The Carnal Prayer Mat (肉蒲团) by Yu Li

Volume 1: Post-Enlightenment Zen - Spring / 卷一：觉后禪-春

Chapter 1: Stopping Lustful Trends Through Lustful Stories, Discussing Sensuality from the Start of Desire

The poem says: Black hair is hard to retain, red complexion easily fades, life is not like green pine. Fame fades like interest, a gust of falling flowers. Regret not enjoying youth, the court of romance exiles the aged. Princes and nobles, listening to the "Golden Thread" song, should love fragrant herbs early. The true place of happiness in the world, after careful calculation, is still in the bedroom. Unlike the realm of glory, where joy begins and sorrow ends. Finding pleasure every day, in the place of blissful sleep, fearing the sound of the morning bell. Open your eyes and see, the universe encompasses, a large Spring Palace painting.

This poem is called "Man Ting Fang" (Full Courtyard Fragrance). It simply tells that life in the world is filled with daily toil and constant worry, with not a moment of comfort. Fortunately, the sage who created the world in ancient times invented the act of sexual intercourse between men and women, which helps alleviate toil and sorrow, preventing people from becoming overly haggard. According to narrow-minded Confucian scholars, the female genitalia is the door that gives birth to us and the gateway that leads us to death. However, from the perspective of enlightened people, without this thing, people's hair would turn white a few years earlier and their lifespan would be slightly shorter. If you don't believe it, just look at the monks in the world - how many of them have black hair at forty or fifty? How many live to seventy or eighty without their bodies failing? Some might say that although monks have left home, they still have their ways - some steal women or have affairs with disciples, just like ordinary people, unable to preserve their vital energy and strengthen their foundations, which is why they don't live long. Look at the eunuchs in the capital - they not only don't steal women or have affairs with disciples, but they don't even have the equipment to do so. Logically, they should stay young all their lives and live hundreds of years. Why do they have more wrinkles than others? Why does their hair turn white earlier? They are called "lords" but look like old women. In the capital, only ordinary people have longevity plaques hanging, while no eunuch has a hundred-year monument built for them.

It can be seen that the term "female beauty" is inherently harmless to people. The only reason there is no fixed annotation for it is because it is not recorded in the Compendium of Materia Medica. Some say it nourishes people, while others say it harms them. If we compare and verify it in this way, it not only nourishes people, but its medicinal properties are the same as ginseng and aconite, and they can also be used together. However, although ginseng and aconite are great tonics, they are suitable for long-term consumption in moderation, not excessive consumption; they can only be used as medicine, not as food. If you take them without considering the dosage or time, and eat them to satiety, they can also harm people. The dangers of female beauty are the same as this. Long-term, moderate consumption has the effect of balancing yin and yang, while excessive consumption has the disadvantage of conflicting fire and water. Used as medicine, it brings the joy of broadening the mind and relieving depression; used as food, it causes the worry of damaging tendons and consuming blood. If people in the world knew to treat female beauty as medicine - not too rarely, not too frequently, not without preference, not with excessive obsession - then when approaching female beauty, they would think: "This is medicine, not poison, so why fear it?" When already close to female beauty, they would think: "This is medicine, not food, so why indulge in it?" In this way, yang is not excessive and yin is not stagnant, which is certainly beneficial to people. However, although this medicinal property is the same as ginseng and aconite in every aspect, the place of production and method of use are somewhat opposite, which those who take the medicine must know. For ginseng and aconite, genuine products are good, while local products are useless when consumed. For female beauty, local products are good, while imported ones are not only useless but can also harm people. What is meant by "local products"? What is meant by "imported"? One's own wives and concubines, which do not require distant seeking or money to buy, and can be easily obtained, are called "local products." I can sleep however I want without obstruction, and even if someone knocks on the door, I don't feel panic. They do not harm vitality and are beneficial to the family lineage. After intercourse, the whole body feels comfortable. Isn't this nourishing? Beautiful women come from noble families, and their delicate makeup must be in embroidered rooms. The taste of a domestic chicken is bland compared to the freshness of wild ducks; an old wife's beauty fades, competing with a young girl, which is called "imported." If one obsesses over such women, constantly thinking about them and determined to obtain them, first tempting with affection, then giving gifts, or climbing over walls to keep appointments, or drilling holes to have private meetings. No matter how bold in lust one is, deep down one is as timid as a mouse; even if no one is watching, it feels like someone is coming. The sweat from romance is less than the sweat from fear; the love between men and women is long, but the spirit of a hero is short. Testing oneself in an abyss of uncertainty immediately creates extraordinary misfortune; secretly harming one's virtue and openly violating the law, one's body will be killed. If there is no one to avenge the death, and the wife still exists, there is still the shame of a woman who has lost her virtue. The various harms are too terrible to bear. It can be seen that people in the world must not abandon what is nearby to seek what is far, or dislike what is old to seek what is new when it comes to female beauty.

The author of this novel originally had a compassionate heart, intending to preach to the world - advising people to suppress desire, not to indulge in it; to keep obscenity secret, not to publicize it. Readers must not misunderstand his intention. Since he wants to make people suppress desire, why doesn't he write a book of Confucian moralism to maintain social customs, but instead writes a romantic novel? Readers may not know. All methods of transforming social customs must guide people according to the situation so that their words can be easily accepted. In recent times, people are afraid to read the Bible and sages' teachings, but enjoy reading unofficial histories. Even among unofficial histories, they are tired of hearing about loyalty, filial piety, integrity, and righteousness, and prefer to read obscene, heretical, and absurd books. Social customs have reached the extreme of debauchery today. If one writes a book of Confucian moralism to advise people to do good, not to mention making people pay money to buy it and read it, even if a good-hearted family prints it into a set and gives it away for free, people will either tear it up to plug jars or use it to light cigarettes, and won't even glance at it. It's better to use the topic of carnal desire to arouse their interest. When they are reading with great interest, suddenly insert a few critical words, making them sigh: "Female beauty is so good, how can I not preserve my body to enjoy it, but become a ghost under the peony flowers, pursuing empty fame and abandoning reality?" Then, when they see the clear retribution, gently add a few enlightening words, making them suddenly realize: "Adultery must be retributed like this, how can I not keep my own wives and concubines to enjoy, but do things like throwing pearls to hit sparrows, borrowing virtual money to repay real debts?" With this thought, they will naturally not take the wrong path. If they don't take the wrong path, husbands will naturally love their wives and wives will respect their husbands, which is nothing more than the moral education of Zhou Nan and Zhao Nan. This is called the method of governing people by dealing with specific matters. Not only should unofficial historians use this technique, but the sages in the classics also practiced it first. If you don't believe it, look at how Mencius talked about kingly government to King Xuan of Qi during the Warring States period. King Xuan was a man who loved beauty and wealth; kingly government was not to his liking. He just casually praised: "Good indeed, I believe it." Mencius said: "If the king thinks it's good, why not practice it?" King Xuan said: "I have a flaw - I love wealth." Mencius then used the story of Gong Liu's love for wealth to guide him. King Xuan said again: "I have a flaw - I love beauty." When he said this, he had resigned himself to being a tyrant like Jie and Zhou, treating it as a reply refusing to practice kingly government. If it were a Confucian moralist, they would sternly admonish him for his licentiousness. From ancient times, there has been a warning for emperors: "Commoners who love beauty lose their lives; officials who love beauty lose their positions; feudal lords who love beauty lose their states; emperors who love beauty lose the world." If King Xuan heard this, even if he didn't say it out loud, he would certainly think: "In that case, I'm incurably ill and don't need the teacher anymore." Who would have thought that Mencius instead used the romantic story of King Tai's love for beauty to captivate him, making him listen with great interest and unable to stop. Think about it - when King Tai was fleeing on horseback, he still took Lady Jiang with him, which shows that he loved beauty all his life and couldn't be separated from women for a moment. Such a licentious ruler, how could he not lose his life and country? However, he had a way of loving beauty: he made all the men in the country take their women with them when fleeing. When King Tai and Lady Jiang were enjoying themselves, all the men and women in the country were also enjoying themselves there. This is a benevolent ruler with the warmth of spring and the impartiality of heaven and earth. Who wouldn't praise him and dare to speak ill of him? When King Xuan heard this, he naturally felt at ease and willing to practice kingly government, no longer using "I have a flaw" as an excuse. The author of this novel gains his strength from this. I hope that readers all over the world will buy it and read it as classics, not as a novel. Whenever you encounter the word "reader," it is either a critical word or an enlightening word, and you must pay attention to understand it. Some descriptions of intercourse and bedroom pleasures are somewhat obscene, but they are always meant to lead readers to the ending, so that they can know the result and be warned. Otherwise, it would be like an olive book - although it has an aftertaste later, who would be willing to chew it if it's sour and astringent when first put in the mouth? My descriptive words in this section are just like wrapping olives in date flesh, leading readers to the aftertaste. Don't be annoyed by the lengthy introduction. The main story will be seen in the next chapter.

Chapter 2: The Old Monk Empties His Leather Bag, The Young Layman Sits on The Carnal Prayer Mat

During the Zhihe period of the Yuan Dynasty, there was a monk in the Kuocang Mountains with the Dharma name Zheng Yi and the Taoist title Gu Feng. He was originally a famous scholar at the Chuzhou County School. Because he had a natural affinity for goodness, when he was in swaddling clothes, he kept babbling like a student reciting scriptures. His parents didn't understand why. A traveling monk came to beg for alms, saw him being held in his mother's arms, crying and laughing at the same time. The monk listened and said he was reciting the "Shurangama Sutra," and this child was the reincarnation of an eminent monk. He asked his parents to let him become his disciple. His parents thought it was nonsense and didn't believe it. When he grew up, they taught him to read, and he could recite what he read once. However, he had no desire for fame and fortune, and repeatedly wanted to abandon Confucianism to study Buddhism, but was severely punished by his parents and had to stop. He had no choice but to take the imperial examination, entering the county school at a young age and receiving a stipend immediately after. After his parents died, he observed the two-year mourning period, then distributed his family fortune of ten thousand gold to his clansmen. He sewed a large leather bag to hold his wooden fish, scriptures, and other items, shaved his head, and went into the mountains to practice. Those who knew him called him Elder Gu Feng, while those who didn't just called him the Leather Bag Monk. Unlike other monks, he not only strictly abstained from wine, meat, and sexual immorality, but also had three precepts regarding the basic practices of monks. These three precepts were: not begging for alms, not lecturing on scriptures, and not living in famous mountains. When people asked him why he didn't beg for alms, he said: "The practice of Buddhism generally begins with asceticism. One must labor hard, endure hunger, and let the worry of hunger and cold press daily. When the worry of hunger and cold presses daily, the thoughts of lust do not arise; when thoughts of lust do not arise, filth fades away and purity comes day by day. Over time, one will naturally become a Buddha. If one eats without farming, wears clothes without weaving, and relies on donations from benefactors all day long, when the stomach is full, one thinks of wandering, and when the body is warm, one loves to sleep. Wandering leads to seeing desirable things, and sleeping leads to dreams. Not only will one fail to learn Buddhism, but all kinds of hellish things will come without seeking. That's why I support myself and abstain from begging for alms." When people asked him why he didn't lecture on scriptures, he said: "The words in the scriptures were spoken by Buddhas and Bodhisattvas; only Buddhas and Bodhisattvas can understand them. Other laypeople lecturing on scriptures are like fools talking about dreams. In ancient times, Tao Yuanming read books without seeking thorough understanding. If Chinese people reading Chinese books still don't dare to seek thorough understanding, how can Chinese people reading foreign books dare to arbitrarily translate them? I don't dare to be a meritorious servant of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, but I want to avoid being a sinner of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Therefore, I know my ignorance and keep my clumsiness, abstaining from lecturing on scriptures." When people asked him why he didn't live in famous mountains, he said: "Practitioners must not see desirable things to keep their minds from being disturbed. The desirable things in the world are not only beauty, sound, wealth, and profit, but also the comfortable breeze, the pleasing bright moon, the delightful birds, the tasty ferns - all things that are lovely and endearing are desirable. Once one lives in a beautiful place, mountain spirits and water monsters will lead one to seek poetry, and the moon goddess and wind aunt will disturb one's meditation. That's why those who read in famous mountains fail in their studies, and those who practice Taoism in famous mountains find it hard to cleanse their attachment to fame. Moreover, which famous mountain doesn't have women burning incense and officials visiting? The incident of 'moonlight and green willows' is a lesson from the past. That's why I left famous temples to live in desolate mountains, just to have nothing to cling to before my eyes and ears." Those who asked him were deeply convinced by his words, thinking they were unprecedented for ancient eminent monks. Because of these three precepts, he didn't seek fame but became more famous day by day. Many people from near and far wanted to convert to him, but he didn't easily accept disciples. He would only ordain those who truly had a good root and no worldly thoughts. If there was the slightest doubt, he would refuse to accept them. Therefore, after being a monk for many years, he had very few disciples and lived alone in a few thatched huts by a mountain stream, farming for food and drinking spring water.

One day, the autumn wind was bleak, leaves were falling, and insects were chirping. The monk got up early in the morning, swept the fallen leaves in front of the door, changed the clean water in front of the Buddha, and after lighting incense, he placed a meditation cushion and sat in meditation in the main hall. Suddenly, a young scholar entered with two servants. The scholar had an elegant appearance, with eyes as clear as autumn water and a demeanor like spring clouds. His eyes had an unusually bright and sharp light. He didn't like to look directly at things, preferring to glance sidelong; this skill was useless for anything else, but he was especially skilled at peeking at women. He didn't even need to get close—no matter how far away, just a glance would let him know whether a woman was beautiful or not. When he saw a beautiful one, he would cast a flirtatious look. If the woman was virtuous, she would pass by with her head down, not meeting his gaze, and the look would be wasted. But if the woman had the same flaw, she would cast a look back, exchanging love letters through their eyes, and they would be inseparable. Therefore, whether a man or woman, having such eyes is not an auspicious sign; loss of reputation and moral integrity all stem from this. Gentle readers, if you have similar eyes, you must be cautious. At that time, the scholar walked in, bowed four times to the Buddha statue, then bowed four times to the monk, and stood aside. The monk was in deep meditation at first and couldn't return the greeting, but after finishing his practice, he stepped down from the cushion and returned the four bows deeply. After seating was arranged, he asked for the scholar's name. The scholar said: "I am a traveler from a distant place, wandering in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, with the literary name 'Wei Yangsheng'. Hearing that you are a generation of eminent monks and a living Buddha between heaven and earth, I came here after fasting, hoping to have a conversation."

You may ask, when the monk inquired about his name, why did he not give his real name but instead his literary name? Gentle readers, you should know that during the Yuan Dynasty, the scholarly atmosphere was peculiar: literati disliked being called by their real names and preferred to use literary names. Therefore, every scholar had a courtesy name: some were called "XX Sheng" (Scholar), some "XX Zi" (Master), and some "XX Daoren" (Daoist). Generally, young scholars were called "Sheng," middle-aged ones "Zi," and elderly ones "Daoren." These courtesy names each had their own meanings, either reflecting one's passions or nature. They would choose two characters as their name, and it was sufficient that they understood the meaning themselves—there was no need for everyone to know. The scholar was particularly fond of female beauty, disliked the day and preferred the night, and among the night hours, he preferred the first half of the night to the second half. Seeing the line "the night is not yet over" in the Book of Songs, he took it out of context and adopted "Wei Yangsheng" as his literary name.

At that time, the monk felt flattered by the excessive praise and replied with a few humble words. By then, the vegetarian meal in the earthen pot was ready, so the monk invited him to stay for breakfast. They sat facing each other and discussed Zen, their conversation flowing harmoniously. It turned out that Wei Yangsheng was extremely intelligent, having read all kinds of books on Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, and other schools of thought. What others couldn't understand about Zen even after a thousand words, he could comprehend thoroughly with just the monk's opening sentence. The monk thought to himself: What a knowledgeable man! It's a pity that the Creator made a mistake in shaping him—why give such a Buddhist heart to someone with a sinful appearance? His demeanor and behavior clearly show he is a great lecher. If I don't take him in and guide him, he will surely sneak into women's chambers in the future, bringing disaster to families. Who knows how many women in the world will be poisoned by him. If I see this chaotic person today and don't help him correct his ways for the benefit of all, it would be against the path of compassion. So he said to him: "Since I became a monk, I have met many people. Those fools who refuse to do good are not worth mentioning, and even the scholars who come to study Zen and the officials who come to listen to the Dharma are mostly laymen with little understanding of Zen. Who would have thought that you have such spiritual clarity—if you study Zen with this talent, you could achieve enlightenment in a few years. In life, the physical body is easy to obtain, but the nature for spiritual cultivation is rare; time passes quickly, but tribulations are hard to overcome. You have the potential to become a Buddha, so don't walk the path of demons. Why not eliminate your desires and enter the monastic life while your youthful vitality remains? Although I am an ordinary mortal, I can still serve as a guide. If you can make this great vow and focus on this great cause and effect, after a hundred years, you will be honored among the Sangha and not have to obey the Rakshasas. What do you think?" Wei Yangsheng said: "I have long harbored the intention to return to Zen, and I will inevitably enter this path in the future. However, I still have two unfulfilled wishes that I find hard to let go of. Since I am still young, let me go back and complete these two things, enjoy life for a few years, and then come to receive the tonsure and convert—it won't be too late."

The monk asked: "May I ask what these two wishes are? Could they be to achieve fame in the imperial examinations to repay your studies, or to perform meritorious deeds in foreign lands to serve the court?" Wei Yangsheng shook his head: "These are not my wishes." The monk said: "If they are not these two, then what are they after all?" Wei Yangsheng said: "My wishes are things I can accomplish with my own strength, not fantasies. To be honest with you, my memory for reading, my understanding of teachings, and my talent for writing are all top-notch. Today's famous scholars only barely memorize things, borrow from others, write a few essays, publish a collection of poems, and then claim to be leaders in the literary world, dominating their era. In my opinion, this is false. To be a true famous scholar, one must read all the rare books in the world, associate with all the extraordinary people, visit all the famous mountains, and then retire to a room to write books that will be passed down to future generations. If I'm lucky enough to pass the imperial examinations, I will also do some work for the court. If I'm not fortunate enough to achieve literary fame and die in poverty, I will still be remembered as a person of all ages. Therefore, I have two private thoughts in my heart: I want to be the first talent in the world..." The monk said: "That's the first sentence. What's the second one?" Wei Yangsheng hesitated, about to speak but then swallowing his words, as if he didn't dare to say it. The monk said: "Since you're afraid to say the second sentence, let me say it for you." Wei Yangsheng said: "How could you know what's in my heart?" The monk said: "If I'm wrong, I'm willing to be punished. But if I'm right, don't deny it." Wei Yangsheng said: "If you're right, you're not only a Bodhisattva but also a immortal—how dare I make excuses?" The monk said calmly: "It's 'to marry the most beautiful woman in the world'."

Upon hearing this, Wei Yangsheng was stunned and speechless for a long time before finally replying: "Master, you are truly an extraordinary person! These two private thoughts are what I think about all day long, and you said them as if you had heard them directly from my heart." The monk said: "Haven't you heard that private whispers on earth sound like thunder in heaven?" Wei Yangsheng said: "Logically speaking, I shouldn't speak of such lustful thoughts to you. But since you've guessed it, I dare not hide from you—I still have shallow understanding of the Dao, and my desires are deep. Since ancient times, the four characters 'talented scholar and beautiful woman' have been inseparable; where there is a talented scholar, there should be a beautiful woman to match him, and where there is a beautiful woman, there should be a talented scholar to pair with her. Not to mention my talent, my appearance is also not bad. I often look at myself in the mirror, and even if Pan An or Wei Jie were alive today, I wouldn't concede to them. If heaven has created me as a talented scholar, wouldn't it create a woman to match me? If there are no beautiful women in the world, that's fine; but if there are, who else but me should seek a perfect match? That's why I'm over twenty and still unmarried—I don't want to waste my talent and appearance. When I go back and find a beautiful woman to marry, have a son to continue my family line, and fulfill these wishes, I will have no other thoughts. Not only will I turn back to the right path myself, but I will also persuade my wife to ascend to the other shore with me. What do you think, Master?" The monk sneered and said: "Judging from this, your thoughts are not wrong at all; it's just that the Creator who shaped humans is somewhat at fault. If you had been given an ugly appearance, with your clear spirit, you might have achieved enlightenment. That's why ancient people often had diseases like leprosy or epilepsy, or broken hands and feet, and became immortals through divine punishment. This is the principle of immortality. The Creator was too indulgent when shaping you, just like parents who dote on their child—afraid of hurting his body or offending his temperament when he was young, they couldn't bear to hit or scold him. When the son grows up, he thinks his body and temperament were given by heaven and earth and nurtured by his parents, so he does as he pleases, committing evil deeds. Only when he is whipped by officials or executed by the court for his crimes does he regret that his parents were too indulgent, leading to his current situation. This delicate skin and indulgent temperament are not auspicious signs. Because you think your appearance makes you the first talent, you want to find the first beauty. Regardless of whether you can obtain her or not, even if you do get one, I'm afraid the word 'first' isn't written on her forehead. If you see someone better later, you'll turn away from her to pursue the better one. If this beauty has the same nature as you—refusing to marry easily and waiting for the first talent—you can still take her as a concubine. But if she already has a husband, how will you deal with it? If you do everything possible to get what you want, all kinds of hellish things will follow. Do you want to fall into hell or go to heaven? If you're willing to fall into hell, go ahead and look for the first beauty. If you want to go to heaven, please let go of your delusions and become a monk with me."

Wei Yangsheng said: "Master, your talk of 'heaven and hell' seems too clichéd, not like the words of an eminent monk. The principle of Zen meditation is just self-enlightenment. To stand in a state of neither birth nor death is to be a Buddha. Is there really a heaven to ascend to? Even if one commits romantic transgressions, it only tarnishes the teachings, not really causing one to fall into hell." The monk said: "The saying 'good people go to heaven, bad people fall into hell' is indeed a cliché. But while scholars can escape clichés in everything else, in matters of self-cultivation and conduct, they can't escape at all. Whether heaven and hell exist or not, the principle is clear and unwavering. Even if there is no heaven, we must use it as a step toward goodness. Even if there is no hell, we must use it as a warning against evil. Since you understand clichés, I won't talk about future karmic retribution, but only about present retribution—this is also a cliché. An ancient saying goes: 'If I don't seduce others' wives, others won't seduce my wife.' This is an extremely ordinary cliché, but there isn't a single lecherous person in the world who has escaped it. Those who seduce others' wives will have their own wives seduced. The only way to escape this cliché is to avoid adultery entirely. If you engage in adultery, you will inevitably be trapped by this cliché I've mentioned. Layman, do you want to escape the cliché or fall into it? If you want to fall into it, go ahead and look for the first beauty. If you want to escape it, please let go of your delusions and become a monk with me."

Wei Yangsheng said: "Master, everything you've said is thoroughly clear. But when speaking to the ignorant, you have to go into great detail to make them shudder in fear and thus be warned. When reasoning with people like us, it's not necessarily the case. Although the Heavenly Law is strict, the enforcement of the law is not without mercy. While many who commit adultery are punished, there are also many who go unpunished. If we were to go from house to house to investigate adultery, and make the wives and daughters of adulterers repay the debt of lust, that would be a profanation of heaven! In short, the way of karma and retribution follows the Heavenly Law, and is generally not mistaken. Those who do evil must know this—it's the main topic of persuasion. Why be so rigid about it?" The monk said: "According to what you're saying, is there adultery in the world that goes unpunished? I'm afraid the Heavenly Law doesn't let anyone slip through the net. Perhaps you're being too kind, leaving some room for people to escape. In my view, there has never been a single person in ancient or modern times who has raped another's wife or daughter without being punished. There are thousands upon thousands of such cases recorded in books and passed down by word of mouth. Please think about it: committing adultery is a gain, so people are willing to talk about it, which is why we know so many cases. But having one's wife or daughter raped is a loss, so people aren't willing to talk about it, which is why we know fewer cases. Among these, there are wives who hide it from their husbands, daughters who hide it from their fathers—even they themselves don't know, yet they say that the retribution for adultery is nonexistent. Only after death do they believe the ancient sayings are true, and by then, they can't tell anyone about this realization. Not to mention that adulterers' wives and daughters are used to repay the debt of lust. Just the mere thought of adultery is enough to unknowingly make wives and daughters forget many things. For example, if one's wife or daughter is ugly, and during intercourse at night one isn't very aroused, one might think of a beautiful woman seen during the day, treat one's wife as that woman, and take pleasure in it. But how do you know that at the same time, your wife doesn't find you ugly, thinks of a handsome man seen during the day, treats you as that man, and takes pleasure in it? Such things happen to everyone. Although it doesn't damage one's chastity, it does hurt one's unswerving heart. This is also retribution for a man's lust. If this happens just with a thought, how can the wife remain a chaste woman when one actually enters another's room and lies with another's wife, without the gods and spirits seeing, without the Creator being angry? My words are not clichés. Do you agree, layman?" Wei Yangsheng said: "What you say is very reasonable, but I still need to ask the master: if someone has a wife and daughter and rapes another's wife or daughter, they can repay the debt with their own wife and daughter. But if someone has no wife or daughter and rapes another's wife or daughter, what will they use to repay the debt? The Heavenly Law can't be enforced in that case. Another point: one's own wives and daughters are limited, but the women in the world are countless. For example, if one only has one or two wives and concubines, one or two sons and daughters, but rapes countless women in the world, even if one's wife and daughter are harmed, the gain still outweighs the loss. How will heaven deal with that?"

After listening, the monk knew that Wei Yangsheng was as stubborn as a large block of stone. He said to him: "Layman, your argument is very sharp—I dare not compete with you. But this kind of truth cannot be proven by words alone; it can only be understood through practice. Please wait until you marry a beautiful woman, then gain enlightenment from the fleshly lotus seat—only then will you get the real truth. In my observation, you have the potential to transcend the ordinary and become a saint, to reach the pinnacle of achievement. I can't bear to abandon you entirely. After you suddenly realize the truth, you still need to come see me to discuss your path back. Starting tomorrow, I will wait with bated breath all day long." With that, he took out a piece of paper, picked up his brush, and wrote a four-line five-character verse:

Please abandon your mortal bag,
Go sit on the fleshly lotus seat.
Regret while you are still alive,
Don't sigh after the coffin is closed.

After writing, the monk handed it to Wei Yangsheng and said: "I'm a clumsy monk, unaware of taboos. Although the verse is too harsh, it comes from a kind heart. Please keep it, layman, as a sign for the future." After speaking, he stood up, as if to see him off. Wei Yangsheng knew their meeting was over, and remembering that he was an eminent monk, he didn't dare to leave rudely. He had to bow his head and apologize: "I was born foolish and stubborn, not receptive to teaching. I hope the master will forgive me. When I come again in the future, I still pray for your acceptance." With that, he bowed four times as before, and the monk returned the gesture, seeing him out the door, and they parted ways. The background and story of the monk have been fully told; from now on, we will only talk about Wei Yangsheng's obsession with women, and will no longer narrate about Gu Feng. If you want to know Gu Feng's ending, you'll have to wait until the final chapter.

Commentary: Wei Yangsheng is the leading role in this play, while Gu Feng is a supporting character. If someone else were writing this, they would definitely start with Wei Yangsheng and treat Gu Feng as a passing visitor. However, this work alone narrates Gu Feng's story in great detail, making readers suspect that Gu Feng might have lewd behavior later on, but unexpectedly that's not the case. It's not until he sits in meditation that the true meaning is revealed, keeping people guessing. This is a variation of traditional novels, where the author breaks away from all clichés. If someone else used this method, the theme would definitely become confused and the plot tangled, making readers unable to distinguish between the main and secondary characters. But in this work, everything is clearly delineated, allowing readers to understand the main theme when they reach it. The final few lines clarify the plot line, no longer puzzling the readers—truly the work of a master.

Chapter 3: The Confucian Scholar Mistakenly Marries His Daughter to a Playboy; The Virtuous Woman Transfers Her Affections to a Frivolous Man

After bidding farewell to Gu Feng, Wei Yangsheng grumbled all the way: "How unreasonable! I'm only in my twenties, a flower just blooming, and he wants me to shave my head and practice asceticism, seeking hardship. How can there be such an unfeeling person in the world? I only came to see him today because he was a famous scholar before becoming a monk—he must have unique insights. I wanted to understand his Zen wisdom to help with my literary thinking. Who would have thought I'd receive so much neglect from him, and he even composed a turtle verse for me—how can I bear this? I'm a tall and upright man. If I become an official, I'll govern the world and manage millions of people. Can't I even manage my own wife? If I encounter a good woman now, I won't let her slip away. Even if I commit a few romantic transgressions, as long as I keep my household strictly guarded, I'll see if any man can come to collect the debt. Besides, if a woman marries such a handsome husband like me, even if other men try to seduce her, she probably won't look at them. The matter of losing her chastity is definitely not going to happen. Logically, I should have torn up that verse and thrown it back at him. But when we meet later, I won't have any evidence to silence his venomous mouth. I'll keep it with me for now and see if he repents when we meet again. Having made up his mind, he folded the verse and hid it in his belt.

When he returned home, he instructed several servants to go out and inform matchmakers that he wanted to find the most beautiful woman in the world. He came from a noble family and was both talented and handsome—what man wouldn't want him as a son-in-law, what woman wouldn't want him as a husband? After his announcement, several matchmakers came to him every day to propose marriages. For common families, he could go to their homes to see the women. For wealthy families who cared about their reputation, they would arrange meetings in temples or desolate suburbs, where they would pretend to meet by chance while secretly observing each other. He made many women suffer from lovesickness, but he didn't like any of them. One matchmaker said to him: "It seems that no other woman is your match. Only the daughter of the Iron Gate Taoist, named 'Yuxiang', is worthy of you. However, her father is eccentric and definitely won't let anyone see her, and you insist on seeing her—this matter won't work out." Wei Yangsheng asked: "Why is he called the 'Iron Gate Taoist'? How do you know his daughter is beautiful? If she's beautiful, why won't he let anyone see her?" The matchmaker replied: "This old man is a famous scholar with a solitary and unyielding personality. He has land and property and doesn't need anything from others. He has no friends in his life and studies alone at home. No matter who knocks on his door, he just won't open it. A noble guest admired his reputation and went to visit him, knocking on the door for a long time, but not only did he not open it, he didn't even respond. The noble guest had no choice but to write a poem on the door and leave. Two lines in the middle read: I only knew that a noble scholar uses a thatched hut as his door, / Who would have thought this gentleman uses iron as his door.

Later, when he saw the poem, he said: 'The words "iron door" are quite accurate,' so he took it as his nickname, calling himself the 'Iron Gate Taoist'. He has no sons, only one daughter, who is as beautiful as a flower, unmatched by anyone. She has also read a lot of books, all taught by her father, and can write poems, lyrics, and essays. Their household is strictly guarded—she doesn't go to burn incense, doesn't come out to watch gatherings. At sixteen years old, she has never shown her face in public, and matchmakers and other women can't enter their door. Yesterday, the old man was standing at his door, saw me passing by, and called out: 'Aren't you a matchmaker?' I replied: 'Yes.' He then invited me into his home, pointed at his daughter, and said: 'This is my daughter. I want to find a decent son-in-law to treat as a son and care for me in my old age. Please carefully find someone for me.' I mentioned you, sir, and he said: 'I've also heard of his talent, but I don't know about his character.' I said: 'The young master is mature beyond his years, with no flaws at all. However, there's one thing—he wants to see the young lady in person before betrothing.' When he heard this, he frowned and said: 'Nonsense! Only the courtesans raised in Yangzhou allow men to see them. How could a proper daughter meet a man before marriage?' When I heard him say this, I knew it was no use talking further, so I left. That's why I know this marriage definitely won't work out.

Upon hearing this, Wei Yangsheng thought to himself: 'Now I have neither parents nor brothers. Tomorrow when I marry a wife, who will control my nature? Even if I watch over her myself, won't there be times when I have to go out? This old man is so conservative. If I marry into his family, I don't need to be on guard—his own daughter will naturally be well taken care of, and I can go out for a lifetime without worrying. However, I'm still not at ease because I haven't seen her. How can I trust the matchmaker's words?' He then said to her: 'According to what you say, this marriage is excellent. But please find a way for me to catch a glimpse of her. As long as she's roughly as you described, that's enough.' The matchmaker replied: 'That's absolutely impossible. If you don't believe me, you can only go ask for divination, seek guidance from the gods. If it's meant to be, do it; if not, forget it.' Wei Yangsheng said: 'That makes sense. I have a friend who can summon spirits for judgment, and it's extremely accurate. I'll invite him to judge this matter, and then I'll reply to you.' The matchmaker agreed and left.

The next day, Wei Yangsheng purified himself by fasting and bathing, then invited his spirit-summoning friend to his home. He burned incense and bowed deeply, whispering a prayer: 'Disciple has a special request, not for anything else, but because the Iron Gate Taoist has a daughter named Yuxiang. I've heard she is incomparably beautiful and want to marry her, but this is only by hearsay—I haven't seen her with my own eyes. So I ask the Great Immortal: if she is truly incomparably beautiful, I will marry her; if not, I will refuse. I earnestly hope the Great Immortal will give a clear indication, not ambiguous words that I cannot understand.' After finishing his prayer, he bowed four more times, then stood up to steady the spirit-writing board and listened as it wrote. It indeed wrote a poem: First among the beauties of the world, No need to doubt ghosts or gods. Only fear that her beauty might lead to lust, At the crossroads of good and evil, choose your path carefully. The first one on the right

When Wei Yangsheng saw this poem, he thought to himself: 'Judging from this, her appearance is beautiful, but the last line clearly says that her alluring beauty might lead to lust. Could this woman have already lost her virginity? Since the poem has "其一" (the first one) at the end, there must be another one. Let me see what the next one says.' The spirit-writing board paused for a moment, then wrote another four lines: A woman's chastity or lewdness cannot be changed, But it requires a man to be good at managing his household. Keep the door closed to prevent flies from entering, Where could a flaw come from on a piece of jade? The second one on the right, written by Daoist Hui

When Wei Yangsheng saw the three characters "回道人" (Daoist Hui), he knew it was the alias of Lü Chunyang (Lü Dongbin, a famous Daoist immortal). He was overjoyed and said: 'This gentleman is extremely knowledgeable about wine and women. If he says she's good, she must be good. The second poem resolves my doubts and warns me to be cautious. I think with this conservative father-in-law watching over her for me, there will definitely be no trouble. The last two lines clearly mean that no one can enter his iron gate, so there's no need for further doubt.' He then bowed to the sky to thank Lü Dongbin, and sent for the matchmaker. He instructed her: 'The spirit poems have given a very good judgment. Now there's no need to hide anything—just go and propose marriage.'

The matchmaker was delighted. She went to the Iron Gate Taoist's house and told him about Wei Yangsheng's proposal. The Taoist said: 'He initially wanted to see her in person, which means he values appearance over virtue—obviously a frivolous person. I want to take a son-in-law with good character, not someone so preoccupied with external things.' The matchmaker, wanting to earn her matchmaker's fee, had to reply with clever words: 'His desire to see her wasn't for her appearance; he was afraid she might be frivolous or lack good fortune, which would prevent him from having a good wife later. Now that he has learned that your household has strict teachings for women and that the young lady has all the virtues of a proper wife, he is completely reassured and specifically asked me to come propose marriage.' The Taoist thought her words made sense, so he agreed to the marriage and set an auspicious date for the wedding.

Although Wei Yangsheng listened to the matchmaker's words and believed the spirit poems, he still had doubts because he hadn't seen her in person. It wasn't until their wedding night, after the wedding ceremony was completed and they entered the bridal chamber, that he looked at her carefully and finally felt joyful. How beautiful was the new bride? There is a new lyric poem to prove it: A graceful figure, Every inch of her face and body exudes charm. Exudes charm, Her sorrowful expression is captivating, Her furrowed brows are hard to imitate.

I still worried she might not meet my expectations, How could I hold her with such a slender waist? How to hold her, So soft she seems boneless, making me afraid to lean on her. To the tune of "Recalling Lady Qin"

How can one describe the joy of the groom and bride on their wedding night? There is also a new lyric poem to prove it:

When their starry eyes meet and almost part, On the pillow, two petals of peach blossom sing. She tries to close her mouth to hide the scent of her lip balm, But his tongue skill makes her lips open. When her delicate cries subside, their love knows no bounds, Her soft breasts are damp with amorous sweat. They open their four eyes and look at each other, Their two hearts are as hot as red furnace charcoal. To the tune of "Spring in the Jade Pavilion"

Now, although Miss Yuxiang was incomparably beautiful, she lacked a certain charm and there were one or two things that didn't satisfy her husband. Because her father had always been strict in his teachings and her mother had been solemn in her example, she had never heard any lewd sounds or seen any improper sights. The books she read were either "Biographies of Virtuous Women" or "The Classic of Female Filial Piety," and what she said was always contrary to Wei Yangsheng's thoughts. As for her demeanor, she inevitably inherited her father's style, so her husband gave her the nickname "Female Confucian Scholar." If he said even one flirtatious word, she would blush all over and walk away. Wei Yangsheng particularly enjoyed being intimate during the day and liked to see her private parts to enhance his desire. Several times he tried to pull down her pants, but she would shout loudly as if he was raping her, so he had to stop. At night, although she submitted to his advances, she always looked helpless. In bed, she only wanted to do things the conventional way and refused to be innovative. If he wanted to do the "crossing mountains to start a fire" position, she would say it violated the suspicion of turning her back on her husband. If he wanted to do the "upside-down candle" position, she would say it overturned the proper order of husband and wife. Even getting her legs onto his shoulders took a lot of effort. As for when she was enjoying herself, she wouldn't shout loudly to encourage her husband, and even if he called her "heart and soul," she would be as silent as a mute and refuse to respond.

