Chapter 9 Making Talismans
When I was practicing at night, I scolded Ah Huang for being overwhelmed. It lowered its head and squeaked, as if it knew it was wrong, but the next day during the evening self-study, Ah Huang came again. This time it learned to be smart, quietly slipped into the classroom from the door, and walked through mountains and rivers under the desk into my arms, without alarming other students at all.
When my deskmate Li Junjie saw that there was an extra weasel in my arms, he was about to open his mouth and scream, I hurriedly shrewd, and he closed his mouth tactfully.
But this time the little guy was much more stable and didn't make any noise. Instead, he stayed in the desk and slept soundly on my homework book.
Due to Ah Huang's appearance, my relationship with my classmates quickly became familiar with each other. Especially Lin Qingqing, she loved the quirky Ah Huang very much and often fed her some snacks. As we went back and forth, we became friends.
I don’t know who reported it, but the matter about Ah Huang finally reached the teacher’s ears. One morning after self-study class, the head teacher called me to the office and scolded me hard, saying that the school would not allow pets.
I nodded and promised, but it was not effective at all.
Ah Huang still did his own thing, and his courage grew stronger and stronger. Finally, he developed to slip into the classroom in broad daylight, and didn't know how it avoided the teacher's sight on the podium.
Fortunately, it did not make a fuss in the class and only stayed at the desk to sleep during class.
During this period, the walkman in the class gradually became popular. The tapes of Hong Kong and Taiwan singers rushed into the campus like a tide: Leslie Cheung, Alan Tam, Faye Wong... These songs are so nice.
It is completely different from the songs such as "Return of Target Shooting" and "One, Two, Three, Four Songs" that we often sang. Among classmates, who has a few Hong Kong and Taiwan singer tapes is a very cool thing!
Thanks to Ah Huang's performance, many students are willing to lend me the Walkman.
However, I am not very interested in these popular songs. When I have time, I will devote myself to studying books in the library. From "New Interpretation of the Analects of Confucius" to "Research on Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism" to "Three Character Classic"... these are donated by friends outside the school, and even teachers are not interested, but I read them with relish.
Just when I borrowed books again, I was stopped by an old man. He was Zhao Siming, the principal of our school, an old peddler with white hair. After several months in junior high school, the teacher who heard the most talked about was Principal Zhao Siming. It is said that he was sent to our town during the turbulent era. After rehabilitation, he did not leave and kept teaching in the town. Principal Zhao has a high prestige in the school, and most of our school teachers were his students.
"This classmate is called Su Hao. I have read the library records. What you borrowed are all big things. Can you understand it?"
"I am interested in ancient Chinese... I can understand some books, but some don't understand them." Naturally, I would not foolishly say that I studied these ancient Chinese to practice Taoism and immortality. If Principal Zhao knew about it, he would definitely come over with his big ears.
"Oh" After hearing my answer, Principal Zhao was very interested and said casually: "Dou Yanshan has Yifang, who teaches his five sons, and is famous all over the world. Can you tell me what this sentence means?"
I knew he deliberately studied me, but this question was not difficult for me. Since I started practicing Taoism, I found that my memory has also increased a lot. Although I couldn't get to the point of not being able to remember it all, I could remember many books while reading them.
"In ancient times, there was a man named Dou Yanshan, who was very good at educating future generations. The five sons he taught were all very successful in his studies and had a wide reputation."
"No, not bad. You can understand what it means, which means you have read these books carefully." Principal Zhao nodded after hearing this, with a look of relief on his face. As for Dou Yanshan's life profile, he did not ask. Perhaps in his eyes, it is already rare for a child in the first grade to understand the "Three Character Classic".
"If you don't know anything about studying in the future, you can ask me. There are too few books in the library. If you are interested, you can also go to my house to borrow it."
"Thank you, Principal." I agreed verbally, but I had no intention of going.
I have read more ancient Chinese texts, and the content described in "Daozang" has become simpler. Although I still don't know what the meaning of some words, I can understand the general meaning of the sentence.
