Translator: Dj22031
Editor: Dj22031
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Xie Lingya and Guo Xing made an appointment to go to Zhuyang University to chat with him today. After finishing classes at Quedong College, he went directly to Zhuyang University. The two schools were not far apart and could be reached by crossing two bus stops.
Xie Lingya had been to Zhuyang University before. He thus walked towards the men’s dormitory building. It was almost time for dinner, and there were people coming and going on campus. Xie Lingya saw Guo Xing on WeChat saying that he was also nearby, but he couldn’t see him.
After a long moment, Xie Lingya finally caught sight of Guo Xing’s face. “Why is your hair black? That’s why I didn’t recognize you.”
Guo Xing pouted and said, “It was disposable hair dye. I’d be stared at every day with that color.” He looked at Xie Lingya. “Why isn’t your boyfriend here?”
“He’s busy,” Xie Lingya said. “Where can we go to talk? Is anyone in your dorm?”
Guo Xing: “Don’t go to my dorm. My classmates are playing Pen Fairy in our dorm. Let’s go to the cafe.”
Xie Lingya: “……”
Seeing Guo Xing’s indifference, Xie Lingya almost thought he had misheard. For a moment, he hesitated before saying, “It’s not good to play such a dangerous game…”
He didn’t know Guo Xing’s classmates; he had never even met them, so he had to say this.
“It’s okay. They play it all the time. I don’t think there’s anything wrong.” Guo Xing said thoughtfully, “I basically didn’t feel anything wrong.”
In fact, Guo Xing also had a vague feeling that his perception might have become stronger. Especially after Xie Lingya started chatting with him, he was now even more certain. The scene similar to a martial arts master coming up to you, saying you’re incredibly talented and wanting you to learn martial arts from him, gave the young man Guo Xing a subtle thrill, especially since he had actually seen Xie Lingya catch ghosts. Folk divination techniques like pen fairy and table fairy didn’t always work for everyone, and many people’s spells weren’t quite right. They often found the procedures online, which had been tampered with during circulation, making them less effective.
“Okay,” Xie Lingya thought, realizing that not everyone was as accurate as he was, so he went with Guo Xing to a café near the school and told him about his part-time job.
Baoyang Temple was now quite famous in Zhuyang City, so Guo Xing had naturally heard of it. Curious, he asked a lot of questions. Because of Xie Lingya’s rescue, their relationship seemed much closer than with other people who had met for the second time, or perhaps Guo Xing was just willing to trust him.
Xie Lingya answered each question, and he sensed that Guo Xing might be mentally prepared for his intentions. So, he finally said carefully, “You might have guessed it, but I came to you because I think you have some talent in this area, and I wanted to ask if you’re interested in learning the Lüshan method.”
“Become a Taoist priest?” Guo Xing asked blankly. “I have graduate school and a doctorate to pursue, and my family definitely won’t let me become a priest…”
Although he did have some interest and asked so many questions, it was just interest. Guo Xing knew deep down that becoming a priest was out of the question, but he just couldn’t help himself from learning a little bit.
Xie Lingya thought it was a good thing he had thought it through long ago. “It’s not becoming a priest. I’m talking about the Lüshan Fa, not recruiting priests for Baoyang Temple.” He explained, “Although I’m at Baoyang Temple, I’ve also studied under a teacher who teaches the folk Lüshan Fa. There’s no need to become a priest, and there aren’t any precepts to follow. It’s perfectly acceptable as a hobby.”
Xie Lingya presented his prepared explanation to Guo Xing.
Guo Xing pondered for a long moment, then said, “I need to think it over carefully.”
He felt a surge of emotion, but his rationality remained, and he couldn’t make up his mind.
“Of course, although I approached you because you have this talent, if you don’t tell me, I’ll allow you to fully understand it and think it over carefully,” Xie Lingya said cautiously. “This isn’t just an ordinary hobby or profession. You looked at me being so relaxed the other day because…”
Guo Xing continued, “Because you’ve studied hard and practiced diligently, tempered by the dangers you’ve faced.”
The initial excitement gradually subsided. Guo Xing, no stranger to TV dramas, immediately followed up.
Xie Lingya: “Oh, no, because I’m incredibly gifted, a hundred times more amazing than you.”
Guo Xing: “……”
Xie Lingya continued, “I don’t know any of the other descendants of the Lushan School, but they all share the same goal, and most of the Lushan School branches are now part of the Zhengyi School. You can come to our Taoist temple later, and I’ll show you around— if you’re willing.”
Guo Xing quickly nodded and agreed: “Okay.”
The two chatted for a while longer, and then Guo Xing’s classmates called to ask him to bring back some food, and that’s when it ended. He even helped carry his things for a while.
When they arrived at Guo Xing’s dorm, they were still playing Pen Fairy. Seeing Guo Xing return with food and a friend, they casually greeted him and said angrily: “You’re back! I don’t know who’s messing with this time. Look at these words, it must be Old Wang.”
Guo Xing frowned. He had sensed an uneasy aura the moment he entered. He looked over and saw a few childish words written on a piece of paper, four out of five with typos.
“Old Wang” complained, “It’s not me, my hand really didn’t move! I even suspected it was you!”
“Bah, it’s you, playing on the computer every day, always forgetting words when you pick up the pen, last time you even forgot how to write my name.”
Several people were arguing with each other, and Guo Xing looked back at Xie Lingya in surprise.
Xie Lingya also felt that something was wrong, and his mouth twitched. He was afraid that these students had really invited something this time, and they were completely unaware, so he said: “… You send the Pen Fairy away first and then eat.”
The classmates thought so too. Although they felt that someone was playing tricks, they were still ready to follow the steps and started chanting the spell to send the Pen Fairy away. “Pen Fairy, let’s stop here today, okay?”
Xie Lingya took the opportunity to pull Guo Xing to the corner and secretly used talismans to open the Yin Eyes for both of them.
Guo Xing asked him again, curiously, “So this will open your Yin Eye? Is that how you all open it?”
“No, there are many different methods. I usually call upon the Spiritual Official’s Divine Eye. This is a family tradition,” Xie Lingya explained.
Guo Xing was a little confused. “What do you mean? How many methods have you learned? Your family tradition isn’t just from Wang Lingguan…” Was he new to this field and didn’t understand clearly?
Xie Lingya: “When I say family tradition, I mean my boyfriend passed it down to me.”
Guo Xing: “………………”
Guo Xing was caught off guard after eating a mouthful of dog food.
After the two men opened their Yin Eyes, they looked over at the table and saw a little girl next to the people sending away the pen fairy. She leaned over the table, stretched out her hand, and then, holding a pen, wrote on the paper with a pouty mouth.
The students’ hands were all on the pen, and it felt like someone was exerting force, causing the pen to scribble a few crooked words on the paper: “Just playing.”
Someone immediately yelled, “Old Wang, you damn illiterate! You got ‘再’ wrong, and ‘玩’ is missing a horizontal line!”
“Old Wang” complained, “I wouldn’t have made such a mistake even if I’d forgotten the characters when I picked up the pen!”
“It must have been one of you who was messing around. My Pen Fairy can even tell you how many points you got on the test, how can you not know how to write?”
“Hahahaha, damn it! I’m never playing with you again! You’re trying to scare me with all these typos!”
Xie Lingya and Guo Xing, who had witnessed the truth, said, “…………”
They really wanted these people to stop laughing. The Pen Fairy you invited doesn’t want to leave now! Give elementary school students some respect, okay?!
T/N: The pen fairy bit was legit adorable…
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