Chapter 211: The Bronze Twin-Crane Furnace of the Sea Earth

The Daoist stood on the steps, wearing a blue-grey linen Daoist robe, the hem stained with a few ink spots. His sword-like eyebrows were tinged with frost, his eyes calm and waveless.

The bronze furnace was ancient and simple, with thin smoke rising in wisps. His right hand twirled a Three-Pure Bell, his mouth chanting words.

"Ding-dong~ Ding-dong~"

The sound mingled with the gongs and drums of the temple fair, faint, yet crisp.

"What is this Daoist doing, cultivating?" Gu Ming leaned in, blinking his ox-like eyes, "Don't say, he's got the vibe, he really looks like a master."

Lin Sicheng did not speak.

He certainly did; to call him a man of noble appearance and refined bearing would not be an exaggeration.

But a true master wouldn't come to a place like this, and a fake wouldn't have such an intense air of pretense: the gongs and drums are deafening, fireworks fill the sky, yet you are here burning incense, shaking a bell, and chanting scriptures?

It is the so-called Jiang Taigong fishing, waiting for the willing to take the bait...

Looking at the furnace in the Daoist's hand, Lin Sicheng thought for a moment: "Ming-wa, believe it or not, as long as you dare to talk to him, he can absolutely swindle you into getting a fortune-telling!"

"Impossible!" Gu Ming gave a scoff, "I'm not a fool!"

It has nothing to do with being a fool, but rather psychology and rhetoric.

Looking at that furnace and that bell, one knows he likely has some level of cultivation.

The key is that his presentation is truly excellent.

So it's not that you won't fall for it, it's that you'll be curious; as long as you dare to go over, in seven or eight sentences at most, he can extract your Information Detachment and then turn it around to swindle you.

Lin Sicheng rolled his eyes: "Don't believe me? Let's make a bet, whoever loses treats the other to a banquet!"

Gu Ming squinted: he suspected Lin Sicheng was trying to trap him.

Because from childhood to now, he had lost count of how many times he had fallen for such tricks.

But he was also very curious: why would the Daoist be able to make me get a fortune-telling just because I dared to talk to him?

He thought for a moment: "Bet!"

Saying this, he walked over.

The three girls were a bit slower; not knowing what the two had said, they just saw Gu Ming walking toward the Daoist.

Li Xinfang took a look: "Lin Sicheng, what is Gu Ming going to do?"

"Getting a fortune-telling."

What?

Wasn't it you who wanted to get one, how did it become Gu Ming?

Lin Sicheng smiled: "I made a bet with him!"

"Ah?" Li Xinfang was startled, "Then will he fall for it?"

"Yes!" Lin Sicheng was very certain, "But not for much, at most one or two hundred."

Li Xinfang was impressed: you knew he would fall for it, and you still swindled him?

Zhuang Yi didn't quite believe it: "Not very likely, right?"

Just like Gu Ming said himself: he isn't a fool, is he?

Lin Sicheng smiled: "Look!"

The three girls raised their heads in unison.

On the steps, Gu Ming took out his wallet, pulled out a one-hundred-yuan note, and handed it to the Daoist. The Daoist performed a salute, tucked the money into his sleeve, and then kneaded Gu Ming's shoulder and the back of his neck.

Then he held his hand and looked at it for a while, then kneaded it again; I don't know what was said, but one could see Gu Ming's mouth opening wider and wider.

Afterward, he took out his wallet again and gave the Daoist another hundred.

Li Xinfang and Zhuang Yi looked at each other: Lin Sicheng said Gu Ming would fall for it, and sure enough, Gu Ming fell for it.

Lin Sicheng said at most one or two hundred, and it really was just one or two hundred?

No... who exactly is the one telling fortunes?

Just as they were stunned, Gu Ming came running back, looking like he had never seen the world and was amazed: "It really opened my eyes, Cheng-wa, that Daoist can really tell fortunes..."

Lin Sicheng smiled: "What did he tell?"

"He actually managed to calculate that I am Police? He also calculated that I was born in the Year of the Ox, am twenty-three this year, and even calculated that my surname is Gu..."

Gu Ming pointed at Li Xinfang: "He even calculated that Xinfang is my partner. And he even calculated that my relationship with you is not ordinary..."

