Chapter 37: Descending to the Underworld, the Black and White Impermanence! (5)

“You?” Old Lady Fan was taken aback, then waved her hands repeatedly, “No, no, no way! You won’t do!”

Village Chief Tian didn’t realize she was using reverse psychology. He thought she looked down on him, so he immediately rolled his eyes, “Why wouldn’t I do?”

Old Lady Fan feigned reluctance, “You’re the village chief. Unlike Liu Dashao’s father, who is rough yet meticulous, you don’t handle things smoothly. Besides, this Lingguan Temple is filled with ominous energy and extreme danger. If anything happened to you, how could I face your family?”

“What? You’re saying I’m not as good as Liu Dashao’s father? What makes me inferior to him?” Village Chief Tian’s eyes bulged, like Zhang Fei from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, “In terms of education, I’m a proper college graduate, someone who’s seen the world. He’s just a peasant who can’t even read. In terms of capability, I’ve governed this village smoothly for three years. Can he do that? If you entrust him with a farming team, he’d probably scatter everyone!”

Village Chief Tian, hands on hips, was furious. Who was Liu Dashao’s father? He was Liu Dashao’s own dad! Being criticized in front of his son by an outsider, even Buddha would be upset. Finally, Liu Dashao couldn’t take it anymore. Holding back his anger, he coughed several times, forcing our Village Chief Tian to stop his grandiose speech.

“Alright, I won’t say more. It’s not good to talk too much in front of the kid. Fan Xidou, I’ve made myself clear: whether you like it or not, you’re coming with me today. Either way, we’re going. We might as well visit that temple and investigate. I want to see if this is your trickery. If I catch you red-handed, hmph, you won’t get away with it!”

“Oh, I can’t argue with you. Do as you please!” Seeing her goal achieved, Old Lady Fan happily gave in.

“Don’t pretend to care. I’m a Party member, protected by the five-pointed star, capable of defeating any demon!” Village Chief Tian said carelessly, “Just wait! When the intellectuals go to the countryside, you’ll be the one crying!” After this threat, Village Chief Tian turned his back and went home to prepare some necessary paper money, leaving Liu Dashao and Old Lady Fan behind, both speechless and amused.

“Come here, child,” Old Lady Fan called after a moment of silence, pulling Liu Dashao closer, holding his hand, and spreading his fingers, seemingly preparing to do something.

“Grandma? What are you doing?” Liu Dashao instinctively tried to pull his hand back.

“Don’t move. Spread your fingers, relax. There, just like that. Grandma is giving you a charm now. If something happens later, it’ll provide some protection.” Saying this, Old Lady Fan’s rough hand brushed over Liu Dashao’s palm lines, her sharp eyes scanning carefully before she began to speak.

“You?” Granny Fan was startled, then waved her hands repeatedly, “No, no, you can’t!”

Village Chief Tian, unaware that she was using reverse psychology, thought Granny Fan looked down on him and immediately retorted, “Why can’t I?”

Granny Fan feigned a troubled expression, “You’re the village chief, not like Liu Laoshi, who is rough yet meticulous, and makes people feel at ease. Besides, the Lingguan Temple is filled with yin energy and is extremely dangerous. If something were to happen, how could I explain it to your family?”

“What? You say I’m not as good as Liu Laoshi? In what way am I not as good as him? Huh?” Village Chief Tian’s eyes widened like the reckless Zhang Fei from “Romance of the Three Kingdoms.” “In terms of education, I’m a proper university graduate, someone who has seen the world. He’s just a country bumpkin who can barely read. In terms of capability, I’ve managed the village in an orderly manner for the past three years. Could he do that? Probably couldn’t even lead a farming team without messing it up!” Village Chief Tian, hands on his hips, was furious. Who was Liu Laoshi? Liu Dashao’s father! For an outsider to belittle his father in front of his son, even the Buddha would be displeased. Finally, Liu Dashao couldn’t take it anymore and had to suppress his anger, coughing several times to indirectly force Village Chief Tian to stop his tirade.

