Zhong Jiudao successfully returned home before the life-extending lamp went out. He slowly opened his eyes and saw the head of the Zhong family awake, but still unconscious.
Mother Zhong heaved a sigh of relief, extinguished the life-extending lamp, retracted the magic circle, held her forehead and swayed slightly.
"Mother!" Zhong Jiudao helped Mother Zhong up. He knew that she was exhausted after maintaining the formation for so long.
"I'm fine, I'm just a little tired." Mother Zhong placed her hand on the head of the Zhong family head, confirming that his soul had returned and that his soul was intact without any damage.
"Go back and have a rest. I'll take care of things here." Zhong Jiudao said.
Mother Zhong shook her head and looked at her son and said, "You've been gone for too long. Did you encounter Wu Xingze and the Soul-Snatching Bell? After such a fierce battle, has your soul power been damaged?"
"I'm fine." Zhong Jiudao was actually very tired, but he was young and strong, and his recovery ability was better than his mother's.
He briefly recounted what had happened previously, emphasizing Luo Huai's contribution.
Luo Huai is just an ordinary person, he should not be allowed to get too close to the Heavenly Master World. It is good for him to live safely like this. There is no need to attract the attention of the Heavenly Master World, nor is there any need for him to come into contact with this supernatural world.
But there were no outsiders here, only his cousins and Zhong Jiudao's biological mother who had witnessed Luo Huai's miraculous aspects. He didn't know what was in his mind, and he really wanted to let his mother know how much contribution Luo Huai had made in this matter.
"Thanks to Luo Huai, I was able to destroy Wu Xingze's magic power without any damage," Zhong Jiudao said, "Just ask the second branch and the Wu family to send some of Wu Xingze's hair, blood, and underwear, and cast a spell to find his whereabouts. He has lost his magic power and cannot hide his whereabouts."
"So you took so many jade artifacts to give to that child. Luo Huai is the child who successfully escaped from the villa in "The Fallen Family", right?" Zhong's mother glanced at Zhong Jiudao and asked indifferently.
I thought that she also knew about "The Fallen Family" and must have watched the movie secretly without the knowledge of the owner.
"It's him." Zhong Jiudao nodded. "He... has a special physique and is more likely to attract ghosts. After all, he is an employee of the company. I just gave him some magic tools for self-defense. I never thought that he would use them on myself in the end. This is what good people get rewarded for. "
"Since you think so, then let's do it this way." Mother Zhong's eyes were full of wisdom, as if she understood something.
Zhong Jiu said: “???”
It seemed as if my mother had never looked at me like this before.
"Your father's soul has returned to its place, and that scum Wu Xingze can no longer cause any trouble. You should leave overnight, otherwise the head of the family will be so embarrassed when he wakes up and sees you that he is desperate." Zhong's mother suddenly became indifferent and drove Zhong Jiudao out of the house.
Zhong Jiu said: "… There is no need to be so anxious, at least wait until we find Wu Xingze's whereabouts. It's late at night during the New Year, and it's not convenient to find a car to pick me up in the mountains."
"The family has sent a car to take you there." Zhong's mother said with her eyes lowered.
Zhong Jiudao felt that his mother's attitude was a little strange. Although she didn't say some things, Zhong Jiudao could feel that his mother and father's opinions were contradictory. His father wanted to kick him out of the house, and his mother objected on the surface, but she secretly transferred some money to him. Zhong Jiudao felt that he didn't need it, so he returned it.
Also, every time his father lost his temper, his mother would remind him in advance to prevent him from being punished by his father.
The fact that Zhong Jiudao was able to go home for the New Year was a benefit that was only possible because of his mother's persuasion to his father.
At that time, Mother Zhong said to her angry father, "It's OK if he doesn't come back on weekdays, but it's not nice for him not to come back during the Spring Festival. He is the source of income, and his family lives a hard life on weekdays. When he comes home for the Spring Festival and sees the life at home, he may decide to return to the Tianshi world in his heart."
After thinking about it, the head of the Zhong family felt that it was a good idea. From then on, every time he went home for the New Year, Zhong Jiudao would see a more sumptuous dinner than in previous years. In the past, he used ordinary plates to eat, but during the New Year, the old man almost moved all the jades to use as tableware. He was wearing gold and silver all over his body. He didn't know where he got a two or three jin gold chain to hang around his neck. He held a jade walnut in his hand, his walking stick was made of sandalwood, and even the carpet in front of the door was made of the finest silk. He was eager to move all the things in the warehouse to let Zhong Jiudao see what kind of wealth he had missed.
Zhong Jiudao knew that his mother was not trying to persuade him to go home. Mother Zhong knew her son very well and knew that he would not change his mind even if he got hurt. She coaxed the head of the family to make such a decision just to have a reunion dinner with her son during the Chinese New Year.
Otherwise, after more than ten years, when he returns home, his parents' hair will have turned gray, and Zhong Jiudao will have missed a lot of time.
