txolops Chapter 34 A Brilliant Calculation That Astounded All Mortals
Chapter 34 A Brilliant Calculation That Astounded All Mortals
Meanwhile, Li Fa, holding a whisk and carrying a banner on his shoulder, walked slowly and unhurriedly, truly resembling a wandering celestial master descending from the mountain.
Sure enough, they hadn't gone far when they saw several merchants discussing amongst themselves at a roadside tea stall: "Have you heard? That rich man from Gaojia Village is hiring someone to exorcise the demon again!"
"Who are you going to invite, and what kind of demon are you going to exorcise?" one of them sneered. "Sooner or later, they'll just be food for that pig demon."
"Brother Liu is right. I heard that a few days ago, the old master asked someone to invite some kind of celestial master from the East, but in the end, he was still beaten by that pig demon and ended up with a bruised and swollen face."
Li Fa listened to their discussion and chuckled inwardly. He sat down by the tea stall and ordered a bowl of coarse tea.
The old tea seller, seeing his Taoist robes and banner, kindly advised, "Sir, if you're going to Gao Family Village, take my advice—turn back. That pig demon is incredibly powerful!"
"Oh?" Li Fa feigned surprise. "I've traveled far and wide and subdued a few minor demons. I reckon this pig demon is nothing special!"
People around him saw him strike up a conversation and noticed the four large characters "Celestial Master Descends the Mountain" written on his banner. They immediately gathered around and started talking all at once.
One of them said, "Old man, you have no idea how powerful that monster is. No Taoist priest or monk can withstand a single blow from him!"
Another person said, "I see you wrote something like 'Celestial Master' on this too. That pig demon even harmed a Celestial Master the other day!"
As everyone was talking, a dragging sound was suddenly heard.
A thin man was seen leading a boy toward the teahouse.
The boy had a cotton cloth wrapped around his head, wore a blue jacket, carried an umbrella and a backpack, had his trousers tied up, and wore a pair of straw sandals with three ears. His eyes and brows showed a hint of reluctance.
The boy muttered as he walked, "What kind of bullshit Taoist master is this! That good-for-nothing Taoist priest we invited last time dared to call himself a Taoist master? He got beaten to a pulp by that demon and disappeared without a trace! I don't believe in these charlatans!"
The skinny man patiently pulled and coaxed, "Gao Hua, good brother, trust me one more time! This Taoist priest seems extraordinary. If it works out, your great-grandfather will reward you handsomely, and you can share some with me; if it doesn't, I won't take a single penny from you, and I'll even treat you to a good meal, okay?"
Gao Hua reluctantly followed the man to Li Fa's side.
The man bowed to Li Fa and said, "Venerable Taoist Priest, this is young Gao Hua from the Gao family. His family is in a hurry to hire a Taoist priest to exorcise the demon, and it just so happens that we've run into you!"
Li Fa took a sip of tea, looked up at the man, and said calmly, "Since the Gao family has invited someone to exorcise the demon, the Gao family will handle it. What business is it of yours?"
The man rubbed his hands together and laughed, "Master, you don't know this. This young brother Gao is too young to recognize the Celestial Master. But I just happened to run into the Celestial Master and thought I'd introduce you to him so I could make some money and earn a living."
Li Fa understood immediately, thinking to himself that this man was actually an ancient intermediary, specializing in matchmaking.
However, he didn't point it out, but simply nodded slightly.
Seeing that Li Fa was not angry, the man cupped his hands and asked, "May I ask your honorable name, Celestial Master? Which temple do you follow, and how many years have you been practicing?"
Li Fa put down his teacup, lightly brushed his robes with his whisk, and said calmly, "My Buddhist name is Ji Huazi. I have been a monk at Wuji Temple on Wuji Mountain for over three hundred years."
That's true; he does indeed possess over three hundred years of magical power.
"Three hundred years?" The man gasped, but then asked doubtfully, "Just Wuji Mountain? Wuji Temple..."
Seeing this, Li Fa slowly smiled and said, "The term 'Wuji' means boundless, infinite, and without beginning or end. As the Tao Te Ching says, 'All things are born from existence, and existence is born from non-existence.'"
