Si Teng (Rattan) – CH 017

Chapter 17

On the morning of the tenth day, the weather was sunny, the temperature was between 4 and 7 degrees Celsius, and there was a gentle southerly breeze.

When Qin Fang woke up, he unexpectedly saw Si Teng burning incense. Smoke curled from the three thin incense sticks. She held the end of the incense with her thumb, pinched the stick with her middle and index fingers, and raised the incense to her eyebrows, worshiping the four directions. There were so many sacred things in the universe: the Three Treasures of Buddhism, Guan Yu, Taishang Laojun, and the Jade Emperor. Which shrine would she worship? Which deity would bless a demon?

Qin Fang watched for a long time, then quietly retreated to his room and called Yan Furui.

The two had been in contact for the past few days, tacitly discussing only Wafang, eating, and sleeping. Qin Fang didn’t mention Si Teng, and Yan Furui didn’t mention the Taoist sect. But today was different. Today was the tenth day, and Wang Qiankun’s life or death would only come this day.

Yan Furui’s voice was mournful and lamentable. “It’s fate! Poor Taoist Wang, so young and even able to speak English—who knew he’d die at the hands of a demon?”

“Those Taoists from famous mountains, don’t they have any solutions? No one knows how to subdue demons?”

“No,” he said, then thought of something. “There are a few who know martial arts. One claims to know One Finger Zen and says their ancestor dined with Wang Chongyang.”

After hanging up the phone, Yan Furui cheerfully asked Wang Qiankun, “How was it? Did I act pretty well?”

Wang Qiankun was still physically weak, but his spirit was already…much better. “Although that little brother looks kind, he’s actually following a demon. We can’t let him know anything, just in case.”

Yan Furui nodded vigorously, paused, and let his imagination wander.

“Our Taoist sect is full of hidden talents. How could we be subdued by a demon? What do you think, will the abbot take Si Teng in next? I heard that demons reveal their true forms before dying. She must be a thousand-year-old vine, right?”

***

The good news came last night. They contacted another family, located at the head of Jiudao Street. They were surnamed Huang, originally from Huizhou. Their ancestors had been selling pickled mustard greens and tofu pudding.

As the old saying would go, evil spirits would emerge in troubled times, because in troubled times, evil spirits would rise while pure spirits would recede, ghosts would emerge from their dens, and demons would leave their lairs. Similarly, Taoist priests performed rituals in prosperous times and exorcised demons in troubled times. In the early years of turmoil, the Huang family closed their shops during the day, setting up stalls only at dusk. Huang’s mother-in-law would push a four-wheeled cart, adorned with illuminated paper lanterns, rattling as she went about the streets. Curious people would follow, only to disappear.

Later rumors spread that in the middle of the night, deep in the mountains, east of the dense forest, a white-haired old woman would often appear. She was a skilled baker, mixing preserved mustard greens, lard, ground ginger, cooking wine, and sugar. She would knead, pinch, and roll the dough, then smear a layer of grease on the thin dough and grill it. The aroma would fill the air. Not long after, there would be a rustling in the bushes, and suddenly a well-dressed man would appear, wearing a Zhongshan suit or a long jacket, clean-cut, and carrying a book. Sometimes it would be a young woman in a student’s uniform, with a headband and a shoulder bag, or a young woman in a floral dress, carrying a small bundle, crying and asking to return to her parents’ home.

They were all demons and monsters, thinking they were hiding their true colors. They sat down and ordered a bowl of tender white tofu pudding with pickled mustard greens, shredded wood ear mushrooms, seaweed, and dried shrimp, drizzled with sesame sauce and sesame oil, and two slices of pancake. They would eat with great satisfaction. Grandma Huang would sit beside them, chatting about family matters and the bumpy road. In the middle of this conversation, she would suddenly shout, “Monster, reveal yourself!”

