Chapter 33: The Circle and the Ghost Market

Borrowing life? If it were me in the past, I would have said yes without hesitation, but now I would never consider borrowing life. The reason is simple. I don’t even have enough life of my own. My obsession is Kunlun, my master. I don’t know how much time I would have to spend on such a vague and intangible thing. I can’t allow my life to be spent on borrowing life from others.

Besides, I don’t want to lend my life to this girl. That would only prolong her suffering. That’s what I think, and of course I won’t say that to Master Liu.

So, after a moment of silence, I said, “I’m going to the ghost market. What do you need me to do?”

Master Liu seemed to have anticipated my answer, and said, “Going to the ghost market is of course the best. The reaction to borrowing someone else’s life for my daughter is still very strong. Look at her, she is now sleeping with so much cotton padding, and her body hurts. Even with a thick quilt, she still feels cold. Let’s go to the ghost market and get something back.”

I of course know that life cannot be borrowed indiscriminately. It is not too bad for a father to give his daughter his life, after all, the bond between father and daughter is quite deep, and this kind of giving is not too contrary to the way of heaven. How can someone else’s life be borrowed indiscriminately? At least the eight characters of one’s life are very particular, in order to minimize the adverse consequences of borrowing life.

Although Master Liu has been doing business here for many years, he has only been in contact with Taoists. Who among the Taoists does not know the principle that lending 10 years of life to others will only last for a year at most? Putting this aside, the true Taoist’s pursuit is to be metaphysical. If one’s own life is not enough, why would one lend it to others?

Or if there is really an emergency and he has to borrow, the choice is limited, so Master Liu has no room to pick someone else’s horoscope. Therefore, his daughter was bitten back and became like this after nine years.

I guess he himself couldn’t borrow it. At the age of 59, he looked even more decrepit than a decrepit old man. What would happen to his daughter if he borrowed it and then died? Just thinking about the consequences makes me feel very painful.

In the end, he dared not lend his life to strangers, and the retribution for lending someone else’s life unwillingly was shocking. Unless he wanted him and his daughter to be pigs and dogs for ten lifetimes and never be able to turn over! Although these things are vague, Taoists are all taboos.

As my master told me, we should have respect for all things to maintain our own goodness, and we should also have fear of all things to restrain our own behavior.

I don’t know what Master Liu is going to exchange for, and my understanding of the ghost market only goes back to the scene many years ago. Master told me some things, so I said, “Master Liu, there is no problem going to the ghost market, but I only know that the ghost market used to be right in front of your house. Now I don’t know where the ghost market is.”

When Master Liu heard me say this, he actually showed a surprised expression on his face. He was silent for a long time before saying, “Your master has protected you very well. I’m afraid you haven’t really come into contact with anyone in the industry for so many years, have you?”

I was stunned. What Master Liu said was true. I thought back over the past 30 years of my life. Apart from knowing some people in the department, apart from our family, Master Hui, etc., I really haven’t met any insiders. I’ve lived a rather lonely life.

But is this called protection?

I suddenly felt that I had a lot of questions to ask Master Liu, because I also suddenly remembered a past event. Uncle Li had vaguely mentioned some rules within the circle in his office meeting, so this circle really exists.

Because I had so many questions, I didn’t know where to start. Master Liu, however, stood up unsteadily and said, “Forget it, forget it. Let’s go to my room and talk. You are also half a fool. I hope your master won’t blame me. You and I are here by fate, each with our own needs.”

At this point, I walked over to help Master Liu, and finally couldn’t help but ask, “Why would my master blame you?” I couldn’t help but ask this question in a hurry because I couldn’t calm down when my master was mentioned.

Master Liu looked at me, chuckled twice, and then said, “Let’s talk in the room.”

Finally, Master Liu and I sat down in the room again, still across the table, but this time the distance was undoubtedly much closer. The more I talked to Master Liu, the more I felt that I needed to know too much. I sat down like this, and for a while I didn’t know how to start.

“What do you think a Taoist is?” Master Liu suddenly broke the silence and asked me an inexplicable question.

What do I think a Taoist is? I really don’t know how to answer this question. Do I have to answer that they are guys who uphold justice? Well, if I would have answered like this before I was 10 years old, now that I have been in business for so many years, it really isn’t the case.

But Master Liu didn’t need an answer from me. He tapped the table with his finger and said, “What is a Taoist? Before they achieve transcendence, they are all human. Humans have complex human nature, so Taoists also have human strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, the circle of Taoists is also the circle of humans. Since it is a circle of humans, there must be good and bad. To put it more abstractly, some people walk the righteous path, and some walk the evil path. In short, there are three thousand paths, all of which are Tao. As long as you achieve Tao, you can be a Taoist. Do you understand what I mean?”

“I understand.” I said with a heavy look.

“That’s good. Your lineage is too righteous, and you have followed the most righteous path. Therefore, I said that your master should not blame me for letting you get in touch with the circle. What kind of people are there in the circle? Metaphysics, metaphysics, this is too vague. It’s always good to live a few more years. It’s a very realistic goal. So the goal is there, and does the means matter? At least many people think it doesn’t. To put it simply, once you get in the circle, you will also know that the true face of many Taoist priests is nothing more than that. Master Liu said lightly, and after saying this, he suddenly laughed twice and said to me, “Do you think I look like a righteous man? I’m afraid I’m not as good as an ordinary righteous person, huh?

I was silent. Perhaps Master really protected me too well. If it weren’t for my experience in business over the past few years, I’m afraid that Master Liu’s words today would be enough to overturn some of my worldviews, because I would have believed that the Tao that Master spoke of, the Tao of the heart, is the Tao of all Taoists, the Tao of all Taoists.

Perhaps this is also the intention of the master that year to let me sink and swim in society for three years in a hurry. He always said that he didn’t have enough time. At that time, his decision was that he didn’t have enough time, and his apprentice was still so immature.

“I’m not as fragile as you think. How others practice Taoism doesn’t affect me.” I finally said this.

“I hope so. You people are all so stubborn. You should think carefully before saying these things. I want you to go to the ghost market. You can’t avoid it, and you will come into contact with the circle. I still have to give you a precaution, don’t I? You ask me where the ghost market is? Did it used to exist at my door? Is it called the ghost market?” Master Liu smiled again after he finished speaking, and that smile seemed a bit strange.

“Isn’t that called the ghost market?” I suddenly felt like an idiot, as if I didn’t understand anything.

“What is the real ghost market, where ordinary people trade with ordinary ghosts? In my opinion, it is nothing more than a small trick where some people pray to Buddha and some to ghosts. I think your master knows this very well. The ghost market for people in our circle is the real ghost market. There, as long as you can afford the price, you can almost find what you want. Wealth and glory are not a dream. Does it sound strange? Master Liu leaned forward and then stared at me with burning eyes, like a witch in a fairy tale who tempts people with a poisoned apple.

My heart began to beat violently. If I can find what I want, can I also find clues to Kunlun?

“Don’t think about Kunlun. The Ghost Market is not omnipotent.” Master Liu seemed to see through my thoughts.

I swallowed a mouthful of saliva and said, “It’s very mysterious. Where is the ghost market?” Is it still in Tianjin?

“Where? There is no fixed place, but it must be a remote place far from people. You’re lucky, the ghost market only opens once every six months. It’s been more than five months, and there will be a ghost market for insiders next month. You won’t have to wait too long.” Master Liu said lightly.

It turns out that there is no fixed place. No wonder ordinary people don’t know about such a ghost market. I have a faint expectation in my heart, but I don’t know what I’m looking forward to.

At this time, the strange woman called Qiqi by Master Liu entered the house.