After Feng Xiuye got into the car with the eight-armed, eight-eyed wooden carving, he gave the driver an address, and the driver immediately drove there, as if he knew the way well.
We drove for more than two hours, getting on and off the highway, then onto mountain roads.
Feng Xiuye had casually placed the wooden carving aside while sitting in the back seat, but his eyes kept involuntarily glancing at it. Then he couldn't help but think of the creepy eight-armed, eight-eyed monster in his dream, so in the end he simply took off his coat and covered himself with it.
When Feng Xiuye saw the unassuming little temple outside the car window, he breathed a slight sigh of relief, picked up the wooden carving wrapped in his clothes, and got out of the car.
This small temple doesn't seem to be very popular; in fact, it's quite deserted. It's three in the afternoon, and there isn't a single worshipper in sight, nor is anyone paying attention to the people at the entrance.
Feng Xiuye didn't care. He led the driver directly through the gate, then walked along the corridor next to the main hall into the backyard, and found the second room on the right.
The door was wide open, and inside, a man casually draped in a Daoist robe and wearing athletic shorts, revealing a pair of hairy legs, whose exact age was impossible to discern, was playing Sekiro with a game controller in front of the television.
"Master Niu?" Feng Xiuye called out. He wasn't surprised that a Daoist priest was playing a PS4 in the Daoist temple, since he had given the PS4 to him.
Master Niu stopped playing the game, turned around and looked at Feng Xiuye, and said with a smile, "Hey? What brings you here today, Boss Feng?" The man had a full beard and his hair was tied in a topknot, making him look a little slovenly.
Feng Xiuye knew that although the place was small and Master Niu didn't look like a master at all, he actually earned a very good income. He knew several big bosses who often invited him to look at the layout of buildings and houses.
He once proposed donating money to renovate the Daoist temple, expand it along the central axis, build more courtyards and more halls, at least the Jade Emperor Hall, the Nine Emperors Hall, the East Peak Hall, and the West Peak Hall, since the surrounding land also belonged to the Daoist temple. However, Master Niu resolutely refused.
The reason given was that if it were too big, there would be too many worshippers, and it would be too troublesome to clean.
Feng Xiuye understood the implication: she was worried she'd be too busy to play games...
However, Master Niu's professional skills are truly outstanding. When you consult him about the layout of a building, he can explain in great detail where things are placed, the reasons behind them, and the underlying principles. He can also readily quote Daoist classics. If you don't understand, he can explain them to you in simple terms and popularize the difference between Daoism and the Daoist religion, as well as the characteristics and strengths of Quanzhen School and Zhengyi School, and so on.
In short, after having Master Niu look at the building layout once, Feng Xiuye couldn't help but want to have him take a look no matter where he was buying property, even though the fees were indeed not low.
"Master Niu, I think I've encountered something strange." Feng Xiuye said, taking out the wooden carving that was wrapped in his clothes.
Master Niu took the wood carving and examined it for a while, then asked, "What's going on?"
Feng Xiuye said to the driver who had followed him and was standing by the door, "You wait for me in the car."
Once only he and Master Niu were left in the room, he recounted in detail the dream he had at noon. However, compared to his evasiveness towards his father, he explained it to Master Niu in great detail, including his feelings at the time, a detailed description of the eight-armed, eight-eyed monster, and the subsequent changes in his body.
Master Niu listened attentively without interrupting, fiddling with the wood carving while squinting at Feng Xiuye. Only after he finished speaking did he ask, "Boss Feng, did you drink at noon?"
Feng Xiuye paused for a moment, then nodded.
Master Niu: "Let me see your tongue."
Feng Xiuye stuck out his tongue as instructed.
Master Niu: "Extend your left hand."
Feng Xiuye extended his left hand.
Master Niu placed three fingers on his left wrist and said, "Extend your right hand."
After touching her right wrist again, Taoist Niu said, "Have you ever behaved indecently before?"
Feng Xiuye naturally understood what Master Niu meant, but hearing it from him still felt strange, so he nodded honestly and said, "A few times."
Master Niu said, "My suggestion is to go to the hospital for a check-up as soon as possible. Just a blood test at the dermatology department is enough; it's very simple. However, you should go to a reputable tertiary hospital. I recommend [Hospital Name]; their dermatology department is top-notch in China. Also, try to moderate certain aspects of your lifestyle, maintain a regular sleep schedule and diet, increase physical exercise, spend more time with family and friends, and maintain an optimistic attitude."
"Huh?" Feng Xiuye was a little confused, staring blankly at the Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Wooden Carving in Taoist Niu's hand, and asked, "Then... then this wooden carving..."
Master Niu said, "A person's dreams originate from themselves and are caused by emotions. So-called external evil spirits can only arouse your emotions, but they don't have the function of creating nightmares. So in my judgment, the root cause is still within yourself. As for this wood carving, look at these arms, this bald head... I think you probably saw the wood carving and felt that these parts resembled certain things. In addition, you just drank alcohol, so your emotions were already unstable and were affected, leading to the association."
