The whole family and Grandma Liu were completely worried about me; my mother was nearly drained of tears.
No one knew where these people had come from, all rushing to claim they could cure me. Especially the middle-aged man who just arrived, even offering his own daughter to marry me.
Naturally, my family was willing—if choosing, they'd prefer the one offering a daughter. Who became my master wasn't important.
However, as soon as the man spoke, the old man named Shen Xiuyuan's beard seemed to bristle with anger. Pointing at the middle-aged man, he trembled with rage: "Yang Gaoyi, I've never seen anyone as shameless as you, willing to give your own daughter just to take a disciple. What a 'good' father you are."
The fat monk spat with disdain: "Pah, truly shameless beyond shame."
Yang Gaoyi proudly responded, "Under the red moon and the descent of Ziwei Star Lord, taking this disciple will surely glorify our Yang family's Feng Shui lineage. This is a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity. If my daughter marries this boy, it won't be a loss. I'm just planning ahead. But you monks are all doomed without children, no daughters. As for you, Old Shen, your daughter might be old enough to be a mother to this boy — no way you can marry her off."
Shen Xiuyuan replied, "Good point, though my daughter is older, I have two young granddaughters. Maybe the boy can choose among them."
The monk Jue Ming rolled his eyes, "Old Shen, you're more shameless than anyone, not sparing even your granddaughters. I, a monk, look down on you."
As they bickered, a series of car horns sounded outside again.
Soon, a group of people entered the yard.
Leading them was a middle-aged woman wearing a qipao, with an extraordinary aura. Though in her forties, she was still very elegant and beautiful. Behind her followed several young women in their twenties, each breathtakingly lovely.
The woman walked in gracefully, smiling: "Stop arguing. Though this child is chosen by fate, his life is full of disasters. It won't be easy to take him as a disciple. You old men don't know how to care for a child. Let him be my disciple; I'll care for him like a mother. As for finding him a wife, I, Ma Yuling, have taken the most female disciples. When he grows up, he can choose from them. Isn't that better than you all?"
Seeing this beautiful woman, the others were stunned into silence.
My father and grandfather exchanged glances. Dad said, "This is good, women are caring. She'll definitely take good care of our Xiao Jie."
Grandpa nodded approvingly.
With so many distinguished guests, the yard was packed; they all seemed to have forgotten I was still lying unconscious upstairs.
The whole family was now busy picking a daughter-in-law in the yard.
Grandma Liu was dumbfounded. Thinking carefully, she finally understood the meaning behind last night's bizarre phenomenon — the yellow spirits worshipping the moon, the red moon overhead, and the flickering Ziwei Star. It was all a setup by those yellow spirits and foxes to create a heavenly sign, signaling the experts that something happened to me, so they rushed here to save me.
Mainly because my unique fate combined with the yellow spirits' spell caused such a strange celestial omen.
On the street outside my yard, at least a dozen cars were parked. Our village is remote with dirt roads, and we rarely see a car here in days or weeks. Now so many cars, all luxury SUVs, caused a stir as villagers gathered around my house, curious about what happened.
In fact, not all visitors stayed; many just glanced at the yard and left. Those were also disciples-seekers who lost confidence seeing the four powerful figures here and gave up.
The first fat monk angrily said, "We all walk the Jianghu path. Everything should follow Jianghu rules. I came first, so I must take the disciple."
Old Shen said, "Right, it must follow rules, but the family's consent is needed. Let them choose. I think we should stop fighting."
Yang Gaoyi pushed his daughter forward, smiling at my father: "Brother, we might be family soon. Look how lovely my daughter is, would she be a good daughter-in-law?"
My dad glanced at the girl, who was indeed very beautiful — rare in the whole district.
The girl blinked her big eyes, smiled, and said "Hello, uncle."
"Good girl... so good." Dad was flustered, looking to grandpa for help.
Dad liked the idea but wanted grandpa's decision.
Grandpa was confused, unable to decide.
All of them looked at grandpa eagerly, almost raising their hands: "Choose me! Choose me!"
Just then, someone pushed through the crowd at the gate.
Compared to the others, this man looked unimpressive, wearing a shabby Taoist robe, with his hair tied in a Taoist bun held by a wooden stick, and worn straw sandals on his feet.
As he moved through the crowd, people instinctively parted because of his pungent smell, clearly long unwashed.
"I say, stop fighting, it's pointless. This child I will take." The old Taoist shouted as he pushed inside.
The four experts inside were stunned, their faces changing drastically.
The beautiful woman Ma Yuanling, upon seeing the old Taoist, couldn't help but exclaim: "The Feng Shui master Li Xuantong!"