"Bian Que's Visit to Duke Huan of Cai" is a key text tested in the Nine-Year Compulsory Education curriculum.
The story goes that Bian Que was chatting with Duke Huan of Cai when he noticed the Duke had a minor ailment. He said, "Your Grace, you have an illness. It's on the surface of your skin. If left untreated, it may become serious."
Duke Huan of Cai said unhappily, "I am not sick."
A few days later, Bian Que went to see Duke Huan of Cai again and said, "Your Grace, you have an illness. It has already reached your muscles and blood vessels. If you don't treat it, I'm afraid it will get worse."
Duke Huan of Cai said unhappily, "I am not sick."
After another few days, Bian Que ran up to Duke Huan of Cai again and told him, "Your Grace, you have an illness. It has already reached your internal organs. It will become even more severe if you don't treat it."
Duke Huan of Cai said unhappily, "I am not sick."
A few days later, Bian Que saw Duke Huan of Cai, but this time he ran off without saying a word.
Duke Huan of Cai was puzzled and sent someone to ask Bian Que why he no longer said he was sick.
Bian Que replied, "Duke Huan of Cai's illness has already penetrated his bone marrow. He's under the jurisdiction of King Yama's subordinates now. I can't do anything about it!"
Later, when Duke Huan of Cai's illness flared up, he sent people to find Bian Que, but they couldn't.
Bian Que had already fled to another state.
And so, the Marquis of Huan died.
Why did Lao Dao suddenly bring this up?
I couldn't figure it out for the life of me and looked at him in confusion.
Lao Dao chuckled slyly and said, "Do you guys think it's possible Duke Huan of Cai was actually angered to death?"
"Angered to death?" I rolled my eyes at him and asked, bewildered, "By whom? By Bian Que?"
"Exactly, exactly," Lao Dao's eyes lit up. "Think about it. You're perfectly fine, and then suddenly some guy, under the guise of being a divine physician, keeps running up to you every other day, saying, 'You're sick, you're sick, you're sick.'
"Tell me, wouldn't that just piss you off?"
Lao Dao's absurd theory made me laugh out of sheer exasperation. "Now that I think about it, that would be pretty infuriating."
"Hahahahaha," the more I thought about it, the funnier it became. "Duke Huan of Cai was angered to death by Bian Que? That's hilarious. Hahaha."
Xiao Baozi was also doubled over with laughter, unable to stop.
What a crazy take!
I said to Lao Dao, "Instead of saying he was angered to death by Bian Que, you might as well say he was taken away by vengeful spirits come to claim his life!"
A glint flashed in Lao Dao's eyes. He nodded repeatedly in praise, "As expected of my good disciple, you have great insight."
However, Xiao Baozi had stopped laughing.
Because she was confused again...
"Why would vengeful spirits claim his life? Where did the ghosts come from?" she asked innocently.
Laughing, I explained to her, "Originally, Tian Wu's older brother, Tian Yan, was the ruler of the state of Qi. Tian Wu first killed his brother, then killed his brother's son, Tian Xi. Only then did he ascend the throne and become Tian Qi Duke Huan."
"Oh," Xiao Baozi chimed in, "So when you said vengeful spirits claimed his life, you meant his brother and nephew, who became resentful ghosts after he killed them and came back for revenge, right?"
I smiled and said, "Yes, but I was just kidding."
Lao Dao, however, suddenly turned serious.
He resumed his solemn demeanor, sighed softly, and said, "All things in existence are bound by cause and effect.
"Why does a person get sick?
"From a dietary perspective, you could say it's due to a nutritional imbalance.
"From a traditional Chinese medicine perspective, you could say it's due to insufficient righteous qi and the invasion of external evils.
"From a Western medicine perspective, you could say it's due to a bacterial or viral infection.
"From a Taoist medicine perspective, you could say it's caused by the stagnation of qi.
"From a shamanistic perspective, you could say his life is being claimed by a malevolent spirit.
"From a Buddhist perspective, you could say it's a manifestation of karmic debt.
"These seemingly unrelated conclusions, offered by many different schools of thought from different angles, may be intricately connected, all attempting to express the same truth."
I listened quietly, carefully pondering Lao Dao's words.
Many of Lao Dao's statements made me feel like my brain's CPU was overheating, unable to process the information effectively in real time.
"In the future, through various opportunities and encounters, you will gain a deeper understanding," Lao Dao said with a nod, concluding the topic.
Then, he said with great solemnity, "Therefore, the first thing we must remember from the story of 'Bian Que's Visit to Duke Huan of Cai' is this: A master does not teach casually, a doctor does not treat uninvited, the law is not transmitted lightly, and the Dao is not sold cheaply.
"Bian Que committed the great taboo of a doctor treating the uninvited.
"You must remember, you can only offer help when others ask for it.
"When others have not taken the initiative to seek you out, you must never rush to help them.
I grinned and summarized, "Master, does that mean: 'Respect others' destiny, let go of the savior complex, and avoid patting yourself on the back'?"
Lao Dao gave a profound smile but said nothing.
Xiao Baozi asked timidly, "The Dao is not transmitted lightly, the law is not sold cheaply... does that mean you have to pay when you ask someone for a reading or something?"
I knew that wasn't what Lao Dao meant, because I had never paid him.
Xiao Baozi and I stared at him, waiting to hear his explanation.
Lao Dao pondered for a moment before saying, "Payment is just a superficial gesture.
"Being willing to give up something you hold precious is a way of expressing your sincerity.
"It's not limited to how much money you give.
"For some, even if they give you some money, it may not represent much sincerity.
"For others, they might only give a few scattered coins, but that might be the money they need to survive.
"Sincerity of the heart is what's fundamental."
Lao Dao looked at me, a faint smile on his face. Knowing I still had doubts, he explained, "The eyes are the windows to the soul. The light shining in your eyes when you first met me was your sincere and pure heart.
"Coupled with your unique fate and a virtuous heart aligned with the Dao, that is why I accepted you as my disciple."
I understood what Lao Dao meant. "Master, is this what the *Huangdi Neijing* talks about when it says:
"'To obtain it and then carelessly reveal it, Heaven will despise you. I wish to obtain and understand it, to store it in a golden coffer, and not dare to publicize it.'"
Lao Dao nodded in great approval. "That is precisely what I mean to express.
"The arts of the Great Dao—to obtain them but not respect them, to transmit them lightly and sell them cheaply, is to trample upon the Dao. Heaven will also despise such a person.
"My life's wish is to treasure these secret arts, to not easily defile them, and to find a destined person to carry them forward and let them flourish.
"Only by allowing the Great Dao to flourish, by letting more kind-hearted people obtain it, benefit from it, and respect it, can we ensure that those who swindle people under the banner of esoteric arts will have nowhere to hide."
As Lao Dao spoke with emotion, a glint of what seemed like tears appeared in his eyes.
Influenced by my master's noble aspiration, a sense of reverence slowly rose in my heart.
I carefully smoothed out the book Lao Dao had given me.
Although I didn't have a "golden coffer to store it in," I still found a clean cloth, wrapped the book over and over again, and only then placed it in my backpack.
Proofreader: Peter Pan