by Guo Xiaoting
The monk said, “Call your manager and I will tell him.” The household people called the cook and the monk said, “Go and prepare sliced dried fruit, fresh fruit, cold cooked meats and everything to go with wine, as well as some hot dishes. I will eat just here in the outer room.”
The cook answered, “This is a house of wealth and honor. We are always ready to prepare every sort of dish.” The household people prepared a table and chair, and in a little while the cook brought forth the various dishes. The yuanwai invited the monk to be seated in the place of honor and have some wine. The old yuanwai waited upon him, seeing that he had some of each dish and keeping his wine cup full.
However, the old yuanwai was thinking to himself, “That hat of the monk’s is really a fine thing and no mistake, stronger than any pill made from the most unusual medicine. I will ask him how much he wants for it and keep the hat to give to my boy to wear.”
The yuanwai could hear Liang Shiyuan inside the inner room talking. “I would like some water with sugar syrup in it, and I want to eat something.”
The yuanwai was so happy that he said, “The subtle arts of the saintly monk are naturally effective in curing sickness.”
The monk said, “Yuanwai, what do you think about this hat of mine?”
The yuanwai answered, “Good!”
The monk said, “Good is good, but I have been thinking of something I might do—sell it.”
The yuanwai heard the monk’s words and his heart filled with joy as he said, “Monk, if you want to sell it, how much do you want for it? I would like to keep it.”
Ji Gong replied, “It would be easy for you to buy it and keep it. Take your furniture, your business, your house, and your lands and give them all to me. Then I will give you my hat.”
When the old yuanwai heard the price, he shook his head and said, “I cannot afford it!” The household people then removed the dishes and the monk sat drinking wine while the yuanwai poured.
The monk said, “Yuanwai, would you call the manager who has charge of the gatekeepers? I want to speak to him.” The yuanwai directed a household person to go and call him.
In a little while the man arrived, saying, “What would the yuanwai like me to do?”
The monk said, “Just a little while ago I said that I wanted to eat a special meal with fresh fruit, cold cooked meats, and sliced dried fruits, and have your yuanwai wait upon me. You may see that I did not speak incorrectly. I wanted to remind you.”
The manager of the gatekeepers simply said, “Yes.”
The monk said, “Yuanwai, if you will forgive me, I still have three companions outside waiting for me and they have had nothing to eat or drink.” The yuanwai immediately sent a household person, Liang Fu, to invite them to come into the room and to have food and wine prepared for them.
Liang Fu thought to himself, “The monk has his followers and doubtless not one of them has anything decent to wear. Whoever is among his followers must be even more poverty-stricken than he is.” It was with such thoughts in his mind that he went out and called to them. “Who came with the poor monk?”
Gao Guoqin replied, “I did.”
When Liang Fu looked, he saw a man who seemed to be a scholar, apparently very refined and meticulously correct in his attire.
The household man asked, “Where are the other two?”
Su Lu and Feng Xun approached, saying, “We also came with the monk. Looking at them, Liang Fu thought these two were even more prosperous. Of course, Su Lu was one of Su Beishan’s household and he dressed very well.
Liang Fu thought to himself, “The monk has money to dress his retinue in this way.” He quickly asked the three in, had a table prepared with food and wine, and invited them to eat. Inside, meanwhile, the yuanwai was drinking wine with the monk and talking about a wide range of subjects. Just as the conversation was becoming particularly interesting, one of the yuanwai’s people came in, went up to the yuanwai’s ear and spoke as if he did not care to let the monk hear his report.
As it turned out, the news itself that the Daoist had arrived did not matter. However, Liang Yuanwai was troubled. He wanted to stay and talk with the monk, but he feared that the Daoist priest would find fault with the monk’s being there. Liang Yuanwai wanted to welcome the Daoist and entertain him but feared that the monk would find fault. The old yuanwai was in difficulty, but was not at fault. He simply could not entertain both the monk and the Daoist at the same time. Of course, the old yuanwai would have been grateful to anyone who could cure his son’s illness.
