Chapter 4: The Taoist Descends the Mountain (Part 2)

The chubby man who burst into the room saw the items in the small box and couldn't help but exclaim loudly. It should be noted that when Fang Yi was a child, he used to exchange quite a few snacks for things like that small wooden gun. However, the chubby man was not consistent; after playing with it for a few days, he mostly returned it to Fang Yi.

San Pao's family is engaged in the stone business, often using explosives to blast mountains. Additionally, as San Pao is the third child in the family, he has been given this nickname.

However, the management of the military is still relatively strict. It was not until six months ago, when the chubby one followed the village construction team to work, that he finally found an opportunity. On a dark and windy night, he stealthily slipped into a dimly lit small hair salon like a thief, thus ending his virginity.

The one hundred and eight beads represent the thirty-six heavenly spirits and seventy-two earthly fiends. However, the old Taoist particularly favors the eighty-one beads. Among the beads he left for Fang Yi, there are three strings of eighty-one beads, while the rest consist of only a single string each.

Upon hearing the words of the chubby one, Fang Yi's face revealed a hint of joy. The three of them had practically grown up together, nearly bare-bottomed, until the age of fifteen or sixteen. However, San Pao had gone to join the army with the chubby one, and due to the lack of communication from the mountains, Fang Yi had not received any news about San Pao for the past few years

Ah? I said, you still keep these things?

The world generally believes that prayer beads or wrist beads originate from Buddhism; however, this is not the case. Taoism also utilizes prayer beads in its practices, although they are typically referred to as "liuzhu" in Taoist tradition.

In the "Shangqing Collection" recorded by the Realized One Bai Yuchan, it is noted that Ge Xian Gong, "when he first practiced alchemy, often held prayer beads in his hand, sitting by the alchemical furnace every day, and recited the full title of the Jade Emperor ten thousand times." This initiated the precedent for the practice of reciting sacred names in Taoism

"Ah, Yi Ge, my dear brother, this dual cultivation technique, you... you must pass it on to me..." Upon hearing Fang Yi's words, the chubby man was so excited that his entire body of flesh trembled. At this moment, not to mention calling him brother, even if he were to add a biological brother to his own father, and have the chubby man call Fang Yi 'Master Fang', he would not hesitate in the slightest.

After putting away the compass, Fang Yi glanced at the wooden box, which was not even half full. He couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh; his master was indeed generous. Aside from leaving himself a self-portrait, the rest was all just broken wood and worthless beads

The fat man let out a cold snort of disdain. He had always been troubled by the fact that San Pao had actively requested to retire. It should be noted that after the fat man had eaten the chicken from the regiment's political commissar's family, he, under the guidance of the company commander, had brought several old hens to the political commissar's house to apologize, yet he still could not obtain forgiveness. His retirement was indeed somewhat disgraceful.

Since the beginning of Fang Yi's records, this wine gourd has been inseparable from the master. Originally supposed to be yellow, it has been rubbed by the old Taoist priest until it has turned a deep brown. The sunlight outside the house shines on the gourd, subtly revealing a hint of shimmering brilliance.

Hmph, that kid wants to get married, just recently discharged from the army, what a useless fellow

"We will talk about it when we go back down the mountain. I will go pack my things first..." Seeing the eager expression on the chubby man's face, Fang Yi couldn't help but curl his lip. Back when his master was teaching him to read and write, he had never seen the chubby man so spirited.

Oh, what is this? I have never seen it before

Fang Yi muttered to himself, took the compass in hand, crouched down, and pried up a square brick. Beneath the brick, a small hole was revealed. Fang Yi placed the compass inside; although he would not take it with him, it was after all an item passed down by his master, and it could not be taken away by others without reason.

The chubby man rummaging through the box suddenly discovered a small pendant tied with a string. Just as he was about to pick it up, Fang Yi snatched it away and said irritably, "Don't mess around; there are many things you haven't seen before..."

"Good, good, Yi Ge, you must not forget..." Thinking that his happiness for the rest of his life depended on Fang Yi, the fat man smiled in an exceedingly obsequious manner, causing Fang Yi to nearly kick him out.

