And so, I left my nine-year-old life behind in Jiushan Village, embarking on a new path.
That departure completely altered my destiny.
After leaving home with the old Taoist, I entered a county town for the first time and took a train for the first time. The train journey lasted a long while until we reached a big city called Yanbei.
Despite the Taoist's shabby appearance—like a beggar—his living place was surprisingly nice: a beautiful traditional siheyuan courtyard, guarded by a fierce-looking servant.
This man appeared to be in his thirties, with a full beard and tiger-like eyes that carried a terrifying, murderous gleam. The moment I saw him, I felt a chill.
However, despite his fierce looks, he was very polite to both me and my master.
He bowed as soon as he saw us and said, "Master, Young Master, welcome back."
My master didn't even glance at him but waved his hand and said, "Huzi, get ready. We'll hold the master-disciple ceremony soon."
Huzi responded and led me to a room where a meal was prepared—food I had never eaten before. I was starving after the journey and devoured everything on the table in no time.
Once I was full, Huzi came over and said, "Young Master, you're truly fortunate to be chosen by the Master. There are no fewer than eight or nine hundred candidates, but only you were selected. That means you must have extraordinary qualities."
Whether I had any special qualities, I didn't know. I always ranked last in class every time. Maybe that was what he meant.
Then Huzi explained some formalities of the master-disciple ceremony.
At only nine years old, it took me several hours just to memorize what Huzi told me.
For a child my age, it was really difficult.
After explaining everything, Huzi brought me to a hall inside the courtyard.
When I saw the old Taoist again, he had changed into a new set of robes—a brand-new Taoist robe—and it seemed like he had taken a bath. He smelled pleasantly fragrant.
To be honest, following this old Taoist here had earned me many sidelong glances.
He probably hadn't bathed in ages; his body odor was strong enough to make people keep a distance. On the bus, the seats next to us were always empty.
It was only for the master-disciple ceremony that he had tidied himself up.
And I must say, this little grooming made him look somewhat like an immortal Taoist.
Huzi led me to kneel before the Taoist.
The Taoist first glanced at me and then said in a serious tone, "Wu Jie, before becoming my disciple, there are some things you must know. Joining my Qimen sect is fate and must not be opposed. Once you enter, you must follow our rules: first, never use what you learn to commit evil acts; second, respect your master and never disobey; third... I haven't decided yet, that will come later..."
I was stunned for a moment. He hadn't even prepared properly to take a disciple.
Even Huzi looked a bit awkward.
After a pause, the Taoist continued, "My Qimen sect is the foremost Feng Shui tradition in China—vast and profound, filled with mysteries. You'll understand more as you learn. Our sect has always been a single-lineage tradition: one master only takes one disciple. I have waited decades for you, and now finally you're mine. If you ever take disciples yourself, remember, only one. Understand?"
"I understand," I replied.
"Good, let's begin," the Taoist waved his hand.
Following Huzi's previous instructions, I knelt and awkwardly recited, "The way of the master is great… To enter the path, learn a craft for sustenance; be it wealth to help the world or poverty to maintain oneself. Passed down through generations, I, Wu Jie, am fortunate to meet a great master. I vow to study, cultivate virtue, respect the sect as family, cherish the teachings forever, without regret. This I solemnly swear."
I had memorized these words with great difficulty. I spoke stiffly, stumbling over words, sometimes forgetting lines. Huzi whispered reminders to me on the side. Eventually, I finished.
Regarding the phrase "cherish the teachings forever, without regret," I secretly disagreed.
Becoming his disciple wasn't my choice—I didn't know how I ended up agreeing.
As soon as I finished, Huzi brought out a written contract and had me press my fingerprint.
From that moment on, I belonged to the Taoist.
Then Huzi loudly proclaimed, "The disciple pays respects to the master."
He handed me a bunch of symbolic items: celery, lotus seeds, red beans, dates, and longan.
I presented these to the Taoist.
Each item had meaning: celery symbolized diligence and learning, lotus seeds represented painstaking teaching, red beans meant good fortune, and longan signified completeness of virtue.
After handing these over, Huzi called out, "Perform the master-disciple ceremony."
"One bows to honor the Tao and master, benefiting all."
"Two bows to thank for teachings and enlightenment."
"Three bows to express gratitude, witnessed by heaven and earth."
Huzi recited; I bowed each time.
Afterward, Huzi brought me a bowl of tea, which I offered to the Taoist. He drank it, sealing our bond—henceforth I was his disciple.
The ceremony complete, the Taoist smiled and said, "Wu Jie, you are now my disciple. When I pass on, you will be the next sect leader of the Qimen school."
I felt a sinking gloom at the thought.
Sect leaders usually have countless disciples and wield great authority.
But our Qimen sect was single-lineage; I was both the leader and the only disciple. What kind of leader was that?
After the ceremony, nothing else happened. Huzi took me to rest.
Alone in my room late at night, I felt especially lonely and homesick.
I wondered how Grandpa was doing, whether Mom and Dad missed me, if Little Fatty's injury was better, and if he still walked sideways like a crab.