After Jing Jiujiu introduced Tingyi to Tao He.
Tao He turned and called Master Zhou, asking, "Is he even more skilled than you?"
Master Zhou had just dealt with Guan Yan and was nursing a headache. He immediately put on the air of a supreme expert: "Oh? Who could be more skilled than me? Who introduced him to you?"
Tao He didn't want to mention Jing Jiujiu's name, so she just said diplomatically, "It's a friend of Brother Bai from our film crew..."
Brother Bai? Mr. Bai? Who else could it be around him?
Master Zhou changed his tone: "Then he must be more skilled than me. He must be a great master who rarely leaves his mountain! You should cherish this opportunity..."
How could someone recommended by the young master be wrong?
It must be right!
Even Master Zhou wondered, do ghosts now arrange business for Taoist masters?
But then Master Zhou thought about himself and didn't find it strange anymore.
Perhaps he's another person taken under Mr. Bai's wing. Mr. Bai is so capable, anything he does is normal!
Master Zhou repeatedly emphasized a few more points, telling Tao He to be sure to respect the other party, before hanging up the phone.
Tao He clutched her phone tightly, thinking that the other person must be really extraordinary!
She immediately went to meet Master Tingyi with great excitement.
Master Tingyi used to help others deal with metaphysical troubles, and sometimes when things went wrong in their circles, he was called to clean up the mess.
But nobody ever talked about money.
Tingyi himself never mentioned it either.
Although he was quite famous in the circle, outside of it, many big bosses thought he wasn't very capable because he didn't charge money. How would Tingyi know about this? Every time someone from the metaphysical circle asked for his help, he felt it was because of Lingyang Mountain's reputation, and everyone trusted him, so they came to seek his aid.
This important task, of course, he should take up.
Now counting carefully, he had been working for free for who knows how many years.
Tao He was such a generous person.
She invited Tingyi to sit down, first poured tea for him herself, and even offered some homemade snacks. Having reached her current status, she sometimes cultivated other hobbies. Making small snacks was one of them.
"Master, do you have any blessed amulets?" Tao He asked softly.
"Yes!" Tingyi opened his pocket and took out a string of them, all tied with thin red cords.
Tao He: ?
How did these look so much like... something bought in bulk from the wholesale market for 50 cents?
But with Master Zhou's warning in mind, Tao He thought that some long-secluded great masters might just be like this.
Tao He carefully picked one from the top: "Is this one okay?"
Tingyi: "It's fine."
Tao He had already prepared the money, first putting 200,000 yuan on the table: "Please take this first, I'll wear it for a couple of days."
Master Tingyi almost performed a scene of tears streaming down his face, but as he was still the abbot of a temple, he managed to maintain his composure. He nodded slightly and took the money, putting the remaining amulets back into his cloth bag.
Just as Tao He had sent him off, Tingyi immediately found Jing Jiujiu.
Jing Jiujiu was chatting with Bai Yuhuai during a break.
"You introduced a client to Master Tingyi?"
"Yes."
"..." Bai Yuhuai's feelings were so complex that he was momentarily speechless.
He had originally been somewhat worried that Master Tingyi would stubbornly insist on converting Jing Jiujiu.
That wasn't even the main issue.
Tingyi had a high reputation in the metaphysical circle. If he were to stand up and call for action, most people in the circle would follow his lead and try to exorcise the ghost.
Jing Jiujiu rummaged in his schoolbag and pulled out a small cookie, offering it to Bai Yuhuai: "Want one?"
This cookie was just a bit bigger than a marshmallow.
Bai Yuhuai was too tired from earning money to support the family.
Let's eat something bigger.
Bai Yuhuai's heart stirred, he curled his fingertips, then reached out to take it.
As he unwrapped the cookie, he listened to Jing Jiujiu say: "I think Actress Tao is a very good person. The other day when Meng Hexin took me to play games, we trended on social media. I heard Xu Sanyu say that trending isn't always a good thing. Then Actress Tao said she would take me to play."
Bai Yuhuai: "..."
Wouldn't that cause even more trouble?
Tao He had just divorced her wealthy husband last year, and paparazzi and gossip accounts were all watching for her new romance.
Jing Jiujiu then pulled an orange from his bag: "After you eat the cookie, eat this. Then you won't feel dry in your mouth."
