The Lame Daoist Priest - Chapter 103

Chapter 103: Zhang Zixuan's Diagnosis

While putting out the Yang fire on my shoulders, I asked Dr. Liu, "That black guy just said something like 'f*ck'. Was he cursing me or something?"

"Nah, he was just surprised."

"Ah, I see. Tell him that I and Jiannan are some kind of conjurers or jugglers."

After extinguishing my Yang fire, I could see the ghosts of these criminals as well as the ghost of their leader. Jiannan had already caught two ghosts, whereas the other two were now trying to pummel his head. Unfortunately for them, they just started their career as ghosts so their attacks were nothing but a chilly wind to Jiannan.

I also took action and completely overpowered the other two ghosts and then sealed the three of them inside the makeup box, leaving only the ghost of the leader. Then I asked him, "Where did you get your submachine guns?"

"Hmph." The leader ghost just snorted coldly and said, "I refused to spit it out while I was alive, do you think I'll tell you after I die?"

Jiannan next to me then interjected, "Hey, there's a friend from abroad here. Don't humiliate us!" He then looked at the black guy and said, "Hey, buddy. I also use Fu Cleaning lotion."

He just learned that 'Hey, buddy' from Dr. Liu.

I ignored him and seriously said, "I know you are from some organized criminal group but I hope you can cooperate with me a bit and confess, lest throwing yourself into suffering and more troubles."

The burly ghost male just sneered, "Whatever. Wanting me to spit out? It won't happen… But I really regretted not shooting and killing you then!"

I frowned and winked to Old Chen as I walked him to the door and whispered, "These criminals refused to say anything. He said he didn't speak when he was alive, let alone after he died. What should I do now?"

Old Chen also frowned, thinking for a moment, and then asked, "Do you have some ways to torture ghosts? Just torture him and see whether he will still persist."

"No, I have no such methods." I shook my head and said, "Besides, he's a new ghost, I don't even dare to use a Sun Charm to attack him for fear that it will directly extinguish him."

The old man looked awkward. Just as he was about to get what he wanted after apprehending the target, he now had to let the chance fly? These criminals would never speak without resorting to torture it seemed. Old Chen then sighed, "Sigh, I have dozens of means to make the living spit out everything, but for ghosts… nothing I can figure out until I'm dead!"

Those who speak usually have no means to realize what they said but those who listen could, and the remark muttered by Old Chen just now reminded me of something.

That's right! The living may not be able to deal with ghosts, but the same didn't apply for some other ghosts! I just needed to find a few ghosts and get them to give these new ghosts some good beatings! Then I recalled that the husband and wife ghosts should be pretty good candidates. Besides, they hadn't paid their rent money, so it was fair if I just collected the payment in exchange for their help in this matter, no? Not to mention that Big Sis had been teaching them, so their cultivation had been progressing quite well. It would be a cinch for them to deal with these several new ghosts!

Then I spoke to Old Chen, "What you just said reminded me of something, Old Chen. Yup, there's something I can do to deal with the ghosts of these criminals, that is, to let their kind to deal with them! However, I'm going to leave the matter here to my partner. He'll let you know as soon as there's something we can inform you about."

"But… is he reliable?" Old Chen looked very skeptical of Jiannan's ability.

"Don't worry, he's reliable." I smiled and said, "Anyways, let's do it this way. I'll take these ghosts out and give your cell number to my partner and he will contact you about the findings later. I must go out of the city tomorrow so I need to go home and pack up now."

I bid farewell to Old Chen and took Jiannan out. This guy was reluctant to go, saying that he just hit it off with the black guy; that they felt like old buddies at the first meeting, and hadn’t had enough conversing. I had to drag Jiannan out of the Forensic Centre, then spoke to him as we walked, "Look, Jiannan. I'm giving you a task here. Go back to the copy shop and tell that ghost couple to interrogate these criminal ghosts. Be sure to ask what organization is behind these criminals and then call Officer Chen as soon as you get that information!" Then, I gave him Officer Chen's cell number.

We then parted ways. Jiannan returned to the copy shop whereas I went straight home.

In the evening, Xiaoling did some cooking and made me my favorite fried carp with sweet and sour sauce, looking great with its tasty smell. Mom said that she had been learning to cook for a long time already. Her efforts and willingness to cook for me was really touching. I could tell that she had never treated the Xu Family's head like this.

I could foresee the kind of happy and blissful life I would have in the future with Sis Xiaoling beside me.

She was a beauty inside out, being kind-hearted and good-natured. Not only was she never objected to why I spent money on charities, but also very supportive of it. She also cared about me, a lot; and had built up a good relationship with my parents. All in all, we had, in fact, long been like a family.

I had also successfully joined the Phantasm Rain Pavilion. As long as I gave my all and was able to set a foot in the Phantasm Rain Pavilion, I would soon be able to visit the Xu Family's head to openly propose to her for marriage!

After having a cup of tea, I walked to the door, put on my shoes and said, "Sis Xiaoling, I'm going to the Zhang's residence tomorrow. There's something I need to tend to there and I'd probably need a couple of days before coming back. Don't miss me too much."

She then came over and acted like a wife, helping me sort out my jacket and exhorted me, "Okay. Be safe."

I kissed her face and then said, "Alright, I'm going. Remember to lock the door."

The next day.

Just like last time, someone called me in the morning that the helicopter had been arranged and landed on the helipad of the Zhang Pharmaceutical Company.

I immediately rushed there and then flew several hours in the helicopter.

During the flight, I had a nosebleed again, staining my clothes. As I got off the chopper, Zhang Zixuan had been waiting for me nearby. He saw the blood on my clothes and then asked with a solemn expression, "Did you just get a nosebleed?"