And the man or woman across from them, no matter what their appearance, would suddenly suffer from severe abdominal pain, their faces grimacing. They would struggle as soon as their bowls and dishes fell to the ground, and in a tumble, they would reveal themselves. Sometimes they were hares, sometimes earthworms as thick as arms, all kinds of forms, but all would be defeated by Grandma Huang’s magic.

Taoist fellows could not discern the secrets, and there were many different opinions. Some even spread the story seriously: “Do you think Grandma Huang baked an ordinary vegetable pancake? No, not at all. That pancake is a Yin and Yang Bagua, divided into two fishes, and the gesture of applying oil is a demon-subduing talisman.”

The Huang family was well-known in the Huizhou area of ​​Jiangsu and Zhejiang. In 1946, during the demon suppression campaign by Qiu Shan, they made a special visit to the Huang family and enlisted the assistance of the then-head, Huang Yu. Huang Yu later traveled with Qiu Shan to Sichuan and settled in Chengdu’s Old Street. Taoists assumed the Huang family still lived there, so they inquired around the Old Street area and finally made contact, only to discover that in the early 2000s, Huang Yu’s descendants had taken Huang Yu’s ashes and returned to Huizhou to settle there.

The Huang family’s techniques were passed down through daughters, not sons. Without a granddaughter in the third generation, the family was considered extinct. Fortunately, Huang Yu’s daughter was still around. After inheriting the family’s skills, she took back her mother’s surname and became Huang Cuilan. Nearly eighty years old and paralyzed in bed for about ten years, she remained lucid. She spoke with Abbot Cang Hong of Baiyun Temple and stated with certainty, “The vine-killing spell can be reversed!”

For a moment, everyone was overjoyed. After a brief discussion, they immediately prepared to begin.

***

Huang Cuilan said, “When a fox dies, its fur returns to its roots. When a vine withers and breaks, it will inevitably break near the vine itself, perhaps corroding into the mud and protecting the roots. In other words, vines have the natural tendency to return to their roots and preserve their bodies intact.”

Si Teng could certainly extract the vine threads from Wang Qiankun’s body, as she was originally a vine. To undo the vine’s killing power, a room had to be prepared, sealed inside and out with earth to create an “underground” or “vine root” environment. The eight trigrams were drawn in cinnabar in the center of the room. Wang Qiankun sat inside, while the other factions sat around it. Each of them placed an incense burner, half filled with incense ash, which must have accumulated in the incense burner over the years. Vine sticks were then inserted and sprinkled with kerosene.

Next, each sect would be asked to use their own techniques, using incantations and spells to intimidate and urge the vines. Once the killer vines in Wang Qiankun’s body were free and fleeing, they would inevitably attach themselves to the nearest vine. Each sect would seize this opportunity to immediately ignite the cinnabar talisman paper. The vines might be more durable than ordinary wood, but they were still wood and no match for the Taoist’s true fire. As long as they burned through, Taoist Wang Qiankun would be safe.

Suddenly, the gathering at Wudang had become a “Huashan Sword Contest.” Hadn’t Huang Cuilan said, “Each sect should use its own techniques?” When Cang Hong ordered the young Taoist priests in the temple to decorate the rooms, picking up soil and breaking vines, everyone was in a state of mixed joy and sorrow. These talismans were indeed memorized and practiced, and their normal execution was a lively ritual. But now, the real deal was on. The effectiveness of their own magic, and whether they could outperform others, would be revealed here.

Then he thought again: “Let’s try our best. If it doesn’t work, the young Taoist priest of Wudang Mountain will suffer.”

At sunset, everything was ready. Each sect entered the room one by one. This was a rare opportunity. Those with disciples selected two or three capable people to bring in, hoping to show their disciples something new. Of all the sects, only Professor Bai Jin from Nanjing Normal University didn’t go in. He had a lot of theories, but he certainly hadn’t inherited any ancestral techniques. Yan Furui shared the same plight. Such an important person, a disciple of Qiu Shan, was kicked out after helping Wang Qiankun enter because he hadn’t entered the Taoist sect. He watched helplessly as the Wudang Mountain disciples closed the door and piled mud outside.