This wine gourd must naturally be taken along... Fang Yi picked up a wooden box that his master often carried, placed the bamboo slips inside, and then put the wine gourd that had just been used into it.

Fang Yi understood the master's intentions, as the techniques taught by the master were related to these eighty-one Dao beads

Let these things stay here after all

The master's self-portrait is to be taken away

The twelve Daoist beads represent the twelve Thunder Gates, the twenty-four beads represent the twenty-four Qi, the twenty-eight beads represent the twenty-eight constellations, the thirty-two beads represent the thirty-two heavenly degrees of the deities, the thirty-six beads represent the number of celestial generals, and the eighty-one beads represent the transformations of the Supreme Lord, as well as the pure Yang energy of ninety-nine.

It is not that Fang Yi is reluctant to part with the wine in the gourd, but rather that the gourd itself holds significant sentimental value

Fang Yi nodded earnestly. Having grown up in the mountains, he was untouched by the slightest trace of worldly dust, and his thoughts were exceedingly pure. Thus, when he spoke these words, it came quite naturally to him, without the slightest hint of embarrassment.

These few strands of flowing beads must also be taken along. The master once said, 'In tranquility, the spirit is concealed; in agitation, it perishes.' These few magical tools can indeed be used during practice

There is, however, the master once taught me the techniques of the room, which allow for dual cultivation between men and women

Ignoring the fat man, Fang Yi walked straight into the side room on the right of the courtyard. This room had always been occupied by the old Taoist priest. Although the old Taoist had passed away three years ago, Fang Yi did not move in; instead, he cleaned it daily, keeping the room spotless.

Alas, not even a single box can be filled...

If it won't be sold, then it won't be sold. It's just a broken watch, isn't it? I, Fat Master, have other ways...

Marry a wife?" Fang Yi made a gesture with one hand in front of his chest, shaking his head as he said, "My master said that women are like tigers; they can absorb the masculine energy from men. Why would San Pao get married so early for no reason?"

With a lingering glance at the master's room, Fang Yi walked out holding a box. However, he did not return to the courtyard but instead turned into the room on the left. What he had just packed were the master's belongings, and now Fang Yi was about to take what belonged to him.

However, this nickname is not unjust for San Pao, as this kid is also the type who dares to climb onto the roof and tear off tiles if he goes three days without a beating. At the age of eight or nine, he had the audacity to steal the gunpowder fuse and detonators from home to make a bomb out of beer bottles to blow up fish. Because of this incident, the river guards at the reservoir frequently caused trouble for San Pao's family.

He wore a string of prayer beads on each wrist and hung a string of eighty-one beads around his neck. Fang Yi placed the prayer beads into a cloth bag, secured it, and put it in the box. His eyes caught sight of a brass compass placed on the table.

After Fang Yijin entered the room, he first bowed to a painting hanging on the wall. It was a portrait of an elderly man with his hair styled in a traditional manner. The man's expression was kind, and his eyes were painted with remarkable vividness, as if they could see straight into Fang Yi's heart

"Is there really such a saying?" The overweight man was taken aback upon hearing this. He still held a certain apprehension towards that mysterious old Taoist. If these words were truly spoken by the old Taoist, they would indeed carry some credibility.

"Please wait a moment, I will gather the things I need to take down the mountain..."

"Go ahead, I will send you and San Pao later..." That dual cultivation method is merely a form of breath control and energy locking technique. Fang Yi does not mind, after all, the old Taoist did not say that this thing cannot be passed on to others.

At this moment, upon hearing Fang Yi mention that matters between men and women are harmful to one's health, the chubby man naturally became extremely concerned. Coupled with the fact that rural areas are often steeped in feudal superstitions, he immediately grew tense.

Master, in today's world, everything is clear and bright, there are fundamentally no rituals to perform, so I will leave this behind...

