The hermit

Lately, I've had this unsettling feeling that someone's been watching me. Every time I turn around, though, there's no one there. 

My sixth sense has been getting stronger, and I'm not sure if it's linked to my strange abilities. But, for the past few days, I've felt like I'm being monitored every time I go out. Despite my attempts to find out who's behind it, I've always failed. I even had Guo Qing send someone to tail me, pretending to be a passerby, but we found no suspicious person, and the feeling still lingered.

That day, I parked my car as usual in the Industrial and Commercial Bank's courtyard. Just as I was getting out of the car, I noticed a shadow dart behind a large tree.

Ha! Finally, I've caught you! I thought to myself, thrilled. Damn it, you've been keeping me up these past few days!

I acted casual, locking the car door and heading toward the entrance of the courtyard. But after walking less than five meters, I immediately focused and used my abilities, swiftly moving behind the tree where I'd seen the shadow.

"Hey, buddy, you've been working hard, huh?" I said with a cold smirk, patting him on the shoulder.

"Ah… Oh my god! A ghost!" The man in black turned around, and when he saw the person he had been tailing appear right behind him like a ghost, he nearly pissed himself. How could this be? Just a second ago, the guy was at least twenty meters away, and now he was right behind him.

"Shut up!" I scolded. "Tell me, why are you following me?"

"I… I… I…" The man in black was gasping for air, stammering. He thought the job would be easy when his boss told him to follow someone, but he never imagined this person would be so terrifying.

"What do you mean, 'I'?" I slapped him across the face and demanded, "Spit it out!"

"I'll tell you… I'll tell you everything! Big brother… no, master, please spare me! I have elderly parents and young children to take care of, I really didn't mean any harm!" The man in black collapsed to the ground, pleading.

"Enough with the excuses! Just answer me—why are you following me?" I shouted.

"Master, I really have no ulterior motive. My boss just sent me to follow you, to secretly observe if there's anyone suspicious around you," the man in black said, terrified.

"Your boss sent you to follow me?! Who's your boss?" I asked, confused. Something about this situation didn't add up.

"Guo Qing," the man mumbled, still keeping his head down, too afraid to look up.

What?! My sweat practically poured out. This was a mess!

"Why didn't you say that earlier? Damn it! Get up!" I scolded him.

"Master, you're going to let me go?" The man in black asked, trembling.

"Of course. Now get out of here, don't follow me anymore," I ordered.

"Master, if I leave like this, won't Guo Zi get angry and skin me alive?" The man complained, his face full of worry. Before he left, he had promised to complete the mission. Now, he was about to turn back without even half a day's work. Wouldn't Guo Zi punish him severely?

"Fine, I'll talk to him," I said. I pulled out my old mobile phone and dialed Guo Qing's number.

Even Guo Qing had upgraded to a Motorola 8200, while I was still stuck with this giant brick. I looked at the bulky thing in my hand and wondered if I should get a new one. But back then, the GSM phone bills were outrageous—six yuan per minute. At least the signal was better than this ancient device, where I had to hunt for a signal before making a call.

The phone connected, and I said, "Guo Zi, did you send someone to follow me?"

"Yeah, how did you know?" Guo Qing asked, surprised. After his failed attempt to tail me openly yesterday, he figured if following me openly didn't work, he'd try a more covert approach. He didn't tell anyone and assigned a subordinate to the task, giving only brief instructions. The idea was to keep it low-key to avoid alarming me.

"Damn, why didn't you say so earlier? This guy almost got me to beat him up!" I laughed while scolding him.

"Beat him up? Why would you do that?" Guo Qing asked, confused.

"How the hell would I know who he was? I thought I caught the person tailing me! But turns out, it was you who sent him!" I replied, irritated.

"Hehe!" Guo Qing laughed awkwardly. "I did it for you, boss!"

"Alright, I'll handle it. I told the guy to go back," I said.

What a frustrating situation! I thought I had finally caught the mastermind, but I was just about to get excited when I realized I'd caught one of my own.

Suddenly, a cold voice came from behind me, "Please, wait a moment, benefactor!"

I froze. The voice came from behind me, and the distance between us couldn't have been more than two meters.

Something wasn't right. Ever since I developed my abilities, my senses had become unusually sharp. With someone that close behind me, I shouldn't have felt nothing, yet I hadn't sensed anyone. Why?