Just as the yuanwai was wavering in his heart, the monk spoke, “Yuanwai, perhaps some relative has arrived. You need not apologize.”
This remark brought the yuanwai to his senses, and he said, “That is right.”
The monk said, “It is important that you go and feast your relative. To a large degree we are no longer strangers. Perhaps it is your wife’s younger sister.” Liang Wanzang was not in a position to take offense at Ji Gong’s half-innocent remark that could also mean, “Perhaps you have a little concubine waiting for you.”
The yuanwai laughed and began to stand up. He directed his people to pour wine for the saintly monk, saying, “I will return and drink some wine with the saintly monk.” Having said this, he stood up and went out of the room.
Then he hurried to the outer library located inside a small courtyard with verandas on all four sides. A single house on the west side of the courtyard was used for the library. The old yuanwai went in and saw that the Daoist had already entered and seated himself. The household people were offering him tea. When Liang Yuanwai saw the Daoist, he quickly greeted him politely with raised, folded hands and said, “The master of spirits has arrived and I was not here to welcome him. I hope that I have not offended him.”
The Daoist priest said, “What are you saying? You know that you must not say such things.”
The yuanwai quickly instructed that wine be brought and asked, “Does the Daoist priest eat ordinary or vegetarian food?”
Chang Miaoyu answered, “Ordinary or vegetarian, both are fine.” The household people prepared a feast, placed cups and dishes on the table, and brought food and drink. The old yuanwai sat beside the Daoist and poured wine for him while they chatted about various things.
Liang Yuanwai said, “Spirit master, I would like to ask you about a man of whom you perhaps know.”
The Daoist said, “If he is famous, I would know about him. If not, I might not.”
Liang Yuanwai said, “At the Monastery of the Soul’s Retreat there is an honorable Ji Gong. Perhaps you know of him.”
There was a movement in the heart of the Daoist priest. “If I say that Ji Gong has abilities, no glory will shine upon me,” he thought. Therefore, the Daoist said, “Yuanwai, the one you mention is that wine-soaked, insane monk, the mad Ji. I really do not know into what class he falls, but there is nothing there into which you can sink your teeth. In other words, he is undistinguished.”
He had not finished speaking when they heard someone in the courtyard reply. “The good Daoist with his frowsy hair! How unpleasant for a person to be talked about by him!” They saw the bamboo curtain rise and Ji Gong appeared from outside.
At the sight of Ji Gong, the old yuanwai thought to himself that all those household people were really hateful in having failed to observe his wishes. In his mind he rehearsed reproachful things to say to them. “I asked you to keep the monk company while he ate and drank. Why did you let him go?” As for the Daoist, it was as if his words had been driven back between his teeth. It was most embarrassing.
Now, while the monk had been inside drinking wine with the household people in attendance, he for no apparent reason stood up and went into the inner section. He then removed his monk’s cap from Liang Shiyuan’s head. Liang Shiyuan had been sitting up talking and laughing, but when the monk removed his cap, Liang Shiyuan fell back unconscious again on the bed. It was as if his soul had left his body once more and he could not be awakene
d.
The household people said, “Monk, why did you remove the cap from his head?”
The monk said, “How much time does it take to prepare a festive table?”
The household people said, “Good. Trade the cap for food and drink! We will do it without having our yuanwai give the order. We will give you another tableful and you can give the cap to the young master in exchange!”
The monk said, “I am not hungry now. Wait until I am hungry again.” So saying, the monk walked outside.
The household people asked, “Where are you going, monk?”
He replied, “I am going to the privy.”
The people said, “We will go and show you the way.”
The monk said, “That will not do. If anyone is with me, I cannot pay my respects.”
The household people did not dare to go with him. The monk hurried to the west with long strides and arrived in the courtyard just in time to catch the Daoist speaking badly of him to the yuanwai.
The monk had lifted the bamboo curtain just as he said, “frowsy-haired Daoist.”
Chang Miaoyu was just about to reply when Ji Gong pointed and said, “Yüüü!” making a sound like a deer bleating. “There is a Daoist priest in this room. You must not be offended, Yuanwai. I did not curse you. I cursed that Daoist!”
