Capítulo 31: Talisman (Part 1)
How can we catch mice without traps? Oh, right, there's rat poison for sale downstairs. I should go buy a few packets..." Man Jun dismissed the chubby boy's words and turned to head downstairs, feeling a bit uneasy about the numerous pests crawling around his home.
"Brother Man, there's really no need for that; just leave this to Yi Ge..." The chubby boy chuckled as he stopped Man Jun, then turned to Fang Yi and said, "After all, this is our shared living space. What do you think? Will you lend a hand?"
"Let's discuss it downstairs; the yang energy on this second floor feels quite heavy..." Fang Yi glanced around the room once more, remarking, "Fortunately, Brother Man didn't rent out the upper floors; otherwise, anyone living here for a while would surely fall ill..."
"Heavy yang energy? Illness?"
Man Jun finally grasped Fang Yi's words and felt a twinge of irritation. He replied, "Xiao Fang, what do you mean by that? My parents lived on the second floor, and they never suffered from any serious ailments!"
Man Jun's parents were known for their longevity, having passed away at over eighty years of age. They had resided in this small building for nearly a decade, always in good health.
"Brother Man, a house occupied by people has its own life force; it's when it remains empty for extended periods that it becomes laden with stagnant energy..."
Fang Yi pointed to the window that was blocked from sunlight by the outer wall, explaining, "When your parents lived here, there were no buildings nearby, right? This structure obstructs your windows, contributing to the heavy energy inside."
"Indeed, the Liu family's house was only constructed two years ago..."
Upon hearing Fang Yi's words, Man Jun pondered, "I hadn't realized that until you mentioned it. Ever since they built that house, I've been reluctant to go up to the second floor; it always felt somewhat eerie..."
"By the way, Xiao Fang, there's not actually a ghost haunting this place, is there?"
As he spoke, a look of terror suddenly crossed Man Jun's face. According to folklore, heavy yang energy often indicated the presence of malevolent entities, which typically referred to supernatural beings beyond human comprehension.
"Brother Man, there's no such thing as ghosts; it's merely self-induced fear..."
Fang Yi couldn't help but chuckle at Man Jun's words, saying, "Areas exposed to sunlight become dry, while those in shadow naturally remain dark and damp. This is quite normal; there's no need for concern..."
According to Fang Yi's Taoist understanding, the universe began with the interplay of yin and yang, and all things arose from the five elements. The balance of yin and yang is fundamental to creation, while the energies of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth permeate everything. Thus, when Fang Yi spoke of heavy yang energy, he was essentially referring to an imbalance of yin and yang, leading to disorder among the five elements.
As for Man Jun's belief in ghosts, Fang Yi surmised that it was likely due to an imbalance of yin and yang affecting the surrounding magnetic field, causing individuals within that field to experience hallucinations. Although Fang Yi was uncertain about the accuracy of his speculation, he had never encountered a ghost himself.
"Ah? Xiao Fang, you understand these concepts of feng shui and such?"
After hearing Fang Yi's explanation, Man Jun regarded him with renewed interest. Initially, he had perceived Fang Yi as a simple country boy, lacking the worldly knowledge of the chubby boy and San Pao.
"Brother Man, that's quite a novel notion! You may not be aware, but Fang Yi is a master of divination... no, a grandmaster of metaphysics. Understanding feng shui is certainly within his capabilities..." Before Fang Yi could respond, the chubby boy interjected with a grin, "Yi Ge has a nickname too; would you like to know it, Brother Man?"
"What nickname?" Man Jun, intrigued by the chubby boy's enthusiasm, found it hard to believe that Fang Yi had any expertise in feng shui.
"Godstick! Besides his other moniker, Yi Ge is also known as 'Godstick.' Oh dear..."
Before the chubby boy could finish, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his backside, causing him to lurch forward uncontrollably. Had it not been for the sofa in front of him, his plump face would have been destined for an intimate encounter with the floor.
Even so, when he stood up, he was covered in dust, his nose itching incessantly, leading to a series of coughs and sneezes, his face a mess of tears and mucus.
"Serves you right..." San Pao observed gleefully, knowing that while Fang Yi might not mind being called 'Godstick,' the chubby boy would inevitably suffer for his careless remarks.
"Yi Ge, you're too ruthless..." Noticing the dust cloud that had enveloped the others, the chubby boy approached, feigning indignation as he brushed himself off.
"Stop it, you lot; let's head downstairs..."
Man Jun intervened, halting the playful banter. Once they reached the first floor, he inquired, "Xiao Fang, what do you think I should do to rectify the situation in this house? I can't exactly demolish my neighbors' homes, can I?"
Although he was skeptical about Fang Yi being a master of metaphysics, he found the explanation about the wall blocking sunlight credible. After all, Fang Yi's reasoning was scientifically sound; there was a distinct difference between areas that received sunlight and those that did not.