“Well, I won’t say more. It’s not good to talk too much in front of the kid. Fan Xidou, I’ll say it straight to your face: today, whether you want me to accompany you or not, I’m going! We might as well visit that temple and see if it’s just a trick of yours. If I catch you red-handed, hmph, you’ll be in trouble!”

“Ah, I can’t argue with you. Do as you please! But remember to be careful on the way. If something happens, don’t just run; stay calm.” Seeing her goal achieved, Granny Fan gladly went along with it.

“Don’t pretend to care. I’m a Party member, protected by the five-pointed star, and I’ll defeat all evil spirits!” Village Chief Tian said indifferently, “Just you wait! When the educated youth come to the countryside, you’ll be crying!” After this harsh remark, Village Chief Tian didn’t bother further and went home to prepare some necessary paper money, leaving Liu Dashao and Granny Fan at a loss for words.

“Child, come here.” After a moment of silence, Granny Fan pulled Liu Dashao over, took his hand, and opened his palm, though it was unclear what she intended to do.

“Granny? What are you doing?” Liu Dashao instinctively tried to pull his hand back.

“Don’t move. Spread your fingers and relax. Yes, just like that. Granny is going to give you a protective charm. If something happens later, you’ll have some protection.” With that, Granny Fan’s rough hand brushed over the lines on Liu Dashao’s palm. Her eyes, sharp as a rat’s, scrutinized for a moment before she began to speak.

“Oh, okay!” Liu Dashao didn’t resist this time. He saw Granny Fan lick the tip of a brush that had been dipped in cinnabar and was still slightly wet, then bite her middle finger, squeezing a few drops of blood onto the center of his palm. She immediately began to draw, starting from the bloodstain, swiftly creating a lifelike doodle. Within a minute, a string of tadpole-like characters appeared on his palm. Strangely, as soon as it was finished, it seemed to possess a certain vitality, with each character standing out, elegant and extraordinary.

“This is called ‘Palm Thunder.’ It’s said to be from the Maoshan Sect, though Granny isn’t entirely sure. It’s something I learned from an old Taoist master.” Granny Fan put down the brush and took a deep breath. The drawing seemed to have taken a lot out of her, leaving her somewhat exhausted.

“‘Palm Thunder,’ the name sounds quite powerful. I wonder if, after drawing this, I can swing my palm with force like in the comic books, smashing stones into powder.” Liu Dashao began to fantasize.

“Haha, you!” Granny Fan chuckled, tapping Liu Dashao’s forehead with her finger. “This isn’t kung fu. It’s a convenient talisman, effective only against ghosts and spirits. The good thing is, as long as it’s drawn correctly and used properly, even someone without knowledge of yin-yang arts can use it skillfully. But the downside is, the talisman’s power relies on the condensed blood and cinnabar. After two or three uses, it loses its effectiveness.”

“So how do I use it? Just slap the monster with my palm?”

“No, no.” Granny Fan quickly corrected him. “Before using it, you must recite the incantation to activate its power. The incantation is ‘Lin, Bing, Dou, Zhe, Jie, Zhen, Lie, Qian, Xing.'”

“Come on, repeat after me!”

“Lin-Bing-Dou-Zhe-Jie… Jie what?” Liu Dashao scratched his head.

“Fool, ‘Jie Zhen Lie Qian Xing!'” Granny Fan pouted.

“Oh, right, right, ‘Jie Zhen Lie Qian Xing, Jie Zhen Lie Qian Xing.'” After several reminders from Granny Fan, Liu Dashao finally got the hang of this rather awkward phrase and memorized it.