***

The moon was at its zenith. Yan Furui and Bai Jin sat on the steps outside the next room, waiting for news. Bai Jin, truly an academic, connected a power strip to the wall and came out. While consulting Yan Furui, he searched the internet for information about vines on his laptop.

Yan Furui recounted the incident two days earlier of the vines growing taller outside the house, describing the beauty of the hanging flower curtains on the tree. He also recounted Si Teng’s attire. After a while, Bai Jin didn’t respond. Leaning over, he saw Bai Jin’s brows furrowed, his mind unsettled.

Yan Furui waved his hand in front of Bai Jin’s face: “Professor Bai? Professor Bai?”

Bai Jin asked, “Don’t you find this strange?”

Yan Furui was confused: “What’s strange?”

“Old Madam Huang knows how to break the vine attack, which means it’s been broken before, or the solution has spread. In that case, what’s the point of using the vine attack against Taoist Wang?”

Yan Furui’s IQ was seriously low. He barely understood Bai Jin’s question, but not wanting to appear ignorant, he followed suit. “What’s the point?” he asked.

Bai Jin said, “Repeat to me what she said when you left.”

Yan Furui thought for a moment. “She said that after ten days, the vine will attack his heart. She told Master Wang’s master to summon the capable men from the four sects, seven caves, and nine streets to save his life. If nothing works after the ninth day, he should ask them to go to Qingcheng Mountain and beg her. If they don’t come, she’ll sacrifice Master Wang’s life. She’ll come after every household in the four sects, seven caves, and nine streets.”

Bai Jin’s frown deepened.

During the discussion among the sects, Yan Furui repeated these words. Everyone erupted in excitement. Mr. Liu Hexiang of Qiyun Mountain excitedly declared that this demon was simply wishful thinking. Asking every sect in the world to beg her for help was just a dream!

Mr. Liu Jinding of Kongtong Cave also slammed the table, shouting that if she dared to come, she would be exiled. His bald head gleamed brightly. Why had his mother come up with the name Liu Jinding? It was so descriptive.

Bai Jin felt that Si Teng’s words deserved careful scrutiny. Was her ultimate goal, in fact, the first sentence? But she used the “begging” in the second sentence and the “life threat” in the third sentence to downplay the first, focusing everyone’s attention on the honor of the Taoist sect and their future prosperity and life.

Bai Jin’s heart began to beat wildly. He began to think, “If I were Si Teng, I would want to take on all the Taoist sects, but I only encountered two insignificant Taoist priests in Qingcheng Mountain. How could I use these two to wipe out the Taoist sect? The first step, of course, was to gather everyone together.”

—Have Taoist Master Wang summon the capable men from the four sects, seven caves, and nine streets to save him!

Bai Jin suddenly stood up and asked Yan Furui, “Where are the people in charge of Wudang Mountain?”

Yan Furui, still unaware, pointed blankly at the room and said, “Abbot Cang Hong of Baiyun Temple has gone in with a few of his disciples.”

It wasn’t just Abbot Cang Hong of Baiyun Temple; those who had gone in from every sect were elite. She was just waiting for this opportunity to attack. By then, everyone would be completely unprepared, and it would be practically a complete annihilation.

Bai Jin broke out in a cold sweat. The moon was beautiful tonight, a bright crescent, and the clouds were few, sparse like a long wisp of fog. Countless images suddenly flooded Bai Jin’s mind. He imagined that the next moment, the entire Wudang Mountain would be shrouded in dark clouds, obscuring the moon. And above those rolling clouds, stood that ferocious-looking demon…

Bai Jin grabbed Yan Furui by the collar and pulled him to his feet. “Hurry, tell the other Taoists in the temple to prepare. Bring out any magical instruments. Draw any demon-slaying talismans outside the room, on the doors and windows. Hurry!”

