Volume 1 Chapter 113: Pu Tuan and Xuan Gui

  A pu tuo is a round, flat seat made of woven bulrushes. It was used by monks and others for sitting in meditation or kneeling in worship. Later, there were also pu tuos wrapped in silk brocade. There are many types, with the ones called hou yuan zuo having a hole in the middle and being ring-shaped. In places where bulrushes are not available, seats made of straw are also called pu tuo. In northern China, they are also made from corn stalk skins, and besides being called pu tuo, they are also known as pu dun.

  Lao Ding said that the best mat is made of wormwood, but Xuan Qi certainly didn't have the skill to weave it himself, so buying from a Buddhist statue store was the most convenient. Inside Panjiayuan there were also Buddhist utensil stores, with all sorts of Buddhist statues on display. As soon as they entered the house, Lao Ding began to sigh and lament that later generations were not making an effort, and that the native Chinese Taoist teachings were being done worse than foreign Buddhism, truly fulfilling the saying that foreign monks are good at reciting scriptures. After nearly a thousand years of oppression, Taoism became more and more embarrassing.

  Xuan Qi had just entered the door, and he didn't feel much about the disputes between Buddhism and Taoism. He was only staring at the Buddha statues in the temple, which were either majestic or adorned with treasures. Although he knew they were just clay figures, under Xuan Qi's heavenly insight, they seemed to have an inexplicable divine light. Xuan Qi was amazed and couldn't help but ask in a low voice: "Is it true that there are gods and Buddhas everywhere in this world?"

  The old Taoist snorted with his nose: "There are not so many gods and Buddhas, but only foolish men and women who have been deceived by rumors, turning some profound and mysterious masters into gods and Buddhas. As long as you continue on the path of cultivation, one day you will also become a god or Buddha in the mouths of foolish men and women."

  "If that's the case, why do I see a glimmer of divinity on these statues?" Xuan Qi was not only unenlightened but also more perplexed. If these statues were just cultivators, how could the divine light be explained?

  "That's because they're all still alive, and have gone to a higher-level world!" Old Turtle thought he should say something to Xuán Qí, or else he would always be like a frog in a well, looking up at the sky. So he continued: "The world we are in is just a very small, lowly world, and there are even more advanced worlds elsewhere. As long as you study hard and practice diligently, who knows, maybe one day you'll ascend to a higher-level plane, just like those other four people."

  Xuan Qi listened and nodded slowly, his eyes gleaming with a fierce light: "At the rate of my current cultivation, how much longer will it take for me to ascend?"

  "It's really hard to say!" Lao Ding knew that the path of cultivation was mysterious and unpredictable, and if one place was said to be bad, it might leave a heart demon in one's mind. So he said in a low voice: "As long as you practice diligently, you will ascend to heaven sooner or later. Now you need to refine your state of mind, reach the liquidization state, and then you can dual cultivate with the furnace tripod. In those days, Emperor Xuan Yuan also ascended to heaven with three thousand girls in broad daylight."

  Xuan Qi picked up a futon, and felt his heart hot with excitement. This was the right path, this was the correct direction. Following it would lead to success. Xuan Qi firmly believed he would succeed.

  Up to now, the big purchase of Pan's family has come to an end. A group of people sat in the car and rushed back. The two girls were still excited. When passing by the flower and bird market, Hong Qin deliberately slowed down and took a look at a pile of Shang Zhou three-color porcelain bottles.

  "Why don't we go to the flower and bird market for a stroll? The school gave me a small house, but it's too empty inside. I want to buy an aquarium and raise some fish." As a cultivator of the Tao, he also had high requirements for the feng shui of his living environment. A good dwelling needed to meet four conditions: having mountains, water, flowers, grass, trees, and fish. This is why some feng shui masters would advise people to install artificial mountains, ponds, plant flowers and grass, and raise fish in their homes, as these things can gather spiritual energy and change one's fate. The harmony of heaven and humanity, the natural order of the Tao.

