"Bian Que Visits Duke Huan of Cai" was also a key exam text in the nine-year compulsory education curriculum.
The story went like this: Bian Que was chatting with Duke Huan of Cai when he noticed that the duke had a minor illness. He said, "You are ill. It is on the surface of your skin. If left untreated, it may become a serious illness."
Duke Huan of Cai said unhappily, "I'm not ill."
A few days later, Bian Que went to see Duke Huan of Cai again and said, "You are ill. It has already spread into your muscles and blood vessels. If left untreated, I'm afraid it will get worse."
Duke Huan of Cai said unhappily, "I'm not ill."
A few more days passed, and Bian Que went before Duke Huan of Cai again. "You are ill. It has already reached your internal organs. If left untreated, it will get worse."
Duke Huan of Cai said unhappily, "I'm not ill."
A few more days passed. When Bian Que saw Duke Huan of Cai, he ran away without saying a word.
Puzzled, Duke Huan of Cai sent someone to ask Bian Que why he had stopped saying that he was ill.
Bian Que said, "Duke Huan of Cai's illness has already entered his bone marrow. He's under the jurisdiction of the King of Hell's subordinates now. There's nothing I can do!"
Later, when Duke Huan of Cai fell ill, he sent people to find Bian Que, but they could not locate him.
Bian Que had already fled to another state.
And so Duke Huan died.
Why had the old Taoist suddenly asked about this?
I could not make sense of it no matter how hard I tried, and stared at him in confusion.
The old Taoist gave a sleazy little chuckle. "Do you think Duke Huan of Cai might have been angered to death?"
"Angered to death?" I rolled my eyes at him and asked, baffled, "By whom? Bian Que?"
"Exactly, exactly!" The old Taoist's eyes lit up. "Think about it. You're perfectly fine, and suddenly someone calling himself a miracle doctor keeps showing up every few days, telling you, 'You're ill. You're ill. You're ill.'
"Wouldn't that drive you mad?"
The old Taoist's absurd reasoning annoyed me so much that I laughed. "Now that you mention it, that really would be pretty irritating."
"Hahahaha!" The more I thought about it, the funnier it became. "Duke Huan of Cai was angered to death by Bian Que? That's hilarious. Hahaha!"
Little Bun was doubled over with laughter too, unable to stop.
What a take!
I asked the old Taoist, "Rather than saying Bian Que angered him to death, why not say ghosts came to claim his life and took him away?"
A keen light flashed in the old Taoist's eyes. He nodded repeatedly and praised me. "That's my good disciple. You've got real insight."
I laughed so hard that tears almost came to my eyes.
Little Bun, however, had stopped laughing.
Because she was confused again...
"Why would ghosts come to claim his life? Where did the ghosts come from?" she asked, looking adorably puzzled.
Still laughing, I explained, "Originally, Tian Wu's older brother Tian Shan was the ruler of Tian Qi. Tian Wu first killed his older brother, then killed his brother's son, Tian Xi. Only then did he take the throne and become Duke Huan of Tian Qi."
"Oh!" Little Bun chimed in. "So by ghosts claiming his life, you mean his brother and nephew bore a grudge after he killed them, turned into ghosts, and came back for revenge?"
I smiled. "Yes. I was only joking."
The old Taoist, on the other hand, grew serious.
He returned to his solemn demeanor and sighed softly. "All things have their causes and conditions.
"Why does a person fall ill?
"From a dietary perspective, you could say it is because of a nutritional imbalance.
"From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, you could say it is because their vital energy is insufficient, allowing external pathogenic influences to invade.
"From the perspective of Western medicine, you could say it is because of a bacterial or viral infection.
"From the perspective of Taoist medicine, you could say it is because their qi has stagnated and cannot flow freely.
"From the perspective of shamanic medicine, you could say an evil spirit is claiming their life.
"From a Buddhist perspective, you could say it is the manifestation of karma.
"Many different schools offer these seemingly unrelated conclusions from different perspectives. Yet countless connections may lie behind them, as they attempt to express the same truth."
I listened quietly, carefully pondering the old Taoist's words.
Much of what the old Taoist said made me feel as though my brain's CPU was inadequate, unable to process the information effectively in real time.
"In time, as you encounter different opportunities and circumstances, you'll come to understand more deeply." The old Taoist nodded, bringing the topic to a close.
Then he said solemnly, "So the first lesson we must remember from 'Bian Que Visits Duke Huan of Cai' is this: a teacher does not teach merely because he happens to pass by, a physician does not knock uninvited, methods are not lightly taught, and the Way is not sold cheaply.
"Bian Que violated the great taboo against a physician knocking uninvited.
"You must remember: only when someone asks for your help may you intervene.
"If someone has not come to you of their own accord, never rush to help them.
"Being too eager to instruct others will only have the opposite effect."
I bared my teeth in a grin and summed it up. "Master, does that mean: respect other people's destinies, let go of the compulsion to help, and avoid getting carried away by your own good intentions?"
The old Taoist gave an inscrutable smile and said nothing.
Little Bun asked tentatively, "'The Way is not lightly taught, and methods are not sold cheaply'-does that mean you have to pay when you ask someone to look into supernatural matters and things like that?"
I knew that was not what the old Taoist meant, because I had never paid him either.
Little Bun and I stared straight at him, waiting to hear what he would say.
The old Taoist considered for a moment. "Payment is only an outward form.
"Being willing to give up something precious to you is one way of demonstrating your sincerity.
"It is not limited to how much money you give.
"For some people, even if they give you money, they may not have offered much sincerity at all.
"For others, they may only scrape together a tiny sum, but that money is what they depend on for their basic survival.
"Sincerity is the foundation."
The old Taoist looked at me with a faint smile. Knowing that I still had doubts, he explained, "The eyes are the windows to the soul. The light shining in your eyes when you first met me was your earnest heart.
"Together with your unusual destiny and your devotion to the Way and deep virtue, that is why I accepted you as my disciple."
I understood what he meant. "Master, is this what the Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon says:
"'If one receives it and divulges it, Heaven will spurn him.
"'I wish to receive it and understand it, to keep it in a golden cabinet, not daring to disclose it.'"
The old Taoist nodded with great approval. "That is precisely what I mean.
"If someone obtains the arts of the Great Way but fails to respect them, teaching them carelessly and selling them cheaply, they trample upon the Way. Heaven, too, will spurn such a person.
"My lifelong wish is to treasure these secret methods and not lightly profane them, to find those with whom I share a destined connection and pass them on so they may flourish.
"Only by making the Great Way flourish, allowing more kindhearted people to receive it, benefit from it, and respect it, can we leave those who deceive others under the guise of occult arts with nowhere to hide."
As the old Taoist grew impassioned, tears seemed to glimmer in his eyes.
Moved by my master's noble aspiration, a sense of reverence slowly rose within me as well.
I carefully smoothed out the book the old Taoist had given me.
Although I had no "golden cabinet" to keep it in, I still found a clean cloth, wrapped it around the book several times, and only then placed it in my backpack.
Before you continue