The Days I Walked as a Yin-Yang Master: Secrets and Spirits

When Ninth Uncle saw how determined I was, he smiled with approval. He then began teaching me the basics of Taoist arts and the essential techniques of drawing talismans.

In nature, there are five types of qi: wood, fire, water, earth, and metal. Everything in the world is composed of these five energies. Taoist arts are about borrowing these "qi" from nature through certain techniques to accomplish things beyond the ability of ordinary people. The most fundamental way to gather qi in Taoism is through talismans. To borrow nature's qi, one must first learn how to cultivate internal energy, just as a human body is a vessel. Ordinary people have a "sealed" vessel, unable to contain qi, while those who practice Taoism can empty this vessel to make room for external qi, thereby improving their spiritual cultivation.

After explaining this principle, Ninth Uncle told me to remember it and practice diligently when I returned. After all, spiritual cultivation is not something that can be achieved overnight. He then began teaching me the method of drawing talismans. Generally, Taoists must first purify themselves through a bath, then set up an altar and offer a ritual to the Spirit of the Supreme Clear (Ling Bao Tian Zun). Following that, there are many intricate steps, culminating in the chanting of five incantations: the Brush Incantation, Water Incantation, Grinding Incantation, Ink Incantation, and Vermilion Incantation. After drawing the talisman, the pen's tip must be pointed upwards, with the penhead down, and one must focus all their energy into the tip of the pen, striking the talisman paper three times. Then, using the Vajra sword gesture, the talisman is "commanded" with authority to impart a divine force upon it. Finally, the talisman must be lifted and passed three times through the smoke of the incense burner. Only after all these steps is the talisman ritual considered complete.

However, the talismanic technique Ninth Uncle taught me was simpler. After offering a prayer to Ling Bao Tian Zun, I would chant the Brush, Water, and Ink Incantations, and after drawing the talisman, I would again offer a prayer to Ling Bao Tian Zun to complete the ritual.

Although it sounded easy, in practice, it was much more difficult. With my current abilities, my talismans were more like scribbles than anything else.

Before I knew it, two days had passed. I had memorized most of what I needed to, so I spent some time chatting with Ninth Uncle, listening to his stories of demon-slaying adventures. I also told him what the world outside was like. I explained to him about the telephone, which in his time was rare and wired, but now it was wireless, and people called it a "mobile phone." Ninth Uncle was astonished and asked, "Hand chicken?" I wasn't sure what he meant, so I explained further. I told him that young people now loved to use computers—"calculators," they called them—to chat and play games online. Ninth Uncle, even more confused, asked, "Calculator chicken? How do chickens now spin threads and weave webs like spiders?" I couldn't help but laugh at his misunderstanding. But I couldn't really blame him; after all, he had been dead for over forty years.

Suppressing my laughter, I said, "Master, you must understand, it's not that kind of 'chicken.'" Ninth Uncle still didn't quite get it, and I couldn't explain it further, so I just laughed it off. At that moment, the sound of a rooster crowing broke the silence of the eerie Yin City. The crowing sounded strangely jarring in such a quiet place. Ninth Uncle looked at me and smiled, saying, "Time to go. That's the yellow rooster coming to take you home."

I turned to look at Ninth Uncle, surprised at how humorous he could be. Sure enough, from the north, a large yellow rooster came running toward us. It was so large that I could see it from a distance, and the closer it got, the bigger it appeared. I swear, I had never seen a rooster so enormous—it was almost the size of a horse.

As the rooster got closer, I turned back to glance at Ninth Uncle, suddenly feeling a pang of reluctance. It was him who had saved me, and he had taught me so much over the past ten days. I couldn't help but wonder how he would fare once I left. I asked him, "Master, what will you do after I leave?"

Ninth Uncle gazed at the "Step More" train station, smiled, and said, "Now that my heart's at peace, I will go to the place I must go."

It was clear where he meant. I asked again, "Will I ever see you again?"

