The priest and his guests burst into hearty laughter. Then, one of the guests said, "Tonight has been a delight, but I cannot drink anymore. Might we move the feast to the Moon Palace for our farewell?" With that, the three of them, along with the food and wine, slowly ascended into the moon.
The disciples watched in awe as the three sat in the Moon Palace, drinking, their every detail, down to their beards and brows, visible as though reflected in a mirror. After a while, the moonlight began to fade. The disciples lit candles, but only the priest remained in the room. The guests had vanished, leaving behind remnants of food and fruit on the table. The moon on the wall had reverted to a round piece of paper resembling a mirror.
The priest asked, "Have you all had your fill?"
The disciples responded in unison, "We have."
"Then go to bed early," the priest said, "so you won’t delay tomorrow’s firewood gathering."
The disciples agreed and left. Wang, deeply astonished and filled with admiration, dismissed his thoughts of returning home.
Another month went by, and Scholar Wang could no longer bear the laborious life. The Taoist priest still hadn’t taught him a single spell. Frustrated and unwilling to wait any longer, Wang bid farewell to the priest, saying:
“Master, I have traveled hundreds of miles to learn Taoist arts from you. Even if I can’t learn the secret to immortality, just mastering a small technique would be enough to satisfy my yearning for knowledge. But after two or three months, all I’ve done is chop firewood in the morning and return in the evening. At home, I’ve never endured such hardship.”
The priest chuckled and replied, “I knew from the beginning that you couldn’t handle hardship, and now it seems I was right. Tomorrow morning, I will send you on your way.”
Wang pleaded, “Master, I’ve worked here for many days. Please teach me at least a small skill, so my efforts won’t have been in vain.”
The priest asked, “What kind of technique would you like to learn?”
Wang replied, “I’ve often seen you walk through walls as if they weren’t there. If I could learn this skill, I’d be content.”
The priest laughed and agreed. He taught Wang an incantation and had him recite it. After chanting, the priest commanded, “Go ahead, walk through the wall!” Wang hesitated and didn’t dare to move forward.
The priest encouraged him, “Try stepping forward!” Wang cautiously moved closer to the wall, but he was blocked. The priest said, “Lower your head and rush forward without hesitation!”
This time, Wang took several steps back, then ran straight at the wall. Miraculously, he passed through as if it were empty space. Turning around, he saw that he was indeed on the other side of the wall. Overjoyed, Wang returned to thank the priest.
The priest advised, “When you return home, live an honest and upright life. Otherwise, this technique will fail you.” He then gave Wang travel expenses and sent him on his way.
Back home, Wang bragged to everyone about how he had met an immortal and learned a magical skill that allowed him to walk through solid walls. His wife was skeptical. To prove his claim, Wang reenacted the technique. Standing a few feet away from a wall, he ran at it, only to crash headfirst into the hard surface and fall flat on the ground.
His wife helped him up, revealing an egg-sized lump swelling on his forehead. She mocked him, and Wang, feeling both humiliated and furious, cursed the priest as a fraud.
0 Comments