It turns out that the strokes in "Daozang" are crooked, with characters that look like characters but not characters, and pictures but not pictures, and they are talismans. They can use them to summon gods and impeach ghosts, subdue demons and destroy demons, cure diseases and eliminate disasters.
This greatly increased my interest and found a reason to continue practicing Taoism. Since there was no teacher to teach and answer my doubts, my career in practicing Taoism was always my own exploration. Not long ago, I was confused. What is the use of meditation to absorb the vitality of heaven and earth... I only exercise my body? I have been lying around since I was a child, and I have not done anything to grow, and I maintain my popularity for three minutes.
Only the matter of practicing Taoism has been delayed and persisted.
In the 1990s, you can often see those Taoist priests using talismans to show their power and punish bad people and evil ghosts.
I am very familiar with this and fantasized that I have learned talismans and can use it to be a hero.
In fact, the so-called chivalrous and righteousness is more about a teenager trying to show off himself.
It is difficult to find yellow paper and cinnabar for drawing talismans, and there is no one in the school. But this is not a problem for me, there are people selling yellow paper in the town. As for cinnabar, my family may have a collection. Cinnabar is a kind of medicine in the countryside. In the past, children were often fed cinnabar when they were sick, and almost every family prepared a little.
I couldn't find the materials, so I temporarily used a ballpoint pen to draw on my homework book, which was considered familiar with them in advance.
I finally survived until Sunday. When I got home, I put down my schoolbag and went to my grandma to find cinnabar. Unexpectedly, my grandma not only preserved cinnabar, but also used a lot of yellow paper for the New Year.
I took it all while she was not paying attention.
The process of making talismans is very cumbersome and must be strictly followed by the procedures. If you are not careful, you will fail. At the same time, you must concentrate your mind and inject vital energy into evil spirits. In the "Daozang", it is specifically mentioned that "Tactics are in line with yin and yang. Only those who are sincere in the world can use it. If you don't have sincerity, it will naturally not work."
When the materials were ready, I did not start making talismans, but sat cross-legged first. When my mind was completely calm, I picked up the brush and dripped it on the grated cinnabar and fell down. At the same time, I silently recited the mantra from "Daozang" in my mouth.
To verify the effect, I did not choose the Concentration Talisman or the Evil-Repelling Talisman, but planned to make the Fire-Catching Talisman.
The wind blew... As soon as the cinnabar was printed on the yellow surface paper, I felt like wind was blowing on it. At the same time, the magic weapon of scissors in my body trembled slightly, as if a stream of air flowed out of my body and poured onto the yellow surface paper.
I put my pen quickly, and in a few breaths, the talisman had been completed. At this time, I felt the wind on the yellow paper getting hotter and hotter, and my roasted arms were getting hot.
My wrist couldn't help but shake, and the cinnabar pen drew deep marks on the paper.
"Puff!" The talisman that had not yet been made suddenly smoked and then burned, turning into a pile of black and gray.
Failed!! Although I failed to make the talisman, I was extremely excited: the talisman really works!!
I took a deep breath again, and after my mind calmed down, I began to make talismans for the second time.
With my experience last time, I was very careful this time, and my wrists didn’t tremble at all from beginning to end. I didn’t breathe a sigh of relief until I finished the last stroke.
Looking at the yellow paper as big as a palm in front of me, the cinnabar mark on it was bright and colorful. I just felt it with my heart, and immediately felt a hot and hot feeling.
I picked up the talisman, chanted the spell in my heart, and threw it on a pile of hay prepared by the table.
The miracle happened again, and the talisman suddenly smoked and then lit the hay.
Seeing the hay next to him suddenly burning, Ah Huang was startled and hurriedly rushed away. Then he looked at me with a slightly fearful look, wanting to get close but not daring.
Finally it succeeded, I laughed alone at home, very proud.
You know, I have figured out all this myself. In the future, I will save even the lighter when I live and cook at home. I can use the Fire Gathering Talisman directly.
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Chapter completed!