{"id":9655,"date":"2019-12-04T12:00:01","date_gmt":"2019-12-04T17:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/?p=9655"},"modified":"2019-12-20T02:07:38","modified_gmt":"2019-12-20T07:07:38","slug":"pttp008","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/pttp008\/","title":{"rendered":"Part-Time Taoist Priest 8"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.5%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button alignleft is-style-fill\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-text-color has-white-color has-background\" href=\"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/pttp007\/\" style=\"background-color:#5bc0de\">&lt;&lt; Chapter 7<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.5%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button aligncenter\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-text-color has-white-color has-background\" href=\"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/pttp\/\" style=\"background-color:#5bc0de\">Project Page<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button alignright\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-text-color has-white-color has-background\" href=\"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/pttp009\/\" style=\"background-color:#5bc0de\">Chapter 9 &gt;&gt;<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-heading\"> Selling Talismans <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>In the front yard, Mrs. Sun, as usual, ridiculed Mrs. Wang: \u201cTwenty yuan! You should\u2019ve bought mosquito coils, you\u2019d be better off!\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mrs. Sun didn\u2019t know how many times she\u2019d chastised Mrs. Wang for wasting money on superstitions. Burning incense for peace of mind was fine, but buying charms from Taihe Temple that cost a few hundred yuan per piece?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mrs. Sun\u2019s son rented a space from the temple to run his shop, and she personally had a very good impression of Xiao Xie. However, in her opinion, the young Taoist priest who had just moved in seemed untrustworthy\u2014who\u2019d ever heard about something like a mosquito-repelling talisman?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThen why don\u2019t they have mosquitoes here?\u201d Mrs. Wang countered, unconvinced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cUh&#8230;\u201d Mrs. Sun was unable to answer her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>Mrs. Wang lived on the first floor of an old residential building. The doors and windows didn\u2019t seal properly, and mosquitoes continued to find their way inside\u2014you\u2019d barely have killed one batch before another appeared.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Her son bought an electric mosquito swatter and every evening, whenever they had a free moment, Mrs. Wang and her husband hunted mosquitoes. The sizzling sound of mosquitoes being electrocuted was endless. Even so, it was easy to be bitten if they were not careful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Queshan Province was a mountainous region, and the mosquitoes there were noxious. Their bites caused big red bumps which if not treated properly would leave faint brown marks for months, or in serious cases, even scars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It was a weekend. When Mrs. Wang got home, her son and daughter-in-law, who\u2019d moved out after getting married two years ago, came over for a<strong> <\/strong>meal.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The old lady dared not say she bought a talisman. Her son and daughter-in-law were not fond of her faith. They warned her over and over again that getting talismans was fine but when she was sick, she had to see a doctor, rather than relying on incense and prayers.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mrs. Wang followed Zhang Daoting\u2019s instruction and chose to stick the mosquito-repelling talisman on the inside of the bedroom door, lest it be seen by her son.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During the meal, Mrs. Wang\u2019s son, Wang Yongyi, took out a small jar of ointment. \u201cMom, I got this ointment from my colleague. If a mosquito bites you, apply a little to the bite and it will heal in no time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The ointment had a limited supply each year, as it was made with medicinal herbs according to a secret recipe passed down from his colleague\u2019s ancestors. Getting a jar hadn\u2019t been easy, and it was only as big as the hollow of his palm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mrs. Wang accepted the jar and opened the lid to take a look. Inside was a pale green tincture that gave off a light herbal fragrance. \u201cThank you, I\u2019ll try it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOh right, Mom, is the well water from before still available?\u201d Wang Yongyi asked. \u201cI\u2019d like to take a bottle home tomorrow, it makes for delicious tea.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When Mrs. Wang first told him about the tasty well water, he took some back with him. He wasn\u2019t expecting much, but it turned out that what she had said was true. He used it when making tea with several tea friends. When his friends asked him about the water, he was a little pleased with himself, as if he\u2019d found a secret treasure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThere is, there is. I told you this water is very good. There are even people who drive here every day especially to fetch water,\u201d Mrs. Wang said with an inexplicable sense of pride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wang Yongyi, a tea enthusiast, smiled. \u201cIs that so? How strange, we\u2019ve lived here for so long, yet we didn\u2019t know Baoyang has such good well water.