TLDP: Ch14. Zhen Qi

“Well, boss Qian may not have a conscience as you’ve said, and he is indeed paying me some money to exorcise you, but this matter is raised because of you too. However, because I don’t need to expense my strength to cope with you, this money should belong to you. On the other hand, boss Qian’s influence is too big and I don’t want to raise other troubles, therefore I cannot help you with your lawsuit. Oh right, what is your name?”

“Master, thank you! Just call me Da Niu.” He kowtowed and told me his name with a grateful expression.

I took my coat off which had been soaked with sweat and said: “Da Niu elder brother, I will let you meet with your mother and I can also make her see you, however you have an hours’ time of limit. After I receive my payment from boss Qian, I’ll give it directly to your mother, but you have to promise to not haunt boss Qian again. Several days later I’ll send you to the Netherworld, are you ready?”

He hurriedly nodded: “Yes, yes, I’m ready. I’m already dead anyways, I know that I can’t be resurrected, but as long as my mother gets some compensation, I don’t have anything to regret anymore!”

I emphasized my intentions and said: “I will tell boss Qian tomorrow that you have been handled. Then after I receive my payment I’ll go with you to your mother and give it to her directly. Now, you follow me first to my house. But you can only stay in my room and don’t stroll around carelessly. Even more, you cannot make that weeping sound or move my things, otherwise I will seal you up.”

But this Da Niu ghost was simply interested in anything and moved heedlessly all over the things in my room. I had no other way but to seal him in the wooden makeup case.

I took the makeup case to my house since Xu Xiaoling said that she didn’t want it anymore, and I deliberately didn’t dispel the Yin qi from the case.

Having this makeup case with the Yin qi in it actually had its own uses, because under certain circ.u.mstances it can be used for sealing ghosts inside. Then I could just paste on a Sun Charm so the ghosts cannot run away. It was also a good way to disguise the seal.

On the afternoon of the next day, Cheng Dong also asked me whether I had resolved the issue of the headless ghost or not. I told him that it had been eliminated and asked him to tell the news to Boss Qian. However, 5 minutes later Xu Xiaoling unexpectedly appeared! I was really clueless and bewildered since after she threw her tantrum here, I had never expected to see her visit this fast-food restaurant ever again.

Now, I just looked at her as a stranger, a pa.s.sers-by who I met randomly.

Who would have thought that she actually approached my side on her own and spoke to me with an expression full of apology: “Sorry, previously I misunderstood you, you didn’t have any relations with him. Here is 5,000 RMB, I’ll give this back to you first as a thank you for paying my medical bills. I’ll pay the remaining debts as soon as possible.” While saying that, Xu Xiaoling gave a stack of 100 RMB paper money to me.

“I don’t need it”, I replied lightly, then continued to carry my tray.

“Why?” she blocked my path and asked.

I gave her a short glance: “When you were hospitalized that time, it was completely because of my fault, moreover I had destroyed many of your furniture, and I thought that it was my responsibility to compensate it. Therefore I never had the thought to getting my money back.”

Xu Xiaoling suddenly looked like she understood something, and the apology expression shown on her face became thicker: “If that is the case, then I want to ask you to have dinner with me, consider it as my thanks and apologize.”

“I’m really sorry I must disappoint you Miss Xu. I have no free time, if there’s nothing important anymore, please do not disturb my job.” I pa.s.sed by her and continued to carry my tray.

Regarding Xu Xiaoling, I really didn’t want to have any relations whatsoever, especially because Cheng Dong had told me that she came from a big background, and I thought I would rather avoid this. This would be annoying trouble in the future, I ought to distance myself from these kinds of people.

However, when I got off work in the evening, I found Xu Xiaoling standing near the entrance! She initiatively talked to me with a smile on her face: “Let’s walk together, I want you to accompany me to dinner.”

“Thanks for Miss Xu’s good intention, but I already had a dinner.” I politely rejected her invitation.

“Then what about some coffee, there is a newly open coffee shop nearby and they gave me two free coffee coupons!”