Seeing that she had no vitality at all, Wei Yangsheng felt extremely distressed. He thought: I have to use some nurturing methods to transform her. The next day, he went to a calligraphy and painting shop and bought an extremely exquisite erotic album, which was the work of the scholar Zhao Mengfu. There were 36 paintings in total, taking the meaning from the Tang poem "All 36 palaces are filled with spring." He took it home to look through it with Miss Yuxiang, so that she could see that these positions of sexual intercourse were not created by him—ancient people had already practiced them, and there was Zhao's ink painting as evidence. When he first brought it back, Yuxiang didn't know what was in the album. She took it in her hands and opened it to look carefully. The first two pages had the four big characters "Han Palace Remains" written on them. Yuxiang thought: There were many virtuous concubines in the Han palace, so this must be their portraits. Let me see what they look like. When she turned to the third page, she saw a man holding a woman, both naked, doing it on a rockery. She couldn't help but blush and lose her temper, saying: "Where did you get this ominous thing? It defiles the inner chambers! Quick, tell the maid to burn it!" Wei Yangsheng grabbed it and said: "This is an antique worth a hundred taels of silver. I borrowed it from a friend to look at. If you can compensate a hundred taels, you can take it to burn. If not, put it here properly and let me enjoy it for a day or two before returning it." Yuxiang said: "What's the use of looking at this improper thing?" Wei Yangsheng replied: "If it were improper, the painter wouldn't paint it and collectors wouldn't pay a high price to buy it. Because it's the first proper thing since the creation of the world, literati and scholars painted it with colors, mounted it on silk, sold it in calligraphy shops, and collected it in literary circles, so that later generations would know how to follow it. Otherwise, the principle of yin and yang interaction would gradually be lost, and in the future, husbands would abandon their wives and wives would betray their husbands, the way of reproduction would be completely cut off, leading to the extinction of humanity. I borrowed it today not only to look at it myself, but also to let you know this principle so that we can conceive smoothly, have children, and not be misled by your Confucian father, so that our marriage can have a good result. Why are you getting angry?" Yuxiang said: "I don't believe this is a proper thing. If it were proper, why didn't the ancient people who established the laws teach people to do it openly in the daytime in front of others? Why do they do it secretly at night when everyone is asleep, like thieves? From this, it can be seen that it's not a proper thing."

Wei Yangsheng laughed and said: "Speaking of this, I don't blame you, it's all your father's fault. He kept you locked up at home, and you had no experienced female companions to talk to you about romance, so you're ignorant and don't understand human affairs. Think about it—don't all couples in the world do it during the day? Isn't it a proper thing that people know about? If couples didn't have sex during the day, how would the painter know these positions and describe them so vividly that people get aroused at first sight?" Yuxiang said: "Then why don't my parents do it during the day?" Wei Yangsheng asked: "How do you know your parents don't do it during the day?" Yuxiang replied: "If they did it, I would definitely have caught them. But why haven't I caught them once in my sixteen years of life? Not only haven't I seen it with my own eyes, but I haven't even heard it with my own ears!" Wei Yangsheng laughed and said: "You ignorant woman! This thing just can't be seen or heard by children. Except for children, which maid hasn't seen it or heard it? When they want to do it, they definitely know you're not around, so they close the door before starting. If you saw it, they'd be afraid it would arouse your spring heart, make you think about men, and cause you to get depressed. That's why they did it secretly from you." Yuxiang thought for a while and said: "They often close the door to sleep during the day, maybe they're doing this thing. But it's so embarrassing—you look at me and I look at you, how can they do it?"

Wei Yangsheng said: "Daytime sex is ten times more enjoyable than nighttime sex. The wonderful thing about it is precisely that I look at you and you look at me, which makes it arousing. There are only two types of couples in the world who absolutely cannot do it during the day." Yuxiang asked: "Which two types of couples?" Wei Yangsheng replied: "Ugly husbands with beautiful wives, that's one type. Ugly wives with beautiful husbands, that's another type." Yuxiang asked: "Why can't these two types of people do it during the day?" Wei Yangsheng explained: "Doing this thing entirely depends on mutual love—your spirit and blood intertwine with each other, which is when you feel happiness. If a wife has snow-white, tender skin like it's carved from beautiful jade, when her husband takes off her clothes and hugs her in his arms, doing it while looking at her naturally increases his desire tenfold. His penis will unconsciously become harder, thicker, and bigger. However, if a woman sees a man who looks like a ghost with dark, rough skin—when he's wearing clothes, it's not noticeable, but when he takes them off, his ugliness is fully exposed and can't be hidden. Moreover, compared with snow-white skin, eight parts ugliness feels like twelve parts. Won't his wife hate it? If she hates it in her heart, it will show in her words and expressions. When the man sees this, his hard penis will unconsciously soften, and his thick one will become thin. He won't have done the enjoyable thing but will instead have gotten an embarrassing experience. It's better to have sex at night where he can hide his flaws. This is how beautiful wives and ugly husbands do it. The situation of beautiful husbands and ugly wives is the same, so I don't need to elaborate. As for a couple like us—white to white, red to red, tender to tender—if we don't enjoy ourselves during the day, showing our skin, but instead burrow in the covers all day fumbling in the dark, wouldn't we be wasting our lives, no different from ugly couples? If you don't believe me, let's try it and see how it compares to the nighttime experience."

At this point, Yuxiang began to understand. Though she still refused with her mouth, her heart was ready to comply. She felt her cheeks flush slightly, revealing her sensual demeanor. Wei Yangsheng thought to himself: "She's starting to show interest." He was about to make a move, but he realized that her desire had just been awakened and was not yet deep. If he acted immediately, it would be like a glutton seeing food and swallowing it whole without chewing—there would be no enjoyment in the end. He decided to tease her a little longer before getting started. He pulled over a master's chair, sat down, and then pulled her onto his lap. He opened the erotic picture book and showed her the illustrations one by one. This book was different from other erotic books: each page had an erotic illustration on the front half and an inscription on the back half. The inscriptions first explained the scene in the picture, then praised the artist's skills. Wei Yangsheng taught her to imagine the emotions in the pictures so she could imitate them later, and read the inscriptions to her line by line:

The first illustration shows the "Chasing Butterflies to Find Fragrance" position. The inscription says: A woman sits on a Taihu stone, legs spread apart. The man inserts his jade pestle into her vagina, groping left and right to find her clitoris. At this moment, both man and woman are just beginning, not yet reaching the wonderful climax. Therefore, their eyebrows and eyes are open, not much different from their usual appearance.

The second illustration shows the "Teaching Bees to Make Honey" position. The inscription says: A woman lies on her back on a brocade mattress, hands firmly placed, thighs hanging in the air, to receive the jade pestle, helping the man find her clitoris and avoid misalignment. At this moment, the woman's expression is almost one of hunger and thirst, while the man's face seems anxious, making the viewer feel urgent on their behalf. This is where the artist's cleverness lies.

The third illustration shows the "Lost Bird Returning to the Forest" position. The inscription says: A woman leans on an embroidered bed, feet pointing upward, holding the man's thighs with both hands and pushing him down forcefully. It seems they have entered a wonderful state, fearing they might get lost again. Both are fully engaged and energetic. The brushwork is truly magnificent, as if the ink is dancing.

The fourth illustration shows the "Hungry Horse Rushing to the Trough" position. The inscription says: A woman lies on a bed, wrapping both hands around the man as if binding him. The man rests her feet on his shoulders, inserting his jade pestle fully into her vagina with no room to spare. At this moment, both man and woman are at the point just before orgasm—eyes half-closed but still open, tongues about to be swallowed and then protruding again. Both faces show the same expression. It's truly a masterpiece by a divine artist.

The fifth illustration shows the "Two Dragons Exhausted After Battle" position. The inscription says: The woman's head leans on the pillow, hands lying flat, as soft as cotton. The man's head leans on the woman's neck, his whole body lying close to hers, also as soft as cotton. This is after they have reached orgasm. Their souls seem to be leaving, and sweet dreams are about to come—a state of extreme motion turning to tranquility. However, the woman's feet are still raised, resting on the man's shoulders, adding a touch of liveliness. Otherwise, they would look like a dead couple, making the viewer realize the wonderful state they share, as if they were to be buried together in the same coffin.

At this point, Yuxiang's sensual nature was fully aroused. Wei Yangsheng turned the page and was about to show her another illustration when Yuxiang pushed the book away, stood up, and said: "What kind of book is this? It makes me feel uncomfortable. Get up and look at it yourself, I'm going to sleep." Wei Yangsheng said: "There are still good scenes ahead. Let's finish reading together and then I'll go to sleep with you." Yuxiang said: "Aren't there other days? Must we finish it today?" Wei Yangsheng knew she was getting impatient, so he hugged her and kissed her. Usually, when he kissed her and tried to push his tongue in, she would keep her teeth tightly closed, and it was impossible to get her to extend her tongue. After being married for a month, he still didn't know the length of her tongue. This time, as soon as their lips met, her tongue had unconsciously passed through her two rows of teeth. Wei Yangsheng said: "Darling, we don't need to go to bed. Let's use this master's chair as a rockery and imitate the scenes in the book. What do you think?" Yuxiang pretended to be angry and said: "Is this something humans do?" Wei Yangsheng said: "Indeed, it's not something humans do—it's something immortals do. Let's be immortals for a moment." He then reached to untie her belt. Although Yuxiang refused with her mouth, her hands agreed, resting on Wei Yangsheng's shoulders, allowing him to take off her pants. He saw that there was a large wet spot in her crotch, which was caused by her vaginal fluid flowing out while looking at the pictures. Wei Yangsheng also took off his own pants, pulled her to sit on the chair with her legs spread apart, inserted his jade pestle into her vagina, and then removed her upper clothes. Why didn't he take off her upper clothes first but waited until after taking off her pants? You need to know that Wei Yangsheng was an experienced man. If he had taken off her upper clothes first, although she was eager inside, she would still be shy outside and would inevitably put on an act. Therefore, he first took control of the critical area, and the rest of her body would naturally comply without further effort. This is the principle of capturing the king first in military strategy.

As expected, Yuxiang allowed him to strip her completely naked, except for the pants on her feet. Why didn't he take those off? Because under the pants were her bound feet. When women bound their feet, they only cared about making them look neat from below, so their toes were inevitably uneven and not very attractive. Moreover, three-inch golden lilies (bound feet) are only interesting when covered by pants. Otherwise, they are like a flower without leaves, not worth looking at. Therefore, Wei Yangsheng was clever and left only this item on. After undressing her, he also took off all his own clothes, then adjusted himself, spread her small feet apart on the chair, and thrust his jade pestle into her vagina, groping left and right like the first erotic illustration, searching for her clitoris. After groping for a while, Yuxiang stretched her hands straight to support the chair, pushing her vagina forward to meet his jade pestle. When he moved left, she received him with her left; when he moved right, she received him with her right. Suddenly, he hit a spot where she felt something that was neither sour nor not sour, neither itchy nor not itchy—a feeling that was both unbearable and impossible to part with. She said to Wei Yangsheng: "Just do it like this now, don't grope left and right anymore, you'll hurt me." Wei Yangsheng knew he had found her clitoris, so he complied, focusing his efforts on that one spot, moving from shallow to deep, from broad to tight, thrusting hundreds of times. Then he noticed Yuxiang's hands unconsciously moving behind her back, holding her thighs and pushing upward, naturally matching the scene in the second erotic illustration. Wei Yangsheng then lifted her feet onto his shoulders, hugged her slender waist with both hands, and thrust his jade pestle deep inside her. At this moment, the jade pestle felt even thicker, filling her vagina completely. After another few hundred thrusts, he saw her eyes becoming hazy, her cloud-like hair about to fall, as if she were falling asleep. Wei Yangsheng thrust twice more and said: "Darling, I know you're about to reach orgasm. It's uncomfortable on this chair. Let's go to bed to finish."

Yuxiang was at the critical moment and was afraid that getting up to go to bed would require taking out the jade pestle, interrupting the pleasure. Moreover, her hands and feet were酸软 and she couldn't move, so she couldn't walk to the bed even if she wanted to. When she heard him say this, she just closed her eyes and shook her head, not responding. Wei Yangsheng said: "Darling, can't you walk?" Yuxiang nodded. Wei Yangsheng said: "Let me carry you up." He then placed her feet on his arms. Yuxiang hugged Wei Yangsheng with both hands, her red tongue in his mouth. Wei Yangsheng picked her up, leaving the jade pestle inside her vagina without withdrawing it, and continued thrusting as he walked, making a "galloping horse viewing flowers" motion. When they reached the bed, he laid her down, spread her feet apart, and started from the beginning again. After another few hundred thrusts, Yuxiang suddenly cried out: "Darling, I'm not feeling well!" She hugged Wei Yangsheng tightly with both hands, groaning and moaning like a seriously ill person on the verge of death. Wei Yangsheng knew her vaginal fluid had been released, so he pressed his jade pestle against her clitoris and rubbed it forcefully, joining her in the state of "death."

They hugged each other and slept for a moment. Yuxiang woke up and said: "Did you know that I died just now?" Wei Yangsheng said: "How could I not know? This isn't called death—it's called 'climax'." Yuxiang asked: "What's a 'climax'?" Wei Yangsheng explained: "Men have yang essence and women have yin essence. When you reach the peak of pleasure, the essence comes. Just before it arrives, your entire body from skin to bones becomes numb, and you feel drowsy as if you're falling asleep—that's when the essence is released. This is a 'climax'. The fifth erotic illustration shows exactly this state." Yuxiang said: "According to what you say, after climaxing, you can still live—so it's not death at all?" Wei Yangsheng said: "Men and women climax once every time they have sex. There are even women who climax quickly—when a man climaxes once, she might climax dozens of times. This is called pleasure—how could it be death!" Yuxiang said: "If that's the case, from now on I want to climax every day and every night." Wei Yangsheng laughed and said: "Wasn't I right to persuade you? Isn't this erotic picture book a treasure?" Yuxiang said: "It truly is a treasure. It would be nice to buy one and keep it at home to look at often, but I'm afraid your friend will come to take it back." Wei Yangsheng said: "That was just a lie I told you. In fact, I bought it myself." Yuxiang was delighted to hear this. After finishing their conversation, they got up, put on their clothes, and looked at the erotic pictures again. When they reached an exciting part, they did it again. From that day onward, the couple became even more compatible and affectionate.

After Yuxiang saw the erotic pictures, her Confucian moralism turned into romanticism. At night, she no longer practiced the doctrine of the mean in sexual relations—she loved novelty and originality the most. She was willing to "pour the candle backward" and "start a fire from across the mountain" (sexual metaphors). During their lovemaking, her sensual moans and wild behavior became more and more proficient. To fuel her lasciviousness, Wei Yangsheng went to the bookstore and bought many erotic books, such as "Wild History of the Embroidered Bed," "Biography of the Satisfied Lord," "Biography of the Foolish Woman," and about twenty other kinds. He placed them on the desk for her to read freely, while the books she had read before were completely put aside. The couple's pillow-mat pleasures couldn't be fully described even if someone painted three hundred and sixty erotic pictures. Truly: The harmony of a zither and se (musical instruments) couldn't compare to their harmony, and the sound of bells and drums couldn't match their joy.

At this point, Wei Yangsheng could be said to be the happiest man in the world. There was just one thing: although the couple was harmonious, the relationship between him and his father-in-law was very tense. Why was that? Because Iron Door Daoist was an old-fashioned gentleman who loved simplicity and hated luxury, avoided talking about romance, and loved discussing Confucian ethics. On the night Wei Yangsheng married into the family, when he saw his luxurious clothes and frivolous behavior, he felt annoyed. He sighed and said: "This young man is flashy but empty; he will definitely not be an accomplished person. My daughter has lost her good match." However, since he had already accepted the betrothal gifts and the marriage had been arranged, he couldn't change it. He had to make the best of a bad situation, and after the marriage, he planned to discipline Wei Yangsheng strictly like a stern father, hoping to refine him into a upright person. Therefore, he was uncompromising in his words and attitude. Not only would he scold and teach him when he made mistakes in his words or actions, but he would also nag him even if his posture when walking, sitting, or lying down was slightly improper. Wei Yangsheng was young, and his parents had died early, so no one had ever disciplined him before. How could he endure such hardship? Several times he wanted to resist, but he was afraid that his wife would be upset and their conjugal bliss would be affected, so he had no choice but to endure. In the end, he couldn't bear it anymore and thought to himself: "I only married his daughter because I admired her. Since he refused to give her in marriage and insisted on having a son-in-law move in, I came to live with him. But why does he treat me with such arrogance? He's just a pedantic scholar—if I don't try to change him, that's fine, but he's trying to change me instead. Moreover, as a romantic talent, I'm going to do some exciting things like seducing women that will be talked about by people. How could my whole life be satisfied with just one woman? If he continues to restrict me like this, not allowing me to take a wrong step or say too much, what if I do something extraordinary? Won't he sentence me to death? I've thought about it: I can't resist him, and I can't endure him anymore. The only way is to entrust his daughter to him, say I'm going out to study, and go somewhere else for a while. I've already married the world's number one beauty, but if I meet a second one, even if I can't marry her, having a few nights of passionate love with her to fulfill my destiny would be good."

Having made up his mind, he wanted to tell Yuxiang first and then ask his father-in-law. But he was afraid that Yuxiang would be too attached to their conjugal bliss and wouldn't let him go. If she opposed him first, it would be hard to talk to his father-in-law again. So he had to hide it from Yuxiang and told his father-in-law behind her back: "Your son-in-law was born in a remote mountain village and has little knowledge. I have few wise teachers above me and no helpful friends below me, so my learning has no chance to improve. Now I want to bid farewell to my father-in-law and travel around to learn skills, so that my horizons can broaden and my mind can expand. Whenever I meet a wise teacher or helpful friend, I will study there, and when the exam period comes, I will go to the provincial capital to take the exam. Maybe I can pass the imperial examination, which would not be in vain for you to take me as your son-in-law. Would you allow me to go?" Iron Door Daoist said: "In the half year you've been my son-in-law, this is the only thing you've said that's worth listening to. Being willing to leave home to study is an excellent thing—why wouldn't I allow it?" Wei Yangsheng said: "Although my father-in-law has agreed, I'm afraid your daughter will blame me for being heartless, leaving so soon after our wedding. According to my idea, if we say it's your intention and not mine, then I won't be tied down and can leave freely." The Daoist said: "That makes perfect sense."

Having agreed, the Daoist advised Wei Yangsheng to go abroad to study in front of his daughter. Wei Yangsheng pretended to refuse, and the Daoist earnestly persuaded him with a serious face. Wei Yangsheng then followed his orders. At this time when Yuxiang was enjoying their conjugal bliss, she suddenly heard that her husband was going away. It was like a child being weaned; how could she bear the suffering? She even wanted to "pre-pay" all the intimate moments they would miss after he left. Wei Yangsheng also knew that the long journey would be lonely and that he might not be able to find a woman for a while, so he devoted himself to pleasing her. It was like preparing a feast—although it was for guests, he also enjoyed it himself. For several consecutive nights, they were deeply in love. Others couldn't describe it; only the husband and wife themselves knew. When it was time to leave, Wei Yangsheng bid farewell to his father-in-law and wife, and set off with his family servant. Wei Yangsheng will have many more adventures in the future. Stay tuned for the next chapter.

Commentary: When talking about principles, it makes listeners' hair stand on end; when describing desires, it makes viewers' souls tremble with excitement. Those who don't understand criticize the author for being contradictory, but little do they know that the touching and detailed parts are precisely where the author intends to persuade people. Just think: what kind of integrity did Yuxiang have before viewing the erotic pictures? What kind of lust did she display after reading the inscriptions? Chastity and lewdness, nobility and baseness, were determined in an instant—all because of the man's guidance towards lewdness. Husbands, shouldn't you be careful?

Chapter 4: Staying in a Desolate Village, a Guest's Heart Feels Lonely; Passing the Long Night, a Thief Talks about Romance

Wei Yangsheng bid farewell to his father-in-law and wife, and went out to study. He wandered wherever his feet took him, with no fixed direction. Any place with beautiful women was his home. Every time he passed through a prefecture or county, he would stay for several days. He was a young scholar of renown, highly respected, and loved to form literary societies. He had published the most writings, so all scholars within a thousand miles knew of him. Therefore, wherever he went, friends would invite him to join their societies. However, he considered writing and making friends as secondary matters; his first priority was seeking beautiful women. Every morning, he would visit all the streets and alleys, regardless of how big or small. But all he saw were ordinary women, never a truly stunning beauty.

One day, at an inn in a desolate rural area, both of his attendants fell ill and couldn't travel. He wanted to go out for a walk, but without someone to follow him, he was afraid it would look improper in front of women. Sitting alone in his room, he felt very bored. Suddenly, a guest staying in the next room came over and said: "Sir, sitting alone must be lonely. I have a pot of wine over there. If you don't mind, please come over and have a drink with me?" Wei Yangsheng replied: "We're strangers who just met by chance. How could I trouble you?" The man said: "I've heard that scholars are very free and easy. Why are you so reserved? Although I'm a lowly person, I love making friends. It's just that you have a bright future ahead, and I don't dare to associate with you. But now that we're staying at the same inn, it's a rare encounter. What's wrong with sitting down for a while?" Wei Yangsheng was extremely bored and eager to talk to someone, so he agreed. He went over with the man, who seated Wei Yangsheng in the upper position and sat beside him. Wei Yangsheng repeatedly refused and pulled him to sit opposite. The man then asked for his name. Wei Yangsheng told him his alias and asked what title the man went by. The man said: "I'm a common man and don't have an alias. I only have a nickname called 'Sai Kunlun' (Surpassing Kunlun)." Wei Yangsheng said: "That's an unusual honorific. Why did you take these three characters?" The man said: "If I tell you, I'm afraid you'll be scared and won't want to drink with me anymore." Wei Yangsheng said: "I'm also a chivalrous person. I'm not afraid of gods or ghosts standing in front of me. I don't care about status or intelligence; as long as we get along, what's there to disdain!" Sai Kunlun said: "In that case, I might as well tell you directly. I'm a thief by trade, able to scale walls and walk on roofs. No matter how tall a building is, or how thick a wall is, I can easily enter their bedrooms and take things away. They won't even know it the next day. People say that once there was a Kunlun who could fly into Guo Ziyi's mansion and steal red silk. He only did it once in his lifetime, but I've done it hundreds of times. That's why they call me 'Sai Kunlun' (Surpassing Kunlun)."

Wei Yangsheng was greatly shocked and said: "Since you've been doing this for a long time and are famous, known by everyone, how haven't you gotten into trouble?" Sai Kunlun said: "If I had gotten into trouble, I wouldn't be a hero. As the old saying goes, 'To catch a thief, you must catch the stolen goods.' If they don't catch me with the stolen goods, even if I tell them, they won't dare to do anything to me. Everyone near and far flatters me, fearing that if they offend me, I'll plot against them. I have some righteousness in my life and follow 'five no-stealing rules': not stealing from those with misfortune, not stealing from those with good fortune, not stealing from acquaintances, not stealing from those I've already stolen from, not stealing from those who don't take precautions." Wei Yangsheng said: "These five categories are interesting. Please explain each one." Sai Kunlun said: "If someone has a misfortune, whether they're sick, in mourning, or experiencing a sudden disaster, they're already in a difficult situation. If I steal from them, it's like adding oil to a fire—they can't bear it anymore. That's why I don't go. If someone has a happy event, whether it's a wedding, house construction, or a birth or birthday celebration, they're in a festive mood. If I steal from them, it brings them bad luck, and their future endeavors will be hindered. That's why I don't go. It's not excessive for me to steal from someone I don't know at all. But if it's someone I see every day, exchanging greetings, and I steal from them, they won't suspect me at all, and I'll feel ashamed when I see them. That's why I don't go. Rich families have a lot of gold and silver. If I visit them once, it's just like taking a small gift from them—what's wrong with that? But if I steal from them once, get a taste of it, and keep harassing them, I'm an insatiable person. I won't do such things. Families that are constantly on edge, guarding against thieves every night and talking about thieves nonstop, treat me with ill intentions, so I treat them with ill intentions. I steal from them once to let them know my skills are not easy to guard against. But if it's a generous family that knows money is external to the body and doesn't care about it—maybe they forget to lock their front door or leave their bedroom door open—if I steal from them, I'm a bully who picks on the weak and fears the strong. How could I do that? This is what's called the 'five no-stealing rules.' People near and far see these good qualities in me, so even though they know I'm a thief, they don't treat me as a thief. Instead, they associate with me and don't consider it humiliating. If you don't disdain me, sir, let's become sworn brothers here. If you ever need my help in the future, just ask—I'll serve you, even if it means dying for you."

As Wei Yangsheng listened to him speak, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly, thinking: "I never expected such a hero among thieves. If I associate with him, even though I might not need him elsewhere, if I meet a beautiful woman like Hong Xiao or Hong Fu trapped in a wealthy mansion—where messages can't get through or I can't enter or exit—how wonderful it would be to entrust him to act as my Kunlun!" Thinking of this, he couldn't help but jump up and down with excitement. Later, when he heard about becoming sworn brothers, he hesitated inwardly. Although he said "excellent" with his mouth, he wasn't very enthusiastic in his heart. Sai Kunlun knew what he was thinking and said: "You've agreed with your mouth, but you haven't decided in your heart. Could it be that you're afraid of getting into trouble? Regardless of how skilled I am, I'll definitely not get caught stealing. Even if I were caught, I'd die alone and never implicate innocent people. You don't need to worry too much." When Wei Yangsheng saw that he had seen through his thoughts and relieved his concerns, he readily agreed. They each contributed money to buy three kinds of sacrificial offerings, wrote down the year, month, and day, and swore an oath of brotherhood in the inn, vowing to share life and death. Sai Kunlun was older, Wei Yangsheng was younger, so they were ranked as brothers. They shared the sacrificial food together, eating until midnight. When they were about to go to sleep in separate places, Wei Yangsheng said: "If we sleep in two places, both of us will be lonely. Why don't we sleep in my bed together, talking heart to heart to pass this long night?" Sai Kunlun said: "That makes sense." They took off their clothes and slept in the same bed.

As soon as Wei Yangsheng climbed into bed, he couldn't help but reveal his usual behavior. He said: "Why is there such a nice place with no women I like!" Sai Kunlun heard this and asked: "Brother, why did you say these two sentences? Could it be that you haven't married yet and are looking for a wife everywhere?" Wei Yangsheng said: "I have already married. But how can a man rely on just one woman for his whole life? After all, besides his wife, he should find a few more companions. To be honest with you, brother, I have a passionate nature. The reason I came out this time is nominally to study, but actually to seek beautiful women. I've traveled through many prefectures and counties. The women I've seen either apply powder and paint to hide their dark skin, or wear jade necklaces and pearls to cover their yellowish hair. Is there any woman who is naturally beautiful without needing to dress up? That's why I'm tired of looking and couldn't help but say those words." Sai Kunlun said: "Brother, you're wrong. The world's beautiful women never let themselves be seen by others; those who are seen are definitely not beautiful women. Not to mention women from good families, even among prostitutes, only the extremely ugly ones no one loves are willing to stand by the door soliciting customers. Those with even a little value sit at home waiting for people to visit them before they're willing to come out. How could a woman from a good family stand at the door for people to look at? If you want to know about beautiful women, you have to come ask me."

When Wei Yangsheng heard this, he raised his head and said: "That's strange again. Brother, you're not involved in the world of romance, so how do you know about these things?" Sai Kunlun said: "Although I'm not involved in the world of romance, I can see and hear about romantic matters more clearly than anyone else. Let me ask you: Are there more beautiful women in wealthy families or in poor families?" Wei Yangsheng said: "Naturally, there are more in wealthy families." Sai Kunlun said: "So, do you see a beautiful woman from a wealthy family more clearly when she's wearing makeup and clothes, or when she's washed off her makeup and taken off her clothes?" Wei Yangsheng said: "Naturally, you see her true appearance when she's washed and undressed." Sai Kunlun said: "That's where it becomes clear. As thieves, we naturally don't go to poor families; we go to places where there are rows of pearls and jade—so we naturally see many beautiful women. We go at a time when it's deep in the night and everything is quiet. She might be undressed sitting under the bright moon, or lying in bed with the curtain open in the lamp light. I'm afraid she hasn't fallen asleep yet, so I don't dare to take anything. I hide in the dark, keeping my eyes fixed on her, watching if she makes a sound or moves, waiting until she's asleep before I act. That's why I see her so clearly—not only can I see her face and skin without any concealment, but I can also see the height of her vulva and the amount of her pubic hair clearly. Within hundreds of miles around, which women are beautiful and which are not—all of them are in my mind. If you want to do this kind of thing, just come ask me."

At first, Wei Yangsheng was lying in bed with his ear to the side, listening. When he heard this point, he couldn't help but bare his chest and sit up, saying: "That makes sense. Women from wealthy families—no matter who you are, you can't see them, and even if you do, you can't see them clearly. Only you can see them properly. I have another question: when you see a beautiful woman and also see her plump vulva, what do you do if you get aroused?" Sai Kunlun said: "When I was young, I couldn't bear seeing such scenes. I often masturbated in secret while watching women, treating it as if I were having sex with them. But later, I saw so many that I no longer cared. Looking at a vulva is like looking at ordinary household utensils—it doesn't arouse me. However, when I see her having sex with her husband, hearing her moaning and the squelching sounds from her vagina, I can't help but get a little aroused." When Wei Yangsheng heard him reaching the most fascinating part, he turned around and slept at the same end of the bed to listen. Sai Kunlun said: "If you don't mind the indecency, I'd like to tell you one or two stories. Would you be willing to listen?" Wei Yangsheng said: "Excellent! If I can hear that, it's truly worth more than ten years of reading. Hurry up and tell me." Sai Kunlun said: "I've seen so many things in my life that I don't know where to start. Now, just ask me about one thing, and I'll tell you about it."

Wei Yangsheng asked: "Let me ask you, are there more women who like having sex or more who don't?" Sai Kunlun said: "Naturally, there are more who like it. Out of about a hundred women, only one or two don't like it; the rest all do. But among those who like it, there are two types. Some like it in their hearts and say they want it with their mouths. Others like it in their hearts but pretend they don't, waiting for their husbands to force them, then revealing their true nature. The former type is easier to deal with. At first, I hid in the dark and saw her urging her husband to do it. I thought she was an extremely lewd woman who would never tire all night. But who would have thought, after just a few thrusts, she would ejaculate. After that, she became tired and just wanted to sleep, whether her husband continued or not. Only women who want it but say they don't are extremely difficult to get along with. I once went to steal from a family and saw the husband pulling his wife to have sex, but she refused. The husband climbed on top, but she pushed him down. The husband thought she really didn't want to and fell asleep snoring. The woman deliberately tossed and turned to wake him up. When that didn't work, she shook him. But the husband was in a deep sleep and wouldn't wake up. She then shouted loudly: 'Thief!' If it were any other thief, they would have been scared away. I knew she wasn't really calling for a thief; she wanted to wake her husband to have sex. Sure enough, after the husband was startled awake, she made an excuse: 'It was just a cat catching a mouse, jumping with a thud. I misheard and thought it was a thief, but it's nothing.' Then she hugged her husband tightly, rubbing her vagina against his penis. The husband became aroused again and climbed on top. At first, she held back and didn't make any lewd sounds. After a few hundred thrusts, she gradually started moaning, and her vaginal fluids flowed nonstop. By midnight, the husband ejaculated, but her desire was just rising. She couldn't ask him to continue, so she pretended to sigh like she was sick. She let her husband rub her chest and belly, not letting him sleep. When the husband couldn't sleep, he had to climb on top again and start over, until the rooster crowed at dawn. I waited all night and was just about to collect things when it got light, so I had to sneak out. That's how I know this type of woman is extremely difficult to handle."

Wei Yangsheng asked: "Let me ask you, when women have sex, are there more who can be lewd or more who can't?" Sai Kunlun said: "Naturally, there are more who can. Out of about ten women, only one or two can't; the rest all can. But women have three types of lewd expressions, and only we can hear them clearly—even the man they're having sex with doesn't know." Wei Yangsheng asked: "What are the three types?" Sai Kunlun said: "At the beginning of sex, when she's not yet happy, she doesn't want to be lewd in her heart but pretends to be lewd externally to arouse her husband. This type of sound is easy to hear; every word she utters is clear. That's one type. When she's happy, her heart is lewd, her mouth is lewd, and even her facial features and limbs are lewd. This type of sound is also recognizable; what she says is slurred and breathless. That's another type. When she's at the peak of pleasure, her energy is exhausted, her limbs are weak, and she can't make lewd sounds even if she wants to. This type of sound is in her throat, and it's harder to hear. I once stole from a family and saw their husband and wife having sex. At first, they were thrashing wildly, making loud sounds. Later, the woman stopped moving and making noise, as if she had been fucked to death. I went closer to listen and heard her throat making indistinct sounds—like talking but not talking, like sighing but not sighing. When I heard this, I knew she was extremely happy. I couldn't help but feel extremely aroused, my whole body went numb, and even though I hadn't masturbated, my semen flowed out on its own. That's how I know women have this third type of lewd expression."

When Wei Yangsheng heard this, his whole body became itchy, and his semen flowed out involuntarily. He wanted to ask more questions, but unexpectedly, it was already dawn. They got up, washed, and sat facing each other, still talking about interesting things. After spending several intimate days together, their friendship grew closer. Wei Yangsheng said to him: "Throughout my life, I've valued women as my life. Meeting you now is like three lifetimes of good fortune. If I don't confide in you, I'll miss this opportunity. Please, brother, choose the most beautiful woman you've seen and find a way for me to see her. If she is truly a peerless beauty, to be honest with you, my birth chart says I have the 'red phoenix' star shining upon me—whenever I see a woman, I don't need to seek her out; she will naturally come to me. At that time, I'll ask you to use your magical abilities to help me achieve my desire. How about that?" Sai Kunlun shook his head and said: "That's impossible. I have a rule never to steal from someone I've already stolen from. I can't bear to steal from them again even if it's just their belongings, let alone a woman who has her reputation at stake. I can only promise to keep an eye out for you from now on. When I see a beautiful woman, I won't steal her belongings—I'll come back and discuss with you how to make things work. That's acceptable." Wei Yangsheng said: "I have no eyes to recognize a righteous man. My earlier words were too rude. But one thing: since you've promised to keep an eye out for me, if you do see a peerless beauty, please don't steal her belongings and forget what we've said today. If we succeed, I'll definitely repay you in the future." Sai Kunlun said: "It seems you really have no eyes for a righteous man. If I wanted repayment from you, I might as well take what's available now. Even if you become an official later and let me ask for favors a few times, the silver I'd get from that is visible, but not as good as robbing someone once. I don't need such repayment. I promise you I'll find a beautiful woman for you, and I'll definitely deliver. Now that you've met me, you don't need to go anywhere else. Just rent a few rooms here to study. Don't rely solely on me—if you see someone good, go after them yourself. If I see someone good, I'll come and tell you. With both of us searching, you'll definitely find someone; you won't be disappointed." Wei Yangsheng was overjoyed and asked someone to find him a place to stay. When they parted, he held onto Sai Kunlun and bowed four times before saying goodbye. What adventures await Wei Yangsheng next? Find out in the next chapter.

Commentary: Sai Kunlun's character is ten times better than Wei Yangsheng's! Is it Wei Yangsheng who has befriended a ruffian, or is it Sai Kunlun who has befriended a ruffian?

Chapter 5: Selecting Women's Beauty Strictly Creates a Register; Granting Lenient Favors to Accept a Silver-Haired Lady

After separating from Sai Kunlun, Wei Yangsheng moved into a temple as his residence. This was a branch temple of the Child-Giving Immortal Zhang, with very few rooms, and normally did not accommodate guests. But Wei Yangsheng was willing to pay double the usual rent—where others paid one tael per month, he offered two. The Taoist priest, tempted by the small profit, rented it to him. Why was he willing to pay such a high price? Because the Child-Giving Immortal Zhang in this temple was extremely efficacious, and many women from far and wide came to pray for children. Wei Yangsheng wanted to use this place as a selection ground, so he arranged to stay here. After moving in, several groups of women came to burn incense every day. The women here were different from those at other temples—one or two out of ten were passably attractive. Why was that? At other temples, most of the women were middle-aged or old, with few young ones, so none were to his liking. But the women here came to pray for offspring: elderly women had already stopped menstruating and could not conceive; middle-aged women were about to stop and had little desire for children. So the ones who came to pray for offspring were all young women, accompanied by only one or two older chaperones. Any woman between fourteen and twenty, regardless of her looks, has a peach-blossom complexion on her face that is subtly attractive. That's why one or two out of ten were passably attractive.

Every day, Wei Yangsheng would get up early, dress neatly, and pace back and forth in front of the divine seat. When he saw a woman coming, he would hide behind the statue of Immortal Zhang. He would listen to the Taoist priest reciting prayers on her behalf, watch her light incense and bow in worship, observing her facial features and demeanor completely. Then, when she least expected it, he would suddenly emerge from behind the statue. The women, seeing his unparalleled appearance, would all be startled, thinking that their sincere prayers had brought the clay statue of Immortal Zhang to life, descending to grant them a child. It wasn't until he walked down the steps and swayed for a while that they realized he was a real person. But by then, their souls had already been captured by this 'living Immortal Zhang.' It made those women feel flustered and send him amorous glances, reluctant to leave. Some even deliberately dropped their handkerchiefs as tokens of affection.

After this, Wei Yangsheng's behavior became even more frivolous, and his heart even more lascivious. He claimed that all the beautiful women in the world should be enjoyed by him. From the day he first entered the temple, he had prepared a small book, which he kept in his pocket, titled "Broad Collection of Spring Scenery." He would register any woman who came to burn incense and had some beauty. For each woman, he would carefully write down her name, age, husband's name, and residence. Next to each entry, he would add red circles to rate them: three circles for exceptional, two for superior, and one for average. After each name, he would write a four-six-character critique describing her merits. How did Wei Yangsheng know so many women's names, their husbands' names, and their residences? Because when a woman came to the temple to burn incense, the Taoist priest would always stand beside her reciting prayers and ask her name, age, whose wife she was, and where she lived. If the woman didn't answer, her maid or family member would. Wei Yangsheng would remember all this, and after she left, he would take out his book and register her information. Within a few days, he had recorded almost all the attractive women in the area. Although he had recorded many women, they were all only average or superior; not one had three circles. He thought to himself: "My lifelong ambition is to marry the most beautiful woman in the world. At first, I thought my wife at home was the most beautiful. But now I see there are many women like her, so she must not be the most beautiful. I don't believe the world has second and third place beauties without a first place. There must be a most beautiful woman out there that I haven't met yet. Right now, all these women are just backups. If I never find the most beautiful one, I can settle for one of them. I'll wait a few more days to see who else comes." So he became even stricter in his selection, refusing to be lenient.