As the saying goes, Wuji gives rise to Taiji, Taiji gives rise to Yin and Yang, Yin and Yang give rise to the Four Symbols, the Four Symbols give rise to the Eight Trigrams, and the Eight Trigrams give rise to all things. This is the fundamental principle of Taoism.
My Dharma name comes from the concept of Taiji giving rise to Yin and Yang. Yin and Yang divide into Yin and Yang; when Yin and Yang interact and reach their extremes, they give rise to all things. Therefore, I am named Jihuazi (子极化子).
Although the man didn't understand the deeper meaning, his eyes lit up when he saw Li Fa speaking so logically. He turned to Gao Hua and said urgently, "Listen to this, little brother! This is a true master from a legitimate Taoist mountain! How can those charlatans from before compare?"
He then leaned closer to Li Fa, rubbing his hands together and laughing, "Master Jihuazi, if you can rid this monster, Old Master Gao will surely reward you handsomely. Gold, silver, jewels, silks, and satins—you name it, he'll have it! But... I wonder if you, Master, would like to first check the area around the Gao residence for demonic energy, or perhaps ask Brother Gao about the specifics?"
Li Fa then draped the whisk over his arm, sipped his tea, and looked up at Gao Hua, saying, "Exorcising demons and monsters is the duty of us Taoist disciples; money is secondary. However, as the saying goes, 'Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.' You need to explain the cause and effect of this matter in detail."
Gao Hua still looked hesitant, but he didn't answer immediately. His eyes darted around, and he asked deliberately, "Since you call yourself a Celestial Master and can predict the future, why don't you predict my family's affairs? If you can do it accurately, I'll believe you and take you to see my great-grandfather right away!"
The surrounding merchants immediately stirred up an argument, with one shouting, "That's right! Celestial Master, show us your skills! Whether this deal goes through or not depends on your abilities!"
Some people advised Gao Hua, "Don't worry, young Gao. We haven't told this Taoist master about your family's affairs. If the Taoist master can predict things accurately, then he definitely has real skills!"
Upon hearing this, Li Fa smiled slightly and said, "What's so difficult about that?"
Having said that, he pretended to calculate with his fingers, and in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Li Fa said, "Your name is Gao Hua, and you are a member of Gao Taigong's family. Your Taigong has a daughter who is twenty years old and has never been married. Three years ago, she was taken by a demon."
The demon had been his son-in-law for three years, which displeased Old Master Gao. He said that it was not good for his daughter to have married a demon. Firstly, it would bring shame to the family, and secondly, they would have no in-laws to keep in touch. He had always wanted to get rid of the demon.
The demon refused to leave, and instead imprisoned his daughter in the inner quarters for half a year, never letting her out to see the rest of the household. Am I right?
Upon hearing this, Gao Hua's suspicion lessened somewhat, and he slowly nodded, but still stubbornly insisted, "You're right, but it's not like nobody knows about these things."
Li Fa remained calm and continued, "I also know that you have a son named Gao Cai in your family, and your master has also sent someone to invite a sorcerer, right?"
Upon hearing this, Gao Hua's eyes suddenly lit up, and he said, "You really do have some skill. Gao Cai and I, one heading east and the other north, did indeed launch two separate operations, each seeking out a sorcerer, but..."
Li Fa smiled again and said, "That's nothing. I've even figured out your young lady's given name. But a young lady's name shouldn't be announced in public. Come closer and I'll tell you."
Gao Hua quickly leaned closer and heard the name "Gao Cuilan." He was immediately convinced and knelt down, kowtowing repeatedly: "Master! You are truly a living deity! Please have mercy and save my young lady from this dire situation!"
Li Fa raised his hand in a gesture of support, and said calmly, "Get up. Take me to the Gao residence immediately!"
Gao Hua quickly stood up, not daring to delay for a moment. He took out a small piece of silver from his pocket and tossed it to the man, then cupped his hands to Li Fa and said, "Celestial Master, please follow me!"
After saying that, he took Li Fa and hurriedly ran towards the Gao Taigong Mansion. The man, holding the silver, stood there and happily bowed as he saw it off.