dmims Chapter 45: Lightning-Struck Wood
Chapter 45: Lightning-Struck Wood
The next morning, Cheng Xiaojin rode his old bicycle back to his rented room.
The house that Mo Lei had blown up hadn't been cleaned up yet. In the hallway, Aunt Wang next door had posted a note on the door that read, "Did your heating pipe explode? The noise was terrifying." He glanced at it but ignored it.
The counterfeit bait in the drawer was still wrapped in black cloth, the spring in the pencil case had half a wire sticking out, and there were smears of pine soot ink scattered on the table and floor.
Cheng Xiaojin ignored all of that and squatted down under the bed to pull out the camphor wood chest.
Lift the first cover, push aside the old clothes underneath, touch the seam of the fake bottom layer with your fingers, pry it open, and the abacus lies inside.
When he reached out to take it out, his heart skipped a beat the instant his fingers touched the wooden frame.
The wooden frame is blackened, but the black is not from painting or smoking. It is a charred black that seeps through the wood fibers layer by layer. The grain is still there, but the color has completely changed. It feels dry and rough to the touch, and you can feel the hardness of the wood fibers after they have been altered by the high temperature.
The iron beads are uniform in size, each about the size of a soybean, covered with a layer of dark red rust. This is completely different from the plant rust made from old clay from Baiyun Temple like that of Tieguai Li. It is a natural oxidation layer formed over many years. Each bead is embedded in the groove of the wooden frame. When you pick them up, they make a very light, tapping sound, clean and crisp.
It felt icy to the touch, but it wasn't the same kind of chilling cold that made your hair stand on end at the wellhead last night. It was a clean, metallic chill that made you feel sober.
Cheng Xiaojin put the abacus in his canvas bag, locked the door, and went downstairs.
When we arrived at Master Ma's courtyard house, Master Zhou was already there.
The old man didn't drink today. He had his hair rinsed with water, a rare occurrence for him. He was wearing a clean gray undershirt and sitting by the stone table.
Cheng Xiaojin took the abacus out of his bag and placed it on the stone table.
The moment Zhou Banxian saw the abacus, the peanuts he was peeling fell to the ground.
"Lightning-struck wood".
"What?"
"This frame is made of lightning-struck wood."
Zhou Banxian leaned over and sniffed the wooden frame.
"Look at these scorch marks. They weren't from fire, they were from being struck by lightning. When wood is struck by lightning, the fiber structure changes, the density increases and the color turns black, but the wood grain doesn't break or crack, which is completely different from being burned."
What's the significance of lightning striking wood?
"That's a very broad statement."
Zhou Banxian reached out and tapped the wooden frame, producing a dull, short sound.
"Thunder is heavenly fire, and wood is life force. Wood struck by lightning is said to have been cleansed by heavenly fire, and its yang energy is extremely strong. It is a top-grade material for suppressing yin and evil spirits. You can't buy it even if you have money. You have to rely on the whims of the heavens."
Master Ma came out of the main room, carrying a teacup: "Don't just look at the wooden frame, look at the iron beads."
Zhou Banxian's gaze fell on the iron bead, and he flicked it with a finger, making a click.
"Iron beads belong to the metal element and resonate with the earth's veins."
He dialed it again, tilting his ear to listen.
"No, this iron bead isn't made of ordinary cast iron."
Zhou Banxian looked up at Master Ma.
"Brother Ma, is there something else mixed into this iron?"
"You noticed it?"
Master Ma sat down in the rattan chair and gently scraped the lid of his teacup.
"The sound of the iron beads is clearer than that of ordinary cast iron, and the aftertaste lasts longer, just like..."
Zhou Banxian's words were cut off halfway, his mouth closing and opening again.
"It's the same style as the Dragon's Roar of Zhenhai Iron."
Cheng Xiaojin's scalp tightened: "You mean these iron beads are from the same batch as the Zhenhai iron?"
"Not from the same batch, but from the same system."
Master Ma took a sip of tea.
"Your grandfather didn't just make this abacus casually. It's made of a wooden frame struck by lightning and fitted with iron beads. The wood and fire are bright and draw in yang energy, while the iron beads are metal and correspond to the earth's veins. When these things are put together, it's no longer an abacus, but an array device."
Zhou Banxian straightened up, hovered his palm above the abacus for a moment, and then slowly withdrew it.
"Brother Cheng, who exactly is your grandfather?"
"My grandfather, Cheng Yannian."
"I know his name, I'm asking who he is."
Zhou Banxian's voice sounded a little unsteady.
"The person who can assemble such a collection is no ordinary antique dealer."
Master Ma interjected, "We'll talk about that later. Let's talk about tonight first."
He placed the teacup on the stone table and looked at Cheng Xiaojin and Zhou Banxian.
"Old Zhou, you tell us the solution."
Zhou Banxian sat up straight next to the stone table, took out a piece of chalk from his pocket, and drew a circle on the stone table.