"Yeah." I nodded.

"Let's go to my villa. I need to carefully examine you."

Zhang Zixuan led me as we walked toward his villa's direction while speaking, "Brother Xiaolong, I have already warned you that you must not use that technique again. Every time you use it, the load it places on your lungs is very heavy."

"Brother Zhang, you may not be aware of it, but I really was forced to use it." I smiled wryly.

As we moved forward a bit more, he asked again, "Now that I think of it, the Phantasm Rain Pavilion should have some medical experts too, right, Brother Xiaolong?"

"I'm not that close to them." I vaguely said, "Besides, you're the person I can trust the most on this matter, Brother Zhang. That's why I came to disturb you at this time…"

We then continued walking to Zhang Zixuan's villa. I took a seat on the sofa as Zhang Zixuan took my wrist to check my pulse.

After checking my pulse for three minutes, Zhang Zixuan frowned deeply. My worry grew deeper as the seconds passed. Finally, Zhang Zixuan spoke, "Brother Xiaolong, your lips, and nails have turned rather bluish-purple and you also have short sequences of breathing. These are not good signs. You used that move more than once, didn't you? Have you often felt dizzy, short of breath, easily agitated, and cold sweating recently?"

"Yes, all of them. I also often have a nosebleed and the bleeding is quite a lot each time, too." I impatiently asked him, "How is the exact condition of my illness, Brother Zhang?"

Zhang Zixuan shook his head and said, "You have lung failure. But unlike regular patients with lung failure, yours is different as it was caused by True Qi. I have to tell you the bad news that you probably have around 2 years left to live. And if you use that technique again, you will die right on the spot!"

Two years…

'How could this happen? Didn't Feng Nian's Master say that I have at most 3 years left? Also… at most 3 years left… meaning that I will die within this time window? Why did it lead to this result? I used the Small Thumb Sword Qi because I just wanted to go out to inform my parents that I'm safe! I did a lot of good deeds as always, and yet, how come God did this to me?!!'

My eyes dimmed as I sat there for a while, feeling helpless and puzzled.

"Sigh." Zhang Zixuan sighed lightly and said, "Brother Xiaolong, it's concerning your life and death so I hope you don't give up. Due to your current condition, you will lose a lot of blood because of nosebleeds every day, so you have to eat more meat, eggs, dates, ginseng, donkey-hide gelatin, angelica…"

Seeing me fallen listlessly, Zhang Zixuan urged me to stay at the Zhang's residence for a few days, but I turned down his offer. I only sat for more than half an hour and asked Zhang Zixuan to arrange for a plane to send me back.

A lot of thoughts filled my head during the flight.

Both Feng Nian's Master and Zhang Zixuan asserted that I only had a short time left, which seemed that my verdict should be true.

What happened to this Red Arrow fate of mine then? If I really wanted to commit suicide by blasting off my head with a gun, I refused to believe that even I could survive! The Old Swindler did say those with Red Arrow fate would never have accidental death, but intentional suicide was not in the category of accidental death. I did not listen to advice and used Small Thumb Sword Qi frequently, which was an attempt of suicide in and of itself.

Bubbles had popped up by themselves beneath my feet, marking my own death flag…

After returning home, I saw Sis Xiaoling was still there. I tried my best to make my expression look natural, talking and joking with everyone.

Evening came as I escorted Xu Xiaoling back to her flat. There, I stood downstairs and after a moment of silence, I finally told her the thoughts that had been filling my mind all the afternoon, "Xiaoling, let's break up."

She reproachfully said, "Don't you dare play such a joke on me."

"I mean it and I'm sorry. I fell in love with someone else." I looked down, "We'll have no more contact, so take good care of yourself."

She grabbed my arm and said, "What the hell is wrong with you, Xiaolong?"

I pulled my arm and said in a cold and detached voice, "I said it very clearly, didn't I? We're breaking up." Then, I walked resolutely into the distance…

I could hear Xiaoling's sobs and weeps behind me, making my heart bleed inside! I picked up my pace until leaving her line of sight and then leaned against a wall under the building's shadow as tears gushed out like a spring from my eyes.

'I'm sorry, Sis Xiaoling….'

'My life is nearly coming to an end and staying with you any longer will just make you hurt. I want to accompany my parents for the remaining days that I'm still alive, so let us put an end to all the feelings we both share.'

'In spite of all kinds of reluctance, there's nothing we can do but to let everything go. It's better to just get the pain and sadness over with, rather than prolong the agony. The longer we continue to be together, the more pain and sadness will you have at the moment of my death… I'm sorry'

I heaved a deep breath a few times, wiping off my tears and steadfastly walked out of the neighborhood.

Rabindranath Tagore said in his poem that the furthest distance in the world is not being apart while being in love, but when plainly cannot resist the yearning and yet pretending you have never been in my heart. The furthest distance in the world is also not by using one's indifferent heart but to dig an uncrossable river for the one who loves you…

Twisting and winding this poem might be, but it had touched countless men and women. Only at this moment did I finally realize how heart-rendering painful this feeling was…

Note:

Here's the full poem:

The Furthest Distance in the World - Rabindranath Tagore

The furthest distance in the world

is not between life and death,

but when I stand in front of you

yet you don’t know that I love you.

The furthest distance in the world

is not when I stand in front of you yet you can’t see my love,

but when undoubtedly knowing the love from both

yet cannot be together.

The furthest distance in the world

is not being apart while being in love,

but when plainly cannot resist the yearning

yet pretending you have never been in my heart.

The furthest distance in the world

is not by using one’s indifferent heart

but to dig an uncrossable river

for the one who loves you.