***

For the first nine days, Wang Qiankun had been the most nervous, but on the last day, he felt relieved.

He sat in the center of the Eight Trigrams. In front of him were three vertical and horizontal Qian trigrams, and behind him were three horizontal Kun trigrams. Each of the eight trigrams had a resident. Abbot Cang Hong of Baiyun Temple held the Emperor’s command, Taoist Zhang Shaohua held a thunder-struck wooden seal, Taoist Master Ma Qiuyang held a command flag inscribed with “Imperial Summoning of All Gods,” Mr. Liu Hexiang held a walking mat, Liu Jinding swung a gold coin sword, and Pan Qinian shook a treasure gourd. Of all the people, the instruments of Shen Yindeng and Ding Dacheng were the strangest. Before Shen Yindeng lay an old silver flower-branched lantern, while Ding Dacheng kept turning a copper abacus. The beads were heavy, and a flick of his hand made a clanging sound.

So many people, all here, to save him.

Wang Qiankun was filled with emotion. He remembered an English proverb: “To be, or not to be.” Then, he suddenly became puzzled by the tense: why did it use “be” instead of “is” or “are”?

The onlookers a little further behind couldn’t help but sigh. Someone whispered, “I can’t believe Fellow Taoist Wang is so calm at this moment.”

Wang Qiankun’s fellow disciples were solemn: “Junior brother, you’ve always had a certain state of mind. As the saying goes, ‘Life is from the Dao, Death returns to the Dao, Everything is transformed by the Dao.’ Junior brother must have attained enlightenment.”

The command flag suddenly fluttered, the Golden Money Sword hummed, and the magical instruments in front of each person responded. Abbot Cang Hong’s eyelids fluttered, his old eyes suddenly gleaming with brilliance. He shouted, “Now!”

Wang Qiankun cried out miserably and fell to the ground, thrashing and thrashing on the ground like a dying fish. Then, suddenly, his eyes bulged, and a hoarse sound came from his throat. Countless thin vines, like long worms, emerged from his mouth and fled in all directions, as if afraid of the light. They headed for the incense burner vines scattered around the Bagua area, rushing forward like a stream, leaving a trail of black saliva on the ground.

Amid the chaos, everyone could still clearly see only seven black trails in the eight directions of the Eight Trigrams. Of all the vines, surprisingly, not a single one was heading for the incense burner beside Shen Yindeng.

Was it indeed a silver-plated spearhead? Everyone kept silent, but disdain flashed in their eyes. Shen Yindeng’s pretty face flushed crimson.

The opportunity was not to be missed. As the vines ran out, the seven incense burners instantly caught fire. The flames nearly reached the roof, and stinking black smoke curled upward.

Wang Qiankun climbed to his feet, panting heavily, and wiped the sticky corners of his mouth with his sleeve. Everyone in the room shared a shared sense of disbelief. Was that all? Was that all it took? Was that how the demon was defeated?

Abbot Cang Hong of Baiyun Temple suddenly began coughing violently, followed by Ma Qiuyang and Pan Qinian, then more people. Amidst the choking coughs, Shen Yindeng’s horrified voice suddenly rang out: “Poison! These vine threads are poisonous if burned!”

Everyone desperately squeezed to the door. To create the illusion of “underground” and “vine roots” as Huang Cuilan had said, dirt was piled up inside and outside the house to seal the door. For a moment, it was impossible to open. Everyone pounded on the wall and the door, shouting, “Open the door! Open the door!”

Bai Jin, who was leading the young Taoist priests in drawing red talismans on the floor tiles outside, suddenly froze. He looked towards the house with near-terrified eyes and asked Yan Furui, “Did you hear any noises inside?”

Almost at the same time, Si Teng, who had been resting with her eyes closed in the corridor, slowly opened them, a faint smile flickering across her lips.