Chapter 51: Copy (2)
51 – Copy (2)
His words cut off abruptly, while the old lady on the other end continued to chatter incessantly, saying things like how this was her only remaining grandson, how he had gotten caught up in such a situation, and how he was being prevented from seeing Old Man Huo, the traditional Chinese medicine doctor.
Lin Xun: “…Alright.”
He said, “Follow me.”
He led the old lady and the little boy up to the fourth floor. As soon as the door opened, the ethereal, otherworldly atmosphere of the room stunned the old woman.
Old Lady: “Is this the home of the miracle doctor?”
Lin Xun: “You could say that.”
The old lady trembled with excitement: “Good, good, good. Mingming will definitely be cured.”
Lin Xun sent a message to Old Man Huo. As it happened, the old man was nearby tracking a demonic creature and would arrive in about ten minutes.
During these ten minutes, Lin Xun turned his attention to the child.
If the system had triggered a side quest, it was eighty percent related to demonic creatures—and not low-level demon seeds, but something on the level of the Sound Demon that had possessed Xiaoxiao.
Now that a demonic creature had come knocking, he could only offer it a proper welcome.
He poured water for the old lady, introducing himself as the apprentice of the miracle doctor Huo, and pulled the child in front of him.
The child looked haggard, with puffy eyes and dark circles beneath them, as if he hadn’t slept well in a long time.
He asked, “Does your head hurt?”
The child stared at him blankly, not saying a word.
Lin Xun thought about the description of the side quest: “Is there someone else talking to you at night?”
The child showed no reaction.
Lin Xun softened his voice, making it sound somewhat ethereal: “In your mind, what did he say to you?”
The child’s eyes widened slightly, a flicker of fear appearing in his vacant expression.
The old lady said, “It’s been several days. Besides talking nonsense, he hasn’t spoken at all.”
Lin Xun asked, “Talking nonsense at night? What does he say?”
“If I could understand it,” the old lady said while wiping her tears, “would it still be called nonsense?”
Lin Xun: “.”
He asked, “You don’t understand any of it?”
The old lady: “It’s all gibberish, not human language. I thought it was a ghost possession, so I had someone look into it, but it didn’t help.”
Ghost possession.
Lin Xun was now highly sensitive to such things. In his eyes, ghost possession was equivalent to demonic possession.
—But when he inspected the child’s program interface, he found nothing unusual.
Before long, Old Man Huo arrived. He was still dressed in his usual black Tang suit, but the hem was embroidered with green mountains and cranes. Combined with his sturdy physique and confident stride, he exuded an imposing presence—needless to say, the old lady was immediately won over.
“Miracle Doctor Huo, please take a look at my Mingming.”
Lin Xun had already explained the situation clearly on WeChat, but he hadn’t mentioned the side quest, only saying that the situation was likely unusual.
Old Man Huo stood with his hands behind his back, facing the child, his posture slightly stiff.
The Sect Master of the Limitless Sect had roamed the cultivation world for many years, skilled in fighting but never in healing. Today, however, he had to genuinely play the role of an old traditional Chinese medicine doctor.
The old doctor coughed and uttered his first line: “If you suspect it’s a problem with the brain, it’s best to go to Tiantan Hospital and seek treatment from Western medicine.”
Well, they were indeed master and disciple—even their excuses were identical.
But the old lady wouldn’t have it and repeated the child’s condition in detail.
Old Man Huo stroked his snow-white beard, took the child’s wrist, and performed an action resembling pulse-taking. To Lin Xun, however, it looked like his master was analyzing the data within the child’s body.
Lin Xun had also gained some understanding of cultivation theory. Old Man Huo used Qi to examine the child’s meridians, and every meridian and acupoint was revealed with absolute clarity. It was practically a human-shaped CT and MRI machine, likely even more effective than advanced medical imaging equipment.
Sure enough, after about five minutes, Old Man Huo said, “There are no organic lesions.”
—So his master even knew modern medical terms like “organic lesions.” He must have read too many health articles on WeChat.
The old woman asked, “Then…”
Old Man Huo and Lin Xun exchanged a glance.
Lin Xun understood immediately—where there is abnormality, there must be a cause. If it wasn’t a physiological issue, then there must be something else unusual at play.
Just then, Old Man Huo gave a light cough, sat down on the rosewood sofa, leisurely brushed his sleeve, and seemed to have something to say.
The old woman spoke respectfully, “Divine Healer, what do you think—”
“I am no divine healer,” Old Man Huo said. “My medical skills are only rudimentary, but I have some understanding of feng shui.”
Without waiting for the old woman to speak, he continued, “The child’s illness is not a true disease. I believe it is related to the feng shui arrangements in your home. The child falls ill at midnight, likely due to an imbalance of Yin energy. Tonight, take us to your home, and I will surely find a solution.”
The old woman’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Alright!”
Lin Xun felt genuine admiration for his master’s quick thinking.
That night, he removed the Bagua mirror embedded in Xiaoyaozi’s doorway on the fourth floor, pretending it was a feng shui compass. With the compass in hand, Old Man Huo the Chinese medicine practitioner and his apprentice transformed into Old Man Huo the feng shui master and his apprentice, entering the old woman and child’s home.
This was also an old-style residential area, though more dilapidated than Chaoyang Community, with sparse lighting. After the arrival of the smart era, such old-style housing had indeed declined. The residents were hard to categorize, mostly without stable jobs, a mix of all sorts.
Lin Xun looked around. It was 11 p.m., and everything was silent. Occasionally, someone would return from outside and enter a building unit, causing the motion-sensor lights inside to light up floor by floor, then gradually turn off from bottom to top.
When the system issued the task, it gave no warning of danger. Based on Lin Xun’s speculation, a situation as perilous as last time should not occur again.
—After all, he had his master, who was at the Nascent Soul stage, by his side.
The old woman was already waiting for them downstairs. As soon as she saw them, she immediately turned and led them upstairs.
Their home was on the first floor. The motion-sensor light was broken, flickering a few times before going out. The old-style security door had two layers—an iron door and a wooden door. The iron door was rusted, and flakes fell off as it was opened.
Lin Xun asked, “Are the child’s parents home?”
The old woman, who was usually talkative, gave only a simple reply to this question: “They’re not home.”
Lin Xun said, “You’ve worked hard.”
Those possessed by demons must have extreme emotional states. If such a young child had psychological issues, Lin Xun could think of no other cause besides a family incident.
The door opened, revealing a dimly lit living room.
Old Man Huo asked, “Is the child asleep?”
“Lulled to sleep,” the old woman said. “Master, please examine the rooms.”
Old Man Huo took the compass from his apprentice and said, “No rush. Let’s see the child first.”
The old woman replied with an “Ah,” then led them to the side.
Lin Xun surveyed his surroundings. The three-bedroom, one-living-room layout was furnished with old, worn furniture, barely maintaining a semblance of tidiness. The living room light was dim, casting a murky yellow glow, while the steady drip-drip of water echoed rhythmically from the bathroom.
The child’s room was separated from the bathroom by only a single wall, containing nothing but a bed and a desk. The child lay flat on his back, sleeping stiffly, covered by a thin woolen blanket.
Old Man Huo spoke with an air of gravity: “This room is heavy with Yin Qi.”
Lin Xun played along with his act: “This disciple believes it’s also heavy with dampness.”
Old Man Huo: “Well said. You’ve learned well.”
Lin Xun obediently responded: “Then, Master, what should we do now?”
Old Man Huo sat down grandly on the chair beside the desk, glanced at the clock hanging on the wall, then looked at the child lying stiffly on the bed, and said: “We wait.”