"Then, he said my family affairs are smooth, everything is auspicious, and I have just formed a proper bond (marriage). Only in my career is there a small setback... I just thought, I didn't pass the public security exam, and I didn't pass the physical test, isn't that a career setback, with occasional twists?"

Gu Ming opened his palm: "So the Daoist gave me a Wenchang Talisman, telling me to wear it day and night, saying that within three months, my luck will surely turn..."

Glancing at the talisman folded into a triangle in his palm, Lin Sicheng sighed inwardly.

He had clearly told Gu Ming that the Daoist would talk nonsense, yet Gu Ming still fell for it; is he really that stupid?

Actually, he really isn't; if Gu Ming weren't smart, he wouldn't have gotten into Jiaotong University, but it is because his experience and perspective are insufficient.

If it were Li Xinfang and her best friend, they would fall for it just the same.

If you don't believe it, look at their expressions: Lin Sicheng, didn't you say that Daoist was a swindler? How is he so accurate?

Because that old Daoist's cultivation is indeed very deep, and nine times out of ten he also understands traditional Chinese medicine: those two moments he spent kneading Gu Ming's bones were clearly pulse-taking techniques.

Taking advantage of the bone-kneading to check the pulse: palms cold, pulse thin and rapid, the two inches almost non-existent... This lad looks as strong as an ox, why is he so deficient?

Then he used Watch Qi: complexion dull, philtrum flat... this is typical of excessive indulgence, with kidney Qi not being firm.

Then he looked at his attire and posture: wearing brand names, but mismatched, clearly from a very ordinary background, having only recently become wealthy. Combined with the pulse, the Daoist had a rough idea of how Gu Ming had come by this sudden wealth.

He only needed to glance over here once, to see which of the three girls had the most focused expression, and that one was the culprit.

As for the Police part: knowing Gu Ming wanted to be a police officer, Gu Shu had made him an auxiliary police officer and trained him whenever he had the chance. After being trained for more than half a year, Gu Ming was almost trained into a fool.

Sitting or standing, in every word and deed, he would inadvertently reveal that vibe; anyone slightly observant could see it.

Then asking about his career, with Gu Ming's personality where everything is written on his face, the Daoist could see at a glance that he likely failed the civil service exam in January.

The so-called observing expressions and reading colors, combined with a few observations, followed by a seemingly incisive but actually ambiguous statement, was enough to stun Gu Ming: "Wow, this guy is really a master!"

Let's just assume he is a master...

"Is he really that accurate?" Lin Sicheng peered, "Then I'll go try it out too..."

Saying this, he also walked over.

"What do you mean by 'assume'?"

Gu Ming muttered, and when he raised his head, he was stunned again.

"Cousin Ye, what's wrong?"

Ye Anning looked at Gu Ming twice, wanting to speak but stopping herself.

Gu Ming, do you know that Lin Sicheng is tricking you into scouting the path for him?

Forget it, let him scout if he wants; although Gu Ming was swindled out of two hundred, he earned a table of food, so it wasn't a total loss.

Besides, having been tricked by Lin Sicheng since childhood, he probably got used to it long ago...

Sighing inwardly, she turned her head away again.

Lin Sicheng and the Daoist stood on the steps, talking for quite a while. It was too far to hear clearly, but there was no bone-reading, and it seemed there was no physiognomy either.

After another while, Lin Sicheng waved his hand: "You all go in first and have a cup of tea with the Daoist Priest; I'll let the Daoist Priest calculate things properly!"

Li Xinfang and Zhuang Yi had strange expressions: is he really that accurate?

Suspicious, the group entered the shop.

Although the storefront was small, the interior was a world of its own. A small quiet hall, a shrine, an offering table, a Merit stele, a scripture-offering platform, and so on—everything was complete.

On the upper seat were three bronze statues, with spirit tablets placed in front of them; from left to right, they were Perfected Person Kanggu, Perfected Person Zizai, and Perfected Person Xianliu.

Gu Ming took a look and tried hard to recall, but had no impression of them.

Looking at the scriptures on the platform: "Nine Essentials of Cultivation", "Passage Document", "Compass"... let alone seeing them, he hadn't even heard of them.

Looking at the other side: "Orthodox Divination", "Six Ren", "Jade Tube Divine Illumination Bureau", "Yuanhai Ziping", "Dripping Heaven Essence"... these should be classics of divination and Physiognomy, but he hadn't heard of these either.