One day, Wei Yangsheng was feeling tired and was sleeping in his room when his servant suddenly ran in and said: "Master, hurry up and come see the beautiful women!" Wei Yangsheng quickly got out of bed, put on a new hat and elegant clothes, and checked himself in the mirror, which delayed him a bit. When he finally went outside, he saw two young women—one wearing silver-red clothing and the other lotus-colored—accompanied by a middle-aged woman, all having finished burning incense and about to leave. From a distance, Wei Yangsheng looked at the two young women and thought they were like goddesses from Mount Wu or immortals from Luopu, completely different from the women he usually saw. He became momentarily crazed. Seeing they were about to leave but hadn't yet gone out, he ran over and knelt outside the threshold, kowtowing repeatedly. The two servants and the Taoist priest were all dumbfounded, fearing the women would become angry. But Wei Yangsheng, though appearing crazy, had a plan in mind. He thought: "If these three women are amenable to this kind of attention, they'll know I'm just so infatuated with their beauty that I can't help but kneel before them, and they won't get angry. If they're righteous and do get angry, I can just say I'm someone passing by who wants to pray to Immortal Zhang for a child. Since there are women inside, I didn't dare go in for fear of impropriety, so I knelt outside to kowtow. How would they know I live in the temple?" With this plan in mind, he felt he couldn't lose, so he dared to act this way.

As expected, the three women didn't know his true intentions and thought he was praying for a child, so they all stepped aside. They waited until he finished kowtowing before continuing on their way. While he was kowtowing, the two young women did glance at him, but their interest seemed ambiguous, not overly obvious. However, the middle-aged woman acted very coquettishly towards Wei Yangsheng, covering her mouth to hide her laughter. As she left, she even gave him several lingering glances. Wei Yangsheng was so stunned that he couldn't speak for a long time. After they had gone about a mile or two, he asked the Taoist priest who those women were. The priest, upset by Wei Yangsheng's reckless behavior that nearly caused trouble, was too annoyed to tell him. Wei Yangsheng wanted to follow their sedan chairs to track them, but he knew they were already too far away to catch up, so he had to return to his room and sit there dejectedly. He thought to himself, "What a frustrating situation! I know the names and addresses of all the women I don't care for, but I don't know anything about these two who I like the most. It's such a pity to have missed these two unparalleled beauties right in front of me." He then took out his notebook to add these two women, but since he didn't know their names, he could only write a preliminary note:

On a certain day, I encountered two women of exceptional beauty. Not knowing their names, I have temporarily named them based on the colors of their clothing, and listed their approximate ages and temperaments below for future reference. One woman in silver-red clothing: Approximately 17-18 years old. Judging from her demeanor, she seems unmarried and inexperienced. Commentary: Her bearing is as graceful as floating clouds, her posture as elegant as a jade statue. When her red lips part, she is as charming as a flower that can speak. When she takes a delicate step, she is as light as a swallow that can fly. Her eyebrows furrow slightly without reason, confirming that Xi Shi excelled at frowning. Her eyes open lazily without weariness, suggesting that Yang Guifei loved to sleep. What is most endearing is that she gives people her heart but not her things—when leaving, she left no token behind. She shows me her feelings but not her form—when departing, she gave few flirtatious glances. She is like a recluse among women, a secluded person in the inner chambers. Who would say she is unworthy of the highest rating?

One woman in lotus-colored clothing: Approximately 20 years old. Judging from her demeanor, she seems to have been married for a long time but still retains her maidenly innocence. Commentary: This woman has a graceful demeanor and an elegant bearing. Her eyebrows need no artificial drawing—they are naturally perfect without needing the skills of the capital's makeup artists. Her face has a beauty that cannot be enhanced—she requires none of the powder favored by the handsome gentlemen of old. Her figure is perfectly proportioned between thin and plump, wonderful in that it cannot be made any thinner or fatter without losing its appeal. Her attire is perfectly balanced between elaborate and simple, wonderful in that her rich adornments appear subtle, and her understated makeup seems profound. What is most touching is that her hidden emotions are pent up and unexpressed, like a lotus bud that is always on the verge of blooming but never fully opens. Her innermost thoughts are held back and unspoken, like fragrant flowers that are always on the verge of withering but never completely fade. She is worthy to stand alongside the previous beauty, surpassing all others and sharing the title of "peerless beauty"!

After an in-person interview, I will determine the champion

After finishing his commentary, he thought again about the middle-aged woman, who still retained the charm of her youth. Not to mention anything else, her eyes were like a precious treasure. She had cast many flirtatious glances at him earlier, but he hadn't returned even one because he was so focused on the other two women. Now he felt quite apologetic about it. Moreover, since she was traveling with those beautiful women, she must be either their sister-in-law or a relative. For the sake of those beauties, he should show her some leniency. She was also willing to help and entertain, drawing the other two women's attention to him—clearly she was a perceptive person. If he could find her, why worry about not winning over the other two? He decided to write about her in his notebook too and add a good commentary. First, to repay her for her kind attention, and second, if he ever found her, he could show her the notebook and flatter her first, which would make her more willing to help him. So he picked up his pen and changed the word "two" in "two peerless beauties" to "three". Because she was wearing black clothing, he added another entry:

One woman in black clothing: Her age is suspected to be 36, but her appearance is like that of a 16-year-old girl. Judging from her posture, she seems to enjoy reading and writing but has a very passionate nature. Commentary: This woman's hidden desires surge like a torrent, and her lively spirit flows like a rapid stream. Her waist is slightly fuller than that of a young wife, but her eyebrows compete with a newlywed's in their curve. Her cheeks are as red as peach blossoms, and her skin is as smooth and shiny as jade. What is most captivating is that her eyes remain still, but her gaze flows naturally, sparkling like lightning beneath a cliff. She doesn't take a single step, yet her body suddenly turns, floating lightly like a cloud atop a mountain ridge. Even standing as equals with the other two beauties, she would be in no way inferior!

After finishing writing, he drew three circles around each name and still hid it in his inner pocket.

From that day onward, he could go to the Zhangxian Hall or not—it didn't matter anymore. He could look at the women who came in or not—it didn't matter either. He only kept these three beauties in his mind at all times, carrying this notebook with him every day as he wandered the streets, hoping to bump into them. But he never saw any trace of them. He thought to himself, "Sai Kunlun is the most knowledgeable and familiar with the ways of the world—why don't I ask him?" But there was one thing: Sai Kunlun had promised to find him one woman, and he hadn't seen him these past few days, probably because he was out searching. If he told him about these three women, Sai Kunlun would think he already had women he liked and might abandon his search. Besides, without knowing their names, where would Sai Kunlun start looking? So he kept it to himself, thinking he would wait a few more days—maybe Sai Kunlun would find someone and report back to him. Unlike other things, one can never have too many beautiful women.

From that point onward, every day he either went out hoping to bump into someone or stayed at home waiting eagerly. One day, he met Sai Kunlun on the street and grabbed hold of him, asking, "Brother, why haven't I heard anything about the matter you promised me? Did you forget?" Sai Kunlun replied, "How could I forget? It's always on my mind. But there are many ordinary women, and very few truly beautiful ones. I just found one recently and was coming to report to you when we happened to meet." When Wei Yangsheng heard this, his face lit up with a smile and he said, "In that case, please come to my place to talk about it." The two walked hand in hand to Wei Yangsheng's residence. He sent his servant boy out, and the two closed the door to discuss their plan. Which woman will be fortunate enough to meet this capable man? And which husband will be unlucky enough to have this sinful adulterer target his wife? Readers, don't guess—all will be revealed in the next chapter.

Volume 2: Awakening to Zen - Summer / 卷二：觉后禪-夏

Chapter 6: A Man of Little Talent Boasts of Great Skills; His Tiny Member Becomes an Object of Ridicule

Poem says: If you're no master of the bedroom arts, Don't let this minor skill cause you such woes. Who can see Pan An's face in the dark? Zjian's talent can't be shown on the field. Though her wandering soul returned to Chu, Why then does she come to the Balcony? At birth, wanting tools for romance, You must cut them to fit your own measure.

After sitting down, Sai Kunlun first asked Wei Yangsheng: "Brother, have you had any interesting encounters lately?" Fearing that Sai Kunlun might back out, Wei Yangsheng only replied no. He then quickly asked: "Which family are you referring to? Where do they live? How old is she? What does she look like?" Sai Kunlun said: "I've found more than one—there are three in total, but you can only choose one. Don't be greedy and want all three; that would be impossible." Wei Yangsheng wondered to himself: I have three women in mind, and he's also mentioning three—could they be the ones I saw the other day? If they are, as long as I can get one, the other two will naturally come; why would I need his help? So he replied: "How could I? One would be more than enough—I wouldn't dare be so greedy!" Sai Kunlun said: "That's good. Now let me ask you: do you prefer plump or slim women?" Wei Yangsheng answered: "A woman's body has its own charm whether plump or slim. But plump shouldn't mean being unable to bear the weight of clothes, and slim shouldn't mean having bones sticking out. As long as it's just right, it's fine." Sai Kunlun said: "In that case, all three match your preferences. Let me ask again: do you prefer amorous or honest women?" Wei Yangsheng said: "Naturally amorous ones are better. An honest woman sleeping beside you has no interest at all—it's better to sleep alone." Sai Kunlun shook his head and said: "If that's the case, none of the three are for you." Wei Yangsheng asked: "How do you know they're honest?" Sai Kunlun explained: "All three women are the same—their looks are perfect, but they aren't very experienced in the art of seduction." Wei Yangsheng said: "That's not a problem. A woman's charm and demeanor can be taught. To be honest with you, when my wife first came to me, she was also very honest. But after a few days of training from me, she's now extremely amorous. As long as those three women are beautiful, I have my own way of transforming their honesty."

Sai Kunlun said: "That's fine. Let me ask you again: when you meet her, do you want to have her immediately, or are you willing to wait a few months and take it slowly?" Wei Yangsheng replied: "To be honest with you, brother, I have a very strong desire by nature. If I don't sleep with a woman for three or five nights, I'll have wet dreams. Now that I've been away from home for a long time, this desire is burning inside me. If I don't meet a beautiful woman, I can barely control myself—but if I do meet one, I'm afraid I won't be able to hold back." Sai Kunlun said: "In that case, let's forget about the other two and just talk about this one. The other two are from wealthy families and hard to get. This one is a poor man's wife, easy to approach. Since I promised you this matter, I've been thinking about it constantly and carefully examining every woman I meet. One day, as I was walking down the street, I saw this woman sitting inside her house with a bamboo curtain hanging at the door. Although I couldn't see her clearly through the curtain, her face seemed to glow with a radiant red and white light, like a precious pearl emitting a brilliant shine from within. Her entire demeanor looked like a beautiful painting hanging inside the curtain, gently swaying in the wind. I stood across from the door for a while and saw a man come out—he was rough and clumsy, dressed in rags, carrying a bundle of silk to sell at the market. I asked the neighbors about him, and they said his surname is Quan and he's very honest, so people call him 'Quan Laoshi' (Honest Quan). The woman is his wife.

"I was afraid I couldn't see her clearly through the curtain, so a few days later, I passed by her door again. She was sitting inside again. I came up with a plan: I lifted the curtain and went in, saying I was looking for her husband to buy silk. She said her husband wasn't at home, but if I wanted to buy silk, there was plenty at home, and she could show me. Then she turned around to get the silk. I saw her ten fingers were as tender as lotus buds, and her bound feet were less than three inches long. Although I saw her hands and feet, I couldn't see her body's skin, so I didn't know if it was fair or dark. I came up with another idea: I saw a bundle of silk on the top shelf and said to her: 'None of these look good. How about showing me that bundle on the top shelf?' She agreed and raised her arm to reach it. You know, it was summer, and she was wearing a thin silk blouse. When she raised her arm, her sleeves slid all the way up to her shoulders—not only did her entire arms become visible, but the faint outline of her breasts could also be seen. They were as white as snow and as smooth as a mirror. Among all the women I've seen in my life, she is the most beautiful. Since I had troubled her for half a day, I felt embarrassed and had to buy a bundle of silk before leaving. Brother, do you want this woman?" Wei Yangsheng said: "According to you, she's perfect—why wouldn't I want her? But how can I meet her, and once I meet her, how can I get her?" Sai Kunlun said: "It's not difficult. Let's take some silver and go now. When her husband is out, we'll use the same method as before—go in and say we want to buy silk. You can decide at first sight if you like her. I think she spends all day facing that rough, stupid husband with no fun at all. When she sees you, how could she not be moved? If you make a little effort to seduce her and she doesn't get angry, I'll come back and help you plan. I guarantee you'll have her within three days. And if you want to be long-term lovers, I'll take care of that too."

Wei Yangsheng said: "If I can have this, my gratitude will be endless. But there's one thing: since you have such mysterious ways and the ability to scale walls and walk on roofs, nothing in the world should be difficult for you. Why can you do this one, but say nothing about the other two? Could it be that poor people are easy to bully, but you dare not provoke the wealthy!?" Sai Kunlun replied: "In all things, poor people are easy to bully and the wealthy are hard to provoke. But when it comes to stealing women, it's the opposite: the wealthy are easy to bully, and poor people are hard to provoke." Wei Yangsheng asked: "Why is that?" Sai Kunlun explained: "The wealthy have three wives and four concubines. When the husband is with one, several others are left alone. As the old saying goes, 'When satiated and warm, one thinks of lust.' These women eat well, dress warmly, and have nothing to do all day—their minds are fixated on this one thing. When they can't bear it anymore, if a man crawls into their bed, they welcome him eagerly; how could they push him away? Even if the husband catches them, if he wants to hand them over to officials, he fears ruining the family's prestige. If he wants to kill both, he can't bear to lose such a beautiful wife. Since he can't bear to lose his wife, how could he only kill the adulterer? So he swallows his anger and lets the man escape. But in poor families, there's only one wife, who sleeps with her husband every night. Not only are these women too hungry and tired to feel lust, even if they do feel desire and sleep with another man, if their husband catches them, the poor have no regard for prestige—they'll either hand them over to officials or kill both. That's why poor people are hard to provoke, and the wealthy are easy to bully."

Wei Yangsheng said: "If that's the case, then what you're saying today contradicts this reasoning?" Sai Kunlun replied: "It's not that my actions contradict my words, but rather that this family's situation is the exact opposite of those two families. That's why this one is easy to handle, while those two women are hard to get." Wei Yangsheng said: "Now my heart is set on this one, but why not tell me about the other two women as well, so I can know your good intentions and how much trouble you've gone through for me." Sai Kunlun explained: "Those two women are one in her twenties, and the other around sixteen. In their maiden homes, they are first cousins; in their married homes, they are sisters-in-law. Their husbands' families have been officials for generations, but only these two men are scholars. The elder brother is called 'Wo Yunsheng' (Cloud Sleeper) and has been married to the woman in her twenties for four or five years. The younger brother is called 'Yi Yunsheng' (Cloud Leaning) and has been married to the sixteen-year-old for less than three months. Their beauty is just like the woman I mentioned earlier, but they are both very modest. When they have sex, they don't move or make a sound, as if they don't enjoy it. These women aren't lascivious, and their husbands don't have multiple wives—they sleep together every night, making it hard to find an opportunity. You'd have to use every trick to arouse their desire and wait for their husbands to be away before you could make your move. That would take months! It's better to go for the silk-seller's wife—her husband is often away, making her easier to handle."

When Wei Yangsheng heard that these two women sounded similar to those he had seen earlier, he was reluctant to let them go. He said to Sai Kunlun: "Your plan is good, but there's something you haven't considered. You say those two women are modest and have no lustful thoughts—this must be because their husbands have small members and lack stamina, so they don't satisfy them. If they met me, even those modest women would become immodest." Sai Kunlun replied: "I saw those two men, and their members aren't small, nor do they lack stamina—they just aren't extremely large or long-lasting. Let me ask you: how large is your member, and how long can you last? I need to know the depth of your skills to feel confident helping you." Wei Yangsheng cheerfully replied: "Don't worry about that, Brother. My size and stamina are more than adequate. No matter how demanding a woman is, I'll satisfy her fully before I finish—unlike those poor lovers who leave a woman unsatisfied even when she was already satisfied." Sai Kunlun said: "That's good to hear. But just tell me roughly: when you have sex with a woman, how many thrusts do you usually make before you ejaculate?" Wei Yangsheng replied: "I don't have a fixed number when I'm with a woman; I just keep going until she's fully satisfied. How could I count?" Sai Kunlun asked: "If you can't remember the number of thrusts, you must remember the time—how many watch-whiles can you last?" In reality, Wei Yangsheng could only last half a watch-while, but he was afraid Sai Kunlun would refuse to help him if he told the truth, so he added half a watch-while and answered: "I can last a full watch-while!" Sai Kunlun said: "That's just ordinary stamina, not particularly strong. It's enough for a husband with his wife, but for sneaking into another man's house to steal his wife, I'm afraid that's not enough."

Wei Yangsheng said: "Don't worry so much, Brother. I bought some excellent aphrodisiacs the other day, but I haven't had a chance to use them yet because I don't have a woman. As long as we can make this work, I'll apply some of those potions when the time comes—they'll make me last as long as needed." Sai Kunlun replied: "Aphrodisiacs can only make you last longer, not make your member larger. If you already have a large member, aphrodisiacs are like ginseng tonics for a talented scholar before an exam—they give you extra energy to write a great essay. But if you have a small member, aphrodisiacs are like ginseng tonics for a scholar who hasn't studied—even if he eats pounds of them, he still won't be able to write anything in the exam hall. Let me ask you directly: how large is your member, and how many inches long is it?" Wei Yangsheng replied: "There's no need to say more—it's not small, I assure you." When Sai Kunlun saw he wouldn't answer, he reached out to grab Wei Yangsheng's pants, demanding to see his member. Wei Yangsheng avoided him repeatedly, refusing to show it. Sai Kunlun said: "If you're like this, I absolutely won't help you. If I forced myself to help you, and you didn't care about the woman's comfort, she might scream and accuse you of rape. Then I'd be the one who got you into trouble. How could I do that?" When Wei Yangsheng saw how insistent he was, he forced a smile and said: "My member is decent enough, but it's indecent to take it out in front of a friend in broad daylight. Since you're so concerned, I suppose I'll have to embarrass myself!" He unfastened his belt, took out his member, held it with both hands, and showed it to Sai Kunlun, saying: "This is my humble equipment. Please look, Brother." Sai Kunlun stepped closer and examined it carefully. He saw:

Its body was clear white, its glans bright red. Fine hair grew thickly around its base; faint veins were visible beneath its skin. When measured, it was barely two inches long; when weighed, exactly three qian. A thirteen-year-old virgin could easily accommodate it; a fourteen-year-old catamite would love it best. When aroused, it stood hard as iron, yet still smaller than the smallest of its kind; after ejaculation, it curled like a bow, resembling nothing so much as an unusually thick shrimp.

Sai Kunlun looked at the member for a while without saying a word. Wei Yangsheng thought he must be shocked by its size and said: "This is when it's flaccid—when it's erect, it's quite impressive." Sai Kunlun replied: "If it's like this when flaccid, it won't be much better when erect. Please put it away." After saying this, he couldn't help but burst into laughter: "Brother, why do you have no sense of your own limitations? Your member is less than a third the size of others', yet you still want to steal other men's wives! When I first saw you searching for women everywhere, I thought you must have an enormous member that would make women afraid, so I didn't dare ask to see it. But who knew it's just a fleshly backscratcher—good only for itching your pubic hair, completely useless for its proper purpose." Wei Yangsheng said: "To be honest, Brother, while my humble equipment isn't very impressive, some people have praised it—it's not completely useless." Sai Kunlun replied: "Those who praised it must have been virgins who've never experienced sex or children who don't know any better—of course they'd say nice things. Besides those two groups, people will treat it the way I do—they won't flatter it." Wei Yangsheng asked: "According to you, is everyone's member in the world larger than mine?" Sai Kunlun replied: "I've seen over a thousand of these things—never have I seen one as delicate as yours."

Wei Yangsheng said: "Never mind other men—just tell me: how do the members of those three women's husbands compare to mine?" Sai Kunlun replied: "They're one to two times larger and longer than yours." Wei Yangsheng laughed: "I knew you weren't telling the truth—you're just making excuses to refuse to help me. I can see through you now. Let me ask you: you might have seen the other two at night when you were sneaking around, but this silk-seller's wife—you said you only went there once during the day and didn't meet her husband. How do you know his member is one to two times larger and longer than mine?" Sai Kunlun explained: "I saw the first two with my own eyes; this one I heard about from others. When I first saw her, I went to ask her neighbors for information. They told me her name, and I asked: 'This beautiful woman married such a rough, stupid-looking man—do they get along well?' The neighbor replied: 'Although her husband looks rough and stupid, he has a very impressive member, so their marriage isn't too bad.' I asked again: 'How large is it?' The neighbor said: 'I never measured it, but in the summer when he takes off his clothes, that thing swings around in his pants like a wooden mallet—that's how I know it's impressive.' That's why I had to see yours today—otherwise, why would I ask to see such a private part for no reason?"

Now Wei Yangsheng realized Sai Kunlun was telling the truth, and he felt quite embarrassed. He said to him: "When a woman is with a man, it's not just about sexual desire—sometimes she pities his talent, or loves his appearance. If talent and appearance aren't enough, then ability becomes important. I have both talent and appearance—maybe she'll overlook my shortcomings because of them. Please see this through to the end, Brother—don't abandon my strengths because of one weakness, and don't give up on helping a friend." Sai Kunlun replied: "Talent and appearance are just introductions to stealing women—like the ginger and jujube in medicine, they just carry the medicinal properties into the body. Once inside, it's the medicine that heals, and the ginger and jujube are no longer needed. Without talent and appearance, a man can't get close to a woman—but once he's close, he needs real ability. Are you going to look at her face or write poems on her belly in bed? If you have a small member and limited stamina, even if you use talent and appearance to get close, after a couple of unsatisfying encounters, she'll start to avoid you. If a man is risking his life to steal a woman, he should want to get along with her happily for a long time. If he's only after a couple of quick pleasures, why go to all this trouble? And it's not just the man who wants long-term happiness—when a woman secretly meets a man behind her husband's back, she worries constantly and lives in fear, all hoping for some pleasure. If she gets no satisfaction at all—like a hen being mounted by a rooster, where it's over before she even feels it—wouldn't that ruin her reputation for nothing? Don't take offense, Brother, but with your size and stamina, you should be happy if you can keep your own wife from straying. Don't be delusional and try to seduce other women. Luckily, I'm experienced enough to choose clothes that fit your body—if I had ignored your size and picked whatever I wanted, making clothes that are too big for your body, I'd be wasting good material. The woman would complain, and you'd probably blame me for not being loyal and deliberately finding you an unsuitable woman. I speak bluntly—please don't take offense." When Wei Yangsheng saw how firmly he spoke, he knew it was hopeless and had nothing to say. Sai Kunlun comforted him a bit more, then got up to leave. Wei Yangsheng, completely dispirited, saw him out. What happened after his disappointment will be revealed in the next chapter.

Comment: Every discussion is filled with exquisite metaphors that delight the reader. Phrases like "aphrodisiacs are like last-minute tonics before an exam" and "talent and appearance are like the introductions in medicine" are too numerous to count. Though they are humorous, they contain profound truths. I truly don't know how many thousands of holes and crevices the author's heart and liver have to be so clever and insightful.

Chapter 7: Bemoaning His Natural Endowment, He Weeps Over His Member; Seeking Correction, He Kneels to Plead

Wei Yangsheng, once overflowing with joy, now felt completely chilled by Sai Kunlun's words—like a dead man. Sitting alone in his room, he thought: I've lived over twenty years and seen many things, but I've never really seen many men's members. Ordinary people keep them hidden under their clothes, so naturally I can't see them. Only those young catamites, when they took off their pants to have sex with me, revealed their members. They were younger than me, so their members were naturally smaller than mine. Since all I ever saw were smaller than mine, I thought mine was large. But now he says every member he's seen is bigger than mine—so mine must be completely useless. What's the point of having it? However, when I was with my wife at home, she always felt pleasure. Even when I visited prostitutes or seduced maids, they were always wanton and always reached orgasm. If this thing didn't give them pleasure, would they be wanton or orgasm on their own? Clearly, his words aren't true—he's just making excuses. After doubting for a while and thinking again, he suddenly realized: Ah! I see now. My wife's vagina was a formless thing that I opened up. It's as wide as my member is large, as deep as my member is long. A short member fits a shallow vagina, a thin member fits a narrow one—they match each other, so she feels pleasure. It's like cleaning ears: a very thin earpick moving inside a very small ear feels pleasant. But if a wide ear meets a thin earpick, it's not the same. Earlier, Sai Kunlun said women can pretend to be wanton in their words even if they aren't in their hearts. How do I know those maids and prostitutes weren't just flattering me because they took my money—pretending to be wanton in their words even though they weren't in their hearts? If wantonness can be faked, can't orgasm also be faked? His words may not be entirely credible, but they can't be completely ignored either. From now on, when I meet men, I must pay attention to their members to find out the truth.

From then on, whenever he was with friends studying literature, if a friend went to urinate, he followed; if a friend went to defecate, he followed too. He would look at his friends' members and then at his own. Sure enough, none were smaller than his. Even when walking on the street, if he saw someone sitting on a shoulder pole or a stool, he would sneak a sideways glance to examine their member closely. Indeed, every one was larger and longer than his. After these comparisons, Wei Yangsheng's desire gradually weakened and his courage in matters of sex slowly diminished. He thought to himself: Sai Kunlun's words are like medicine—they can't be ignored. He's just a man, and I was already deeply ashamed after his teasing the other day. What if I was with a woman and she mocked me halfway through? Should I pull out and stop, or stay inside and wait for her to vomit me out? From now on, I'll give up stealing women and focus on my proper business. Once I achieve fame and success, I'll spend some silver to buy a few virgin concubines. They'll naturally flatter me and not neglect me. Why waste my energy on something like burning incense and worshiping Buddha? Having made up his mind, from that day on, he set aside idle pleasures and dedicated himself to his studies. When he saw women coming to burn incense, he not only didn't rush to look at them but avoided them even if he encountered them outside. As for walking on the streets and seeing women, he would bow his head and pass by—there's no need to say more about that.

He endured for more than ten days, but after half a month, his desire became unbearable and his courage in matters of sex returned. One day, as he was walking down the street, he saw a young woman lifting a curtain with one hand, revealing half her face as she talked to a woman across the street. When Wei Yangsheng saw her from a distance, he slowed his pace, taking three steps for every one, so he could listen to her voice and look at her face slowly. Her words sounded like the notes of a flute or xiao—clear, charming, and perfectly modulated. He stealthily approached the door to examine her face and demeanor closely. She matched everything Sai Kunlun had described: like a precious pearl, like a beautiful painting fluttering in the wind behind the curtain. He wondered to himself: Could she be the very woman he was talking about the other day?

After observing her for a while, he walked past a few shops and deliberately asked someone: "Is there a silk seller named Quan Laoshi (Honest Quan) around here? I don't know where he is." The person replied: "You just passed him. The house with the woman talking behind the curtain is his." Realizing she was indeed the one, Wei Yangsheng turned around again to look at her more carefully before returning to his room. He thought to himself: At first, when Sai Kunlun described her beauty to me, I didn't believe him—I thought he might not have a discerning eye. But who knew he had the eyes of a Buddha? If he was so accurate about this one, the other two must be just as he described. With such beautiful women and such a skilled knight willing to help me, I missed three great opportunities just because this thing wouldn't do me proud. How can I not hate it? Frustrated, he closed his door, untied his pants, and took out his member. Looking at it from left to right, he suddenly became furious—he恨不得 take a sharp knife and cut it off immediately, so he wouldn't have this useless thing taking up space. He complained: This is all Heaven's fault! If you wanted to spoil me, you should have spoiled me completely—why leave such a flaw? Talent and appearance are just showy things that aren't useful, but you gave me those in full. Why couldn't you be generous with this one important thing? Would it cost you anything to make it a few inches longer and a bit bigger? Why not take some from others' excess to make up for my deficiency? Even if you say everyone's body is predetermined and can't be changed, why not take some flesh from my legs or strength from my body and put it here? That would be enough. Why did you distribute the materials meant for this to other places instead? The things people need are unavailable, while the things they don't need are left in excess—isn't that Heaven's mistake? Now I see such a beautiful woman but dare not approach her, just like a hungry person who sees delicious food but has a sore on their mouth that prevents them from eating. Isn't that suffering? Thinking this, he couldn't help but burst into tears.

After crying for a while, he put his member away and wandered to the temple gate to ease his boredom. On the screen wall, he saw a brand-new notice. Wei Yangsheng stepped forward to read it and saw these large characters: "A True Man from the Heavens Teaches Sexual Techniques—Can Turn a Small Member into a Giant One." Below were smaller characters: "Passing through this place temporarily, staying at a certain room in a certain temple. Those who wish to learn, come quickly—if you're late, you'll miss the opportunity." Wei Yangsheng was overjoyed: What a miracle! My member is so small, and I'm at a loss about what to do. How did such an extraordinary person come here to teach techniques? Isn't this fate? He immediately rushed into the temple, sealed a gift for the teacher, put it in a gift box, had a servant carry it, and went to find the Taoist's residence. The Taoist looked extraordinary—an old man with a childlike face and white hair. When he saw Wei Yangsheng arrive, he arched his hands and asked: "Brother, do you want to learn sexual techniques?" Wei Yangsheng replied: "Yes." The Taoist asked: "Brother, are you asking about the art of pleasing others or the art of pleasing oneself?" Wei Yangsheng asked: "Please tell me, sir—what's the difference between pleasing others and pleasing oneself?" The Taoist explained: "If you only want to please a woman and make her happy without seeking pleasure for yourself, this kind of sexual technique is easy to teach. You just need to take some medicine to slow down ejaculation and apply aphrodisiacs to make your member numb, like iron—you won't feel any pain or itching. That's the art of pleasing others. But if you want both yourself and the woman to feel pleasure—so that when you thrust, both feel alive, and when you press, both feel ecstatic—this is mutual pleasure. The only problem is that when pleasure reaches its peak, the woman fears orgasm will come too late, while the man fears it will come too early. To make the man happier without ejaculating sooner, and the woman more orgasmic and happier—this kind of sexual technique is the most difficult. It requires cultivation and the help of medicine to achieve such pleasure. If you want to learn this, you'll have to travel with me for a few years and gradually understand it. It's not something you can learn in a day or two."

Wei Yangsheng said: "In that case, I can't wait—I'll just take the art of pleasing others. Earlier, I saw those eight characters on your notice: 'Can turn a small member into a giant one.' That's why I came to ask for advice. What method can make such a change?" The Taoist replied: "The methods vary, mostly depending on the individual. First, we need to see what size the member naturally is. Second, how much larger we need to make it beyond its natural size. Third, we need to ask if the person can endure it and is willing to risk it. Only after these three rules are established can we begin." Wei Yangsheng asked: "Please explain these three points clearly, sir, so I can decide what to do." The Taoist explained: "If the natural size isn't too small and we don't need to make it much larger than its natural size, the method is very easy—we don't even need to ask about endurance or risk. We just apply some medicine to make it insensible to heat, cold, pain, and itching. Then we fumigate and wash it with medicine. For every fumigation and wash, we rub it once and pull it once. Fumigation makes it longer, washing makes it bigger; rubbing makes it bigger, pulling makes it longer. After three days and three nights, it will be one-third larger than its original size. This method is easy for people to accept. But if the natural size is very small and we need to make it much larger, this method will hurt the tendons and bones. That's why we need to ask about endurance and risk. If the person is timid and unwilling to do something dangerous, we stop. But if they love romance enough to risk their life, we can boldly transform it for them. The transformation method: first, lock a male dog and a female dog in an empty room—they will naturally mate. Before they finish mating, separate them. A dog's kidney is extremely hot; once it enters the vagina, it grows several times larger. Even after ejaculation, it takes half a day to withdraw, let alone before finishing. At this moment, we first use a sharp knife to cut it off, then cut open the female dog's vagina to take the male dog's kidney and cut it into four pieces. We immediately numb the person's member with anesthetic so they don't feel pain, then make four deep incisions on the top, bottom, left, and right. We insert a piece of the hot dog kidney into each incision, then apply a healing medicine immediately. The only fear is that if we don't use the knife properly, we might cut the urethra, which could cause impotence in the future. But if the urethra isn't injured, there's no problem. After a month of healing, the inside will blend like water and milk—no longer distinguishable between human member and dog kidney. After more healing, when having sex with a woman, it will have the same heat as a dog's kidney. From the outside, it will be several times larger than before; when inserted into the vagina, it will grow several times larger than it is outside. It's like turning one member into dozens. Do you think the vagina will feel happy or not?"

When Wei Yangsheng heard this, he felt like a dead man coming back to life. Before he knew it, he knelt down on both knees and said: "If this is possible, your kindness is like giving me a second life." The Taoist quickly helped him up and said: "Brother, just follow my instructions, why perform such a great courtesy?" Wei Yangsheng replied: "I was born with an insatiable desire for women—they are my life. But my natural limitations prevent me from fulfilling my ambitions. Now that I've met such an extraordinary person, how could I not bow down to you before making my request?" After saying this, he called his servant to bring the gift, which he personally presented to the Taoist: "This modest offering is just a token of my respect. After the transformation is complete, I will make a more generous donation." The Taoist replied: "I've told you the method, but nine times out of ten, it won't work. I don't dare to accept such a generous gift lightly." Wei Yangsheng said: "There's nothing that can't be done. I love romance so much that I don't care about my life. If the transformation succeeds and turns my small member into a giant one, I will be forever grateful. Even if there's a mistake with the knife and it costs me my life, it's just fate— I won't blame you. Please don't doubt me."

The Taoist said: "I'm very skilled and confident with this procedure—there will be no mistakes with the knife. But there are three inconveniences after the transformation, which is why I don't easily take on such tasks. I must explain each one to you. Only if you're willing to accept all three will I dare to proceed. If you're unwilling to accept even one of them, I won't force you." Wei Yangsheng asked: "What are these three inconveniences?" The Taoist explained: "First inconvenience: After the procedure, you must not have sex for three months. If you have sex during this time, the internal tissues will be damaged, causing the human member and dog kidney to separate. Not only will the graft not take hold, but your own real member will rot as well. When I asked earlier if you could endure it, this is what I was referring to. Second inconvenience: After the procedure, only women in their twenties or thirties can bear it. Even if a woman under twenty has already lost her virginity or given birth, she will suffer greatly during the first time. For unmarried virgins, every one who has sex with you will die—there's no hope of survival. To do this, you must vow not to marry a virgin or have sex with young women. Otherwise, not only will you lose your own moral virtue, but the person who performs the procedure will also bear a great sin. Third inconvenience: After the procedure, although the acquired strength will be sufficient, the innate vital energy will inevitably leak during the cutting. This will definitely make it difficult to father children. Even if you do father children, most will die young, with few living long lives. When I asked earlier if you were willing to risk it, this is what I meant. I see that you are a young man with ambition. First, you have a strong desire and can't endure three months without sex. Second, you are too greedy for women and can't guarantee you won't harm virgins in the future. Third, you are still young—you probably don't have many sons yet, if any at all. I think these three things will all be obstacles for you. I don't believe you would be willing to accept every one of them and take the risk lightly."

Wei Yangsheng said: "None of these three things will be a problem for me. Please don't worry, sir—just go ahead with the transformation." The Taoist asked: "How can you be sure they won't be a problem?" Wei Yangsheng explained: "I'm currently away from home, so it's different from being at home. Even if I didn't have this procedure done, I still sleep alone every night. After the procedure, will I suddenly have someone to sleep with? The first inconvenience doesn't affect me at all. Why can't I do it? As for the second point—about not marrying virgins or having sex with young women—my wife has already lost her virginity, so that's not a concern. Besides, virgins are the least enjoyable among women. They know nothing about lovemaking, have no understanding of romance—what pleasure is there in them? To truly enjoy yourself, you need women in their twenties or thirties who understand the art of lovemaking. It's like writing essays: each section has its own method, each part its own response. Can a beginner just starting out write like that? The second inconvenience doesn't just not affect me—it actually aligns with my preferences. Why can't I do it? As for having children, other people take it very seriously, but I don't. In this world, there are fewer good sons than bad ones, fewer filial children than unfilial ones. If I'm lucky enough to have a good son, that's fine. But if I have a bad, unfilial son who squanders the family fortune and makes his father angry to death, what use is he? Besides, out of ten people in this world, one or two are childless by fate. Is that also because they had their member transformed and leaked their innate energy? The moment I had this thought was a sign that I'm destined to be childless. And I'm willing to be childless—I must have the procedure. But if I'm fated to have children, maybe the innate energy won't leak much during the cutting, and I'll still be able to have children. Maybe those children won't die young. But those are all unpredictable things—I don't think about them. I'm just preparing to be childless. I can endure the three months of abstinence, and I'm willing to risk the consequences of the procedure. What inconvenience is there? Now please don't doubt me—just go ahead with the transformation."

The Taoist said: "Since your determination is so strong and you insist on having the procedure done, I won't make it difficult for you. We need to choose a date. We can either do it at your place or mine, but it must be done in complete secrecy—no one must know about it. If someone finds out and comes to spy, it will be very inconvenient to perform the procedure." Wei Yangsheng replied: "My place is too busy with people coming and going—it's not suitable for this. Let's do it at your place instead." After they agreed on this, the Taoist finally accepted the gift. He took out an almanac and chose a fire day, because the male member belongs to the element fire, and they wanted to use the power of a strong fire day to ensure it would be powerful. Once the date for the transformation was set, Wei Yangsheng left in great joy. This was the beginning of all his sins. This shows that one should never learn sexual techniques—learning sexual techniques corrupts one's heart. No one has ever learned sexual techniques just to please their wife without eventually sleeping with other women's wives.

Commentary: Other writers would have Wei Yangsheng immediately seek someone to fix his small member after discovering it was small, then go straight to describing his sexual exploits to keep readers excited, without any "digressions" that might cool their interest. Who would insert a section where a romantic scholar suddenly behaves like a moralistic scholar, avoiding women entirely? The author has a deep meaning in focusing on this part. If Wei Yangsheng had truly changed his ways at this point, he wouldn't have ruined his reputation and future with his excessive sexual indulgence later. This shows that even the most evil person can reach salvation with a single good thought—they just mustn't have another bad thought after turning around. Readers should pay attention to this passage; it's like tasting olive flavor in the sweetness of dates—you don't have to read the entire book to understand the author's deep intention.