Bai Yuhuai's expression softened slightly as he took the orange. He felt a sense of being gently cared for by the young man.
Jing Jiujiu: "Hmm, I think Actress Tao is a very good person. It's not right for Master Zhou to deceive her like this. Since Master Tingyi has real skills, it's better to introduce him to her. This way, she can finally get her wish fulfilled."
Bai Yuhuai's mouth twitched: "...Do you know what her greatest wish is?"
Jing Jiujiu: "Hm? What is it?"
Bai Yuhuai: "For her ex-husband and his lover to stand naked, hugging each other on the tallest building in Beijing, shouting 'We're shameless and fooling around.' Do you think that's possible?"
Jing Jiujiu: "...Ah, this."
Jing Jiujiu quickly reacted: "...Lover? Was it a sham marriage?"
Bai Yuhuai: "Mm-hmm."
Jing Jiujiu suddenly fell silent.
Bai Yuhuai frowned, deeply regretting his words. Did this remind him of Yu Ran and Jing Tinghua again?
"Young friend!" Master Tingyi's voice suddenly sounded from behind.
Bai Yuhuai: ?
You've really done it now.
One moment it was "vicious ghost," and the next it's "young friend."
Jing Jiujiu turned around: "Master is back, please have a seat. What did Ms. Tao ask of you?"
If it's something that can't be done, would she blame Master Tingyi for lack of skill?
Tingyi smiled, all the wrinkles on his face gathering together like orange peel: "She just asked to buy an amulet from me. Two hundred thousand yuan, in cash. She didn't even try to bargain. I put it all in a bag and brought it back."
Bai Yuhuai: "..."
He hadn't expected that no one had ever paid Tingyi before.
Bai Yuhuai still reminded him: "Cash is easy to get robbed. Next time, either bring a couple more disciples with you, or have them transfer the money to your phone."
Tingyi let out a long sigh: "Among all my disciples, only Yin Mo is 1.87 meters tall. He's tall and intimidating. But as people grow up, they become harder to order around." He paused, then pulled out a small mobile phone from his pocket: "Do you think this phone will work?"
Tingyi originally couldn't bring himself to ask, but after hearing Bai Yuhuai's kind reminder, he decided to put aside his pride and humbly seek advice.
"The one who knows how to use a smartphone is your youngest disciple. His phone should be able to receive money. Yours won't work," Jing Jiujiu said from the side.
Compared to Tingyi, Jing Jiujiu felt he was already quite knowledgeable about 21st-century technology!
So he immediately ordered a new smartphone, intending to teach Tingyi how to use it.
Bai Yuhuai: "..." He held the cookie, finding it hard to swallow.
Back then, Jing Jiujiu had followed him around, calling "Brother Bai" several times just to ask for a phone. In the blink of an eye, he was now able to shop online for others.
Meanwhile, Jing Jiujiu was still instructing Tingyi.
"Ah, next time when you meet a client, don't pull out so many at once. When there are too many things, they lose their value, understand?"
Jing Jiujiu knew nothing about the metaphysical circle, but he used to often follow Yu Ran to invest in antiques and famous paintings.
"Think about it, think about it! For antiques, one piece is called a priceless treasure worth millions. What are two called? Worthless junk! How will people think these things are precious and hard to come by? How will they believe in the power of your blessing?"
Jing Jiujiu lectured with particular expertise.
Tingyi listened, nodding like a pecking chicken: "Oh, oh, oh."
When Yin Mo arrived at the film set, this was the scene he saw.
Yin Mo was full of question marks.
Was this still his master's usual demeanor?
"Then these..." Tingyi pulled out four from inside, and pushed the rest to Jing Jiujiu: "I'll give them all to you."
Jing Jiujiu: ?
Tingyi: "These things aren't really worth much, my little disciple said you can buy one for 50 cents. They've just been blessed."
Jing Jiujiu: "Can you bless so many at once?"
Tingyi: "Of course not all at once. We can bless one per day at most."
That's still very impressive!
Jing Jiujiu then asked what they do every day.
Tingyi was bewildered for a moment.
Yin Mo then stepped forward and said coolly: "What do we do? Nothing but meditation, chanting sutras, physical training, reading books, and practicing Zen."
This sounded even more boring than Jing Jiujiu's life in the castle!
Jing Jiujiu could still turn on the TV himself, making it light up.
