Chapter 4: Treatment of Hysteria

  The wall around the courtyard was piled with years of wheat straw, sorghum stalks and corn cobs. An old hen with feathered legs was in the chicken coop, blushing and clucking a few times, then ran out to forage beside the grass heap.

  Under the big locust tree, it was very cool. Old Man Meng specially brought out a bit of tea leaves that he had treasured for who knows how long and brewed some tea. Huang Li slowly drank it, feeling that it wasn't as sweet as the mountain spring water.

  "Your wound is healing very quickly, even faster than I thought." Old Man Meng looked at Huang Li's injury, stroking his beard with great satisfaction and said: "I'm not bragging, the external wound medicine I made may not be famous, but it's really effective. Think back to the year when Lao Suo's leg was cut by a sickle, it even exposed the bone, but it healed after using my medicine."

  "That's right, that's right." Zhang Lao saw Meng Lao's eyes glance over and quickly nodded in agreement: "At the time I thought this leg was done for, but after applying Meng Lao's medicine, it healed remarkably well." As he spoke, to emphasize the effect, he even rolled up his pant leg to show Huang Li the long scar.

  "Old Master Meng's medical skills are indeed remarkable." Huang Li hurriedly flattered, then furrowed his brow and asked: "Master Meng, you said my... this" he pointed to his own head, "this problem of mine can be cured, right? I've even forgotten what my original surname and name were, it's really frustrating."

  Old Man Meng sipped his tea and said slowly, "As for this area of a hundred miles around, I dare say that the only one who can recognize your illness is me. My master once mentioned it to me years ago, saying it's called ' Departed Soul Syndrome' or 'Lost Soul Syndrome'. He practiced medicine all his life and only saw one case. As for me, encountering you is also a blessing."

  The old man didn't say whether he could cure it or not, but instead looked delighted as if he had seen something rare. Huang Li asked with a bitter smile: "Old Master Meng, can this illness be cured?"

  "It can be cured if it's said to be curable, and it's also reasonable if it's said to be incurable." Old Man Meng said with a hint of a smile: "Whether you can recall past events depends on fate and luck, medicine, acupuncture, and moxibustion are all useless."

  Opportunity and luck, this is too elusive, it's like practicing some kind of ultimate skill or finding a secret martial arts manual.

  "What's the origin of this luck?" Zhang Laosuo also heard Yunshan Fog Reflection, and couldn't help but interrupt to ask.

  Old Meng hesitated for a moment, seemingly thinking of how to explain it so that Huang Li and Zhang Laosuo could understand his meaning.

  "This thing is fishy, so I'll tell you about the situation of that soulless person my master met, and you'll understand." Old Man Meng began to recount: "That person was a bachelor surnamed Xu. He had some unsettled accounts with another bachelor surnamed Xu who lived over two miles away. One day, the Xu fellow got drunk, grabbed a long knife for slaughtering pigs, and went to the Xu fellow's door. He shouted, 'If you don't pay me back, I'll stab you!' The Xu fellow heard this, immediately took off his upper garment, patted his belly, and said, 'Come on, aim for this spot.' The Xu fellow took a step back and said, 'Or else, you can stab me.' The Cao fellow didn't say another word, snatched the knife, and was about to take action. The Xu bachelor turned around and ran towards his own village, with the Cao fellow chasing him all the way to his doorstep. It wasn't until the villagers intervened that the matter was settled. From then on, the Xu bachelor was considered 'finished'."

  What's this got to do with anything? Weren't we talking about losing one's soul? How did it end up being about a light pole? Huang Li was getting annoyed, but still patiently listened on, while Zhang Lao Suo was listening with great interest.

  When it comes to "guang gun", the meaning at that time is different from now, not referring to a man who can't marry an old wife, but specifically referring to guys like qing pi, hooligans.

  Old Meng took a sip of tea and continued: "To say that this surname Xu's rogue escaped to his home, hastily closed the door and pulled up the beam, in a flurry, accidentally fell and hit his head on the water tank in the courtyard, hitting it so hard that he fainted."

  Huang Li flipped his eyes and this Meng old man was addicted to plain speaking, with a rhythmic tone, just short of putting a fan in his hand, a piece of resonant wood.

  "It wasn't until the second day at dawn that this scoundrel surnamed Xu finally came to, but he had changed completely." Old Man Meng finally got to the point, "He was like a different person, his temperament and nature were completely different from before, and he even forgot what he had done over the past few years."

  "That's what they call being possessed." Huang Li asked with concern: "What happened later? Did he come back to himself?"

  "Ah, I remember now." Old Man Meng nodded his head, a complex expression on his face. "After that, he became very honest and hardworking. He got married, had kids, and more than ten years passed like this. One day, he was beaten unconscious on the way back from the market, losing money was a small matter, but his brain was also severely injured, and he lost consciousness. My master was invited to treat him at that time, after two days of treatment, he woke up. The first sentence he said when he opened his eyes was: 'I'm finished, I'm finished, I've been ruined by the Cao family, from now on I won't be able to mix in society.' After saying this, he died shortly after."

  Huang Li understood, this matter is indeed very strange. Must one also use a stick to crack open their own skull in order to recall past events? This is a technical skill, the force must be grasped just right. If it's too light, you won't faint and there will be no effect, just wasted blood; if it's too heavy, it'll be like that guy named Xu, having a final memory before dying; or maybe even worse than him, directly meeting King Yan in the afterlife.

  "Big brother, did you understand?" Meng Laoshi said after finishing the story, and smiled at Huang Li saying: "It can be met but not sought, this is what my master told me, what do you think?"

  Huang Li licked his lips and smiled: "I think we should go to Hei Shi Valley again, maybe we can find something and remember what it is."

  "No, no." Old Man Meng and Zhang Lao Suo said in unison, shaking their heads repeatedly.

  "Big brother, Hei Shi Gu can't be trifled with!" Old Man Meng said solemnly: "You were able to escape, that was luck, heaven helped you, but if you go back in again, it'll be..."

  "It's not worth taking that risk." Zhang Laosuo also advised: "Heishi Valley, Ghost Gate Pass, nine out of ten will not return. This is not to scare you, it's a true saying passed down from generation to generation."

  The old man looked at the two old men with a tense expression, nodded and said, "Okay, heaven will not cut off all ways for people, there must be other ways to think of."

  "It's all right." Old Man Meng seemed to still be a bit worried, saying: "Big Brother, you should stay here for now. This medicine also needs to be changed up a bit. I'll use acupuncture on you as well, circulate the meridians, maybe it will have some effect."

  "I'm sorry to trouble you again, sir." Huang Li smiled and said: "Needle moxibustion is a good thing. I walk on the mountain roads every day, exercise is also very good."

  "That's it then." Old Man Meng nodded and said, "There are always wild game at Lao Suo's house, eating more meat is also good for your body. Living here with me, you won't have such good fortune." As he spoke, he sniffled his nose and chuckled to himself.

  A savory smell wafted from the house, brought by Old Lock's game. Zhen Niang came out, carrying a bundle of straw, while Niu Niu and a small puppy played happily in the courtyard.