  Hong Qian turned the steering wheel and went to the flower and bird market. Su Mingxue also wanted to buy a few pots of spider plants to change the air in her dormitory. So, after parking the car, everyone walked into the flower and bird market again.

  Lao Ding asked Xuan Qi: "What do you want to buy?"

  "I want to buy two fish tanks, raise some goldfish or dragon fish, and change the feng shui layout of my house. Then I'll buy a few pots of spider plants or lucky bamboo to gather some spiritual energy." Feng Shui is just an entry-level study for me, and what I've learned is only superficial knowledge, just scratching the surface.

  "Dracaena and bamboo can be bought, but as for goldfish and arowana, there's no need to buy them. Think carefully about the wealthy families of old who did feng shui, besides koi fish, what else was there?" Old Turtle became more and more like a good teacher, guiding with kindness.

  "What else?" Xuan Qi began to think hard, the images in his mind were like a fast-paced movie, flashing quickly and stopping abruptly. He thought of it, Xuan Qi's eyes lit up: "There's also the turtle, the big black turtle!"

  "You're quite clever, I'll give you that." The old tortoise chuckled and continued, "Do you know what role turtles play in human life? What kind of role do they have in the feng shui world?"

  Xuan Qi shook his head. In the profound and intricate study of Feng Shui, he was just a beginner. If Xuan Xue was a vast treasure mountain, Xuan Qi was merely a novice standing at the foot of the mountain, who had not yet entered the gate, so he did not know.

  The earliest human writing appeared on turtle shells, known as oracle bones. The pictorial characters on the turtle shells were passed down through generations, enlightening human wisdom. In mysticism, turtles are also called "Xuan Gui" (Mysterious Turtles) due to their long lifespan. They are often used to improve Feng Shui, attract wealth and treasure, increase blessings and longevity, and enhance intelligence and social status.

  In ancient times, when a crane fell into an elder's courtyard, it was considered a auspicious sign, known as "Gui He Yan Nian" (Turtle Crane Extends Life). This is because the elder had already raised turtles, so the fallen crane was a good omen.

  The old tortoise continued to speak with pride: "Some emperors and generals would bury stone turtles with them after death, knowing that Xuan Gui can communicate with spirits and extend lifespan. They wanted these turtles to continue protecting their descendants, but they didn't dare use live turtles for burial. That's why in ancient tombs, there were chariot pits and human sacrifice pits, but never a Xuan Gui pit."

  "Ah, I see!" Xuan Qi understood and said in a low voice: "Then I'll buy a few fish tanks and some more turtles. Place them around the house to improve the feng shui." Compared to the entire mysterious and complicated world of Taoist magic, Xuan Qi was more curious about Feng Shui. A great Feng Shui master can bring ruin or prosperity with just a wave of their hand. A great Feng Shui master who can find the dragon's pulse and point out auspicious locations can bring good fortune to future generations, producing emperors, generals, and nobles. By borrowing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, the momentum of mountains and rivers, and the celestial movements of the dragon's pulse, a great Feng Shui master can bless all living things and change the fate of a nation. They can achieve what others dare not even imagine.

  Xuan Qi often fantasized that one day he would become a great Feng Shui master. And this path became increasingly clear, Xuan Qi believed that as long as he followed Lao Ding and his own innate talent, there would come such a day.

  "Buy more old turtles with age, don't buy those Brazilian turtles!" Old Turtle still insisted on being a pure breed, only allowing the purchase of Chinese turtles and not foreign ones. Along the way, he revealed another message: "Now that you've entered the Xuanmen, cultivating the Tao emphasizes Jing Qi Shen. Jing refers to essence, Qi refers to vital energy, and Shen refers to spirit. The further you go, your essence will gradually become insufficient, so you need to supplement it. Buy some old turtles with age, combine them with the spiritual energy of Fudi Dongtian, on the first and fifteenth days of each month, put two bowls of turtle blood on top, and drink it down at noon or midnight to replenish your gradually insufficient essence."

  Xuan Qi's eyes shone brightly, just like after using the Qi discerning technique multiple times that morning, Xuan Qi felt dizzy and lightheaded as if he had low blood sugar. Buying a turtle to drink its blood to replenish his essence was now imminent. Xuan Qi then took the two young women and walked towards the turtle vendor's stall.