"No wonder," Jing Jiujiu muttered softly.
If they were to raise a group of monks at home and have them perform blessings every day, wouldn't that earn even more money?
Ah, no.
Jing Jiujiu quickly suppressed his dangerous thoughts.
I can't become an evil spirit with a head full of bad ideas.
After listening, Bai Yuhuai was somewhat surprised.
The self-discipline of these monks was indeed second to none in the metaphysical circles.
...So after being poor for so many years, they were easily swayed by a few words from Jing Jiujiu.
Jing Jiujiu: "No wonder Yin Mo wanted to return to secular life."
Yin Mo lowered his eyes. How could it be just because of this? It was more because he couldn't find his memories and made an instinctive choice.
Tingyi's face reddened slightly as he murmured, "I'm already old anyway..."
Whether he was involved in worldly affairs or concerned with karma no longer mattered. He could no longer reach a higher level in this life. He was just waiting for the day of his final nirvana.
"I want to earn more money!" Tingyi said.
Jing Jiujiu blinked gently and responded, "Mm-hmm."
Tingyi continued, "Young friend, please let me follow you more in the future."
Jing Jiujiu: ???
No, thanks... he was a bit scared.
After saying this, Tingyi took out his old, battered cell phone that he had used for who knows how many years, and called a few of his junior disciples to come over.
In no time, the film set was filled with numerous bald heads.
"I will stay here for many days. You go back to the mountain first," Tingyi said. He then turned his head to carefully examine Jing Jiujiu's appearance and asked, "May I ask how you died, young friend?"
Hearing this, Yin Mo immediately furrowed his brows.
For so long, he had never dared to ask Jing Jiujiu how exactly he had died.
"I died in the castle, but I don't know exactly how," Jing Jiujiu replied.
"Then it's very likely that you became an earth-bound spirit after death, but... how are you able to stay by Mr. Bai's side?" Tingyi asked.
Jing Jiujiu felt a bit guilty inside, wanting to say it was because he completed the system tasks! Oh, system tasks... system? Jing Jiujiu remembered that he seemed to have forgotten about such a thing! When should he go and retrieve it...
Jing Jiujiu blinked, looking completely innocent: "Um, I don't know either, I just left with him somehow."
Tingyi didn't ask further, but instructed, "When you go back, you haven't forgotten the craft of making statues, right? Just do it the old way, make a statue. Make it look like him..."
Jing Jiujiu: ???
Young monks, old monk: ???
Even Yin Mo was surprised.
Tingyi continued, "After it's made, it certainly can't be placed in the temple. The gods and Buddhas in the temple won't approve. Just place it outside the temple. Isn't there a sign at the bottom of the steps outside our temple? Put it there. You need to build a shelter to protect it from wind and rain. Place an incense burner below it."
Yin Mo frowned and asked, "What does this mean?"
Bai Yuhuai said calmly, "Don't write a name, but place an incense burner. People who come to Lingyang Mountain will know it's something that can be worshipped."
Tingyi nodded: "It doesn't need many worshippers. Three or two, ten or so a year, is enough. There have been examples of ghosts being worshipped since ancient times. It's said that during the Shang and Zhou dynasties, a lonely ghost sneaked into a dilapidated temple. There were no gods or Buddhas in the temple, but people who came to the temple to escape the war took it as a god and worshipped it daily. After a hundred days, this ghost carried a trace of golden light and actually gained a hint of divine aura. Later, relying on this, it truly received an imperial edict from the Celestial Court and became a minor official, no longer needing to enter reincarnation."
"Celestial Court?" Jing Jiujiu was stunned.
Tingyi said, "There's no such thing as a Celestial Court anymore. It's said that since the Ming Dynasty, when the Little Ice Age came and many earthquakes occurred in the country, it was because spiritual energy was collapsing. Since then, there's no Celestial Court above, no underworld below. Even if people worship you repeatedly, young friend, you can't become a celestial official anymore. But the power of belief is the strongest force under the heavens. Even gods and Buddhas need it for sustenance. If you, young friend, receive worship daily, you'll naturally be very different from the ghosts of this world, elevating your status by a level. After that, you can avoid the trouble of becoming an evil spirit, and your soul will become much more solid."