I felt awkward if I had to reject Xu Xiaoling invitation again since her intention seemed sincere, therefore I replied reluctantly: “That… alright, but I must go home first to tell my parents, I don’t want them to worry about me.”

“You’re really strange, why don’t you buy a cell phone? You can pay for my expensive medical bills but you don’t have money to buy a cell phone?” Xu Xiaoling asked while she walked beside me.

“I didn’t have any friends since childhood until now…, No… I have one, but I cannot contact her, therefore I think I don’t need a cell phone.”

“You really are a strange person.” Xu Xiaoling smiled and continued asking: “That’s right, previously you looked like you were heavily injured, is it okay? Have you checked with a doctor?”

“It was only skin and flesh wounds, so I didn’t have to go to the hospital and waste money.”

Mom greeted Xu Xiaoling enthusiastically when we arrived home, and when she heard that we would go out to have some coffee, she said to not go and waste money, but Xiaoling showed her that she had two free coupons from the coffee shop. Mom gave her consent and handed me 500 RMB when I was about to leave…

The café nearby was indeed newly-opened, but the scale was very big. When we arrived, there were only a few visitors so we sat near the window. The waiter then handed over a drink menu and asked: “What drinks would the two of you like?”

Xu Xiaoling took out 2 coupons and said: “I have these coupons.”

The waiter received the coupons and politely replied: “These coupons are for free samples of Mocca Coffee, and might I asked, what kind of dessert you would like to order?”

Xu Xiaoling turned over the menu booklet and read the list: “Add a pistachio cake please.”

“Please pay 68 Yuan, thank you.” The waiter took the order and bended his waist.

I was just about to take out some money when Xu Xiaoling gave the waiter 100 RMB, I never thought that Xu Xiaoling had prepared in advance.

A small dish was quickly served on our table, and I couldn’t help but sighed: “Such a little dish costs 68 RMB, even if they gave 2 free coupons again, they will not lose money at all. My monthly salary is only 1,000 RMB; I would have been broke if I visit this place several times.”

Xu Xiaoling’s complexion was also slightly unnatural, and said in a low voice: “I also felt that this is too expensive, I ordered the pistachio cake for you, not for me. My monthly salary is only 2,000 RMB you know.”

“Then, why did you order this pistachio?” I replied and slightly felt amused seeing her constipated like expression.

“It’s certainly to give you a face, what kind of people usually come to this place? Generally only the rich visit this café. On our table there are only 2 coffee cups. Wouldn’t it embarra.s.sing if we don’t order some dessert?

“Not for me.” I replied briefly. I had been treated as a different race all these times after all. I had long been accustomed to other’s disdains and ridicules.

Xu Xiaoling seeing me become desolate, quickly change the topic: “I didn’t move. I still live in the old apartment and after that day, I never have had any nightmares again, Xiaolong you are really powerful. Oh, right, how come your face seems to have been nipped at by many mosquitoes?”

I told her about boss Qian and the headless ghost’s case, and when I talked about the laborer’s contract, Xu Xiaoling abruptly interrupted: “What? There is such a kind of black-hearted boss? Bullying and cheating the laborer who doesn’t know about the law? This boss Qian is clearly breaking the law with his conduct to not give his worker a laborer’s contract! The Labor Law has regulations that is the employer must take the initiative to sign a labor contract with the employee, and if the contract is not signed, that would be illegal and breaking the law!”

“Really? I haven’t signed for mine too…”

Xu Xiaoling pondered for a while and said: “Shortly, what boss Qian did is illegal, you should consider filing a lawsuit and drag him to court for compensation.”

“Your knowledge on law is really deep,” I praised: “I have skipped several years in my study. Although I can read and write, but I actually know nothing about the law, it could be said that I’m semi literate. However, even if boss Qian had done that kind of conduct, what can we do? It would be impossible for Da Niu’s mother to win the lawsuit, even more so she could be killed by some forged “accidental” car accident.”

“Accidentally killed by a car? What does that mean?” Xu Xiaoling puzzlely asked.

“That is, boss Qian could spend money, and forge an “accidental” car accident.”

Xu Xiaoling turned her eye over: “It seems as if you have seen it before.”