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s because they don\u2019t like to show off. Besides, no one had any reason to fetch water there\u2014it\u2019s much easier to just boil tap water,\u201d Mrs. Wang replied. \u201cNever mind the well, I\u2019ve never even been there to pray. It\u2019s just too small.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt is indeed,\u201d Wang Yong agreed. Even his overly-religious mother wouldn\u2019t go there.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wang Yongyi and his wife were staying for the night, so in the evening Mrs. Wang went into their room to make it as mosquito-free as possible. But after entering, she realized she had no targets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She waved the electric swatter around a few times, and only two mosquitoes were killed. That was beyond unusual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Could it be because of the mosquito-repelling talisman?<\/em> Mrs. Wang thought, delighted but a little unsure. Shutting the door of the room tight behind herself, she asked, \u201cHey, don\u2019t you think there are less mosquitoes today?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wang Yongyi looked around in surprise. \u201cYes, it looks like it. It seems the mosquito coil you\u2019ve bought this time is really effective.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There was indeed a lit mosquito coil in the living room, but Mrs. Wang was certain that wasn\u2019t the reason. It wasn\u2019t the first day she had used that same kind of mosquito coil and to be honest, it barely did anything.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After considering the issue, she didn\u2019t say anything. She decided to wait and see first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mr. Wang gave his wife the side-eye. His son hadn\u2019t noticed, but he saw the new talisman behind the door to the room. He also knew that the mosquito coil had not been changed. However, he didn\u2019t make the connection between the lack of mosquitoes and the talisman until later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>That night, the young couple retired to their room. Wang Yongyi\u2019s wife said, \u201cThere really are less mosquitoes today. I just hope they won\u2019t return in the middle of the night.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Back when they had lived here, they couldn\u2019t avoid being bitten once or twice a day. They\u2019d tried all kinds of mosquito-repelling methods, but none had been foolproof.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After exchanging a few sentences, the couple went to sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the other room, Mrs. Wang, mosquito swatter in hand, vigilantly observed her surroundings. It took a while, but she finally determined that there really weren\u2019t any mosquitos in the room. She\u2019d swatted two in her son\u2019s room, but she couldn\u2019t even see the wing of one here.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHey, did you change the mosquito coil after all?\u201d asked the old man. \u201cIt\u2019s working so well today.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mrs Wang sniffed. \u201cOf course I didn\u2019t change it. There are no mosquitoes because today, I asked for a talisman in the temple.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mr. Wang furrowed his brow. \u201cWhich temple? Don\u2019t joke, as if any god would get rid of mosquitoes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It was probably because the quality of the mosquito coils was inconsistent, and some batches worked better than others? Thinking so, he prepared to light another.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWait, don\u2019t do that,\u201d Mrs. Wang said. \u201cThere are no mosquitoes anyway. Don\u2019t light it and we\u2019ll see how it goes tonight. I just feel that it is the talisman working.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mr Wang: \u201c&#8230;\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He really was speechless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Having spent most of their lives together, of course Mr. Wang knew what kind of person Mrs. Wang was. Resigned, he could only cover his head with the blanket and go to sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>The night passed. The family of four slept peacefully till dawn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During breakfast, Wang Yongyi asked Mrs. Wang: \u201cMom, what brand of mosquito coil did you use? It\u2019s good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mrs. Wang hurried into the bedroom and took down the talisman. She folded it nicely and handed it to Wang Yongyi. \u201cWhat mosquito coil? It was the mosquito-repelling talisman I got from Baoyang Temple yesterday. See how effective it is? There wasn\u2019t a single mosquito all night long. Take it and stick it somewhere in your bedroom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although Wang Yongyi\u2019s apartment was on a higher floor, and as such less mosquitoes tended to get in, as far as Mrs. Wang thought, less wasn\u2019t zero. It was best to let her son take the talisman home, she could buy another one for herself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wang Yongyi was both confused and amused. \u201cWhat the hell, mosquito-repelling talisman?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just then, Mr. Wang came out of the toilet. \u201cHey, I looked around\u2014there really aren\u2019t any. Well, one or two in the kitchen and toilet, maybe because they\u2019re too far away from the talisman.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The old couple had risen early, and it didn\u2019t take long for them to discover that there really hadn\u2019t been any mosquitoes invading throughout the night. Mr. Wang purposefully went to check every room to confirm. He was ninety percent certain that it was the effect of the talisman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wang Yongyi was stunned. He\u2019d long known that his mother was superstitious, but how did his father fall into the trap? Why was he insisting it was because of the talisman?