Volume One: The Soul-Gathering Gourd and the Soul-Igniting Lamp Chapter 70: The Youth in White (Part Two)

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Within the incense shop, the fragrance of tea drifted lazily through the air.

After brewing a fresh pot, Gu Mo looked up as the delicate, handsome youth before him coughed lightly and once again asked, “Boss Gu, what do you think about life? What, in your view, is the meaning of existence?”

Sitting upright across the table, Gu Mo drew deeply on his cigarette, stubbed it out in the ashtray, and replied, “Are you here to have your fortune told, my friend?”

Before the youth could answer, Gu Mo forced a hollow smile onto his lips. “You see, this is only a humble incense shop. If it’s fortune-telling you want, I could recommend someone.”

He craned his neck and pointed beside him. “Just step outside, turn right, and you’ll find a scruffy Taoist priest running a divination shop. He should be able to answer your questions!”

As these words fell, the fair, white-robed youth seemed not to notice Gu Mo’s clear attempt to send him off. Instead, this strange, ethereal young man fished a thick wad of crisp hundred-yuan notes from his breast, placed it on the tea table, and said in a mellifluous voice, “Boss Gu, I came only to have a heart-to-heart with you.”

With that, he nudged the pile of bills closer. Could his intent be any plainer?

Gu Mo maintained his calm outwardly, but inwardly waves of astonishment surged. Damn! What’s wrong with this kid? Is he so rich that money burns his hands? Either a fool or a madman! If he’s so curious, why not just flip through a high school politics textbook? Even for fortune-telling, he should go find a blind man under the overpass!

Wait—dressed all in white… could he be from the White Lotus Sect? Yet there’s no blood lotus tattoo on him. Gu Mo’s instincts had always been sharp, but for the moment, he couldn’t quite place what rank this youth might hold within the sect.

He curled his lip into a devilish smile. Well, since you’ve come knocking, I’ll play along with you.

He coughed lightly, slipped the hundred-yuan bills into his pocket, and, feigning greed, said, “Ah, a heart-to-heart? No need for payment. But since you insist on chatting, let’s say five per minute—how about it?”

(Gu Mo’s real intent was to deliberately show a flaw; after all, someone entirely without fault would only make the other party more cautious. “Playing the fool to catch the tiger” was a survival skill for Gu Mo, who’d spent years hustling away from home.)

To his surprise, the delicate youth across from him smiled even more slyly, responding with a wicked grin, “Fifty thousand per minute is an acceptable price.”

At that, Gu Mo’s whole body tensed. What the hell!? This kid really is insane! I meant five yuan, not fifty thousand! Is he fresh out of Zhoushan Psychiatric Hospital? Not even the fanciest brothel could charge that much; what does he think I am?

Within seconds, Gu Mo had cursed the youth’s entire family, with special attention to the womenfolk. But real cash in hand is the truest thing of all! Not taking it would be madness.

He raised the teapot to refill the youth’s cup and asked, “May I ask your name, my friend?”

The mysterious youth coughed and answered without hesitation, “White Lotus Sect—Xia Wuqi.”

Gu Mo’s heart lurched with shock, but he kept his expression blank, feigning confusion. “White Lotus Sect? Is Brother Xia working at a film studio? No wonder you look so familiar!”

Xia Wuqi, the strange youth, made no move to expose Gu Mo’s lies. He simply reached for the cigarette box at his side. Gu Mo, not to be outdone, displayed the greedy air of a businessman, produced his own pack of twenty-yuan cigarettes, handed one over, and joked, “Here, Brother Xia, try one of mine. Though they cost a tenth of yours, the feeling in your lungs is the same.”

Xia Wuqi laughed heartily and accepted the cigarette. After a few puffs, he squinted and said, “Boss Gu, you still haven’t answered my question.”

Gu Mo took a measured sip of tea, deliberately slowing his movements. “What was it you asked just now, Brother Xia?”

Xia Wuqi grinned wickedly. “Boss Gu, how do you view life? What do you believe is the meaning of existence?”

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“Emmm... how should I put it?” Gu Mo stroked his chin, drawing out the moment, then replied slowly, “Life itself is a purgatory. Each of us arrives in this world naked, clenching our fists from birth—ready to fight…”

He drew deeply on his cigarette, meeting Xia Wuqi’s gaze. “And after a lifetime of struggle, all the connections, wealth, or fame you accumulate—does it not all end up as nothing? In the end, you’re pushed into the crematorium, puff out a wisp of smoke, and drift away with the wind.”

Xia Wuqi’s expression became inscrutable. He applauded. “Not bad, Boss Gu. Your perspective is certainly unique—perhaps a bit evasive, but still refreshingly different.”

He delved into his shirt again, drew out another fifty thousand in cash, and placed it on the table. “Let’s continue, Boss Gu.”

Gu Mo felt numb all over, but Xia Wuqi seemed utterly indifferent, tossing money onto the tea table as if it were mere bundles of newspaper.

At this point, Gu Mo began to suspect the money’s origin—or whether it might be counterfeit. Yet, out of pride, he dared not check, though it might all start with HD90 serial numbers!

But Xia Wuqi had already guessed his thoughts. With a casual wave, he fixed his gaze on Gu Mo. “Boss Gu, you’re not worried there’s something wrong with this money, are you?”

Gu Mo laughed heartily. In truth, they were talking as if they were old friends.

“How could that be? With your generosity, Brother Xia, there’s no way you’d use fake bills!” He shook his body with a self-deprecating air, joking, “Look at me—my brand-new tracksuit pales next to yours. Yours could buy a dozen sets of mine!”

Xia Wuqi smiled faintly, then abruptly changed the subject: “Boss Gu, what’s your view of the world’s suffering?”

