De Ben's Theory

Xu Feng thanked his master and opened the book. Inside, he found page after page of beautifully written characters.

Compared with the writing in the earlier handwritten copies,

these characters were not only clear,

but also contained very few errors.

They must have been written by his master himself!

The entire Corpse-Sewing Incense Manual was richly illustrated.

Beneath the illustrations were dense notes. Xu Feng skimmed through the manual, taking in most of it.

With secret methods like this, the greatest obstacle was getting hold of them. Now that he had one in hand, Xu Feng found it was not as mysterious as he had imagined.

Zhao Er did not stop him from leafing through it. Since he had given the book to his apprentice, he naturally meant for him to read it.

Xu Feng skimmed through it with a purpose: he was looking for a method.

Yet though he had learned something, none of his questions had been answered.

If anything, after reading the section on "Inquiry" in Inspection, Auscultation, Inquiry, and Palpation, he had even more questions.

Xu Feng sorted through his thoughts, saw that his master was in a good mood, and seized the opening. "Master, I won't let you down. This book truly is marvelous, with both diagrams and illustrations.

"Before I reached this part of my studies, I thought its nine incense patterns would be divided evenly: three auspicious, three ordinary, and three ominous.

"But now that I've seen it, there are only greater and lesser omens of ill fortune. There are no greater or middling omens of good fortune."

Zhao Er burst out laughing. Seeing how diligently his apprentice had worked these past few days had softened even his gloomy disposition, and he smiled more often now.

But because he had gone so long without smiling, Zhao Er still looked awkward when he did.

A little sinister, even.

He suspected nothing behind his apprentice's question and explained, "This incense manual is the main text for 'Inquiry' in Inspection, Auscultation, Inquiry, and Palpation.

"How could there be nine kinds of fortune and misfortune?

"You can call them nine kinds, but once you get to the heart of it, only two are truly useful to you.

"Lesser ill fortune and an unfulfilled wish. They sound different, but both are signs that let you ward off calamity.

"Learn those two, and you'll have nothing to fear on the path of corpse sewing."

With that, he patted Xu Feng on the shoulder. "Come on. Put the book down and let's eat. You'll have plenty of time to read afterward."

Xu Feng had no choice but to stop.

He was much like he had been during the years when he had pushed himself hardest.

His whole being had that air of someone as hungry for learning as others were for beauty. Every part of him was a bowstring pulled taut, aimed only forward!

The two of them offered incense before the Land God at the communal shrine, dragged the door shut and locked it, then headed for Luoyin County.

This was Xu Feng's second time going out. The first time, he had no idea how he had left; he only remembered how he had returned.

Uncle Liu the executioner had brought him back.

This time, he went out with his master.

They followed the official road, but even there, they saw hardly anyone.

Xu Feng kept hearing strange noises nearby. When he looked back, he saw something between a wolf and a dog trailing them from afar.

"Master, there's a wolf behind us."

His master had noticed it long ago. "Never mind. It's eaten corpses and children, so it's gone feral. But it's broad daylight, and we're on an official road. It won't be a problem."

At that, Xu Feng looked back once more.

He thought, too, of how he had seen a ghost in broad daylight.

"Master, are these bad times?"

His master said, "Worse than bad. When ghosts show up in broad daylight, how could times be good? And this is daytime. Come dusk or night, you won't even know whether the thing you meet is human or ghost.

"If the Land God didn't protect our shrine, wolves would raid our home at night.

"Even if you run into a wolf, there's no need to fear. Wolves are cunning beasts. Unless you meet a pack, even a lone traveler won't usually be attacked.

"What you really need to fear on the road are wild dogs and boars.

"Once those beasts have eaten corpses and then tasted human flesh, their eyes turn red. Nothing can stop them after that!"

His master's voice grew heavy, and Xu Feng fell silent.

Only when the rammed-earth walls of Luoyin County came into view did Xu Feng suddenly speak. "Master, now that we've left the shrine, saying this here shouldn't be disrespectful to the Land God.

"Something I read has left me with a question. I'd like to ask you about it."

His master said, "You brat, what could you possibly need to hide from me? Go ahead and ask! Two days of reading, and you're already talking like a bookish little scholar!"

"Do we corpse sewers have methods for fighting ghosts and gods?" Xu Feng asked.

Zhao Er looked at his apprentice. "Of course we do."

"Then can I learn them?"

Zhao Er laughed and scolded him. "You brat, you haven't even learned to walk, and you already want to run!

"Master corpse sewing first!

"When you've learned all my skills in corpse sewing, I'll teach you how to fight ghosts and gods."

Then his master added, "The highest good is like water. What is too rigid breaks easily. Methods for subduing ghosts are only the surface. If you want to grasp what lies beneath, you still have a great deal to learn.

"Learning corpse sewing takes more than teaching your hands to stitch a corpse!"

There was a deeper meaning to his words, but he realized his apprentice would not understand it yet. He waved a hand and changed the subject. "Enough of that. Let's eat!"

"All right!"

His master's answer had reassured Xu Feng.

But it also pulled even tighter on the bowstring already taut inside him!

Time waited for no one!

Of course, he still had to eat, no matter how much he needed to study.

They entered a restaurant marked by a hanging banner. It was bare-bones, without even a menu. A single pot sat by the entrance, boiling something or other while the fire beneath it licked endlessly at its base.

The rich aroma wafting from it was advertisement enough!

His master ordered a pork knuckle with broth for dipping, a plate of seasonal vegetables, and dark-flour buns. "Eat up. When you're done, come with me to an herbal medicine shop."

Xu Feng nodded. When the food arrived, he wolfed it down.

This body belonged to a growing boy, at the age when his appetite could eat his father out of house and home.

He dipped the dark-flour buns in the meat broth and swept through the meal like a whirlwind clearing clouds.

Zhao Er stopped after a couple of bites and watched Xu Feng eat with a grin.

He even poured him a bowl of water, laughing as he scolded, "Slow down, brat. Don't choke!"

But after a few more bites, Zhao Er turned his gaze toward the street.

He waited for his apprentice to finish.

As he watched the people passing by, his brow suddenly furrowed. His eyes followed two men walking down the street.

He paid little attention to the man leading the way.

But he recognized the one following behind: a Householder Daoist.

Householder Daoists practiced their religion at home for various reasons, though over time the term had come to cover a rather mixed lot.

This man, for instance, was a local "master." His practices owed more to shamanic arts than to Daoist arts. What Zhao Er could not understand was this:

Why had the Qian Family summoned this Householder Daoist?