Chiyang Daoren, Eastern Taoism
(The following is a folk legend.)
The old Taoist priest was about to answer when a great crash sounded from the sky. At once a violent wind rose, and the withered grass of the burial mound field flew wildly about. A sinister voice rang out on the wind: “Old Taoist, you meddle too much!”
The old Taoist's face changed, and he said hurriedly to Qian Minghui: “He is here! Benefactor, remember this humble Taoist's words: the true way to break the spell lies in ‘exchanging a life for a life, a heart for a heart.’ When you are truly willing to pay any price to save others, the Way of Heaven will look after you!”
No sooner had he said this than the old Taoist was swept away by a black wind and vanished into the night. Qian Minghui wanted to go after him but found he could not move at all, as if held fast by some force.
Just then, a man in a black robe appeared before him. His face was hidden by a hood so that his features could not be seen, but from his build he seemed to be a middle-aged man.
“Qian Minghui, we meet at last.” The man in the black robe had a voice that chilled to the bone. “Did you think finding some old Taoist would break my magic? How naive!”
Forcing himself to stay calm, Qian Minghui asked: “Who are you? Why are you harming me?”
The man in the black robe sneered: “Who I am does not matter. What matters is that the blessings your Qian family has accumulated over three generations are now mine. These three years I have not only borrowed your wealth luck but have also been gradually devouring your blessings. Before long you will be utterly ruined, and I will have everything your family has accumulated over generations.”
Qian Minghui said angrily: “Aren't you afraid of Heaven's punishment for doing this?”
The man in the black robe laughed loudly: “Heaven's punishment? I have practiced evil magic for twenty years; I stopped believing in the Way of Heaven and retribution long ago. In this world only the strong survive, and the weak deserve to be plundered by the strong!”
Qian Minghui wanted to retort but found he could not speak. The man in the black robe had worked some spell on him that kept him from opening his mouth.
“Are you still thinking of resisting?” The man in the black robe came closer. “Let me tell you: even if that old Taoist had not been caught by me, the method he told you would be useless. For how could a merchant like you, greedy for wealth, ever truly sacrifice himself for others? At most you can pretend to do a few good deeds, but deep in your heart you are still selfish. A man like that can never rouse the true power of blessing and virtue.”
The words of the man in the black robe pierced Qian Minghui's heart like a knife. He had to admit there was some truth in them. Although he did good deeds in ordinary times, it was more to build his reputation and connections; there had indeed been few times when he had given selflessly.
“Now I give you two choices,” said the man in the black robe. “The first is to cooperate obediently and help me complete the final ritual, transferring all your family's remaining blessings to me. In return, I can spare the lives of your family and let you go elsewhere to start again. The second is to keep resisting, in which case your family will be utterly ruined, and I will make sure you and your family all die miserable deaths.”
Hearing this, Qian Minghui could not help trembling, filled with dread. If he chose the first path, he could save their lives, but from then on he would have nothing, and his wife and children would suffer with him. If he chose the second, he might turn defeat into victory, but the risk was enormous, and if things went wrong the whole Qian family could meet disaster.
Just as Qian Minghui was hesitating, hurried footsteps sounded in the distance. People were rushing this way, and not a few of them.
Hearing the sound, the man in the black robe's expression changed: “Men from the magistrate's office! Damn it, how did anyone report this to the authorities?”
It turned out that Qian Minghui's wife had discovered him going out in the middle of the night and, worried for his safety, had sent a household servant to follow him. The servant, seeing Qian Minghui go to so eerie a place as the burial mound field and then seeing a suspicious figure in black appear, immediately went to report it to the authorities.
The soldiers quickly surrounded the burial mound field. Seeing that things were going badly, the man in the black robe had to retreat for the time being. But before leaving, he said viciously to Qian Minghui: “You were lucky this time, but next time you won't be so fortunate. I give you three days to think it over. Three days from now, at midnight, here again, give me your answer. Otherwise I will let you see with your own eyes how the Qian family is ruined and its members die!”
With that, the man in the black robe turned into a cloud of black mist and vanished.
When the soldiers arrived, they found only Qian Minghui standing there alone, dazed. They asked what had happened, but Qian Minghui did not know how to explain. He could hardly say he had met a sorcerer—people would just think him mad.
So Qian Minghui made up an excuse, saying that someone had arranged to meet him here to talk business but had not come. The soldiers found it a little strange but did not look into it further, only warning him not to meet strangers in such places in future.
Back home, Qian Minghui did not sleep all night. He knew that little time was left to him. In three days he would have to decide: submit to the threats of the man in the black robe, or find a way to resist to the end.
The next day, Qian Minghui began to investigate the identity of the man in the black robe in secret. He had trusted people ask around everywhere whether any suspicious outsiders had appeared recently. At the same time, he pondered the old Taoist's words: “Exchange a life for a life, a heart for a heart.”
What did “exchange a life for a life, a heart for a heart” mean? The old Taoist had said that the true way to break the spell lay in sacrificing oneself for others, but what exactly should he do?
