicine."

Blind Zhang waved his hand and said, "No need, the 'Five Ghosts Carrying the Coffin Technique' consumes Yangshou, and it cannot be cured by quack medicine." Bai Shibao put the cooked meat and shochu in front of blind Zhang, and said, "Master eat it." Let’s get some food, you’ll be refreshed if you’re full.” Seeing Bai Shibao’s thoughtfulness, Zhang Blind asked, “Is the matter of Mrs. Wang settled?” Bai Shibao nodded in agreement.

"Kneel down!" Blind Zhang shouted suddenly.

Startled, Bai Shibao knelt on the ground and said, "Master, I know I was wrong!"

Blind Zhang was taken aback, his eyelids rolled up, his white eyeballs rolled around, and he asked, "What's wrong?" Bai Shibao lowered his head, lowered his voice, and took the two silver dollars that he had just received from Zhang Wang's house. I met a cricket gambler at the entrance of the alley again, and talked about the matter with Yan Xisan. I only hated myself for being so addicted to gambling that I almost lost money again.

Blind Zhang laughed loudly after hearing this, and said, "I told you to kneel down to take you as an apprentice, why did you say such things yourself!"

"Ah... accept, accept me as an apprentice?" Bai Shibao's face turned red, he didn't expect blind Zhang to ask me to kneel down for the purpose of accepting me as an apprentice.

Blind Zhang got off the kang, went to the tea table and took out all the things in his gown.Bai Shibao was dazzled by the sight, the gown was full of hidden pockets, and there were all kinds of things in it, such as red strings, cinnabar yellow paper, incense sticks, ghost hemp whips, an old book, and various paper wrapped things. What, at last Blind Zhang took out two tablets from his gown.

Zhang Xiazi enshrined a tablet on the tea table, filled a flat bowl with soil, inserted three sticks of incense to worship, and Bai Shibao kowtowed three times. Bai Shibao saw that the tablet said: "Kongcheng Lingdaozi Dharma Venerable", and then put Another tablet was placed outside the threshold, a stick of incense was lighted to worship, and Bai Shibao kowtowed once. Bai Shibao saw that the tablet said: "The seat of Yin Zun Wang Chen Bin".

After Bai Shibao followed suit, Zhang Blind asked him his birth date, wrote it on yellow paper, burned it to ashes and put it in a bowl of clean water, and asked him to drink it. This is called "clean mouth". After Bai Shibao took a sip, Blind Zhang asked, "Are you voluntarily joining my sect?"

"I am willing." Bai Shibao replied.

"Can the strict rules be followed?"

"Swear to keep the door rules."

Zhang Blind told Bai Shibao all the rules of the house, most of which were not to deceive teachers and destroy ancestors, rape, steal and commit adultery. After Bai Shibao listened carefully, he found that there were no rules of the house restricting gambling, which made Bai Shibao secretly happy.After the gate rules were finished, Blind Zhang took three chapters of yellow paper, bit off Bai Shibao's finger, wrote the three talismans of poverty, yao, and lonely with the blood on his finger, folded them into three strips, and wrapped them around the incense head three times. , placed in front of Bai Shibao for him to choose.

Bai Shibao thought that he had finally come to this point, and he was so nervous that he touched the three pieces of paper with his hands, but he still dared not make a choice.Seeing this, Zhang Blind said, "Mingmingtian is doomed, it doesn't matter what you choose."

After hearing this, Bai Shibao made up his mind, picked up a piece of paper, and displayed the word "poor".Bai Shibao couldn't help complaining repeatedly, this life of impoverishment is enough, but even if he can't get rid of poverty after joining this sect, it's his fate.After seeing Bai Shibao's selection, Zhang Blind said, "Licheng! Now you are my apprentice."

"I haven't kowtowed to you, master yet!" Bai Shibao wanted to kowtow to Zhang Blind after he finished speaking. Zhang Blind stood up and helped him up, and said, "Our sect's apprenticeship rules, only worship the patriarch, not the master!"

"But, the one outside the door..."

Bai Shibao saw that the three green incense sticks on the tea table must be the patriarchs, since he wanted to pay homage to one patriarch, he really didn't know why he had to worship the tablet outside the door. Could it be that there are two patriarchs in the Zouyin sect?

Blind Zhang said seriously: "This matter has to start from the past. Since you have entered my teacher's school, I will tell you about the affair..."

(End of this chapter)