Si Teng (Rattan) – CH 016

Chapter 16

Sugar-making, barrel-making, face-painting, Taoist chanting, and incense-making—many common street trades that were once ubiquitous were now almost extinct. The once-famous “Four Gates, Seven Caves, and Nine Streets” have now dwindled to the point where it was not surprising if they couldn’t even gather enough people. The four major Taoist sects, supported by famous mountains and temples, still maintained a vibrant presence. Of the seven Taoist caves—Kongtong, Ziyang, Yunxiao, Magu, Taoyuan, Baihe, and Yushan—only Kongtong, Magu, and Taoyuan responded. The descendants of the Ziyang cave were also tracked down after much effort. When they called, the wife of the family patriarch answered, shouting, “Looking for my husband? He went to Guangzhou to work!”

Taoist caves were different from Taoist sects. In the past, Taoist masters and hermits lived in secluded mountain retreats with a few disciples and servants. However, after wars, political movements, reforms, and development, many descendants abandoned their traditions or returned to secular life. Those who continued the Taoist path were few and far between. Hearing that the call was about a Taoist cave, the woman was furious: “Taoism! Can you eat and sleep by just practicing that stuff? My husband says it’s all superstition!”

Finding Taoist practitioners in the city was even harder. The “Nine Taoist Streets” referred to nine households in the city’s bustling streets. They outwardly appeared to be ordinary businesses but could secretly practice Taoist rituals. Living in the city, with its distractions and temptations, made it difficult to maintain a Taoist lifestyle. With so many options and temptations in modern society, few young people had the patience. After much searching, only two families were located: one in Tianjin, a taxi driver who supposedly hadn’t abandoned his family tradition, and another in Nanjing, near the Presidential Palace, a university professor whose profession was closely related to his family’s heritage—a rare example of combining tradition with modernity and theory with practice.

All nine families finally gathered six days later. Poor Wang Qiankun, exhausted from all the searching, looked emaciated and weak, lying in bed, barely alive. His only remaining strength was to ask Yan Furui the same question repeatedly. “Have those people arrived yet?”

Yan Furui didn’t want to discourage him, but he honestly felt that none of the people who came, whether they wore Taoist robes or not, possessed any genuine spiritual power. Especially the young Taoist acolytes who came along—they were all so excited, like they were going on a vacation, excitedly gathered together, discussing:

—”We heard there’s a demon here?”

—”Is it really a demon? How many noses and eyes does it have?”

—”We absolutely have to take pictures and post them online!”

On one side was a demon, brooding and preparing for revenge, and on the other side was the Taoist sect, decades of complacency and neglect—what could possibly happen?

On the seventh day, everyone gathered in Abbot Cang Hong’s room. The furniture was pushed aside, and tables and chairs were placed, resembling a conference room. When Yan Furui helped Wang Qiankun over, the meeting had already begun. True to the age of technology, there was even a laptop connected to a projector right in front of the room.

The first item on the agenda was self-introductions. There were Taoist Zhang Shaohua from Qingcheng Mountain, Taoist Master Ma Qiuyang from Longhu Mountain, Mr. Liu Hexiang from Qiyun Mountain, Liu Jinding from Kongtong Cave, Chen Yindeng from Magu Cave, Pan Qinian from Taoyuan Cave, Ding Dacheng, a taxi driver from Tianjin, and Bai Jin, a professor from Nanjing Normal University.

Yan Furui couldn’t remember faces. After going around, he only remembered Chen Yindeng from Magu Cave and Bai Jin, a professor from Nanjing Normal University. Chen Yindeng was the only woman in the group, and she happened to be sitting next to him. She was young and beautiful, with seductive eyes. She was actually a female lay Buddhist. It would be a pity if she didn’t become a demon. As for Bai Jin, he was a professor at a normal university, a man of culture, and Yan Furui was filled with deep respect.

After the self-introductions, they exchanged pleasantries. Between the lines, Yan Furui deciphered a meaning: for a long time, no one had ever heard of or seen a real monster—that monsters were like the story of “wolves carrying off those who disobey,” just to scare children. Over the years, disobedient people have been common, and many have been arrested by the police, but who has ever seen someone actually carried off by a wolf?