Chapter 8: Three Months of Secluded Cultivation Astonishes Friends; A Clever Disguise Captivates a Beautiful Woman

After bidding farewell to the Taoist, Wei Yangsheng returned to his residence and slept alone. He began fantasizing about what it would be like to have sex with women after his member was transformed, and soon his sexual desire became unbearable. He had no choice but to call one of his young male servants to bed with him, using the servant as a substitute for a woman to satisfy his lust. He had two young male servants: one named Shuxi (Book Chest) and the other named Jianqiao (Sword Sheath). Shuxi was sixteen years old and could read a few characters, so Wei Yangsheng gave him charge of all the books in his study—like a chest for storing books, hence his name. Jianqiao was eighteen years old, and Wei Yangsheng gave him his ancient sword to keep—like a sheath that protects a sword, hence his name. Both were extremely beautiful, with looks comparable to pretty women. Jianqiao didn't know how to act seductively, so even though Wei Yangsheng occasionally slept with him, he didn't find it very satisfying. Shuxi, however, was extremely cunning. When having sex with Wei Yangsheng, he would arch his back and move his buttocks to meet him just like a woman, and he would even make seductive sounds. Wei Yangsheng loved him the most. So that night, he didn't use Jianqiao—he only called Shuxi to bed to vent his intense desire.

After Wei Yangsheng finished, Shuxi asked: "Master, you've only been interested in women lately, abandoning us men and ignoring us for a long time. Why are you in the mood tonight to rekindle our old relationship?" Wei Yangsheng replied: "I'm not just having sex with you tonight—I'm saying farewell." Shuxi asked: "Does that mean you're going to sell me?" Wei Yangsheng said: "How could I bear to sell you? The 'farewell' isn't between you and me—it's my member bidding farewell to your anus." He then explained in detail why he wanted to have his member transformed. Shuxi said: "So after the transformation, your member will be dozens of times larger, perfect for seducing women. I'm sure my anus won't be able to handle it anymore." Wei Yangsheng answered: "That's right." Shuxi said: "If you're going to seduce women, you'll need someone to serve you and protect you. Take me with you. If you have more women than you can handle, give me one so I can taste what it's like to be with a woman—it won't have been a waste to follow a master of romance like you." Wei Yangsheng replied: "That's easy. A well-fed general doesn't have hungry soldiers. Since you've slept with me properly, you can sleep with any of my maids—take as many as you want, even dozens." Shuxi was delighted and said: "Since your member is bidding farewell to my anus, I should bid farewell to you too." He then climbed on top of Wei Yangsheng and had anal sex with him before getting off.

The next day, Wei Yangsheng bought a very strong male dog and a female dog to match it, keeping them separated in his residence. When the agreed date arrived, he had Shuxi lead the dogs and went with him, then ordered Jianqiao to prepare a table of wine and food to be delivered later. The Taoist's residence was an extremely secret place with no idle people coming and going—perfect for the procedure. When Wei Yangsheng arrived that day, the Taoist had him expose his member and applied anesthetic in advance for the upcoming surgery. When the anesthetic was first applied, it felt like a cold shock; after that, it was as if the member was no longer there. He didn't feel pain when pinched or itch when scratched. Wei Yangsheng was relieved, knowing he wouldn't suffer during the cutting.

Not long after, the wine and food arrived. Wei Yangsheng and the Taoist drank while waiting for the male dog and female dog to mate. The two animals were led to a secluded place and put together. They thought it was the master's kindness to grant them a convenience, so they began mating. Little did they know the master intended to use them as material! Both dogs had ropes tied around their necks that weren't removed. When the Taoist saw they were at the height of their passion, he ordered two servants to pull the ropes forcefully apart. The male dog, unwilling to separate, barked wildly, squeezing the female's genitals tightly with its hind legs, fearing it would come loose; the female dog, also unwilling to separate, barked wildly, squeezing the male's member tightly with its hind legs, fearing it would come out. The Taoist, holding a sharp knife, cut off the dog's penis. He then cut open the female dog's vagina, took out the male dog's penis, and cut it into four pieces. He quickly made four incisions on Wei Yangsheng's member, inserted a piece of the still-warm dog penis into each incision, and after all four were inserted, he applied a healing elixir externally and wrapped it with a cloth. Then the two continued drinking.

That night, Wei Yangsheng stayed overnight at the Taoist's residence. During their conversation before bed, the Taoist taught him many sexual techniques. He returned home the next day to recover. He managed to control himself well during those three months—not only did he not think about sexual matters, he didn't even look at his newly modified member. Only after three months had passed did he remove the cloth, clean and scrape it. After a careful look, he couldn't help but exclaim with great joy: "Powerful and magnificent! Truly transformed! With this extraordinary thing, I can conquer the world!"

A few days later, Sai Kunlun suddenly came to visit and asked: "Brother, you haven't been going out lately, sitting quietly in your residence. Your scholarly studies must have improved, I suppose?" Wei Yangsheng replied: "Scholarly studies are just so-so. It's actually my sexual techniques that have improved." Sai Kunlun laughed and said: "Given your natural endowments, improvement must be limited." Wei Yangsheng said: "Brother, you're mistaken. Even if you haven't seen a scholar for three days, you should look at them with new eyes—let alone three months! Couldn't there be any progress? Think about it: a three-foot child eventually grows into a tall man; an army that moves like a fleeing rabbit may initially appear as quiet as a virgin. Only a dead man's member can only shrink, not grow. How can a living person's body be predicted so easily?" Sai Kunlun said: "I don't believe that. A thirteen or fourteen-year-old boy's penis grows bigger every day before ejaculation starts, but how can a man over twenty have his member grow again? Even if it did grow, it would only be by a tiny bit—definitely not by fractions of an inch." Wei Yangsheng said: "Don't talk about tiny bits. Even fractions of an inch can't describe how much it has grown." Sai Kunlun said: "That's impossible. There are only suddenly rich merchants in this world, not suddenly enlarged members. If that's really the case, show it to your brother." Wei Yangsheng said: "Last time I showed you, you treated it with such disdain. How dare I show it to you again now?" Sai Kunlun said: "Don't tease me, brother. Hurry up and show me. If it really has improved, I'll flatter it a bit and apologize." Wei Yangsheng said: "Empty flattery is useless. Unless you find a real task for it to do—first to test it, then to encourage it—that would show your true intention to nurture talent." Sai Kunlun said: "If it really has improved, I'll let it do what I mentioned before."

Wei Yangsheng said: "If that's the case, I'll still make a fool of myself." He lifted his clothes and tied them to his belt, then took off his pants. Holding his member with both hands like a Persian presenting a treasure, he said to Sai Kunlun: "You can tell by looking if it has improved." From a distance, Sai Kunlun suspected Wei had hung a donkey's penis from his waist to deceive him. But when he looked closely, he realized it was real. He was so shocked that he stuck out his tongue and asked: "Brother, what method did you use to turn that tiny, weak thing into something so powerful and magnificent?" Wei Yangsheng replied: "I don't know why, but after being provoked by you, it suddenly perked up as if it was determined to prove itself. Even I couldn't stop it." Sai Kunlun said: "Don't lie to me. I can see scars on the skin, and there are four streaks of different colors on all sides. What kind of trick did you use to create this? Tell me the truth." Wei Yangsheng was forced to answer and had to explain the whole transformation process in detail. Sai Kunlun said: "Your lust is so strong that it can't be stopped. I'll just help you complete this matter. Today, let's go to that house together and see if we can find an opportunity."

Wei Yangsheng was overjoyed. He changed into proper clothes and went out with Sai Kunlun. When they arrived near the place, Sai Kunlun had Wei Yangsheng wait somewhere, then went to inquire about the situation alone. Not long after, he returned and reported: "Congratulations! Tonight we can get this done." Wei Yangsheng asked: "We haven't even met her yet, how can you guarantee we'll succeed tonight?" Sai Kunlun explained: "I just asked the neighbors. They said her husband has gone far away to sell silk and won't be back for over ten days. Now come with me, go inside, and try to seduce her. If you can win her affection, I'll find a way to sneak you in tonight. I guarantee you'll have over ten nights of pleasure with her."

Wei Yangsheng was overjoyed, and the two of them hurried off. When they arrived at the door, Sai Kunlun lifted the curtain and the two of them stepped inside together. Sai Kunlun asked: "Is Master Quan at home?" The woman replied: "No, he's not." Sai Kunlun said: "I want to buy a few jin of silk. What should I do since he's not here?" The woman said: "Just buy it somewhere else." Wei Yangsheng immediately chimed in: "Is there any shortage of places to buy silk? The reason I'm here is because I've always been a customer of your house, and I don't feel right patronizing others." The woman asked: "If you've always been a customer of our house, why don't I recognize you?" Sai Kunlun chimed in again: "Madam, when I came to buy silk in summer, Master Quan wasn't here either. You handled the transaction personally, taking the silk from the shelf and giving it to me. Don't you remember?" The woman said: "I do remember that time." Wei Yangsheng said: "Since you remember, you can see I'm not just here to ask for prices. If you have silk, just take it out and we can do business. Why push your own business to others?" The woman said: "I do have a few jin of silk, but I don't know if you'll like it." Wei Yangsheng replied: "How could I not like silk from your house? It's too good, actually. I'm afraid a poor scholar like me can't afford it." The woman said: "That's kind of you to say. Please sit down, sir, and I'll go get it for you."

Sai Kunlun had Wei Yangsheng sit in the upper seat, while he himself sat in the lower seat. The upper seat was closer to the woman, allowing Wei Yangsheng to flirt with her easily. The woman took out a bundle of silk and handed it to Wei Yangsheng to examine. Before he even took it, Wei Yangsheng said: "This silk is too yellow in color, I'm afraid it's not usable." But when he took it and looked at it carefully, he said: "That's strange! When Madam was holding it, it looked very yellow, but now that I'm holding it, it's turning white. What's the reason for this?" After pretending to think for a while, he continued: "Ah, I see! Madam's hands are too white, so they make the silk look yellow. Now that my hands are dark, they make the yellow silk look white." When the woman heard this, she leaned forward and looked at Wei Yangsheng's hands for a while, then said: "Sir, your hands aren't what I'd call dark." She said this in a serious tone without a hint of a smile. Sai Kunlun said: "Compared to ours, his hands aren't dark. But compared to Madam's, they aren't white." The woman asked: "If the silk is white now, why won't you buy it?" Wei Yangsheng replied: "It's only white because my lowly hands make it look that way—it's not truly white. Only silk that's the same color as Madam's precious hands is good silk. Please take out some like that for me to see." Sai Kunlun said: "There's no silk in the world that white. If it were as white as your face, it would be good enough." When the woman heard this, she leaned forward again and looked at Wei Yangsheng's face for a while. Only then did she show a smile and said to him: "I'm afraid there's no silk in the world that white."

Reader, do you know why she didn't smile earlier but only started smiling now? Why she didn't look at him before but suddenly started looking at him now? It turns out this woman is extremely nearsighted—she can't see clearly beyond two feet. At first, when Wei Yangsheng entered, she thought he was just an ordinary customer. It wasn't until she heard the phrase "poor scholar" that she realized he was a scholar. But she still thought he was just an ordinary person and didn't look at him. Because it takes effort for her to open her eyes wide to see people, she doesn't often look closely at men. Now, any woman has a certain sexual desire, just like men—they all want to take things seriously and don't like to be casual about it. If a woman has too strong a sexual desire and has good eyesight, when she sees a handsome man, how can she guarantee she won't develop improper feelings? Then her lifelong virtue would be ruined. So there's a wonderful design in nature: giving her nearsightedness, so that besides her husband, even the most handsome men like Pan An or Song Yu look blurry to her. This saves her from many troubles. That's why nearsighted women often maintain their virtue and rarely do wrong things—it's all because their eyes don't cause trouble.

If Wei Yangsheng hadn't used those clever words to make her look at him, she would have been as if in a fog even if he had stood in front of her and flirted all evening. But after looking at his hands and then his face, her heart became distracted and she couldn't let go. She said to Wei Yangsheng: "Sir, are you really going to buy it? If you are, I have a good bundle in my room—I can take it out for you to see." Wei Yangsheng replied: "I came here specially, of course I want to buy it. Hurry up and bring it out." The woman went inside for a while and indeed brought out another bundle of silk. She also had a young maid bring two cups of tea, which she handed to Sai Kunlun and Wei Yangsheng. Wei Yangsheng didn't drink all his tea, leaving half a cup as a gesture of respect to the hostess. When the woman saw this, she smiled at Wei Yangsheng again before handing him the silk. As Wei Yangsheng took the silk, he seized the opportunity to pinch the woman's hand. The woman acted as if she didn't notice, but she gently scratched Wei Yangsheng's hand with her fingernail. Sai Kunlun said: "This bundle is really good, let's buy it." He handed his silver pouch to Wei Yangsheng. Wei Yangsheng weighed out the agreed amount of silver and gave it to the woman. The woman said: "This silver is in ingots—beautiful to look at, but I'm afraid it might not be real." Wei Yangsheng replied: "If you're not sure, Madam, I can leave both the silk and silver here. Tonight we can cut open one ingot and test it. Not to brag, but all our silver is as good on the inside as it looks on the outside." The woman said: "There's no need for that. If it's good, we can do business again next time. If not, this will be our only transaction." Sai Kunlun took the silk and urged Wei Yangsheng to leave. As Wei Yangsheng was leaving, he winked at the woman several times. Even though she couldn't see clearly, she understood his meaning and narrowed her eyes in a half-smile as she saw him off.

Wei Yangsheng returned to his residence and asked Sai Kunlun: "This matter is eight or nine tenths done, but how do we get in tonight?" Sai Kunlun replied: "I've thoroughly inquired. There's no one else in her house except that little maid, who's only eleven or twelve years old and falls asleep as soon as it gets dark. Her house is visible—it's not a two-story building, nor a cave. I'll just carry you up to the roof, remove a few tiles, push aside a rafter, and we'll come down like we're descending from heaven." Wei Yangsheng asked: "What if the neighbors hear and everyone comes to catch thieves?" Sai Kunlun said: "Don't worry, I'll be with you. But there's one thing: the woman was talking about fearing you're all show and no substance. If you can't satisfy her, you'll only be a one-time customer. Has what I said before come true? You need to push yourself—don't be defeated by her. Don't just get in once and then not be able to get in for the second or third times." Wei Yangsheng said: "That will never happen—don't worry, brother." The two laughed and eagerly waited for the sun to set and the moon to rise, like examinees waiting to enter the exam hall. But no one knew what kind of test the examiner would give—they'd have to wait until the questions were revealed to find out.

Comment: A novel is an allegory. Since it's called an "allegory," it's not based on real events. Therefore, we know that the story in this chapter about cutting a dog's kidney to transplant into a man is not based on truth. It metaphorically suggests that all the things Wei Yangsheng will do in the future are nothing but doglike deeds. Similarly, in Chapter 3, when he formed an alliance with Sai Kunlun and treated him as an older brother, it suggests that his character and aspirations are even lower than those of a thief. These are all expressions of deep hatred and contempt—clearly implying that he is a "dog tortoise" and a "thief tortoise." People in the world should not mistake criticism for praise, or treat fiction as reality, thinking that dogs can really be castrated or that thieves can really be befriended. Otherwise, thieves might unjustly be blamed for starting such practices. This would be a relief for all scholars throughout the ages.

Chapter 9: Exceptional in Lust Yet Upholding Principles; Sharing Pleasures But Taking the Lead

Now let's talk about Quan Laoshi's wife. Her name is Yanfang, and she is the daughter of a rural scholar. From a young age, she was taught to read and write, and she is extremely intelligent. Because she was exceptionally beautiful, her parents were not willing to marry her off easily. At the age of sixteen, a top-ranked student asked a matchmaker to propose. Her father thought the student had potential, so he agreed to the marriage. But unfortunately, the student died of a weak illness just one year after they were married. After observing a full year of mourning, Yanfang remarried to Quan Laoshi.

Although this woman enjoys sex, she understands moral principles. Whenever she sees other women engaging in illicit affairs, she laughs at them behind their backs. She once said to her female companions: "We must have done something wrong in our past lives to be born as women—confined to the inner chambers for our entire lives, with nothing but sex to pass the time. How could a woman not have sexual desires? But a husband and wife are ordained by heaven and earth, matched by their parents. Taking pleasure with one's own husband is natural and proper. If one has relations with another man, it's a violation of etiquette and one's duty. The husband will beat and scold you if he finds out, and others will gossip. But regardless of beatings, scoldings, or gossip, if you don't do this kind of thing, fine; if you do, you must do it properly. After all, with one's own husband, the two undress and get into bed, doing things methodically and without haste, and only later do they reach the wonderful part. In the rush and urgency of an affair, one just wants to finish quickly, not caring if it's satisfying or not—what's the pleasure in that? Moreover, it's like eating: if you don't eat when hungry, or eat when not hungry, you'll end up getting sick. Why don't those women who go astray use the discerning eyes they have for lovers when choosing their husbands in the first place? If you admire fame, choose a refined scholar; if you care about appearance, choose a handsome man; if you don't care about fame or appearance and only want a good lover in bed, just find someone who's energetic and strong—you'll never go wrong. Why abandon your own husband to look for someone else?" Her companions all said: "People who have experienced it speak differently—every word is heartfelt and meaningful."

How do we know she's experienced? When she was a girl, she also admired fame, cared about appearance, and wanted a good lover. When she married that top student, he had some talent and some looks—she thought he had all three qualities. But who knew his member was extremely small and he had no stamina? He would climb on top but get off before his belly was even warm. Yanfang is a hardworking woman who wouldn't tolerate his laziness, so she would encourage him and push him back up. A man with poor abilities can't withstand such demands, so he died of a weak illness within a year. After this setback, she realized that "talent" and "appearance" are just for show—if she couldn't have all three, she would rather give up the superficial and choose the practical. So when she remarried, she didn't care about talent or appearance; she only chose someone who was energetic and strong for the practical purpose of lovemaking. When she saw Quan Laoshi, who was rough and clumsy but had the energy of a tiger or wolf, she knew he was a capable man. So she married him regardless of his poverty. At first, she only cared about his energy and didn't know about his member. She thought a strong, powerful man didn't necessarily need a long spear to win—even a short blade could pierce the enemy lines. But who knew it was actually like a 18-foot spear? So Yanfang was overjoyed. Since marrying him, she has been completely devoted to him, with no other thoughts. Because his business is small and he doesn't earn much, she spends all day reeling silk for him, earning one or two coins a day, which allows Quan Laoshi to live a leisurely life.

It just so happened that one day, while she was lifting the curtain to talk to the woman across the street, Wei Yangsheng passed by her door and looked at her carefully twice. Because she was nearsighted, she only saw a figure passing by the door but didn't know what he looked like. But the woman across the street saw him clearly. That woman was in her thirties—her husband also sold silk and often went to market with Quan Laoshi. Although they weren't business partners, they were like colleagues. This woman was ugly but very lascivious. First, because she wasn't attractive, no one wanted her; second, because her husband was fierce and would beat or scold her for the slightest mistake, so she was cautious and didn't dare to misbehave. That day, she saw Wei Yangsheng clearly. After he left, she crossed the street and said to Yanfang: "Just now, an extremely handsome man was walking back and forth, looking at you twice. Did you know?" Yanfang said: "You know how poor my eyesight is. Every day when I sit here, several men look at me through the curtain—I just let them look, that's all. Why would I care about them?" The woman said: "Ordinary men aren't worthy of looking at someone like you. But this man—I'd be willing to let him look at me for three days and three nights." Yanfang asked: "Why do you say that? Is he really that handsome?" The woman replied: "Is he just handsome? In my opinion, he's absolutely perfect! I stand at the door all day and see many people, but I've never seen anyone so handsome. His skin is whiter than anything you can imagine. His eyebrows, eyes, nose, and ears—every feature is lovely. His entire body is so graceful he looks like a figure made of silk. Even the most beautiful person in a painting isn't as elegant as he is. He makes people fall in love with him at first sight."

Yanfang said: "It's funny how vividly you describe him, auntie. I don't believe there's such a man in the world. Even if there is, he's him and I'm me—why would I think about him?" The woman said: "You may not think about him, but I saw how he looked at you—he was in a trance, as if he'd lost his soul. He wanted to leave but couldn't bear to go; he wanted to stand there but was afraid others would notice. In the end, he had to walk past, then turn around and come back. When he finally left, he looked back again. Isn't that pitiful? You didn't see him, so of course you don't think about him. But I saw him, and I've fallen in love with him on your behalf." Yanfang said: "I'm afraid he wasn't looking at me—he was looking at you. You're just using me as an excuse for your own infatuation." The woman replied: "With my face, would he be interested in me? He was definitely looking at you, auntie. If you don't believe me, he'll come by again. When I see him coming from a distance, I'll let you know. You can step outside—so you can see him, and he can see you." Yanfang said: "We'll see what happens when he comes by again." The woman talked for a while longer before leaving. For the next two or three days, Yanfang was on the lookout, but after many days with no sign of him, she forgot about it. Then, on this day when he came to buy silk and she saw his handsome face, she naturally remembered the previous conversation. After he left, she thought to herself: Could this be the man the woman was talking about earlier? His appearance is indeed top-notch, but what about his abilities in bed? He just made a clever remark about "testing" something today—although he was talking about silver, it had a double meaning. If he really comes tonight, should I refuse him or accept him? My reputation for life depends on this moment—I have to think carefully."

As she was hesitating, the woman from across the street came over and asked: "Auntie, do you know the man who just bought silk?" Yanfang said: "No, I don't." The woman said: "He's the one I was talking about the other day! Don't you understand? There's no other man in the world as handsome as him." Yanfang replied: "He is indeed handsome, but he's too frivolous—not like a true gentleman." The woman said: "Auntie, don't be so moralistic. When have you ever seen a true gentleman staring at women? We just care about his looks—we're not buying him by the pound, so why worry about whether he's frivolous or not?" Yanfang said: "That may be true, but he should be more reserved in front of people. He was making all those flirtatious gestures! Luckily my husband wasn't home—what if he had seen that?" The woman asked: "How did he flirt with you? Tell me." Yanfang said: "It's just his immaturity—there's no point in talking about it."

The woman was extremely lascivious—when she heard the word "flirtatious," she couldn't help but wiggle her body, pinching and poking Yanfang, insisting she tell her more, as if she wanted to kiss her and have sex with her. Yanfang couldn't stand her pestering and said: "There were two men who came in together—what else could happen? 'Flirtatious' just means he was making eyes at me and hinting at something." The woman said: "In that case, you should have shown some interest in return." Yanfang replied: "I didn't scold him—that's already enough! Why would I show him any kindness?" The woman said: "You're so heartless. Don't take offense, but a beautiful woman like you and a handsome man like him are truly a match made in heaven. You should be husband and wife. Even if you can't be husband and wife, you should at least have an affair to fulfill your desires. Look at Quan Laoshi—he's not worthy of you. It's like sticking a beautiful flower in a pile of cow dung. What a waste! If that man comes again, I'll come over and be your matchmaker. If you can have a tryst or two with him, it won't be in vain to have lived."

As the woman talked, Yanfang was thinking to herself: This woman loves him so much. If I want to do this, and she lives across the street, I'll have to give her some sweetener or she'll ruin my plans. Since I don't know the man's abilities in bed, why not let her test him first, like commissioning her to take an exam? If he's good, then I'll join in—this ugly woman won't be able to steal his favor from me. If he's no good, I can throw a fit and chase him out, still preserving my reputation. What a perfect plan! So she said: "Actually, I don't want to do this kind of thing. But if he comes again, don't be my matchmaker—let me be yours instead. How about arranging for you two to have a tryst or two?" The woman said: "How could that be? Not only is this probably not what you really think, but even if it is, would a man like him want someone as ugly as me? If you really want to be kind, let's do it this way: after you two have had an affair once or twice, I'll come in and catch you. Then you can pretend to be embarrassed and drag me into it too. That would work." Yanfang said: "I'm not lying—I have a plan. Just now he pestered me so much that I couldn't bring myself to refuse him outright. Before he left, he made a clever remark—he might come sneaking over tonight. Since both our husbands are away on business, there's no one here. Tonight, lock your door and come sleep at my place. We'll put out the lights in advance, and I'll hide in the dark. If he really comes, you can pretend to be me and sleep with him. In the dark, he won't know it's you. This way, I can do him a favor without damaging my reputation. Isn't that perfect?" The woman asked: "So you invited him to come tonight? Now I'm all worked up from your words—I can't refuse. But why did you invite him if you don't want to sleep with him? What kind of chaste woman acts like this?" Yanfang said: "I'm not being hypocritical or doing this to deceive anyone. To be honest with you, I've had my fill of sex. No matter how skilled a man is, he can't compare to my own husband. Once you've had a grand feast, you don't care about a small snack—it's neither fully meat nor fully vegetarian, better not to eat it at all. That's why I don't want to get involved in this." The woman said: "I know what you're thinking. Quan Laoshi's member is famous around here—you've been satisfied by a big 'hammer', so you're afraid this small one won't even reach your 'shoe'. That's why you want me to be a spy and test him for you. I don't have anything to lose in this deal. But one thing: let me have my fill first, don't charge in yourself at the crucial moment and leave me hanging. As the old saying goes, 'If you can't feed a monk properly, it's better to bury him alive.' Remember that." Yanfang said: "I don't think that will happen—don't worry." The two agreed on their plan and waited for the time to come. This was a stroke of good fortune for the ugly woman—she had been given this wonderful task. A brand-new "hammer" had just been modified, and she would be the first to test its size. To find out how it fit, we'll have to wait until she "tests" it later.

Chapter 10: Hearing the First Sound and Knowing It's a Strong Opponent; Leaving Room to Nurture True Talent

The woman was overjoyed to receive this wonderful task. She prepared a few silk cloths to carry with her to wipe away the fluids during sex, so she wouldn't wet someone else's bedding. When it was time to light the lamps, she quickly locked her door and crossed the street. Yanfang teased her: "It's all for nothing tonight. He just sent a message saying he's been detained for a drink and can't get away. We'll have to make another appointment. You should go back, auntie." The woman was so anxious she could have breathed fire and smoke. She blamed Yanfang for not sending a message back, forcing her to come tonight. She also suspected that Yanfang had accidentally agreed to let him come, but now she was reluctant to share and wanted to send her back so she could enjoy him alone. After complaining for a while, Yanfang laughed: "I'm just teasing you. He'll probably come soon—just get ready to sleep with him." First, she heated a basin of water and helped the woman wash her lower body. Then she set up a daybed next to her bed and lay down, ready to listen to their encounter. She instructed the woman: "Lock the front door, then stand quietly behind it. When he comes, he'll knock softly. As soon as you hear one knock, open the door and let him in. Don't let him knock multiple times—we don't want the neighbors to hear. After letting him in, lock the door again and go to bed with him. But speak softly so he doesn't recognize your voice." The woman agreed, and Yanfang went to sleep. The woman went to wait by the front door.

After waiting for over an hour with no sign of him, she went back to the room to ask Yanfang. But in the dark, someone suddenly hugged her and kissed her. The woman thought it was Yanfang pretending to be a man to tease her, so she reached down to touch his crotch. As soon as she did, a huge member hit her hand—she realized it was the man himself. She put on a seductive voice and asked: "My dear, where did you come from?" Wei Yangsheng said: "I came down from the beam." The woman said: "What amazing skill! Let's go to bed now." They began to undress. Before Wei Yangsheng had finished, the woman was already completely naked, lying on her back in bed. Wei Yangsheng climbed on top of her, trying to find her feet to put on his shoulders, but couldn't find them anywhere. Unbeknownst to him, as soon as she got into bed, she had raised her feet high in the air, exposing her vagina, waiting for his member to enter.

Wei Yangsheng thought to himself: I didn't expect this woman to be such a lascivious creature. Since she's like this, there's no need for gentle foreplay—I should give her a下马威 (lit. "a show of force upon dismounting," meaning a warning to establish dominance). He lifted his lower body about a foot above her vagina, then thrust his member downward forcefully. The woman screamed like a pig being slaughtered: "Ah! No! Please be gentle!" Wei Yangsheng used both hands to spread her vagina open and slowly rubbed against her for a long time, but only managed to insert an inch of his glans—the rest remained outside. He thrust again. The woman screamed once more: "No! Please use some saliva!" Wei Yangsheng said: "Saliva is only used when having sex with men—how could we use it with women? We can't break this rule—we have to do it dry." He thrust again forcefully. The woman said: "No! If you won't make an exception, please pull out so I can do it myself." Wei Yangsheng pulled out, and the woman cupped her hand, spit into it many times, then spread her vagina open and poured half the saliva inside, smearing the rest on his member. She said to Wei Yangsheng: "It's okay now—insert it slowly."

Wei Yangsheng, eager to show off his skills, refused to take his time. He held her thighs with both hands and, with a loud sound, thrust his transformed and enlarged member fully inside her. The woman cried out again: "Why are you scholars so rough, not caring about life or death? You thrust all the way in at once! Now it's too much inside; please pull out a little." Wei Yangsheng replied: "If it's too much inside, then where is it now? You just need to let it move around a bit—don't let it sit idle." He began to move. At first, the woman couldn't bear it, moaning "Ah!" with each thrust. After several hundred thrusts, she stopped making noise. By the time he reached a hundred more, the woman displayed infinite lewd gestures and let out infinite lascivious sounds, making it impossible to hold back. He had to thrust harder and faster, wanting to make her climax so he could climax himself. But the woman was cunning—she clearly climaxed twice, but when asked, she only said "No." Why didn't she tell the truth? Because she was just a substitute; she was afraid Yanfang would hear and say her task was done, coming to take over. Wei Yangsheng believed her and didn't dare to climax. Later, unable to hold back, he climaxed once. After climaxing, he didn't want to stop but lacked the previous enthusiasm. When the woman saw his member hesitating to enter, she asked: "Did you climax?" Afraid of being laughed at for his lack of skill, Wei Yangsheng also said "No." Before being asked, he had been growing softer with each thrust, but after the question, it was like a student who was about to fall asleep being hit by the teacher—his "scholarly spirit" became twice as strong as before. He thrust hundreds of times without stopping. The woman cried out: "Darling, I'm climaxing! I'm dying! Stop now and hold me to sleep." Wei Yangsheng finally stopped and hugged her, sleeping soundly. Although the woman was ugly, she had small feet; although her skin was dark, it wasn't very rough, so in the darkness, he couldn't tell she was a substitute.

Meanwhile, Yanfang was hiding at the side of the bed, listening intently. At first, when she heard the woman crying out in pain and the difficulty entering, she knew his equipment was large and usable. Then she noticed his technique was skilled, with measured thrusts and withdraws, unlike someone without experience. When she heard him slacken in the middle, she felt a bit contemptuous, but later, when he renewed his efforts, more vigorously than at the beginning, she was overjoyed: "Judging by this, he's clearly a valiant talent in the bedroom, a flying general in lovemaking. Even if I lose my virtue to him now, I will have no regrets." She wanted to slip into bed while he was resting and explain the situation, but she was afraid that in the darkness, he wouldn't see the woman's face and would think she was as good as herself, still wanting to sleep with her. Moreover, after a man has been intimate for a long time, unless you use your beauty to arouse him, he might not be able to perform again. She quietly went to the cabinet, lit a fire, first drew a few dippers of water, lit a torch under the pot, then entered the room with a candle. She lifted the bed curtain and pulled back the quilt, saying: "Which scoundrel is this? Breaking into someone's home at midnight to commit adultery—what's your reason? Get up and explain yourself!"

Wei Yangsheng was suddenly awakened from his dream, thinking it was the woman's husband who had hidden at home, deliberately waiting for his wife to sleep with him before coming to catch them in adultery and extort money. He was so frightened that his teeth chattered. When he looked up, he saw it was the woman he had been with that night. He thought to himself: Could there be another one in the house? When he looked down at the woman sleeping with him, he realized she was extremely ugly—her face was covered in dark, scabby pimples, her hair was short and yellowish, and her complexion was like an unpeeled, unwashed ham. He was shocked and asked: "Who is this?" The woman said: "Don't panic. I'm acting as a spy for her; I live across the street. The day you walked by the door, it was me who spoke to you. She said although you look good, you might be all appearance and no substance, fearing it would damage her reputation for adultery, so she asked me to test you. Now I think you've passed—go sleep with her. Logically, I should stay here and ask for some reward before leaving, but with someone else interfering, you two won't be able to enjoy yourselves. I'd better go home to sleep." She got up, wearing only a cotton jacket and a lined pants, hanging the rest of her clothes and accessories on her arm, and prepared to leave. Before leaving, she said to Wei Yangsheng: "Although I'm ugly, I'm still your meritorious person. It was I who initiated this matter, and sleeping with you tonight is both due to the lady's kindness and our past-life karma. If you have free time later, please sleep with me too—don't be too heartless." She then bowed several times to Yanfang, thanked her as the hostess, and left.

Wei Yangsheng was like someone waking up from a drunken stupor or a dream. If Sai Kunlun hadn't encouraged me to transform myself, I would have been like Su Qin going to take the imperial examination in the Qin state—failing the essay and being driven away for nothing. After Yanfang saw the woman off, she closed the door and entered the room, saying to Wei Yangsheng: "I knew you wouldn't let me go tonight, so I specially found a substitute for you. Now that you've been intimate with her once, you should be satisfied. Why haven't you left yet? What are you doing here?" Wei Yangsheng said: "Not only am I not satisfied, but I also want to punish you. It's already midnight—quickly get into bed and sleep with me." Yanfang said: "First get up and put on some clothes; we need to do something important before we can sleep together." Wei Yangsheng asked: "Besides that, what else is important?" Yanfang replied: "Don't ask, just get up." She went to the cabinet, drew the previously heated water into a chamber pot, and placed it in front of the bed. She said to Wei Yangsheng: "Get up quickly and wash yourself—don't transfer the filth from someone else's body onto mine." Wei Yangsheng said: "You're right. This is indeed important. Just now, not only did I sleep with her, but I also kissed her. If that's the case, I should also rinse my mouth." Just as he was about to ask her for a bowl to draw water, he saw a bowl of hot water in the chamber pot with a toothbrush resting on it. Wei Yangsheng thought: What a thoughtful woman! If she hadn't done this, she would have been a dirty woman who doesn't care about cleanliness.

After Wei Yangsheng finished washing and rinsing, Yanfang also washed her lower body. She had already cleaned herself with the other woman earlier, so why wash again? The reason was that while she was lying at the head of the bed listening to their intimacy, she couldn't help but produce some vaginal fluid, and she was afraid Wei Yangsheng would feel it and mock her, so she washed again. After washing, she dried herself with a wet towel and took a new handkerchief from the chest, placing it by the pillow. She then blew out the lamp and sat on the bed. Wei Yangsheng hugged her in his arms, kissing her while undressing her. He found her breasts were small—less than a handful when squeezed—but when released, they filled her chest, soft and tender without any lumps. When he removed her pants and touched her vagina, it was as tender as her breasts. Wei Yangsheng laid her down, first placing her small feet on his shoulders, then lifting her lower body. Like with the ugly woman, he thrust in from a distance, wanting her to suffer first so she would feel pleasure later. But to his surprise, when he thrust in, Yanfang acted as if she didn't know. Wei Yangsheng thought: Sai Kunlun's words were exactly right. Without Quan Laoshi's thick and long member, how could she have such a spacious vagina? If I hadn't been transformed, I would have been like a grain in a large warehouse, unable to reach the depths. Now my "military equipment" isn't enough to intimidate the enemy—I must rely on tactics. He took the pillow from under her head and placed it under her waist, then began to make love to her according to "military strategy."

Yanfang hadn't yet reached the point of pleasure, but when she saw him take the pillow and not replace it with another under her head, she knew he was an experienced lover. Using a pillow to elevate the waist is a common practice during intercourse, so how could that show experience? It's important to understand that sexual intercourse is no different from military strategy—only those who know how to face the enemy can use troops effectively. A man must know the depth of a woman's vagina to know when to advance and retreat; a woman must know the length of a man's member to know how to receive and guide it. This is called "knowing both yourself and your enemy, achieving victory in every battle." Men's members vary in length, and women's vaginas vary in depth. For a shallow vagina, even the longest member is useless—during thrusting, one must leave something unfinished (未尽). If you thrust all the way in, the woman won't just be unhappy—she'll feel pain. How can a man enjoy himself alone? For a deep vagina, you need an extremely long member; anything slightly shorter won't do. But since a man's member is fixed in length, you need a supplementary method: something must be placed under the woman's waist and thighs to elevate her vagina, making it easier to reach the depths during thrusting. Therefore, the waist-pillowing method is only useful when the man's member is short and the woman's vagina is deep—it doesn't mean pillows are a necessity for intercourse. That's why a short member can be treated, but a small one cannot. It's better to be large and short than small and long. This is why when the sorcerer transformed Wei Yangsheng, he only sought to make it large, not long.

Now, since Yanfang's vagina was deep and Wei Yangsheng's member was short, he placed a pillow underneath her. Wasn't that the mark of an experienced lover? While some people in the world may know this principle, few can understand the secret of using a pillow under the waist without placing anything under the woman's head. If a woman has something under her waist and something under her head, her upper body—only about two feet long—would be convex at both ends and concave in the middle, as if her body were broken and pressed down by a man on top. Wouldn't she feel suffocated and uncomfortable? Moreover, if a woman has a pillow under her head, her face will be slightly tilted, making her mouth and tongue misaligned with the man's, which is extremely inconvenient for kissing. For a man to kiss her, he must bend his body down; for a woman to kiss him, she must stretch her neck up. A single pillow creates so much effort! Therefore, regardless of whether you use a pillow under the waist or not, the pillow under the neck must be removed when engaging in intercourse. A skilled lover will push the pillow aside just before starting, so the woman's cloud-like hair rests on the mat and her vermilion lips face heaven—every feature and limb aligns perfectly with the man's. The two holes (mouth and vagina) are different from other limbs: they not only align but correspond, not only correspond but interpenetrate. The man's jade pestle enters the woman's vagina, and the woman's crimson tongue enters the man's mouth, giving her an equal advantage. This way, pleasure is balanced, with no imbalance between them.

Wei Yangsheng removed the pillow with one hand and used the other to support her neck, positioning her face straight on the mat, preparing for kissing. So Yanfang secretly rejoiced, knowing he was an experienced lover. After placing the pillow under her waist, Wei Yangsheng repositioned her small feet on his shoulders, braced his hands against the mat, and exerted all his skill in thrusting. With each withdrawal, he pulled out halfway; with each thrust, he went all the way in. However, while he withdrew quickly, he thrust slowly. Why was that? He was afraid that thrusting too quickly would make noise in her vagina, which might be heard by neighbors and cause trouble, so he didn't dare let go. After a while, her vagina gradually became tighter, no longer as loose as at the beginning. Wei Yangsheng knew this was because the dog kidney medicine was taking effect, making his member larger. He felt his energy surge a hundredfold, and his thrusts became faster and more intense.