Today he had a legitimate reason to stay at home, but his mother wanted to drive him away, leaving Zhong Jiudao confused.
"I thought that after leaving the Heavenly Master World for more than ten years, he would return to the Zhong family when he had enough adventures outside." Zhong's mother said indifferently, "Even if he doesn't come back, when he has children, if his children are more talented, they can also come back to inherit the family business. But I think that he might not even want children in the future. The family head's children are in poor health. If he knows about this after he wakes up, he will be so angry that he will ascend to heaven. You should go back and avoid the limelight for a while."
As she spoke, she took out a jade pendant from her waist and handed it to Zhong Jiu, saying, "Luo Huai saved the master, I am extremely grateful and have no way to repay you. This jade pendant was given to me on behalf of the master when I got married, and I have nurtured it for decades, and its magical power is amazing. Give this to Luo Huai as a thank you gift."
Zhong Jiu said: “???”
"That's not necessary. I have a lot of jade pieces from my home storehouse. I can just give Luo Huai one more." Zhong Jiudao declined.
"What you gave me is yours. It's a token of my love. How can I do something about it?" said Zhong's mother.
Zhong Jiudao couldn't persuade his mother, so he had to accept the jade pendant. He was full of questions when his mother pushed him out the door: "Okay, let's go down the mountain."
Zhong Jiu said: "… No matter how anxious mother is, she can't wait till tonight. I still need to treat father's eyes."
Mother Zhong paused as she pushed her son away. "The master's eyes were not injured by the evil spirit, but were gouged out by a fierce ghost. There is no possibility of recovery."
"I know, but the other eye can be transplanted." Zhong Jiudao said.
"I only talked about replacing the cornea. I didn't say that modern medicine can transplant the entire eyeball." Zhong's mother looked as if to say, "Don't think I'm uneducated and don't know anything."
“Modern medicine can’t do that, but the magic of the Heavenly Master world can. However, the eyes must be special, able to connect all the optic nerves autonomously and activate some dead nerves.” Zhong Jiudao said.
"What kind of eyes can do this? The eyes of a god?" Mother Zhong did not believe what Zhong Jiudao said.
"There is indeed such a pair of eyes, and they are a pair of yin and yang eyes," Zhong Hongyi, who heard their conversation, walked over and said, "The original owner of the eyes was also righteous enough. There is no one more suitable for the head of the family than this."
"Can I ask where this eye is?" asked Zhong's mother.
"It's better not to." The three cousins of the Zhong family said in unison.
Mother Zhong: "Will it cause any harm to the head of the family?"
"I don't think so," Zhong Hongyan said. "I have said before that some patients who have undergone heart transplants will have some different behaviors and habits from the heart donor after they recover, but it is a heart after all. These are a pair of eyes, so it won't affect them too much."
Mother Zhong remained silent and then said, "The head of the family was seriously injured and his eyes can no longer be restored. Jiudao is unwilling to return home to inherit the family business. The Zhong family's side branches are already ready to revolt."
"Are you trying to seize power right after the head of the family fell into a coma?" Zhong Hongyi asked.
She is an ambitious person who always wants to resist the control of the Zhong family, but she also knows that the root of the Zhong family's problems is not the identity of the head of the family. No matter who becomes the head of the family, the fate of the younger generation will be the same. The fault lies with this decadent family that cannot keep up with the times, not a certain person.
Moreover, the person who is ready to fight for power as soon as the other family heads fall ill may not be as good as the original old stubborn one. At least this old stubborn one knows how to strictly abide by the rules of the Tianshi world.
"It's New Year's Eve and we're going to worship our ancestors. After the head of the family fell ill, it's a big deal as to who will do the worship. The person who leads everyone in the worship is very likely to become the next head of the family. In the past, when the head of the family was busy, the second branch always took over. Now a villain has fallen into the second branch. They failed to supervise properly and lost their qualifications. The people below are fighting like crazy. I'm having a headache. I really want to set up a magic circle to knock them all out so that we can spend the New Year in peace." said Zhong's mother.
Zhong Jiu said: "..."
Since he left home, his mother seemed to have become more and more tough, and every time he came back, he found that she was more decisive than the last time.
“Even if the head of the family can get an eye transplant, it will be impossible to offer sacrifices to the ancestors this year. Let Jiudao take his place. Only he has the strength to suppress the others.” Zhong Hongyan said.
"No," Zhong Hongyi objected, "Ancestor worship is a matter of great importance. Zhong Jiudao has his own things to do. Once he participates in the ancestor worship, it means that he is ready to take over the Zhong family. Believe it or not, he will worship the ancestors today, and someone will arrange a marriage for him the day after tomorrow. He will be forced to get married within ten days and take over the Zhong family after marriage."
Zhong Hong was familiar with this procedure, and ancestor worship would become an excuse that could not be refused. They used this excuse to force Zhong Jiudao to submit step by step.
