Chapter 142 Master Chen taught me various techniques
That night, the moon was bright and the stars were sparse.
I picked out four cartons of high-end cigarettes, two bottles of Moutai, and a red envelope worth 10,000 yuan. I took a taxi to Chen's house. The taxi stopped abruptly at the door.
Under the moonlight, I knocked on his door.
With a creak, the door opened.
Chen Er glanced at the gift in my hand, said nothing, and took me straight into the bedroom.
The bedroom is quite large and very clean. Besides a bed, a wardrobe and a pair of sofas.
Most people don’t have sofas in their bedrooms. His bedroom is like a studio, with a coffee table in the middle of the sofa.
"I'm the only one with the key to this house. Not even my wife can come in. I need to prepare the medicine here."
Oh - no wonder there is a single bed.
He walked to the cupboard, opened the big lock and the small lock, then took out a box and placed it on the coffee table.
He took out a packet of powder from the box. It was colorless and odorless. He said, "It can be turned into liquor."
He took out another packet: "Turn the liquor back into water."
Then take out a pack and turn it into sugar water. Then take out a bunch and turn them into various perfumes.
I was dazzled by the sight and asked, "How do you remember so much?"
He smiled and said, "You won't try them all at once, so bringing two or three is enough. Besides, you mix the medicine yourself, and I already know it by heart."
In about an hour, he demonstrated how to turn water into white wine, white wine into water, sugar water, sugar water back into water, and perfumes of various scents.
He was so quick that it was impossible to spot any flaws. For example, when he was turning the liquor into white wine, he had already put the colorless powder into the cup when he handed it to me.
I said, "Wait, you can't hold the cup, I'll find one myself."
He smiled slightly: "Okay."
I found a new cup. He taught me to say, "Slow down," and not to rush. I had to put the medicine in the cup the moment I lifted it.
I said, "You can't hold the cup."
He then taught me, "You can ask someone to hand you a cup, dip your finger in the water, and taste it first, and the medicine will be in. In short, you can find any excuse to drug someone, and your reason for drugging someone will be seen by others as a necessary procedure."
"It's called rhetoric." I understand.
"Yes, others think you are mysterious. With this premise, you can find any reason."
I thought, the so-called mysterious art is so simple.
Then he taught me hypnosis and introduced several acupoints that would make people fall asleep.
It took me half an hour to learn how to hypnotize myself.
He said, "Once you master this technique, you can move objects in a crowd without anyone noticing. Furthermore, when they regain consciousness, they won't even realize what they've seen. They'll still believe they've been awake all along. This period of time is called time folding."
After saying that, he stood up and took me to the backyard.
His backyard is quite large, planted with various flowers and plants. He pointed at them and told me what each one was used for. He explained that some plants were good for seeds, others for leaves, and still others for stems. He then dried them and ground them into powder.
I recorded his speech with my mobile phone and took pictures of the flowers and plants.
Chen Er led me to the main hall. He placed a square table on it, laid out offerings of fruit, and brought out a portrait. He said, "Let's follow the rules and perform the ceremony of apprenticeship."
He lit candles and incense sticks and gave me one.
I knew this etiquette by heart. Without needing his guidance, I took the incense stick, held it in both hands, and stood solemnly in front of the table.
Chen Ernian said, "Folk magic has different inheritances. I inherited it from Master Fang Qiang, who inherited it from Master Xu Yuan, who inherited it from Grand Tutor Qiao Chang. Those who are far away cannot be traced back. Now I am offering a portrait of the Grand Tutor, and I will display this art to Wan Shanhong. I hope Wan Shanhong will use this art to make a living and not deceive or cheat others. I hope you will just enjoy it as a fun thing in life and never stir up trouble.
Chen Lie, the fourth-generation disciple, has prepared some wine, fruits and vegetables and respectfully presents them to you. I would like to report this to you.
After saying this, he bowed once, then twice, then three times. I followed suit.
After the ceremony, I moved a chair, asked Chen Er to sit down, and knelt in front of him: "Master, please accept the three bows from your disciple Wan Shanhong." After the three bows, I presented the gift money.
He accepted it and helped me up.
The two of them sat down in the living room. Chen Er said, "Shanhong, I came back this time with the intention of passing on my skills to you. I was short and bullied when I was little, so I have a deep connection with your master. He's from another place, and it wasn't easy for him to survive in Wuxiang. Fortunately, he finally established a solid foundation."
You, too, are a stranger. You might be able to do some small business here, open a small shop, and be relatively safe. But if you want to make a name for yourself here, you'll need to possess a wide range of skills. I see you have a kind face and a good heart, so I want to teach you these little tricks. Showing off your skills in public can create a harmonious atmosphere and help you make friends. You can also be mysterious and make people afraid of you.
I nodded solemnly. "Thank you, Master. Shanhong is young and doesn't understand the dangers of the martial world. I'm fortunate to have met the Taoist priest, and now you. Once a teacher, always a father. I will keep your teachings in mind and act with caution."
Chen Er sighed, "Although I've taught you the method, you still have to practice it every day. You can get up every morning, fill a basin with clean water, put a thin piece of tofu in the water, and use two fingers to pick up the tofu until it comes out of the water without any sound, without any damage or breakage. Only then can it be presented to the public."
After practicing to this point, your fingers will be both strong and flexible. You can poke out someone's eyes with two fingers, or even take something out of the air."
After saying that, he brought a full basin of water, put in a piece of thin tofu, and before I could see clearly, the piece of tofu at the bottom of the water moved from his left hand to the palm of his right hand.
I clasped my fists and said, "Master, your skills are incredible. I admire you immensely."
He said, "I don't want to live alone. I came back specifically to thank you and your master. Tomorrow I will return to Guangxi."
I left the table and bowed again.
He stared at me and said, "You are not a creature of the pond. Wuxiang is just a temporary place."
"Why do you say that?"
"I've been around for a long time, so I've learned a little bit about physiognomy." He looked at me meaningfully for a long time without saying anything. After a while, he stood up and turned to leave.
After about four or five minutes, he brought out the box and said, "It's not safe to keep it at home. Take these and practice. Let's go."
He stood up slowly and waved to me.
People in the underworld are so resolute, they don't tolerate any hesitation or sentimentality. I picked up the box, bowed, and turned to leave.
Back at the studio, I suddenly remembered the last time Master Chen Er stood up, his hand waving unnaturally. Thinking back to when he said he was going back to Guangxi the next day, I felt a pang of pain in my stomach.
He didn't seem to be someone who would stay there for long. He was farther away from the sky and closer to the earth.
An unknown sadness spread throughout my body.
Looking back on the seven years since I came to Wuxiang, I have met three noble people in my life. The first is my master, the second is Mr. Xipo, and the third is Mr. Chen Erye.
But Mr. Chen said that I will definitely leave Wuxiang. Is that true?
I tossed and turned all night without sleep.
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