Feng Xiuye was stunned, and it took him a while to react before he exclaimed, "I was dreaming first, and then I saw the wood carving after I woke up!"
Master Niu countered, "You mean the shelf where the wood carvings are displayed, is it visible as soon as you enter?"
Feng Xiuye recalled for a moment and nodded, saying, "That's possible, but I didn't notice the wood carving when I came in today."
Master Niu stroked his thick beard and said, "What we can see is actually far more than we think. You may think you haven't noticed it, but your subconscious has already imprinted its image in your mind."
As he spoke, Master Niu paused, seemingly remembering something, and shook his head, saying, "Never mind, I'm not a professional in this area. If you maintain a regular lifestyle, have a medical checkup and everything is fine, but you still keep having nightmares, go to ** Hospital to see a psychiatrist, or consult a licensed psychologist. ** Hospital's psychiatry department is very good, top-notch internationally. You can go get checked out if you're feeling unwell."
Feng Xiuye was at a loss for words, staring at Master Niu, who had a full beard, with a very complicated expression.
Master Niu seemed to see his doubt and said, "Everyone has their own expertise. If you're asking me to look at the building layout and the terrain, Mr. Feng, I'll take that responsibility without hesitation. But this is clearly a matter of physical and mental health. It would be better to find someone more professional!"
"What era are we living in? Don't think that we monks can handle everything. Don't be afraid to seek medical help. If you need to see a doctor, then go see a doctor!"
"In the past, we monks had to learn everything and treat patients because it was inconvenient for ordinary people to see a doctor. Now it's different. Those doctors and specialists have spent most of their lives studying a certain type of disease, and they are much more professional than us."
Feng Xiuye listened with a mixture of confusion and awe. It seemed rather incongruous for a geomancer to be saying these things, yet for some reason it made sense, and he didn't feel it would damage his original image as a high-minded Daoist at all.
"Master Niu's explanation is indeed... refreshing."
"Daoism emphasizes following the natural way, the I Ching and Bagua are about following the natural way, and so are physics and chemistry. It's not that new things are always better, nor that old things can't be changed. Everything depends on the effect, and everything has to keep up with the times, right?" Master Niu said, raising the wooden carving in his hand. "But this wooden carving is indeed quite interesting, and I like it quite a bit. If Mr. Feng finds it an eyesore, how about giving it to me? Or selling it to me? I'll offer 500 yuan..."
"Uh, this belongs to my father. I wouldn't dare give it away without his permission," Feng Xiuye quickly said.
"Oh, I see." Master Niu nodded, not taking it seriously, and handed the wood carving back to Feng Xiuye: "This wood carving is actually quite interesting. Hmm, Mr. Feng, you should go to the hospital for a check-up as soon as possible."
Emerging from Master Niu's room and standing before the main hall, Feng Xiuye was still somewhat dazed. He rubbed his temples and noticed a couplet on a nearby doorpost:
"If your heart is wicked, burning incense will bring you no benefit; if your conduct is upright, what harm is there in not bowing to me?"
Looking down at the wooden carving in his hand, he couldn't help but wonder if he was overthinking things.
Taoist Niu's words made sense. Since he was worried about his health, getting a checkup was the safest option. So he secretly decided to go to the hospital tomorrow for a full-body checkup, which of course included a blood test at the dermatology department...
He then cut ties with his lovers and kept his desires in check when he was away on business trips. He believed that in a short time, simply recalling that terrifying nightmare and the eight-armed, eight-eyed monster would be enough to extinguish his desires.
However, after getting into the car, Feng Xiuye couldn't help but call his father.
"Dad, did you have a nightmare too? A nightmare about that wooden carving?" Feng Xiuye's question was very direct. He knew there must be a reason, otherwise his father would not have allowed him to bring that wooden carving out.
"Isn't it normal to have a nightmare once in a while? Don't make a fuss about it." Mr. Feng's tone was a little impatient.
Feng Xiuye understood the implication: his father had also dreamt about the Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Wooden Carving!
"Dad, I'm just worried about Nana. Could that friend of hers have gotten involved with something evil...?"
"Clean my foot! Don't lose that wood carving. Return it in two days, that's all." Mr. Feng hung up the phone, seemingly exasperated.
Feng Xiuye thought for a moment, then called Tang Baona again, "Nana, I went to your grandfather's house at noon today. He's doing well. By the way, I saw a wooden carving with eight arms and eight eyes. I heard it was made by your friend? Oh, it really was carved by him? Did he carve anything else? A birthday present? What kind? What, Sa... Bohr? Oh, an anime character... By the way, how's your sleep lately? Have you had any nightmares or anything?" "Nothing, just asking." "No, oh, that's good..."
After hanging up the phone, Feng Xiuye was still a little uneasy, so he decided to prepare for both possibilities. He looked up at the driver and asked, "Old Wang, where is that 'master' you mentioned before who's really good at exorcising evil spirits?"
Thanks to book friend ricecake, book friend 160830081023872, uh uh uh Qu Xiang Tiange, book friend 20180502161457588, starting point reading iOS, Shanyi tweets, you know who I am not, Lenengzi for the reward.