The two stood shoulder to shoulder; Gu Ming was looking, and Lin Sicheng was looking too. After scanning the area, seeing the bronze statues and the divination classics on the scripture platform, Lin Sicheng's eyes suddenly lit up:

I didn't expect it, although this Daoist is a swindler, he has a background; it has been passed down for at least two or three hundred years.

Looking at that Incense Burner, his ancestors must have been wealthy; he might even be a sect leader.

Of course, the mountain gate has long since fallen into ruin; it's likely the kind of lineage that is about to be cut off.

The Daoist brewed tea and made a gesture of invitation; after Lin Sicheng sat down, he picked up a tea cup and handed it over.

Placing it on the table, the Daoist leaned back again, his gaze burning as he looked at Lin Sicheng's face:

"Just as I said outside, this old Daoist doesn't know much, but it's not a little either. It depends on what the Lay Buddhist seeks: wealth, official rank, fortune, prosperity, marriage, future, luck, or longevity."

Lin Sicheng thought for a moment: "Luck!"

Taking a sip of tea, the Daoist raised his head: "I observe that the Lay Buddhist's Heavenly Stem and Earthly Branch are in a metal-subduing wood configuration, the day pillar's stem and branch share the same Qi; this is called the Azure Dragon Subduing Form, a noble structure where the direct seal protects the body, indicating both wealth and official rank, with long-lasting prosperity..."

Lin Sicheng muttered to himself: Will the next sentence be a sigh, followed by a 'what a pity!'?

Sure enough, the Daoist let out a long sigh: "What a pity!"

Lin Sicheng paused and put down the tea cup: "Daoist Priest, what is a pity?"

"It is a pity that the heavens have unpredictable Wind, and people have misfortunes at any moment. The Lay Buddhist has an Owl Spirit seizing the food, the peer-robbers competing for wealth, and two of the four Kui stars are offended..."

After a slight pause, the Daoist closed his eyes, his right thumb constantly pinching the knuckles: "Yi-Si, Bing-Wu, Ding-Wei, Wu-Shen, Ji-You, Geng-Xu... Gui-Mao, Jia-Chen, Yi-Si, Bing-Wu, Ding-Wei, Wu-Shen..."

Muttering while pinching, after a long while, the Daoist opened his eyes: "This poor Daoist calculates that the Lay Buddhist has recently had slight setbacks. Observing the luck, it should have been a clash with the year on the day of Heaven-Earth Harmony and Yin-Yang union.

Although there was no danger, there are still three years remaining: the first is destruction, the second is harm, and the third is a clash. If not resolved, there will certainly be legal entanglements... If this continues, it will inevitably lead to punishment, clashes, destruction, and harm, with wealth and luck fading away, and endless troubles and setbacks..."

Gu Ming listened in a daze, and even Ye Anning was startled.

The day of Heaven-Earth Harmony and Yin-Yang union—wasn't that New Year's Eve?

Offending the year with punishment—punishment means prison; didn't Lin Sicheng spend most of the day at the Public Security Bureau on New Year's Eve?

It was indeed a close call, but the trouble was not small. It has been intermittent, and even now it hasn't been fully resolved...

Lin Sicheng, however, sighed inwardly: What is punishment of the year, and what is legal entanglement?

From beheading or imprisonment to mere verbal disputes, which one it specifically is, of course, is up to the Daoist to decide.

And what is Heaven-Earth Harmony and Yin-Yang union?

In the mouth of a fortune teller, any of the three hundred and sixty-five days of the year can be it. Even if you get to the bottom of it, he can still make it sound perfectly logical.

The so-called 'one surprise, two deceptions, three observations, four swindles' relies on being meticulous and insightful into the human heart. That is why it is called the 'Precision Sect'.

The Daoist didn't even need to look at his own expression; he just had to look at Gu Ming. That stunned boy might as well have had it written on his face: How is he so accurate again?

At this point, the Daoist should be even more certain: he doesn't fear you won't believe, he fears you won't doubt.

Sure enough.

The Daoist slowly leaned back and picked up the Tea Cup again.

Lin Sicheng played along, looking very surprised: "Daoist Priest, how can this be resolved?"

"It is difficult to say, but it is also simple..."

The Daoist took a sip unhurriedly, "This poor Daoist has two strategies: one slow, one fast... The slow one is to offer incense and request a Talisman, requesting one Eggplant Purple (Grand Duke of the Year) every six days; sixty Eggplant Purple can protect the Lay Buddhist for one year. Protect for three consecutive years, and the ill-fated years will be completely eliminated..."

