Si Teng (Rattan) – CH 010

Chapter 10

Si Teng was going to Qingcheng Mountain.

Qin Fang had never been there, but he knew that Qingcheng Mountain was a famous Taoist mountain in China. It seemed like there was a long path every three steps and a temple every ten steps. Ordinary monsters would probably avoid such a place…

Full of suspicion, Qin Fang didn’t ask any more questions. He checked flights on his phone and found the best flight from Xining to Chengdu. An Man’s ID was with him, and her ID photo was distorted. Si Teng should be able to get through with An Man’s ID. The key was when to schedule the flight and whether she should stay in Nangqian for another night—

Si Teng replied, “No, the sooner the better.”

She added, “Some people are probably still quite comfortable. I have to let them know who’s back.”

As she spoke, a smile spread across her lips and brows. This was the first time Qin Fang had seen her in such a good mood since they met. She said, “When I think about how many things will happen from now on, so many people can’t eat or sleep because of me. This feeling… makes me so excited I want to open the granaries and distribute the food.”

The monster’s excitement was truly incomprehensible. Qin Fang was speechless. After a pause, he said, “Then I’ll go out and get a car. Ideally, we can leave Nangqian today.”

As he stood up, he asked her again, “Do you want me to buy you some clothes to change into?”

“No, it was not cold.”

She was quite presumptuous. Who’s worried about her getting cold? Qin Fang was practically amused. He pointed at Si Teng’s bathrobe wrapped around her military coat and said, “No one here dresses like that.”

“I like it. Do you have any objections?”

“No.”

Qin Fang realized that he needed to learn from Si Teng’s constant interactions. From now on, even if she wore a bucket on her head and a sack on her body, he wouldn’t say a word of disapproval.

***

When Qin Fang went to return his room card, the front desk clerk, assuming he was impatient, quickly explained, “Sir, the guest in room 188 has already checked out. We’ll have the room cleaned right away. It’ll be quick.”

Waiting to check out was a tall, bearded man who looked unapproachable. Qin Fang paid no mind and simply handed the card over. “Sorry, I’m busy. I can’t stay.”

This was considered a missed opportunity, and the clerk was quite unhappy. She grumbled at Qin Fang’s back as he left. The bearded man, impatient, urged her harshly, “Hurry up!”

Then he turned to the two companions coming down from upstairs and said, “Eat your meal before you leave.”

***

Si Teng knew immediately that there was something fishy about the three newcomers to the restaurant. It wasn’t the bearded man with the menacing look or his companion with the strange look in his eyes, but the skinny man in the baseball cap who was with them.

He kept his head deliberately lowered, looking a little dazed. His clothes felt weirdly loose on him. He rolled up his sleeves and ate mechanically. The function of the baseball cap seemed to be to hide all his hair, but there were still a few strands that stubbornly slipped out from the edge of the cap.

This woman was disguised. She seemed under duress, but not as desperate as her life was. She was hiding, afraid to reveal herself. Si Teng smiled, suddenly finding the world truly fascinating and strange. Sitting in the same restaurant, just a few tables apart, ostensibly diners, but who could know she had a secret? She was… a demon.

For a moment, she was dazed. When she came back to her senses, she found the bearded man staring coldly at her, the sting and threat in his eyes evident. His companion seemed to have noticed as well, looking up and giving Si Teng a sharp glare.

Si Teng said nothing, her eyelashes fluttering as she glanced down, seemingly avoiding trouble. The bearded man, feeling a little smug, was about to tell his companions to prepare to leave when his face froze at the sight.

Si Teng smiled at him, then slowly reached out and smoothed her hand across his neck. The bearded man’s companion also noticed and was about to stand up. Just as he leaned forward, his arm was grabbed fiercely. The bearded man didn’t look at him, still staring at Si Teng. With an unusually calm expression, he said, “Let’s go.”

***

Even after getting into the car, the man was still furious. He pounded the steering wheel with a fist and violently yanked the baseball cap off the head of the disguised woman in the back seat. The woman’s long, bun-like hair fell loose, and her body swayed several times. She held onto the back of the chair and didn’t dare say a word.

The man in the baseball cap said angrily, “You’re really afraid of her? She’s just a woman, isn’t she? Are you a vegetarian?”

The bearded man gave him a cold look, then glanced at the woman in the rearview mirror. “An Man, you saw it too. Go tell him why I put up with it.”

An Man hesitated. She looked at the man in the baseball cap, hesitated for a moment, and then stammered, “She’s dressed like that, and she’s alone. She must have a companion.”

The bearded man hummed in satisfaction, “What else?”

Hearing the bearded man’s hint, An Man grew a little bolder and said, “Brother Qi and Brother Zhou are both tall and strong, looking… not easy to mess with. Ordinary people wouldn’t be so tactless. Besides, Brother Zhou only warned her with his eyes and didn’t do anything else, yet she dared to make such a gesture. Her methods must be quite ruthless. She might be the kind of person who can afford to provoke us…”

Zhou Wandong slapped the man in the baseball cap on the head. “Did you hear that? An Man, a woman, has more insight than you. I told you, this place is full of mixed people. You have to be extremely cautious. You never know if the other side is a tough one. When you’re trying to make a living on the street, remember this: there’s always someone more aggressive than you. A little timidity isn’t a bad thing; it could save your life in a crucial moment. Have you ever seen anyone who’s consistently aggressive? They’re definitely not human; they’re just monsters.”

