{"id":8936,"date":"2019-09-25T12:00:56","date_gmt":"2019-09-25T16:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/?p=8936"},"modified":"2019-12-20T02:02:47","modified_gmt":"2019-12-20T07:02:47","slug":"pttp005","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/pttp005\/","title":{"rendered":"Part-Time Taoist Priest 5"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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<< Chapter 4<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Compassion of Motherly Love <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Xie Lingya stuffed his student ID back into his wallet, ignoring He Zun who clamored to see. He\u2019d taken academic leave but didn\u2019t hand back the ID. It just happened to be in his pocket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He Zun felt a bit conflicted\u2014although Teacher Xie looked very young, he never thought he would be a student\u2026 They say that \u201cunskilled meditate in the wilderness, true masters live in the city\u201d1<\/a><\/sup>Means that true Taoist practitioners don\u2019t have to rely on the peaceful environment to practice because the environment doesn\u2019t affect them.<\/span>\u2014it turned out to be true!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u201cI\u2019m really surprised, Teacher Xie, I didn\u2019t know you also went to school. After all, you\u2019re already serving an apprenticeship for such a difficult profession\u2014how do you find time to study on top of that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Black lines appeared on Xie Lingya\u2019s face. \u201cI just defended my thesis and am preparing for the Postgraduate Admission Test\u2014what the heck are you talking about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He Zun: \u201c\u2026\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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After He Zun rang the bell, a middle-aged beauty came to open the door. It was He Zun\u2019s aunt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She moved aside to let them come in while eyeing Xie Lingya, a skeptical expression on her face. Apparently, she hadn\u2019t expected the expert He Zun lauded to be so young, not to mention so handsome\u2014if he said he was an actor that she would easily believe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She was an atheist. Though the nightmares made her half-convinced there was more to the world than what people could see with their eyes, she was still wary of con artists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He Zun introduced, \u201cThis is Teacher Xie from Baoyang Temple!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI’ve long looked forward to meeting you, Teacher Xie,\u201d Aunt He said politely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, everyone knew she had likely never heard Baoyang\u2019s name. The temple was small and deserted; even in its neighborhood, not many knew about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He Zun glanced around. Seeing no one else in the room, he asked, \u201cWhere\u2019s Uncle?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe went to take a call, he should be back in a minute.\u201d Aunt He asked them to sit down, poured them tea, and texted her husband.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He Zun noticed she was doubtful and wanted to prove the person he invited was indeed an expert. He hurried to create an opportunity: \u201cTeacher Xie, my aunt said that lately she feels unnaturally exhausted. Do you perhaps have a quick-working method to help her?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aunt He chuckled, wanting to see what this expert would come up with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xie Lingya readily accepted He Zun\u2019s good intentions. At once, his hand formed the Spirit Official\u2019s Seal, but the second his middle finger rose, Aunt He\u2019s face changed. \u201cYou\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quick-working method? Of course, it\u2019s this!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

He Zun immediately interjected, \u201cLet me explain! Though it looks like you-know-what, it\u2019s actually a secret technique called the Spirit\u2019s Official Seal. It can exorcise evil spirits!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aunt He: \u201c\u2026\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xie Lingya saw she still looked dubious. He said in his heart, Venerable Patriarch, now it\u2019s time for you to show your might, help me, please<\/em>. Soon, he sensed Spiritual Official Wang\u2019s spiritual power surge up in his body. Still forming the seal with his left hand, he held Aunt He\u2019s wrist in his right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though Xie Lingya hadn\u2019t engaged in this line of business before, he knew he couldn\u2019t let other people think he was a fraud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aunt He only felt that, when Xie Lingya took her wrist, the faint chill lingering in her body seemed to retreat and the inexplicable fatigue she felt for the last few days disappeared without a trace as if swept away by warm sunlight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“This…” Aunt He was shocked, even a little frightened, because she watched the whole time and knew all Xie Lingya did was simply hold her wrist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Could this be explained scientifically? Had she overlooked something?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She hadn’t figured it out yet when there came the sound of the front door opening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“President Wang, Shi Daozhang<\/em>, please,” a middle-aged man’s voice sounded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He Zun promptly turned to look. \u201cUncle?