Liang Yuanwai, to whom Ji Gong had spoken, quickly stood up and said, “Saintly monk, please sit down and, Master of Spirits, please sit down. Let me introduce each of you to the other.”
Ji Gong said, “Yuanwai, do not make us know each other.” After saying this, the monk sat down. One of the household people put another cup on the table and the monk poured wine and drank.
The Daoist still did not recognize him. The Daoist only saw that the monk was intolerably shabby as he sat there drinking, and so the Daoist asked, “Where is your temple, monk?”
Ji Gong turned up his eyes as he answered. “Since you want to know, I am just that wine-soaked, crazy, mad monk from the Monastery of the Soul’s Retreat at the West Lake, the Ji Gong for whom you could not find a classification, the one who has nothing into which one can sink one’s teeth.” As the Daoist listened, he had some uneasy feelings in his heart. The monk then said, “Daoist priest Chang, what is your honorable surname?”
The Daoist replied, “Monk, you are an artless person. You know my name is Chang and yet you still ask me my honorable name.”
The monk said, “Let me ask you about a person that perhaps you know.”
The Daoist asked, “Which one?”
The monk replied, “One of my pupils is named Hua Chingfeng. Perhaps you know him.”
When the Daoist heard this name, his anger knew no bounds, as he said to himself, “He said my teacher is like a grandson to him. Wait until I cut off his existence!” After thinking, he said, “Monk, your mouth is full of nonsense. You just wait. This hermit will settle your account!” The Daoist, meanwhile, was a making a sign with his fingers inside his hand as he muttered a spell. He wanted to have a contest with Ji Gong. It would be a match of power and skill.
CHAPTER 25
By his uncanny arts, the vicious Daoist strives to harm Ji Gong; the Spirit Master and the Chan master duel with magic spells
AS the exchange between Ji Gong and the evil Daoist became more heated, the Daoist said, “Monk, I will now direct three particular words at you and I dare you to reply with three of your own.”
Ji Gong said, “Say your words slowly and I will not be afraid to say six in return. Say them!”
The Daoist began to speak his three words, muttering them under his breath. Suddenly, the Daoist’s wine cup on the table gave a jump as if it had been commanded to do so. Just at that time the monk was drinking from his cup of wine, but abruptly he turned and fell to the floor.
Liang Yuanwai was shocked at the sight, saying, “Teacher of the laws, what is this?”
The Daoist said, “Since you wish to know, I simply used one of my minor arts to cause him to fall to the floor. If I leave this wine cup sitting here for a day, the monk will lie there for a day. If I pick up the wine cup or give him a certain medicine, he will be able to revive.” But when he’d finished speaking these words, the monk stood up. Looking at the monk, the surprised Daoist said, “I have not picked up the wine cup and you simply stood up!”
The monk said, “Come, you still have not given me the medicine. I will lie down again and let you continue.”
The Daoist said, “Monk, do you dare to tell me the eight characters that represent the exact date and time of your birth?”
The monk said, “I have no objection to that. I will just tell you.” After explaining that he had born in such and such a year, in such and such a month, on such and such a day and so forth, he ended by saying, “I have told you all. What about it?”
The Daoist began at once reciting a spell under his breath. Then, while repeating the name of a particular spirit he was calling upon, he struck Ji Gong upon the crown of his head. Hurriedly the Daoist finished saying the spell and stood up. “Yuanwai, after I go, you must quickly find a way to release the monk. Otherwise, when the cock cries once, the monk will die. You will then be involved with the courts.”
Liang Yuanwai looked at Ji Gong. It seemed as if the monk’s soul had fled, as if he were beyond awakening and knew nothing of human affairs.
The old Daoist had gone out of the library and was leaving the mansion. The yuanwai quickly ran after him, pleading, “Spirit Master, go slowly. Let me take upon myself any misdeed committed by the monk.”
The Daoist, however, would not answer the yuanwai, but instead returned to the Fortunate Cloud Temple on the Five Spirits Hill.
