Hu Ma had indeed accomplished the task in the Yellow Dog Village, and in theory, the old shopkeeper should pass on the method to him.
But was it really that simple?
Upon hearing the old shopkeeper's words, Hu Ma felt a hint of suspicion, but he remembered his principle: listen more, think more, and avoid asking too many questions.
The old shopkeeper's face was unreadable, showing neither joy nor anger.
After a brief pause, he said calmly, "No need to overthink it. This estate lacks a manager and someone who can handle things independently. I am willing to teach you, and the faster you learn, the better."
"But once you learn this method, you will enter a new path. The dangers involved are beyond what you can imagine. Are you prepared?"
Hu Ma took a deep breath and replied seriously, "I fear nothing if I can learn this method. Even if I don’t call you master, I will remember this kindness."
The old shopkeeper chuckled and looked at Hu Ma, saying, "It’s not difficult to teach you the method of a Year Guardian. But before I do, you must first understand what a Year Guardian is."
Hu Ma feigned ignorance, showing only that he had heard the name "Year Guardian."
The old shopkeeper smiled faintly and explained, "This is the method of our trade. Your elders at home likely wouldn’t know about it. To guard is to stay close, and to mark the year is to witness the transition between the old and the new. A Year Guardian is someone who stands at the boundary between life and death, between yin and yang."
"Some say we are called Year Guardians because we often deal with the Tai Sui deity. That’s not entirely wrong. When Tai Sui descends, he bestows boundless blessings upon the world. If we can stay by his side for a lifetime, it would indeed be a fortunate thing."
Hu Ma listened intently, his heart stirring with excitement.
Guarding the year, walking with ghosts, nurturing life, and communing with the yin—these were the paths of this world.
Only by entering these paths could one truly survive in this world.
Now, the path of the Year Guardian was quietly opening before him.
"But to enter this path, there is one crucial step," the old shopkeeper continued, sitting by the stone table.
As he spoke, the light from the oil lamps around them seemed to dim slightly.
He said softly, "And that step is... death."
Hu Ma couldn’t suppress his surprise and looked up at the old shopkeeper.
"You heard correctly," the old shopkeeper said, seemingly pleased with Hu Ma’s reaction.
"To enter this path, the first step is death. Right now, all of you apprentices are chosen by your families, with your primal yang intact and your life force at its peak. Even without any cultivation, your inner fire can ward off evil spirits and ghosts. But solitary yang cannot sustain itself. At this stage, you’ve reached your peak. From here, if you marry and have children, your body will decline, and your life force will wane."
"But the path of the Year Guardian is different. We choose this moment to go against the natural order. We move from life to death, and then from death back to life, existing in the space between life and death—neither fully alive nor fully dead. Some say that dusk marks the boundary between yin and yang, where the living and the dead go their separate ways. But we Year Guardians are born on that boundary, able to traverse both realms."
Hu Ma listened, his heart pounding with astonishment.
He now understood why his grandmother had wanted him to learn this method.
He couldn’t help but ask, "Then... how do we do it?"
The old shopkeeper gave him a half-smile and asked, "After hearing all this, aren’t you afraid?"
Hu Ma immediately replied, "You’re teaching me a skill. Why should I be afraid?"
The old shopkeeper looked into his eyes and saw only eagerness, with no trace of fear or doubt.
He sighed softly, thinking to himself, "Earlier, I wondered if he had some grand background, pretending to be ordinary while scheming something else. But now I see I was overthinking it. He truly is from the village—clever and capable, but his heart is still simple and untainted by the world."
With his doubts dispelled, the old shopkeeper smiled and said, "What I just told you is the principle. Now, I’ll tell you the method. To truly become a Year Guardian, you must first let a part of your body die. After it dies, you use the Year Guardian’s method to refine death into life. Once you complete this step, you will gain your own abilities. This is both the method and your foundation."
"Once you enter this path, you will inevitably deal with Tai Sui and encounter all sorts of evil spirits and strange phenomena. Whether you can overcome dangers and ward off evil will depend entirely on this 'death.' Of course, how much you die, how much you live, and how far you progress will depend on your own destiny."
"What I can tell you is that the highest level in our path is called the 'Living Dead.' These are people who have died completely once, then refined death into life, transcending the boundaries of yin and yang."