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two other people came in with Uncle He: a thin, refined-looking middle-aged man and a handsome young man. To Xie Lingya\u2019s amazement, it was Shi Changxuan, the red-robed Taoist priest he saw in Taihe Temple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, Shi Changxuan wore normal clothes and carried a backpack. He looked entirely like an ordinary youth, yet when he raised his head and his calm, clear eyes swept around the room, he seemed to be a Taoist sage, separated from the mortal world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His gaze rested on Xie Lingya for a few seconds more than on the others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xie Lingya was both surprised and delighted\u2014surprised at meeting another Taoist here, delighted because it turned out to be Shi Changxuan, his number one candidate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Abashed, Uncle He explained, \u201cThis is my friend, President Wang. He heard about the situation and invited Shi Daozhang <\/em>from the provincial capital for help\u2026 I\u2019m sorry, I forgot to tell you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He Zun\u2019s expression turned a bit ugly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

President Wang glanced at Xie Lingya, and said with a smile, \u201cYou\u2019re President He\u2019s nephew\u2019s friend, right? How come the experts in this line of business are so young and handsome these days? However, there\u2019s no need for a second master to bother with this matter. Originally, I wanted to ask Master Chen from Taihe Temple, who knew I would have the honor to meet Shi Daozhang<\/em>? I was lucky\u2014he had been invited to preside over the rain-invoking ceremony in Taihe, otherwise, I wouldn\u2019t have had a chance to see him. And, as you know, it rained two days ago.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He touted Shi Changxuan, looking unbearably proud of his ability to invite him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Uncle He felt awkward. Though President Wang\u2019s intentions were good, he never asked his opinion but directly brought Shi Changxuan here, catching him unaware. Still, President Wang was one of his important business partners on whose support he often relied, so he was too embarrassed to say anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aunt He was also at a loss. One person was Teacher Xie, who made her feel reinvigorated just by touching her hand, the other was praised to have successfully prayed for the rain\u2026 The former she was still able to accept, but the latter had to be an overstatement, hadn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He Zun said unhappily, \u201cSo what? It still should be \u2018first come, first served\u2019!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instantly, the atmosphere became even more awkward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xie Lingya really needed the money but at the same time, he wanted to <\/strong>get to know Shi Changxuan better. So, he said good-naturedly, \u201cSince we\u2019re both here, let\u2019s take care of this together, if Shi Daozhang <\/em>doesn\u2019t mind?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To President Wang\u2019s ears, this sounded like a challenge. He couldn\u2019t help but glance at Shi Daozhang<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shi Changxuan\u2019s voice was indifferent: \u201cAs you wish.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the situation developed like this, of course, both of them stayed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Once everyone was seated in the living room, Uncle He narrated his family\u2019s experiences from the beginning: \u201cWe\u2019ve been living here since about two months ago. In fact, as soon as we moved in, we felt it was rather cold in the house, but it\u2019s on a hillside after all, so I thought it was normal. However, since last week, all the five members of our family began to have nightmares every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey aren\u2019t really scary, more like reliving what happened in the past, but it feels extraordinarily real, and you can\u2019t wake up. Then, when we finally wake up in the morning, we\u2019re all covered in sweat and feel tightness in the chest. We went for a physical examination to the hospital, we also informed the real estate agency and had the surrounding environment checked, but there were no problems at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy parents are old, I let them stay at the hotel for now, and my son lives in a school dormitory and didn\u2019t come back this weekend. Well, originally, I had planned to change rooms, I\u2019ve heard this might help. Since your perspective is different, masters\u2026 maybe you will be able to find what exactly is the problem?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