Tingyi said, glancing at Jing Jiujiu's wrist: "That's a bracelet from the Cloud Return Sect, right? I've seen it before. Relying solely on this thing, drawing talismans to solidify the soul, is ultimately only a temporary measure."
He paused, then said: "In the future, young friend, you might experience a great increase in power. Then you won't need to rely on eating ghosts to strengthen yourself."
"If you're an earth-bound spirit, in the future, wherever your believers are, you'll be able to go there. You won't be confined to one place anymore."
Jing Jiujiu was stunned listening to all this.
When you add it all up, doesn't making a statue have many, many benefits?
But thinking about it, he hadn't really done anything...
Yin Mo took a deep breath, knelt down to Tingyi, and bowed three times in gratitude.
But after standing up, he still couldn't help asking: "Why... didn't you allow me to make a statue for him when I came up the mountain in the rain that day and told you about these things?"
If a statue had been made at that time.
Wouldn't Jing Jiujiu have been able to come out earlier?
Yin Mo still couldn't imagine how Jing Jiujiu had spent so many years alone in that abandoned castle...
Tingyi: "You can make statues too?"
Yin Mo: "...I learned."
Tingyi: "Oh." He paused, then said: "That's different."
Yin Mo pressed his lips together. Yes, he had only been a young monk for a few years back then. His skill level was certainly not comparable to his senior uncles. They could naturally make a better statue for Jing Jiujiu.
Bai Yuhuai calmly interjected: "Not everyone can make statues. Apart from monks and Taoists, who offer to gods, Buddhas, and the Three Pure Ones. After years of worship, they make their own statues and golden bodies. Others can't do it."
So he had never considered making a statue for Jing Jiujiu.
Moreover...
"Buddhism emphasizes cause and effect. Making a statue today, who knows what consequences it will trigger in the future. It's also an act that goes against heaven, turning a negative entity into a divine one. Making a body for a ghost is equivalent to elevating him to a position alongside gods and Buddhas. It would incur heavenly punishment."
Yin Mo was rooted to the spot, lips tightly pressed together, unable to speak.
Tingyi said: "Ah, that's how it is! I told you long ago, you were too young then. It's different..."
Too young to bear the responsibility.
Taking up his mantle was already very heavy and difficult enough.
Jing Jiujiu silently took out another fruit from his backpack and offered it to Tingyi: "Want to eat?"
Tingyi took it: "What's this? I've never seen it before."
Jing Jiujiu: "Kiwi fruit. It's soft, you just peel it and you can bite into it. It's sweet." As he spoke, he couldn't help licking his lips. Perhaps because he hadn't eaten it for so many years, the taste was particularly vivid in his memory.
Bai Yuhuai lowered his head and glanced at the tangerine and cookies in his own hand.
He always had one more than him.
So for a moment, his heart was very calm.
Tingyi peeled it and ate it.
He even burped.
"It's quite delicious."
Oh my goodness.
How many good things had he missed out on in his younger days!
Jing Jiujiu leaned on the table and asked softly, "How exactly does one incur heavenly punishment?"
Tingyi: "It's an exaggeration. I just said, there's no Celestial Court anymore, so this heaven, it's hard to say. Look at all the evil people in this world, has anyone really suffered heavenly punishment?"
Young monk: "Master, you're disrespecting heaven. Your Buddha heart isn't pure. The old man in the sky will be angry if he hears this."
Tingyi: "It's because it's pure that I've seen more and see through things. We worship Buddha, not heaven."
Young monk: "...Oh, that makes sense. Then next time when I curse the old man in the sky, Uncle can't hit me on the head anymore."
Tingyi: "..."
The uncle silently clenched his fist nearby.
"Alright, we've said everything. Go back up the mountain now. Yin Mo, you go send them off. They don't know the way, and they don't know how to use that what-do-you-call-it navigation thing." Tingyi sent them away.
Yin Mo turned and left without a word.
The young monks bowed to Jing Jiujiu: "Thank you for your hospitality, benefactor."
Then they followed and walked away.
Suddenly, there was only one bald head left on the film set.
Tingyi licked his lips, wiped his beard, and asked softly: "Is there any more?"
"No more. But we can go buy some. When we go out for dinner later, we can buy some on the way."
Tingyi nodded, his beard quivering slightly.
When evening came, Jing Jiujiu took Tingyi out for dinner, and they also picked up the new phone and bought new fruits along the way.
