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墨書 Inktalez
Upon opening the check, I was indeed looking at a substantial sum—one hundred thousand as a deposit. I must admit, this is no small amount for us, at least not for me. It is the largest deposit I have received in my career, so to say I wasn't happy would be a lie. Watching Master Xiao, who looked like he had struck gold and was laughing maniacally, left the etiquette lady still present in a state of shock. I offered her an apologetic smile and dragged the useless fellow out of the room.
Since we were set to depart the next morning, I suggested we return to Master Xiao's place to prepare our things. However, he was reluctant, insisting that one should enjoy life while they can. In such a high-end place, he could hardly afford to stay there regularly; since Boss was picking up the tab, why not indulge a little? Shanghai was his territory, and I didn't want to dampen his spirits, so we decided to spend the night at the hotel.
Sitting by the floor-to-ceiling window with a cigarette in hand, I watched the boats passing by on the Huangpu River, my thoughts drifting. Shanghai is an international metropolis, bustling with life and energy. The crowds moved about, each person chasing their own fate. The city seemed vibrant and lively on the surface, but beneath it lay countless stories of joy and sorrow, struggles and sacrifices. Just like us cultivators, many have drifted away from their true selves and become enamored with the mundane world. Few remain dedicated solely to their pursuit of enlightenment; most are caught up in the grind of daily life—seeking houses, cars, money, wives, children, and all that comes with it. Human energy is limited; in this diverse pursuit of desires, it’s inevitable that one will lose sight of something important.
Many of us complain about how commercialized temples and Daoist establishments have become; we criticize them for being too focused on profit. But honestly, it’s hard to blame them—Daoists and monks are human too; they aren’t made of wood. As long as they can provide blessings and protection for people, asking for some reward is only natural. After all, when we pray to Guanyin, we also offer incense. Of course, I’m not referring to those who charge exorbitant fees without delivering any real service.
What matters most in cultivation is the Dao Heart—the heart that seeks the Great Way. Once this heart becomes tainted by various distractions, it loses its purity. A corrupted Dao Heart leads to limited achievements on the path of cultivation. With each generation passing down knowledge, more is lost or discarded; what can be learned becomes increasingly scarce. Take me as an example: My master’s teacher was more skilled than him; my master is more capable than I am—not due to innate talent but rather due to the time spent on cultivation. At this point, I hope you understand why I no longer take disciples.
“Hey! What are you daydreaming about?” Master Xiao clapped me on the shoulder and sat down beside me with a glass of red wine in hand while casually lighting a cigarette.
“You actually know how to appreciate red wine?” I scoffed at him because his posture and demeanor seemed overly exaggerated—who exactly was he trying to impress?
Master Xiao took a sip of wine like a chick pecking at grains and then took a deep drag from his cigarette before grinning and saying, “Don’t you know that red wine pairs perfectly with cigarettes?”
“Not your business! I just feel that what’s going on with President Cai isn’t as simple as it seems. With his status and connections, he shouldn’t have trouble finding competent peers; why go through all this trouble gathering so many people? This feels complicated to me. At least from my perspective, businesspeople are shrewd—they always measure value in whatever they do,” I replied earnestly.
In the end, Master Xiao lacked the patience for savoring red wine; he gulped down what was left in his glass and smacked his lips before saying, “What value measurement? Rich people enjoy playing games like this—why should we care? Besides, we’re teaming up; in this peaceful era, how many troublesome Spirit Gods can there be? Let’s give it a shot; if it turns out difficult, we can always return the deposit. Anyway, I’ll follow your lead—whatever you say goes; it’s that simple.”
“What do you mean ‘whatever you say goes’? There’s also Senior Zhang involved this time. Come on; let’s go pay him a visit,” I shot him a sideways glance.
“Which Senior Zhang? Oh right! How could I forget there’s another senior involved?” He suddenly realized.
“Honestly! With your IQ, you’d only last one episode in a TV drama! Call Miss Wang and find out which room Senior Zhang is in so we can pay him a visit,” I instructed.
“Sure thing.” Master Xiao nodded and began making calls.
...
When we reached Senior Zhang's room door, we noticed a red string tied around the doorframe with a talisman affixed near the peephole. Many practitioners have this habit of taking precautionary measures when staying at hotels—after all, being on someone else's turf can lead to unexpected situations. I gently knocked twice on the door and waited quietly.
