Macau, the Four-Vertical, Five-Horizontal Secret Incantation Method

"... You mean, you chased a strange fish from the Spirit Realm all the way into the mountains, and didn't encounter anyone else for a whole month, without even thinking of borrowing someone's phone to let us know you were safe?"

After hearing Chu Tianshu's explanation, Lin Baisui remained silent for a while before asking this question.

Upon hearing his question, Chu Tianshu suddenly realized the flaw in his previous statement.

That's just Jiangning, not some remote mountainous region in Sichuan, Yunnan, or Guizhou.

Even if you were too busy before catching fish, didn't you ever think of calling to let them know you were safe afterward?

And he wasn't discovered until he had already returned home.

"It seems that it was indeed a good fish."

Lin Baisui laughed again before he could reply.

"After you finished eating, you must have felt an immediate improvement in your ailment, which is why you were so happy that you forgot to call us."

Good grief, you're making excuses for me yourself.

Chu Tianshu couldn't help but smile, "That was indeed a good fish. Thanks to it, I also found several manuals and magical artifacts in a hidden cave over there."

"The manual was said to have been created by people from the Ming Dynasty, and it seems that it was passed down to the Republic of China era, where someone took it to that cave and left it there."

"When I have time later, I'll write it down on my phone and send it to you. You can see if there's anything suitable for you to learn."

Lin Baisui said happily, "Great! I've been accumulating merit points, thinking of buying some advanced inheritances from the Special Investigation Bureau Division's armory. If you have any suitable ones here, I can save the money to buy other things."

"By the way, are you selling this? If so, I'll encrypt it for you as soon as you send it over."

Chu Tianshu said, "If I let you learn it, you can still sell it?"

"Of course."

Lin Baisui said, "Even if I've seen it all, as long as I don't share it casually, I can still help you put it on the internal website for sale."

Chu Tianshu suddenly realized, "I was so angry just now that I didn't even think of such a simple thing."

Lin Baisui asked curiously, "Angry?"

Chu Tianshu for a moment, then said, "Someone broke in and stole the original copy of the ' Annotations on Ghost Gate Witch Medicine ' manual."

The phone suddenly went silent.

A moment later, two deep breaths came from the other side.

"Who the hell..."

Lin Baisui paused, then took another deep breath. "Do you... have any leads on the thief?"

Of all the things Grandpa Chu left behind, this book was the one he cherished most during his lifetime.

The knowledge in the manual has already been learned, and there are multiple copies. Even if sold as antiques, the price might not be too shocking.

But the significance of this book goes beyond that.

Leaving the secret manual in that room was almost a tacit agreement to maintain the state of affairs as if Grandpa Chu were still alive.

Chu Tianshu said he was so angry he was a little stunned, and he wasn't joking. He naturally understood Brother Baisui's anger.

"His name is Kong Wenju, a sorcerer from a neighboring village who deals in antiques and collectibles. Besides stealing our family's secret manual, he also stole from several other collectors. He has already fled to another city, and the municipal bureau has opened a case."

"It's him?!"

Lin Baisui said, "I've seen him a few times, that bastard."

"Perfect timing. The perpetrator was also a sorcerer. Our Special Investigation Bureau and the Police Bureau in the Jianghuai Greater Region have already coordinated. I request to borrow information about this case."

He hung up the phone first.

Chu Tianshu waited in the car.

A moment later, Chief Lin got into the car and wiped the sweat from his forehead with a tissue.

"This person is truly ruthless; he stole so many good things at once."

Chief Lin shook his head and said, "This house is so nice, and he owns a shop and isn't short of money. I really don't understand."

"Tianshu, the criminal has already run away with what he stole. I'm sorry there's nothing I can do to help you."

Chu Tianshu shook his head and said, "It's alright. Now that the case has been filed, I believe it will be solved."

Chief Lin laughed and drove them back.

When Chu Tianshu got home, he plugged in his phone to charge and started writing down the secret manual while it was charging.

Second Master Chu sat at the table waiting for a phone call.

"Second Grandfather."

Chu Tianshu said, "One of the secret manuals I obtained this time is a spell, which is definitely more profound than your feng shui inheritance..."

Second Master Chu shook his head and waved his hands repeatedly. "No, no, no, I already heard you mention that on the phone."

"But in the past two years, I'd rather stay home listening to tapes of opera and spacing out than practice any cultivation techniques. I don't even use my own feng shui skills anymore. You want me to learn something else? Forget it."

Chu Tianshu said, "Practicing martial arts is quite interesting."

You're talking about practicing skills, not cultivating.

Second Master Chu suddenly asked, "Have you successfully mastered martial arts as well?"

Chu Tianshu nodded.

"Hahaha, our Old Chu family has produced a genius too!"

Second Master Chu borrowed a phrase from Lin Baisui, "It seems that it was truly a fine fish."