President Wang, a devout believer in feng shui, said immediately, \u201cIs it because of the location, Shi Daozhang<\/em>? The house lies on the north side of the hill, after all, which belongs to yin<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instinctively, Xie Lingya thought, Impossible<\/em>. He didn\u2019t really understand feng shui though, so he kept his mouth shut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then Shi Changxuan spoke out, echoing his thought: \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everyone, including Xie Lingya, stared at him, but he apparently had no intention to expound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Can you tell me why, Shi Daozhang<\/em>?” President Wang asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shi Changxuan\u2019s eyebrows knitted, which for some reason made the others feel the urge to apologize for coming to class unprepared. He said, \u201cThis is indeed the yin <\/em>side, but the mountain\u2019s qi <\/em>veins are good, and it\u2019s in the right shape\u2014the three peaks converge like a lotus. There\u2019s a pond in front of the entrance. It\u2019s inclined so the water flows away from the house, which makes it easy for wealth to disperse, but this isn\u2019t\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPardon? What about the wealth?\u201d Uncle He interrupted him in a hurry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shi Changxuan glanced at him. \u201cIt\u2019s easy to be lost. Feng shui of this place is favorable, yet Mr. He and his family continue to have nightmares. The reason should be\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Uncle He grasped the crucial point and wasn\u2019t going to let it go: \u201cYou mean we have to move out or we\u2019ll go bankrupt?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shi Changxuan, interrupted for the second time, fell silent for a moment, then said, \u201cSimply change the flow of energy\u2014fill the pond.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Uncle He breathed a sigh of relief. \u201cOh, that\u2019s good!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

President Wang grinned. \u201cThis is but a trifle. Just do what Shi Daozhang <\/em>said and it\u2019ll be fine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Uncle He forced a smile and took a sip of the tea to collect himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shi Changxuan continued, no fluctuations in his voice as if he spoke of something as inconsequential as the weather: \u201cYou have nightmares because of a roaming corpse spreading fear in your house.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Uncle He spat out the tea. \u201cRoaming, roaming corpse?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aunt He was no longer a staunch non-believer after what Xie Lingya had done. Now, she paled. \u201cThat sounds terrifying. You mean to say\u2026 there\u2019s a body buried under this house? Do we have nightmares because it climbs out of its grave and wanders around at night?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What a rich imagination.<\/em> Xie Lingya couldn\u2019t help but turn to her and explain, \u201cThe \u2018roaming corpse spreading fear\u2019 is a grievance made by the Roving Demon. The Roving Demon is one of the seven Guest Spirits in the folk religion, along with Lord of the Soil, North Monarch, etc. It\u2019s not an actual wandering corpse, that would be too scary.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These days, besides reading Baoyang records, he also read some Taoist classics. \u201cThe roaming corpse spreading fear\u201d occured when the Guest Spirits occupied the house and made trouble for the residents, wanting to drive them off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Uncle He\u2019s face was whitish. \u201cAnd you say the Guest Spirits are not scary, Teacher Xie?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xie Lingya: \u201c\u2026\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How should I put it\u2026 Compared with some of the malignant wandering ghosts, these guys are nothing special.<\/em>2<\/a><\/sup>Wandering ghosts – wandering spirits of the dead. These spirits include vengeful ghosts seeking revenge on those who offended them before, hungry ghosts, and playful spirits who might cause trouble.<\/span>\n\n\n\n

Uncle He wiped his face with his hand. \u201cShi Daozhang<\/em>, Teacher Xie, I\u2019m not sure what should I feel. The more I understand, the more afraid I am\u2014it would\u2019ve been better to just get used to having nightmares. Now it turns out not only is this house making me lose wealth, but it\u2019s also haunted. Can I just move? I don\u2019t think I\u2019ll ever be able to relax here again!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt this moment, it\u2019s tied to the house, so even ordinary people can handle it. Moving out would indeed solve the problem,\u201d Shi Changxuan said. He looked at Uncle He: \u201cBut\u2014did you perhaps receive a small windfall about half a month ago?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Uncle He asked, shocked, \u201cHow do you know?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He Zun was also surprised\u2014he never heard about this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, so it\u2019s this after all. Usually, a household is guarded by twelve major gods, including the fierce Azure Dragon and White Tiger\u2014normally, Guest Spirits wouldn\u2019t dare make trouble for the hosts. I was confused about how it was possible for them to suddenly turn malicious,\u201d Xie Lingya said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He\u2019d encountered a similar case before. His high school classmate\u2019s house had bad feng shui, and accidents started to happen there with increasing frequency. The nightmares were just the beginning\u2014if nothing was done, the situation could get more and more dangerous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, something like this didn\u2019t happen without a reason. According to Shi Changxuan, the root cause of the problem was the money He Zun\u2019s uncle unexpectedly received.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even Aunt He didn’t know about it. She eyed Uncle He suspiciously. “What windfall?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sheepish, Uncle He said, \u201cHalf a month ago, my client and I had dinner with President Fang from Tongxing. When we were going back, he found a bag of money by the side of the road, with more than a hundred thousand yuan inside. He gave me twenty thousand, and I took it. That\u2026 that isn\u2019t really a serious amount, is it? I was drunk at the time, and it wasn\u2019t me who found it, or I\u2019d definitely bring it to a police station, I swear. I can easily make a hundred thousand. As if I\u2019d get greedy!