After breakfast, the old man decocted a decoction of medicine for Qiu Yun and told him to drink it.
Qiu Yun numbly agreed and drank the medicine. But in his heart, he thought, 'Damn it, this old man's son was killed by his father. If the old man knew he was the son of a murderer, he would definitely call the police.'
There was not a very clear sense of right and wrong in Qiu Yun's innocent heart, but he understood the pros and cons. The title of "son of a murderer" had brought him too much suffering.
Who the hell wants to be the son of a murderer? No one wants to!
He had never even seen his father, and he didn't know who his mother was. But in the eyes of those people, he was an evil, despicable and lowly being, not worthy of being treated like a human being at all.
"Go take a bath and then have a rest." After Qiu Yun finished drinking the medicine, the old man got up and left.
After taking a bath and having a sleep, he felt much better. The symptom of coughing was also relieved. He had dinner here and helped the old man with some simple housework.
Although he was always thinking about leaving soon, there were hot meals, hot water and a bed here. It was like heaven compared to the outside. Moreover, the old man hardly ever talked to him.
The old man spent most of his time reading in the study, going out for a stroll, eating and sleeping according to a strict routine. Qiu Yun's arrival was like a stray cat accidentally wandering in, and all he needed to do was to give the cat something to eat.
This quiet old street was like an ancient well, completely lifeless. The neighbors greeted the old man with a look of awe.
Qiu Yun decided to stay here for the time being. Anyway, as long as the old man didn't know who he was.
Whenever it was quiet at night and Qiu Yun was lying in bed, he could always hear some strange noises coming from under the floor. One night, he also heard a rustling sound outside, as if someone was walking at the door. Qiu Yun was so scared that he covered his head with the quilt.
Seven days passed in a flash. Qiu Yun's body had mostly recovered. One midnight, he went to the toilet. Suddenly, a hand covered his mouth. Qiu Yun stared in horror with wide - open eyes and noticed two men behind him. He struggled desperately to break free.
The intruders tied Qiu Yun's hands behind his back and stuffed a cloth strip into his mouth. Qiu Yun let out muffled cries for help, hoping someone would come to his rescue.
"It's time to deal with the old man."
"Go easy on him. We still need to ask him where the money is!"
"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing!"
The two men who were speaking had their faces covered and were dressed in black. They seemed to be burglars.
There came the sound of "dong dong", and the old man came out, leaning on a walking - stick, looking calm. The two robbers subconsciously took a few steps back. One of them took out a shiny knife. There was a mole on his eyebrow corner, and he shouted in a low voice, "Don't shout, or I'll kill you!"
"Oh?" The old man glanced at the two of them indifferently, then looked at Qiu Yun on the ground. "You're really something, coming to rob an old and lonely man in the middle of the night."
"Stop talking nonsense!" The man with the mole waved the knife in his hand. "Obey us obediently and we won't kill you. Where do you hide the money at home?"
"Do you think I look like a rich man?" The old man settled himself on the armchair and calmly asked.
"Humph, my patience is limited."
"You should be a very patient person. After all, you've been in jail for ten years."
"What!?" The man with the mole was shocked. He looked at his accomplice. "How... how does he know our background?"
The accomplice said, "This old bastard is bluffing you. Don't waste your breath on him..."
"Humph!" The old man sneered. "Zhang Hu, your buddy is really loyal. Li Dabao has only been out of jail for half a year, and you've coaxed him into this 'deal' without getting your hands dirty yourself. You're so sly!"
Li Dabao, the man with the mole, was greatly surprised. "You... you know us?"
"I not only know you but also know where you live. You went to jail, and your wife ran off, leaving behind a son who just started primary school. As for you, Zhang Hu, you've got a mistress living on this street. You noticed I live in this old house and that I'm a helpless old man, so you roped Li Dabao into this to make some quick bucks!"
Zhang Hu snatched the knife from Li Dabao's hand, his eyes showing a fierce look. "It was just for money at first. Since you know our background, I can't let you go!"
The old man slowly chanted, [b]"The water of Siping River flows ceaselessly. A boatman without feet invites you to drink. Three people cross the river, and two return. Cut and live!"[/b]
Zhang Hu was so frightened that the knife dropped from his hand. Li Dabao grabbed him and asked, "What did this old man say? I can't understand a single word."
"Old... senior, I was blind. I... I offended you! We'll leave right away!" Zhang Hu's attitude changed immediately. He clasped his hands in salute.
"Aren't you here for money? Well, whoever of you goes to surrender first and exposes the other can come to me to get one hundred thousand yuan!" The old man put a thin gold bar on the table. "Is this worth one hundred thousand yuan?"
"No, no, senior. Don't mess with us! Li Dabao, let's get out of here quickly! We were blind. We've offended you! We're really sorry!"
The two scurried away. Qiu Yun was stunned. Could this grandpa know witchcraft? He scared the two robbers away with just a few words?
The old man untied him. Qiu Yun asked him how he'd managed it. The old man replied casually, "Go to bed. I'll tell you tomorrow!"
The next day, the police came to this street because there were two bodies at the alley entrance. They were Zhang Hu and Li Dabao respectively. After a careful investigation, the police found that the two seemed to have had a conflict. First, they fought, then it escalated to using knives, and finally they both died.
Neither of them was a good person. One had a long list of misdeeds and was a hooligan; the other had been in prison. Since it was a case of self - destruction, a dog - eat - dog situation (a situation where people are very competitive and willing to harm each other), there was no need for the police to dig deeper.
Qiu Yun, the only one who knew the truth, was extremely surprised. He asked the old man again. The old man said, "I noticed some marks on the door the other day. They were left by burglars scouting the place. So I paid attention to the strangers on the street and noticed that Zhang Hu. I heard him on the phone and learned their names. I deduced half of their situations and found out the other half through inquiries. That strange thing I said was Jianghu jargon (special terms used in the martial world), meaning a threat."
As he spoke, the old man put the "gold bar" on the table. It turned out to be just a square folded from gold foil paper burned for the dead. It was too dark that night, so it was misrecognized. "I noticed their relationship was mediocre and they had their own motives. So, I used the [b]Two Ghosts Fighting for Gold[/b] technique in the [b]Mind - Control Technique[/b]. Well, maybe I overdid it a bit!"
Qiu Yun was extremely shocked. "Grandpa, what is the [b]Mind - Control Technique[/b]?"
"A means to control others' hearts!"
Qiu Yun couldn't help but say, "Can you teach it to me?"
"What do you wanna learn this for?" the old man turned his strange pupils towards Qiu Yun.
"I... I want to become stronger and protect myself."
"Let's have a meal first!"
Qiu Yun eagerly went to serve the rice and bring the dishes. The old man had stewed a pot of spare ribs today. They tasted great, but were a bit bland. The old man motioned with his chin towards the cabinet. "There's a bottle of sauce over there. You can pour some into the soup."
Qiu Yun opened the sauce bottle, scooped some out for himself and the old man, and took a taste. It was very fragrant.
He asked curiously, "Grandpa, what exactly do you do?"
"What do you think?"
"You seem like a great detective."
"Humph!" The old man smiled. "How do you know I'm a good person?"
"Because..."
Suddenly, Qiu Yun felt a sharp pain in his abdomen. When he opened his mouth, the blood he spat out turned the soup completely red.
The old man calmly sipped the soup with a spoon, as if he didn't see Qiu Yun spitting blood. Afraid that the old man would also get poisoned, Qiu Yun swept the old man's soup bowl to the ground, and then he fainted...