Ninth Uncle looked at me, his young disciple of just ten days, and took a folded piece of paper from inside his robe. He handed it to me and said, "Yes, you will. This is my birth date. Open it on your way back. Once your power reaches a certain level, every month, on the fifteenth, at the 'chou' hour, if you use well water to rub one side of a mirror and call my name, you will be able to meet me through the mirror, even though I am in the underworld."

At this moment, the giant yellow rooster arrived right in front of me and suddenly stopped. I heard my father's voice calling my name in my mind.

Ninth Uncle urged me, "Hurry, ride it. If your family calls your name nine times and you haven't gotten on, you'll never come back."

Feeling a rush of emotions, I knelt down and respectfully bowed to Ninth Uncle three times. Then, with a leap, I mounted the large yellow rooster. Ninth Uncle called after me, "Remember, on your journey back, there will be wandering souls trying to pull you off. Whatever happens, don't look back."

As I sat on the rooster, my father had already called my name eight times. With my departure imminent, I shouted back tearfully, "Thank you! Master! Thank you for saving my life!" As soon as I finished speaking, my father's ninth call echoed in the air. The yellow rooster suddenly lurched forward, as though something invisible was pulling it. It began to run swiftly back in the direction from which I had come. My heart was filled with conflicting emotions, but I dared not look back. From behind, I heard Ninth Uncle's voice once more: "Remember, do not look back. Once you return, you must cultivate diligently. Do not use talismanic techniques to deceive people for money! Remember, maintain your integrity!"

Ninth Uncle's words echoed in my ears, and unknowingly, they were deeply etched into my soul, never to be forgotten. I opened the piece of paper. On it was written: "Wei Fengjiao, born on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth lunar month in the year of Renchen, at the chou hour."

I couldn't help but laugh inwardly. No wonder this old man had me open the paper on my journey—it was such a feminine name that it didn't fit his image at all. It seemed like he didn't want to lose face. Ha!

I tucked the paper into my pocket and clutched the giant yellow rooster tightly. This rooster really was fast! It ran so quickly that I couldn't make out anything around me—it felt like a special effects scene. I shut my eyes and only heard the whoosh of wind as the scenery whizzed by.

Suddenly, my grandmother's voice called out from behind me, "Xiao Fei, where are you going?" My heart jolted. Had I already arrived? But no, the yellow rooster hadn't stopped yet. This must be the trick Ninth Uncle warned me about—the wandering souls trying to pull me down. I couldn't look back, and I couldn't stop. I ignored the voice and kept going.

After a while, the voice disappeared, and I opened my eyes. I found that I was no longer in the Yin City. The yellow rooster was still running, and the scenery around me looked a lot like the countryside where we used to go sketching—green fields but no flowers, only a faint, mysterious fragrance in the air. This smell had a strange allure, making me want to jump off the rooster and find the source of it. I hurriedly pulled my collar up over my nose, thinking, "Damn, why is the journey home so uneventful?"

I focused all my attention, afraid that something unexpected might happen. Thankfully, the rooster continued running smoothly as if it had been injected with energy. Suddenly, a figure appeared ahead of us. I squinted. Wasn't that Yang Xu? He was waving his arms and shouting, "Where have you been? We've been waiting for you to drink with us!" He stepped into the rooster's path. The rooster, seemingly unaware of his presence, continued running at full speed, knocking him aside with a loud thud. Yang Xu was flung into the road behind us, howling, "Cui Zuofei, save me!"

I paid no attention to him. Holding tightly onto the rooster, I laughed and shouted, "Save you? You're on your own, buddy! This is one hell of a ride!"

I realized that the wandering souls could enter my mind, using my family and friends to create illusions. But these souls were clearly not too bright. Didn't they know what friends were for? Friends are meant to be stepped on! Ha! Besides, I knew Yang Xu well enough to know he wouldn't dare block my path like this. These spirits had no idea what they were dealing with.