Here, the author would like to add a side note. Many people, after watching a Hong Kong zombie series called “My Date with a Vampire,” think that the incantation “Lin, Bing, Dou, Zhe, Jie, Zhen, Lie, Zai, Qian” used by Ma Xiaoling to exorcise spirits is correct. However, they don’t realize that the series is based on the esoteric background of Tibetan Buddhism, and it was actually the Japanese esoteric sect that mistranslated the Taoist Nine-Word Mantra from “Baopuzi,” changing the last two words “Qian Xing” to “Zai Qian.” Ironically, they even added hand gestures for each word. The principle of incantations in exorcism is that when a person recites a spell, the special energy field formed by the pronunciation can repel evil spirits. But if the words are wrong, the energy flow and combination are incorrect, rendering it useless.

By this time, Village Chief Tian had finished packing and was standing outside the door, knocking on the wooden frame to signal that it was time for Liu Dashao to leave. Looking at the basket in his hand, it was clear he had brought quite a lot of paper money. If it were Qingming Festival, there would be enough to visit five family graves.

“Granny, I’ll be off then!”

“Go ahead! While it’s still daylight, go early and come back early!” Granny Fan smiled, then rubbed her sore old legs and muttered to herself, “Time waits for no one. I should prepare as well.” She then found a bamboo pole to use as a cane and went home to gather the necessary items.

Now, let’s follow Village Chief Tian and Liu Dashao as they walked briskly towards the valley where the Lingguan Temple was located, under the setting sun. The mountain path was steep, but fortunately, their ancestors had paved it with stone steps, making the journey much easier, though the path was narrow.

The Lingguan Temple was as usual, with spider webs densely covering the eaves and railings in front of the hall. The two guardian statues at the entrance were missing limbs, looking extremely dilapidated. The poems inscribed on the pillars were barely legible, and the wooden plaque above the entrance, weathered by years of wind and rain, had turned a dark brown, with several finger-width cracks along the grain, making the blood-red characters “Five Manifestations Lingguan Temple” appear even more menacing. Inside the temple, white strips of cloth fluttered about, and one had to be careful not to get them caught on their head. The dark hall was only lit by a small oil lamp at the feet of the five Lingguan statues, its flickering light casting eerie shadows. On an old locust tree in front of the hall, several crows cawed mournfully, as if their wives had run off with other male crows.

With a thud, Village Chief Tian dropped the basket of paper money on the ground, blew warm air into his hands to get his blood flowing, and then began to curse incessantly, “This damn weather, it was getting better yesterday, but today it’s back to normal. It’s so cold up here, even piss would freeze.”

“Uncle Tian, you’re right about that.” Liu Dashao reluctantly took his hands out of his pockets and crouched down to organize the paper money. Organizing it was simple, as anyone who had visited a grave would know. He clenched his right hand into a fist, pressed a stack of paper onto his left palm, and then twisted it clockwise to form a flower. This made it easier to burn, ensuring it all caught fire and avoiding the awkward situation of half of it burning while the other half remained unlit. Speaking of burning paper, there’s a little story from unofficial history worth mentioning.

Legend has it that during the Eastern Han Dynasty, after Cai Lun improved papermaking, his business flourished, earning him a lot of money. His brother Cai Mo and sister-in-law Hui Niang were envious. Hui Niang urged Cai Mo to learn papermaking from Cai Lun. However, Cai Mo lacked perseverance and hurriedly opened his own paper shop before mastering the craft. The paper he produced was of poor quality and attracted few customers, leaving the couple worried over a room full of unsold paper.

Finally, Hui Niang came up with a clever plan. She whispered it into Cai Mo’s ear, and that night, the neighbors suddenly heard wailing from Cai Mo’s house. When they rushed over to inquire, they learned that Hui Niang had died suddenly the previous night. The next morning, Cai Mo, in front of the neighbors, wept bitterly in front of Hui Niang’s coffin while burning paper.

As he burned the paper, they suddenly heard noises from the coffin. After a while, they heard Hui Niang’s voice calling from inside, “Open the door, quick, I’m back!” Everyone was stunned, but finally gathered the courage to open the coffin lid. Hui Niang jumped out and told the neighbors that after she died, she went to the underworld, where the King of Yama made her push a millstone as punishment. Because Cai Mo had burned a lot of paper money for her, the little ghosts competed to push the millstone for her. She then gave the money to the King of Yama, who let her return.