I quickly turned around, and nearly jumped out of my skin. Luckily, my mental fortitude was better than the man in black's, or I might've collapsed just like he did.

The person behind me was less than half a meter away. As I turned, I found myself staring at a large, wrinkled face! The man was dressed in a Taoist robe and holding a whisk.

"Who are you?" I instinctively jumped back three meters and asked.

"I am Jiao Yazai," the old man said.

Jiao Yazai? What kind of name is that? He must be some kind of charlatan!

"Sorry, I don't read fortunes! And I don't believe in destiny," I said coldly. After being reborn, I had already changed history, so I didn't believe in so-called fate.

"Benefactor, haven't you noticed anything unusual about your body?" Jiao Yazai continued, pressing on.

"Ha! Are you a fortune teller or some quack doctor? What's it to you if I'm healthy or not?" I mocked him.

"Benefactor, haven't you realized your body is different from before? For example, your special abilities?" Jiao Yazai insisted, his gaze cold.

I was taken aback. Could this old Taoist have seen my abilities when I used them just now? Was he planning something?

"Old man, are you watching too many TV shows? Special abilities? If you keep bothering me, I'll call the police!" I threatened.

"Benefactor, don't deny it. I've been following you for three days! I saw your movements clearly just now," Jiao Yazai said expressionlessly.

My heart skipped a beat! So the person following me all this time was him! It seemed he had been planning this from the start. From his appearance, he was likely also someone with abilities. What did he want?

"What… what do you want?" For the first time, I felt my confidence faltering. This Jiao Yazai was putting pressure on me without saying a word, and I felt a strange sense of fear.

"Benefactor, I'm here to help you!" Jiao Yazai said.

"Help me? How do you plan to help?" I asked, confused. It didn't seem like I was in any trouble.

"Benefactor, the abilities you possess do not belong to this world. Moreover, these powers are somewhat sinister and appear to be similar to the long-lost technique of dual cultivation between man and woman," Jiao Yazai explained.

"What do you mean by that?" I still didn't understand what this guy was talking about.

"I've come here today to retrieve an ability that never should have belonged to a human in the first place!" Jiao Yazai finally revealed the reason behind his following me.

Retrieve it? There was no way that was happening! I had finally gained superpowers, and now this old Taoist wanted to take them away for no reason!

"Retrieve it? This is ridiculous! Who are you, and why should you take my abilities away?" I took two steps back and demanded.

"Benefactor, don't be so stubborn! If you continue down this path, don't blame me for being rude!" Jiao Yazai's face darkened.

Looking at him, I could tell he wasn't someone to be messed with. If I kept talking, I'd be the one at a disadvantage. As the saying goes, when in doubt, run. I concentrated, using my abilities to quickly sprint in the opposite direction.

The sound of wind rushing by my ears filled the air, and the world in front of me became a blur.

When I finally stopped, panting heavily, I realized I was in a completely unfamiliar place. Wait... had I run out of the province?

"Benefactor, I'm old, and it takes a lot of energy to run like this," Jiao Yazai's voice rang out again, much too close for comfort.

I looked up, only to see Jiao Yazai standing calmly right in front of me, grinning like nothing had happened. What the hell?! I was nearly out of breath from running, and yet this old man was still full of energy?

"Old man, who the hell are you? Are you crazy or something? Why are you bothering me?" Seeing there was no escaping, I decided to stop holding back and shouted at him.

"Benefactor, as I've said before, I am Jiao Yazai! I'm here to take back the abilities you possess!" Jiao Yazai said without a hint of emotion.

"You keep saying you want to take my abilities—what's your real intention?" I asked, frustrated.

"The abilities you possess are very sinister. If fully developed, they will bring calamity to the world! I am here to act on the will of Heaven. If you continue to resist, I'll have no choice but to forcefully take them back. By then, you may lose your soul forever, unable to reincarnate!" Jiao Yazai's tone became much harsher.

"You keep talking about the will of Heaven, but I have a question for you: you must have some sort of special abilities too, right? How do you explain that?" I pointed at him, ready to confront him.

"I am different from you! I am the chief disciple of the King of Hell, tasked with eliminating people like you who secretly practice evil arts and threaten the world!" Jiao Yazai proclaimed.

"What? Did you just say you're who?" I asked in disbelief.

"I am the chief disciple of the King of Hell!" Jiao Yazai repeated.