&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wait, but if the mosquito coil really was useless, then how could he explain the lack of mosquitoes? <em>Don\u2019t tell me&#8230;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFuck, is this thing that awesome?\u201d Wang Yongyi held the talisman in shock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Who would have expected a tiny temple like Baoyang would not only have a good well, but also someone with so much skill?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He\u2019d seen his mother pray and buy talismans since he was a child, but any effect was all in the mind\u2014everything depended on how she viewed it. This was the first time he had seen a talisman with a tangible effect. It was amazing, like talismans from stories about the Immortals!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wang Yongyi\u2019s wife joined them at this point. After hearing their conversation, she too was amazed. \u201cThis\u2026 maybe it\u2019s because of some secret recipe, like the ointment from your colleague? Maybe the paper was soaked in it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hesitating, Wang Yongyi said, \u201cBut it doesn\u2019t seem to have any smell.\u201d He gave it another sniff, but could only detect the faint scent of the yellow paper and cinnabar.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSince there\u2019s no smell, how could it be medicine?\u201d Mrs. Wang glared. \u201cBesides, if they have such a recipe, why not sell it straight out as a mosquito repellent? They would get rich in no time!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That sounded reasonable, but Wang Yongyi\u2019s wife still would rather believe it to be the effect of a medicine or chemical, not some magic talisman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt is not expensive, but who knows how long it will last. Mom, go buy two more.\u201d Wang Yongyi didn\u2019t really care whether it was medicine or magic\u2014the only thing that mattered was that it worked!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>When Mrs. Wang arrived at Baoyang Temple, she found that the few fellow tea-drinkers who also bought talismans with her yesterday had already arrived. They gathered around Zhang Daoting, discussing something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Listening in, Mrs. Wang learned that their talismans had also worked well, to everyone\u2019s shock. There was only one person who didn\u2019t use the talisman, and upon hearing how effective it was, they were rather dazed.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mrs. Wang was frank by nature. Now she said bluntly, \u201cMy daughter-in-law said that the talisman worked because it was soaked in some sort of mosquito-repelling medicine. But I checked and there were still mosquitoes outside the house. How could a chemical distinguish between inside my house and outside?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The others offered an awkward smile. They were confused as well. They doubted their own sanity one moment, and wondered if there was any scientific explanation the next, but didn\u2019t say anything out loud.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When it came to this kind of thing, many said it was subjective; if you believed then it was real, and if you didn\u2019t then it wasn\u2019t. But the presence or absence of mosquitoes was a very objective result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIf you have any doubts, you can send the talismans for tests,\u201d Zhang Daoting said with confidence.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The tea drinkers exchanged glances. That didn\u2019t look like bluffing.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe symbols on this talisman were drawn in Cloud-Seal Script. Cloud-Seal Script was created by the ancients by imitating the flow of the clouds and changes in the sky. They wrote the auspicious symbols on the talismans to pray for a blessing or ask to cure a disease, but it also had many other uses. It coincides with the natural way of heaven and earth. You might believe it works or you can doubt, but this knowledge has been passed down since ancient times. There must be a reason it survived to this day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Zhang Daoting\u2019s words made sense, and everyone nodded thoughtfully, a bit convinced. There were so many things in this world that science couldn\u2019t explain\u2014why couldn\u2019t this talisman work according to some as-of-yet-undiscovered natural law or principle?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mosquito-repelling talismans were unheard of, but most people were familiar with the more popular nocturnal crying talisman, which stopped children from crying at night\u2014they\u2019d heard accounts of its use from others or perhaps had used it themselves. It was said that there were many successful cases because children were more spiritual.