Going in, he called out to his acolyte, Liu Miaotong, “Quickly tie up a straw man for me.”
“And whom are you going to harm this time?” asked Liu Miaotong.
Chang Miaoyu answered, “This time I am not trying to harm someone for no reason at all. I am doing harm because when I tried to obtain money from Liang Yuanwai, the monk Ji Dian dared to play tricks on me. I desire to harm Ji Gong secretly, to take vengeance and give vent to my anger.”
Liu Miaotong did not dare to oppose him, but quickly bound up a straw man using dry straw and brought it in to Chang Miaoyu. The evil Daoist then sent Liu Miaotong to make other objects from dry straw.
Meanwhile, the Daoist ate dinner. Afterward he himself took an “eight immortals” table and placed it in the courtyard before the principal hall. He brought out an incense burner, the five kinds of grain, and the other necessary things. When they were all properly arranged, he took the two straw men and placed one of them on each side of the other objects on the table. The wicked Daoist went back inside and waited there until the stars came out.
Then he again went outside and first took off his Daoist hat. Next he took the cord from around his head that held the strip of cloth binding his hair. After doing these things, he let down his hair. He drew his precious sword from its scabbard, lit the incense burner, and addressed the three pure ones of the Daoist trinity, the rulers of the heavens of the upper air.
The ruler of the highest heaven was sometimes called Yu Huang Shangdi, the Pearly Emperor, who ruled heaven and earth and was supposed to keep in his records the names of eight hundred lesser divinities and almost countless immortals. He was also called Tian Bao, the Treasure of Heaven, and was said to be the source of all truth.
The ruler of the second heaven was said by some to be Ling Bao, the custodian of the sacred books, the timekeeper of eternity and inspirer of emperors and philosophers. Others said that the second ruler was Pangu, who was supposed to have come out of chaos and created the universe. Finally, Pangu grew so large that his head became the mountains, his arms and legs turned into the four quarters of the earth, and the lice upon his body became the human beings on earth.
The ruler of the third or lowest heaven of the Daoists was Lao Tzu, the transcendental philosopher who had lived in the sixth century B.C. It was he, it is believed, who fi
rst taught the mystical system of Daoism and incorporated in it the ancient myths of the Chinese people.
The Daoist prayed, “Oh pure ones, protect your disciple. I want to injure Ji Dian. If I am able to obtain the silver from Liang Yuanwai, I will burn incense and provide new clothing for your images. I promise to keep this vow.”
When he had finished speaking, he first used the tip of his sword to uncover a bowl of water on the “eight immortals” table. He took some of the five grains—hemp, millet, rice, wheat, and pulse—which had been prepared with sugar and he scattered them. He ground the cinnabar into fine grains and mixed them with other things to make ink, tore the yellow paper into strips, and wrote three spells upon them. He again took the sword and, with its tip, picked up the strips with the charms written on them. He fed the strips into the fire, and the flames burned higher and higher.
Then he began speaking his Daoist formula: “With the first charm a great wind will arise. With the second charm the soul of Ji Gong will be captured and brought here. With the third charm I will cut off Ji Gong’s existence. When a man dies, he becomes a disembodied spirit. When a disembodied spirit dies, it becomes a hungry ghost.” Just as he was growing confident that he would get his wish, he became aware of a draft of cold air against his back. The Daoist took his sword and prepared to slash out. He dodged to the side and, lifting his head, saw that the one who had just come was apparently a hero of the Greenwood.
Taking a more careful look by the light of the lantern, the Daoist could see that the person was wearing an open-mesh cap made of horsehair. His hair, in which a flower had been carefully arranged, was pulled to one side and tied with a short, thin silken cord. He was wearing a set of close-fitting garments fastened by many buttons, closely set at regular intervals. The tops of his thick-soled boots were of blue material embroidered with flowers. His face was as clear as white jade and his eyes were like bright starts. His features all had a look of refinement. In his hand he had a sharp knife, with which he seemed to be intending to chop the Daoist.