Upon hearing this, I almost burst out laughing. What were the odds? It seemed like I couldn't die no matter how hard I tried. This old man was actually the King of Hell's disciple!

"So, you're the King of Hell's disciple, huh? In that case, let me tell you something—I'm the King of Hell's *brother*!" I finally had some confidence, and my tone returned to normal.

"You say you're the King of Hell's... brother?" Jiao Yazai paused, looking at me in confusion.

"That's right. Now that you know, why don't you get out of here already?" I said, my confidence swelling.

"No... I haven't heard that the master has brothers and sisters!" Jiao Yazi's voice also became cold: "Donor, don't impersonate me. Let's not talk about the master having no brothers and sisters. Even if he does, it's impossible for him to practice such evil skills!" "I am really the brother of the King of Hell!" I said affirmatively: "If you don't believe me, go ask your master yourself!" "Ask? How to ask? Do you think it's so easy to go to hell? If I could go back, I would have gone back long ago!" Jiao Yazi said. "..." This matter is more troublesome. How can I explain it to this foot? "Nothing to say! Humph! As long as you cooperate with me, I won't hurt your life!" Jiao Yazi took out a red pill from his pocket and handed it to me. "What is this?" I didn't reach out to take it. "As long as you take it, the abilities in your body will disappear, but there will be no other effects." Jiao Yazi said. "Damn, how can you be so stubborn? I've already told you that I'm the brother of the King of Hell, and your uncle. Aren't you betraying your master and ancestors?!" I screamed.

"Hey, this is not up to you! If you don't eat it yourself, I'll use force!" Jiao Yazi sneered.

"Hey-wait!" Suddenly I remembered the most important thing!

"What for?" Jiao Yazi asked curiously.

"I'll call Brother Yanwang..." As I said that, I took out the jade pendant that I carried with me on my chest.

"How do I use this thing..." I muttered. It's black and there's not even a button. I don't know if it works, but this time the success or failure depends on it!

"Brother Yanwang, are you there?" I yelled at the black jade pendant.

No movement.

"Brother Yanwang, did you hear me?" I continued to yell.

Still no movement. "Damn it, you damn King of Hell, what are you doing?" I said angrily.

There was still no response.

"Hahaha! I told you, don't joke with me, can this thing really make a call? Hahaha!" Jiao Yazi couldn't help but laugh.

But at that moment, a deep voice came from the jade pendant:

"Damn it, who's disturbing me while I'm trying to sleep? What's going on?"

That voice... it was my old buddy, the King of Hell! Finally, a response!

I was about to speak, but Jiao Yazi immediately rushed forward, his voice trembling with both anger and tears as he shouted, "Master... is it really you? Is it really you, old man? It's me, Jiao Yazi!"

"Jiao Yazi? So it's you, kid. Damn it, I just fell asleep, and you call me? Next time you return to hell, I'll make you regret it!" the King of Hell grumbled.

Jiao Yazi's face instantly turned pale, realizing he had disturbed his master, and all of this mess was because of his own eagerness.

I couldn't help but smirk, enjoying the scene.

"What do you want?" the King of Hell asked.

"N-no... nothing..." Jiao Yazi was flustered, unsure of what to say. He stared at the jade pendant in front of him, astonished. He had never seen such a treasure before. It was like a phone from the mortal world. He had no idea that this "dark energy phone" was a recent invention—he hadn't returned to hell for over 600 years, so he was out of touch with these modern tools.

"You call me with no reason... wait, hold on! How did you get this number? The only one who should have this phone on Earth is my brother! Damn it, I haven't heard from him in so long—wonder what he's up to, I miss him!" the King of Hell mumbled to himself.

But Jiao Yazi, listening closely, turned pale when he heard the words "brother." His heart dropped—so the person in front of him was truly the King of Hell's brother! Now he realized he had made a huge mistake.

"Brother King of Hell, it's me, Liu Lei!" I finally couldn't contain my excitement and shouted to the jade pendant.

"Ah, it's you, kid! I was wondering when you'd call! I've missed you so much! So, did you get that little girl sorted out?" the King of Hell responded, suddenly upbeat.

"Hehe, you know me, bro, I'm not bad at getting things done!" I said with a grin, feeling smug.

"By the way, tell me, did you sleep with that girl yet?" The King of Hell suddenly remembered something and quickly asked.

I was stunned. How could he ask such a question?