As he spoke, the old shopkeeper placed his hand on the teapot beside him.
The flames in the stove adjusted subtly, and his hand turned as red as a hot iron.
The teapot soon glowed red-hot, and the water inside began to boil.
He then withdrew his hand and said to Hu Ma, "Pour me some tea."
Hu Ma stared at the teapot, which looked as if it had just been taken off a blazing fire, radiating a scorching heat.
Knowing he would be burned, he still reached out to grab it.
The old shopkeeper laughed and pushed his hand away, saying, "Silly boy, you really thought you could grab it?" He then reached out with his other hand and picked up the teapot.
Hu Ma watched closely.
The old shopkeeper could have used his inner fire to avoid being burned, but he chose not to.
Instead, he simply reached out and grasped the red-hot teapot with his bare hand.
Instantly, his skin couldn’t withstand the heat, and a sizzling sound accompanied the smell of burning flesh.
But the old shopkeeper didn’t seem to mind.
He slowly raised his hand, and Hu Ma noticed that it had turned a grayish-blue, cold and lifeless.
Yet, through some unknown method, the old shopkeeper’s qi flowed, and the hand gradually regained its vitality.
The burns healed before Hu Ma’s eyes.
"This is the skill of existing between life and death, the unique ability of a Year Guardian," the old shopkeeper said with a smile as he poured himself some tea.
"Once you master this method, not only will you be unharmed by fire and water, but even poison and evil spirits won’t be able to harm this hand. Plucking coins from boiling oil will be child’s play. This is the true skill."
"But if you want to master this skill, you must first let a part of yourself die."
He pointed to the oil lamps around them and said softly, "Your limbs, tendons, blood, bones, organs, eyes, and brain—each part you refine from death to life will grant you different abilities. When you finally refine your mind and soul through death, this skill will be fully mastered."
"I’ve already lit these lamps for you. Each one represents a different part of your body and will serve as a guide for your cultivation. It’s up to you to choose which one to start with. Decide which part you want to die first, and then begin your training."
Hu Ma looked around and saw that each lamp was different, their flames flickering with an air of mystery.
Only now did he understand the purpose of these lamps.
While he felt a sense of eerie awe, he also felt a surge of excitement and joy.
The old shopkeeper was waiting for him to choose a lamp, to decide which part of his body to let die before he could begin cultivating this method.
But in truth, it didn’t matter which part he chose.
His entire body had already died once; now, he only needed to bring it back to life.
Feeling a sense of joy, Hu Ma stood up and bowed to the old shopkeeper, saying, "I’ll follow your guidance. Which lamp should I choose?"
The old shopkeeper was slightly surprised by Hu Ma’s question.
He smiled and pointed to a green lamp on the left, saying, "You may seem inexperienced, but you have a good mind. Very well, given your temperament, you have a chance to enter our path. See that green lamp on the left? Take it back to your room."
Hu Ma looked at the lamp, unsure what it represented, but he steadied his mind and reached out to pick it up.
As soon as he touched it, he felt a strange sensation seep into his left hand from the fingertips.
Looking down, he saw faint purple streaks spreading through his veins, covering his entire hand and half of his forearm.
Though unexpected, he held the lamp steadily, refusing to drop it.
"This lamp contains a secret medicine made from black Tai Sui. It will destroy the life force in your left hand," the old shopkeeper explained, his tone appreciative of Hu Ma’s calm demeanor.
"Right now, it’s just poisoning you. In a short while, your left hand will die completely."
"But this is only the beginning. After it dies, you must use your inner fire to refine it back to life. I don’t expect you to progress quickly. If you can refine one arm and one leg by next spring, you might be able to help me."
Hu Ma nodded earnestly, holding the lamp and listening carefully as the old shopkeeper taught him the method of refining death into life.
The method wasn’t entirely unfamiliar; it was similar to what he had learned from Second Uncle about accumulating inner fire.
However, the old shopkeeper’s method was far more advanced, involving the circulation of qi through specific meridians to revive the left hand.
Hu Ma memorized every detail, showing no outward signs of surprise.
He thanked the old shopkeeper respectfully and left the inner courtyard.
From life to death, refining death into life...
The problem that had troubled him for so long had finally found a solution.
(End of Chapter)