Bai Yuhuai took in this scene bit by bit, without saying a word.
Young people are always very likable.
Though he wasn't very old and had grown up pampered, he was still always able to arrange everything in an orderly manner. Just like when they first entered the castle, he had prepared a refrigerator full of oranges.
Meanwhile, Yin Mo was seeing people off to their cars.
As they left the film studio, the young monk asked in surprise, "Where's our van?"
Yin Mo raised his hand and pointed to the stretch Lincoln limousines lined up beside them. There were six in total, easily enough to seat all of them.
The old monk remarked, "They look expensive."
The young monk added, "We can't afford this."
Yin Mo replied, "...I'll pay."
The old monk immediately opened the car door.
The young monk interjected, "Wait, uncle! Our mountain roads are winding. This car is too long - the front might make it but the back won't be able to turn the corners..."
Yin Mo: "..."
In the end, Yin Mo still had to change to smaller cars suitable for mountain roads.
Once in the car, Yin Mo's mood wasn't great either.
The young monk couldn't help but ask him, "Senior brother, have you been drinking today? We can't drive drunk. I've read that drunk driving requires writing self-criticism reports."
Yin Mo replied, "No, I haven't."
The young monk couldn't help but say, "Then... can our little van still make it back up the mountain? It was quite expensive."
Yin Mo: "...It can."
The young monk: "Alright then, you can step on the gas."
The young monk: "? Senior brother, why aren't you moving? Did you forget your driver's license?"
Yin Mo raised his eyes to look at the rearview mirror inside the car.
The mirror reflected his appearance - hair carefully combed back, ruby earrings at his ears, impeccably dressed...
Even if he had really joined high society, so what?
In the mirror.
The man's eyes were bloodshot, slowly shedding tears.
He slammed his fist on the steering wheel: "When all is said and done, I'm just too useless."
...
Meanwhile, Tingyi had just finished eating a large crab.
"It's so delicious," Tingyi exclaimed, "I never knew there were such delicacies in the mortal world!"
Jing Jiujiu was drooling, and asked him, "How did those Argentinian red shrimp taste earlier?"
Tingyi: "Delicious!"
His adjectives were extremely lacking, not even one percent of Master Zhou's eloquence.
But fortunately Master Zhou wasn't here, otherwise Jing Jiujiu would really have cried from craving.
Jing Jiujiu: "I think next time we should let Master Zhou eat with you."
"Who is Master Zhou?"
"An old fraud," Jing Jiujiu said with utmost honesty, "He's much better at being a fraud than you. If you learn from him, earning a million per job wouldn't be a dream."
Bai Yuhuai couldn't help but facepalm as he listened.
If the metaphysical circles knew that Master Tingyi was going to study diligently under an old scammer, they would all be frightened out of their minds, right?
Jing Jiujiu: "This Master Zhou is quite capable, and not a bad person. Although in his early years he went down the wrong path..."
Tingyi nodded: "Mm, lay down your butcher's knife and become a Buddha on the spot. We don't discriminate against such people."
"He also always wants to share money with me and Mr. Bai," Jing Jiujiu praised Master Zhou again.
Tingyi: "Oh right, I should also share some money with you and Mr. Bai."
Jing Jiujiu: "Ah, there's no need. I have some money, more than 200,000."
Only then did Tingyi withdraw his hand.
Jing Jiujiu sat beside him, and since there was nothing else to do, he turned and added Master Zhou's WeChat to Tingyi's phone.
In the car.
The young monk patted Yin Mo's back: "Senior brother, don't cry anymore. Master often says that self-awareness is very important. It's already very impressive that you can recognize you're useless..."
The old monk: "Your senior brother's fist is clenched."
The young monk: "Huh? Does he want to hit me? How could that be? I'm comforting senior brother nicely. Uncle, you're so cold-hearted, not moving at all..."
The old monk let out a light sigh: "Yin Mo, don't think too much."
Yin Mo was firmly pressed down by the young monk, tears of anger flowing more fiercely, his chest still pressing the horn making it howl—
In the restaurant.
Tingyi let out a sigh: "It's so nice. All those people are gone... Yesterday, for that little baldy Wei Guang, one bite and bam, my tuna was gone!"
After he finished speaking, he gave a satisfied burp.
Today is another day of liking this kid more!