A few seconds later, the door opened. Senior Zhang smiled slightly upon seeing us both and said, “Come in; I expected you would come.”
"Sorry to disturb you, Senior," I said with a smile as I walked into Senior Zhang's room.
"Oh, what a nice thing!" Master Xiao exclaimed as he entered the room and spotted the small Paper Men on the table. They were in various colors, and there were unlit red candles and some incense for ritual purposes arranged on the table.
These things are called Paper Men, and there is a mysterious spell known as the Paper Man Technique. Those who master this technique can control Paper Men to perform various tasks, such as reconnaissance, summoning spirits, setting up formations, casting curses, bewitching, or facilitating possession by ghosts. This spell originates from witchcraft, and grave robbers also study it. Taoists generally have some knowledge of it but do not specialize in it because it is not very practical. In simple terms, this is considered a form of dark magic; the Paper Men used in witchcraft are often employed for harmful purposes. It is somewhat similar to the puppetry depicted in movies. Some Taoists use it for rituals or to help send souls. I didn't expect that Senior Zhang had researched this kind of spell.
"Heh heh, what a nice thing! Just some trivial skills," Senior Zhang chuckled and said, "Come on, let's get down to business. What are your thoughts on this matter?"
Direct and straightforward, without beating around the bush; it seemed that Senior Zhang was indeed an honest person.
"Senior, why don't you show us a few sets of the Paper Man Technique to broaden our horizons?" Master Xiao completely disregarded any sense of propriety and asked for a demonstration on their second meeting. This was rather impolite.
I said, "Senior, I apologize; my friend can be a bit too direct."
"It's fine, young man. Curiosity is good," Senior Zhang replied amiably. "It's just that I'm unable to perform this technique right now; there are smoke detectors in this hotel, so I can't light the candles. Sorry about that."
Master Xiao chuckled but did not say anything further.
"Senior, this matter should not be simple. You are our senior and certainly have more expertise in Daoist arts than we do. Since we have formed a team under someone else's employment, we would like you to be our backbone in helping the victim resolve this issue," I stated. A team, regardless of its nature, must work together with a leader to unite effectively.
"Heh heh, you're being modest. In terms of age, I am indeed older than you. Since you have this willingness, I won't refuse; let's all work together. Do you have any thoughts or guesses about this matter?" Senior Zhang continued to smile warmly.
"Guessing is useless right now; we should just go take a look," Master Xiao replied casually while still observing the Paper Men on the table.
Senior Zhang's smile faltered momentarily before returning.
Seeing that Senior Zhang was somewhat displeased, I stepped forward and said to Master Xiao, "Watch your words; come over and sit properly." Master Xiao mumbled under his breath, "It’s true; what’s there to guess about now?" He then plopped down onto a chair.
I said, "Senior, we came here tonight mainly to greet you and get acquainted. As for this matter, since we haven't been to the scene yet, we can't make any judgments at this point. Whatever we could deduce was already discussed in our earlier meeting. Do you have any insights on this matter?"
"I'm just like you; since that's the case and we've gotten to know each other now, there will be a conclusion tomorrow regarding this matter. I'm getting old and prefer to sleep early, so I won't keep you any longer. Gentlemen, see you tomorrow," Senior Zhang said as he sensed that the conversation was not going anywhere and directly ushered us out.
Master Xiao and I stood up, bowed politely, wished him goodnight, and left Senior Zhang's room.
"Hey, don't you think there's something strange about Senior Zhang?" After closing the door to the room, Master Xiao quickly asked.
"What did you notice?" I inquired.
Master Xiao sat down on a stool and said, "As soon as you enter his room, there's this eerie atmosphere. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it's particularly odd. And did you notice the talisman by his bedside?"
I nodded silently, urging him to continue.
"That talisman is for gathering yin energy. Even though the talisman head is covered by a blanket, the Gathering Footprints are clearly visible. Why would a Taoist have a gathering talisman in his room? Plus, all those Paper Men have the same Birth Chart written on them. What does that signify?" Master Xiao's tone turned serious.
I replied, "You're getting quite observant. You're right; we can just go check it out tomorrow. Why keep asking us for our guesses and opinions? It's a bit baffling."
Master Xiao scratched his head and said, "I can't shake the feeling that this hundred thousand yuan feels a bit too hot to handle. Should we inform President Cai about this situation?"
Good night, everyone.
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