Yanfang initially showed no reaction, but at this point, she twisted her body a few times and cried out: "Darling, I'm starting to feel good." Wei Yangsheng said: "My sweet, we've just begun—how can you already feel good? Wait until later and see if you like it. But there's one thing: I've never liked silent intercourse; I need to make it produce sounds to get excited. However, your house is small, and I'm afraid the neighbors might hear us, making it hard to let go. What should we do?" Yanfang replied: "Don't worry. One side is empty land, and the other is someone's kitchen with no one sleeping there. You can relax and do as you like." Wei Yangsheng said: "That's great then." From then on, his technique was the opposite—he withdrew slowly but thrust quickly. When thrusting in, it was like a beggar hitting his ribs with a brick, deliberately making noise to attract pity.

They made love wildly, with Yanfang's lascivious nature fully aroused—she called out "Darling, my son" endlessly, her vagina overflowing with secretions. When Wei Yangsheng saw how intense she was, he wanted to wipe her clean and start again, so he reached for the handkerchief. But before he could get it, Yanfang snatched it away, not allowing him to wipe her. Why was that? It turned out her nature was also averse to silent intercourse, similar to Wei Yangsheng's preference. For her, the more secretions there were during intercourse, the louder and more satisfying the sounds. So in her daily life, when making love, she would let the secretions flow freely, even if her body was soaked, and would not allow her husband to wipe her. Only after finishing would she sit up and wipe her entire body clean. This was her lifelong preference. When Wei Yangsheng saw she wouldn't let him wipe her, he understood the reason and made even louder love to her. After another wild round, Yanfang clung to him tightly and said: "Darling, I'm going to climax. Let's sleep together." Wei Yangsheng wanted to show off his skill and refused to stop. Yanfang said: "I already know your skill—it's not just a reputation. You've been at it all night, withstanding two women—you've done well enough. Save some energy for tomorrow night. Don't overdo it and ruin yourself, leaving me with nothing to enjoy." When Wei Yangsheng heard her caring words, he hugged her tightly and thrust a few more times. Then they both climaxed together. After climaxing, they hadn't spoken a few words before dawn was approaching. Yanfang was afraid he would be seen if he stayed too late, so she urged him to get up, dressed herself, and saw him out.

From then on, Wei Yangsheng came and went openly through the door, no longer acting like a thief on the beam. There were even times when he couldn't bear to part, staying hidden in her house for several days in a row. Yanfang would pretend to be ill and not open the door. They would go naked in broad daylight, gazing at each other's snow-white skin and indulging in pleasure. The ugly woman across the street would come over once every one or two nights; Wei Yangsheng didn't want to refuse her, so he would occasionally satisfy her a little, though not enough to fully gratify her—just enough to avoid resentment. Some neighbors heard noises, but they all thought it was Sai Kunlun himself having an affair with her, never suspecting he was doing it for someone else. Before nightfall, each household would close their doors and mind their own business, fearing that Sai Kunlun would be angry if he saw them watching and might take the opportunity to retaliate. So they slept together for over ten nights without the slightest fear. It wasn't until Quan Laoshi returned that they stopped seeing each other.

Sai Kunlun was afraid that Wei Yangsheng, being young and impulsive, might cause trouble, so he prohibited him from even peeking at the door for several days. Instead, Sai Kunlun acted as a matchmaker himself, pretending to buy silk every day to pass messages between them. When Quan Laoshi was at home a few times, Sai Kunlun would say he was a business customer who regularly traded with his wife. Quan Laoshi would stand aside and let the two talk, remaining completely honest and never treating others with deceit. This is what truly makes someone "Quan Laoshi" (Quan the Honest). I now believe that nicknames in the world are never wrong. Unlike self-chosen courtesy names, which only pick nice words, the way to choose friends in the world is not to examine their character or observe their actions—just ask what their nickname is, and you'll know whether you can be friends with them.

Commentary: The secrets that have been kept for thousands of years, the formulas that are not exchanged for a thousand gold, have all been revealed to the world—it's truly a pity!

Volume 3: Awakening to Zen - Autumn / 卷三：觉后禪-秋

Chapter 11: A Thieving Hero Wastes Gold, Casual Lovers Become Married Couple

Poem: Among heroes, Green Shade (referring to Sai Kunlun) has always stood out, / When he meets a true friend, he spends gold freely. / Many people wear fine clothes and call themselves heroes, / Why do they have no loyalty to their friends at all?

Yanfang and Wei Yangsheng had slept together for over ten nights, their sexual relationship at its most intense, when her husband returned and interrupted their good fortune. Her suffering was unspeakable. She thought to herself: At first, I only believed that in the world, men could never have both talent and looks as well as practical ability. That's why I abandoned talent and looks, choosing only practical ability. I treated that crude, stupid thing like a treasure, working hard every day to help him with his business. Who knew that among men, there are those who have all three qualities? If I hadn't met this talented man, I would have wasted my life as a beautiful woman in vain. Although the past cannot be reclaimed, how could I bear to waste the rest of my time? As the old saying goes, "A wise person doesn't do secret things." For a woman, if she doesn't ruin her reputation, that's fine, but once she has ruined her reputation, she might as well be decisive—no point in having a body that belongs to one man while her heart belongs to another. I've often said that a woman must have the discerning eye of Red Whisk and the courage of Zhuo Wenjun to have an affair. In life, if you only have one affair, and you go all the way with it—even correcting the word "affair" to something else—then you're a heroine among women. Moreover, the words "lewdness" and "elopement" are originally inseparable: if you want lewdness, you must elope. If you don't think you can elope later, you might as well avoid those troubles and be a chaste woman—wouldn't that be wonderful? Why exchange your reputation and life for a moment of pleasure?

Having made up her mind, she wrote a letter to Wei Yangsheng, proposing they elope. When she was at her mother's house, she had loved reading and writing very much, but after marrying a merchant, she neglected her pen and ink, so her letter was written in a conversational style. It said:

To my beloved Wei Yangsheng:
Since you stopped coming, I can't swallow my food every day. Even if I force myself to eat, I only consume about a third. I have now made up my mind to follow you for the rest of my life. Please make arrangements quickly—either ask Sai Kunlun to come and abduct me, or I will act like Red Whisk and come elope with you. Just set a date and a meeting place so we don't miss each other. This is my earnest request.
If you are afraid of disaster and hesitate to do this risky thing, you are a heartless and unfaithful man. You can write back to me to end our relationship. We will never see each other again, and if we do meet again, I will bite your flesh as if it were pork or dog meat.
I have more to say, but this will suffice. With love,
Your humbly beloved concubine Yanfang (bowing in respect)

After writing this letter, she stood at the door and gave it to Sai Kunlun when she saw him passing by. Afraid that Wei Yangsheng might be too timid to take this risky step, she devised another plan: she would constantly pick quarrels with Quan Laoshi, making it impossible for him to tolerate her, like the story of Zhu Maichen. She pretended to be sick all day, not spinning a single thread, and even made her husband cook her meals. From early morning until evening, she cursed and complained. During sex, she used the same techniques she had used with her previous husband, trying to drive him away so she could marry a husband who had all three qualities.
Quan Laoshi, seeing her constant daytime resentment, tried his best to please her, hoping to atone for his "sins." But he didn't realize that nighttime "merits" couldn't make up for daytime "faults." As soon as he got out of bed, she would change her face. Within two months, she had worn down this once fierce-looking man to a skeleton, barely clinging to life. The neighbors were all indignant but dared not speak out for fear of Sai Kunlun.

Quan Laoshi saw that his wife, who had always been content and obedient, had suddenly changed, and he knew there must be a reason. He secretly asked the neighbors for information, saying:

Quan Laoshi said, "So that's how it is. Now that you've told me, how dare I leak this? But someday he will fall into my hands. When I catch him and behead him, I beg all of you neighbors to lend me a helping hand." The neighbors said, "These are all foolish words. An old saying goes, 'To catch a thief, you need stolen goods; to catch an adulterer, you need both in the act.' He's been a thief all his life and has never been caught with stolen goods. Do you think you can catch him in the act of adultery? Since your wife has already been seduced by him, someday he will take her away. It's enough if you don't have to pay any dowry compensation." Quan Laoshi asked, "How do you know this will happen?" The neighbor replied, "Don't you know his usual methods? No matter how high the walls or thick the doors, he has the ability to get in, let alone your few small rooms. Eventually, he will sneak in and take her away. Once she's taken away, how can you keep the belongings in the house from being taken as dowry? You must be on guard." Quan Laoshi was greatly shocked and knelt down to beg his neighbors for a plan to avoid disaster. The neighbors pitied his urgent situation and each offered suggestions. Some advised him to divorce his wife to cut off the source of trouble; others suggested he take his wife and move far away. One wise elder said, "These are not good ideas. Although your wife has reasons to be divorced, you have no evidence. On what grounds can you divorce her? Sai Kunlun knows every path, no matter where you move, he will find you. These are not good strategies. In my humble opinion, there's only one way to turn a mistake into an advantage. Since your wife has no intention of staying with you, keeping her at home is useless. Why not sell her for some silver? If you sell her to someone else, she will definitely refuse to go. And if Sai Kunlun finds out, he will blame you for breaking their love and come to take revenge. It's better to sell her to him directly. Since he loves your wife, he might be willing to pay one or two hundred taels. With that money, you can marry another woman to manage the household, and you won't have to worry about disasters. You get both a new woman and protect your wealth—isn't that the best of both worlds?" Quan Laoshi said, "This is an excellent plan. But I can't go talk to him myself; I need someone else to speak for me. Is there anyone among you who is willing to help me?" The neighbors replied, "If you agree to this, we can help. But after selling her, you mustn't make trouble and say we colluded with the thief to take your wife. That would be terrible." Quan Laoshi said, "If this works, my life and property will be preserved thanks to all of you. How could I do such an ungrateful thing?" After hearing this, everyone chose someone who was good with words and planned to go find Sai Kunlun the next day.

Now, after parting from Yanfang, Wei Yangsheng had been suffering from lovesickness, eating and sleeping poorly every day. He wanted to ask Sai Kunlun to abduct her, but he was afraid her husband would catch them. He also wanted to take her far away, but he couldn't bear to leave without having slept with the two exceptional women he had met. He was torn and couldn't decide. Later, when he saw the intense sincerity in Yanfang's letter, he finally made up his mind. He asked Sai Kunlun to abduct her, willing to take her far away where her husband could never find her. Sai Kunlun said, "If you're willing to do that, it's no problem. But Quan Laoshi is a poor man; without a wife, how can he afford to remarry? When people are pushed to their limits, their lives are at risk. We must think of a way to help the victim. We should leave a hundred taels of silver at his house before abducting her, so that even though he loses one wife, he can still marry another. This way, I'll live up to my reputation as a hero." Wei Yangsheng said, "This is a good plan, but I'm short on money during my travels. I can't come up with that much. What should I do?" Sai Kunlun replied, "Don't worry, brother. I've been a hero all my life—if I can't afford to spend money, how dare I speak of righteousness? I'll take care of the money. You can write back to her, saying that we'll act whenever Quan Laoshi is away, regardless of the date." Wei Yangsheng was delighted and wrote a reply letter. He didn't use any complex language, just simple words so she wouldn't have trouble understanding. The letter said:

To my beloved Yanniang:
Two months apart feels like decades. I can't eat or sleep properly every day. I've repeatedly asked Kunlun to help, but he was afraid you hadn't made up your mind, so he didn't dare act. After reading your letter, I finally know your heart for me is as firm as iron. Now I'm fully committed and won't hesitate. Don't try anything as risky as Red Whisk (who eloped alone). With Kunlun's help, just be like Hong Xiao (who waited to be rescued). I can't predict the exact date, but when your husband leaves home, that will be when Chang'e leaves the moon (when I'll take you away). Send me word quickly so we can act. I have nothing more to say for now. With love,
Your secret admirer

After Sai Kunlun delivered this letter to Yanfang, he prepared 120 taels of silver, sealed it in advance, ready to take it with him when the time came. Two days later, unexpectedly, her neighbor came to him and said, "Quan Laoshi's business has failed; he can't make ends meet and can't support his wife. He wants to sell her. I think you're a generous person who can support an extra mouth and is willing to help the poor. That's why I've come to act as a matchmaker. Please accumulate some good karma by doing this: first, rescue this woman from starvation; second, give Quan Laoshi some betrothal money so he can make a living. It's a win-win situation for both." Sai Kunlun thought to himself, "What a coincidence! I was just planning to trick him, and now he's asking someone to sell her to me. Maybe he's heard some rumors about what I'm doing for someone else and knows he can't escape the trap, so he's taking this path. If that's the case, it's better to buy her openly than secretly." He asked the neighbor, "Since he's poor and wants to sell his wife, does his wife agree to go?" The neighbor replied, "She's suffering at home and can't wait to leave. Why wouldn't she agree?" Sai Kunlun asked, "How much betrothal money does he want?" The neighbor said, "He's asking for 200 taels, but if he can't get that, he'll accept a bit more than 100 taels." Sai Kunlun said, "In that case, 120 taels it is." When the neighbor heard he agreed, he went to fetch Quan Laoshi to make the transaction in person. At first, Sai Kunlun planned to have Wei Yangsheng be the buyer, but then he thought, "Everyone fears my reputation and wouldn't dare sue me. If I use his name, there might be legal troubles later." So he didn't mention Wei Yangsheng and said he wanted her for himself. Quan Laoshi came, wrote a marriage contract, pressed his fingerprint, and the neighbor signed as a witness, handing it to Sai Kunlun. Sai Kunlun took out the sealed silver, which was exactly the right amount, and gave an extra 10 taels to the neighbor as a matchmaker's fee. That same day, he hired a sedan chair to carry Yanfang over, without letting Wei Yangsheng know. He only prepared the wedding candles and sent the two into the bridal chamber after he had found a house and furnished it with beds, curtains, and furniture. Even the friendship of Bao Shu and the chivalry of Qiranjun couldn't compare to this. It's just a pity he misunderstood the true meaning of heroism, so he can't be called a real hero.

Chapter Twelve: Making Amends with Kowtows Leads to Good Fortune; Jealousy Turns into Unity

Wei Yangsheng and Yanfang became husband and wife, enjoying themselves day and night without restraint. After Yanfang entered the household, she missed her period once and became pregnant. Wei Yangsheng was overjoyed, thinking that the sorcerer's words were not true—he could still have children, so the tool for pleasure was worth modifying after all. By four or five months, Yanfang's belly had gradually grown, and during sex, it was somewhat inconvenient and not as satisfying. Yanfang instructed Wei Yangsheng to temporarily abstain for a while, conserve his energy, and wait until after the birth to resume their activities fully, so as not to waste his strength. From then on, the two slept in separate rooms.

Sleeping alone in his study, Wei Yangsheng inevitably grew restless and began to think of doing something improper again. He thought to himself, "Among all the women I've seen, only those two nameless ones are truly breathtaking, on par with my newlywed wife. But alas, I don't know where they are and have no way to find them. Since I can't have the best, I'll have to settle for the next best thing—selecting someone from my book to temporarily satisfy my current needs." He secretly closed the study door so Yanfang wouldn't know, then took out his book and carefully flipped through it. He came across a name: Xiangyun. The comments about her, though not many, were slightly more detailed than those about others. Clearly, she was the top of the first class, only one step below the truly exceptional women.

Comment: This woman has extraordinary beauty and lingering charm. Her movements are light and leave no trace, her body delicate enough to be held in the palm; her charm is natural, her spirit and grace as if she were in a painting. A breeze carries her unique fragrance, like the scent of fresh flowers; listening to her delightful words is more pleasing than the song of an oriole. She is truly outstanding among beauties, a paragon of women in the inner chambers. Selected to the highest class, she stands above all other beauties.

After reading the comments, Wei Yangsheng tried to recall her appearance. He remembered she was between twenty and thirty years old, with a charming and alluring demeanor. When she walked past, she carried a fragrance different from that of perfume on clothes or accessories. After she left, he found a poetry fan by the incense table, knowing it was hers. Wei Yangsheng thought for several days about tracking her down, but he set her aside after meeting the exceptional women. Now, seeing her in the book, his old desires were reignited. He carefully checked the small characters below to see where she lived. To his delight, she lived in the same alley as him. He quickly went out to ask someone, and to his surprise, this woman was his next-door neighbor. Only a wall separated them—his study was adjacent to her bedroom. Her husband was "Xuanxuanzi," a talented but morally flawed scholar in his fifties. His first wife had died, and Xiangyun was his second wife. Xuanxuanzi taught at a school elsewhere, returning home only once or twice a month to spend the night, and staying at the school the rest of the time.

Wei Yangsheng confirmed the facts and secretly rejoiced, thinking: "This is clearly a predestined marriage from a past life, arranged by fate to bring me to live here and enjoy her company." He hurried home, thinking of strategies while observing the situation. The wall outside the study was not high, but there were houses blocking it, so he couldn't jump over. The inner wall of the study was built with brick and plastered with white lime; any movement would leave traces, so it wasn't good to drill holes. After thinking for a while, he decided to climb onto the roof beams. Looking up carefully, he saw a section on the gable that was three feet high and five feet wide—where the brick wall didn't reach, it was completed with wooden planks. He rejoiced: "Since there's this gap to exploit, I don't need to go onto the roof. I just need to pry off a few planks, and I can jump over the brick wall. What's so difficult about that?" He set up a ladder leaning against the wall, then went to the bookcase and took out a set of tools. It was in a paper box containing knives, axes, saws, and chisels—everything, called the "Ten Tools." Wei Yangsheng had never used any of them since buying them, thinking they were useless. Who knew there's no useless thing in the world; they came in handy for stealing a woman. He took these tools and climbed the ladder. Looking at the planks, he was glad to see there were gaps. He first used a small file to file off two millimeters from the crossbar so that there would be no obstacles when prying the planks. Then he inserted a small chisel into the gap and pried hard, removing one plank. After prying off three planks in a row, he stretched his head over to look.

He saw a woman sitting on a chamber pot relieving herself. After finishing, she didn't fasten her pants first; instead, she tried to cover the chamber pot. The lid fell to the ground, and when she reached for it, she inevitably bent her slender waist, raising her two beautiful buttocks high—even half of her vagina came into view for Wei Yangsheng. Looking from behind, Wei Yangsheng wasn't sure if it was her. It wasn't until she pulled up her pants, turned around, and he recognized her carefully that he confirmed it was the woman he had admired earlier. Wei Yangsheng wanted to call out to her, but on one hand, he was afraid someone would hear; on the other hand, he was in the dark, and she didn't know who he was—how could she be willing to respond? If she made a scene, it would be inconvenient. He needed to devise a plan to lure her up to look at him. Once she saw his face, he wouldn't need to court her; she would naturally come to him. After thinking for a while, he suddenly remembered the fan she had left behind that day, with three Tang poems written in her own hand. Now that he had opened the wooden planks on his side, he decided to go down the ladder, find that fan, and recite the poems aloud. She would naturally understand and come up to look at him. Then he could use clever words to seduce her, and she would easily fall into his trap.

With his plan decided, he went down to open the box and search for that poetry fan. When he had stayed at the temple, many women who came to burn incense had left behind things—far more than just a few fans. He collected everything he picked up and was afraid they would get mixed up with other items, making them hard to find when needed. So he made a separate box, writing four characters on the lid: "Meiren Zhi Yi" ("A Gift from a Beauty"), taken from a line in The Book of Songs. Now he opened the box and carefully examined those lovely items. When he found the fan that was hers, he unfolded it and saw three quatrains written on it. They were by the Tang Dynasty talent Li Bai, titled "Qing Ping Diao" ("The Beautiful and Peaceful Tune"), which were composed when Emperor Xuanzong of Tang summoned Li Bai to the palace to write poems about peonies for his beloved Concubine Yang. Wei Yangsheng didn't dare to recite them casually. First, he dressed himself neatly, then cleared his throat, and recited each word with rhythm, just like a Kunqu opera singer performing a slow tune, so that she could listen carefully. The poems go:

First Poem: "Clouds envy her robes, flowers her face; Spring breeze caresses railings, dewdrops grace..."
Clouds envy her robes, flowers her face;
Spring breeze caresses railings, dewdrops grace.
If not met on Jade Mountain's height,
We'd meet beneath the moon on Fairy Isle tonight. (First Poem)

Second Poem: "A single red blossom drips with fragrant dew; Wushan's clouds and rain cannot compare to you..."
A single red blossom drips with fragrant dew;
Wushan's clouds and rain cannot compare to you.
Ask which Han Palace beauty could compete,
Poor Zhao Feiyan in new makeup incomplete. (Second Poem)

Third Poem: "Famous flower and beauty both bring delight; The king always watches with a smile so bright..."
Famous flower and beauty both bring delight,
The king always watches with a smile so bright.
Spring breeze dispels all endless regret,
Leaning on railings north of Sandalwood Pavilion yet. (Third Poem)

After reciting once and hearing no sound, he also read out the date of the inscription and the name of the writer, treating them like stage directions in a play. To make sure she heard clearly, he recited several more times. Suddenly, there was a sound from the wooden planks—like a cough or a sigh. Wei Yangsheng knew she was coming up. He complained to the fan: "This fan has made me neither dead nor alive. Now the fan is here, but where is the person? If I could find her, I'd rather return it. What's the point of keeping it here!" After saying this, someone from the other side of the planks responded: "The owner of the fan is here. Throw it up to me!" Wei Yangsheng looked up, pretending to be surprised, and said: "So the peerless beauty is right here, just a stone's throw away. I've been suffering from lovesickness for nothing. It looks like I won't die after all." He climbed up the ladder as fast as he could, and when they met, he immediately embraced her and kissed her. Xiangyun asked: "Where have you been all this time? I thought I'd never see you again. Why are you in this house now, reciting the poems from my fan?" Wei Yangsheng replied: "This is my residence. I'm your neighbor." Xiangyun said: "If you live here, why haven't I seen you before?" Wei Yangsheng answered: "I just moved here recently." Xiangyun asked: "Why did you move here?" To win her favor, Wei Yangsheng quickly thought of something to say: "I moved here all because of you. When I saw you at Zhang Xian Temple the other day, I missed you terribly. I saw you looking back at me when you left and noticed you left this fan as a gift. I couldn't forget you, so I arranged to live here to be close to you."

Xiangyun smiled and gently hit Wei Yangsheng on the shoulder, saying: "So you're such a sentimental person. I wronged you. Who else is in your family?" Wei Yangsheng replied: "Only a concubine, given to me by a friend. My other family members are in my hometown; I didn't bring them with me." Xiangyun asked: "Before you moved here, why didn't you come to my door? I've been thinking about you every day." Wei Yangsheng answered: "At first, I couldn't find you and didn't know where you lived. Once I found out where you were, I moved here to be close to you." Xiangyun asked: "When did you move here?" Wei Yangsheng replied: "Not half a year yet, only about four or five months." As soon as Xiangyun heard this, her expression changed immediately. She asked: "Since you've been here for so long, why haven't you paid attention to me before?" Seeing her unfriendly tone, Wei Yangsheng knew he had slipped up. He quickly made up an excuse: "I always thought your husband was at home. I was afraid that acting impulsively would bring harm to you, so I pretended not to know. Only today did I learn that your husband is teaching at a school and there's no one else at home, so I dared to reveal myself. It was just out of caution. How could I forget you?" Xiangyun laughed coldly and asked: "Do you still have my fan?" Wei Yangsheng said: "I keep it close to me, afraid to lose it." Xiangyun said: "Bring it to me." Wei Yangsheng went down to get it, wrapped it in a handkerchief, and handed it to her with both hands. Unexpectedly, as soon as Xiangyun received it, she tore it into pieces in a few grabs, threw the pieces into her room, and tossed the handkerchief back to him, saying: "I'm lucky I didn't have any affair with such a heartless person. From now on, we're finished. Go down!" She angrily descended the ladder, crying with tears streaming down her face.

Wei Yangsheng didn't know why she was upset. He wanted to climb down to ask for clarification, but was afraid of being seen by someone, so he had to stand there and watch her cry. At this difficult moment, he suddenly heard the sound of banana leaves outside the study door, as if someone was moving around. Fearing it might be Yanfang, Wei Yangsheng had to climb back over the planks and descend the ladder. He wondered to himself: "What's the reason for this? I didn't say anything to offend her, so why is she losing her temper?" From her tone, he guessed she was just angry that he hadn't approached her earlier, having wasted half a year without making love to her. It seemed she wanted to force him to apologize. But it wasn't appropriate to go over during the day, so he decided to sneak over at night to ask for clarification. Whether her anger was justified or not, he would just apologize and that would settle it.

Having made up his mind, he waited until dusk, sent Yanfang to bed, and went to the study. He closed the doors and windows tightly, then climbed the ladder. He removed all the planks he had pried loose during the day. He thought to himself: "There's nothing to step on on her side. How can I jump down from a wall that's two zhang high? If I call out to her, since she said such harsh words, how could she be willing to come and help me up?" Who would have thought that although Xiangyun had a sharp tongue, she had a soft heart. Before going to bed, she left an opening to welcome him. When Wei Yangsheng climbed to the top of the wall and reached over to feel around, he found that the ladder used during the day hadn't been removed—it was still there, as if waiting for him. Wei Yangsheng was overjoyed. He stepped on the ladder and quietly climbed down. It was pitch black and he couldn't see anything, so he quietly groped his way to her bed. She was silent and still, so he thought she was asleep. He reached out to lift her quilt, intending to crawl into bed with her.

Little did Wei Yangsheng know that Xiangyun was also awake. She clearly heard him coming, but out of politeness, she faced inward and pretended not to notice. When he reached out to lift her quilt, she could no longer maintain this politeness. She turned around, feigning to be startled awake, and cried out, "Who are you? Climbing into my bed in the dark!" Wei Yangsheng whispered into her ear, "It's no one else but the man who spoke to you during the day. I know I was wrong and have come to apologize." As he spoke, he tried to crawl into her bed. Xiangyun wrapped herself tightly in the quilt, refusing to let him in, and exclaimed, "Who wants your apology, you heartless man?" Wei Yangsheng said, "I went to great lengths to come here to be close to you. That's not heartless." Xiangyun said, "Your eyes have no taste! You probably have beautiful women to amuse yourself with. Why would you want someone as ugly as me?" Wei Yangsheng replied, "My concubine at home was a gift from a friend; I had no choice but to accept her. Why are you jealous?" Xiangyun said, "You're supposed to enjoy yourself with your own wives and concubines. Why would I be jealous? But you shouldn't have first entangled with someone like me and then thrown me to the winds. If I lived far away, that would be one thing, but we're only separated by a wall. You didn't even call out to me, acting as if we were strangers. Why should anyone care about such a heartless man?"

Wei Yangsheng said, "Where are you getting these words? Except for my concubine, I have never been with any other woman. Why are you slandering me?" Xiangyun said, "Let me ask you: on a certain day and time, three beautiful women entered the Zhang Xian Temple to burn incense. A man knelt outside the door and kowtowed. Was that you?" Wei Yangsheng replied, "It's true that three women were burning incense in the temple that day. At the time, I also went to pray to the god. When I saw a group of people inside, I was afraid that mixing with them would be inappropriate, so I didn't go in. I knelt outside and kowtowed. I was worshiping Zhang Xian, not the three women!" Xiangyun laughed and said, "There, you've confessed it yourself! Since it was you who kowtowed, what else is there to argue about? The other day, you hid behind the statue of Zhang Xian to peek at women. When you saw young girls, you weren't afraid of mixing with them or being inappropriate; you came out directly to flirt. How could you say you were afraid of mixing with them when women were inside, so you knelt outside and kowtowed? That kind of nonsense wouldn't even fool a three-year-old child, yet you try to deceive me!"

Wei Yangsheng knew he could no longer hide the truth, so he had to confess to find out where those three women lived. He smiled at her and said, "To be honest with you, that day I knelt half for the god and half for the women. But I don't understand how you know about this while sitting at home. Who told you?" Xiangyun said, "I have a thousand-mile eye and wind-accompanying ear (顺风耳, meaning supernatural hearing); I don't need anyone to tell me." Wei Yangsheng said, "If you know about this, you must know where those three women live, their names, and their husbands' names. Please tell me clearly." Xiangyun said, "You've been with them for half a year; how could you not know? Why are you asking me?" Wei Yangsheng replied, "Where are you getting this from? I haven't seen them since that first encounter. How can you say I've been with them for half a year? Where can I go to clear my name!" Xiangyun said, "If you haven't been with them, why haven't you come to see me in half a year? Clearly, they told you not to speak to me. Don't I know that?" Wei Yangsheng said, "Heaven and earth can bear witness—I've never had any contact with them. If you don't believe me, let me swear an oath to heaven: If I have had the slightest involvement with those three women, may lightning strike me dead immediately!"

When Xiangyun heard his oath, half of her suspicions were dispelled. She said, "If that's the case, your sin can be forgiven." Wei Yangsheng said, "Now that I've explained myself, please lift the quilt and let me in." Xiangyun said, "My appearance isn't as beautiful as those three women. You should go find the beautiful ones to sleep with, don't bother me." Wei Yangsheng replied, "You're being too modest. How do you know your appearance isn't as beautiful as theirs?" Xiangyun said, "Your eyesight is naturally good; you must have knelt for them because they're more beautiful." Wei Yangsheng said, "That kowtowing was just an impulsive act of the moment, not based on any preconceived notions. From what you're saying, you're angry because I kowtowed to them but not to you. Let me make up for it by kowtowing more to you now." After saying this, he knelt by the bed and kowtowed dozens of times with such force that the bed shook. Only then did Xiangyun reach down to help him onto the bed. Wei Yangsheng undressed and crawled into the quilt. His penis naturally aligned with her vagina, as if they had done this many times before. At the beginning of their first encounter, their passions were high, but they had been delayed by polite conversation. Now, they naturally came together like old friends. After aligning, Wei Yangsheng thrust his penis directly into her vagina, using a bit of pain to relieve the itch inside her. Xiangyun endured the difficulty in hopes of pleasure, letting him thrust deeply. When Wei Yangsheng saw she could handle it, he unleashed his skills and matched her passion. For the first few dozen thrusts, she was still lubricated, but after more than fifty, she gradually became dry.

Xiangyun couldn't hold on any longer and asked, "When I'm with my own husband, it's always difficult at first and then becomes easy. Why is it different today—easy at first and then difficult?" Wei Yangsheng replied, "My penis is different from other men's; it has two unusual characteristics. First, it starts small and gets bigger—initially like a piece of dry food, but once it enters the vagina, it gradually swells up as if soaked in water. Second, it starts cold and gets hot—like a flint stone, after a few rubs it gradually heats up as if sparks are about to burst out. Because of these two special features, I didn't want to keep them hidden; I wanted to get close to you and ask for your appreciation." Xiangyun said, "I don't believe you have such a treasure on your body; you're probably lying to me. Even if it's true, why is it so difficult now?" Wei Yangsheng said, "Right now, your vagina is too dry, which is why it's difficult. Once some vaginal fluid comes out to moisten it, it won't be like this anymore." Xiangyun said, "In that case, I'll endure the pain and let you thrust hard for a while to produce some vaginal fluid, so it won't be so dry inside."

When Wei Yangsheng heard this, he placed her feet on his shoulders and began thrusting fiercely. After less than a dozen thrusts, her vagina became lubricated again and his penis grew hot. With lubrication, she no longer felt pain; with the heat, she felt even more pleasure. Xiangyun said, "What you said earlier is indeed true, not a lie. I'm enjoying myself now." Wei Yangsheng took advantage of the moment to thrust even more fiercely, trying to please her while also trying to get information from her. He said, "My dear, if my words about this are true, then my other words are also true. Why don't you tell me about those three women?" Xiangyun said, "As long as you treat me sincerely, I'll naturally tell you. Why are you in such a hurry?" Wei Yangsheng said, "You're right." He then held her tongue tightly in his mouth, stopped talking, and just continued thrusting silently for a full one or two watch periods (equivalent to 2-4 hours). Eventually, Xiangyun's hands and feet became cold, and after climaxing three times, she said, "My dear, I'm too weak to continue. Just hold me and sleep."

When Wei Yangsheng heard this, he climbed down and held her as they slept. While sleeping, he smelled that same unusual fragrance he had detected when they first met. He asked, "What kind of incense do you usually use on your clothes? It's so lovely." Xiangyun replied, "I don't use incense at all. Where are you smelling it?" Wei Yangsheng said, "When we met that day, a fragrance came to me when you walked past. Now that we're in bed together, I can smell it again. If you don't use incense, where does this scent come from?" Xiangyun said, "This scent comes from within my skin and flesh." Wei Yangsheng replied, "I don't believe that flesh and skin can produce such a wonderful scent. If that's true, then your body is also a treasure." Xiangyun said, "I don't have any other special talents; this is the only thing that makes me different from other women. When my parents gave birth to me, just as I was being delivered, a red cloud flew into the room, bringing with it a wonderful fragrance. After I was born, the cloud dispersed, but the fragrance never left me—it always lingers on my body. That's why my name is Xiangyun (Fragrant Cloud). If I sit still, the scent isn't very noticeable, but after working hard and sweating a little, the fragrance comes through my pores. Not only can others smell it, but I can smell it myself too. I didn't want to hide this special feature. When we met at the temple the other day, I thought you looked handsome, so I gave you my fan and let you smell my fragrance, hoping you would come find me at home. But you didn't come, and only today have I finally achieved my wish."

After hearing this, Wei Yangsheng carefully smelled every part of Xiangyun's body—there wasn't a single pore that didn't emit fragrance. Only then did he realize that truly exceptional beauties aren't just about appearance. He held her tightly and called her "my dear" dozens of times. Xiangyun said, "You've smelled the fragrance from my body, but there's another fragrance that's even more special. Let me share that with you too." Wei Yangsheng asked, "Where is it?" Xiangyun took one of Wei Yangsheng's fingers and pointed toward her vagina, saying, "The scent here is even more unique. If you don't mind the impropriety, you can smell it too." Wei Yangsheng lowered his body, placed his nostrils near her vulva, and sniffed a few times. Then he climbed back up and said, "What a treasure, what a treasure! I have nothing to say—I'd die for you right now." After saying this, he lowered his body again, spread apart that "treasure," and began to lick it with his tongue. Xiangyun said, "How can you do that! Come up quickly." As she spoke, she tried to pull him up. But the harder she pulled, the faster he licked. He used his three-inch-long tongue as if it were his penis, thrusting in and out, just like during intercourse. Whenever he saw vaginal fluid flow out, he would suck it into his mouth and swallow it. He licked her until she climaxed again, swallowing even her vaginal essence, before finally climbing back up. Xiangyun held him tightly and said, "My dear, how can you love me so much! I have nothing to say—I'd also die for you right now."

Wei Yangsheng said, "In my opinion, there's no other beauty like you in the world today. Since you have such a treasure, why doesn't your husband come back to enjoy you instead of sleeping outside every day, leaving you to sleep alone?" Xiangyun said, "He would like to enjoy me, but he doesn't have the strength. So he uses the excuse of teaching at a school to avoid being conscripted for labor duties." Wei Yangsheng said, "I heard he's still in his middle years. How could he be so weak?" Xiangyun replied, "When he was young, he was a libertine who loved seducing women from good families, indulging in sexual pleasure day and night. He exhausted himself so much that by middle age, he became useless." Wei Yangsheng asked, "How did his strength compare to mine when he was young?" Xiangyun said, "His techniques were similar, but he didn't have the two special qualities you have." Wei Yangsheng said, "My special feature and your special feature are both unique in the world. Now that these two treasures have come together, we must never let them be separated. From now on, I'll come to sleep with you every night."

Xiangyun said, "You have a family; how can you come every night? Just don't be as heartless as before, and that's enough." Wei Yangsheng said, "I don't know who that gossipy person was who went to you and spread rumors, making me suffer an unjust accusation. Even now, you still call me heartless. If I knew who that gossip was, I'd teach them a lesson." Xiangyun said, "To be honest with you, the gossip wasn't anyone else—it was those three beauties." Wei Yangsheng said, "That's strange. If someone else had said this, it would be embarrassing enough, but aren't they ashamed to tell others about it themselves?" Xiangyun said, "To tell you the truth, those three beauties and I are related by marriage. The two younger ones I call 'sisters,' and the older one I call 'aunt.' The two sisters and I get along particularly well, like real sisters. I tell them my worries (心事), and they tell me their secrets. When I came back from burning incense that day, I saw the two sisters and told them about you—how handsome you are, how you peeked at me, how I liked you, and how I dropped my fan for you. The two of them said, 'Since he likes you and you like him, he'll definitely come looking for you eventually. Let's see how you'll handle him.' I also thought you would come looking for me, so I stood at the door and waited for over ten days, but there was no sign of you. Later, when the two sisters came back from burning incense, they met me and asked, 'What did the man you saw that day look like? How was he dressed?' I described your face and clothes to them. They said, 'If that's the case, we saw the man you have in mind today.' Then they asked, 'Since he likes you, did he kowtow to you that day?' I said, 'He might like me in his heart, but how could he kowtow to me in front of everyone?' When they heard me say this, they didn't speak—they just laughed, looking very pleased with themselves. I became suspicious and questioned them repeatedly until they finally told me about your kowtowing. They laughed as they spoke, clearly looking proud. I felt embarrassed for several days and thought to myself: Why did you avoid suspicion when you saw me, not even greeting me? But when you saw them, you went crazy, not avoiding suspicion at all, and even kowtowed. It's obvious that I'm not as beautiful as they are. If you were going to look for someone, you'd look for them, not me. Usually, we're like the best of sisters, but because of this incident, I even came to hate them a little. That's why when we met today and you said you've been here for half a year but only now came to see me, how could I not be suspicious? It was only after you swore an oath that I realized it wasn't true. All this drama was caused by your kowtowing. Tell me, should you have done that or not?"

Wei Yangsheng said, "Ah, so that's how it is. No wonder you're resentful. But since those two are your sisters, they're like my sisters-in-law. If you let me meet them just once, I won't think about anything else—just let me call them 'aunts' a few times so they know we have an affair. Earlier, they used the story of me kowtowing to flaunt in front of you; now let me flaunt in front of them that I not only kowtowed but also became intimate with you. How does that sound?" Xiangyun replied, "No need for that. Those two and I are not just sisters, but also sworn allies. We agreed to share both good fortune and hardships. Since they never betrayed me before, how can I betray them now? I intend to introduce you to them so that those two also know there's such a wonderful thing in the world, and we can all appreciate it together. But I need to make a condition with you: after you get them, you must not change your heart—you must love me as you do tonight. Will you change or not? You need to swear an oath."