"But I practice martial arts so that I can live a good life. I'm already this old, and the good life I want now is to take walks, eat, chat idly, and watch TV."

"You're still young, you haven't practiced enough, but when I was young, I practiced more than enough."

Chu Tianshu said helplessly, "I understand."

Second Master Chu added, "The TV dramas these days are all incredibly good. You can watch them on your computer without having to wait around. You can watch whichever one you want. They're great stuff; you can watch them multiple times."

Chu Tianshu thought to himself.

What if one day all TV dramas are terrible?

Second Grandpa might get bored again and want to meditate and cultivate himself.

However, since the beginning of the 21st century, television dramas have indeed sprung up like mushrooms after rain, full of vitality and flourishing.

At least for the next decade or so, we don't have to worry about a flood of bad dramas.

About two hours later, Lin Baisui called again.

"Fortunately, that guy didn't go abroad; he went to the island, to the Macau."

Lin Baisui said, "Because it was a case committed by a special individual, we have already notified the Macau Special Investigation Bureau, and they should send someone to assist in the investigation."

Chu Tianshu pondered, "Macau, that Oriental Casino?"

"I heard that place isn't very big, but it has a huge flow of people. Your Special Investigation Bureau Division must always feel like they don't have enough manpower. This isn't even a criminal case, how many people can they possibly assign to keep an eye on it?"

Lin Baisui said, "The Special Investigation Bureau in Macau actually has a relatively large number of personnel. Moreover, once a crime starts, it's hard to stop. He'll definitely commit another crime once he's in Macau, so the local authorities have to keep an eye on him."

Chu Tianshu simply said, "I want to go and see for myself."

"This..."

Lin Baisui hesitated for a moment, "Are you really alright?"

Chu Tianshu said, "I'm much stronger than before."

"Very well, Kong Wenju was no match for you anyway. You must get your master's things back."

Lin Baisui said, "A psychic with a clean record like yours could have assisted in the investigation in mainland China if you were interested, posing as a concerned citizen."

"It's a bit different in Macau; some places are even more convenient. I'll let you know and arrange for you to be listed as a temporary project consultant."

"But how do you plan to get there?"

Chu Tianshu said, "Isn't Macau in the sea? We'll take a car first, then a boat."

"Didn't you... ever think about airplanes?"

Lin Baisui sighed, "Besides, going there requires procedures like obtaining a Hong Kong and Macau travel permit."

"Fine, just take photos of your ID and everything else and send them to me, I'll help you with that."

Chu Tianshu, who wielded an iron fist during the Republic of China era, could only obsequiously obey his older brother's every word and action.

He's never ridden a high-speed train in his entire life, let alone an airplane.

I know absolutely nothing about these things.

Chu Tianshu finally asked, "How many days will it take to get these things done?"

"It's definitely much faster than you finding a way to get there yourself."

Lin Baisui said, "I'll do it as soon as possible, just wait."

Second Master Chu listened to the whole thing from the side, and several times he seemed about to speak but then stopped, but he didn't actually say anything.

He used to feel that his older brother had been a little too doting on his eldest Sunzi when he was alive.

A man who wants to establish his own school of thought has to make his own way in the world.

At that age, before they had learned much about psychic magic, they already had to work hard to support their families.

However, Chu Tianshu did have health problems in the past, which was worrying.

Now that the child's health has greatly improved, we should respect the child's own wishes.

What are you having for lunch?

Second Master Chu stood up and said, "The electric scooter is charged now, I'll go to the street to buy some. We'll eat together today."

Chu Tianshu looked up and thought for a moment, then said, "Then let's have Fengying's roast duck and roast chicken..."

Second Master Chu said, "One roast duck, one roast chicken, I understand. I'll also buy some peanuts and dried bean curd skin to go with the drinks."

"No."

Chu Tianshu quickly replied, "I mean, two roast ducks, one roast chicken, one box of salted duck, one box of beef, and one box of braised meatballs."

"Across from Fengying's house, there's a stall that sells vegetable pancakes and eggplant cakes, the vegetarian kind, three boxes of each, please."

Second Master Chu walked out with a suspicious look on his face, wondering if this kid was going to fill the refrigerator.

Two hours later, he held the small glass wine glass, staring blankly at the completely empty plastic box on the table.

"After eating that strange fish in the mountains, my appetite increased significantly."

Chu Tianshu patted his belly and contentedly stuffed the last piece of the python into his mouth.

That filling was made by mixing chives, broken glass noodles, sauce, and hot sesame oil together.

Wrap the dough into long strips using very pliable dough, coil them in a steamer, steam until cooked, and then cut them open.

It tastes fresh and fragrant when eaten hot, even better than meat. When it's cold, it gains a chewy texture, which is quite different from other dishes.