Most people see these two passages merely as Taoist scriptures, but they are, in fact, genuine methods of Taoist cultivation. For over a decade, Fang Yi has been practicing meditation and cultivation while holding a string of Taoist beads in his hand. The beads left by his master have, over time, become somewhat imbued with a subtle divine light.

With Fang Yi's physical stamina, it would take him half a day to walk from the temple to the foot of the mountain. Therefore, with only three days left to leave the mountain, Fang Yi was too lazy to make another round trip. In his view, this did not constitute a violation of his master's teachings. Moreover, the old Taoist priest spoke both truthfully and deceitfully, leaving Fang Yi uncertain whether he had been deceived this time.

The fat man was aware of Fang Yi's feelings for the old Daoist, so he did not bring it up again. Instead, he said, "You pack your things; we will head down the mountain today. You can stay at my place for a day, and then tomorrow we can take a stroll in Jinling City to see if we can find something to do..."

In the "Dao Fa Hui Yuan, Volume 177: The Jade Book of the Elemental Radiance Palace," it is stated: "For anyone seeking to transcend, one must first refine their qi and cultivate stillness, allowing the qi to settle and become spirit. Sit evenly facing the prosperous direction, using the hand to tie the shoe's decorative cord, with four movements constituting one breath. Hold the prayer beads, and with each breath, pinch one bead. Gradually increase the count according to one's usual intake and outtake, without overexerting oneself, for it may lead to discomfort."

Before the age of fifteen, Fatty was as innocent as Fang Yi is now. However, during his time in the army, Fatty encountered Japanese adult films for the first time, and his desires ignited like a flickering flame.

After entering his room, Fang Yi took out a small box from under the bed. Looking at the various items inside, such as small wooden pistols and wooden rocking horses, his gaze softened. These items were all intricately carved by his master and accompanied Fang Yi throughout his entire childhood

The relationship between Buddhism and Daoism today truly resonates with the saying, "All good words in the world are spoken by the Buddha, and among the famous mountains, monks occupy the majority"

Fang Yi thought for a moment and nodded in agreement. In fact, he had not missed the action of the fat man moving his hand behind his back to adjust the watch's spring. However, being young and carefree, he reasoned that with just a few days left, there should not be any problems.

Feeling the warmth of the bone pendant in his palm, Fang Yi's expression was somewhat different from before. A trace of an indescribable emotion flashed in his eyes, for this pendant held significant meaning for him. It was also the only item he possessed when the old Taoist found him.

"Then hurry up, San Pao is still waiting for us down the mountain. He said he would go to the reservoir to catch some fish, and we will have fish soup to drink tonight..." The San Pao mentioned by Fatty is also a childhood friend they grew up with, and they used to spend a lot of time together at the temple, eating and drinking.

In the "Cui Xu Yin," Master Chen Niwan also states: "Eighty breaths release nine, one of which gathers energy back to the navel as the fetal breath; holding a prayer bead to count the breaths."

Has San Pao returned as well? This kid has been gone for several years...

"Master, there is no food in the mountains, and I must leave the mountain now. I kindly ask for your protection..." Fang Yi murmured as he took the painting down from the wall, rolled it up, and then stuffed it into a bamboo slip.

Is this really the case? In fact, quite the opposite is true. As an external religion, Buddhism has borrowed many elements from Daoism, such as the prayer beads used in practice, which were not created by Buddhism. There is no mention of prayer beads in the precepts established during the Buddha's time; rather, they frequently appear in early Daoist texts.

After putting away the gourd, Fang Yi's eyes turned to the several strands of beads hanging by his master's bedside. These beads included wrist strings with twelve beads, handheld strings with eighteen beads, as well as prayer beads with eighty-one and one hundred and eight beads, all of which had a rich patina. After the old Taoist's passing, Fang Yi often played with them, so their colors were quite bright, appearing to carry a hint of spiritual energy

The items passed down by Master Fang Yishi are mostly objects that have been empowered by old Taoist priests for decades. Originally ordinary items, after being imbued with Taoist scriptures for so many years, they have all become magical tools. According to the old Taoist priest, during the years he worked as a feng shui master, this compass was his means of livelihood