Translator: Dj22031
Editor: Dj22031
Advance chapters available for patrons on Patreon. And a chapter can be sponsored by buying me a ko-fi.
A week later, the new building of Baoyang Temple was completed and ready to move in. As for the side hall where Sazu was to be enshrined, it wasn’t completely finished yet. After it was completed, a Dharma assembly would be held to move the statue of Sazu inside.
Although Xie Lingya and Shi Changxuan couldn’t share a room anymore, it was nice to be arranged to stay next to each other.
Guo Xing also took advantage of the weekend to visit Baoyang Temple.
As soon as he entered, he attracted the attention of many tourists because he had dyed the lower half of his hair pink. The atmosphere in Zhuyang wasn’t particularly open, and most people would take a second look at such an exaggerated hair color.
“You…” Xie Lingya was also a little speechless.
Guo Xing touched his pink hair and said, “I’m used to dyeing it before I go out. What, is it forbidden to dye your hair in your line of work?”
“I don’t think I’ve heard of that rule,” Xie Lingya said hesitantly, “but if someone dyes their hair this extravagantly, it will inevitably affect the trust of their clients.”
He himself had faced a lot of skepticism at first because of his youth, and Shi Changxuan would certainly have faced the same if he hadn’t come from a Taoist family.
Now that Baoyang Temple had gained a reputation, Xie Lingya’s treatment had improved, but he still inevitably encountered people who didn’t understand this area and were still suspicious.
If even he was like this, what about Guo Xing?
This head of pink hair didn’t look like it belonged to a master; it looked more like that of a barber.
Guo Xing nodded knowingly, “These are all old ideas. As times change, people’s views will change.”
Xie Lingya remained noncommittal and took Guo Xing to introduce him to the people in the temple.
The Taoists knew that Xie Lingya had gone to see a young man, but when they saw Guo Xing, they were inevitably shocked by his appearance. Guo Xing not only had pink hair, but his clothing was also rather extravagant.
The Taoist priests, with their hair tied in buns and wearing Taoist robes, stood with Guo Xing, creating a surreal sense of time travel.
Liu Bohe asked suspiciously, “Teacher Xie, is this… the very talented Guo Xing you mentioned?”
He didn’t look like someone who could become a Taoist priest at all!
Xie Lingya coughed, “…Yes.”
Guo Xing said to Xie Lingya, “Brother, are they really that surprised? I saw that your Taoist acolyte has dyed his hair white too!”
Xie Lingya glancing at the innocent-looking Xiao Dian: “…”
—After informing his parents, Xiao Dian officially became a monk at Baoyang Temple. Xie Lingya accepted him as a disciple on behalf of his uncle, but there was still a “probationary period” in the process, and Xiao Dian was currently just a Taoist acolyte.
Xie Lingya rubbed his forehead. “That wasn’t dyed.”
Guo Xing was startled. “Did he tell you he went prematurely gray? That’s nonsense. How can there be two separate white patches? It’s like when I dyed my hair yellow in middle school and lied to the teacher that it was ruined by a hairdryer.”
Xie Lingya: “…”
Xie Lingya: “No, it’s just that the people in our Taoist temple see it as whiter.” He briefly mentioned the small incident.
Guo Xing hadn’t expected that the unassuming little Taoist boy was the heir to this Taoist temple and had done such an impressive thing. He was filled with respect. “He’s a real man!”
Xie Lingya led Guo Xing on a tour of Baoyang Temple. When they reached the backyard, Guo Xing said with interest, “You even raise chickens here? It’s quite idyllic. But can you Taoists kill chickens? Or do you just keep them as pets?”
“These aren’t pets,” Xie Lingya said. “They’re our benefactors.”
Xie Lingya then briefly recounted how they had taken Brother Pheasant to climb the snow-capped mountain and how Brother Pheasant had saved their lives.
Guo Xing: “…”
Guo Xing muttered, “Alright, it’s a… good chicken. I didn’t expect your Taoist temple to be so full of hidden talents.”
He really just asked casually, how come even the chickens they raised had done something big?!
At this moment, Hai Guanchao and Fang Zhe passed by carrying things and nodded to Xie Lingya in greeting.
Guo Xing said, “These two…”
Xie Lingya: “The one on the left is the successor of the ‘Luban Book,’ and the one on the right is the doctor from the clinic across the street…”
Guo Xing was about to breathe a sigh of relief, at least he hadn’t mentioned any of the really impressive people.
Xie Lingya continued, “He’s also the teacher my uncle studied under. According to seniority, we call him ‘Master’.”
Guo Xing: “…”
Guo Xing complained, “I dare not point randomly anymore. Even a chicken has such status, I’d better…” He looked around, touched the doll on Xie Lingya’s shoulder, and decided to discuss that. “Where did you buy this doll’s clothes?”
Xie Lingya: “From a shop near the university town.”