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cUm&#8230; Zhang <em>Daozhang<\/em>, can we go into the Spirit Official Hall yet? I\u2019d like to light incense,\u201d Mrs. Wang asked. She had already been a believer; now that she\u2019d been convinced that Baoyang was a proper temple and the priests here had real ability, it was natural that she wanted to worship there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNot yet. You may only enter the Three Purities Hall and Wen Chang Hall for now,\u201d Zhang Daoting replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Actually there wasn\u2019t any need to seal off the Spirit Official Hall, because they weren\u2019t repairing the old statue but casting a new one out of brass. The problem was, the venerable founder seemed to hate his damaged statue and no matter who went in to burn incense, the joss sticks would break and be extinguished\u2026 Presumably, the god wanted to meet worshippers with his fresh new look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mrs. Wang went to burn incense for the Three Purities. The others thought for a moment and followed her. They weren\u2019t believers before, but after their experience with the mosquito-repelling talisman, the door to a new world had opened. That didn\u2019t mean they\u2019d become devout followers all of a sudden, but respect blossomed in their hearts. They wanted to burn incense for peace of mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then, as more and more people entered the front yard, everyone else heard about it. Yesterday when they bought the mosquito-repelling talisman, many people were present, but only a few of them had been willing to spend money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, with the news that the talismans really worked, they were dubious, and even suspected them of shilling.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Zhang Daoting didn\u2019t take advantage of the situation to promote it. In the end, there were about seven or eight people who took the initiative to ask for the talisman. They wanted to try and see if it was really useful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The mosquito repelling talisman was only 20 yuan, so Zhang Daoting asked if they were also interested in other talismans, like those for house protection, curing headaches, or helping digestion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Xie Lingya slipped off to draw them. The current workload wasn\u2019t heavy, but considering that it was early days yet, he was plenty satisfied.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The mosquito-repelling talisman was just a lure to draw people in. He planned to reduce the quantity he produced at some point, or even stop selling them altogether\u2014he didn\u2019t want \u201cmosquito repellent\u201d to be the first thing to come to people\u2019s minds when mentioning Baoyang Temple, or the loss would outweigh the gain. He needed to promote other charms and amulets to keep things balanced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>Due to Xie Lingya\u2019s recent diligence in drawing talismans, his supply of paper and cinnabar were exhausted quickly, so he took some time to replenish it. First he went to the traditional Chinese medicine store to buy cinnabar, then went shopping for yellow joss paper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Xie Lingya was young and carried a backpack. When he was buying the paper, the shop owner asked curiously: \u201cHey<strong> <\/strong>kid, what are you buying this for? An arts and crafts class?\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c&#8230;&#8230;\u201d Xie Lingya thought the boss was being funny\u2014was there anyone who bought joss paper for doing handicrafts?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This shop sold all kinds of prayer beads, deity statues, joss paper, and so on. They also had some brocade sacks and talismans. The owner even promoted his products a little. \u201cDo you want to buy a talisman? We have talismans for not failing tests.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTalismans for not failing tests? Those exist?\u201d Xie Lingya was amazed. How come he hadn\u2019t heard of such a thing? And he thought that he had learned enough. However, after he took a look, it turned out the talisman was photocopied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The owner continued with enthusiasm: \u201cOf course there is, Taoism has all kinds of trivial talismans. We have anything you want, even talismans for curing bad breath and constipation, let alone a talisman to pass your tests. You might not know, but the original version of this one was drawn by a great Taoist master. It contains a drop of divinity, so it works even if it is a photocopy.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Xie Lingya\u2019s lips twitched. At that moment, he spotted a familiar figure outside the shop, which drew his attention in a flash.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The owner followed his gaze and saw five or six Taoist priests standing nearby. \u201cOh, they seem to be Taoist priests from Taihe Temple,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Xie Lingya slammed money down on the counter, and hurriedly stuffed the stack of paper into his backpack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s the rush, kid?\u201d the boss asked. He caught a glimpse of the cinnabar in his bag and was stunned for a moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSorry, boss, gotta go. I just saw my <em>Shixiong<\/em>,\u201d<sup class=\"modern-footnotes-footnote \" data-mfn=\"1\" data-mfn-post-scope=\"00000000000004ad0000000000000000_9655\"><a href=\"javascript:void(0)\"  role=\"button\" aria-pressed=\"false\" aria-describedby=\"mfn-content-00000000000004ad0000000000000000_9655-1\">1<\/a><\/sup><span id=\"mfn-content-00000000000004ad0000000000000000_9655-1\" role=\"tooltip\" class=\"modern-footnotes-footnote__note\" tabindex=\"0\" data-mfn=\"1\">&#8216;Senior Apprentice Brother&#8221;; senior male fellow student or apprentice<\/span> Xie Lingya said seriously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The shop owner: \u201c&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He watched with wide eyes as Xie Lingya ran out of the shop and to the priests. When both sides really started conversing, the owner slapped his forehead, \u201cKid, if you\u2019re a Taoist priest then say so earlier!\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And he\u2019d even tried promoting some damn \u2018not failing tests\u2019 talisman!