Chapter 9

After he finished reading, he opened his eyes and looked at me. “Repeat after me. I’ll say one word, and you repeat it. You must remember everything carefully and not miss a single word. Do you understand?”

I nodded. Although I didn’t recognize many of the words and didn’t understand their meanings, I still followed him wholeheartedly, reciting each word aloud. After going through it once, I couldn’t remember everything perfectly, but I was able to recite the entire spell without mistakes.

Sun Zhiqing nodded and said, “Good. Next, close your eyes, relax your body and mind. Don’t think about anything else. Concentrate solely on reciting this spell. Try to truly understand its meaning with your heart. It’s not enough to just repeat the words aloud while thinking about other things. Do you understand?”

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to clear my mind of all distractions. Then, I slowly recited the spell. But after reciting it once, my eyes began to hurt terribly, as if they were on fire. The pain was so intense that I couldn’t help but groan in discomfort.

“Ah… Master, my eyes hurt so much! I can’t take it anymore!” Tears streamed down from my eyes. The pain was even worse than when I fell off the hill and hit my head.

“Hold on! You must hold on!” Sun Zhiqing’s voice echoed in my ears, firm and resolute. “This is just the body’s normal reaction. If you can hold on, you’re already halfway there. Think of your brother, think of revenge for him, think of those you need to protect. You can’t give up!”

I gritted my teeth, trying to endure the pain. In my mind, I kept thinking of my brother, of Samuel Black’s wicked deeds, and of my sister-in-law and nephew. Following what Sun Zhiqing had taught me, I silently recited the mantra from the scroll. Gradually, the pain in my eyes lessened. Instead, I felt something strange—a sensation as though something was gathering within my eyes, making them clearer than ever.

Time passed slowly, and this strange sensation grew stronger by the moment. Sun Zhiqing watched me, his face showing confusion. Normally, the pain associated with opening the “yin-yang eyes” lasts only for a short time. But I had kept my eyes closed for a long time yet still hadn’t opened them. He was worried, but didn’t dare to interfere. All that could be done was to wait patiently. Opening the “yin-yang eyes” requires one’s own inner realization; any external interference would ruin the process.

After what felt like a long time, I finally felt that sensation of everything converging in my eyes disappear, and the pain was completely gone. I slowly opened my eyes. A faint yellow light flashed across my retina, and the world around me instantly changed. I could see things that were very far away clearly. I could even make out the patterns on the leaves in the yard. I could barely discern the tiny specks of light floating in the air as well.

I let out a sigh of relief and couldn’t help but say, “Uph, what a great feeling!”

Sun Zhiqing looked at me with a beaming smile of joy, nodding repeatedly. “Great! Excellent! Leonardo, it turns out you’re born with the Yin-Yang Eye ability!”

I looked at him in confusion. “Master, what is the innate ‘yin-yang eye’ constitution?”

Sun Zhiqing explained, “People who are born with the ability to see ghosts usually possess this ability from birth. Those who can see ghosts naturally are considered geniuses in the practice of Taoism. But I’ve never heard of anyone who develops this ability after reaching adulthood. Normally, either one is born with it or loses this ability by a certain age. Your case is truly rare.”

He paused for a moment, then continued, “But this is actually good. Since you possess the innate ability of the ‘Yin-Yang Eye’ and are also willing to devote yourself to mastering martial arts, your achievements will surely be remarkable. Work hard. Once you fully master the Yin-Yang Eye, I’ll teach you even more powerful skills. Then, dealing with Samuel Black will be a piece of cake.”

I nodded, filled with confidence. I was determined to study hard, master the skills as quickly as possible, avenge my brother, retrieve his body, protect my sister-in-law and nephew, and never let anyone bully us again.

In other words, I, Leonardo, was born for the Maoshan sect. Now, there’s hope for spreading Maoshan magic in the future. This is great for me. I won’t have to keep reciting spells anymore. Once I learn how to control it, I’ll be able to use my “yin-yang eyes” whenever I want. The master had me practice several times. Seeing me succeed each time, he was overjoyed. “Leonardo, that’s great! Keep up like this!” Hearing Lanli Ross’s praise, I felt a little embarrassed. After all, he’s the one who introduced me to this path. “Master, please stop praising me. I’m really embarrassed. It’s all thanks to your teachings.”

The master looked at my humble demeanor with satisfaction on his face. But I was too curious to hold back. “Lanley Ross, didn’t you say that once you opened your ‘yin-yang eyes’, you’d be able to see ghosts? Yet so far, I haven’t seen a single one. All I feel is that my vision has improved. Could it be that the method you taught me is incorrect?” I looked around, but there was nothing but emptiness. I began to wonder if the master really had taught me the wrong thing. When I looked up, the master’s face turned dark with frustration at my question. Before I could react, he punched me on the forehead. “Ow, Lanley Ross! Why did you hit me?”

“You little brat, I’m hitting you so you’ll wake up and stop thinking about these unrealistic things. Where in the world would you encounter ghosts so easily? Besides, it’s still daytime now—those evil spirits wouldn’t dare show themselves in the sunlight. If you really want to see a ghost, go to the graveyard tonight. I guarantee it’ll be an unforgettable experience for you. If ghosts were that common, how many people would die around the world? The world would be in chaos.” After hearing what the master said, I realized my questions were silly. He was completely right. But he said I’d be able to see a ghost tonight. After that, he became mysterious and refused to say anything further, no matter how much I asked. My curiosity kept nagging at me, but since he wouldn’t talk, there must be a reason. Anyway, darkness wasn’t far off yet.

In his heart, the master thought this: Since Leonardo really wanted to meet a ghost, why not let him? It would be a good way to toughen his courage. If he ever actually encountered a ghost in the future, he wouldn’t be too scared to move. Time passed slowly, and finally, the night arrived, filled with my anticipation. The master took me to the village graveyard. He actually wanted to show me my brother, Da Niu. But he didn’t tell me in advance, for fear I’d run away in fear. A few nights earlier, the master had gone there to investigate. He knew that my brother’s ghost hadn’t left yet—because Samuel Black had placed talismans on my brother’s body, preventing him from reincarnating after death. It’s clear that sometimes humans can be even more evil than ghosts. Samuel Black did everything in his power to harm my brother.