Mountain, Sea II: Tao Tie

The biggest obstacle emerged during the fourth month of business.

"Senior, is the couple gone?" I asked shakily.

"No, they’re threatening to call the police," he told me. 

"Don’t let them! If the police come in here, they'll see Old Tao.

"Looks like we have to look for Master," he decided.

"You? Or me?" I asked.

"I’ll go. Go calm the couple down," he instructed.

I nodded.

The recycling station was just beside the temple.

It used to be a courtyard, as well as Old Tao’s home, built by our great, great, great ancestor, Master Chong Xu.

He was the one who brought Old Tao over. At seven years old, I was overjoyed by the news that Tao Tie was in our temple.

Old Tao looked nothing like an ancient beast.

It was just a big black ball. I thought it was a scam.

This black ball ate everything that it was fed. I started caring for it like a dog. However, because the number of people in the temple declined over time, there simply wasn’t enough leftovers to keep Old Tao full.

Old Tao eventually shrank into the size of a deflated ball.

Thanks to the recycling station, however, Old Tao became the size of half the house again.

Anyway, I digressed.

So, the couple was standing and cursing outside the temple.

I opened the door every so slightly.

Their voices traveled into the temple.

"Are you guys shameless or what?"

"We’ve already said that our ring is in the trash. We’re not even asking for your help. Just let us in and we’ll find it ourselves. Why can’t you do that?"

"Are you guys trying to keep it for yourselves?"

"Open up!"

The couple dashed over upon seeing the door slit.

Oh my god.

I pressed against the door firmly.

It was a good thing that I have been boxing. I firmly bolted the door shut.

I heard them roaring and banging on the door.

"We’re calling the cops if you don’t come out."

"I don’t believe the police will ignore this."

"Call the police, old man."

"Okay, I’ll do it now."

Panicked, I shouted, "Wait!"

"Wait? For how long? You told us earlier that we can’t get it back and now you want us to wait?"

Just as I was about to collapse from the stress, Senior ran over.

"Junior. Master wants to see you. Let me handle this, don’t worry."

I nodded thankfully.

I saw him opening up the door cheerfully.

Eh? Do we have money to compensate?

It’s 5,000… is it going to come out of Master’s secret stash?

I ran over to Master’s bedroom.

"How long have you been here, Goudan?" he asked before I could even open my mouth. 

"23 years now."

"Now, this couple is asking for their ring, which is in Tao Tie’s stomach. How are you going to solve it?"

I shook my head. "I have no solution but you must have it since you’re wise."

"Setting up a recycling station was your idea. Now that there’s a problem, shouldn’t you take responsibility?"

I nodded absently but quickly shook my head as I realized what he was getting at.

"No, no. You can’t put all of the blame on me, Master."

"I do have an idea but I’ll need your help."

Idea? Help?

"You’re not thinking about throwing me into his stomach, are you, Master?"

"You’re smart, Goudan. You know me well. It hasn’t been long since Old Tao ingested the ring. It shouldn’t be hard to locate it."

"Will I be able to get out?"

"You don’t have to worry about that. I have my ways."

"What?"

He took down a red pouch from his waist belt.

He started tearing it open by pulling its thread.

"What’s this for? Why are you pulling it apart?"

"It’s handed down to me by my master. Legend has it that this pouch is made of immortal rope. I’ll tie this around you, let you into his tummy and pull it up when you’re ready."

"Is this reliable?"

"You don’t believe my words? Oh hey, it broke," he mumbled, sneakily throwing the broken section behind his back.

He then continued pulling the red rope out.

I asked anxiously, "Can you use a metal chain? This red rope worries me."

"And that’s why I say you’re stupid. This immortal rope is much better than a metal chain."

"Am I not worth even 5,000 in your eyes?" I asked.

"Yeah, you… Bah! Let me tell you. If you come out safely this time, you’ll be the next chief. I guarantee."

"Why don’t I feel the least bit assured?" I said, looking him straight in the eyes.

"Just follow me." He grabbed onto the red rope tightly and gestured for me to come with him.

Senior was already inside the innermost part of the recycling station.