"Did you or didn't you? Come on, tell me! Time's running out, if you haven't done it yet, go back and get to it!" the King of Hell insisted urgently.

"Bro, that's really none of your business..." I awkwardly replied.

"Of course it's my business! Life and death are at stake here! Now, tell me, did you or didn't you?!" the King of Hell interrupted me.

"… I did…" I sighed in resignation, giving in.

"That's good! That's good!" The King of Hell let out a sigh of relief. "By the way, how did you end up associating with this kid, Jiao Yazi?"

"Well... it's a long story!" I was about to explain the situation, but I was interrupted by Jiao Yazi.

"Master, it's all a misunderstanding! A misunderstanding!" Jiao Yazi, fearing that I would say something unfavorable about him, quickly jumped in to speak first.

After a moment of thought, the King of Hell seemed to understand the situation. "Jiao Yazi, did you think my brother's abilities were some sort of evil technique?"

"Uh... Master..." Jiao Yazi hesitated, unable to respond.

"By the way, Brother King of Hell, I've been wondering... didn't you say that people who are reborn don't have special abilities? So, what about mine?" I asked curiously.

"Brother, I know about the situation with you, but I can't explain the details until a year from now. There's a reason for all of this, but it's not something I can disclose yet," the King of Hell replied. "Jiao Yazi, take the phone aside, I need to speak with you privately."

Jiao Yazi took the phone and set up a barrier around himself, effectively cutting off my ability to hear the conversation. I could see him nodding, but I couldn't hear anything.

After a while, Jiao Yazi removed the barrier, and the voice of the King of Hell came through the jade pendant again: "Liu Lei, little brother, you still don't know how to control the abilities within you, but Jiao Yazi can help you. Alright, I need to sleep now, but Jiao Yazi will follow your orders from now on. Don't forget to call me often!"

With that, the jade pendant fell silent.

"Jiao Yazi bows to the Uncle Master!" Suddenly, Jiao Yazi kneeled in front of me, saying, "I apologize for my earlier offense. Please forgive me, Uncle Master…"

No way... This old Taoist is now my nephew?! Given his apparent abilities, recruiting him as a subordinate would be incredibly satisfying!

"Get up, Jiao Yazi!" I said, maintaining a high and mighty tone.

"Report, Uncle Master, my name is Jiao Yazi," he said.

"Forget Jiao Yazi! From now on, you'll be called 'Foot Little'!" I declared.

"Yes, Uncle Master. From now on, I will be called 'Foot Little,'" Jiao Yazi replied.

"Where is this place?" I looked around and realized I had somehow ended up in a deep, remote forest.

"Well, Uncle Master, I'm not sure either... I just followed you here..." Foot Little replied, looking uneasy.

"What the...! Are we lost?" I cursed under my breath.

"Uncle Master, although we're lost, we can use Instant Transmission to quickly reach our desired location," Foot Little said.

"Instant Transmission? Why didn't you mention that earlier!" I said, frustrated. I thought we were stuck here for good.

"Well... Uncle Master didn't ask, so I didn't dare to mention it," Foot Little answered, his tone respectful, as if he really saw me as his master.

"Alright, let's use Instant Transmission then," I said. "By the way, how does it work?" I suddenly realized I didn't know how to do it.

"It's actually very simple, like this..." Foot Little instructed me.

One second later, we appeared in the courtyard of an Industrial and Commercial Bank.

"Alright, you can go now," I said to Foot Little.

"Yes, Uncle Master," he replied obediently.

"Wait a second..." I called out to him.

"Is there something else, Uncle Master?" Foot Little turned back immediately, looking respectful.

"How do I find you?" I asked.

"That's easy. Just silently call my name, and I'll appear right in front of you," Foot Little explained.

"Got it, you can go now. And don't follow me around unless it's necessary—it's a little creepy." I waved him off.

"I understand, I understand!" Foot Little quickly agreed, bowing and seeing me off.

When I got back home, I silently called out in my mind, "Foot Little!"

In an instant, a dark shadow appeared in front of me. "Uncle Master, you called for me?" Foot Little asked respectfully.

"It's nothing, just testing it out," I said, smiling inwardly. It really worked! Looks like I have a new toy to play with.

"..." Foot Little muttered, "Uncle Master, can I go now?"

"Yes, you can go." I waved my hand.

In the blink of an eye, Foot Little disappeared.