However, Man Jun felt somewhat conflicted, as most of the land was indeed his family's foundation, with numerous privately built houses around. His own windows were obstructed by others, and it was a common issue in the area.
"The rear window is just one aspect; your front window is also blocked by clutter. If you clear that away to let some sunlight in, it will alleviate the situation somewhat..."
Regardless, the upstairs rooms were intended for the three brothers to live in, and the presence of mice and pests had to be addressed. Fang Yi pondered before saying, "Brother Man, do you want the mice to perish within, or would you prefer to drive them away?"
"What do you mean by 'perish within' or 'drive away'?" Man Jun asked, puzzled.
"If you want them to die inside, just set traps and use rat poison..." Fang Yi replied with a smile. "If you prefer to drive them away, simply catch a couple of feisty feral cats, keep them in the house for a few days, and I assure you, all the mice will vanish..."
"Isn't that just stating the obvious?" Man Jun rolled his eyes in exasperation, retorting, "Whether it's cats catching mice or using poison, it won't yield immediate results. How do you expect us to stay here in the meantime? Are we all going to sleep on the floor in the living room?"
In Man Jun's small building, the first floor had only two rooms—one was his bedroom, while the other, equipped with a security door, was where he stored valuable items. He would never allow Fang Yi and the others to stay there.
"Fang Yi, come on, stop pretending and show us what you've got..." The chubby boy rubbed his sore backside, gazing at Fang Yi with a look of lament. He had spent the night on the sofa and had rolled off at least once, resulting in a restless night.
"Indeed, Fang Yi, if we tidy up today, we can move in..." San Pao chimed in, eager to settle into their new home.
"Xiao Fang, do you truly have a way to drive those pests away?" Seeing the seriousness in the chubby boy and San Pao's expressions, Man Jun turned his gaze toward Fang Yi.
"I do have a method, but it requires some specific materials. I'm not sure if you have them at home, Brother Man," Fang Yi replied after a moment of thought, finally nodding.
"What method? What materials do you need?" Man Jun inquired.
"Talisman paper, red cinnabar, and a brush..." Fang Yi considered for a moment before adding, "Also, Chubby, please clean up the first floor; it's too chaotic to create talismans in such a mess."
"Fulu? What is Fulu?" Man Jun was momentarily confused by Fang Yi's words. "I have a brush, but I'm not familiar with talisman paper or red cinnabar. Could you elaborate, Fang Yi?"
"Brother Man, it's talismans, not Fulu..."
Seeing the paper and pen on the table, Fang Yi wrote down the characters for "talisman," explaining, "Taoist talismans do possess some efficacy; if you believe in them, I can create a couple to see if they work..."
"Of course they work! The rooms in your temple don't even have a single mosquito..." The chubby boy interjected.
"Oh? That's quite remarkable?"
Man Jun's eyes lit up at the prospect. While a highly educated intellectual might dismiss the idea of Taoist talismans, Man Jun, with only a middle school education and experience in the antiques trade, had encountered countless tales of the supernatural, making him a firm believer.
"I didn't realize Xiao Fang was truly a master." During a casual conversation with the chubby boy the previous day, Man Jun had learned that Fang Yi had grown up in a Taoist temple, which lent some credibility to his words.
"Tell me, what materials are talisman paper and red cinnabar made from? I can't say for certain, but in the Chaotian Palace area, there are all sorts of peculiar items..." Man Jun patted his chest, recalling that there were indeed some Taoist items for sale at the street stalls in Chaotian Palace, though he had never paid much attention before.
"Good talisman paper must be specially made, and time is of the essence..." Fang Yi pondered for a moment and asked, "Brother Man, do you have any yellow paper at home? You know, the kind used during festivals to burn for ancestors..."
"Yellow paper? Yes, I have some! How could I have forgotten? In those films, the Taoists use yellow paper for catching zombies..." Upon hearing Fang Yi's words, Man Jun smacked his forehead and rummaged through the house, eventually producing a stack of uncut yellow paper.
"Fang Yi, what is red cinnabar?"
After finding the yellow paper, Man Jun eagerly asked. He had always enjoyed watching zombie films from Hong Kong and Taiwan, and the prospect of witnessing someone draw talismans before his very eyes excited him immensely.
"Red cinnabar is a type of vermilion. It's not easy to find, and I'm unsure where to purchase it."
Fang Yi scratched his head. When practicing talismans on the mountain, he had everything except for red cinnabar. Typically, he used ink as a substitute, but the effectiveness of talismans made with red cinnabar far surpassed that of those made with ink.
"Red cinnabar? I thought it was something rare; that stuff is quite common! You can find it at any pharmacy..."
Upon hearing Fang Yi's words, Man Jun's eyes brightened, and he replied with a smile, "But we don't need to go to the pharmacy; I have red cinnabar at home, and it's the finest quality!"
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