"Where’s that couple?"

Senior smiled. "All settled. I wrote a pledge, promising to help them look for it. I had them come back in the afternoon and they agreed."

I nodded, noticing that Master was already tying the rope around me.

One and a half round around my waist.

"Done. Are you going in yourself or do I have to give a little push?"

"This… can you make another round? And add a metal chain perhaps?" I asked urgently.

Meanwhile, Tao Tie was already waiting with his mouth wide open

"They’re coming back in the afternoon. What are you waiting for?" Master said before he turned me around and kicked me in the butt.

A strong suction pulled me in.

I lost consciousness.

"Will he be able to come back, Master? The rope is so thin," Senior commented.

"No one knows," Master replied.

"Then why did you let him go in?" Senior asked anxiously.

"A few hundred years ago, our great, great, great, great ancestor rescued a child from Tao Tie’s tummy with this rope. He then tied the rope around Tao Tie’s mouth and brought him back to our temple. During the Cultural Revolution, everyone was after this treasure. Luckily, our ancestor weaved it into a pouch and got away with it. It’s been handed down to every generation from then on. If this thing really does what it was supposed to, your junior will come back. Either way, he’s an orphan so no one will really look for him when he disappears. When that happens, we can just say that he ran off with that ring. Easy," Master explained.

"This isn’t appropriate, is it?" Senior questioned.

"Li Goudan was taken in by my master. He’d said that this child was gifted, yet, he’s been idling away for years, spending our money and taking our food. When he did finally came up with this potential business idea, it ended up costing half of our family fortunes. We even had to mortgage this temple. What am I to do?" Master asked.

"But…"

"But what? Hold this properly if you’re afraid. Pull it up two hours later." Master turned around and leave without further explanation.

Helpless, Senior could only pick up the rope that was thrown on the floor.

...

When I regained consciousness, I was in a dark surrounding.

I processed everything that had happened.

The red rope was still around my waist and dangling from the sky.

Did it work? Am I in his stomach?

Old Tao? Oh right.

I have to look for the ring.

All I could see was a sheet of black.

Where is it?

"Where are the things?" I shouted as I looked around.

Nothing.

"I’ve separated them. How unexpected. There hasn’t been any live visitor for over a few hundred years, but today, there are two."

???

What was that sound?

I looked around.

An old man with crane feather-like white hair was floating above.

I retrieved a spice bag from my waist belt and opened it up.

There were five Taoist amulets inside.

I threw them upward. "Celestial soldiers, arrange yourselves and proceed forward to punish all evil."

The amulets ignited in mid-air.

Nothing happened to that old man.

"I’m immortal and not a demon. How are you going to punish me? Relax, I won’t hurt you."

I’d been chanting this mantra ever since I entered the temple.

Why didn't it work? There should have been some thunder and lightning at least...

"Who are you exactly?!" I asked in a panic.

"Tao Tie," he answered.

"You? Tao Tie? Don’t joke around. Isn’t Tao Tie a black ball?"

"You’re talking about Single Breath Pouch?"

"Single Breath Pouch? You’re the pouch monk?" I asked.

"Nonsense. I’m immortal."

"What’s going on?" I continued.

"There hasn’t been any sentient being in here for such a long time. Since you won’t be able to leave, chat with me. Tell me what’s going on outside."

"You’re Tao Tie?" I repeated.

"The dragon king has nine sons and I’m the fifth."

"Any proof?"

"Through thousand years of cultivation, I turned into a human, and through another thousand years, I became immortal. Wait, why do I have to prove myself to you?"

"You said you’re immortal, so why are you trapped in here?"

"You’re an interesting fellow. It took me a few thousand years to become immortal. As a dragon with a powerful body, I had to search for stronger ways and eventually found Single Breath Pouch. This pouch can take in anything effortlessly. When using it, I tripped and fell inside," he shared.

Pffftt. I couldn’t help but laugh.

"Stop it. From then on, I’ve been trapped in here and had to fumble around and take in whatever comes since I can’t see. I’ll categorize and separate the items when they reach me. As for my nickname, it’s all hearsay. It’s a pity no one can break this pouch."

