Chapter 51
Chapter 51
From then on, Hua Jiunan spent his days attending classes and his nights in the dormitory studying the Baopuzi Inner Chapters.
The book was divided into twenty volumes, each recording different subjects, such as:
The separation of form and spirit; the administration of medicine; the circulation of qi; and various methods of incantations.
It also covered methods for fasting, qi ingestion, invisibility, transformation, guiding energy, summoning spirits, visualization, and more.
Among these, the most widely known was the Nine-Word Mantra recorded in the Dengshe Chapter:
“Lin Bing Dou Zhe, Jie Zhen Lie Qian Xing.”
“These nine words should be constantly and secretly invoked to ward off all evils. This is what is meant by ‘the essential way is not burdensome.'”
This meant that by silently reciting these nine words, one could dispel all forms of evil.
Tōmitsu-one of the primary sects of Japanese Buddhism and a branch of Esoteric Buddhism-was influenced by Chinese Daoism and utilized these protective charms.
However, when transcribing these nine words, the original “Lin Bing Dou Zhe, Jie Zhen Lie Qian Xing” was mistakenly copied as “Rin Pyō Tō Sha Kai Jin Retsu Zai Zen,” a version that persists to this day.
Due to the influence of Japanese anime, this incorrect version of the Nine-Word Mantra has become more familiar to the Chinese public.
It was truly ironic!
It felt very much like a case of the true masters wandering the streets while the clowns sat in the temples.
Furthermore, through his study of the Baopuzi Inner Chapters, Hua Jiunan also learned Feng Shui arts, Daoist talismans, and various mudra hand seals.
If the Daoist Soul had not departed, he would surely have been astonished by the speed of Hua Jiunan’s progress.
It was as if he had known all of this before and was merely reviewing it now.
In the blink of an eye, the weekend arrived again. Chen Fu personally drove over to pick up Chen Daji and Hua Jiunan to take them home.
Of course, he picked up Hu Wa along the way as well.
The moment they met, Hua Jiunan was startled by Chen Fu’s complexion.
What was once a ruddy, healthy face had now turned a dark, bruised red!
According to the records in the book, this was the sign of a looming calamity-a face overflowing with the aura of bloodshed!
“Uncle Chen, has anything happened at home lately?”
Chen Fu replied while driving, “No, everything’s fine!”
“With the Divine Axe given to me by Old Auntie and this piece of Ancient Jade, I’m practically invincible now!”
After speaking, Chen Fu lifted the pendant around his neck to his lips and gave it a kiss.
Hua Jiunan noticed that the Ancient Jade had shifted from a pale yellow to a murky dark red.
Moreover, the aura it emitted had grown even colder.
Even the usually unobservant Chen Daji noticed the change in the jade.
“Dad, why did that thing you’re wearing change color?”
“It’s all dark and muddy now. It doesn’t even look as good as the original poop-yellow!”
Chen Fu shot his son an annoyed look.
“What the hell do you know?”
“‘A person nurtures the jade for three years, and the jade nurtures the person for a lifetime.’ This just shows that I’ve been nurturing it well!”
Chen Daji didn’t dare argue and quickly forced a smile. “Fine, you’re the dad, you’re the boss!”
The group first dropped Hu Wa off at his home before heading together to Deaf Granny’s courtyard.
The old woman was clearing snow from the Little Pine Tree, but when she saw Chen Fu, her expression changed instantly.
“You were fine a few days ago, boy. Why are you covered in such a towering cloud of misfortune now?”
“Be honest-did you go out and murder someone, start a fire, or dig up someone’s ancestral grave?!”
Chen Fu was terrified by her words and could only keep smiling apologetically.
“Look at what you’re saying, ma’am. How could I do something so wicked?”
“Besides, I might look big and tough, but I’m actually quite a coward.”
“Even if you gave me ten times the courage, I wouldn’t dare!”
Chen Daji spoke up just in time to testify for his father.
“Granny, my dad really is a coward.”
“Even now, if he has to go to the outdoor toilet at night, he has to have me or my mom go with him.”
“He’s too scared to go alone; he can’t even pee.”
Chen Fu gave Chen Daji a resentful look.
‘Where are your manners?’
‘Is it really okay to talk about your own father like that?’
However, since Chen Daji was telling the truth, Chen Fu couldn’t find a way to refute him.
After hearing them out, Deaf Granny began to circle Chen Fu, inspecting him closely.
When she saw the jade hanging around his neck, she immediately snatched it off and threw it onto the ground.
“You brat, how dare you wear just anything on your body!”
“Wearing this will be the death of you!”
Chen Fu looked horrified. “I had someone look at it-it’s Ancient Jade!”
“Isn’t jade supposed to ward off disasters and evil?”
Deaf Granny sighed. “It’s true that jade can ward off disasters and evil, and it’s true that this is Ancient Jade.”
“But this is a Yin Jade. Specifically, it’s one of the most sinister types: a piece of Nine Orifices Jade.”
Chen Daji’s curiosity was piqued. “Granny, what’s a Nine Orifices Jade?”
Deaf Granny sat back down in her wooden chair covered in animal pelts and began to explain.
“The so-called ‘Nine Orifices’ refers to a person’s two eyes, two nostrils, two ear canals, the mouth, the genitals, and the anus.”
“Nine Orifices Jade refers to the nine pieces of jade used to plug these nine openings on a corpse.”
“The ancients believed that doing this would prevent the physical body from decaying, giving them a chance to become an immortal!”
Upon hearing this, Chen Fu immediately backed away from the Ancient Jade on the ground.
“Holy crap! How could it be something so sinister!”
Chen Daji’s curiosity wasn’t satisfied yet. He picked up the jade and asked, “Granny, which part of the Nine Orifices Jade is this one my dad was wearing?”
Deaf Granny shook her head with a bitter smile.
“This one is a conical shape… it’s likely the one used to plug the anus…”