  "Aren't you supposed to buy a fish tank and raise fish? Why did you run here to buy a turtle?" The little turtle in the glass tank crawled back and forth, looking silly and cute. Su Mengxue was puzzled, but her eyes were shining brightly.

  In the flower and bird market, most of the turtles sold are Brazilian turtles. Because these small turtles are clean and lovely, with strong vitality. Plus, they are not expensive, so they sell well.

  "I think raising turtles is even more effortless than raising fish." Xuan Qi gave a fairly mature reason, and then his eyes sparkled as he began to look for larger local turtles.

  Most native turtles are wild, and smaller wild turtles are often cooked in soup. Larger wild turtles are left untouched, as even foolish husbands and wives know that divine turtles have spiritual power, so they are mostly sent to flower and bird markets, where people with good fortune buy them to release and make wishes.

  The several thousand years of Chinese history, in folk customs, myths and legends, the turtle has always played the role of a kind elder, honest and righteous image. There are even folk tales about old turtles repaying kindness. Turtles are an indispensable part of traditional Chinese culture.

  After strolling around the flower and bird market, I found a hundred-year-old turtle in the capital city. The turtle was as big as a washbasin, and the stall owner initially asked for 6,000 yuan. However, when it came to the actual transaction, he only dared to ask for 3,000 yuan. He would take half of the money and then return half of it later, which is considered accumulating good karma. Buying and selling turtles are done out of necessity, but when they really let go, they also believe that there are gods watching from above, so taking less money is a good omen for their future endeavors.

  Hong Qian was shocked and couldn't understand why Xuan Qi wanted to buy such a big turtle, and he didn't just stop at buying one. He bought three in a row. The largest one started with a price of 20,000 yuan, but the final deal was made at 10,000 yuan. That big turtle looked like a tire, and when a five-year-old child stood on its back, the old turtle would walk away as if it were about to take off.

  Also bought some less than a hundred years old, all in all, Xuan Qi unexpectedly bought ten turtles, and also bought some goose eggs stones, two fish tanks. The fish tanks did not contain expensive ornamental fish or goldfish, but were filled with some miscellaneous fish and grass carp, which looked like they were left for the turtles to eat.

  The boss of the turtle seller asked if he had a turtle pond when he saw Xuan Qi buying so many turtles. It wasn't until then that Xuan Qi thought about raising turtles needing a turtle pond, fortunately, his residence was a single-door courtyard with enough space, so he let the boss find several workers, bringing tools and equipment to follow him back home.

  Because Beiqing has not yet started school, the principal is seriously ill again, and people are worried. The fleet arrived at Shuimu Garden without any obstacles. These workers are all old hands, with sufficient manpower to choose a good location and then start work immediately. Xuán Qí doesn't care about aesthetics, but about practicality, which greatly shortens the construction period.

  The ground is dug open, the foundation is compacted, and then pebbles and gravel are sprinkled on top of the mixed soil. After drying in the sun, a layer of cobblestones is sprinkled again, and several wide steps are built in the middle of the pool to allow turtles to climb up and bask in the sun.

  Xuan Qi saw that everything was almost done, and then had the workers buy a few pieces of strange rocks to serve as fake mountains. In the blink of an eye, the small courtyard became elegant and refined, just waiting for the cement to dry and harden before filling it with water and releasing fish and turtles! At that time, the entire yard would have mountains and water, trees and tortoises, and the feng shui layout would be complete.

  The construction worker scratched his head and asked again, "Really don't want to build a fence by the turtle pond?" Seeing Xuan Qi nodding again, the construction worker kindly reminded, "Otherwise the turtles will run around."

  "It won't work!" Xuan Qi smiled but didn't speak, waiting for the formation to take effect. After that, this place would become a blessed land of paradise, and the Black Turtle would be connected to the divine. At that time, not only could they not leave, even if they were picked up and thrown out, they still wouldn't be able to leave.