I smiled bitterly, and didn’t reply to her probing. Since I left Qing Tian City, I never had any contact with Xiaohui again, I didn’t know how she was now, whether she was alright or not.

I wasn’t afraid of Xia Chaoran, but I was actually worried that if I took any actions, it would implicate my parents! Therefore since the opportunity was not yet mature, I could not act rashly.

Qing Tian City, I would have to go back sooner or later

I chatted with Xu Xiaoling until past 11:00 PM then escorted her home, as I headed straight for my house, and directly went to sleep.

It felt like I had just closed my eyes when the alarm clock rang.

I hadn’t slept for the past 2 days, which made me get out of bed reluctantly. But Miss Daiyu taught me that it would be better to sleep during the day than to sleep in the morning! If you wanted to build a good habit you must have the will and perseverance! If you were to indulge yourself in laziness, one time would lead to a second time, a third and so on.

Even if Miss Daiyu were not here, I cannot let myself fall into laziness.

After running in the early morning, I continued to practice breathing. Miss Daiyu said that doing this would not only would increase the acc.u.mulation of Yang qi within my body but also increase my internal strength. I had been practicing this breathing technique for several months, and I discovered that my Yang qi was more exuberant than before. I actually don’t know if my internal strength had been awakened or not. But this morning after meditating for a while, I suddenly felt a warm current surging from my Dantian! I have succeeded in awakening my internal strength!

Miss Daiyu once said that if I could feel the warm current flowing from my Dantian, it meant that I had succeed and was ready to practice the more advanced techniques.

I had suspicion about what I had felt just now,that it was only a hallucination. After all, it was the internal strength that was told in legend. For several minutes, I carefully scrutinized the warm sensation in my lower abdomen before I was finally convinced that the warm current really existed in the Dantian. Miss Daiyu said that if I were to be successful in entering this Zhen Qi realm and directed the energy to flow in a Small Heavenly Revolution Form 1 within the body. My body would be thoroughly remolded after practicing this breathing practice for a long time. I would even be immune to all kinds of diseases.

However, what was the Small Heavenly Revolution Form?

And since Miss Daiyu was not here, how would I know about this thing? Asked Baidu? Bah, who knew if the information provided by Baidu would be genuine or not, It wouldn’t be funny if I practiced Qi in a wrong way and caused me to go insane …

At 6 am, it was time to practice drawing Daoist symbols. I had learned how to draw 3 Daoist charms before, and the Sun Charm and Yin Charm were particularly the charms which were commonly used by me. As for Heart Mind Purifying Charm, I never used it even once, because this charm’s effect was rather special. I was quite adept in drawing these 3 charms and my success ratio for drawing these three were very high, therefore I prepared to try drawing a new Daoist charm.

The Communication Charm was used to communicate with spirits from the Netherworld. The method to use it: Take 2 Communication Charms, burn one to contact a certain spirit in the Netherworld and put the other one on oneself. At 11 pm to 1 am take a bowl of water from a well and put it in front of the well, then burn 3 Moon Charms to increase the Yin energy within the well. After, press a letter to the end of the bowl and call the name of the spirit you want to contact in a gentle voice. If you were successful then you could communicate with that spirit.

Since Miss Daiyu was not here, if I were able to contact the old swindler, I could asked him to teach me this internal strength form.

~~~~~~~~~~end of Ch.14~~~~~~~~~~

小週天: xiǎo zhōu tiān: lit: small heavenly cycle, also called as Small Heavenly Revolution or Microcosmic Orbit. Generally speaking, Daoism practices “真氣導引/Zhen Qi Dao Yin” to control oneself’s breathing to run through the 大小週天/Large and Small Vital Circles of the person. 真氣/Zhen Qi is the original Qi that you are born with, which is the combination of 精氣神/Jing Qi Shen. When these three are merged together is called 丹/Dan. 丹田/Dan Tian is a well accepted concept, well.. Dan is the same thing, the combination of Jing Qi Shen, 田/farmland filed/place). Together means the place of the original qi. “導引/Dao Yin”, Dao means breathing movements; Yin means physical movements. Dao Yin means the combination of breathing through physical movements.