Lin Sicheng held the tea cup and glanced at the old Daoist.

At first glance, the Daoist saw he was well-dressed and had a good complexion, so he thought he must be very rich and wanted to catch him to fleece him for three years?

Actually, that's not it; the old Daoist is just testing the waters, the main event is yet to come.

He turned his thoughts inwardly: "May I ask, Daoist Priest, how much Merit is one Eggplant Purple?"

The old Daoist was indifferent: "Not much, just one stick of high-grade incense!"

How much money is one stick of high-grade incense?

It was written on the Merit stele under the offering altar: Lay Buddhist Liu Hai offered three sticks of high-grade incense, donating three thousand yuan in Merit.

One thousand per stick, sixty sticks would be sixty thousand. Like Gu Ming, who works as an auxiliary police officer, he only makes four hundred a month...

"What about the fast one?"

"Setting up an altar to perform rites, to drive away evil and ward off misfortune... But this old Daoist has meager magical power; I can protect you, Lay Buddhist, for a time, but not for a lifetime. For a long-term solution, you may request a Dharma Artifact consecrated by my grandmaster, and use a Dharma image to suppress it..."

Fine, the Dharma Artifact is easy to talk about, but a Dharma image has even come into the mix?

Lin Sicheng pointed at the Incense Burner at the Daoist's side: "This one?"

The Daoist was taken aback for a moment: "Lay Buddhist has a sharp eye: this is the founding Dharma Artifact of my sect's patriarch, but it is not impossible to bestow it upon a patron to suppress evil spirits!"

Huh, I just asked casually, and you're actually selling it?

Lin Sicheng remained calm: "How much Merit is required?"

"One stick of high-grade incense every day, for three consecutive years!"

Calculating it, that's over a million... Sure enough, the main event is yet to come: the Daoist treats him like a God of Wealth.

Thinking about it, it's quite comical; he dares to ask for over a million right off the bat. But that's how con artists are: hit the tree whether there are dates or not, and fleece as much as you can.

What's more, aren't there cheaper ones? If you think a million is expensive, didn't he prepare a sixty-thousand one for you?

Believe it or not, the old Daoist is at least seventy percent certain that, excluding Gu Ming, the annual pocket money of the remaining four is more than that.

Pondering secretly, Lin Sicheng turned his head and exchanged a look with Ye Anning.

Then, the two of them looked in unison at the Incense Burner on the long table.

Historical records state: In the eighth year of Yongzheng, the Emperor fell gravely ill, and the imperial physicians were at their wits' end. The Zhejiang Governor Li Wei secretly memorialized: the Henan Daoist Jia Shifang was known as a divine immortal and could use his arts to diagnose His Majesty.

Later, Jia Shifang entered the capital, and though it is unknown what method he used, Yongzheng gradually recovered. But later, the Imperial Household Department General Manager Hai Wang discovered that Jia Shifang was secretly casting spells on Yongzheng, and subsequently, Jia Shifang was secretly put to death.

Thereafter, Yongzheng extensively sought out Daoist sorcerers and built altars in the palace to light furnaces and refine pills. This included the Yangxin Hall, Qianqing Palace, Chengrui Pavilion, Qin'an Hall, the Shenliu Reading Hall, Yonghe Temple, and so on and so forth.

From then on, Yongzheng sought pills and inquired about the Dao, practicing Daoist arts until his death, which history calls "The World-Honored One's Veneration of the Dao."

For all the altars, the ritual vessels and furnishings were all custom-made, and the Incense Burner used for burning purifying incense was this very style: all decorative patterns were inlaid with gold, featuring cranes, ancient pines, ocean waves, and auspicious clouds.

This type of Imitation Xuande Censer has a specific name: Ocean Floor Auspicious Cloud Double Crane Furnace.

Looking closer: that's right, it is this very vessel.

The old Daoist's heart is indeed quite black, asking for over a million right away. But Lin Sicheng and Ye Anning know clearly: this furnace is worth more than three million...

Taking another look, Lin Sicheng let out a breath: Old Daoist, since you want to scam me, don't blame me for scamming you too!

He tapped the table: "Thank you, Daoist Priest, I'll take it..."

(End of this chapter)