Netherworld Chapter 116 Secret Scroll (1)
Since that day, there was one more person in the family. Although the villagers didn't say anything about your grandfather having a strange-looking pet, the strangeness in their eyes was still clearly discernible.
One day, your grandfather was coaxed to go pick some wild vegetables. After he left, the adults in the family took out the pork that they had been reluctant to eat and placed it in front of the beast, saying, "Beast, you are spiritual. Go away today. We can't keep you."
The beast looked at the meat and suddenly ran away. After a while, it came back with a pheasant in its mouth. The adults were naturally happy, but thinking of the villagers' eyes, they still shook their heads firmly.
In the distance, laughter was heard again. Facing the increasingly anxious eyes of the adults, the beast finally retreated. He did not take the piece of meat, but just stared at your grandfather's bed for a few seconds and ran away quickly.
When he came back and didn't see the beast, your grandfather naturally started to make a scene, and the wild vegetables he had just picked were trampled under his feet. Since that day, your grandfather has been crying all the time.
A month later, another guest came to the family of three. It was a child, about the same age as your grandfather. He said his surname was Shi and he was an orphan. During the war, it was nothing to have an orphan. The villagers were simple-minded, so his parents took him in. Since then, the family of three has become four.
That child was a good match for your grandfather, and they often played together. Your grandfather also liked to be with him, because the child surnamed Shi had a familiar smell that warmed his heart.
Grandpa Shi was smiling when he said this. I looked at him curiously and asked: "Where is that child? Where is he now?"
Grandpa Shi smiled and stroked my head, saying: Silly child.
Later, my father took me away from here. One day, Grandpa Shi suddenly asked someone to call me and said that Grandpa was critically ill.
When my father and I rushed back to our hometown, my grandfather was already lying on the bed, on his deathbed. He didn't look at me or my father, nor did he say a word to us. He just trembled and took out a small notebook from under his pillow, which recorded his life. The most important thing in it was the beast.
He couldn't open his eyes anymore, so he could only grab them randomly. Grandpa Shi hurriedly grabbed his hand, and Grandpa was quiet for a while. Suddenly his face turned ruddy, and he spoke more forcefully. He opened his eyes, stared at his old partner and said, "You have to promise me that you will help me take care of my descendants. I'm leaving now, and we'll see each other in the underworld!"
Grandpa Shi nodded heavily.
"Beast! Where are you? I'm here to find you!" Grandpa said vaguely, his face turning pale quickly.
"I'm here! I'm always by your side! Just go with peace of mind, buddy."
Grandpa passed away peacefully.
Later, my father burned all the books left by my grandfather, and Grandpa Shi had a big fight with my father over this. After that, we never met again. Now is the first time we meet again after more than ten years.
When I was little, I thought Grandpa Shi was just telling a story. But after experiencing so many strange things with the Taoist priest, I suddenly felt that maybe this story was true. Because the Taoist priest's behavior made me feel very strange.
What happened? I couldn't help asking.
The old Taoist's brows were slightly furrowed, as if he was thinking. After a long time, he said to me: Your Grandpa Shi may not be a human being.
Huh? I opened my mouth wide, wondering if this was an insult or something.
I felt a very strange aura from him . The old Taoist said: Very strange. Somewhat like a demon, but more ancient and sacred, like...
I waited eagerly for the Taoist priest to continue speaking, but after waiting for a long time, he still didn't finish.
Like what? I couldn't help asking again.
The old Taoist shook his head and said: "It is difficult for me to explain, because I cannot be sure. But what is certain is that he is extraordinary, very extraordinary."
The old Taoist rarely admires a person so much, Qinling Tiandi is one, and the Eight Ropes that I inherited is one. He mostly doesn't take the others seriously.
The story you told is very interesting, the stone beast... the old Taoist seemed to be muttering to himself: transforming into a human... perhaps what is recorded in the ancient books really existed.
The old Taoist spoke in a mysterious way and I didn't fully understand what he said.
What are you talking about? I asked: What happened to Grandpa Shi? That's just a story. If he was really talking about my grandfather, as the descendant of the Eight Ropes, wouldn't our ancestors be able to discover the strangeness of Grandpa Shi?
