Taboo Mage - Chapter 160 - A Game of Dou Di Zhu1
“Then why don’t I see you being afraid of me?” I asked, rolling my eyes. Just because I haven’t been dealing with the life amulet for long, does that give him the right to look down on me?
Chi Rui looked at me with the kind of expression one would give a fool, “Don’t think I don’t know. Would you dare to mess with evil spirits like Zhou Qifang does? He’s a desperate man, and with the Gu Family curse hanging over your head, why should I be afraid of you?”
I kicked at Chi Rui and then carried the tray upstairs.
In less than half an hour, Zhou Qifang and Du Jun had already started waking up one after another. I checked the time; it was almost evening, so I put the tray back in the kitchen and went to see how Zhou Qifang was preparing.
Before going to Thailand last time, I had done a bit of research on Buddha amulets. Although Buddha amulets and life amulets are similar in purpose, there are still some differences between them.
Moreover, dealing with blood-stained Buddha amulets is definitely not an easy task.
When I found Zhou Qifang’s room, he was kneeling on the ground, holding my grandfather’s ancestral tablet with his eyes closed. Hearing footsteps, he simply asked, “Gu Qingshu?”
“Yeah.” I acknowledged with a nod and walked in.
I hadn’t expected him to be so trustworthy. But seeing him kneel there, holding an ancestral tablet everywhere he goes, was starting to look more and more bizarre.
“So, how’s the preparation for tonight going? Do you need any help?” I asked, sitting down on a chair, as Zhou Qifang showed no sign of getting up, making me lose interest.
Only then did Zhou Qifang stand up, placing the ancestral tablet respectfully on the table. I bowed with my hands together towards the tablet and then sat down, ready to hear Zhou Qifang talk about the Buddha amulets from Thailand.
Unexpectedly, Zhou Qifang just glanced at me, “No problem, you’ll sleep well tonight.”
I frowned, not quite understanding what he meant, but Zhou Qifang had already dusted off his pants and was heading downstairs to find Du Jun.
Watching Zhou Qifang’s back, I couldn’t help but clench my fist. Why is he so infuriating? Liao Qing was much more lovable back then.
Lively and charming.
Night soon fell, and as soon as the time passed the hotel, Zhou Qifang gathered everyone in the living room and distributed several Buddha amulets to us.
I took one and glanced at it. It was a brown Buddha amulet with a Roc carved on it, and there was a person sitting on the bird’s back.
This person looked a bit strange, with an eagle face and a human body. On his head was an intricately decorated pagoda, and his exposed neck and arms were adorned with jewelry. His arms bent toward his head, and his fingers danced gracefully.
This deity seemed familiar to me, so I quietly nudged Chi Rui. He turned to take a look at the Buddha amulet in my hand and his eyes widened immediately.
“What is it? Is there something unusual about this Buddha amulet?” I asked, frowning and lowering my voice.
Chi Rui shook his head, leaned closer, and whispered, “This is King Narai of Thailand. Didn’t you see it when you were in Thailand?”
I squinted, trying to remember. It did seem familiar, but I couldn’t recall exactly where I had seen it.
“Dummy! When you went to the Grand Palace, wasn’t this carved on the pillars at the entrance?” Chi Rui gave me an annoyed look.
My head buzzed, and I took another careful look at the Buddha amulet in my hand. It really was the same!
I even remembered the tour guide saying that King Narai was a symbol of the Thai royal family, highly revered by the Thai people. He was also used as a symbol for some significant occasions and government institutions.
“This King Narai… isn’t he a distant relative of our Yue Fei2?” I suddenly remembered a story the tour guide had told us back at the Grand Palace and asked with a smile.
After distributing the Buddha amulets, Zhou Qifang suddenly turned around and said in a serious tone, “King Narai is a symbol of Thailand, a quintessential Thai deity with no relation to Chinese deities. However, as the relationship between Thailand and China improved over time, some Thai mythical stories were localized in China. Among them, King Narai, as the mount of a Thai deity, evolved into the mount of the Chinese Buddha, which is the Roc mentioned in Journey to the West3.”
I nodded, “I remember, the beautiful tour guide mentioned that, in Chinese legend, isn’t Yue Fei the reincarnation of the Buddha’s golden-winged Roc?”
Zhou Qifang didn’t respond to my comment; he just looked at everyone present and then said in a serious tone, “Each of you holds a protective Buddha amulet. If any unexpected events occur later, this amulet can protect you, but you need to be sincere in your heart.”
“What if you’re not sincere?” I noticed that whenever Zhou Qifang was around, Chi Rui had this annoying habit of talking back.
Sure enough, as soon as Chi Rui finished speaking, Zhou Qifang glanced over, coldly stating, “Then you can wait to die.”
I cleared my throat to change the subject, saying, “Alright, everyone hold onto your things and be ready to act when the time comes.”
Chi Rui rolled his eyes and sat down on the sofa. He looked at the amulet in his hand, then pulled out a wooden amulet from his pocket and hung it around his neck.
It was the life amulet I had given him earlier, and it seemed he really carried it with him all the time.
Another man afraid of death!
Everyone settled in the living room, while Zhou Qifang held a piece of paper with a Buddha statue drawn on it. He circled the room, muttering something under his breath, wearing a golden crown on his head that appeared at some point. It looked just like the one on the head of King Narai in the Buddha amulet I was holding.
It looked all shiny and golden, but whether it was actually gold was another matter.
I glanced at Zhou Qifang’s impressive attire, feeling a pang of jealousy. We’re both in the life amulet business, but he looks so high and mighty while I appear as if I’ve just stumbled out of a rural village.
After making a round, Zhou Qifang crossed his legs and sat right in the center of the living room, encircled by the scent of burning sandalwood.
The three of us left had nothing much to do and were growing a bit bored. Chi Rui seemed unfazed by it all, while Du Jun was practically scared out of his mind, clutching his Buddha amulet tightly. His lips were bitten so hard they were bleeding.
I scooted over, pulled a deck of cards out of my pocket, and asked, “Don’t be so nervous. How about… a game of Dou Di Zhu?”
Du Jun reacted as if a ghost had shouted his name, almost jumping off the sofa. I quickly held him down. Why was he so jumpy? I hadn’t even done anything yet, but he’d been scared half to death.
Du Jun turned and saw it was just me, and his expression finally relaxed a bit, though he was still trembling all over, shaking like a leaf.
Footnote:
- Dou Di Zhu(斗地主): “Dou Di Zhu” is a popular Chinese card game for three players. The game uses a standard 54-card deck, including two jokers.
- Yue Fei(岳飞):Yue Fei was a famous Chinese general and national hero during the Song Dynasty, renowned for his loyalty and military prowess.
- Journey to the West(西游记):“Journey to the West” is a classic Chinese novel written in the 16th century by Wu Cheng’en.