The second item on the meeting agenda was analyzing the chest X-ray. Wang Qiankun’s heart, lungs, and ribs were magnified and projected onto a white wall. He was also invited to the stage for a demonstration. Wang Qiankun’s fellow Taoist spoke passionately on behalf of the Cang Hong Monastery’s master, insisting that everyone must take seriously the monster’s magic. The X-ray showed the heart and lungs of a healthy person, but in reality, the vines would attack the heart, and the victim would die in three more days. Poor Taoist Wang was in imminent danger!

Everyone sighed, and then Taoist Master Ma Qiuyang of Longhu Mountain spoke. Taoist Priest Ma was in his forties, pale and plump, his face plump and rounded with fat, without a single wrinkle. He raised a question that everyone was concerned about: Assuming that what happened to Taoist Wang Qiankun was true, then what exactly was this Miss Si Teng trying to do? Decades had passed, and Qiu Shan, the man who had tried to kill her, was long dead. None of the people present had any grudges against her, yet she was “visiting” each one of them. Wasn’t that clearly unreasonable and a classic case of a sociopath?

Wang Qiankun was completely disheartened by all this useless talk. Si Teng was a demon, and demons were of course unreasonable and antisocial. Did you even need to argue with her? If she was helpful, could she still be called a demon? That would be a bodhisattva.

Amidst the chatter, the professor from Nanjing Normal University named Bai Jin suddenly stood up and said, “I’ve prepared some information and would like to share my views on monsters.”

He’d even made a PowerPoint presentation. The first page had a large “妖” (monster) on it. Bai Jin asked, “Can anyone explain to me what a monster is?”

He said, “Like everyone else, I’ve never seen a monster or a ghost, but I want to compare monsters and ghosts. We usually say that people become ghosts after death. Ghosts have no physical form; they’re spiritual beings, like spirits.”

“However, I’ve studied monsters and discovered a common point you might not have noticed: no one ever says people become monsters after death. Monsters seem to be transformed from non-human beings. For example, fox monsters are originally foxes. The tree lady in ‘A Chinese Ghost Story’ is a tree monster, and the famous Bai Suzhen is a snake monster. Have you noticed that monsters are transformed from animals or plants? In other words, our ancestors, the ancients, already clearly distinguished monsters from beings other than humans.”

“So, I’ve been wondering, if we can discard the outdated superstitious belief in demons and find a scientific explanation to justify their existence, then what’s the point?”

At the word “science,” Wang Qiankun’s eyes lit up.

The PowerPoint presentation moved to the second slide, where a large English word appeared: “Evolution.”

Yan Furui didn’t recognize it but subconsciously knew it was English. He poked Wang Qiankun in the face and asked, “What does that mean?”

Wang Qiankun’s English vocabulary was limited, not at that level of sophistication. He couldn’t afford to lose face in front of Yan Furui, so he could only glare at him: “Be quiet!”

Bai Jin explained, “It’s an English word, translated into Chinese as ‘evolution.’ I believe demons are a form of evolution of things.”

“To give a simple example, some humans possess stronger mind control abilities than the average person. Ordinary people call them qigong or special abilities. I believe such people belong to the category of the human race, early evolutionists.”

“Similarly, plants and animals could also undergo this kind of evolution. Animals are inherently similar to humans, experiencing emotions, needing to eat and drink, and even possessing a language to communicate with their own kind. Scientists have also conducted studies on plant leaves using electricity, proving that plants, too, possess emotions.”

“The ancients taught that all things possess spirits. Could it be that at certain times, in rare instances, this quantitative shift in spirits leads to a qualitative shift, prompting the sudden evolution of plants and animals? This evolutionary process would be characterized by their ability to adapt to a more advanced human society, acquiring human forms and minds, and, at the same time, their inherent characteristics being further amplified.”

“Take Si Teng, for example. The booklet left by Taoist Qiu Shan says that Si Teng is skilled in ‘strangulation.’ You have to know that strangulation is the nature of vines. Furthermore, vines are wood, which aids fire and is known for its ability to grow. If she can use these to harm others, it’s simply the result of her inherent characteristics being magnified. However, this magnification has a limit; it can never completely overturn the world. Therefore, ancient texts also contain many examples of demons being subdued by Taoists or even ordinary people. For example, Bai Suzhen, who cultivated the snake spirit for thousands of years, was still revealed by the Dragon Boat Festival wine.”