If it is really the inheritance of the Eight Ropes, it can be discovered naturally. Your grandfather, as the master of the Eight Ropes, entrusted his descendants to him before his death, and it was definitely not a random statement.
Maybe he was confused at that time, I retorted.
The old Taoist shook his head again: "The Eight Ropes are a lineage that was passed down from heaven, how could they be confused? Even if they are confused, they are just pretending to be confused. There are many things that you know, but you don't have to explain them clearly."
The Taoist's words made sense, but I still couldn't believe it. Was Grandpa Shi, who had a close relationship with me, actually the stone beast he mentioned?
This is too outrageous! It's no less than Obama suddenly coming to me one day and saying he is my distant cousin.
Don’t you think your family is weird? It’s a family that inherited the Eight Threads, but except for your grandfather and your mother, everyone else is very ordinary.
What you mean is... I vaguely understand what the Taoist means.
The Taoist priest looked at me without further explanation. From his eyes, I knew that I was right.
That's right, none of my relatives fit the logic of the Eight Ropes inheritance. Except for my grandfather and mother, the other aunts and uncles are ordinary people.
Could it be that as I guessed, my grandfather's life story was actually...
This is a little hard for me to accept, because the truth is too exaggerated. I think anyone who suddenly finds out one day that the people they thought were blood relatives are not actually related by blood would probably collapse.
I would rather this truth remain in the speculation stage because it is difficult to accept.
If they are not my relatives, how many of my relatives will be left...
This is unlikely... I intend to refute Laodao's words.
Whether it is true or not, I don’t think many people want to know, and even fewer people can tell you the truth, so you don’t need to think too much, said the old Taoist priest.
I looked at him, and suddenly a strange feeling called gratitude welled up in my heart.
That's true, haha... I pretended to laugh casually, but even I could tell that the laugh was too fake.
Forget it, let’s find something first. I said, and walked towards the room where my grandfather lived.
The old Taoist priest said nothing and followed me closely. It was obvious that he was very interested in Grandpa's room .
The door to the room was not locked. When my father left, he threw away all the keys except the front door. Perhaps he thought that no one would come here again, so there was no need to lock it.
I pushed open the wooden door and heard a continuous creaking sound. The door panel was a little crooked and the door beam above was about to fall off.
A dust cloud fell from the sky and sprinkled on me. I coughed a few times, waved my hands to blow away the dust, and then covered my nose with it.
The curtains at the back of the house were only half drawn, and the sunlight filtered in through half of the window , but it could not illuminate the entire room.
I walked over and tried to open the curtains, but I heard a "rustle" and then a "bang", and the curtains were pulled down by me. A lot of dust was scattered everywhere, and I couldn't help feeling a little embarrassed because I was covered with dust.
The old Taoist priest was unaware of anything and was walking around the house.
Grandpa's room didn't have much more furnishings than the outside. There was a desk, a chair, a bed, and a wardrobe. There used to be a bookcase full of books, but when my father burned the books, he also burned the bookcase.
I opened the closet first, and it was empty. Everything had been burned by my father.
Then I looked under the desk and bed, but found nothing.
Is it true that there is really nothing left? This made me somewhat disappointed, and at the same time I was indignant at my father's recklessness back then.
Nothing... I walked up to the old Taoist and said.
Impossible. The old Taoist said: Even my Five Elements Meridian has the Eight Ropes Secret Scroll, how could it be possible that there is nothing left in the place where I personally inherited it. Unless, the real Eight Ropes inheritance site is not here.
I thought about it and thought what the old Taoist said made sense. If the previous speculation was true, and my grandfather was not born and raised here, then as a child, he obviously could not bring too many things with him. Although I don't know why my grandfather was like that when he was a child, the ancient place where the Eight-Suo Ancient Book was left may not be here.
That's a problem. I don't know where else to go except here. I feel helpless and lost.
You don’t know, but your Stone Grandpa may know, said the old Taoist priest.
Oh, yes! It dawned on me.
Before Grandpa died, he gave Grandpa Shi a notebook that recorded all the events in his life. If there is anyone in the world who knows him best, it is probably Grandpa Shi.