Guo Xing leaned closer to look. “They’re quite detailed…”
Just then, Liu Lingtong said, “It’s not a doll, it’s Liu Lingtong.”
“Aah!” Guo Xing took a few steps back, almost falling on his butt. He was terrified in broad daylight, breaking out in a cold sweat. He gasped for breath, staring at Xie Lingya in horror, his eyes wide with terror.
Why can this doll talk? It’s too scary!
Thanks to all the horror movies he’s watched in recent years, the mention of a talking doll automatically conjured up countless terrifying scenes for Guo Xing.
“Didn’t you sense that this one was alive?” Xie Lingya pulled him up. “Liu Lingtong is a kind of willow spirit with a prophetic ability. It was snatched from someone else’s hands… rescued.”
He briefly explained Liu Lingtong’s origins.
“You’re so knowledgeable.” Guo Xing was completely impressed.
“Teacher Xie! Your phone’s ringing!” Zhang Daoting popped his head out from the second floor of the main building and shouted.
Xie Lingya’s phone was charging up there. He then asked Zhang Daoting to answer it for him while he came upstairs.
Guo Xing followed behind and went upstairs to sit for a while.
“Hello? Class monitor?” Xie Lingya answered the phone and greeted him. The class monitor he was calling was his class monitor from university. Back then, there were more girls than boys in the class, and he and the class monitor got along quite well. However, after graduation, the class monitor got a job, and Xie Lingya was preparing for his postgraduate entrance exam while running his business at Baoyang Temple, so they saw each other less often, but they still chatted online.
The class monitor, Wen Jing, said, “Lao Xie, I’m getting married… I just wanted to let you know you could come to the wedding.”
Xie Lingya knew Wen Jing had a girlfriend introduced by his family, and she seemed quite honest, so it wasn’t surprising that they were getting married after dating for a while.
He quickly offered his congratulations, “Sure, I’ll definitely be there!” After asking Wen Jing which other classmates he was inviting, he heard Wen Jing stammer, “Lao Xie, what do you think… about my wedding date?”
Xie Lingya was taken aback, “What do you mean? You’re asking me about your wedding date?”
Wen Jing: “Oh dear! Aren’t you at the Taoist temple right now!”
Xie Lingya laughed, “I almost didn’t realize it. You mean you want me to tell you if it’s auspicious or inauspicious?”
Wen Jing stammered, “…I guess so.”
“Looking at it this way, it’s neither good nor bad. We need to consider your birth dates and times to get a more accurate reading. Besides, I’m not an expert in this area. My senior brother is well-versed in auspicious date selection. Tell me, and I’ll have him take a look.” Xie Lingya said, then added, “Wait a minute, shouldn’t the wedding date have been set a long time ago? Shouldn’t we consult someone first? Otherwise, changing it would be a huge hassle. Are you serious or just acting on a whim?”
Wen Jing said dejectedly, “You know I know nothing about these things. My wife chose the wedding date, but both her parents and my parents objected, thinking we should consult someone to calculate the date. My wife thought this date was convenient, everyone was free, and hotel reservations were difficult. Then a couple of days ago, some elders said they consulted someone and said the chosen date was unlucky and told us to change it. Of course, my wife didn’t want to, so they pulled me aside and said… That’s why I wanted to ask you if it’s really unlucky, or is some kind of master just scaring us?”
He didn’t trust others, but he trusted his old classmate.
“If I say it’s unlucky, can you convince sister-in-law to change the date?” Xie Lingya said with a smile.
Wen Jing choked, “I’m not sure I can win…”
“Haha, let me take a look for you first.” Xie Lingya wrote down the birth date and time and promised to call him later.
Guo Xing looked at the birth date and time and said, “You guys have so much to learn.”
Xie Lingya also sighed, “That’s right, thanks to my intelligence.”
Guo Xing: “…”
Xie Lingya called Shi Changxuan up and showed him the birth date and time.
At this moment, the Reporting God said softly, “The time is inauspicious.”
Liu Lingtong also added, “The newlyweds are wearing mourning clothes.”
Shi Changxuan and Xie Lingya also repeated the sentence one by one.
Guo Xing thought it was the two of them saying it, but Xie Lingya realized that it was a matching sentence, “Oh my, you can even coordinate couplets now!”
The Reporting God said generously, “Unity is strength.”
The time is inauspicious, the newlyweds are wearing mourning clothes.
Shi Changxuan, holding the paper with the birth date and date written on it, said, “This wedding date is afflicted by the ‘Pi Ma’ (披麻) curse, and the ‘Reporting God’ has also foretold it. If they insist on holding the wedding on this day, I’m afraid things won’t go smoothly.”