“So what I want to tell you is… Yes, don’t think Si Teng is too scary. Even if she’s a monster, there’s nothing to be afraid of.”

After this speech, no one in the room said anything. After a long pause, Yan Furui asked, stunned, “What’s so scary about her?”

Shen Yindeng, standing beside him, turned and smiled sweetly. “The scary thing is her heart.”

***

Qin Fang found Si Teng quite unpredictable. She used to be so secretive about whether she ate or not, but now she acted and dressed in a very high-profile manner. In Nangqian, she acted like she was racing against time for revenge, but in Qingcheng, she was so calm that she retreated to a small courtyard and read every day.

As the ten-day deadline drew closer, Qin Fang was truly worried about Wang Qiankun, but he couldn’t find any reason to talk to Si Teng. Si Teng rarely paid any attention to him, especially when she was reading. Except for the occasional wink asking for more tea, if he got too close, her eyes and eyebrows would read, “Keep away!” Unexpectedly, Wafang came to his rescue.

Wafang acted like a child, fearless and unfazed. Probably harboring a grudge against Si Teng, he saw an opening and added two tablespoons of salt to Si Teng’s tea. Si Teng could smell something as soon as she lifted the lid of her cup. Knowing Qin Fang wouldn’t be so childish, she remained calm and politely gestured for Wafang to come over.

Wafang was overjoyed. Simple-minded as a child, he didn’t consider the consequences. He simply wanted to see her choke on her anger. Not realizing he’d given himself away, he politely urged her, “Auntie, have some tea.”

Si Teng had smiled at him at first, but her expression changed. With one hand, she grasped Wafang’s chin and dragged him over. She then picked up the teapot and poured it into his mouth. When Qin Fang heard the noise and came out, Wafang was struggling and kicking, but he couldn’t break free of Si Teng’s hand. The water wouldn’t go in, instead flowing down his mouth, down his neck, and even up his nose.

If he continued to drink this much, he’d probably choke to death. Qin Fang, unable to care for anything else, rushed over to rescue Wafang. After figuring out the whole story, he was in a state of both laughter and tears. After sending the wailing Wafang away, he couldn’t help but say, “The child doesn’t understand. Why bother with him?”

Si Teng acted as if she hadn’t heard. She casually picked up the book, opened it, and then closed it again. She asked Qin Fang thoughtfully, “What day is it?”

“The ninth day.”

It was already the ninth day. Si Teng slowly placed the book back on the table and said thoughtfully, “It’s almost time. These days of leisure are almost over.”

She then instructed Qin Fang, “When the Taoists come to pay their respects, remember to keep your mouth shut. You can’t let anyone know that my demonic power has been damaged.”

She was too confident. Was she so sure the Taoists couldn’t do anything to her that they would have to come to pay their respects? What if they had a master who could break the vine attack on Wang Qiankun? Qin Fang resisted the urge to throw cold water on her and casually said, “Hasn’t your demonic power recovered somewhat?”

Seeing that Si Teng didn’t immediately understand, Qin Fang gestured: “Last time in the mountains, you used the vine to do so many things…”

“That was my original body. Even after the transformation, I still have a connection with it, so controlling the vine is not difficult. But I’ve fallen into this state now, and my original body is more than half destroyed. How can I waste its remaining vitality? Of course, I need to nourish it and recuperate.”

Qin Fang suddenly felt something was wrong: “So, what magic can you use now?”

“No magic.”

No magic? Qin Fang was almost furious at the understatement. He stared at Si Teng. “Si Teng, what do you mean by ‘no magic’?”

“One thing: I don’t have any.”

What a brilliant answer. She was certainly not to blame for seeking her own death, but the point was, his life was tied to hers. Did she ask him before dragging him along?

Qin Fang suppressed his anger and spoke each word with clarity: “Your magic hasn’t even recovered, yet you’re openly provoking four sects, seven caves, and nine streets. Even if I assume each sect sends one person, that’s about twenty people. You don’t have any magic, and yet you don’t let me say it. You’re trying to act like you’re so capable in front of others. Are you trying to scam people or just get something for nothing? Si Teng, don’t you think this is too dangerous?”

Si Teng listened intently, and at the end, she actually laughed.

She said, “I do, but since ancient times, hasn’t wealth and honor been sought through risk?”