Chapter 3
"What are you thinking about?"
The old man with a strabismus in one eye stopped in front of Tu Tze-chun and asked him the same question. It was the third time.
Of course, he was standing blankly under the western gate of Luoyang, looking the light of the crescent moon shrouded in mist.
"It's me? I don't have a place to sleep tonight, so I'm trying to figure out what to do."
"I see. That's pitiful. Then I'll tell you a good thing.
Stand in this sunset and see your shadow on the ground.
Then dig up the spot of the belly of your shadow on the ground in the middle of the night.
You'll find enough――"
As the old man was about to say this much, Tu Tze-chun suddenly raised his hand and cut him off.
"No, I don't need the money anymore."
"You don't need any more money? Oh, I see that you have finally had enough of the luxury."
The old man stared at Tu Tze-chun's face with a suspicion in his eyes.
"I'm not tired of luxury. I'm just tired of the nature of human being."
Tu Tze-chun said grumbly and bluntly.
"That's interesting. Why did you run out of love with people?"
"All human beings are heartless.
When I become a rich man, they will flatter me, but once I'm poor, they will not even show a friendly face.
When I think about it, I feel that even if I were to become a rich man again, it would amount to nothing."
When the old man heard Tu Tze-chun's words, he suddenly burst into a grin.
"Well, you're young. But you understand a lot of things.
So from now on, you're going to live in poverty and still be in peace?"
Tu Tze-chun hesitated for a moment.
However, he quickly raised his eyes thoughtfully and looked at the old man's face as if to appeal to him.
"I can't do that now either. Therefore, I would like to become your disciple and practice wizardry.
No, don't hide it. You are a hermit of high moral character.
If you are not, you cannot make me the richest man in the world in a single night.
Please be my sensei and teach me the wondrous art of wizardry."
The old man's eyebrows were furrowed, and for a while he was silent.
He seemed to be thinking about something, but then he smiled again and said.
"Yes, I am a hermit named Tie Guanzi, live in Mt. Emei.
When I first saw your face, I saw that you were very understanding, and that's why I made you a very rich man twice.
But if you want to be a hermit, I will make you my disciple." He gladly agreed.
Tu Tze-chun was very, very pleased.
Before the old man could finish, he touched his forehead on the earth and bowed to Tie Guanzi again and again.
"No, I don't need you to thank me. Because it is up to you to decide whether or not you will become a great hermit.
――But, first of all, you should come with me to the back of Mt. Emei.
Oh, fortunately, there's a bamboo cane here. Then let's get on this and fly across the sky."
Tie Guanzi picked up a piece of green bamboo there and rode on the bamboo with Tu Tze-chun as if they were on horseback, chanting a spell in his mouth.
Then, it's a wonder? The bamboo cane immediately soared up into the sky like a dragon, flying through the clear spring evening sky in the direction of Mt. Emei.
Tu Tze-chun looked down, crushing his courage.
Below, the blue mountains were just visible at the bottom of the evening light.
The western gate of Luoyang (which must have been lost in the haze) is nowhere to be seen.
In the meantime, Tie Guanzi with his white side-hair blowing in the wind, began to sing loudly.
'Playing at Beihai in the morning, at Cangwu in the evening.
The blue snake in the back of the sleeve, his spirit is coarse.
I entered Yueyang three times, but no one knows about it.
He recites a poem, and flies past Dongting Lake.'
- To return to table of contents of Tu Tze-chun
The old man with a strabismus in one eye stopped in front of Tu Tze-chun and asked him the same question. It was the third time.
Of course, he was standing blankly under the western gate of Luoyang, looking the light of the crescent moon shrouded in mist.
"It's me? I don't have a place to sleep tonight, so I'm trying to figure out what to do."
"I see. That's pitiful. Then I'll tell you a good thing.
Stand in this sunset and see your shadow on the ground.
Then dig up the spot of the belly of your shadow on the ground in the middle of the night.
You'll find enough――"
As the old man was about to say this much, Tu Tze-chun suddenly raised his hand and cut him off.
"No, I don't need the money anymore."
"You don't need any more money? Oh, I see that you have finally had enough of the luxury."
The old man stared at Tu Tze-chun's face with a suspicion in his eyes.
"I'm not tired of luxury. I'm just tired of the nature of human being."
Tu Tze-chun said grumbly and bluntly.
"That's interesting. Why did you run out of love with people?"
"All human beings are heartless.
When I become a rich man, they will flatter me, but once I'm poor, they will not even show a friendly face.
When I think about it, I feel that even if I were to become a rich man again, it would amount to nothing."
When the old man heard Tu Tze-chun's words, he suddenly burst into a grin.
"Well, you're young. But you understand a lot of things.
So from now on, you're going to live in poverty and still be in peace?"
Tu Tze-chun hesitated for a moment.
However, he quickly raised his eyes thoughtfully and looked at the old man's face as if to appeal to him.
"I can't do that now either. Therefore, I would like to become your disciple and practice wizardry.
No, don't hide it. You are a hermit of high moral character.
If you are not, you cannot make me the richest man in the world in a single night.
Please be my sensei and teach me the wondrous art of wizardry."
The old man's eyebrows were furrowed, and for a while he was silent.
He seemed to be thinking about something, but then he smiled again and said.
"Yes, I am a hermit named Tie Guanzi, live in Mt. Emei.
When I first saw your face, I saw that you were very understanding, and that's why I made you a very rich man twice.
But if you want to be a hermit, I will make you my disciple." He gladly agreed.
Tu Tze-chun was very, very pleased.
Before the old man could finish, he touched his forehead on the earth and bowed to Tie Guanzi again and again.
"No, I don't need you to thank me. Because it is up to you to decide whether or not you will become a great hermit.
――But, first of all, you should come with me to the back of Mt. Emei.
Oh, fortunately, there's a bamboo cane here. Then let's get on this and fly across the sky."
Tie Guanzi picked up a piece of green bamboo there and rode on the bamboo with Tu Tze-chun as if they were on horseback, chanting a spell in his mouth.
Then, it's a wonder? The bamboo cane immediately soared up into the sky like a dragon, flying through the clear spring evening sky in the direction of Mt. Emei.
Tu Tze-chun looked down, crushing his courage.
Below, the blue mountains were just visible at the bottom of the evening light.
The western gate of Luoyang (which must have been lost in the haze) is nowhere to be seen.
In the meantime, Tie Guanzi with his white side-hair blowing in the wind, began to sing loudly.
'Playing at Beihai in the morning, at Cangwu in the evening.
The blue snake in the back of the sleeve, his spirit is coarse.
I entered Yueyang three times, but no one knows about it.
He recites a poem, and flies past Dongting Lake.'
- To return to table of contents of Tu Tze-chun