Opening an altar in the Daoist tradition is a very sacred act. Simply put, it involves paying respects to the ancestral deities and inviting the divine decree of immortals. In Daoism, an altar opening usually requires three Taoist priests, with a highly respected master leading the ceremony, and two other disciples or juniors assisting.
Today, it seemed like there weren't enough people, but I was only somewhat familiar with these matters, standing to the side with the fat man and watching in curiosity.
In the courtyard, there were three statues of the Three Pure Ones behind the altar. The front of the altar was covered in red cloth, and on top, there were incense burners, offerings, and lit candles. The red cloth was embroidered with Daoist scriptures and dragon patterns, giving off a solemn atmosphere.
Old Yu changed into a purple-gold outer robe, wearing a hat adorned with splendid jewels and jade, his face dignified and solemn. Master Han, on the other hand, wore a blue Taoist robe and stood beside him, equally solemn.
The two of them bowed three times in front of the Three Pure Ones, then offered incense and bowed again. Throughout the entire process, the fat man and I dared not speak.
After the bowing, Master Han took out several long red paper strips and pasted them on the red cloth. The strips were inscribed with golden characters, resembling talismans. From a nearby table, Old Yu picked up a wooden sword, holding it in his right hand and a golden cup in his left, the cup containing lamp oil. His left hand formed a lotus shape, and the tip of the sword lightly touched the edge of the cup. Then, Old Yu began to circle the courtyard, not like a normal walk but with a strange and rhythmic movement. It didn't seem like a casual step, but rather a walking pattern following certain rules, perhaps what I had always heard of as the Daoist steps.
The so-called Fa Bu is just a collective term. Taoist practitioners not only need to meditate to understand the Tao, but also need to refine their physical movements. It is said that the Taoist Fa Bu contains the power of communicating with spirits, and each step is a formation, and each formation has great power.
As Lao walked in the Fa Bu, Master Han beside him held a copper bell and gently shook it while chanting words in his mouth.
At this moment, I turned and whispered to the chubby guy, "This feels very mysterious."
The chubby guy nodded but didn't dare to speak. Lao circled the area seven times, then stood still. Suddenly, he tapped the yellow paper in front of him with the wooden sword dipped in lamp oil, then took a step forward and lit the yellow paper on the candle. In no time, the yellow paper started burning. Lao, however, remained calm, and with a turn of his arm, the burning yellow paper swept over all the other paper charms hanging on the red cloth.
At that moment, the fire spread on the red cloth, and the paper charms fluttered in the breeze, accompanied by dazzling flames.
The chubby guy and I became nervous. This was a residential area, and if a fire broke out, it would be a big problem.
However, our worries were unnecessary. The wooden sword spun, and its edge swept over all the burning paper charms, making it look like Lao was wielding a flaming long sword.
"Wouldn't the wooden sword catch on fire?"
I was astonished, and just then, the wind suddenly stopped, causing the burning paper charms to stick to the wooden sword, which not only didn't catch fire, but the flames on the paper charms also showed no signs of spreading.
"I heard that there are experts who specialize in the Five Elements technique, and can control the power of water and fire. My grandfather saw an old man in Shijiazhuang who could lift ice from hot water and take charcoal from flames, which was unbelievable."
The chubby guy's eyes widened as he murmured softly.
I nodded subconsciously, and at that moment, Master Han walked over. The chanting had stopped, and he gently waved his hand, causing the paper charms sticking to the sword to fall to the ground. The flames slowly extinguished, and the paper charms had turned black. Peering down, to our surprise, the burnt paper charms still had some parts in gold that remained unscathed. It was clear to the naked eye that the golden symbols drawn on the paper were intact. The chubby guy and I were amazed, and yet couldn't fully understand it. At this point, Lao and Master Han saw the symbols on the ground and couldn't help reacting. Master Han patted my shoulder and said, "Give me a few strands of your hair."