"Wellhead."
A small square was drawn next to the circle.
"abacus."
A human figure was drawn next to the square.
"Cheng Xiaojin".
"The plan is this: no congestion, smooth flow."
Tieguai Li poked half his head out from the backyard door: "What does 'smooth' mean?"
"The evil energy is like water. Water flows downhill, which is the way of nature. If you block it, it will get angry with you. If you go with its flow, it will have no temper."
Zhou Banxian drew a curved line between the circle and the square.
"Soak the abacus in the old well water beforehand. Once the iron beads are in the well water, they will be connected to the earth's veins and water source. When the time comes, Cheng Xiaojin will use his Xin metal destiny as a guide, placing both hands on the iron beads of the abacus. The evil energy will be attracted by the Xin metal aura."
"Attract them, and then what?" Cheng Xiaojin asked.
"The evil energy has entered your body and is being poured into the iron beads from your fingertips."
Zhou Banxian used a piece of chalk to make a few dots between the square and the human figure.
A gust of wind blew through the courtyard, scattering some of the chalk dust on the stone table.
"The vibrations from the iron beads were transmitted to the ground through the lightning-struck wooden frame and then into the underground."
"etc."
Tieguai Li walked over and plopped down on the steps.
"You want him to circulate the evil energy through his body?"
"The Xin metal element in the birth chart naturally restrains the water-based negative energy. When negative energy passes through his body, it's like a dirty water filter; it weakens after passing through once."
"Filters can get clogged after prolonged use."
"Therefore, there is a time limit."
Zhou Banxian put the chalk stub on the table.
"At most forty minutes. If it exceeds forty minutes, too much of Xin Jin's Qi will be depleted, and the body won't be able to withstand it."
Cheng Xiaojin looked at the chalk drawing on the stone table: "Is forty minutes enough?"
"Whether it's enough or not, this is all we can do."
Master Ma spoke up.
"I've already spoken to Miss Tang. She's preparing a new set of magical artifacts today, and she won't be setting up the Three Talents Formation tonight. Instead, she'll be setting up a sealing barrier 20 meters away from the outside."
"Not for suppressing evil spirits?"
"Do not suppress, seal off."
Master Ma looked at him.
"The goal is not to suppress the evil energy, but to prevent it from spreading outwards and affecting those around us. Keep the evil energy within the barrier, and you can deal with it from inside."
"She agreed?"
"There's nothing we can do if she doesn't agree."
Cheng Xiaojin picked up the abacus, and the iron bead rolled gently inside the wooden frame with a click.
"Master Ma, did my grandfather mention this abacus to you before he passed away?"
"I've said that..." Master Ma's speech slowed down.
"He said there was something he had kept hidden away in the box, and he would give it to Xiao Jin when he encountered an insurmountable obstacle. I always thought he was talking about the fragments of the scroll, but I didn't expect there was another layer under the fragments."
Cheng Xiaojin gripped the wooden frame of the abacus, his fingers digging into the charred wood grain.
He didn't say anything more and put the abacus back into his canvas bag.
At 6 p.m., Cheng Xiaojin rode his bicycle to Huguosi Street.
Tong Kexin set up her makeshift stove in the storefront she borrowed at the entrance of the alley. The pot was simmering braised pork intestines, and the steam filled the entire alley with the aroma of braised pork intestines and baked flatbread.
Cheng Xiaojin sat down at the small table by the door.
Tong Kexin brought out a bowl of braised pork from behind and placed it in front of him. There were two more pieces of pork intestine in the bowl than usual.
"Why are you up so early today?"
I'm hungry.
You don't look well.
"Hmm... I didn't sleep well."
Tong Kexin stood across the table and looked at him for a few seconds, then turned around and went back to the stove to chop the flatbread.
Cheng Xiaojin lowered his head and ate two bites. The pork intestines were stewed until tender, and the soup base was old broth. The salty and savory flavor lingered in his mouth before he swallowed.
He ate very slowly.
Tong Kexin was busy behind the stove, occasionally turning her head to glance at him.
Cheng Xiaojin finished the braised food in the bowl, drank the soup, pushed the bowl aside, and stood up.
"You're leaving already?"
"Okay, I'm leaving now."
"Are you coming tomorrow?"
"Come."
Cheng Xiaojin put the money under the bowl.
Tong Kexin peeked halfway out from behind the stove.
"Cheng Xiaojin!"
He turned around.
Tong Kexin stood behind the stove, her apron stained with oil, her face flushed red from the firelight.
"If you get hurt... I... you haven't even paid for my pot yet!"
Cheng Xiaojin chuckled.
"Don't worry, I've put that pot on my tab."
He turned and walked out.
As I reached the corner at the alley entrance, my phone vibrated in my pocket, and the screen lit up. It was a text message from the bald owner of the stationery and general store in Liulichang: That person came again today.