Upon hearing this, Wei Yangsheng couldn't help but dance with joy. He somersaulted out of bed and swore a more vicious oath to heaven and earth than before. After swearing, he climbed back onto the bed and made love again, treating it as if he were requesting someone to act as a matchmaker. After they finished making love, they slept with their necks intertwined. When they woke up at dawn, Xiangyun sent Wei Yangsheng back over the ladder as before. From then on, the two met every day and slept together every night. But we don't know when Wei Yangsheng will get his hands on the two sisters-in-law, so let's pause here. The next two chapters will tell other stories, and after those two "plays," our main character will return to the stage.

Commentary: In my view, there is no chapter in "The Carnal Prayer Mat" more remarkable than this one. When first reading the section where Xiangyun loses her temper, readers are wide-eyed, not knowing what to make of it. But by the end, we realize that the earlier section was entirely natural, not contrived. Before Xiangyun became intimate with Wei Yangsheng, she felt an unfounded jealousy; after they shared a bed, she expressed a justified resentment. This is the common nature of women. Later, she was neither angry nor jealous, but rather positioned herself as a matchmaker, bringing together three wonderful romances at once. Even if readers have urgent matters, they won't want to put the book down—everyone wants to see how Wei Yangsheng will triumph.

Chapter Thirteen: Burning Boats and Smashing Pots to Eliminate Secrets - Enduring Hardships to Avenge a Humiliation

Now let's talk about Quan Laoshi. After selling his wife, he was filled with resentment and too ashamed to face people, so he gave up his business and stayed at home. He spent his days sitting in silence, torturing his twelve-year-old maidservant, asking when she and that tall man had started sleeping together and who else had helped them communicate. The maidservant had initially been afraid of the mistress and didn't dare to talk much. But now that the mistress had been sold and wouldn't be coming back, she spilled everything—when they started sleeping together, when they stopped, and even that the ugly woman from across the street had joined them. She also revealed that the man who had slept with the mistress wasn't the tall man, but a handsome young man, and the tall man was actually working for him. Quan Laoshi became even more furious after hearing this. Later, when someone spread the word that Yanfang had gone to Wei Yangsheng, Quan Laoshi finally learned the truth and went to investigate Wei Yangsheng's background. He found out that Wei Yangsheng wasn't from the local area, that he already had a wife at home, and that he had taken Yanfang as a concubine.

Quan Laoshi thought: If it had been Sai Kunlun himself who did this, I wouldn't even dream of avenging myself. I'd just have to endure it for a lifetime and settle accounts with him in the underworld. But since the man who seduced and cheated me is not him, how can I not avenge this wrong? If I were to sue him, he has Sai Kunlun's help and isn't afraid of spending money. What official doesn't listen to connections these days? If he bribes someone, I'll lose the case. I think suing him is useless. Instead, I'll go to his hometown, find his residence, and somehow sneak into his inner chambers to rape his wife a few times—that would satisfy me. He raped my wife, I'll rape his wife: this is true tit-for-tat revenge. Even killing him wouldn't be as satisfying as this. With this decision, he sold his eleven-year-old maidservant and all his household items, collected the 120 taels of dowry money and his silk-trading capital, bid farewell to his neighbors, and left with no intention of returning.

Within a few days, he arrived at his destination and stayed at an inn. The next day, he went to investigate Wei Yangsheng's residence and the situation in his household. After half a day of investigation, he realized how difficult his task would be and became very worried. At first, he had thought that other people's household gates were like his own: strict when the man was at home, but like a door without a latch when the man was away, allowing him to enter and exit under various pretexts. But he soon learned that scholarly households were different from merchant households—unless you were a close relative or intimate friend, you weren't even allowed to cross the threshold. And Wei Yangsheng's household was even stricter than other scholarly households: not even close relatives or intimate friends were allowed to cross the threshold. He hesitated, thinking: It seems like my plan probably won't work. But since I've already had this idea, I should do my best to try, whether it succeeds or not. If it really can't be done, then it's fate. After traveling thousands of mountains and rivers to get here, can I be scared away by the word "iron door"?

With his decision made, he planned to rent a house near Wei Yangsheng's residence to watch for opportunities day and night. But to his surprise, Wei Yangsheng lived in an isolated mansion surrounded by empty land—there were no houses available to rent nearby. Quan Laoshi looked around and realized how difficult this would be, so he had to walk back to his inn. After walking no more than forty or fifty steps, he saw a large tree next to the mansion with a wooden sign hanging from it, bearing eight large characters. He approached and read: "Wasteland for Rent—First Year Rent-Free." Quan Laoshi looked around the tree and saw wild grass stretching as far as the eye could see. He thought: The wasteland mentioned in the sign must be this empty land. I wonder who owns it. If there's a wasteland, there must be a house somewhere for the gardener to live in. I'll rent this land and live nearby, using the pretense of farming to observe the movements in his household all day long.

He went to ask a local person nearby, "Who is the owner of this wasteland? Is there a house available for the gardener to live in?" The person replied, "The owner of the wasteland is called Iron Gate Taoist (Tie Fei Dao Ren), and he lives in that isolated house. There's only the garden, no house—gardeners have to find their own place to live." Quan Laoshi asked, "I want to cultivate his land, but I don't know what kind of person he is." The person shook their head and said, "He's very difficult to deal with. If he were easy to get along with, someone would have cultivated the land long ago." Quan Laoshi asked, "How is he difficult to deal with?" The person said, "According to the usual practice for wasteland reclamation, the rent should be free for three years, but he only allows one year free, and starts collecting rent in the second year. That's not the worst of it—he's extremely stingy and won't even provide proper meals. No one wants to be his tenant because they end up being treated like his long-term laborers, called to do household chores without being paid. Someone tried to cultivate his land three years ago, but they couldn't bear being ordered around so much and gave up. That's why the land remains barren to this day." Upon hearing this, Quan Laoshi was overjoyed. He thought to himself: My main concern is getting through the door—once I get in, I'll have a chance. Others are afraid of being ordered around, but I'm eager for him to give me tasks; others want wages, but I don't want any—exactly so he'll rely on me. I only worry that his son-in-law might come back and see through my scheme. I need to change my name. Since he hasn't seen me before, he won't recognize me even if his son-in-law returns, so my plan won't be exposed.

Having made up his mind, he changed his surname to "Lai" and took the given name "Suixin" (which means "desires fulfilled upon arrival"—a fitting choice since he had come seeking revenge). For the sake of clarity, the story will still refer to him as "Quan Laoshi". After changing his name, he drafted a rental agreement and went to the Iron Gate Taoist's residence. Knowing that the door was never answered when knocked, he sat outside and waited patiently for a whole day, but no one emerged. He returned to his inn for the night and went back the next day. It just so happened that the Iron Gate Taoist was standing at the door buying tofu snacks. Quan Laoshi recognized him immediately from his dignified appearance and stepped forward with a deep bow, asking: "Is your respected title Iron Gate Taoist?" The Taoist replied: "Yes. Why do you ask?" Quan Laoshi said: "I heard your household has a deserted garden available for cultivation. Since I have no other business, I would like to rent it from you and farm it." The Taoist said: "Reclaiming wasteland isn't for the weak or lazy. What kind of work have you done before?" Quan Laoshi replied: "I'm accustomed to hard work and have sufficient strength. If you don't believe me, let me work for a while—if I can't reclaim it, you can replace me with another tenant." The Taoist asked: "In that case, we don't have a house here. Where will you live?" Quan Laoshi answered: "That's easy. I have no wife or children, just myself. I'll invest my own capital to build a small straw hut where I can live." The Taoist said: "Alright, go draft a rental contract." Quan Laoshi had already prepared one and handed it over immediately. The Taoist, seeing that Quan Laoshi was physically robust, knew he was strong—not only could he reclaim the garden, but he could also serve as a farmhand. He accepted the contract and allowed Quan Laoshi to build his hut with his own funds.

Quan Laoshi bought a few pieces of wood and several loads of straw, hired a couple of masons and carpenters, and had the hut built in less than half a day. Though it was just a thatched cottage, it looked fresh and new. He also prepared all the necessary tools for gardening and land reclamation. Every morning, he would rise early to clear weeds and dig the soil, hoping his master would notice his diligence and show him favor. The Iron Gate Taoist had a small pavilion that faced the deserted garden directly; he spent most of his time—sitting, standing, even sleeping—in this pavilion. He was known for rising extremely early, but to his surprise, Quan Laoshi rose even earlier. Before the Taoist could get out of bed, Quan Laoshi had already cleared a significant area of land. The Taoist couldn't help but praise him, and whenever there was hard work to be done at home, he would ask Quan Laoshi for help. Quan Laoshi flattered him with all his might, working without asking for wages and even not daring to eat his fill. He thought to himself: I wonder how extremely ugly his daughter must be for him to hate her and abandon his home to pursue other women? I have slept with beautiful women before—what if I manage to seduce her, only to find her so repulsive that I can't perform sexually and fail to avenge myself? When he saw an extremely beautiful woman, he was delighted but unsure if she was the daughter. Later, when he heard the maids call her "Miss," he realized it was indeed her. He thought again: Such a beautiful wife should be satisfying enough—why abandon her to take another man's wife? From then on, he steeled his heart and patience, focusing solely on revenge. Observing that the household maintained strict discipline between men and women, he became even more diligent, not daring to show the slightest hint of desire. When passing by Yuxiang, he didn't dare lift his head or make a sound, behaving like a truly honest man.

Several months passed, and the Taoist was extremely fond of Quan Laoshi's diligence, honesty, and lack of greed. He remembered that before his son-in-law left, he had left some silver to hire a servant for daily chores. The Taoist had been hesitant to hire anyone because most servants in other households were lazy and gluttonous, rarely being truly dependable. However, someone like Quan Laoshi seemed worth keeping. He thought: This man is poor and has no family to rely on—perhaps he would be willing to sell himself into servitude. But having a single man in the household presented two problems: first, without any family ties, he might steal things and run away; second, with men and women living together, it would be difficult to maintain proper segregation. If he was willing to sell himself, the Taoist planned to marry him to a maid. With a wife to tie him down, he wouldn't want to run away, and his wife could keep an eye on him in their daily interactions, eliminating other concerns.

Having made up his mind, one day the Taoist went to watch Quan Laoshi plowing and asked: "You work so diligently and frugally—you should have established a home by now. Why don't you have a wife and family?" Quan Laoshi replied: "As the old saying goes, 'Those with wisdom can support a thousand mouths; those with only strength can barely support themselves.' For someone who lives by their strength, having enough to eat is already enough. How can I afford a wife and family?" The Taoist said: "In one's lifetime, a wife and children are essential. Since you can't afford to marry on your own, why not sell yourself to a household that can provide a wife for you? Having children would ensure someone burns paper money for you after you die—what could be better than that?" Quan Laoshi understood the Taoist's intention to take him in, so he played along and replied: "I think selling oneself to a household is difficult. First, I'm afraid the master won't understand my hardships—I'd work like a horse or ox all day, but instead of being appreciated for my efforts, I'd be beaten and scolded. Second, I'm afraid my fellow servants won't accept me—they refuse to work hard for the master, and seeing my loyalty, they'd fear I'd expose their shortcomings and slander me in front of the master, making it impossible for me to stay. I've often seen this happen in wealthy official households, so I don't dare to sell myself." The Taoist said: "Wealthy official households have many servants, and the relationship between masters and servants is often strained, which is why such problems occur. In a household of moderate size like mine, the master can see the true character of their servants. Besides, there are few other servants—what incompatibility could there be? Suppose you were to enter a household like mine, where you'd be provided with a wife—would you be willing?" Quan Laoshi said: "That would be excellent—I'd have no reason to refuse." The Taoist said: "To be honest, my household needs a servant. I want to keep you because I see you're diligent and honest—that's why I asked you these questions. If you're truly willing, bring me a contract of sale and tell me how much money you want for your freedom so I can prepare it. On the day you enter, I'll marry you to a maid. What do you think?" Quan Laoshi said: "If that's the case, I'll bring the contract tomorrow. But I've always had little interest in worldly desires—I can take or leave a wife, I don't think about it much. Let's put the marriage to a maid on hold for now; wait a few years until I'm older and my energy is fading, then you can arrange it for me. At my current age, I just want to work hard for you—why waste my strength and spirit on a woman? As for the 'purchase price'—that's completely unnecessary. I'm selling myself, and I have no parents or brothers to give the money to. As long as I have clothes to wear and food to eat, that's enough. What do I need silver for? But a contract of sale without a purchase price isn't really a sale—we can just write some arbitrary amount on the paper. In reality, I won't take a single coin from you." The Taoist was delighted and said: "Your words show you're a loyal and righteous servant. But you can only decline one of these two things. Not accepting the purchase price is fine—I can keep it for you to make clothes later. That's acceptable. But refusing a wife is impossible. People always sell themselves into servitude to have a family and enjoy marital bliss—why don't you want it? If you neither accept the purchase price nor a wife, you'd be no different from a stranger to me—how could I keep you?" Quan Laoshi said: "Since you're worried I might change my mind later and leave, and want to tie me down with a wife to ensure my loyalty, I'm not that kind of ungrateful person. If you don't trust me, I'll accept the marriage."

After they reached an agreement, Quan Laoshi didn't wait for the next day—he drafted the contract of sale that very night and sent it over. The Taoist also didn't wait for the next day—he married the maid to Quan Laoshi that very night. From then on, the Taoist had the thatched hut demolished and had Quan Laoshi stay in the house. At first, they called him "Lai Suixin," but now they removed the "Lai" character and just called him "Suixin." The maid married to him was named "Ruyi." It seemed that his revenge plan was now 80% complete, and the name "Ruyi" added another auspicious sign that his desires would be fulfilled.

Commentary: What's wonderful is that the straightforward and honest Quan Laoshi was able to endure hardships to achieve his goal, cleverly infiltrating the Iron Gate Taoist's household—reminiscent of Sima Xiangru's romantic affair. Equally wonderful is how the Iron Gate Taoist carefully considered every possible future event, yet in the end, he fell into Quan Laoshi's trap, becoming like Zhuo Wangsun (the father-in-law in the Sima Xiangru story). This plot is truly ingenious and intricately crafted.

Chapter Fourteen: Whispers of Pleasure Behind Closed Doors - Eavesdroppers Listen; Forbidden to Watch Bathing - "No Silver Here"

Before Quan Laoshi sold himself into servitude, Miss Yuxiang had many pent-up feelings that I couldn't describe earlier due to other narrative demands. Now I'll tell her story. She was just beginning to enjoy marital pleasures when her heartless father drove her husband away. It was like a heavy drinker being forced to quit alcohol or a gourmet having to give up meat. Even three or five nights would be unbearable, let alone spending years as a living widow. Since she couldn't find real pleasure, she turned to erotic picture albums to console herself. But the more she looked at them, the more they inflamed her desire. After that, she set the albums aside and sought out some idle books to distract herself from her sorrows.

Reader, what kind of books do you think would help her dispel her sorrows at such a time? In my opinion, other idle books would be useless. Only the books her father had taught her in her youth—works like "Biographies of Exemplary Women" and "Classic of Filial Piety for Women"—would be appropriate. If she had read those, they wouldn't just dispel her sorrows; they would help her endure even a living widowhood or a lifelong one. But she didn't think of this. Instead, she took out the books her husband had bought. All these books were erotic literature, such as "The Tale of the Foolish Woman," "Secret History of the Embroidered Couch," and "The Tale of Ruyijun." She read them carefully, page by page. In these books, descriptions of men's thrusting always numbered in the thousands or tens of thousands. Their penises were described as either extremely large or extremely long, some even with heads like snails and bodies like skinned rabbits, capable of holding a dou of grain without drooping. She thought to herself, "I don't believe men have such powerful things. My husband's member was no more than two inches long, as thick as two fingers, and he would ejaculate after at most one or two hundred thrusts. When has anyone ever done a thousand?" There's an old saying: "Blindly believing books is worse than having no books at all." These exaggerated descriptions must have been invented by the authors—such extraordinary things couldn't exist. But after doubting for a while, she thought again: "The world is vast, and there are many men. What strange things don't happen? How do I know these aren't true accounts?" If a woman could marry such a man, the pleasures of the bedroom would be indescribable—she wouldn't even trade places with a celestial immortal. She wavered between doubt and belief.

Day after day, she neglected her sewing and embroidery, spending all her time with these idle books. She wanted her desire to grow so intense that when her husband returned, she could release it all at once. But as time went on without any news from him, she couldn't help but grow resentful. She thought: "I must have done something wrong in a past life to marry such a heartless man. We were barely married a few months before he left, and now years have passed. With his insatiable lust, he must have strayed long ago. If he can walk the wrong path, I can too. It wouldn't be wrong for me to take another man." Unfortunately, the household was so strict that she never saw any men. By this point, she transferred her resentment from her husband to her father, wishing he would die soon so she could have male companionship. When she saw Quan Laoshi, it was like a hungry hawk spotting a chicken—she didn't care if he was good or bad, as long as he was a man she could devour. At first, when he was just a worker, she had this intention, but there were obstacles: first, he seemed so honest, always keeping his head down when they met, making it hard for her to approach him; second, he only came during the day and left at night, giving her no opportunity to make advances. Later, when she heard he wanted to sell himself into servitude, she was overjoyed, planning to seduce him on his first night in the household. But to her disappointment, her father married him to Ruyi. After watching them bow in the wedding ceremony and enter the room together, she became jealous. When her father fell asleep, she quietly went to listen to their lovemaking. Quan Laoshi had a very large penis, and Ruyi, though in her twenties, was still a virgin because her master was so virtuous that no one had ever touched her. She couldn't handle his enormous size. Her cries and sobs were so loud they seemed to shake the heavens and earth—even the eavesdropper felt pain for her. When Quan Laoshi saw she couldn't endure it, he quickly finished.

Yuxiang stood there for a while, hearing no pleasure, then returned to her own room to sleep. She went back to listen on the second and third nights, but still only heard pain, not pleasure. It wasn't until the third night that Quan Laoshi's true skills emerged. On previous nights, they had always blown out the lamp before sleeping, but tonight they left the lamp on and didn't close the mosquito net. Before starting, Quan Laoshi had Ruyi hold his eight-inch-long penis—too large for her to wrap her hand around—and rub it for a while before inserting it into her vagina. By now, her vagina had been stretched by his penis and was no longer as tight. Quan Laoshi then displayed his full skill, thrusting thousands of times just like in the books, refusing to stop until he reached that number. After the extreme pain, Ruyi suddenly experienced extreme pleasure. Her cries of delight were again so loud they seemed to shake the heavens and earth. The eavesdropper, who had previously felt pain for her, now felt her pleasure. The amount of love juice she produced from watching was more than what came from the act itself.

From that point on, Yuxiang's heart was fixed on Quan Laoshi. And Quan Laoshi, now living in the household, was no longer老实(honest). When he met Yuxiang, he couldn't stop stealing glances at her, and if she smiled at him, he smiled back. One day, Yuxiang was bathing in her room when Quan Laoshi happened to pass by and coughed unintentionally. Yuxiang knew it was him and wanted to show him her body to arouse his desire. She deliberately said loudly: "I'm bathing in here. Who's outside? Don't come in!" Quan Laoshi knew this was a case of "no silver here"—a transparent attempt to invite him. He didn't want to reject her kindness, so he moistened a spot on the paper window and looked through it. Yuxiang saw someone outside and knew it was him. She positioned her breasts and vagina directly facing the window, so he could see them clearly. Afraid the important parts might be hidden under water, she lay down and spread her legs wide, showing him everything unobstructed.

After lying there for a while, she sat up, cupped her vagina with both hands, and sighed deeply, pretending to be unbearably aroused and helpless. Quan Laoshi saw this and knew that this woman's desire was at its peak and her suffering was unbearable—if he entered, she wouldn't reject him. He pushed open the door and rushed in, kneeling before Yuxiang and saying: "I deserve to die for this." Then he stood up and embraced her. Yuxiang feigned surprise and asked: "Why are you so bold?" Quan Laoshi replied: "The real reason I sold myself into servitude was to get close to you, Miss. At first, I planned to express my feelings when we were alone and only act after you consented. But today, seeing your delicate body, I couldn't control myself. I had to come in and offend you, begging for your mercy." Yuxiang asked: "What do you want? Is this a good place to do such things in a bathtub?" Quan Laoshi said: "I know this isn't the right time or place. I only ask for your permission now, and I'll come to serve you tonight." Yuxiang said: "You sleep with Ruyi at night. How will you get away?" Quan Laoshi replied: "She sleeps very deeply. After we have sex at night, she sleeps until dawn. I'll sneak away tonight, and she won't know." Yuxiang said: "Alright, I'll agree." When Quan Laoshi saw her consent, he groped her all over, kissed her twice, and arranged to have her leave the door open for him tonight before leaving.

As dusk fell, Yuxiang dried her body, didn't put on any clothes, and didn't eat dinner. She climbed into bed, intending to take a nap to conserve her energy for their encounter. But she couldn't fall asleep. When she heard the door creak at the second watch, she knew it was him and whispered softly: "Suixin ge (Brother Suixin), is that you?" Quan Laoshi replied in a low voice: "Miss, I'm here." Afraid he might stumble in the dark, Yuxiang got up to guide him. Taking his hand, she led him to the bed and said: "Darling, I've seen your thing—it's different from others. I don't think I can handle it. Please go slowly." Quan Laoshi said: "You're a lady of great value. How could I dare be rough with you?"

Although he said these words, he secretly suspected she was feigning shyness. What man would try to seduce a woman without having impressive endowment—especially one whose own wife was afraid of the pain it caused? So he recklessly thrust his penis toward her vagina. Yuxiang couldn't bear it and became angry: "I told you to go slowly. Why are you in such a hurry?" When Quan Laoshi couldn't penetrate, he realized she wasn't pretending. He apologized: "To be honest with you, Miss, I've never met such a beautiful woman before. When I saw you, my love for you was so intense that I couldn't wait to enter even a moment earlier. That's why I used too much force and offended you. Now I'll make amends." He then lifted his penis and began rubbing it around her vagina, not daring to enter, but thrusting between her thighs instead. What was his intention? This was the "opening the stone to draw water" technique. The slipperiest substance in the world is love juice—a natural lubricant designed to moisten the vagina. While saliva is good, it can't compare to this. Men who use saliva are just too impatient to wait for love juice to flow, so they use the substitute. But ultimately, fluid from another source isn't as slippery as the body's own, making penetration easier. Quan Laoshi didn't know this technique at first. When he first married Yanfang, his penis was too large and her vagina too tight to enter. It was Yanfang who racked her brain and came up with this method, turning an extremely difficult task into an easy one. Now Yuxiang's vagina was the same width as Yanfang's was back then. Quan Laoshi suddenly remembered this old trick and used it again. By placing his penis between her thighs and rubbing it against her vagina, he made her so itchy inside that love juice naturally flowed out. Once the love juice came, it was like a heavy boat stuck in a shallow river suddenly getting spring floods—it could travel a thousand miles in a single breath, without needing any effort from oars or rudder.

When Yuxiang saw him using her thigh gap as her vagina, she laughed: "You're on the wrong path. We don't usually do it like this." Quan Laoshi said: "Not at all. I'll make you happy, I promise." After a while, he felt the thigh gap becoming slippery, knowing that love juice had started to flow. But he was afraid it would be too slippery to find the correct opening and might slide elsewhere. So he took Yuxiang's hand and placed his penis in it, saying: "I really did get it wrong earlier. Now I can't find the right spot. Please guide me yourself." Yuxiang opened her vagina and positioned his penis at the entrance, instructing him: "This is it now. You can push in with force." Quan Laoshi thrust his penis forward, entering her. With each thrust, he went in a little deeper, by one or two tenths of an inch. After more than twenty thrusts, his eight-inch-long penis had completely entered her without him realizing it. When Yuxiang saw how skillfully he performed, she grew even more fond of him. She hugged him tightly and said: "Darling, you're new to women, yet you're so thoughtful and understanding. I love you to death." Receiving such praise at the beginning, Quan Laoshi naturally didn't want to slack off. He thrust with perfect technique—neither too hard nor too soft, neither too fast nor too slow. By the end, Yuxiang was so overwhelmed with pleasure that she couldn't even speak, let alone praise him, and only then did he stop.

Yuxiang had never experienced such pleasure before and was overjoyed. From then on, she couldn't do without him every night. At first, they did it behind Ruyi's back, but later they realized they couldn't keep it a secret forever, so they told her openly and continued their relationship without hiding. Afraid that Ruyi might get jealous, Yuxiang showered her with affection. Though they were nominally mistress and maid, they were essentially like sisters. Sometimes they took turns with him—one night each or half a night each. When they were particularly excited, all three would sleep together.

Quan Laoshi had originally come for revenge. He planned to seduce Yuxiang, sleep with her for a few months, then leave—never allowing himself to be tied down by a woman. But fate had other plans. After sleeping with Yanfang for years without any children, he impregnated Yuxiang with just one encounter. At first, they didn't notice, but after three months, when she started showing pregnancy symptoms, they realized what had happened. They tried every possible method to abort the pregnancy, but nothing worked. Yuxiang cried to Quan Laoshi: "My life is ruined because of you! You know how strict my father is—he beats and scolds me just for saying the wrong thing. Do you think he'll ever tolerate such a terrible sin? When he finds out tomorrow, I'll surely die. It's better to kill myself now and save myself from the trouble." With that, she tried to hang herself. Quan Laoshi pleaded with her repeatedly. Yuxiang said: "If you don't want me to die, you have to take me away—escape to a foreign land far away. First, we'll avoid the consequences. Second, we can be husband and wife forever. Third, whether it's a boy or a girl, it's your flesh and blood—we won't have to drown it. What do you think?" Quan Laoshi thought she made sense. He initially planned to escape without Ruyi, but he was afraid she might find out and expose them, so he had to include her in the plan. They packed their clothes, waited until Iron Gate Daoist (铁扉道人) was asleep, opened the main gate, and fled together. But where did they go, and what happened to them? You'll have to read Chapter Eighteen to find out.

Commentary: Some readers, upon reading this chapter, may doubt that Iron Gate Daoist (铁扉道人), who appears to be a good man, should have a daughter who elopes in a sexual scandal. They might ask: If Heaven wants to punish evil, shouldn't it also encourage good? I reply: No. This kind of retribution is precisely where Heaven shows its justice. Throughout his life, Iron Gate Daoist (铁扉道人) never made a single friend or saw anyone; he was far too reclusive and harsh. Moreover, according to the custom of land reclamation, rent should be exempt for three years, but he only exempted it for one year. He frequently summoned tenant farmers to work for him without paying them wages—these are all cruel and heartless acts. How could such behavior go unpunished? This is why overly aloof and uncompromising people often do not prosper. Shouldn't gentlemen be cautious about this?

Chapter 15: Allies Discuss Joy Through the Night - Sisters Share a Night of Pleasure Equally

Let's put Quan Laoshi's revenge story aside for now and talk about Wei Yangsheng's good fortune. After that night when he held Xiangyun in his arms and talked about the past, he learned that the three beautiful women were all from the same family, and the two younger ones were especially congenial. Because the night was short and they had more urgent matters to attend to, he never asked for the three women's names, their husbands' courtesy names, or where they lived. He didn't ask until after the second night. Xiangyun said: "The one I call aunt was born on Flower Festival, her name is Hua Chen (Flower Morning), and we call her Aunt Chen. Her husband died ten years ago, and she wanted to remarry, but she had a posthumous son, which tied her down, so she remained a widow. The two I call sisters are her direct nephews' wives—the older one is called Rui Zhu (Jade Pearl), and the younger one is called Rui Yu (Jade Jade). Rui Zhu's husband goes by the courtesy name Wo Yun Sheng (Reclining Cloud Scholar); Rui Yu's husband goes by Yi Yun Sheng (Leaning Cloud Scholar), and they are brothers. Although their three households have separate entrances, they are actually connected inside. Only I live a bit further away, a few doors down. We all live in this alley."

Wei Yangsheng was even more delighted when he heard this. He also remembered Sai Kunlun's previous words about two wealthy women, which turned out to be these two. It seems that the eyes of a thief and the eyes of a lecher are the same—neither misses anything. He asked Xiangyun: "Yesterday you were so kind to promise me your two sisters, but when can I meet them?" Xiangyun said: "In another three or five days, I will go over there and can introduce you. But there's one thing—once I go, I won't come back, so this bed won't be our place of pleasure anymore." Wei Yangsheng was shocked: "What's the reason for that? Please explain clearly." Xiangyun said: "My husband teaches at their home. Those two brothers are my husband's students, and their literary skills are not good. They are afraid of the annual examination for scholars, so they both got special exemptions and are going to the capital to study in the Imperial College soon. They can't leave their teacher, so my husband must go with them. He's afraid I'll be alone, so he wants to take me to their home to live with the three sisters. We'll leave in a few days, so once I go, I won't come back. We'll have to meet over there." When Wei Yangsheng heard this, he was even happier—thinking that with all three men leaving, he could have all three women to himself and enjoy unlimited pleasures. Sure enough, a few days later, the three (teacher and students) left together. On the day they left, Xiangyun was taken to their home. Xiangyun and Wei Yangsheng were just getting along perfectly, how could they bear to be apart for long? As soon as they met, they had to reveal their relationship and make plans to bring him over for their pleasures.

The next day, Xiangyun asked Rui Zhu and Rui Yu: "Have you two gone back to the temple to burn incense again?" Rui Yu replied first: "We burned it once, isn't that enough? Do we need to keep going?" Xiangyun said: "With such a handsome man kneeling before you, going every three to five days wouldn't be too much." Rui Zhu said: "I'd like to go burn incense again, but I don't have a fan to give him." Xiangyun said: "Sisters, don't laugh at me—my fan was definitely a bad investment. But although you two received his kneeling, he never followed you home, only making you suffer from lovesickness." Rui Yu said: "We've talked about this and can't figure it out. That man was so impulsive at first, it seemed like he couldn't wait for the next day and would follow us home that very night. But afterward, there was no sign of him at all. If he's so unfeeling, why bother with those kneeling gestures?" Xiangyun said: "I heard he thinks about you all day long, but he just can't find you. He's helpless." Rui Zhu said: "He probably doesn't think about us two—he's more likely thinking about the fan and getting lovesick from it." Xiangyun said: "He did get lovesick over the fan, that's no lie. But now that account is settled. It's the lovesickness from kneeling that's more severe and won't heal quickly. If it kills him someday, you might have to compensate with your lives." Rui Zhu and Rui Yu found her words suspicious and looked at her face together. Xiangyun was smiling as she spoke, with a proud expression. Both sisters asked at once: "You look so pleased—did you get what you wanted?" Xiangyun said: "Almost—I've already settled that account behind your backs." When the two heard this, they felt both ashamed and envious, like unsuccessful candidates meeting a newly appointed official, and forced smiles: "Congratulations then! You've got a wonderful new brother-in-law, and I haven't even congratulated you. Where is this new brother-in-law now? Will you let us see him?" Xiangyun pretended to hesitate: "You've already met him before, why see him again?" Rui Yu said: "Before, we were strangers, so when he knelt, I couldn't properly return the gesture. Now we're family, so why not meet again? We can greet him properly, call him brother-in-law, and be more affectionate." Xiangyun said: "It's not difficult to have him come. I'm just afraid that when he sees you, he'll act like he did before—kneeling and going crazy, which would be inappropriate and offend you two sisters." Rui Yu said: "Before, no one was there to restrain him, so he acted impulsively. Now that you're here to keep him in check, he won't dare to be so bold." Rui Zhu said to Rui Yu: "You're wasting your breath. How would she be willing to let us meet the man she loves? When we swore our alliance, we said we'd share both misfortune and happiness, but that's just empty talk now. We should just hope she doesn't hold a grudge about the past and ignores those kneeling incidents—that's enough. Why think about anything else?"

Xiangyun saw that Rui Zhu was getting anxious and said seriously: "Don't be in a hurry. If I wanted to enjoy him alone and not share him with you, I could have stayed at home and been happy with him day and night. Why would I bring my own jealousy to someone else's house? The fact that I'm telling you this shows I don't mean any harm. Now, let's discuss this fairly and set some rules so that after we meet, there won't be any competition. Then I'll call him in to meet you." Rui Zhu said: "If you're willing to do this, our sworn sisterhood (结拜) wasn't in vain. Please set the rules, and we'll follow them." Xiangyun said: "Since I was with him before you two, logically there should be a distinction between wife and concubines, between senior and junior. But since we're close sisters, we shouldn't argue about such things—we'll just go by age. Whether we're having fun during the day or night, we'll always go from oldest to youngest, no cutting in line. And in our words, we should leave some room. Don't use the advantages of youth to highlight the shortcomings of maturity, making him think the later ones are better; don't be too close to new lovers and neglect old ones, making me feel abandoned like a discarded fish. If we follow these rules, we'll naturally get along. Will you agree?" Rui Zhu and Rui Yu both replied: "This is very fair. We're more afraid you won't agree than we won't. What reason do we have to disagree?" Xiangyun said: "In that case, let me write a note to call him here." She took out a piece of flower-patterned paper and wrote two lines of poetry: "Companions of the Heavenly Platform, waiting together for their lover Liu."

After writing these two lines, she folded the note several times and put it into the pen holder. Rui Yu asked: "Why only write two lines? What kind of poem is this?" Rui Zhu said: "I know what Sister Yun is thinking—she doesn't want him to rack his brains. She's leaving the last two lines for him to complete, so he won't need to write a reply. You love him too much." Xiangyun smiled, sealed the poem, gave it to the maid, and instructed her to take it to her own room and throw it through the crack in the wooden wall, then bring back a response.

After the maid left, Rui Zhu asked: "How did you get him to come to your house? How many nights has it been?" Xiangyun told them in detail about how he lived next door, how they met, and how many nights they had spent together. Rui Yu asked: "How is his performance?" Xiangyun said: "When it comes to his performance, it's enough to make people fall madly in love. You two only know he's handsome, but you have no idea his endowment is a priceless treasure. No woman has ever seen or even heard of such a thing." Upon hearing this, Rui Zhu and Rui Yu became even more curious, like exam candidates stopping a student who had already taken the exam to ask about the questions—whether it was big or small, long or short, whether it was within the curriculum, whether they were given candles, they asked about everything. Since they had just finished eating and the bowls hadn't been cleared away, when they asked about its length, Xiangyun picked up a chopstick and said: "It's as long as this chopstick." When they asked about its size, she took a teacup and said: "It's as thick as this cup." When they asked about its hardness, she pointed to a bowl of tofu and said: "It's as hard as this tofu." Rui Zhu and Rui Yu laughed and said: "Then it's extremely soft. If that's the case, what's the use of it being long and big?" Xiangyun said: "Not at all. The hardest thing in the world is tofu. It's different from steel—steel is hard, but it softens when exposed to fire. Only tofu becomes harder the more it's heated, and his thing is the same; it can't be softened. That's why I compared it to tofu." Rui Zhu and Rui Yu said: "We don't believe there's such a treasure." Xiangyun said: "What I've said doesn't even cover all its strengths. It has two other wonderful qualities. If I tell you about them, you won't believe me even more. You'll have to experience them for yourself when the time comes." Rui Zhu and Rui Yu said: "Just tell us, whether we believe it or not." Xiangyun then described how it starts small and gets bigger, and starts cold and gets hotter. After hearing this, both of them felt their desire rise, their ears and faces turned red, and they immediately wanted him to come so they could test his extraordinary skills.

Unexpectedly, the maid was gone for a long time and didn't return. It turned out Wei Yangsheng wasn't at home. She was sitting in the room waiting when Shusheng saw her, climbed over the wooden wall, and they made love for a long time. It wasn't until Wei Yangsheng returned and sent Shusheng away that they finally got a reply. The three of them opened it and saw that he truly understood their meaning—he had added two lines to the original poem: "Prepare sesame rice early, to satisfy our hungry hearts when we meet."

When Rui Zhu and Rui Yu saw the poem, they knew everything was settled for tonight and couldn't help but feel overjoyed. Xiangyun said: "We need to agree on a proper order for tonight's activities to avoid everyone rushing to be first when the time comes." Rui Zhu knew in her heart that since Xiangyun had already spent several nights with him, she should let the newcomers go first, and it wouldn't be right to follow the age-based order tonight. However, she deliberately said modestly: "You just set the rules—from oldest to youngest, from senior to junior—so naturally you should go first." Xiangyun said: "That's what makes sense logically, but tonight is different. As the saying goes, 'The first to enter is the host, the later ones are guests.' Since I've already spent several nights with him, I'm the host. Tonight, let's follow the etiquette of host and guests—let you two each have a turn first, then we'll follow the age order. Don't be falsely modest; naturally, Sister Zhu should go first tonight. But should you two each have a full night, or should you split it into halves for fairness? Discuss it and let me know." Rui Zhu and Rui Yu thought for a moment and said together: "We can't say—we'll follow the head of the family's instructions." Xiangyun said: "A full night each would be satisfying, but it would be hard for the one waiting. Maybe splitting into halves would be better. What do you think?" Unexpectedly, both of them had hidden thoughts they couldn't express and just remained silent. Xiangyun said: "I know what you're thinking. The first one is worried he won't give his all, saving himself for the second round, so she doesn't respond. The second one is worried he'll be at the end of his strength, like a strong crossbow that's lost its power, so she doesn't respond either. Let me tell you honestly—his abilities can handle several women at once." She turned to Rui Zhu and said: "Even if you slept with him all night, you could only handle half the night of actual action. You'd probably beg to stop before midnight anyway, so you might as well pass him on." Then she turned to Rui Yu and said: "The later you come after drinking, the better it gets, and his 'wine' is clearly better in the second half. You two don't need to be suspicious."

Rui Zhu and Rui Yu's secret was exposed by her, and they became suspicious, but both responded, "We'll obey your orders." Xiangyun then instructed the maidservant to wait at the door. Before long, Wei Yangsheng was brought in. When Rui Zhu and Rui Yu saw him arrive, they pretended to be shy and took a step back, allowing Xiangyun to greet him. Wei Yangsheng bowed deeply to Xiangyun and said, "Please ask the two younger sisters to come forward and meet me." Xiangyun took each of them by the hand and introduced them to him. After meeting, Rui Zhu called for the maid to bring tea, but Xiangyun said, "No need for tea. He has been longing for the two of you. Each of you should send the jade fruit from your mouths to him as tea instead." She then handed their hands to Wei Yangsheng. When Wei Yangsheng took their hands, he embraced both of them, first extending his tongue into Rui Zhu's mouth for her to taste for a while, then into Rui Yu's mouth for her to taste as well. He then brought the three mouths together to form a "品" (pin) character (which means "three mouths"), and then held both tongues in his mouth to taste for a while before finally letting go.