Qian Minghui thought of his father. When his father was alive, he had helped many victims of a great flood: not only did he donate large amounts of money and goods, he also took part in the rescue work himself, until he finally fell ill from overwork. Qian Minghui was young then and did not quite understand why his father did this. Looking back now, perhaps that was the spirit of self-sacrifice the old Taoist spoke of.
At dusk on the second day, Qian Minghui suddenly received news: a great fire had broken out in the city, burning down a large area of houses in the poor quarter, and many people were homeless. Worse still, the fire was still spreading and threatening to reach the wealthy quarter.
Qian Minghui immediately realized that this might be another of the black-robed man's tricks. His enemy wanted to force him to give in by creating a disaster.
Sure enough, before long someone came to report that the fire had started in an empty house, and that some strange talismans and ritual implements had been found in that house—clearly someone had set the fire on purpose.
Faced with this, Qian Minghui was torn by deep conflict. If he did not agree to the black-robed man's demands, his enemy might cause even greater disasters and harm more innocent people. But if he gave in, not only would he be at another's mercy forever, but once the man in the black robe gained great wealth, he might bring harm to still more people.
Just as Qian Minghui was agonizing over this, his wife came to find him.
“Husband, I've just heard that a great fire broke out in the city and many poor people have lost their homes. Although our family isn't well off now, we can't just stand by and watch them suffer. Don't you think we should take out some silver to help them?”
His wife's words stirred something in Qian Minghui's heart. Perhaps this was Heaven's arrangement.
“You are right, my dear,” said Qian Minghui. “We should do our part. But I think it is more than just giving money.”
Qian Minghui recalled the old Taoist's words: true blessing and virtue require a spirit of self-sacrifice. Perhaps this fire was his chance to prove himself.
So Qian Minghui made a decision: he would take part in the relief work himself. Not only would he give away the rest of the family's property, he would throw himself into the rescue in person. Even if it meant facing danger, he would not shrink from it.
That very night, Qian Minghui acted. He took the household servants and the remaining money to the worst-hit area. Although the fire there had been put out, there were ruins everywhere, and many people sat weeping in the streets—a truly pitiful scene.
Qian Minghui immediately organized people to begin relief work. He had some buy grain and clothing to distribute to the victims, and sent others to put up temporary shelters, providing lodging, food, and drink for the homeless. As for himself, he took part in the search and rescue in person, looking through the ruins for anyone who might still be alive.
During the search, Qian Minghui heard a faint cry for help. The sound came from under a heap of collapsed roof beams; it seemed someone was trapped beneath.
The others all said it was too dangerous—the beams could collapse again at any moment—and that no one should risk a rescue. But Qian Minghui thought of the old Taoist's words, “Exchange a life for a life, a heart for a heart,” and resolutely decided to go to the rescue himself.
He carefully moved the beams aside one by one. Sweat soaked through his clothes, and his hands were cut in several places by splinters. But he did not give up; he kept going.
At last, deep in the ruins, he found the trapped people: an old woman and a small child. The old woman was unconscious, and the child, though still conscious, was also injured.
Just as Qian Minghui was about to get them out, the beams overhead began to creak and groan, clearly about to give way. The others were all shouting from outside for him to come out quickly, but Qian Minghui knew that if he left now, the two of them would be beyond saving.
At this critical moment, Qian Minghui again remembered the old Taoist's words: “Exchange a life for a life, a heart for a heart.” At last he understood what they meant: true self-sacrifice is being willing, at the critical moment, to give one's own life in exchange for the lives of others.
Qian Minghui made his decision. He first pushed the child to a relatively safe spot, then shielded the old woman with his own body, ready to bear the impact of the collapsing beams.
At that moment a miracle happened. The beams that had been about to fall suddenly held steady, as if some force were supporting them. Qian Minghui felt a warm current flow through his whole body, and he knew this was the power of blessing and virtue.
He succeeded in rescuing both the old woman and the child. When they were carried to safety, the watching crowd burst into warm applause. Many were moved by what Qian Minghui had done and joined the rescue teams one after another.
But Qian Minghui knew the real test was not yet over. The three-day deadline the man in the black robe had given him was almost up; tonight would be the final showdown.
At midnight, Qian Minghui went again to the burial mound field. This time he felt no fear, for through the rescue work of the day he had found strength within himself.
The man in the black robe appeared on time as expected, but this time his manner was clearly less arrogant than before.
“Qian Minghui, what have you decided?” asked the man in the black robe, a trace of unease in his voice.
Qian Minghui said calmly: “My answer is no. I will not give in to you, nor will I let you go on harming others.”
The man in the black robe sneered: “You think saving a few people lets you stand against my magic? How naive! Watch me deal with you!”
So saying, the man in the black robe began to work his magic, and streams of black qi came rushing at Qian Minghui. But to the black-robed man's shock, the moment the black qi touched Qian Minghui's body, it melted away like ice and snow meeting a blazing fire.
“How can this be?” the man in the black robe cried out. “You are just an ordinary merchant—how can you have such power?”