Mother Zhong said, "I want to use him in the future. Even if the head of the family's eyes cannot be restored, I don't plan to let others take charge of the Zhong family. I will temporarily take over the management of the family head. After a few days, I will choose a younger generation with similar magical power and who abides by the rules and entrust the Zhong family to him. It will be better than those people."
"But the woman..."
Zhong Hongyan had just started to speak when he saw Zhong Hongyi and Zhong Jiudao looking at him and he immediately shut up.
"Let's treat the head of the family first. I'll push him there and help him worship his ancestors." said Zhong's mother.
"I'll have someone send the eyes over right away," said Zhong Jiudao.
He picked up his phone and saw the missed call from Luo Huai. He felt warm inside and wanted to call him back. But business was more important now, so he would send a message to Luo Huai later when he was alone.
"Is the eyeball still there?" Zhong Jiudao called Qian Duoqun.
"Yes, Brother Ball came to spend the New Year with me. He also advised me to drink less, saying that drinking culture is not good." Qian Duoqun probably drank too much and his tongue was a little big.
Zhong Jiu said: "Tell him that the candidate for eye transplantation has been found. He is an elderly Heavenly Master who adheres to the Heavenly Master's Law. He is almost sixty years old this year. Ask him if he is willing?"
"Ah?!" Qian Duoqun suddenly woke up and stood up straight. "So soon! I don't know how to get along with him! No, I mean, isn't sixty too old? Brother Eyeball is immortal. If it were that person, the time would be too short, not enough to see the world."
“The eyeballs are immortal. Even after a hundred years, the person’s eyes can still be passed on to the next generation who are in need. Until one day, when the eyeballs see the world they want to see, they will die with relief,” said Zhong Jiudao.
“Is that so? But I…” Qian Duoqun touched the eyeball that was hanging on his chest like a necklace, feeling very reluctant to let it go.
But he still conveyed the matter to Yanqiu, who didn't think about it for too long and quickly agreed.
"I'll send my eyeball right now. Director Zhong, which hospital do you go to for the eye transplant? Can I go? I want to see my eyeball brother off." Qian Duoqun said.
"Okay, come on." Zhong Jiudao told his home address and asked someone to pick him up at the high-speed rail station.
Qian Duoqun's home is quite close to the city where the Zhong family lives, and it only takes two hours by plane. It is now past eight o'clock in the evening. If he buys a flight for 12 o'clock now, he will probably arrive at the Zhong family at five o'clock in the morning the next day. The early morning is the time when the sky changes from black to white, from darkness to light, and it is the most suitable time to change eyes.
After getting the address, Qian Duoqun rushed to the Zhong family overnight.
Qian Duoqun sat on the plane, looking up at the dark sky.
He was terrified of the eyeballs at first, which were everywhere and all the time, frightening him to death. Under the stare of the eyeballs, he learned to go to bed early and get up early, to save money, to stop swearing, and to be an honest person.
Qian Duoqun used to be a person who had been in the market, and had seen all kinds of people, and had developed bad habits. Now that he had suddenly become rich following Zhong Jiudao, and there were more people flattering him, he always felt a little inflated. If it weren't for Brother Eyeball watching him, he would have almost forgotten his last name, and would have followed that group of people and gradually fallen into the abyss of depravity.
Now he dared not do bad things, and he dared not spend money recklessly. He went home immediately after finishing his business, fearing that Ball would glare at him. In order to be a cultured person, he spent all his spare time reading books. His temperament changed a lot, and he looked like a cultured person.
He successfully survived the period of rapid wealth expansion, all thanks to the supervision of Brother Eyeball.
Qian Duoqun knew that Brother Eyeball liked to watch beautiful things in the world, so he took out a lot of his savings during the Chinese New Year and bought a lot of things to send to orphanages and nursing homes. He was given a note when he played chess with the elderly, and was despised and embarrassed when he performed a show and sang for children.
Although he was a little embarrassed, he lived a fulfilling and happy life, and Brother Eyeball also praised him.
At that time, Brother Eyeball said: "Respect the old and the young, and respect the old and the young of others. This kind of life is really good."
Qian Duoqun knew that children in orphanages always lived worse than those from normal families, but today's welfare facilities were a hundred times better than they were decades ago.
Eyeball is happy, and he feels that it is meaningful. In the past, no matter how much money he made, he felt empty, and always wanted to prove that he was rich by spending money crazily and trampling on the dignity of others. Now he understands what "giving roses to others will leave a lingering fragrance on your hands" means.
Even though it was forced at the beginning, everything seems to be moving in a positive direction.
Maybe he drank too much, many scenes flashed through Qian Duoqun's mind. Everything that had happened in the past six months was absurd and interesting, more fulfilling than the past twenty years.
"Now that I'm gone, who will keep an eye on me and prevent me from becoming a rich man?" Qian Duoqun covered his face and cried.
The eyeballs rubbed against his chest, as if to say, "It won't be like that anymore."