Then the maid set the evening meal. Wei Yangsheng sat in the upper seat, Xiangyun in the lower seat, with Rui Zhu on the left and Rui Yu on the right. After the four of them finished their meal and were about to clear the dishes, Wei Yangsheng pulled Xiangyun aside and asked, "May I ask my lady, how shall we sleep tonight?" Xiangyun replied, "I've already decided for you: the first half of the night is for Rui Zhu, and the second half for Rui Yu." Wei Yangsheng asked, "Then what about you, my lady?" Xiangyun said, "Tonight I'll modestly step back and let the two of them enjoy. Tomorrow night we'll start taking turns, one person per night according to age order. But you must do well tonight to satisfy my expectations." Wei Yangsheng said, "That goes without saying. I just feel bad for you." Xiangyun then told the maid to light a lamp and escort Wei Yangsheng and Rui Zhu inside. She stayed with Rui Yu, afraid she would feel lonely, and chatted with her for a while before going to bed herself.

After Rui Zhu and Wei Yangsheng entered the room, they undressed and got into bed to make love. At first, it was quite difficult, but Rui Zhu remembered the wonderful things that had been said during the day. She knew that the future pleasure would more than make up for the current pain, so she endured it, biting her lip and letting him thrust. Every moment she hoped he would grow bigger, every moment she wished he would get hotter. As he thrust more, he indeed became bigger and hotter, like an extremely large dildo filled with boiling water and inserted inside. Even if he didn't move, just staying inside was a pleasure. She now realized that what had been said during the day was not an exaggeration—"precious treasure" could indeed be another name for this thing. She hugged Wei Yangsheng tightly and said, "My dear, with such a beautiful face and this precious treasure on your body, are you trying to make all the women in the world long for you to death?" Wei Yangsheng replied, "Only when something can make people want to die, can it make people long to death. My dear, are you willing to give up your life and let me make you die?" Rui Zhu said, "When encountering such a thing, why would I still want to live? I just want to do it more times before dying, so I can die willingly. Don't take my life on the first try." Wei Yangsheng then thrust with all his might. Although Rui Zhu's vagina was deep, her clitoris was positioned very shallowly—only one or two inches of penetration could reach the sensitive spot, so every thrust hit the mark. After about five hundred thrusts, she became delirious with pleasure, couldn't stop crying out, "My dear, I'm going to die now. Please spare me!" Wei Yangsheng wanted to showcase his abilities and pretended not to hear, not holding back his strength. He continued from the first watch until the second watch. When he saw her limbs go limp and cold air rush from her mouth, he knew she was no longer a match and stopped. He hugged her tightly and they slept for a while. When Rui Zhu woke up, she said, "My dear, you're so skilled! Now my sister is waiting in her room. Go to her." Wei Yangsheng said, "It's pitch black. How can I find my way there?" Rui Zhu replied, "Let me call a maid to take you." She then called a maid to wake up and escort Wei Yangsheng there.

The maidservant was a fifteen or sixteen-year-old virgin. Earlier, she had heard the violent movements of their lovemaking, which made her feel an unbearable itch in her private parts, and she had leaked an unknown amount of vaginal fluid. Now, holding Wei Yangsheng's hand, she couldn't bear to let him go. When they reached a secluded spot, she said to Wei Yangsheng, "Why are you so cruel? You had such a wonderful time just now, why don't you let me taste it?" She wrapped one arm around Wei Yangsheng and used the other to pull down her own pants. Seeing her urgency, Wei Yangsheng couldn't refuse, so he told her to lie under the lounge couch. He then spread her vulva open, took out his penis without even applying saliva, and thrust directly into her. The maidservant had never been with a man before; she had imagined that thing was like delicious soup, so she had pulled him to do it and even worried he might refuse. Unexpectedly, when he thrust his penis in, she felt unbearable pain and cried out. Realizing she was a virgin, Wei Yangsheng applied a lot of saliva and thrust hard again. She cried out again, "It's impossible! If you keep doing this, there's no pleasure at all. Why does my mistress feel happy when she does it?" Wei Yangsheng explained that for first-time women, it hurts until the skin breaks and bleeds, and they need to do it more than ten times before they start to feel pleasure. He comforted her, "My equipment is too big for you. I have a young servant named 'Shu Si'; his equipment is smaller. I'll bring him here tomorrow to do it with you a few times first, and then it will be fine when I do it with you."

The maidservant was extremely grateful. She got up, put on her pants, and led him to walk. When they reached Rui Yu's door, they saw bright candles burning in the room, waiting for him. When the maid inside heard footsteps, she opened the door and let him in. Wei Yangsheng walked to the bed and said, "My dear, I'm late. Please don't be angry." He then took off his clothes, lifted the covers, climbed onto Rui Yu's stomach, and thrust his penis into her. At first, it was painful, just like with Rui Zhu, but when they reached the peak of pleasure, her delirious expression was different from Rui Zhu's—she looked almost pitiful. What was the reason for this? She was three or four years younger than Rui Zhu, her body was frail and delicate beyond comparison. She was someone who would be afraid of being blown over by the wind when standing on the steps and needed support on all sides when sitting on a chair. How could she endure such activity? After a few hundred thrusts, her starry eyes were barely open, her red lips half-parted, and though she had things on her mind, she couldn't say them out loud. It was obvious her weak body couldn't handle it and her soul was about to leave her body. If he continued for a while longer, she would surely be in danger of losing her life. Wei Yangsheng felt unbearable pity and asked, "My dear, can't you take it anymore?" Rui Yu couldn't answer, only nodded her head. Wei Yangsheng then climbed off her, let her rest for a while. He wanted to continue but knew she couldn't take it; if he didn't continue, he couldn't bear to stop loving her. In the end, he just held her on his stomach and they slept until dawn.

Early in the morning, Xiangyun and Rui Zhu got up to discuss long-term plans, so they went to Rui Yu's bedside to urge Wei Yangsheng to get up. When they lifted the curtain, they saw Rui Yu lying on top and Wei Yangsheng lying underneath, so they woke them up and laughed, "No need to buy candles for lighting tonight!" The three sisters laughed for a while, then discussed with Wei Yangsheng, "Now that you come at night and leave in the morning, you will eventually be seen by others. Even your own family will investigate if you don't come home every night. How can we arrange for you to stay here for a while, not going back even during the day? We don't have to necessarily have sex; even playing chess, composing poetry, and chatting would be enjoyable. Do you have any good idea?" Wei Yangsheng said, "I had a brilliant plan all worked out before I came." The three asked, "What's the plan?" Wei Yangsheng said, "My concubine is currently pregnant and can't have sex. Yesterday, I told her that I've been away from home for a long time and haven't returned. Now, while you're pregnant, I should go back to my hometown to visit. It will only take about three months round trip, and I'll come back to see you give birth. This way, I won't have to go back after you give birth, which would interfere with our pleasure. She thought my words made perfect sense. Today, I'll go back home, pack my luggage, and leave, saying I'm returning to my hometown, but I'll actually have it carried directly to your house. In these three months, not only can we compose poetry, play chess, and tell jokes, but we could even put on a few plays if we wanted to."

The three women were overjoyed upon hearing this and all praised the clever plan. Wei Yangsheng said, "There's one more thing I need to discuss with the three of you. I have two servants—one left at home and one brought with me. The young one has a bit of his master's style. If we don't give him some sweetness, what will we do if he goes back home and reveals our secret?" Rui Zhu said, "That's not difficult. We have plenty of maids in the house; just let him go enjoy himself with them. Not only will this tie the servant to us, but it will also keep the maids' mouths shut, preventing them from gossiping when our men return." Wei Yangsheng said, "That makes sense." The four reached an agreement and sent Wei Yangsheng back home. That night, he had his luggage carried over. From then on, not only did Wei Yangsheng revel among the beautiful women, but his accompanying servant also enjoyed the blessings of tenderness. It's just a pity that the spring scenery in his old garden would soon fade, leaving him with a sigh that's unbearable to recall.

Commentary: Xiangyun does not feel jealous of her allies and even shares her beloved with like-minded friends. Although her actions are improper, her loyalty in friendship is commendable. Such qualities are hard to find even among upright men. Today's sworn brothers, when pursuing common goals that may not all be upright, often have even more intense jealousy than those who are not sworn allies. It is fortunate that such men were not born as women; if they were, they would surely indulge in all the world's lewd behaviors until they are satisfied.

Volume Four: Post-Enlightenment Zen / 卷四：觉后禪

Chapter Sixteen: True Pleasure Meets Disaster Halfway Living Spring Palace Robbed in a Box

The poem says: How can a heart bear to waste such a fine spring day, / In the small pavilion, adding threads to embroider green silk. / When embroidering mandarin ducks, the needle suddenly breaks, / Even good things in the painting encounter many obstacles.

Xiangyun, Rui Zhu, and Rui Yu hid Wei Yangsheng in their home and followed a fixed rule: each would sleep with him for one night in rotation. After several cycles, Wei Yangsheng added a new rule called "three divisions and one unity": after three nights of sleeping separately, they would sleep together for one night; after one night together, they would return to the three-night rotation. This allowed the three sisters to experience the joy of shared intimacy. After adding this new rule, they set up a wide bed, made a five-foot-long high pillow, and sewed an eight-paneled large quilt. On nights when they slept together, the three sisters would lie side by side, and Wei Yangsheng would never touch the bed directly—he would only roll around on top of them. When he rolled onto any one of them and felt aroused, he would make love to her. Luckily, all three women's sexual endurance wasn't very high: the most could only handle one or two hundred thrusts, and the least couldn't even handle a hundred before reaching orgasm. After the one in the middle had her orgasm, it would be the turn of the one on the left; after the left one had hers, the right one would have her turn. They only needed the first one or two watch periods to complete their正事, and the rest of the time they could caress each other tenderly and enjoy each other's company.

One day, Xiangyun, Rui Zhu, and Rui Yu were secretly discussing: "The three of us have such a divine being and precious treasure to enjoy by our side, which is an extreme stroke of luck. However, there's one thing to consider: as the saying goes, good fortune is often accompanied by misfortune. We need to prepare for adversity when we're in prosperity. If outsiders find out about this and gossip spreads, it will be difficult for him to stay, which would be inappropriate." Rui Zhu said, "Our house is deep and secluded, with no idle people entering. How could anyone outside know about what's happening in the rooms? Even our own servants are only allowed to wait outside the second gate and aren't permitted to come in. The only one we're afraid of is a woman—if she finds out, our good times will be over." Xiangyun asked, "Who is she?" Rui Zhu replied, "It's Chen Gu (a lascivious widow). You know she's extremely lascivious. Although she's a widow, when is she not thinking about men? Besides, that day when we went to burn incense, she went crazy when she saw him kowtow, as if she wanted to kneel down and return his bow. She just couldn't do it openly. When we returned home, she praised him repeatedly for his beauty and said it was a pity she didn't know him. If she knew his name and where he lived, she would definitely not let him go. Tell me—if someone who admires him finds out we're hiding him at home to enjoy, how could she not be jealous and plot against us? If she plots against us, we'll face unexpected disasters, not just the end of our good times." Xiangyun said, "You're right. She is indeed a lascivious person, and we can't ignore this." Rui Zhu said, "At first, I was afraid the maids would leak the secret, but now we've silenced them with books (bribes), so they probably won't spread gossip. What we're afraid of is her seeing it with her own eyes. When she usually comes over, she sneaks into the room quietly without making a sound. Her eyes are like a rat stealing oil, darting around as if someone is hiding something from her. Now we need to prepare: first, we should strictly instruct the maids to take turns watching at the junction between the two sides. When they see her coming, they must give a signal—either a cough or a call—so we can hide him; second, we need to find a hiding place where she won't bump into him or find him."

Rui Yu asked, "Where would be a good place to hide him?" The three discussed various options—some suggested hiding behind the door, others under the bed—but Rui Zhu said, "These are not good plans. Her thief-like eyes are so sharp; how could someone hiding behind the door or under the bed not be found by her?" After thinking for a while, she suddenly saw a bamboo box used for storing ancient paintings. It was six feet long, two feet wide, and three feet deep, with a layer of bamboo silk on the outside and thin wooden boards on the inside. Pointing at it, Rui Zhu said, "This is perfect. It's not too big or too small. If we remove the ancient paintings inside, one person can sleep in it. When it's urgent, we can hide him inside, and she'll never know. The only concern is that it might get too stuffy, but if we remove two of the thin boards inside, it won't be a problem." Xiangyun and Rui Yu said, "That's truly brilliant." They made up their minds, instructed the maids to take turns keeping watch, removed two thin boards from the inside of the bamboo box, and told Wei Yangsheng to hide in it whenever a woman came, without making a sound. After implementing this plan, Chen Gu did come several times, but the maids gave signals, Wei Yangsheng quickly hid inside, and not a trace of him could be seen.

One day by chance, the three sisters were destined to discover something. While rummaging through Wei Yangsheng's box, they found a notebook. Opening it, they saw many women's names, ranked by beauty level, followed by comments—all in Wei Yangsheng's own handwriting. They asked, "When did you create this notebook? What is it for?" Wei Yangsheng replied, "I started this while I was staying at the temple, registering women as I saw them. When it's complete, I plan to select a few 'Jade Bamboo Students' to engage in sexual relations with and tend to regularly." The three asked, "Have you already chosen these Jade Bamboo Students?" Wei Yangsheng said, "You three are the ones." The three laughed, "We can't believe you would rate us so highly." Wei Yangsheng said, "No need to doubt." He then looked up their rankings and comments and showed them to the women. After reading carefully, all three were pleased. Only Xiangyun noticed that her comments were slightly less detailed than the others, which left her somewhat unsatisfied. Fortunately, Wei Yangsheng had foreseen this. Fearing Xiangyun's reaction, he had already added an extra circle to her two circles, raising her from first class to special class. So when Xiangyun looked at it, although there were differences in detail, there was no difference in rank, and she didn't mind.

When they read further, they found another entry called "Black-robed Woman" whose comments were comparable to those of Rui Zhu and Rui Yu. The three were shocked and asked in unison, "Who is this beautiful woman, and what family is she from?" Wei Yangsheng said, "It's the one who came with you two that day—how could you forget?" Upon hearing this, Rui Zhu and Rui Yu laughed loudly, "So it's that old thing! At her age and with her appearance, how could she be ranked special class alongside us three? This is absurd!" Xiangyun said, "If that's the case, our rankings are no longer a source of pride but of shame. What's the point of keeping such comments? We might as well erase them." Wei Yangsheng tried to explain the situation, telling them the old saying "When one person is blessed, the whole house benefits." But the three "students" began to clamor loudly, refusing to let their "teacher" speak. Rui Zhu and Rui Yu said, "Sister Xiangyun is right. We should all be removed, leaving that old student to take the top spot alone." Rui Zhu then picked up a brush, erased all three of their names and comments, and wrote a new comment: "Huaiyin is young, Jiang and Guan are old. We dare not walk side by side; we respectfully abdicate."

After writing the comment, they said to Wei Yangsheng, "This Jade Bamboo Student is fortunately not far away, and you can easily reach her through the side door. Please go tend to her—we three don't need your cultivation anymore."

Wei Yangsheng saw that they were collectively angry and knew he couldn't handle the situation directly. He had to humble himself, enduring their scolding without responding. Only after their anger had subsided did he explain the truth: "I was acting out of my love for you three. I wanted to use her as an intermediary to get to know you all better, so I flattered her a bit. It wasn't a fair assessment—please don't blame me too much." The three women finally released their collective anger after hearing this. Wei Yangsheng then, after they had calmed down, put on a smile and sought intimacy. He took off his clothes first, got into bed, and waited for the three women to undress one by one. Just as he was about to climb on top, the gatekeeper maid coughed. The three women recognized this as a signal, so they quickly put their clothes back on. They left Xiangyun inside to hide the person, while Rui Zhu and Rui Yu hurried out to greet the visitor. Wei Yangsheng had taken off his clothes first, and they were buried under the women's clothes, making them impossible to find. By the time everyone had finished dressing and found his clothes, it was too late to put them on. He had no choice but to crawl into the box completely naked.

Let's talk about Huachen. When she arrived in the main hall and saw Rui Zhu and Rui Yu, she noticed that both looked extremely panicked. She became suspicious, thinking that the three women must be up to something improper. She wanted to rush into the bedroom to check what was happening. But little did she know that the "living spring palace" had already been locked in a box. Huachen entered the room and deliberately praised, "It's been several days since I last came, and everything is even more neatly arranged." She walked around the bed and even searched inside the cabinets, but found no trace of anything. She thought she was just being suspicious and that nothing was wrong, so she sat down and chatted with the three women. However, the matter was not fully covered up, and eventually, they gave themselves away. Earlier, when the three women heard the cough, they had panicked and only had time to put on their clothes, open the box, and quickly hide the person inside. They had neglected to put away the notebook that was left on the table. It wasn't until they were talking that they noticed it. Just as they were about to retrieve it, Huachen's quick eyes spotted it and grabbed it. The three women panicked and tried to snatch it back, but they couldn't get it from her.

Xiangyun knew they couldn't take the notebook back, so she let go first. She deliberately said to Rui Zhu and Rui Yu, "It's just a damaged book I picked up on the road. Let's give it to Aunt Chen to take with her. Why are we fighting over it?" The two also let go. Huachen said, "Since Sister Xiangyun has given it to me, let me open it and see what kind of book it is." She stepped back, standing more than ten feet away from the three women, and opened the notebook. She saw the words "Extensive Collection of Spring Colors" and thought it was a book of erotic pictures. She quickly flipped to the back, first looking at the characters, then the titles, to understand its meaning. But to her surprise, she didn't find a single erotic picture—instead, there were only comments. Only then did she realize it was a notebook where a passionate scholar evaluated beautiful women, which was even more interesting than erotic pictures. She carefully read all the comments. When she came to an entry called "Black-robed Beauty," the comments after it seemed to describe her perfectly, and she couldn't help but feel moved. She thought to herself, "Could this notebook have been made by the person I met at the temple?" She flipped back to the front to check the heading and saw the words "On a certain day, encountered three national beauties" written before the names. After thinking about the terms "silver red" and "lotus root color" for a while, she was certain it was about them. When she saw the comment "Huaiyin is young, Jiang and Guan are old," she recognized it as Rui Zhu's handwriting. She put on a stern expression, hid the notebook in her sleeve, and deliberately sighed, "Cangjie, the creator of Chinese characters, was truly a sage."

Xiangyun asked, "How do you know that?" Huachen replied, "Every character he created has an explanation. For example, the character 'jian' (adultery) is made up of three 'nu' (woman) characters, just like the three of you living together and committing adultery. Don't you know the brilliance of Cangjie's character creation?" Rui Zhu and Rui Yu said, "We live together, but we haven't done anything improper. Where did you get that idea?" Huachen said, "If you didn't do it, where did this notebook come from?" Xiangyun said, "I picked it up on the road when I came here." Huachen said, "Don't lie to me. Now I just want to know where the person who made this notebook is. If you bring him out properly, everything will be fine. If you don't tell me, I'll write a letter, seal this notebook inside, and send it to your husbands, telling them to come back and talk to you about it."

The three women saw her unfriendly expression and didn't dare to argue with her. They only insisted that they had picked up the notebook on the road and had no idea who had made it or where he lived. As Huachen questioned them, she looked around the room. She had checked everywhere else, but only the painting box hadn't been examined. It was usually left open—why was it suddenly locked? There must be a reason. She said, "Since you won't confess, I'll temporarily drop the matter and investigate another day. However, there are several scrolls of ancient paintings in that box. Could you open it for me to see?" Rui Zhu said, "I don't know where the key is. I haven't been able to find it for several days. When I find it, I'll take out the paintings and send them to you to see." Huachen said, "That's not difficult. I have many keys at home that can open it." She ordered her maidservant to fetch them. In no time, the maidservant returned with hundreds of keys. Huachen took them and went to unlock the box. The three women stood there like statues—they couldn't get angry, and they couldn't stop her, so they just had to let her try. They still hoped that her keys wouldn't match and that she wouldn't be able to open it. But to their surprise, she didn't need a second key—the first one worked. When she lifted the lid, she saw a snow-white man sleeping inside, with a fleshy club lying across his leg. Even in its flaccid state, it was enough to surprise the viewer. One could only imagine what it would look like when erect. Seeing such a remarkable treasure, Huachen couldn't bear to disturb him. She put the lid back on and locked it with the original lock. Then she turned to the three women and angrily said, "What a wonderful thing you've done! When did you bring this man in? How many nights has each of you slept with him? Confess honestly! If you don't, I'll report this to the authorities and tell my maidservant to notify the neighbors that we've caught an adulterer. I'll ask them to come in and verify it first, then we'll carry the box to the officials."

Xiangyun, Rui Zhu, and Rui Yu turned pale with fright. They had no choice but to step aside and discuss the matter. Xiangyun said, "She's serious. If we ignore her, she'll turn this into a real problem. We should go and negotiate with her, let's release this man and share him with her." So they all went to Huachen and said, "This good thing shouldn't have excluded you, sister. We know we're in the wrong now and don't dare to make excuses. We only ask for your forgiveness. We'll bring out the person in the box to apologize." Huachen said, "What kind of apology are you planning? I'd like to hear about it!" Xiangyun said, "To be honest, the three of us have been sharing him equally. Now we want to include you as well." Huachen laughed loudly and said, "What a wonderful way to apologize! You've hidden him in your home and slept with him for who knows how many days. Only now that you've been exposed do you want to include me. Do you think we can just ignore all the nights you've already spent with him?" Rui Zhu asked, "What do you want us to do then?" Huachen replied, "If we want to settle this privately, he has to come back with me. I'll enjoy him for a while to make up for the nights I missed. Then I'll return him to you, and you can start taking turns with him again, one night each. That's acceptable to me. Otherwise, we'll handle this publicly. We'll both lose out, but I'm willing to do that. What do you say?" Rui Yu said, "If that's the case, we should agree on a specific number of nights. Three nights or five nights would be fine, then you can send him back." Huachen said, "I can't decide on the number yet. I'll take him back and question him. However many nights he says the three of you have slept with him, that's how many nights I'll sleep with him before returning him." The three women thought to themselves: Wei Yangsheng loves us, so he probably won't tell her the truth. He might say we've only slept with him a few nights. So they all agreed, "If that's the case, he's only been here for one or two nights. You can take him back and question him."

After the three women agreed, they were about to open the box and let Wei Yangsheng come out to go with her. Huachen was afraid he might escape, so she said to the three women, "If we walk over during the day, the servants will see us, which is not good. I have a wonderful plan - we don't even need to unlock the box. Just say this box of ancient paintings originally belongs to my family, then call some servants to carry the entire box, with him inside, over to my place." Without waiting for their response, she ordered her maidservant to call the servants. In no time, four servants arrived, picked up the painting box on their shoulders, and carried it away quickly. Poor these three sisters, they felt as sad as mourning women sending a coffin, but they couldn't cry out. Not only were they reluctant to see this living erotic painting being carried away in the box, but they also feared the person inside would be exhausted to death by the lewd woman, with a way to go there but no way to come back. Because the book box was no different from a coffin, they were afraid it was an inauspicious sign.

Commentary: When reading the chapter where they meet in the temple, one might suspect that Huachen would have her moment with Wei Yangsheng before Rui Zhu and Rui Yu. However, the few lines commenting on Huachen are like the thread that strings pearls or the brick that draws jade. Who would have thought that the author's mind is no different from the Creator's—there is a unique arrangement that refuses to be dictated by human calculations. The easiest person to obtain actually comes after the most difficult ones, which can be described as extremely strange and wonderfully fantastical.

Chapter 17: Gaining Advantage Through Deception; Suffering Harm from Arrogance

Huachen carried Wei Yangsheng back to her home. After sending the steward away, she opened her chest, took out a set of men's clothes, an old hat, and shoes and socks that her late husband used to wear, and placed them beside the book box. Then she unlocked the golden lock, invited Wei Yangsheng out, and helped him dress. They first exchanged greetings, then sat facing each other. Wei Yangsheng had a sharp, deceitful tongue. He said, "After meeting you at the temple, I have thought of you all day long, not knowing your honored name and having no way to find you. Fortunately, today heaven has granted us this fate, turning misfortune into blessing, allowing me to finally see your beautiful face." Because Huachen had seen the critique and thought he truly admired her, she took his lies as truth and was delighted. She couldn't wait until evening, so the two went to bed together. Her body wasn't extremely plump, but it was quite substantial. As soon as Wei Yangsheng climbed on top of her, she hugged him tightly, gave him a kiss, and called him "darling." Wei Yangsheng felt a tingling sensation all over his body, thinking that although he had slept with many women, he had never experienced such pleasure.

What's the reason for this? You must understand that women fall into two categories: those who are visually appealing and those who are practically satisfying. The visually appealing may not be practically satisfying, and the practically satisfying may not be visually appealing. Visually appealing women have "three desirable qualities": they should be thin, not plump; small, not large; delicate and timid, not strong and robust. That's why beautiful women painted on walls are always thin, small, and delicate—never with large, plump bodies or vigorous energy. Painted beauties are meant to be looked at, not to be used. Practically satisfying women also have "three desirable qualities": they should be plump, not thin; large, not small; strong and robust, not delicate and timid. Why do practically satisfying women need these three qualities? When a man lies on a woman, first, she should be as soft as a mattress; second, their bodies should be well-matched; third, she should be able to bear his weight. A thin woman is like a stone bed or wooden couch—lying on her causes pain all over the body. How can she compare to a plump woman, who is warm and soft? Just lying on her, without doing anything else, naturally numbs the body and refreshes the spirit. Therefore, plump is better than thin. Sleeping with a short woman means their bodies don't match—if you align the top, the bottom doesn't fit; if you align the bottom, the top doesn't fit. It's like being with a child, which can't be enjoyable. Therefore, large is better than small. A man can weigh over a hundred catties (more than 60 kilograms), or at least seventy to eighty catties. If a woman isn't strong and robust, how can she bear that weight? Lying on a delicate, timid woman, you're constantly afraid of crushing her. Pursuing pleasure should be about being natural—how can it be enjoyable if you have to be cautious and anxious? Therefore, strong and robust is better than delicate and timid.

So it seems that being visually appealing and practically satisfying are contradictory. If a woman can possess both qualities, even if she only has eight-tenths of beauty, she is perfect. Although Huachen was older, she truly combined both virtues. As Wei Yangsheng lay on the bed, Huachen revealed her strengths—she wrapped her soft shoulders around his upper body and her soft legs around his lower body, like a fluffy mattress enfolding him in the middle. Can you imagine how pleasurable that was? Wei Yangsheng had only been with thin, small, delicate women before; he had never experienced such joy. Before they even started, he felt a tingling sensation all over his body. His physical pleasure made his manhood exceptionally strong and firm, so he thrust his penis directly into her vagina. Since Huachen had given birth, her vagina was naturally spacious, so she entered a state of bliss without pain. After just ten thrusts, she hugged Wei Yangsheng and cried, "Darling, hurry up. I'm going to climax!" Before Wei Yangsheng could thrust ten more times, she called out again, "Darling, stop moving. I'm climaxing!" Wei Yangsheng pressed the glans of his penis against her G-spot and paused for a moment. After she finished climaxing, they continued. As they did so, he asked, "Darling, why are you so easily satisfied? You climaxed after less than thirty thrusts. Your three nieces need two or three hundred thrusts at most, or one or two hundred at least, to climax. I thought they were easy to satisfy, but who knew there's an even easier woman among them." Huachen replied, "Don't underestimate me. I'm the hardest woman to satisfy. I won't climax until there are one or two thousand thrusts. Even at one or two thousand thrusts, when I'm about to climax, it takes a lot of effort. It's not as simple as just thrusting to make me climax."

Wei Yangsheng said, "If you have such ability, why were you so easily satisfied just now? Could it be a fake climax to deceive me?" Huachen replied, "It's not a fake climax to deceive you. There's a reason. I haven't seen a man in over ten years, and my sexual desire is extremely strong. When I suddenly saw you—handsome and with such a large member—I was overjoyed. So as soon as you entered, my vaginal fluid came out unconsciously. This climax was my own doing; it had nothing to do with your thrusting. If you don't believe me, just watch this time—it won't be like before." Wei Yangsheng said, "I see. There's still something I don't understand from what you said earlier. You mentioned that even with one or two thousand thrusts, it takes a lot of effort, and it's not just thrusting that makes you climax. That's really hard to understand. Could there be other ways besides thrusting?" Huachen said, "The method is just this, but we need to add some stimulating techniques—either make sounds or say erotic things to arouse me, then I'll climax. If there are no sounds below and no erotic words above, it's like having sex with a mute man—what's the fun in that? No matter how long you do it, even until dawn, my vaginal fluid won't come. But there's one thing: my way of climaxing is different from others. I feel like I die for a moment before coming back to life. I'm telling you in advance so you won't be scared if you see me 'die.'"

Wei Yangsheng said, "So it seems that only a strong, robust man with great energy can make you climax. My energy isn't first-class, but it's in the top tier of second-class—maybe I can satisfy you. But I wonder how your late husband's energy was?" Huachen replied, "His energy wasn't even second-class; it was only in the top tier of third-class. He was extremely fond of seducing other women and did many unethical things. He once told me that other women's vaginas are made of flesh, but yours is made of iron—no matter how hard I try, I can't make you climax. So he came up with many stimulating methods to arouse my desire, making it easier to have sex later. Regardless of one or two thousand thrusts, if my heart is happy, I'll climax." Wei Yangsheng said, "If that's the case, what were those methods like?" Huachen said, "Those methods are very easy to do and very interesting. There are just three things." Wei Yangsheng asked, "What are the three things?"

Huachen recited: "Looking at erotic pictures, reading pornographic books, listening to erotic sounds." Wei Yangsheng said, "I did both 'looking at erotic pictures' and 'reading pornographic books' when I first got married—they are indeed interesting things. But as for 'listening to erotic sounds,' not only have I never done it, I can't even understand what it means. What is 'listening to erotic sounds'?" Huachen replied, "I have always loved listening to people having sex, as it can arouse me. When my late husband was alive, I deliberately told him to seduce the maids, making sure he did it very loudly and urgently, until the maids were so pleasured that they cried out. When I was extremely aroused by their sounds, I would cough, and he would fly over, carry me to bed, insert his penis, and thrust wildly. No strategy—just wild, fierce action. When we do it this way, not only do I feel pleasure below, but my heart is also filled with joy. In just seven or eight hundred thrusts, I'll climax. This method is even more interesting than looking at erotic pictures or reading pornographic books." Wei Yangsheng said, "This theory is very novel and interesting. But there's one thing: according to what you just said, your husband's energy was quite weak—how could he first have sex with the maids and then with the mistress? Moreover, he had to do it very loudly and urgently at first; by the time he rushed over, he must have been at the end of his strength—how could he continue with wild action? I can't believe this." Huachen explained, "He didn't actually have sex at first—there was someone else to take his place. Even later during the wild action, he needed help from that substitute. Otherwise, how could he sustain it?" Wei Yangsheng said, "I know who the substitute is—could it be someone with the surname 'Jiao' (dildo)?" Huachen replied, "Indeed. I have plenty of those things at home. Today is our first time together, so we probably won't need to go to that extent to make me climax. But tomorrow when we have sex, we'll need to use this method."

Upon hearing this, Wei Yangsheng abandoned any strategy, thrusting wildly and fiercely without restraint. After thousands of thrusts, Huachen's pleasure naturally spread from her vagina to her heart. Her hands and feet turned cold, her eyes were fixed, and her mouth was open—she looked just like a dead person. If Huachen hadn't told him beforehand, Wei Yangsheng would have been terrified. Indeed, after a moment of seeming death, she finally revived. She hugged Wei Yangsheng and said, "Darling, you didn't even need the substitute to make me climax. It seems your energy is first-class—why did you say it was in the top tier of second-class?" Wei Yangsheng replied, "I rated you as first-class in the booklet, and now you're rating me as first-class too—how quickly you repay me!" Huachen asked, "I was just about to ask you: who erased the three names in the booklet, and who added the comment at the end?" Wei Yangsheng didn't want to say, so he just claimed he didn't know. Huachen said, "Even though you won't tell me, I understand perfectly. Those three think I'm old and fading—do they think they're worthy of being compared to me? They see themselves as Han Xin (a brilliant general of the Han dynasty) and me as Zhou Bo and Guan Ying (mediocre generals), implying they're too good to be in the same class as me. Not to brag, but even though they're a few years younger and their complexions are a bit fairer, they're only good to look at. When it comes to performance in bed, I'm afraid they can't compare to this old woman. I'm enduring it in my heart and not arguing with them. When I have free time, I'll go over and invite them to a competition: one extraordinary man and four beautiful women, all undressing and engaging in sexual activities during the day. We'll each show our skills, and see whether youth is better or maturity is better." Wei Yangsheng said, "That makes sense—this competition is a must."

When they saw the sky darkening, they put on their clothes, and the maids set out wine and food. Huachen had a very high alcohol tolerance, comparable to Wei Yangsheng. They played finger-guessing games and drank until the first watch of the night. Taking advantage of the wine's effect, they went back to bed to make love. That night, after a long period of abstinence, his semen was easily ejaculated, so they didn't need to use the three methods. When they got up the next day, they took out many erotic pictures and pornographic books and placed them on the desk, ready to look at them when needed. He looked at the two older maids, both around seventeen or eighteen years old, who were attractive and had already lost their virginity, so they could endure it. He ordered them to stay by his side, ready to use them for enhancing pleasure. From then on, they enjoyed themselves every morning and every night, always using the three established methods. Huachen was most afraid that the people next door would come to demand the return of the original item. Since the painting box arrived, she had locked the side door. No matter how they called, she just wouldn't open it. On the fifth day of calling, Wei Yangsheng felt sorry for them and pleaded on their behalf. Huachen had no choice but to say that she wanted to sleep for seven days, and after the seventh day, she would send him back. When the three saw there was a fixed date, they stopped calling. On the eighth day, Wei Yangsheng wanted to bid farewell and go back, but Huachen still wanted to keep him in her boudoir. Fortunately, Wei Yangsheng was good at making excuses, so he was able to escape. When he opened the door and walked over, Xiangyun and her two sisters were overjoyed to see him and asked Wei Yangsheng, "How was your enjoyment overnight? How was that old thing's interest?" Wei Yangsheng was afraid they would be jealous, so he didn't praise her too much. He only told them about the three established methods for them to learn from. He even mentioned Huachen's idea of holding a competition, telling them to each strive to do their best, and not let a single day's shortcoming bury a thousand days' strengths.

After hearing this, the three secretly discussed how to scheme against Huachen, but since they had no firm plan yet, they had to put it aside. Xiangyun said, "Starting today, let's follow the previous order again—each of us takes one night with him, how about that?" Rui Zhu and Rui Yu said, "That's excellent." So the three took turns sleeping with him for three nights. On the fourth day, they were just about to prepare for a group sex session when unexpectedly, Huachen sent a note over, inviting the three of them to a grand gathering. She also contributed one tael as her share and asked them to prepare the wine and food: "Only when we drink wine while doing the deed will it be interesting." The three discussed among themselves, "Today happens to be the day we're supposed to sleep together. As the old saying goes, 'Don't kill a chicken just for an extra guest.' Even if she comes to join our gathering, it won't take much away. It's easy to put on a false show of hospitality." They immediately wrote back: "We respectfully follow your command."

Huachen has a higher status, so why didn't she ask her nieces to come to her place, but instead condescended to go to her nieces' place? You should know that she has a ten-year-old son at home. Although he's not very old, he is already sensible. At first, when she just hid Wei Yangsheng alone at home, it wasn't noticeable. But now, with one man and four women drinking and having fun together, she was afraid it couldn't be hidden, and it would be embarrassing if her son saw them. Xiangyun and her two sisters don't have any sons. As long as they close the second door, no one will see them. That's why, regardless of rank or seniority, Huachen was willing to go to their place.

After the reply was sent, after a while, Huachen came to the gathering. Wei Yangsheng saw something indistinctly moving inside her sleeve, so he asked her, "What's in your sleeve?" Huachen said, "It's an interesting thing. It's useful for both drinking and sexual activities, so I brought it." She took it out and showed it to everyone—it turned out to be a set of erotic wine cards. Wei Yangsheng said, "This thing is perfect for today's competition. Let's not look at it now. When the wine has taken effect, each of you will take one card and imitate the methods on it with me." Xiangyun said, "In that case, let the four of us look at them first to understand them, so we can imitate them better when the time comes." Wei Yangsheng said, "That makes sense." Huachen said, "I've seen them many times, and I'm very familiar with all the methods on them—no need to cram at the last minute. Now I'll step aside and let you look at them."

The three women smiled and spread out the cards, examining each one carefully. When they came to one card, they saw a young woman lying on a Taihu stone, raising her buttocks, engaging in anal intercourse with a man. They all laughed together and said, "What kind of posture is this? Why abandon proper intercourse and do such a filthy thing?" Huachen asked, "Which card is it? Let me see." Xiangyun handed it to her. After looking at it, Huachen said, "This method is modeled after a literary work. Don't you know that?" Xiangyun asked, "Which literary work is it? We haven't read it. Please teach us." Huachen said, "It's a story called 'The Story of the Maid Who Wanted to Marry'. Once upon a time, there was a beautiful young maiden who lived next door to a handsome scholar. The scholar longed for the maiden but couldn't get close to her, so he fell ill with lovesickness. He sent someone to convey his feelings to the maiden, saying that he would die content just to see her once, and wouldn't dare to do anything inappropriate. Feeling sorry for him, the maiden agreed. When they met, she sat in his arms, allowing him to hug, touch, and kiss her, but she refused to have intercourse with him. Whenever he tried to initiate it, she would reply, 'I will marry, this cannot be done.' The scholar was desperate and knelt before her pleading, but she still refused. She only kept repeating the words 'I will marry' to him. She said, "Your desire to see me is only because I'm beautiful, and you want to lean against me, to touch my skin. Now I'm sitting in your arms, allowing you to caress my whole body. Your heart's desire should be fulfilled. Why must you defile my virginity? If my future husband finds out about this when I marry, I will be ruined for life. How can this be done?" The scholar said, "When a man and woman interact, only when this three-inch thing enters the flesh can it be considered true affection. Otherwise, we will always be strangers. No matter how much we lean against each other or touch skin, it won't satisfy your heart's desire." He just kept kneeling and pleading. Unable to bear his pleading any longer, the maiden lowered her head and thought of a compromise. She said to him, "I'm going to marry, so I absolutely cannot give you that. But I can find something else to give you instead. How about that?" The scholar asked, "What else could there be besides that?" The maiden said, "I can only use the back instead of the front. Let your three-inch thing enter the flesh there, and that will satisfy your heart's desire. There's nothing more to say." Seeing her sincerity, the scholar didn't press further and agreed to this compromise, using the back passage as the front, and they became intimate. This method is modeled after that story. Such a good book, why haven't you read it?" When Xiangyun and her sisters saw how arrogant she was speaking, they were very upset. They put down the wine cards and went to the back to discuss together. They decided to join forces and plan a way to teach her a lesson.

