An Unannounced Arrival Was Also an Opportunity

When Chen Hai entered the room, he found Chen Cuo face-to-face with a pig.

"Where did that pig come from?"

He stared, dumbfounded, unable to make sense of it.

"What other news is there?" Chen Cuo gave a light cough, straightened up, and turned to ask.

Only then did Chen Hai snap out of it. He hurriedly handed over another article.

Chen Cuo took it and read—

"When my friend and I heard this new tale, we first marveled at how vividly its characters came to life. Then we noticed the story's many turns, each unexpected yet entirely fitting..."

"...The language seems plain, yet it carries a rich atmosphere, with the suggestive spaces of poetry that leave even more to the imagination. Better still, its words pass from the storyteller's mouth into the streets and alleys. What stronger proof of their power could there be?"

"The Painted Skin appears strange and fantastical, seemingly little different from tales of marvels past. But its meaning is different, nothing like the hollow work Lu Le claims it to be. Quite the contrary: its vision looks down from a lofty vantage, encompassing everything from affairs between two nations to dealings between two people!"

The article rebutted Lu Le point by point, then went on to offer its own appraisal.

But in its final paragraph, it abruptly changed tack and declared outright: "Lu Le's words are biased and cutting! His so-called reflections are closer to groaning over an illness he does not have. Never mind his few criticisms conjured from thin air—even in his commentary, he repeatedly brings up three or five articles of his own. His purpose could not be more obvious! He tears down a fine work to praise his own, then gathers a crowd to call a deer a horse in support of him. Shameless!"

Excellent!

Chen Cuo nodded repeatedly. The writer had come out openly against Lu Le, and his prose was sharp, sparing him not a whit. Every word was a knife thrust, fierce indeed!

Then Chen Cuo frowned. The article had mentioned the tale spreading through the streets and alleys. The farther it spread, the stronger the Evil Ghost would undoubtedly become—and the harder it would be to deal with.

“I need to master the Incense Offering Method as soon as possible. Once I grasp the Incense Method, however powerful the Evil Ghost grows, it'll be nothing but an Image. It'll merely be holding the Incense and Human Thought for me!”

With that, Chen Cuo made up his mind. He glanced at the Little White Pig crouched in the corner, already forming a plan.

After Chen Hai finished speaking, he could not help looking toward that corner too. The white pig lay on the floor, perfectly at ease, with a green turtle perched on its head.

Has my lord grown tired of eating vegetarian food after two days at the temple? Did he bring these two here to give his teeth a taste of meat?

Chen Cuo's voice pulled him back from the thought.

"Who wrote this article?"

Though Chen Cuo did not want the article to spread far and wide, he still felt warmly toward whoever had spoken up for him out of Righteousness.

"Jiang Yi of the Jiang Household," Chen Hai answered quickly, gathering his thoughts. "He's a good friend of the Gentleman of the Zhang Household, and his father is a high official at court!"

After that introduction, he paused, then added, "But in my humble opinion, Young Master Jiang didn't speak up because of his private friendship with Gentleman Zhang. He truly likes your work. There are plenty of people like him in Jiankang City. Before long, more will surely speak the plain truth!"

To prove his point, Chen Hai offered an example. "Take the guests staying at the Foot of the Mountain. At first, a few were misled and echoed a couple of Lu Le's remarks, but Wang Jin, Tao Bo, and the others immediately argued with them on the merits! Then Young Master Jiang's article arrived, right on the heels of Lu Le's nonsense. Young Master Jiang must have found his drivel unbearable! Afterward, everyone at the foot of the mountain came to understand. Even the muddleheaded few changed banners, and together they all denounced Lu Le!"

Jiang Yi.

Chen Cuo committed the name to memory, then said, "Keep looking into it and find out what's happening. If anything changes, report back at once!"

"Yes, my lord!" Feeling entrusted with an important task, Chen Hai turned to leave in high spirits.

"Wait." Chen Cuo called him back. "Speak to the temple and have them prepare some food and bring it over shortly. Remember, no large cuts of meat."

Chen Hai suspected nothing. He had heard requests like this far too often. His lord's stomach was practically a bottomless pit; it would have been stranger if he did not eat several times a day.

Once Chen Hai had gone, however, Chen Cuo said to the Little Pig, "I don't know what you prefer to eat. Being at a temple, I can't offer much hospitality, but if you need anything, just say so."

"Food doesn't suit my taste!" The Little Pig shook its head, giving him no quarter. "What I like best is Incense! What else could satisfy my Five Viscera Temple?"

"Squeak, squeak, mutter, mutter!" The Little Turtle immediately piped up.

The Little Pig froze at the sound, then scratched its head with a hoof and muttered, "Been here a while and forgot myself." It raised its head and glared fiercely at Chen Cuo. "Let's speak plainly. I want to eat Incense!"

