Chapter 30: Become a disciple

In this manner, I followed the Taoist priest and departed from my Village, my home for the past nine years, embarking on a new journey. This move marked a complete transformation of my destiny.

Upon leaving home with the Taoist priest, I experienced my first entry into the county town and boarded a train for the first time. After a lengthy journey, we arrived in a bustling city called Yanbei.

Despite the Taoist priest's ragged appearance, resembling a beggar, he resided in a rather impressive place—a beautiful courtyard house, accompanied by a fierce-looking servant. This man, appearing to be in his thirties with a beard and piercing tiger-like eyes, emanated a sense of danger that sent shivers down one's spine.

Though intimidating in appearance, the man treated me and the Master with great courtesy. Upon our meeting, he respectfully approached, bowing, and said, "Master, young master, you're back."

The Master, without glancing at him, waved dismissively and instructed, "Huzi, prepare. We will perform the apprenticeship ceremony shortly."

Huzi complied, walked toward me, and said, "Master, follow me."

Guiding me to a room, Huzi presented a spread of well-prepared meals—delicacies I had never tasted before. Hungry from the journey, I eagerly placed the food on the table and devoured it.

 Huzi approached and remarked, "Master, you are fortunate to be accepted as the disciple. The Master has chosen only you, indicating that you must possess something extraordinary."

Unaware of any special qualities within me, I considered my consistently low-class rankings and stable grades. Perhaps, this was what he deemed outstanding.

Later, Huzi explained the procedures for becoming a disciple, a challenging task for a nine-year-old child. It took me several hours to transcribe what Huzi had conveyed.

With these formalities clarified, Huzi escorted me to a hall within the courtyard.

Upon seeing the Taoist priest again, he had changed into a new outfit—a fresh Taoist robe. He seemed to have taken a bath and exuded a pleasant fragrance.

Truthfully, traveling with this Taoist priest often subjected me to disdain from others. Having not bathed for an indeterminate period, the harsh odor emitted from his body had caused the adjacent seats in the car to remain vacant.

However, for the apprenticeship ceremony, the Taoist priest took a special bath. Now, he appeared revitalized, maintaining an air of immortal spirit.

Huzi led me to the Taoist priest, directing me to kneel down.

The Taoist priest cast a glance at me before speaking in a deep voice, "JIE, before you become a disciple, there's something I must say. You have entered my family, an irrevocable destiny. As part of the Qimen family, you must adhere to its rules. 

Firstly, you must not employ the skills you learn to harm others. Secondly, you must respect your teacher and refrain from disobeying your master. Thirdly, I have yet to decide; we will discuss this later."

Hearing this, I was momentarily stunned. I hadn't anticipated this. It seemed the Taoist priest wasn't entirely prepared to accept a disciple.

After a brief pause, the Taoist priest continued, "Our Qimen family is the foremost Feng Shui family in China, profound and boundless, harboring endless mysteries. You will come to understand this as you learn. However, our sect has always been passed down through a single line, meaning a master can only accept one disciple. I have awaited you for decades, and now, finally, you have arrived. If you accept a disciple in the future, remember, you can only accept one. Do you understand?"

"I understand," I replied.

"Alright, let's proceed," the Taoist priest waved his hand.

Following Huzi's prior instructions, I knelt on the ground and expressed, "Today, I am incredibly fortunate to encounter such a renowned master like you. I willingly accept you as my master. Though we may be master and disciple, our bond is akin to that of father and son. I will undoubtedly show utmost respect to my master, heed your teachings, and never forget them. I will harbor no regrets."

In truth, becoming his disciple was not my intention. I was uncertain how I had become his apprentice.

Upon finishing these words, Huzi presented a paper I had previously written on and requested my fingerprint.

From that moment on, I had pledged myself to this Taoist priest.

Subsequently, Huzi loudly declared, "The apprentice salutes the master." He then handed me various items, including celery, lotus seeds, red beans, dates, longan, and more. I handed all these items to the Taoist priest, each carrying its own symbolic meaning. Celery represented diligence, the heart of the lotus seed signified painstaking teaching, red beans denoted good luck, and longan represented complete merit and virtue.

From that moment on, I committed myself to this Taoist priest. Then, Huzi suddenly exclaimed loudly, "Apprentice salutes the master." After that, Huzi handed me various items, including celery, lotus seeds, red beans, dates, longan, etc. I presented all these items to the Taoist priest, each carrying different symbolic meanings. Celery represented diligence, the heart of the lotus seed signified painstaking teaching, red beans denoted good luck, and longan represented complete merit and virtue. After handing these items to the Taoist priest, Huzi immediately shouted, "Let's proceed with the apprenticeship ceremony."

"The first prayer, the second prayer, the third prayer," Huzi read, and I kowtowed. After kowtowing, Huzi brought a bowl of tea. I handed the tea bowl to the Taoist priest. The Taoist drank the tea, and I officially became his disciple. After the salute, the Taoist priest smiled and nodded, saying, "JIE, you will be my apprentice from now on. After you complete your studies, you will be the next leader." I don't think it's okay, but I feel very sad when I say this. The heads of other families have countless disciples. The leader's power is supreme, which is a very cool thing. But our Qimen family has only had one apprentice in every generation. So I am the leader, and I am also the disciple. I'm not happy at all.

After the first day of apprenticeship, nothing happened, so Huzi took me down to rest. I had a room to myself. In the dead of night, I felt lonely and homesick. I wondered how Grandpa was doing, whether my parents missed me, and whether Xiaopang's injuries had improved since my departure. Was he still walking sideways like a crab?