The Affairs of Expelling Demons and Capturing Ghosts with Second Martial Uncle

The protagonist, Tong Yi, was left at a dilapidated Taoist temple on a mountain in Maoming when he was just over seven years old. His father had died, and his mother, unable to support him, begged the old Taoist priest to take him in before abandoning him at the temple entrance. After two days without food, the temple's Second Martial Uncle brought him inside, and he acknowledged the scruffy, indifferent old Taoist as his master. For ten years, he lived in the temple, learning to read Daoist texts by rote without understanding their meaning, as instructed by the master who rarely spoke more than necessary. The master also prepared a thick green liquid for him to bathe in, soaking for two hours each time, rinsing off with clear water afterward. The master said this was for strengthening the body. The protagonist grew up without faith, considering himself an atheist despite living as a Taoist practitioner, and often questioned the existence of gods and ghosts. The Second Martial Uncle had quarreled with the master years ago and left down the mountain, never returning, while the Third Martial Uncle was a nominal Taoist who also never visited.

A little girl from the village at the foot of the mountain often came to the temple. She was bullied by other children because her father was a murderer and her mother had run away with another man. The protagonist was the only one willing to play with her. He taught her about the Dao, and she kept him company. On the day before he was to leave, the master suddenly gave him three Daoist books: the Great Peace Clear Heart Incantation, the Spirit and Ghost Technique, and the Taiji Yin Yang Conversion Scripture, instructing him to learn them diligently and descend the mountain the next day. The protagonist was happy to finally leave but confused by the sudden order. The master explained that the books could help him achieve fame, wealth, and a wife, and when the protagonist questioned why Taoist priests could marry, the master only smiled kindly. The protagonist asked about the green bath liquid, and the master said he no longer needed it. The master gave him three hundred and sixty-nine yuan, a sum reflecting the Three Talents, Six Harmonies, and Nine Palaces, a symbolic amount from the old Taoist.

The protagonist performed the solemn three bows and nine prostrations before the Three Pure Ones statues, lighting incense and bidding farewell. The little girl, when shown the books, claimed they were blank and felt hot to the touch, though the protagonist clearly saw text. She said the three humanoid wooden figures (the statues) inside were scary. The old Taoist told her that killing children damages Yang virtue and destroying child spirits damages Yin virtue, and that since the Ancestor had allowed her into the temple, she would not be harmed. She was told to stay away from the statues if scared. The night passed slowly. The protagonist rose early, packed his luggage, and left without saying goodbye to the master, knowing the old Taoist would understand. On the way down the mountain, he looked back and felt the temple no longer seemed so dilapidated, a heavy feeling in his heart.

At the village, he learned from the elderly villagers that he needed a three-wheeled vehicle to the county town and then a bus to another city. He intended to say goodbye to the little girl but could not find her. He paid nine yuan for the ride to the county town, refusing the driver's offer to take him for free. After two hours, he arrived at Maoming Station. The ticket seller gave him a handwritten ticket to Guangzhou Panyu Bus Station for eighty yuan, with a departure at eleven thirty. She asked where he was going, and he chose the next bus to Guangzhou. He decided to go to Guangzhou first, inspired by hearing that many from Maoming go there for work. The protagonist, now seventeen, stepped into the unfamiliar world with only the three blank-seeming Daoist books, three hundred sixty-nine yuan, and a lifetime of cryptic training from his master, his future uncertain but his path set. The old Taoist's last words echoed: where you go is your own choice. He did not know what secrets the books held, what the green liquid truly did, or what the master wanted him to accomplish, but he was determined to forge ahead. The little girl was left with the old Taoist, who told her to come up the mountain when she had time, while the protagonist vanished down the road toward the station, entering a world he had only heard about from passing villagers.