The man in the baseball cap had a gloomy expression and barely registered what he said next. The remark, “Even a woman has more insight than you,” stung him. He gave An Man a cold look and said, “Brother Zhou, get out of the car. I have something to say.”

Zhou Wandong followed him out, and the man in the baseball cap walked away from the car. He handed Zhou Wandong a cigarette, gestured toward the car, and said meaningfully, “Brother Zhou, be careful. If the woman in the restaurant wasn’t an ordinary woman, then this one… isn’t either.”

***

Yan Furui had been eagerly anticipating the arrival of his Taoist friend from the Baiyun Temple on Wudang Mountain. His surname was Wang, and his given name was Qiankun. He was about thirty years old, wearing glasses, a Taoist bun, a cloth shirt, leggings, and cloth shoes, and carrying a black backpack. On the bus back to Qingcheng Mountain, many passengers looked at him curiously. Taoist Wang, his eyes fixed on the English words in his hand, sometimes reading them aloud.

“Apple, I have an apple.” “Apple…”

Wafang tugged at Yan Furui: “Master, what is he reciting?”

Yan Furui was furious. The Taoists on Wudang Mountain were already speaking English, while Wafang was still speaking in dialect. What a huge gap! He scolded Wafang: “Speak Mandarin to me from now on!”

Taking advantage of Wang Qiankun’s tiredness, Yan Furui tried to get closer: “Do Taoists on Wudang Mountain have to learn English?”

Wang Qiankun nodded seriously: “Of course. Our Wudang Mountain is a famous mountain of Chinese Taoist culture. Many international friends come to visit every year. This is a great opportunity to promote Taoist culture to the world. Do you know the Baiyun Temple in Beijing? There’s a Taoist priest named Tian Chengyang who learned Spanish many years ago and is now teaching in Barcelona, ​​Spain. He is the pride of our Taoist fellows.”

Yan Furui felt a surge of self-pity. He thought about how he had followed the most renowned Taoist Heavenly Master since childhood, yet in the end he wasn’t even a Taoist priest, let alone helping to promote Taoism globally. He felt truly sorry for Taishang Laojun and the Jade Emperor.

But these weren’t urgent matters anymore. He tentatively asked Wang Qiankun, “Then what about the letter I wrote to the old abbot…”

Wang Qiankun’s expression grew even more serious. “Are you talking about the old Taoist priest Li Zhengyuan?”

Yan Furui quickly nodded. “Yes, that’s him.”

“That’s my great-grandmaster, who passed away many years ago.”

Yan Furui was stunned. This was to be expected. Master Qiu Shan had been dead for many years, and since Taoist priest Li Zhengyuan was his good friend, they were probably about the same age. Fortunately, Taoist priest Li still had a successor.

Yan Furui was hopeful. “Then this demon… can Taoist priest Wang subdue it?”

Wang Qiankun looked at Yan Furui as if he were a ghost. Yan Furui felt goosebumps all over his body and began to feel that something was amiss.

Could it be that Taoist Wang Qiankun wasn’t here to exorcise demons?

***

Wang Qiankun explained to Yan Furui that he had come to Qingcheng Mountain to exchange ideas and learn. Before leaving, he received a letter from Yan Furui. He initially ignored it, but considering Taoist Master Qiu Shan’s past relationship with his great-grandmaster, he hesitated and contacted him.

They lived in a socialist society, and the state respected the harmonious development of religions. However, religion was not the same as feudal superstition. Monsters were a cultural phenomenon, a product of the slow development of science and the ignorance of the masses in the old days. Even the resurrection of humans was a problem that scientists could not solve, let alone the resurrection of monsters? More importantly, a monster that had been dead for sixty or seventy years suddenly resurrected?

As for the thread-bound book discovered after the small temple collapsed, it claimed that a monster named Si Teng appeared in 1910 and that the temple would collapse when the monster resurrected. Was Taoist Master Qiu Shan a literary enthusiast? Perhaps this was just the manuscript of a novel he had written?

Finally, he concernedly inquired about Yan Furui’s recent stress from the demolition and suggested he visit the psychiatric department for a checkup. If life felt empty and hopeless, he could take some time to learn English and divert his attention by exploring the ocean of knowledge.

…

When the bus arrived, Taoist Master Wang Qiankun waved goodbye to Yan Furui, tightened his belt, and embarked on the journey he had previously mentioned, “to Qingcheng Mountain for exchange and study.”

Yan Furui stared blankly at Wang Qiankun’s retreating figure. Wafang tugged at his clothes and asked, “Master, where are we going now?”

…

Yan Furui didn’t rush home. He took Wafang to the supermarket first and bought a shiny kitchen knife.

He didn’t know if there were any monsters in the world, but Taoist Master Qiu Shan had raised him, so he shouldn’t doubt his master. Such a vicious monster, slain by Master Qiu Shan, would surely seek revenge after its resurrection…

Yan Furui clenched the knife tightly. If Si Teng dared to come, he’d fight her!

If she didn’t come… It was time to replace the one at home anyway.