Cai Mo pretended to be puzzled, “I didn’t send you any money?” Hui Niang pointed at the burning pile of paper and said, “That’s the money! In the underworld, paper is money.” Hearing this, Cai Mo immediately grabbed two large bundles of paper to burn, saying it was to lessen the suffering of his parents in the underworld. Seeing this, the neighbors realized the great use of paper money and all rushed to buy Cai Mo’s paper. The news spread quickly, and within days, all of Cai Mo’s paper was sold out. Since Hui Niang returned to life on the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month, people have since burned incense and paper for their ancestors on this day, a custom that continues to this day.

“This is called the Palm Thunder. It’s supposedly from the Maoshan Sect, though Grandma isn’t entirely sure. I learned it from an old Taoist priest,” Old Lady Fan put down the brush, taking a deep breath. The previous effort had clearly exhausted her, making her feel weak again.

“Palm Thunder sounds pretty powerful. I wonder if drawing this will allow me to strike with the force of a tiger, like in those little picture books, and smash a stone into powder,” Liu Dashao fantasized.

“Haha, you!” Old Lady Fan was amused, poking Liu Dashao’s forehead with her finger, “This isn’t a martial art; it’s a convenient talisman, effective only against ghosts and monsters. The advantage is that as long as it’s drawn correctly and used properly, even someone who doesn’t know yin-yang techniques can wield it effortlessly. However, the downside is that the talisman’s power relies on the condensed blood and cinnabar. It’ll lose effectiveness after two or three uses.”

“So how do I use it? Just slap the monster with my palm?”

“No, no!” Old Lady Fan quickly corrected him, “Before using it, you must recite a mantra to activate its power. The mantra is ‘Lin, Bing, Dou, Zhe, Jie, Zhen, Lie, Qian, Xing.'”

“Come, repeat it after me!”

“Lin, Bing, Dou, Zhe, Jie… Jie what again?” Liu Dashao scratched his head.

“Fool, ‘Jie Zhen Lie Qian Xing’!” Old Lady Fan rolled her eyes.

“Oh, right, right, Zhen Lie Qian Xing, Zhen Lie Qian Xing.” After several reminders from Old Lady Fan, Liu Dashao finally memorized the rather awkward phrase fluently.

The author would like to add a side note here, which is somewhat off-topic. Many people, having watched the Hong Kong zombie TV series “My Date with a Zombie,” believe that the mantra Ma Xiaoling uses to exorcise demons—’Lin, Bing, Dou, Zhe, Jie, Zhen, Lie, Zai, Qian’—is correct. However, they are unaware that this show was based on the esoteric background of Tibetan Buddhism. Originally, when Japanese esoteric Buddhism plagiarized the Daoist Nine-Syllable Mantra from ‘Baopuzi,’ they mistranslated the last two words ‘Qian Xing’ as ‘Zai Qian.’ Ironically, they even assigned specific hand gestures to each word when reciting them. One must understand that the principle behind using mantras to exorcise demons is that when a person recites a mantra, the unique energy field formed by the pronunciation can repel evil spirits. However, if the words are incorrect, the energy field’s flow and combination become erroneous, rendering the mantra useless.

At this point, Village Chief Tian had already packed his things and was standing outside, knocking on the wooden door to signal Liu Dashao it was time to go. Looking at the basket in his hand, goodness gracious, he had indeed brought quite a lot of paper money. If this were Qingming Festival, it would be enough for five families’ graves.

“Grandma, I’m off now!”

“Go ahead! Take advantage of the daylight and return early!” Old Lady Fan smiled, then rubbed her aching old legs and muttered to herself, “Time waits for no one. I should start preparing too.” Immediately, she unsteadily found a bamboo stick to use as a cane and returned home to prepare the necessary items.