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shi Changxuan was silent for a moment then frowned, \u201cIt wasn\u2019t a windfall, it was money to buy a life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Uncle He\u2019s face stiffened. \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWait a minute, Fang of Tongxing?\u201d President Wang interjected, his expression strange. \u201cYou mean Fang Zhenxing? Two days ago, I heard he transferred his company to someone else\u2014they say it\u2019s because he\u2019s ill.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After this sentence, the room fell completely silent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Uncle He got goosebumps all over. It was the middle of the day, yet he began to shiver from sudden cold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No matter the amount, a windfall was a fortune which one didn\u2019t deserve, and spending it didn\u2019t come without risk. Windfall, or ill-gotten gains, was \u6a6b\u8ca1, h\u00e8ngc\u00e1i<\/em>. H\u00e8ng <\/em>also meant \u201chorizontal,\u201d as in the saying, \u201cEnter upright, leave horizontally,\u201d which was a metaphor for death. Who knew if h\u00e8ngc\u00e1i<\/em> won\u2019t turn into \u6a6b\u6b7b, h\u00e8ngs\u01d0<\/em>\u2014to die an unnatural death?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xie Lingya had heard about such a thing from his uncle. In the 1980s, a farmer in the countryside picked up five yuan and spent it. As a result, he became ill, losing more than he gained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the time, Wang Yuji was invited to help. He found the money had been cursed and deliberately thrown on the ground\u2014whoever was greedy and picked it up would meet with misfortune if he spent any of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was actually a kind of transfer. Perhaps, the original owner of the money was ill, and through money and curse, he transferred his illness to the person who picked up the money. When the finder spent the money which originally didn\u2019t belong to him, the curse activated as if he pulled the trigger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the countryside decades ago, this kind of curse wasn\u2019t rare. It was easy to break but breaking it was equivalent to fighting with the person who cast it, who might die as a result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wang Yuji never collected money for this kind of help. According to the old custom, the people he\u2019d saved should come to worship in his temple during the three major festivals3<\/a><\/sup>There are many festivals in China but traditionally, the three major ones were the Spring Festival<\/strong><\/a> (Chinese New Year), Dragon Boat Festival<\/a><\/strong>, and Mid-Autumn Festival<\/strong><\/a>.<\/span>\u2014Xie Lingya saw a few of them when he was a child. However, people tended to be most grateful for the kindness they received for the first few years; as time passed, they gradually stopped coming. Later, as the information age advanced, there were fewer and fewer people coming to ask for Wang Yuji\u2019s, an impoverished Taoist priest\u2019s, help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aunt He was also familiar with Fang Zhenxing, so at this moment, she was practically convinced\u2014it was impossible for him to work with swindlers. \u201cWhat should we do now? Return the money?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How? They didn\u2019t know to whom the money originally belonged. Shi Changxuan said, \u201cMost of the money was used up by Fang Zhenxing. You haven\u2019t spent all of what you received yet, so for now, it only caused your luck to become bad, which attracted the Guest Spirits. It is enough to drive them away and welcome the house gods back. I\u2019ll handle the rest of the money.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes, yes, I didn\u2019t spend it all.\u201d Uncle He didn\u2019t need any more convincing\u2014he immediately rushed upstairs. He came back with a wad of money in hand, about eight thousand yuan, Xie Lingya judged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a moment, Shi Changxuan scrutinized it in silence. Then, he took out a sheet of yellow paper and bundled the money in it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Uncle He saw that he refused to touch it directly, and immediately pulled out a tissue to wipe his hands, nervous. Aunt He sitting next to him whispered, \u201cAt this point, is there any use of wiping your hands?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Uncle He let out a cough and asked respectfully, \u201cWhat should we do now, Shi Daozhang<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTo deal with the Guest Spirits, first, you need to divine the proper time by Congchen method.4<\/a><\/sup>Congchen method – one of the methods of hemerology.<\/span> Mrs. He, Mr. He, please tell me your eight characters.\u201d5<\/a><\/sup>Eight characters [\u751f\u8fb0\u516b\u5b57, \u2018eight characters of birth time,’ Shengchen Bazi (Bazi in short), the Four Pillars of Destiny] – it\u2019s a Chinese astrological concept that a person’s destiny or fate can be divined by the two sexagenary cycle characters assigned to their birth year, month, day, and hour. Each pillar has two characters, eight characters (Ba Zi) in total. Two characters in each pair are made up of one character from the Heavenly Stems and one from the Earthly Branches. Just take it as a more complicated way to write the birth date, used for divination.