"Although the food in the mountains is fresh, after eating it too much, I still miss these seasonings."

When Second Master Chu saw that his belly hadn't bulged out, he shook his head, bought a small bottle of wine, and went home.

"Macau."

Before leaving, Second Master Chu remembered something and solemnly gave him some instructions.

"I heard gambling isn't prohibited over there, so you absolutely mustn't get involved in that stuff."

Chu Tianshu laughed and said, "I'm not interested in that."

Second Master Chu gave a few more instructions before finally leaving.

Chu Tianshu stacked the plastic boxes on the table together and threw them into the trash can.

The only thing truly suitable for my senior brother to practice is that set of magical techniques.

After sending the document, Chu Tianshu stopped what he was doing and went to the bamboo grove by the back door to practice his martial arts.

The bamboo in Hailing is all thin bamboo, not suitable for use as a target for fists and kicks.

Chu Tianshu practiced only in the open space between the back gate and the bamboo forest, practicing the Palm Thunder for four hours straight.

His steps seemed slow, but with each step he took, a sound came from his chest and abdomen.

After four hours of practice, he had stomped a deep Taiji symbol into the open space.

He walked for four hours straight, his footprints overlapping and connecting with each other around the border of the Taiji diagram.

Repeated stomping and downward force eventually made the border more than a foot deep.

The yin and yang eyes in the middle are of the same depth, but they are rounded and sunken, making it almost impossible to tell that they were made by a human foot.

It looks more like it was smashed by some kind of giant iron ball.

The wind rustled through the trees, but his sleeves seemed to emanate a different kind of wind from within his skin.

Her cuffs billowed wildly, like lotus blossoms at night.

Those were all manifestations of the outward vibrations of Immortal Force.

After practicing fist techniques, then practice magic techniques.

Magical techniques cannot be deduced from manuals; if you want to continue to enjoy their benefits, you still have to learn them yourself.

Chu Tianshu stood on the central arc of the Taiji diagram, his left hand extended in front of him, his right hand forming a mudra, with the tips of his thumb, ring finger, and little finger interlocked, and his index and middle fingers held together.

"Approaching!"

The core of "The Secret Incantations of Vertical and Horizontal" is what is commonly known as the Nine-Syllable Mantra.

Originally, this was a spell compiled by Ge Hong of the Eastern Jin and recorded in a book. It was recited when entering the mountains to Evil-Warding evil spirits, exorcise poisonous insects, snakes, and rats. It was believed that the Six Jia deities would secretly protect one, hence it was also called the "Secret Incantation of the Six Jia".

Later, during the mutual copying between Buddhism and Daoism, this mantra was mixed into a Buddhist esoteric text. Monks selected nine hand mudras and nine heart mantras from Buddhist scriptures and combined them with this nine-syllable mantra to promote and popularize it.

Especially among the people of overseas island nations, for a time, this mantra was almost as famous as "Namo Amitabha Buddha."

While the Nine-Syllable Mantra is not as prevalent in China, it has been adapted and improved upon by various masters throughout history, with different insights gained by military strategists, Confucianists, and scholars of the I Ching.

Coincidentally, it's the same as "Storming Shaolin".

This book, "The Secret Incantations of Vertical and Horizontal," was also written by people from the Ming Dynasty in Cai Shanjun's world.

Wang Yangming was a famous figure who integrated the teachings of Confucianism, military strategy, and Chan Buddhism, and founded the philosophy of mind.

According to the records in the Yi Province Military Academy, this Wang Yangming was also a person who practiced both magic and boxing.

Although the "Secret Incantations of Vertical and Horizontal" he created belongs to the category of magic arts, it also has a very subtle effect on harmonizing the body's Qi and blood, which is very beneficial for health preservation.

Even a simple sorcerer, after mastering this method, can remain youthful and look as young as a man in his seventies.

When practicing this method, the hand gestures sometimes resemble lotus flowers and sometimes swords.

When pronouncing the first character, make a horizontal hand gesture; for the second character, make a vertical stroke.

This process is repeated, resulting in nine characters, arranged in four vertical and five horizontal lines, resembling a corner of a chessboard drawn in mid-air.

The gestures are simple, but while pronouncing each word, Zhongdu visualize a series of scenes and various unusual signs on one's own body.

This secret method originates from the heart, allowing one to experience one's true nature. There is no need to forcibly suppress emotions; it naturally provides various methods for resolving and releasing them.

When Chu Tianshu practiced this technique, there wasn't a trace of the smile he had when he was with his second grandfather on his face.

There was only a chilling anger.

"Lin! Bing! Dou! Zhe!"

Why did you have to steal my grandfather's belongings from my house?

"All! Form ranks!"

You stole something, didn't you? You ran away first, didn't you?

I will chase after you and catch you with my own hands.

"Go! OK!!"