As the saying goes, flowers bloom in pairs and each has its own tale. Speaking of Village Chief Tian leading Liu Dashao, they briskly walked toward the mountain hollow where Lingguan Temple was located, the sun setting behind them. The mountain path was steep, but fortunately, their ancestors had paved rows of stone steps for future generations, making the journey somewhat easier, although the steps were slightly narrow, still better than nothing.

Lingguan Temple remained as usual. The eaves and railings in front of the hall were entangled with dense spider webs. The two guardian statues at the entrance were missing limbs, appearing extremely dilapidated. The inscriptions on the pillars were blurred and illegible. The wooden horizontal board, after years of exposure to wind and rain, had turned blackish-brown, with several finger-width cracks along the grain, making the blood-red characters of ‘Wuxian Lingguan Temple’ look even more sinister and terrifying. Entering the temple, one could see white strips of banners fluttering about, potentially covering one’s head if not careful. The dark hall was only illuminated by a small oil lamp at the feet of the five Lingguan statues, its bean-sized flame flickering dimly, casting dark shadows throughout the hall. On an old locust tree in front of the temple, several crows cawed mournfully, as if their wives had all run off with other male crows.

With a clatter, Village Chief Tian dropped the basket of paper money on the ground, blew warm air into his palms until his blood flowed smoothly, and then grumbled, “What a cursed day! It was getting better yesterday, but today it’s back to normal. It’s freezing up here on the mountain, cold enough to freeze your pee solid.”

“Uncle Tian, you’re right, it really is that cold,” Liu Dashao reluctantly took his hands out of his pockets, squatted down, and began organizing the paper money. To organize it, he simply held a bunch of paper in his right hand and pressed it onto his left palm, then rotated it clockwise to create a flower-like arrangement. This made it easier to burn, ensuring the entire bundle caught fire, avoiding the embarrassment of half burning and half extinguishing. Speaking of burning paper money, there’s a small story from unofficial history that might be worth sharing.

Legend has it that after Cai Lun of the Eastern Han Dynasty improved the papermaking technique, his business flourished, earning him a fortune. His elder brother Cai Mo and sister-in-law Huiniang were envious. Huiniang urged Cai Mo to learn papermaking from Cai Lun. However, Cai Mo lacked perseverance and rushed to open his own papermaking shop before he had mastered the craft. As a result, the paper he produced was of poor quality and found no buyers, leaving the couple worried about the pile of unsold paper.

Finally, Huiniang came up with a clever plan and whispered instructions into Cai Mo’s ear. That night, neighbors suddenly heard wailing from Cai Mo’s house. Upon inquiry, they learned that Huiniang had died suddenly the previous night. The next morning, Cai Mo cried bitterly in front of Huiniang’s coffin, burning paper as he wept.

As he burned the paper, a sound came from the coffin. Soon, Huiniang’s voice was heard from inside, “Open the door, quickly open the door, I’m back.” Everyone was stunned and finally, with great courage, opened the coffin lid. Huiniang jumped out and told the neighbors that after her death, she had gone to the underworld, where King Yama made her turn the mill in suffering. However, because Cai Mo had burned a lot of paper money for her, the little ghosts fought to turn the mill for her. She then gave the money to King Yama, who released her back to the living world.

Cai Mo deliberately asked, “But I didn’t send you any money!” Huiniang pointed to the burning fire and said, “That is the money! In the underworld, paper is used as currency.” Upon hearing this, Cai Mo immediately went to fetch two bundles of paper to burn, claiming he wanted to ease the suffering of his parents in the underworld. Seeing this, the neighbors realized the great use of paper money and rushed to buy the paper made by Cai Mo. The news spread quickly, and within a few days, all the paper in Cai Mo’s house was sold out. Since the day Huiniang returned to life was the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month, people have burned incense and paper for their ancestors on this day every year. This custom has continued to this day.