<\/span><\/span> After looking at it, Shi Changxuan calculated that 10 p.m. this evening would be the right time to act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, then please accompany us for dinner,\u201d Uncle He said. He looked at Xie Lingya, unsure if he\u2019d stay. In their line of work, weren\u2019t there some kind of rules about butting in another master\u2019s work?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, Xie Lingya didn\u2019t take the initiative to leave, and Shi Changxuan didn\u2019t say anything either, so he certainly wasn\u2019t going to open his mouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, there was no way Xie Lingya would leave, since he wanted to talk with Shi Changxuan. What\u2019s more, he couldn\u2019t shake off the feeling there was something more to this matter, but he wasn\u2019t able to put a finger on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, Xie Lingya didn’t have the chance to be alone with Shi Changxuan before dinner, and later, after the sun had set, Uncle He and his wife were even less willing to leave the man\u2019s side. Uncle He said, it had been better to have nightmares and not know what was going on\u2014now that they did, they were scared almost to death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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10 p.m. finally came. President Wang regretfully left because he had a previous engagement, but He Zun was still there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since nine o\u2019clock, Shi Changxuan had been preparing for drawing talismans.6<\/a><\/sup>Remember that little tidbit about drawing talismans in chapter 3? Most Taoists have to perform rituals before they can draw, such as cleansing themselves, burning incense, putting up the altar, and reciting prayers.<\/span>\n\n\n\n

There were many branches and schools in Taoism\u2014the two leading were Zhengyi School and Quanzhen School. Different sects had different focus: some were focusing on magical incantations and drawing talismans, some on alchemy, and so on. Zhengyi School (which claimed lineage to the Celestial Masters) concentrated on talismans, especially the ones exorcising ghosts and spirits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat symbol do you want to draw, Shi Daozhang<\/em>? Let me help you,\u201d Xie Lingya said. Maybe Uncle He thought he stayed to get a share of the pay, but in fact, he wanted to show Shi Changxuan that Baoyang Temple was not without skills and secret knowledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shi Changxuan looked at Xie Lingya for a while, then, unexpectedly, handed him the writing brush. \u201cPrimary House Guarding Talisman.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Okay, let\u2019s do this.<\/em> Xie Lingya took the brush happily. He tried to draw on the ceremonial table arranged by Shi Changxuan but found the position uncomfortable, so he simply sat on the floor and used the coffee table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Actually, he wanted to put on \u201cLittle Leaping Frog\u201d for the right <\/strong>mood but held back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Uncle and Aunt He were both laymen. They didn\u2019t feel anything was wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shi Changxuan\u2019s lips moved, but in the end, he said nothing, only looked at Xie Lingya with a complicated expression in his eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xie Lingya didn\u2019t know how many talismans would be needed, and didn\u2019t want to come across as stingy, so he drew ten sets of talismans at once, each set comprising of five talismans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shi Changxuan, however, still didn\u2019t tell him to stop. He thought, Ten sets aren\u2019t enough? Fuck, there was no mention in the notes about any ceremony which requires so many talismans.<\/em> He paused and said, \u201cI need to go to the toilet. Will you continue to draw?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shi Changxuan glanced at him. “No, one set is enough.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xie Lingya: \u201c\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He comforted himself, At least now he knows how much endurance we from Baoyang have!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shi Changxuan took out a ritual sword from his backpack and put on the Taoist robes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xie Lingya couldn\u2019t let himself be one-upped. Though he had no robe, he had a ritual implement. He opened the box he\u2019d brought and picked up the Three Treasures Sword, \u201caccidentally\u201d letting it enter the other man\u2019s line of sight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ignoring it, Shi Changxuan stood in front of the altar and began to chant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead, it was He Zun who asked, \u201cTeacher Xie, this wooden sword seems very old, can it still be used?