Gu Mo’s mind erupted in silent curses, a thousand invectives galloping by.

What is this kid—‘The One Hundred Thousand Whys’? He grabs at anything and asks about it. Even if I had a dictionary, I couldn’t answer so much!

He forced a broad smile and improvised, “The world is so vibrant—how could it be full of suffering? Did you, perhaps, endure a tragic childhood, Brother Xia?”

Xia Wuqi only smiled enigmatically.

Seeing he could glean nothing useful, Gu Mo continued to placate his ‘patron’ with answers. “As for suffering, it depends on a person’s outlook. Everything in the world is a double-edged sword. Pure yin does not endure, nor does lone yang give life. Where there is darkness, there must be light; where there is suffering, there is also happiness. No two leaves are exactly alike, but there are always opposites in the world, aren’t there? If one treats others with kindness, one can live more freely, with a clear conscience.”

Xia Wuqi applauded again. “Boss Gu, your insight is truly commendable!”

No sooner had he finished, this extravagant madman produced yet another fifty thousand, slapping the cash on the tea table. He curled his lips into a devilish grin. “What is your view on money, power, and fame, Boss Gu?”

Gu Mo accepted the bills with a faint smile, but inside, he was cursing. Would this ever end? First the meaning of life, then life’s suffering—now it was money, power, and fame! Would he ask about the ruling class next?

In the blink of an eye, Gu Mo silently cursed Xia Wuqi’s ancestors to the eighteenth generation. He coughed lightly, then said with a smile, “Money is what you make of it; it can be good or bad.”

“How so?”

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Gu Mo let out a hearty, uninhibited laugh. “Money is only a tool for exchange, created by man. If the world fell into chaos and resources became scarce, all the money in the world wouldn’t be worth as much as a bottle of water, would it?”

Xia Wuqi stroked his chin, putting on an air of deep thought. It seemed he was analyzing Gu Mo’s basic thinking through their conversation.

With that realization, Gu Mo let himself go entirely. Damn it! If I don’t bamboozle you senseless, I won’t deserve this money!

He took a sip of tea, licked his lips, and continued, “In truth, our civilization was built from real gold and silver. But the moment that framework collapses, human nature can’t withstand the test either.”

Xia Wuqi paused, lost in thought.

Seeing this, Gu Mo decided to stoke the fire. “As for me, money just needs to be enough to spend. Too much, and it starts to burn your hands. Wealth often ties into desire and profit. Money can make the devil work, but a single cent can defeat a hero. So, in my shallow view, as long as you have the right amount at the right time, that’s enough.”

Xia Wuqi nodded approvingly, a satisfied smile appearing on his handsome face.

Before Xia Wuqi could ask another question, Gu Mo preemptively took out a cigarette and offered it. The two lit up, and Gu Mo drew deeply, then spoke again.

“As for power, that’s not a topic for an ordinary person like me. My only hobby is scraping by—watching over my shop and scrolling through Douyin on my meager earnings. The game of power has nothing to do with a small-time boss like me!”

Xia Wuqi smiled and said, “A conversation with you is worth ten years of reading.”

Gu Mo waved his hand modestly. “Foolish words, nothing more. Brother Xia overestimates me.”

Xia Wuqi took a sip of tea, and Gu Mo refilled his cup, inwardly cursing: Damn it! This kid has had so much tea—doesn’t he ever need the restroom? There are bound to be more bizarre questions coming!

Sure enough, as Gu Mo thought this, Xia Wuqi asked, “Boss Gu, what is your view on art?”

Gu Mo smiled sheepishly. “People say art comes from life, and rises above it. Take me, for example. After graduating from university, I worked as a nude model at the Academy of Fine Arts for a few years—not for anything but the three hundred yuan you got for lying naked under a sheet.”

At this, Xia Wuqi burst out laughing. “Boss Gu, you’re truly a character—you were a nude model?”

Gu Mo was unfazed. “What’s a nude model? I even did body painting one year!”

Such uninhibited conversation eased the mood between them considerably.

After a few more laughs, Gu Mo added, “And not just that—delivery man, courier, truck loader, bottled water delivery, insurance salesman, selling vitality pills, cell phone screen protector—you name it, I’ve done it! Some jobs lasted longer than others, but each added to my experience and helped me get by.”

Xia Wuqi applauded again. “Boss Gu, your life experience is truly remarkable!”

Gu Mo waved it off with a smile. “It’s nothing. When people are just trying to survive, there’s nothing they can’t do.”

“Emmm…” Xia Wuqi paused, then confessed, “To be honest, I’m currently facing a difficult choice in my life. There are many paths before me, and I’m feeling lost. That’s why I came to speak with you, Brother Gu.”

Gu Mo nodded serenely, the last of his wariness having been worn away by these ‘sugar-coated bullets’ of cash. “In truth, we’re all the same. If it’s someone else’s troubles, we can talk for hours. But if I were to face your problems, I might be even more lost than you, my friend.”

He paused briefly, then added, “Sometimes, a bit of ‘Forrest Gump spirit’ is useful. If you can’t handle things right away, set them aside for a while—it can help.”

Hearing this, Xia Wuqi finally seemed to find the answer he was seeking. The enigmatic member of the White Lotus Sect rose slowly to his feet, smiled, and said, “Boss Gu, I’ve troubled you long enough. You should rest.”

At last, Gu Mo felt truly relieved, though outwardly he offered a few polite words. “Brother Xia, won’t you stay a while longer?”

Xia Wuqi walked slowly to the door of the incense shop, left a final remark, and disappeared into the night.

Yet even that simple parting phrase left Gu Mo’s heart pounding, deeply shaken…