Qian Minghui felt a warm light radiating from his body. This light not only protected him but was also purifying the evil air all around.
“This is the power of blessing and virtue,” said a familiar voice, and the old Taoist appeared not far away. “When a person truly sacrifices himself for others, he rouses the mightiest force of righteousness within. Any evil magic crumbles before such power.”
So the old Taoist had not been captured at all, but had been watching the whole thing unfold in secret.
Seeing that things were going badly, the man in the black robe tried to flee, but found himself trapped in a ring of golden light, unable to escape.
“No! I have practiced evil magic for twenty years—how can it be broken by a merchant!” the man in the black robe roared, refusing to accept it.
The old Taoist stepped forward and pulled back the black-robed man's hood, revealing a twisted face. When Qian Minghui saw it clearly, he was astounded: it was his old friend of many years, Chen Youcai!
Chen Youcai was also a merchant of Suzhou. He and Qian Minghui had known each other for many years, did frequent business together, and were on good personal terms. Qian Minghui could never have imagined that the one harming him was this old friend who always wore a smile.
“Brother Youcai, why?” Qian Minghui asked in bewilderment. “We are friends—how did I ever offend you?”
His face contorted, Chen Youcai said: “Friends? Ha! Do you know how jealous of you I've been? We both do business, yet you have enormous wealth while I can barely scrape a living. We both married and had children, yet your wife is virtuous and beautiful, while mine complains all day that I'm good for nothing. Why? Why are you better than me at everything?”
Hearing this, Qian Minghui was flooded with mixed feelings. He remembered the envious look in Chen Youcai's eyes when he came to visit, which he had taken at the time for ordinary envy—never imagining that it hid such deep resentment.
“So I decided to get everything you have,” Chen Youcai went on. “I spent a great deal of money to find a master and learn the art, and at last I learned the art of luck borrowing. My plan was perfect: first borrow away your wealth luck, then, once you were completely ruined, find a way to marry your wife and take your property. But I never thought you would be able to break my magic!”
Hearing this, Qian Minghui at last understood the whole affair from beginning to end. It had all come from Chen Youcai's jealousy and greed.
The old Taoist looked at Chen Youcai, shook his head, and sighed: “‘A heart never satisfied is a snake trying to swallow an elephant.’ You had your own share of blessings; had you kept to your place, you too could have lived a good life. But you insisted on coveting what belonged to others and learned evil magic to harm people, and in the end you have harmed others and yourself as well.”
No sooner had he spoken than the black qi around Chen Youcai grew thicker and thicker, and his face became more and more terrifying. Long practice of evil magic had driven him into demonic obsession, and with the backlash of his broken spell on top of it, he had lost his reason entirely.
“If I can't have it, then let everyone be destroyed!” Chen Youcai screamed madly, and began to work his final spell.
But before the righteous power of Qian Minghui and the old Taoist, Chen Youcai's evil magic could have no effect. In the end he was struck by the backlash of his own evil magic and turned into a wisp of blue smoke that dispersed in the night wind.
As Chen Youcai vanished, Qian Minghui felt a heavy burden suddenly lifted from him. He knew that the art of luck borrowing had been completely broken.
Sure enough, from the next day on, Qian Minghui's luck began to turn. His losses in business were gradually made good, and harmony returned to his family. More important, through this experience he came to understand deeply what true blessing and virtue are, and what true wealth is.
At parting, the old Taoist said to Qian Minghui: “Benefactor, you understand now: true wealth lies not in how much gold and silver you have but in how much blessing and virtue you have. As long as you keep kindness in your heart, are glad to help others, and help the world and benefit people, no evil magic can harm you.”
Qian Minghui bowed deeply and thanked the old Taoist for his guidance. From then on he was even more devoted to public welfare, using his wealth to help more people in need. And his business grew ever larger because of it, truly achieving the unity of wealth and virtue.
Years later, when people asked Qian Minghui the secret of his success, he would always say: “True wealth comes from blessing and virtue, and blessing and virtue come from a heart willing to give for others. When you truly sacrifice yourself for others, Heaven will naturally look after you.”
As for Wang Fugui, after Chen Youcai's death the luck he had borrowed also vanished, and he was soon ruined. Realizing he had done wrong, he came of his own accord to apologize to Qian Minghui and returned part of the ill-gotten money. Qian Minghui did not hold him to account, but instead gave him a chance to start his life anew.
Evil as the art of luck borrowing is, it cannot withstand true blessing and virtue. Through this ordeal, Qian Minghui learned what true wealth is: not gold, silver, and property, but a kind heart and good deeds.
When he was willing to give his life to save others, the Way of Heaven naturally looked after him, and all the evil magic crumbled. As the ancients said: “A family that accumulates goodness will surely have abundant blessings; a family that accumulates evil will surely have abundant calamities.”
The true way to dispel disaster lies not in seeking more or less powerful magic outside one's own heart, but in keeping kindness in one's heart, being glad to help others, practicing righteousness, and benefiting society at large. This is the best way of breaking any spell.