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is the Three Treasures Sword,\u201d Xie Lingya explained in a teacher\u2019s tone. \u201cIt\u2019s a magic instrument left behind by the very, very, very <\/em>powerful temple master. It comes with three techniques: the first is Sword of Compassion\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A burst of cold air blew through the house. The candles and joss sticks Shi Changxuan lit started to shake, their flames flickering. There was nothing outside the windows except for a dense mass of darkness, and a piercing chill engulfed the living room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Uncle and Aunt He clung to each other, nervously clutching the talismans Shi Changxuan gave them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shi Changxuan\u2019s gaze swept around the surroundings. He sprinkled a handful of rice from each corner of the room into the middle, then along the walls, all the way to the door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Guest Spirits were invisible\u2014their movements could only be observed with the aid of external objects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shi Changxuan gripped the wooden sword in one hand and touched the door with the other, ready to expel the spirits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If an expert was present, he would be able to tell Shi Changxuan\u2019s each and every move was exemplary. He looked as if he was taking a leisurely walk in the garden, but if you looked carefully, he didn\u2019t take even one redundant step nor used any effort above absolutely necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This tranquility calmed He Zun a little. Since Xie Lingya also looked impassive, he told himself there was nothing to fear, and said, trying to stop his teeth from chattering: \u201cCome on, continue\u2014Swo-Sword of Compassion, then?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The yellow talismans pasted in the corners flapped loudly as if blown by the wind. The lights began to flicker, and when they were off, something seemed to approach in the darkness. The wind came in cold, spasmatic gusts, and the rice grains on the ground rolled slightly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Staring at the rice grains, Xie Lingya recited slowly, \u201cSword like water, compassion of motherly love\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rice on the ground in the middle of the living room jerked suddenly. Unexpectedly, however, the movement wasn\u2019t directed towards the door but towards the crowd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mounting a sneak attack?<\/em> Xie Lingya deftly pulled He Zun to the side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before He Zun had time to be scared, he saw Teacher Xie whip around, grab the sword in both hands, and fiercely chop while shouting, \u201cEat my sword, you bastards!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He Zun: \u201c\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The tip of the blade stopped about an inch from the floor. It was clearly just a wooden sword but somehow, it seemed full of unimaginable force. The rice grains were blown a few inches away, and there seemed to sound several barely discernible shrieks of endless misery, making everyone shudder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But it lasted barely a blink of an eye. Soon, the illusory screams ceased, the lights turned back on, the candle flames, barely a spark until now, leaped up, and the chill in the house dispersed!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

This time, Shi Changxuan looked at Xie Lingya much longer. Expressionless, he lowered the hand he held on the door panel…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guest Spirits? What? Sorry, they died visiting somebody\u2019s else home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Translator’s Notes:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
  1. \u201cUnskilled meditate in the wilderness, true masters live in the city\u201d<\/em><\/strong> [\u5c0f\u9690\u4e8e\u91ce\u5927\u9690\u4e8e\u5e02] – means that true Taoist practitioners don\u2019t have to rely on the peaceful environment to practice because the environment doesn\u2019t affect them. (Baidu<\/a><\/strong>)<\/li>
  2. Wandering ghosts<\/strong> [\u6e38\u9b42\u91ce\u9b3c, lit. ‘wandering souls and wild ghosts’<\/em>] – wandering spirits of the dead. These spirits include vengeful ghosts seeking revenge on those who offended them before, hungry ghosts, and playful spirits who might cause trouble. (Wikipedia<\/a><\/strong>)<\/li>
  3. \u201cThe three major festivals\u201d<\/em><\/strong> – there are many festivals in China, but traditionally, the three major ones were the Spring Festival<\/strong><\/a> (Chinese New Year), Dragon Boat Festival<\/strong><\/a>, and Mid-Autumn Festival<\/strong><\/a>.<\/li>
  4. Congchen method<\/strong> [\u53e2\u8fb0\u4e4b\u6cd5] – one of the methods of hemerology. (Source: Books of Fate and Popular Culture in Early China<\/em>, Brill)<\/li>
  5. Eight characters<\/strong> [\u751f\u8fb0\u516b\u5b57, \u2018eight characters of birth time,’ Shengchen Bazi (Bazi in short), the Four Pillars of Destiny] – it\u2019s a Chinese astrological concept that a person’s destiny or fate can be divined by the two sexagenary cycle characters assigned to their birth year, month, day, and hour. Each pillar has two characters, eight characters (Ba Zi) in total. Two characters in each pair are made up of one character from the Heavenly Stems and one from the Earthly Branches. Just take it as a more complicated way to write the birth date, used for divination.<\/span><\/li>
  6. \u201cShi Changxuan had been preparing for drawing talismans\u201d<\/em><\/strong> – remember that little tidbit about drawing talismans in chapter 3? Most Taoists have to perform rituals before they can draw, such as cleansing themselves, burning incense, putting up the altar, and reciting prayers.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
    \n\n\n\n

    Translator: Eques
    Editor: Bet<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n\n\n\n
    \n
    \n
    << Chapter 4<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
    \n
    Project Page<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
    \n
    Chapter 6 >><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Eques:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Here\u2019s<\/strong><\/a> some additional reading on yin and yang concept.\n\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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