There’s a term called “Pi Ma Dai Xiao” (披麻戴孝), which means that when an elder dies, the descendants wear hemp cloth and white headbands. The term “Pi Ma” itself carries a sense of mourning. Pi Ma signifies mourning and death, and with the wedding date afflicted by the “Pi Ma” curse, coupled with an unfavorable birth date combination, one can imagine how unlucky it is.
“In Chinese folk tradition, wearing white at weddings is generally not welcomed, as it’s considered an unlucky omen. Moreover, the ‘Pi Ma’ curse also involves this kind of attire.” Knowing that Xie Lingya wanted Guo Xing to be familiar with these things, Shi Changxuan intentionally explained.
“The ‘Hemp-Clad Demon’ appears exclusively at weddings. It takes the form of a human, with disheveled hair and wearing hemp clothing, and cannot be driven away. In some places, it is also called the ‘God of Happiness,’ but this is different from the traditional meaning of the God of Happiness. It is an alternative name for the ‘Hemp-Clad Demon,’ which also means that they are attracted by the joy of the wedding.”
This is similar to how people call weasels “Huang Daxian,” which is an alternative name with a sense of awe.
“There are many consequences to being hit by the ‘Hemp-Clothing Demon.’ It could mean the newlyweds are killed or injured, or they could be unable to have children. There are also cases where wedding guests accidentally bump into it, lose their souls, and go insane.”
Although Guo Xing was talented, he had never heard of such supernatural tales before, so he asked curiously, “Then where does this kind of… ‘demon’ come from? What kind of creature is it?”
Shi Changxuan pondered for a moment and said, “Whether it’s the ‘Returning Rice Seedling Demon’ or the ‘Hemp-Clothing Demon,’ they are all demonic spirits. The ‘Returning Rice Seedling Demon’ sometimes takes the form of a rooster or something similar, while the ‘Hemp-Clothing Demon’ is a person wearing hemp clothing and looking sorrowful. The ‘Hemp-Clothing Demon’ often comes from unmarried people who die suddenly. It can also be understood as the condensation of their death energy, not a complete ghost, and it may not even be formed from the energy of a single person. Calling them ‘Gods of Happiness’ is not wrong; they are higher than ghosts but lower than gods.”
Xie Lingya had indirectly encountered the ‘Returning Rice Seedling Demon.’ There was a time when a woman’s son bumped into the ‘Hemp-Clothing Demon’ of her family, lost his soul, and went to Hai Guanchao’s, where he was the one who cured him.
Guo Xing nodded, half understanding, “Then what should his classmate do now?”
Shi Changxuan said calmly, “It’s best to avoid the ‘Pi Ma Sha’ (a type of inauspicious star). When choosing a wedding date, you should consult the ‘Bazi’ (a system of divination based on birth dates) to avoid it. Let them change the date.”
This was a simple and safe method. The ‘Pi Ma Sha’ sounds ominous, but it can be completely avoided. In the past, those who encountered the ‘Pi Ma Sha’ mostly ignored the taboos or chose an incompetent fortune teller, resulting in a poorly chosen date.
Xie Lingya called his class monitor back. He seemed to be with his wife now. Xie Lingya heard that they were arguing on the other end, talking about how the leaders had been notified and about feudal superstition.
“Sorry, Lao Xie, I’ll call you back later.” Wen Jing hung up hurriedly.
Xie Lingya looked at his phone helplessly and said, “I suspect… we can’t change the date.”
Many modern people didn’t take these things seriously. Why change the wedding date just because of some inauspicious star? Xie Lingya could understand why Wen Jing’s wife couldn’t accept it; it’s just a matter of social norms and environment. For them, notifying people about changing the date for such a reason was probably more terrifying than any evil spirit, and it also involved troublesome things like hotel reservations.
However, Wen Jing was Xie Lingya’s old classmate, and although he knew Wen Jing probably couldn’t handle his wife, he couldn’t just sit idly by. “Senior brother, are there any other ways to ward off evil spirits?”
Shi Changxuan thought for a moment and said, “In folk customs, to ward off the God of Happiness, a few rituals are added to the wedding ceremony. When the bride enters the house, a blood-stained rooster is thrown over the bride’s head, etc…”
The rooster is a symbol of the yang energy of the south, and the rooster’s crow heralds the dawn, so many divination methods involve roosters and rooster blood.
After Shi Changxuan finished speaking, Xie Lingya turned his head and stared at the courtyard, thoughtfully saying, “Oh.”
Shi Changxuan: “…”
Guo Xing: “…”
The Pheasant brother who suddenly couldn’t eat his grains: “………………”
Guys, ads are my only source of revenue, so please do not turn on the AdBlock when you are accessing this website…. Thank you, this would be a great help…
You can buy me a ko-fi and sponsor a chapter on: https://ko-fi.com/midnightrambles
Or become a Patron or access advance chapters on: https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=45665005
If you support me, I would be able to provide more chapters….
Previous • Table of Contents • Next