"Categorize?" I asked.

"Yes, on the scale of how precious the items are. I’ll look at their texture and quality and so on. It’s been like this for over a thousand years. Wait, what’s that on your body?"

"My body?" I looked at the red rope around my waist.

"Are you a son of an old friend? I find this red rope very familiar."

"Old friend?"

"There was once a mortal who entered my pouch. After chatting with me for some time, he left with a child. He had a red rope around his waist just like you."

"Red rope? Child? There have been people who exited with this red rope?"

The old man nodded.

I pierced his story together.

The old man was Tao Tie.

From a dragon, he turned into a human and then to an immortal.

He got sucked into Single Breath Pouch.

Started consuming whatever he collided into.

That ferocious mythical animal is actually a pouch?

Did it roll on the ground so much that it turned black and started looking like a black ball?

Meanwhile, the real Tao Tie is this old man!

"What do you want?" I questioned.

"Since you’re a friend, I won’t make things difficult for you. I can even read your physiognomy," he offered.

"You can do that?"

"Roughly."

"Can it be altered?"

"All three immortal souls and seven mortal forms are present but extremely weak. One soul is even on the verge of collapsing. I have a few dragon souls that I don’t need since I’ve already taken a human form through years of cultivation. Since we share a special affinity, I’ll give it to you."

"For real?"

"What harm is there in giving them to you?"

A golden light shot and entered my body.

I trembled and felt a gush of freshness.

"Right, Old Tao… no, sorry. Immortal, have you seen a ring?"

"What’s that?"

"Hmm, did anything valuable come in recently?"

"Valuable? I’ve only been taking in leftover food recently which got me wondering about the situation outside. As you can see, there wasn’t anyone to tell me what’s going on."

My face turned red in shame for feeding him trash every day.

"Here are the treasures I’ve accumulated over the past thousands of years," he said, pointing at a pile on the ground.

Damn.

Zodiac gypsum portraits and Gundam figurines?

Multi-colored gemstones and glass marbles?

Oil paintings, magazines, and comics?

Copper mirror, glass mirror, and CDs?

Video games, calculators, and bicycle bells?

This man doesn’t know what’s what… but then again, he hasn’t been in touch with the outside world.

"How are my treasures?" he asked.

"Oh, they’re great. I’m looking for something like this piece of glass over here. Have you seen any?" I pointed to a small marble.

Perhaps the ring was too small and he’d overlooked it.

"No, all I’ve gotten today are leftover food and these glass bottles. All trash."

"No treasure?" I tried my luck again.

"Oh, right. And this living thing. It’s trying to disguise itself as a gemstone but a pity it’s too small."

It was the ring.

"That’s my ring."

"It’s clearly a living thing," he insisted.

"Living thing?"

As if on cue, the ring on his finger squirmed, its head and tail opening up. It looked like a worm made from a precious stone.

"What exactly is this?"

"No idea, but it’s a living thing for sure." He pinched the worm a little, turning it back into a ring.

"Can I take it?"

"Things that come in never ever go out. You can leave since you have that red rope. That’s not within my control, but this ring? No way."

"What if we do an exchange?" I suggested.

"Exchange?"

I retrieve the mini bagua mirror from under my sleeve. This should work.

The old man inspected it for a long time.

"It’s good stuff. I can’t have a conversation with this living thing… fine. Let’s exchange."

He flung his hand forward and the ring came flying toward me. I quickly grabbed it.

I then shared with him whatever that was going on outside.

He was clearly shocked.

I taught him how to play video games and that his lightning could charge electricity.

He was beyond happy.

Suddenly, I felt a pull.

Is Master pulling me out? I felt myself being dragged upward.

I cup my hands together. "I’m leaving. Will visit you when I’m free."

"Not necessary. Leave it to fate."

"You can follow me, Tao Tie. Like that child?"

"Although I’m immortal and I am taking on a human form, I’m still too heavy. The man from before couldn’t pull me out, so I’m sure you’ll fail too. Come again when you have the capability." He smiled and waved.

After a strong pull and a spin, I fell into unconsciousness once more.