Chen Cuo's expression did not change, but his suspicions had grown much clearer. He smiled. "I see. No wonder you two appeared here. But the Incense clinging to me is tied to something dangerous and vicious. You would do well not to set your sights on it."

"Squeak, squeak, mutter, mutter!" the Little Turtle said.

The Little Pig sneered. "Don't try to fool me. You can't throw sand in my eyes!"

Chen Cuo said no more. He extended a finger toward the Little Pig.

The Little Pig backed away warily until it reached the wall. "What are you doing?"

"No harm intended," Chen Cuo said with a smile. "I only want to prove what I said. With your abilities, I'm sure you'll see it for yourself."

"Of course I will!" The Little Pig promptly held its head high.

The Little Green Turtle cried out repeatedly, but the Little Pig ignored it.

Chen Cuo touched the pig's head with one finger.

Then his thoughts turned. He pictured the Evil Ghost's Image and recalled how he had felt, and what he had seen, when he faced it that day!

In an instant, a vicious, terrifying emotion took shape in Chen Cuo's heart, accompanied by a faint image of the Evil Ghost. It surged out from that indistinct ghostly face and, through his touch, entered the Little Pig's mind!

"Oink!"

The Little Pig's bristles stood on end, and both its ears shot upright!

Chen Cuo withdrew his finger and silently took stock.

He had only just learned this way of conveying emotion and a trace of intent. It came from touching the Facial Mask in the Dream Marsh; only with that experience and his partial grasp of the Out-of-Body Method could he use it.

The Little Pig panted a few times before finally recovering, though it still looked shaken. It gazed at Chen Cuo with pity in its eyes and shook its head. "Oh, I see. You're not some great tonic—you're a sacrifice. No wonder so much Incense clings to you. An evil god has its eye on you. Oink. Tragic, tragic, tragic. Well, we won't bother you, then. Wait for death in peace. Let's go."

With that, the Little Pig glanced at the Little Turtle and made to leave.

"..."

Chen Cuo's eyelid twitched. He smiled and said, "Wait a moment, you two. Why not eat before you go? Otherwise, I'd be a poor host."

As he finished speaking, several Young Novice Monks came in carrying large basins and small bowls. They paused at the sight of the pig and turtle, but soon recovered, set down the food, and withdrew.

Chen Cuo lifted the lids, and the aroma of the dishes drifted through the room.

The Little Pig said it wanted none, yet it was drawn over all the same. Without waiting for Chen Cuo to coax it, it began wolfing the food down.

"Oh, that smells wonderful!"

The Little Turtle gave a couple of soft cries and tucked itself behind the Little Pig.

Seeing this, Chen Cuo brought it a little food.

The Little Turtle approached cautiously and eventually began to eat as well.

For a while, the room was filled with the sound of chewing.

Chen Cuo watched with a nod, making his calculations.

These two uninvited guests might prove crucial to laying his foundation. He still needed to think it through, though, and could not afford to let down his guard.

Still, the mask in my mind has almost taken shape. I've been finding my own way, but the Young Daoist gave me guidance first, and Huizhi later helped refine it. It isn't as though I've strayed entirely from the path. What I lack is a concrete method for putting it to work.

At that thought, Chen Cuo glanced again at the article in his hand, and something occurred to him.

"Strange." He frowned. "The malice in Lu Le's article leaped off the page and became nourishment for the Facial Mask. Why did this article praising me produce nothing? Was Jiang Yi not sincere? Or do thoughts carried in words only provoke a response when they bear negative emotions?"

He shook his head and looked back at the pig and turtle. Recalling everything he had learned over the past two days, he considered how to ask them for guidance.

He made a few remarks as though chatting idly, and with each exchange, his pleasant surprise grew.

As it turned out, the pig and turtle had come from a River Dragon King Temple. By chance, they had come into being alongside the Temple Dragon King's clay statue, gaining the ability to take in and breathe out Incense. That was how they had become what they were today.

This only strengthened Chen Cuo's resolve.

This might be my opportunity! But Huizhi and the Buddhist scriptures both say that such bonds of fate involve cycles of cause and effect. There's sense in that. They may not be human, but if I want to take something from them, I ought to give something in return. I'll have to think it over.

At that thought, he calmed down and sorted through his ideas.

Meanwhile...

In the front hall, the Curly-Bearded Daoist sat brazenly before the Buddha with a Peachwood Sword on his back. He pulled out his Wine Gourd and took a hearty swig.

"Drinking before the Buddha—that hits the spot!"

Many Monks and novices stood nearby, furious but not daring to speak.

At last, Huizhi, the Guest-Master Monk, stepped forward and pressed his palms together. "Daoist, this is a solemn place, after all. Please..."

"Hm?" The Curly-Bearded Daoist had been waving him off. He gave Huizhi a casual glance, about to say something, but his expression changed. "You've reached the full measure of Transcendence? How did you do it so quickly?"