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>The priests from Taihe looked at Xie Lingya, wondering when Shi Changxuan had made friends in the area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Shi Changxuan gave a brief explanation that Xie Lingya was from Baoyang Temple, and they met due to the incident with the \u201clife-buying money\u201d. Although Baoyang Temple was tiny, as local priests, they had heard of it. There were even some who knew Wang Yuji, so they chatted with Xie Lingya for a bit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, knowing that he was half their peer, these priests didn\u2019t relax but rather became nervous. They dropped vague remarks at Shi Changxuan, hinting that they should leave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Xie Lingya didn\u2019t know what was going on, and looked at them with curiosity.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Shi Changxuan glanced at Xie Lingya, a bit hesitant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Xie Lingya came to the realisation that they were probably busy doing work in Chen Sansheng\u2019s stead. Taihe Temple\u2019s abbot, Chen Sansheng, had suffered a backlash trying to break a curse and at the moment wasn\u2019t faring well, but this incident was not announced to the public. After all, it was a bit shameful since he was the abbot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He\u2019d already guessed the truth the last time he met Shi Changxuan, but it was inappropriate to bring it up in front of these people. He quickly changed the topic: \u201cOh, I need to go, I will see you around, <em>Daozhangs<\/em>. if there are any activities in your temple, please call and invite us from Baoyang too, hahaha.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the past, Wang Yuji had never participated in group activities, but since Xie Lingya asked, everyone politely agreed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To not delay them further, Xie Lingya took his leave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But to his surprise, after he got off the bus at a stop near Baoyang, he actually saw Shi Changxuan\u2019s group again. However, they didn\u2019t see him and were heading in another direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There was no need for another greeting, so he didn\u2019t bother them and went back to the temple to practice drawing talismans. Due to demands from He Zun and his classmates, and now that business was taking off, Xie Lingya drew more Spirit Official Protection Talismans to stock up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After some practice, he went outside to boil water. At that moment, an owner of a nearby shop came in, calling out, \u201cOh my, I just came over from the supermarket\u2014a moment ago, an old Taoist priest jumped off the unfinished building at the construction site on Mingxi Street. I don\u2019t know what\u2019s going on, but anyway, he broke his legs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Construction site?<\/em> Xie Lingya\u2019s eyes widened. He put down the kettle and rushed to his room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This was it, a chance to put what he\u2019d practiced into action, and at the same time, a perfect opportunity to prove himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Zhang Daoting came out of his room. Seeing him in such a hurry, he asked offhanded, \u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI need to get my sword!\u201d Xie Lingya replied, voice soaring with heroic spirit.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c?!\u201d Zhang Daoting gave him a terrified stare. \u201cBoss, who are you going to cut?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Translator&#8217;s Notes:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><em><strong>Shixiong <\/strong><\/em>[\u5e08\u5144] &#8211; &#8216;Senior Apprentice Brother&#8221;; senior male fellow student or apprentice.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Some talismans taken from the book <em>Taoism: An Essential Guide<\/em> by Eva Wong:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh4.googleusercontent.com\/ZHu_c7GbG7uWYFq3Eis-2ukgRuVmTxMtdZlMq9xAcfkCS8XiZXAEgGOSpY-hh9lpXT2lJmO8j-rPQRmE4tdVf9QCtDToib444Vrh7F9khS0uUWvoeB6df8RGomGwpJoyRE2wFtk7\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em>Translator: Velvet<br>TL Checker : Eques<\/em><br><em>Editor: Con<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.5%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button alignleft is-style-fill\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-text-color has-white-color has-background\" href=\"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/pttp007\/\" style=\"background-color:#5bc0de\">&lt;&lt; Chapter 7<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.5%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button aligncenter\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-text-color has-white-color has-background\" href=\"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/pttp\/\" style=\"background-color:#5bc0de\">Project Page<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button alignright\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-text-color has-white-color has-background\" href=\"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/pttp009\/\" style=\"background-color:#5bc0de\">Chapter 9 &gt;&gt;<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#46;&#46;&#46;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[35,67,39],"class_list":["post-9655","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pttp","tag-bl","tag-comedy","tag-modern"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9655","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/62"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9655"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9655\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10090,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9655\/revisions\/10090"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9655"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9655"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9655"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}