I hesitated, but didn't ask much and quickly plucked out a few strands of hair to give to Master Han. After receiving them, he silently recited a spell and then placed the hair on the burned paper charms. It's unclear if it was due to the remaining sparks on the paper or the high surface temperature, but as soon as the hair landed, it ignited, followed by a thick black smoke, which lingered in front of us for a long time.
"That's about it."
Lao nodded after seeing the black smoke. I looked at him with a puzzled expression, and he pointed to the hair and paper charms and said, "I used the Jin Fu Tian Yuan altar for you, not the Datan. However, with the skills of me and my junior brother, we can still see if you have any issues. I needed your hair to determine your soul. If the smoke that rises is faint and light, it means you're alright, just unfortunate. But look at the thick smoke..."
I looked up and saw the black smoke rising into the sky; there were already several neighbors around us making a commotion. The smoke wasn't this intense when we burned the paper charms earlier, and it was my few strands of hair that caused the exaggerated scene.
"Lao, does this mean my buddy has been cursed by someone?" The chubby guy sounded anxious.
"A person experiencing strange occurrences so frequently–even without this altar, we would have detected that something isn't right. It's either inherently weak due to poor health, or that there are supernatural influences. By setting up this altar today, the other party may have sensed it and might come to cause trouble. Don't leave tonight; just stay here. And hey, it's also a good opportunity for you to think about my earlier words," Lao said, leaving us to stay.
In fact, both the chubby guy and I were not keen on leaving. Learning that someone was working against us, we didn't feel at ease until the situation was resolved. Having these two masters on-site could at least give us some peace of mind.
Master Han cleared out a room in his house for us. Later that night, the chubby guy accompanied the two masters for a few drinks and then went to bed, sleeping peacefully. I leaned against the window to look out, where I could vaguely see the night view of Shanghai.
Back then, Shanghai did not have the Oriental Pearl Tower and tall buildings were not numerous. The Peace Hotel was a standout. Nevertheless, the night view of Shanghai was still beautiful. Under the flashing neon lights, vehicles occasionally passed through the streets. Known as the sleepless city, Shanghai was mesmerizing. I lived in such a city, yet had also stepped halfway into the world of strange ghosts, leaving me somewhat melancholic.
It seemed that Lao Hei and Zhu Zi had said similar things. Once you entered this line of work, there was no turning back, as if it were a one-way street. Despite that, it was filled with challenges and adventures, and I found myself smiling ironically at the thought of working in a factory's workshop, dealing with machine parts and oil every day.
Perhaps I had been yearning for a life like Zhu Zi's from the beginning. Roaming the world, trafficking ghosts and supernatural beings, full of challenge and danger, yet an enviable life.
Now think about it, that was probably the first time I made a decision for myself, and it was also the first major turning point in my life!
The ticking sound of the old-fashioned table clock came from the first floor, twenty-three times, indicating that it was already eleven o'clock at night. I yawned and should go to bed. As I lay down, just as I closed my eyes, I suddenly heard a loud shout from below "Where did this little ghost come from, daring to barge into my house!"
The shout clearly came from Master Han. I jumped out of bed and kicked the fat man, then put on my clothes and walked out of the door. At the staircase, looking out through the window, I saw Master Han in his nightclothes standing in the yard. There was no light in the room, it was pitch black all around, but I could vaguely see a small green thing moving.
"What's going on?"
The fat man grumbled and walked out. I whispered, "It seems like a little ghost has broken in."
The fat man immediately became wide awake and hurried over, only to see Mr. Yu standing on the side in the yard, while Master Han was facing the small green thing, looking somewhat angry.
The fat man and I hurried over to Mr. Yu and asked, "Mr. Yu, what's going on?"
"I conducted a ritual during the day, and at night someone sent a little ghost to explore, but it was discovered by my junior as soon as it entered the door."
Mr. Yu pointed to the small green thing in front, I looked closely, and the first thing I noticed was an ugly face, similar to that of an old man!