Huachen hadn't seen Wei Yangsheng for three days, which felt like nine autumns to her. She couldn't wait for everyone to leave so she could have an intimate moment with him. They hugged and kissed, exchanging many words, before the three sisters finally came over. They told the maids to set up the wine. Wei Yangsheng sat in the main seat, Huachen sat opposite him, and Xiangyun, Rui Zhu, and Rui Yu sat on both sides. After a few rounds of drinking, Huachen called for the game cards, wanting each person to take one and follow the instructions on it for drinking. Xiangyun said, "After seeing those things, I only want to engage in sexual activities and can't even drink wine. Let's play a different game first. When we're half-drunk, we can take them out and either drink according to them or act according to them—then it won't be a problem." Wei Yangsheng said, "That makes sense." Rui Zhu then took out a color bowl. Wei Yangsheng said, "Rolling dice is tiring. Why don't we play 'scholar's fists' to determine the order? Now we'll drink in that order, and later we'll engage in sexual activities in the same order. What do you all think?" Huachen was most skilled at this game of fists. When she heard this, she was overjoyed, eager to be the 'scholar' so she could boss around the three of them. However, she worried that if she became the scholar, she would have to be the first to engage in sexual activities. She was someone who liked to observe first and act later, so she was unwilling to take the lead. After thinking for a while, she said, "The order of sexual activities doesn't need to follow the drinking order. It should be decided by the scholar—she can choose whoever she wants first or last."

Wei Yangsheng said, "That makes sense too." They all stretched out their five fists, and they started guessing from Wei Yangsheng, going all the way to Rui Yu. As expected, Huachen was the best at this game—she immediately guessed correctly and won the title of "Scholar." Before the "Second Scholar" and "Third Scholar" were determined, she started giving orders: "Since I've become the Scholar, I'm the game master. Not only must the 'Old Scholar' obey me, but even the Second Scholar and Third Scholar must be under my control. Anyone who disobeys will be fined a large cup of wine." Wei Yangsheng said, "If that's the case, please announce the rules in advance so we have a clear set of regulations." Huachen said, "For the number of drinks: starting from the Scholar down to the Third Scholar, each person will drink a progressively higher number. The Old Scholar will stand by holding the wine pot, only pouring but not drinking. For the order of sexual activities: it will be the opposite—starting from the Third Scholar up to the Second Scholar, also progressing higher. The Old Scholar will stand by holding a towel, only wiping but not participating." She then said to Wei Yangsheng, "You don't need to participate in the competition. I appoint you as the supervisor, so you'll be available for the sexual activities later." Wei Yangsheng said, "So that means I'll have plenty to do but no wine to drink." Huachen said, "You'll actually drink more than anyone else. Whenever the Scholar, Second Scholar, or Third Scholar has a drink, you must accompany them. However, you must not help the Old Scholar with her duties. Anyone who tries to help her will be fined an enormous cup of wine." Wei Yangsheng said, "She brought this upon herself by being the Old Scholar. It's none of my business—let her suffer." Xiangyun and her two sisters stared at each other, letting Huachen have her way without daring to object. Fortunately, they had anticipated this and had already devised a clever plan when they were discussing in the back. Xiangyun said to Wei Yangsheng, "Since you're the supervisor, if the game master is unfair, you must impeach her. Don't flatter her or comply with her wrongdoings. If you do, we'll raise an uproar and refuse to follow her orders." Huachen said, "If I'm unfair, you don't need the supervisor to impeach me. You can just report me, and if your accusation is proven true, I'll accept the punishment." After Huachen set the rules, they excluded Wei Yangsheng and had the three sisters compete to determine their rankings. Interestingly enough, their fist game results exactly matched their ages: Xiangyun became the Second Scholar, Rui Zhu became the Third Scholar, and Rui Yu—who couldn't handle intense sexual activity—became the Old Scholar. After the rankings were determined, Huachen ordered Rui Yu to pour the wine. She herself would drink one cup, Xiangyun two cups, and Rui Zhu three cups—with Wei Yangsheng accompanying each of them. After they finished drinking, Huachen told Rui Yu to shuffle the wine cards and place them on the table, then stand by with a towel to wipe the sexual fluids when they started engaging in sexual activities. Rui Yu didn't dare to disobey and had to follow the order.

Huachen said to Wei Yangsheng, "For the first one, I limit you to one hundred thrusts; for the second, two hundred thrusts. If you do one more or one less, you will be fined wine. Whether you ejaculate or not depends on her fortune—you don't have to worry about that. When we get to the third one, it will be my turn. As the person in charge, I'm different from everyone else. There's no count; I must ejaculate before I stop. The old scholar (Wei Yangsheng) will count the number for the first two—if there's a discrepancy, you will be fined." She then said to Xiangyun and Rui Zhu, "You two go forward and draw the cards. Whichever one you draw, you must follow that method exactly. Whether it goes well or not depends on your fortune—you are not allowed to change cards. When performing the act, you must imitate it perfectly to pass. If there's the slightest difference, in addition to the fine, we will reduce the number of thrusts." Rui Zhu asked, "If we don't do it properly, we will naturally be fined. But what if the official doesn't do it properly?" Huachen said, "If the official doesn't do it properly, I will be fined three cups of wine and start over until it's done properly." Upon hearing this, Rui Zhu reached out and drew the first card. On it, a woman was lying on a bed with her legs spread open, and a man was three feet away from her, supporting himself on his hands on the mat, thrusting into her in a position called "dragonfly touching water." Rui Zhu presented the card to everyone, then took off her pants and lay on her back on the bed. Wei Yangsheng climbed on top of her, imitating the dragonfly, inserted his penis into her vagina, and kept tapping without pause. To flatter the official, Rui Zhu became aroused and began moaning before she even reached orgasm. Every time Wei Yangsheng tapped once, she moaned once; every ten taps, she moaned ten times. She continued moaning until he stopped tapping. Xiangyun said, "Now it's my turn." She drew the second card, which showed a woman lying at the head of a spring bed, with a man standing, placing her feet on his shoulders, and pushing forcefully while supporting himself on the spring bed—a method called "pushing a boat with the current." Xiangyun also presented the card to everyone, then lay on the spring bed and imitated the position with Wei Yangsheng. Her moaning was even different from Rui Zhu's. When pushing a boat with the current is easy, the water following the boat also flows easily. The sound of waves from the bow and the sound from under the boat surged together—wouldn't you say that sounds nice?

Huachen had always secretly listened to the sounds of passion, but she had never seen such scenes of pleasure with her own eyes. Now that she had seen them, her lust was even more intense than when she used to eavesdrop, and she could hardly contain herself. After Xiangyun had completed her required number of thrusts, Huachen stood up and said, "Now it's the official's turn." She took a card with one hand while inserting the other into her pants, undoing her belt first. When she turned over the third card, she was horrified and said to everyone, "This one can't be used—I have to change it." The three sisters immediately made a commotion, first hiding the remaining cards, then looking at this one. It turned out to be "The Story of the Maid Who Wanted to Marry," showing a woman raising her buttocks for anal intercourse with a man. Why was it such a coincidence? Why did she have to draw this specific card when there were so many others? It was actually a scheme devised by the three sisters. They had anticipated that one of them would be the one to shuffle the cards, so they marked this particular card to give to her. Huachen had unexpectedly announced in advance that everyone else would go first and the official last, so when Rui Yu was shuffling the cards, she placed this one in the third position. Now that Huachen had drawn it, it was a fitting punishment for her arrogance. After seeing the card, the three sisters urged Huachen to take off her pants. She refused adamantly, saying, "Let's discuss this fairly. Can such a thing be done? And is that thing of his even suitable for this? Just think about it." The three sisters replied, "That's not up for debate. If any of us had drawn this card, would you have shown us mercy? Besides, you were the one who said no changing cards. You're the only one who knows all the methods on the cards by heart. If you knew this one was unusable, why didn't you remove it beforehand? Now that you've drawn it, there's nothing to say—take off your pants quickly, or we'll do it for you." They then said to Wei Yangsheng, "What kind of supervisor are you? You don't speak or move—what use are you?" Wei Yangsheng replied, "It's not that the supervisor is being partial. The truth is, she can't handle that thing of mine in that place. How about we set up an atonement rule? Let her drink a few more cups of wine to make up for it." The three sisters said, "Your words are nothing but nonsense! If drinking could replace sexual activities, we should have just drunk wine earlier and not done anything. Who would have no shame and take off their clothes to make a fool of themselves in front of others?"

Wei Yangsheng saw that they were speaking with such strict righteousness that he had no response. He could only beg them, "I have nothing to say now. I just ask that you be lenient and not demand perfection. Let her take off her pants and just go through the motions." Xiangyun and Rui Yu still refused, wanting it to be done like a regular sexual act. Rui Zhu winked and said, "Just going through the motions is enough. Do we really have to do it to the fullest extent?" Wei Yangsheng said, "That's easier to handle." He reached out and pulled at Huachen's pants to take them off. Huachen refused adamantly, but after Wei Yangsheng's relentless persuasion, she hung her head in defeat and had no choice but to comply. She undid her pants and lay face down on the spring bed. Wei Yangsheng took out his penis, coated it with saliva, and just touched it to her anus when Huachen cried out. She was about to stand up and stop him when she realized that these vicious people had already set a trap for her. The wink that Rui Zhu had given earlier was just to trick her into taking off her pants. As soon as she had taken off her pants and lay on the spring bed, they all stepped forward together—one holding her head, another holding her hands. She couldn't even stand up or move her body at all. The worst one hid behind Wei Yangsheng, and when he was touching her anus, she pushed him forcefully, causing his penis to enter halfway. Then she held onto Wei Yangsheng's body and helped him thrust in and out. Huachen screamed like a pig being slaughtered, shouting "Spare me!" Wei Yangsheng said, "This is a matter of human life—it's not a joke. Spare her." The three sisters said, "She previously said that the official is different from everyone else, with no limit on the number of thrusts—she has to ejaculate before stopping. Now, has she ejaculated yet?" Huachen quickly replied, "Yes! Yes!"

When everyone saw how extremely embarrassed she was, they had no choice but to let go. Huachen stood up like a dead person—she couldn't speak or stand steadily, and had to be helped back by a maid. Later, her anus became swollen, and she developed chills and a fever. She had to sleep for three to four days before she could get up. Although she harbored resentment in her heart from then on, she couldn't hold a grudge against her colleagues because they needed to continue their sexual activities. So she became close with them again, and the four women and one man shared a bed, enjoying endless pleasures.

When Wei Yangsheng left home, he originally made an appointment with Yanfang to return after three months to see her give birth. Unexpectedly, he indulged in pleasure and forgot to return. When he finally remembered the deadline, it was already more than three months later. He sent Shusong out to inquire and learned that Yanfang had already given birth, delivering two daughters. Huachen and the other three women prepared a feast to congratulate him. After enjoying themselves for several more days, they finally sent him back home. Yanfang was worried that the children would tire her body and hinder their pleasure, so she hired two wet nurses to take care of the children. Coincidentally, Wei Yangsheng arrived just in time for the full-month celebration. Yanfang immediately asked him to "raise his flag and spear" again, re-engaging in their battles, wanting to strictly collect the "debts" he had accumulated in the past. Who knew that he was "impoverished and exhausted" and couldn't meet her demands immediately. Why was this? It was simply because over the past four to five months, he had been fighting against four women alone, indulging in debauchery day and night—how could he not be completely exhausted? From then on, Yanfang could not satisfy her desires and began to feel regret.

Commentary: Some criticize that this chapter describes excessive debauchery, leaving no room for redemption for the adulterers. However, without the extraordinary lewdness in this chapter, the severe retribution in the next chapter would lack justification. Indulging in their desires here is precisely what leads to their suffering there. Only when we see Yuxiang alone engaging in extraordinary debauchery, paying the debt for her husband, do we realize that the excessive descriptions in the previous chapters were necessary.

Chapter 18: The Wife Falls into Prostitution to Repay Debts, Brothers Compete for Beauty to Settle Past Affairs

Let's set aside Wei Yangsheng's triumphant affairs for now and talk about his wife Yuxiang. She fled with Quan Laoshi and the maid Ruyi. When they arrived at a certain place, she suddenly felt a stomachache. The contents of her belly, which she had tried every means to abort back home without success, now, after enduring some hardship on the journey, unexpectedly fell out. If this had happened a few days earlier, wouldn't all this trouble have been avoided? Now that she has fled, she can't return home and has become a runaway in vain. Isn't this all due to the karmic debt her husband created, which has brought her to this state?

Quan Laoshi's original intention was only to seek revenge, not to satisfy his lust. After abducting them, he wanted to sell them into prostitution, but because Yuxiang was pregnant, he hesitated and couldn't decide. Now that she had aborted the fetus, he finally made up his mind. He took the mistress and maid to the capital city, stayed in an inn, and looked for someone to sell them to. When selling a good woman into prostitution, one must always set a trap: deceive the woman by saying there are relatives here who will help find a place to live, then bring people to see her. Once someone takes a liking to her, they can trick her into entering the brothel. There was a madam in the capital named "Gu Xianniang (a madam in the capital)" who, upon seeing Yuxiang, immediately knew she was a rare commodity. She paid the full price as negotiated by the matchmaker, including buying Ruyi to continue serving as Yuxiang's maid. After selling Yuxiang, Quan Laoshi began to feel guilty and gradually regretted his actions. He thought to himself: "I've heard it said in Buddhist scriptures: 'To know the causes of the past, look at what you are suffering now; to know the results of the future, look at what you are doing now.' My own wife committed adultery—who knows if this wasn't because I seduced other men's wives in my past life? Perhaps this life I'm just repaying a debt by giving my wife to someone else. I should have accepted this fate with patience. Why did I go and seduce another man's wife, creating karmic obstacles for my future life? Even if I wanted revenge, after sleeping with her for a few nights to vent my anger, that should have been enough. Why did I sell her into prostitution? Why did I also sell her innocent maid into the same fate?" Thinking of this, Quan Laoshi couldn't help but beat his chest and stamp his feet, hating himself fiercely. He realized that what was done could not be undone. The only way was to repent in this life and cultivate virtue for the next. He gave the money from selling the women to disabled and poor people, cut off half of his hair to become a wandering monk, and traveled everywhere to find a true eminent monk, asking to be ordained. Later, he wandered to Mount Kuocang, where he met Elder Gufeng, whom he recognized as a living Buddha. He paid homage to him, practiced asceticism for twenty years, and eventually achieved enlightenment. But that's a story for later.

Let's talk about Yuxiang, who has fallen into the world of prostitution. She and Ruyi arrived at Gu Xianniang's home. After observing the situation, they realized this was not a respectable household. Even a chaste and virtuous woman could not escape once she crossed this threshold, let alone a woman who had already lost her virtue? Yuxiang saw that there was nothing she could do but accept her fate and adapt to the life of a courtesan. She changed her name to □ Miao (a new name with a character missing in the original) and took a courtesy name for clients to address her by. However, the author will still call her Yuxiang to avoid confusing readers.

On her first night there, a wealthy man came to see her. The next day, he wanted to leave and Gu Xianniang couldn't keep him. As he was leaving, he instructed Gu Xianniang, "This girl of yours has everything perfect about her appearance and demeanor, except for those three special techniques. You should teach them to her. I'll leave for now and come back when you've taught her these skills." With that, he left. Why did he say this? It turns out that Gu Xianniang had three unique techniques that no other woman had ever mastered. In her youth, her appearance was ordinary, yet she had enjoyed a prestigious reputation for over thirty years. Those who associated with her were all high officials, wealthy gentlemen, and princes. Even in her forties and fifties, wealthy men still came to see her, all because of these three techniques. The first was "submitting yin to yang"; the second was "raising yin to meet yang"; the third was "sacrificing yin to assist yang". When she had intercourse with a man, she would have him lie on his back, then climb on top of him, insert his penis into her vagina, stand up and thrust for a while, sit down and rub for a while, then stand up again and thrust some more. Other women would get leg cramps and weak knees after just a few movements, but her knee joints were like iron—she became stronger the longer she went. Not only did she please the man, but she also enjoyed herself immensely. This was called "submitting yin to yang", her first unique technique. Sometimes she would lie underneath the man during intercourse. She would never let the man do all the work alone; she would always move her body in sync with his. When he pushed forward, she would meet him; when he pulled back, she would yield. This not only reduced the man's effort by half but also gave her half the pleasure. If a woman neither met nor yielded, just letting the man thrust, why not just carve a deep hole in the waist of a clay or wooden beauty? As long as you could insert your penis into it, you could thrust in and out—why bother with a living woman? Therefore, famous courtesans must understand this principle to win men's favor and satisfy themselves. This was called "raising yin to meet yang", her second unique technique. As for the method of "sacrificing yin to assist yang", it was even more mysterious. When she had intercourse with a man, she would never let her limited vaginal essence be wasted. Every time she ejaculated, she would benefit the man. What kind of method was this? It turns out that when she was about to ejaculate during intercourse, she would instruct the man to press his glans against her cervix and not move. She could also make the small hole on her cervix align perfectly with the small hole on his glans. She would teach the man the method of absorbing essence beforehand. When her vaginal essence was released, the man would absorb it into his penis, which would then travel up from the perineum and directly into his Dantian. The wonderful effect of this method was not only superior to ginseng and aconite but was also similar to the elixir of immortality itself. She learned this wonderful technique when she was sixteen from a strange man who came to see her. He mentioned this method unintentionally, and she learned it. When she met a client she liked, she would teach him to do this, and it never failed. After spending a few nights with her, not only would the client's energy double, but his complexion would also become radiant. People said she was a fairy reincarnated, which is why they called her "Xianniang" (Fairy Mother). Since this principle was taught to clients, they could do it at home with their own wives and wouldn't need her anymore. But you must know that while the method of absorbing essence can be taught, the method of aligning the essence holes cannot. It requires the woman to be skilled at matching during intercourse. Only she understood these secrets; other women couldn't match her. The wonder was that all women in the world were confused, but she alone understood, which is why they were called unique techniques.

When Yuxiang first arrived, she had no idea about these three unique techniques. When the wealthy customer had intercourse with her, he saw that she couldn't even perform the first technique, let alone the other two, so he finished quickly. When he woke up at dawn, he found her extremely beautiful and couldn't bear to leave her, but he regretted that she didn't know these techniques, which is why he gave Gu Xianniang that advice before leaving. After seeing the customer off, Gu Xianniang scolded Yuxiang for acting coy and not pleasing him properly. She was furious that Yuxiang had only kept such a wealthy customer for one night, worrying about how they would make money in the future, and threatened to whip her. Yuxiang knelt down and begged repeatedly, and Gu Xianniang finally relented. Then, she taught Yuxiang these three techniques day and night. When Gu Xianniang had intercourse with customers, she made Yuxiang stand in front of her and watch carefully, so she could instruct her face to face; when Yuxiang had intercourse with customers, Gu Xianniang would sit in front of her and watch closely, so she could remind her face to face whether she was doing it correctly or not.

As the saying goes, "There is nothing difficult in the world for one who is determined." Yuxiang feared the madam's strict rules and didn't dare to refuse learning. Within just one or two months, she mastered all three unique techniques. Coupled with her beautiful appearance and exquisite calligraphy, she quickly became famous throughout the capital. No gentry, high officials, or noble princes could resist visiting her. There were even two wealthy officials who were extremely generous, giving her ten to twenty taels of gold as gifts after spending a night with her. Who were these two wealthy officials? They were none other than the husbands of Rui Zhu and Rui Yu—one named Woyun Sheng and the other Yiyun Sheng. They were studying at the Imperial Academy in the capital when they heard of Yuxiang's fame, and the brothers competed to visit her first. At first, Woyun Sheng secretly visited her several times without telling his younger brother. Later, Yiyun Sheng also secretly visited her several times without telling his elder brother. One day, they found out about each other's secret visits and decided to keep Yuxiang exclusively for themselves, sharing her. Not only were they brothers who shared benefits, but they were also fellow students. Even Xiangyun's husband, named Xuanxuanzi, occasionally paid her a visit. After spending one or two nights with her, he became more energetic despite his old age. Only then did they realize that Yuxiang's yin object was like a tonic medicine. If a man had such a wife, he wouldn't need to avoid official duties at all.

After studying at the Imperial Academy for a year, Woyun Sheng and his brother suddenly missed their hometown and wanted to go back to see their wives. They asked a favor from a friend to intercede with the Grand Academician for a few months' leave, which was approved. The three fellow students bid farewell to Yuxiang and returned home together. When they arrived home, their three wives naturally prepared a welcome banquet for them, and then asked how many courtesans they had visited while away. The three husbands told them about their relationship with Yuxiang and exaggerated the three unique techniques one by one. The next day, Xiangyun and her sisters shared what they had heard from their husbands, all of which were equally astonishing. Rui Zhu and Rui Yu said, "I don't believe there could be such a monster among women. If that's true, then the three of us are useless. Maybe these stories were made up by the three husbands together to encourage us to be more attentive in bed." Xiangyun said, "We can't hide this from the man we associate with. He has seen and heard a lot in his life. If there really is such a courtesan, he must know about her. Let's ask him when he comes over." Rui Zhu and Rui Yu replied, "That makes sense."

One day, during the Qingming Festival, the three husbands went out together to sweep their ancestors' graves and planned to return the next day. They asked their maidservants to invite Wei Yangsheng to come over for a meeting. As soon as they met, they asked him about this puzzling matter. Wei Yangsheng said, "The world is full of strange and wonderful things. It's possible that there could be such a yin object among courtesans. Since she's in the capital, I'll eventually meet her one day. Let me visit her for a night; if she can satisfy me, then she truly is a monster." The four of them talked for a while and spent the night together. The next day, as Wei Yangsheng left, he thought to himself: the three husbands all told the same story, so this must be true. In today's world, there is such an extraordinary person—why not go meet her? Besides, my vital essence has been depleted by these four or five women, and I just want to learn the method of sexual cultivation to nourish myself. Since that courtesan has so many wonderful techniques, I only need to visit her for one night to learn the method of absorbing essence, which will benefit me for a lifetime. Having made up his mind, he decided to first return to his hometown to see his wife, and then go to the capital to visit that famous courtesan. This journey of his will bring about the following consequences: he will be so angry that even Mount Tai will tremble under his rage, and even the entire West River will not be enough to wash away his shame. To find out what happens next, read the next chapter.

Commentary: Wei Yangsheng's lewdness and evil have reached the extreme. If his wife had only committed adultery without descending into prostitution, people would still not be satisfied. Even if she became a prostitute, people would still not be satisfied. Even if she became a prostitute, if she only took other clients and did not involve Xiangyun's sisters' husbands, people would still not be satisfied. Reading this entire erotic novel to the end, no one escapes retribution. Anyone with even the slightest romantic transgressions will break out in a cold sweat. Such an erotic novel should be read repeatedly!

Chapter 19: Sin is Full, Two Boudoirs Both Disgrace Themselves; Zen Wisdom is About to Emerge, All Beauties Turn to Emptiness

Before Wei Yangsheng set off, he went to bid farewell to Sai Kunlun and entrusted him with taking care of his family affairs. Sai Kunlun said, "The task of entrusting one's wife and children is not something to be taken lightly. Entrusting children is easy, but entrusting a wife is extremely difficult. I can only help you manage your finances; I cannot guard your wife's virtue for you." Wei Yangsheng replied, "The only thing I'm entrusting you with is the finances, not my wife's virtue. Your sister-in-law is an experienced woman, different from a newlywed. The most capable man in the world is no more than someone like Quan Laoshi (Honest Quan), and she still found him inadequate and chose to spend her life with me. I don't think there's another man like me in the world, so you don't need to worry too much." Sai Kunlun said, "That makes sense. As long as you trust me, I can accept this entrustment." After bidding farewell to Sai Kunlun, Wei Yangsheng wrote a secret letter to Huachen and the Xiangyun sisters, and spent several nights in intimate moments with Yanfang before finally setting off. In a few days, he arrived in his hometown and went to the gate of Daoist Iron Door. He knocked for a long time but no one answered. He secretly rejoiced, thinking that the household was so tightly guarded that no strangers could enter, so it would be fine if he stayed away for a few more days. It wasn't until evening that a figure appeared at the crack in the door. Recognizing it as Daoist Iron Door, Wei Yangsheng called out, "Father-in-law, open the door. Your son-in-law has returned." Hearing this, Daoist Iron Door quickly opened the door and welcomed him in. Wei Yangsheng entered the main hall, performed the appropriate greetings, and asked about his father-in-law's health. He first inquired about his father-in-law's well-being, then asked about his daughter's condition. The Daoist sighed and said, "My body is still roughly well, but ever since you left, my daughter has been ill. She couldn't sleep peacefully and had no appetite. She developed a melancholic illness and passed away within a year." With that, he burst into tears. Wei Yangsheng cried out, "How could such a strange thing happen?" and also began to weep. After crying for a while, he asked, "Where is her coffin? Has she been buried yet?" The Daoist replied, "It's currently in the cold storage room, waiting for you to return and see it before we bury her." Wei Yangsheng went to the cold storage room and knelt beside the coffin, crying again. Where did this coffin come from? It turns out that when Daoist Iron Door saw his daughter elope with someone, he was too ashamed to say anything. On one hand, he was afraid of being mocked by the villagers; on the other hand, he was afraid that his son-in-law would demand to see her. So he bought a coffin, sealed it, and claimed that his daughter had died of illness. By keeping the coffin at home, he could both deceive others and avoid his son-in-law's inquiries. Because Daoist Iron Door had always been honest and never lied before, Wei Yangsheng didn't suspect anything. Instead, he blamed himself for not returning earlier, which he believed caused his wife to die from melancholy. He invited several eminent monks to perform Buddhist rituals for three days and three nights to pray for her soul, hoping she would be reborn soon and not hold a grudge against her husband for being lustful, lest she become like the jealous wife in the story of Wang Kui. After the rituals were completed, he left his hometown under the pretense of traveling to study, and set off for the capital to learn methods of sexual cultivation to nourish his body.

Within a day, Wei Yangsheng arrived in the capital, settled his luggage, and immediately went to visit his beloved. Having found her residence, he went to call on her. Unexpectedly, Yuxiang had been taken by a wealthy official a few days earlier and had been kept there for several days without being allowed to return. Madam Gu told Wei Yangsheng about this, and he had to go back to his lodgings. Two days later, he visited again. Madam Gu said, "My daughter sent word yesterday that she would be back late this evening." Upon hearing this, Wei Yangsheng gave thirty taels of prostitution money, along with some personal gifts that he would present to her in person when she returned. Madam Gu accepted the money and said, "It's still early now. If you have other business, you can go and come back later. If not, you can wait here." Wei Yangsheng replied, "I came specifically for your daughter; I have no other business." Madam Gu said, "In that case, please sit in my daughter's room, either read a book or rest. As soon as she arrives, I'll have her come to accompany you." With that, she led Wei Yangsheng into the room and instructed a young prostitute to make tea and attend to him. She then said to Wei Yangsheng, "I have some mundane matters to take care of and can't stay with you," before turning and leaving.

Wei Yangsheng wanted to conserve his energy for the night's activities, so he lay down at noon and slept until dusk. When he got out of bed and picked up a book to read, he saw a beautiful woman peeking at him through the gauze window. She quickly turned away as if trying to avoid him. Wei Yangsheng asked the young prostitute, "Who was the one looking at me just now?" The young prostitute replied, "That's my older sister." Seeing this situation, Wei Yangsheng feared that she might reject him, so he went out to request a meeting. When Yuxiang had peeked earlier, she recognized her own husband and thought he had come on purpose to catch her, so she panicked and ran to discuss escape options with Madam Gu. Before she could say anything when she reached Madam Gu's room, she saw Wei Yangsheng rushing over. She quickly said to Madam Gu, "This man cannot be accepted. Do not let him see me." She then ran into Madam Gu's room, bolted the door and windows, and remained silent. Madam Gu, unaware of the situation, thought her daughter just didn't like him, so she refused to meet him. She went to Wei Yangsheng and said, "My daughter sent another message saying she's still being kept there and can't return. What should we do?" Wei Yangsheng said, "Your daughter has already returned. Why are you saying this? Could it be that she dislikes my gifts being too modest?" Madam Gu replied, "She really hasn't returned. There's no other reason." Wei Yangsheng said, "She clearly peeked at me through the window just now and then quickly hid. Why are you spouting such nonsense? Even if she has some complaint against me, she should at least meet me face to face and explain before rejecting me. I would accept that. Why be so heartless?"

Madam Gu only repeated the same story. Wei Yangsheng said, "I just saw a woman hiding in your room. If she really hasn't returned, let me search. If I don't find her, I won't visit, I won't take back my gifts, and I'll leave immediately." Madam Gu, seeing that he was speaking the truth and fearing embarrassment if he found someone, had to say to him, "To be honest, she has indeed returned. It's just that she was repeatedly violated by a heartless man for several nights and is not feeling well. She wants to rest for a night or two before accepting guests. Since you insist on seeing her, I'll call her out. There's no need to search." Wei Yangsheng said, "In that case, let me personally go and invite her, so she can't say my intentions aren't sincere or make excuses." He then followed Madam Gu to the door and together they asked for Yuxiang. Madam Gu called out, "My child, the gentleman wants to see you. Can you come out for a moment?" She called several times but received no response. Wei Yangsheng also called for a while, but the door remained closed. Yuxiang, seeing the situation was bad, thought that if they met, her husband would surely report the matter to the authorities, and she would be tortured and eventually die. She decided it would be better to die before meeting him to avoid the humiliation. She took off her waistband, tied it to a beam, and hanged herself. Later, when Wei Yangsheng saw that the door wouldn't open, he forced it open and found the woman had already hanged herself. Seeing that he had caused a death, Wei Yangsheng wanted to escape immediately and had no intention of looking at the face of the hanged person. He turned around and tried to leave. Madam Gu, seeing that he had caused her daughter's death, grabbed him and said, "Where do you think you're going? We have no enmity between us. Why did you force my daughter to death?"

While they were arguing, many regular customers arrived—all young noblemen who had visited Yuxiang before. They hadn't been able to see her recently because she had been taken elsewhere, and when they heard she had returned, they all came to see her at the same time. Seeing that she had been forced to death, they were furious and ordered their servants to attack Wei Yangsheng together. They pressed him to the ground and beat him with short sticks made of green wood. Wei Yangsheng was beaten all over his body, with every part of his skin turning black and blue, except for vital areas that were unharmed. After beating him, they chained him up and locked him next to the dead body, waiting for the local officials and village elders to come and inspect before reporting the case to the authorities. At first, Wei Yangsheng had wanted to escape and hadn't looked at the dead person. But now, with his injuries and chained next to the body, he knew he couldn't escape. He carefully examined the dead person's face and was shocked—she looked exactly like his late wife! Could there be such a resemblance in the world? He looked and thought, thought and looked, and the more he did so, the more convinced he became that she resembled his wife. He began to suspect: could it be that his wife had eloped with someone, and his father-in-law, too ashamed to admit it, had bought a coffin and lied about her death? Moreover, if this woman had nothing to hide, why would she avoid him and then hang herself when she couldn't escape? With these thoughts, he was already 80% certain. He then remembered that his wife had a small scar on the top of her head where no hair grew due to an acupuncture treatment. He decided to check this carefully. He parted her black hair, and sure enough, there was a finger-sized patch with no hair—she was definitely his wife!

Suddenly, the local officials and village elders burst into the room, investigating the cause of death. Wei Yangsheng said, "The woman who hanged herself is my wife. She was abducted and sold to Madam Gu to work as a prostitute. I didn't know this and came to visit her as a client. She was too ashamed to face me, so she hanged herself. It was only when I was locked up next to her and examined her face carefully that I recognized her. I must appeal to the authorities for justice. I just hope to be taken to court soon so that the truth can be revealed." The crowd questioned Madam Gu, "Who sold this woman to you?" Madam Gu, unaware of the situation, replied, "He's talking nonsense. I bought this woman legally, along with her maid who is still here." The crowd said, "The dead woman can't speak, but we can ask her maid." Madam Gu got up to call Ruyi, but after searching for a long time, she couldn't find her and thought she had run away. Little did they know that Ruyi had hidden under Madam Gu's bed when she saw Wei Yangsheng. She was discovered and dragged out by the crowd. When Ruyi had seen Wei Yangsheng earlier, she had panicked and hidden in the room with Yuxiang. When she saw Yuxiang hang herself and Wei Yangsheng break into the room, she knew things would go badly for her, so she hid under the bed. She didn't expect to be found and dragged out. The crowd pointed at Wei Yangsheng and asked, "Do you recognize this man?" Ruyi wanted to deny it, but her facial expression and voice betrayed her. The crowd knew there was something going on and threatened her with severe consequences. She then told them the whole story: Yuxiang had committed adultery with someone at home and become pregnant. Afraid that her father would kill her if he found out, she had eloped with this person, along with Ruyi. However, the man had been heartless and sold Yuxiang into prostitution.

When everyone understood the situation, they persuaded both parties to settle the matter privately without involving the authorities. One had unintentionally forced his own wife to death, so he wouldn't be held responsible; the other had legally purchased the woman for her services, so it wasn't considered abduction. The only question was whether the original owner wanted the maid back. If he did, he could redeem her; if not, she would stay. At this point, Wei Yangsheng felt like a dead man walking and didn't even care about his own life, let alone wanting the maid back. He said to everyone, "Logically, I should go to court and ask the officials to investigate, to ease my hidden resentment. But I'm afraid if word spreads, it will damage my reputation. I'll follow your advice and bear it quietly. Since this maid has been a prostitute, it wouldn't be appropriate to take her back. Let her stay here." Madam Gu, seeing that he had told the truth and fearing no future trouble, followed everyone's advice, unlocked the iron chains, returned the prostitution money, and sent him away. Before leaving, he was insulted by those customers with many curses like "cuckold" and "turtle" before he could finally escape.

When Wei Yangsheng returned to his lodgings, his beaten wounds began to flare up, and he cried out in pain, yelling to heaven and earth. He thought to himself, "I used to believe that other men's wives were meant for me to sleep with, but my own wife would never sleep with anyone else. That's why I spent my days indulging in lust, taking all the advantages in the world. Little did I know that retribution would come so quickly. I slept with other men's wives and daughters, and others slept with my wife. I slept with other men's wives secretly, but others slept with my wife openly. I took other men's wives as concubines, but others made my wife a prostitute. It seems that adultery is truly something that shouldn't be done. I still remember three years ago when Elder Gufeng advised me to become a monk, but I refused. He told me about the karmic consequences of adultery, but I argued that not everyone would face retribution. Now it seems that there is definitely retribution for this act. I also said that a man's wives and concubines are limited, but the world's women are endless. If I could sleep with countless women, losing one or two wives or concubines as repayment would still be a good deal, not a loss. But now I calculate that I've slept with no more than five or six women in my life, yet my own wife has become a prostitute and has been with dozens of men. Where in the world is there such a high interest rate? Elder Gufeng also said that this道理 cannot be proven by words alone, but must be realized through experience on the 'flesh prayer mat' to be truly understood. Over the past few years, I've tasted all the joys and sorrows on the flesh prayer mat. Now, after enduring this beating and humiliation, I have no face to return to my hometown. If I don't wake up now, when will I? I should write a sincere letter to Sai Kunlun, asking him to find a good family for Yanfang and either let her take the two children with her or leave them in Sai Kunlun's care. Then I'll go alone to Kuocang Mountain to find Elder Gufeng, kowtow a hundred and twenty times to apologize for my past mistakes, and then ask him to show me the way to enlightenment. Wouldn't that be wonderful?

Having made up his mind, Wei Yangsheng was about to write the letter, but both his arms were so badly beaten that he couldn't hold a brush. After recuperating for a month, his arms finally healed, and he was ready to write when a letter from Sai Kunlun arrived unexpectedly. When he opened it, he saw that Sai Kunlun said there was an urgent matter at home and told him to leave immediately upon receiving the letter, but didn't specify what the urgent matter was. Wei Yangsheng was puzzled and asked the messenger. The messenger said, "The second wife has eloped with someone." Wei Yangsheng asked, "Who did she elope with?" The messenger replied, "Not only do we not know, but even your maids and servants don't know. They only said that before she left, there were strange noises from her bedroom every night. When they got up to check, there was no one there. After about ten nights of this, one morning they woke up to find the main door wide open. When they looked for the second wife, she was nowhere to be found. That's why my master is searching for her and sent me to fetch you back."

Wei Yangsheng sighed, "This news is yet another retribution. It shows that the debt of adultery can never be borrowed. If you borrow one fold, you must repay a hundred folds. Who knows if these two daughters aren't seeds of repayment? I can't worry about that now." So he wrote a final letter in reply to Sai Kunlun: "It's not surprising that a licentious woman eloped. What is obtained by improper means will be lost by improper means—this is the natural order. The matter in my hometown is similar. I know I'm guilty of countless sins and deserve this retribution. When the demonic obstacles are eliminated, the path of enlightenment will be revealed. I shouldn't return to the east; instead, I'll go directly to the Western Pure Land. My only regret is that the source of disaster isn't yet eliminated, and the two evils still exist. I'll temporarily trouble you, old friend, to care for them until I meet the Buddha, and then I'll use the wisdom sword to remove them. This brief reply will suffice."

After sending the reply, Wei Yangsheng was ready to depart. He initially wanted to take his book boy with him to serve as his novice attendant. But after thinking it over, he feared that having a handsome young boy around might rekindle his lustful thoughts. It's better not to see what one desires to keep the mind at peace. So he told the book boy to return with the messenger. He packed his own luggage and set off alone for Kuocang Mountain.

Comment: The author's true intention is only revealed in this chapter. For those reading "The Carnal Prayer Mat," they can read the other chapters just once, but those who can read this chapter and the next three or four times are truly people who know how to appreciate a novel.

Chapter 20: The Wide Sack Collects Both Lustful Ghosts and Vicious Men; the Broad Path of Buddhism Allows Enemies and Debtors to Meet

Now, after letting Wei Yangsheng go, Elder Gufeng constantly blamed himself, saying, "It must be that my spiritual power is not strong enough and my compassionate heart is not sincere. When I see a demon of lust and a ghost of desire pass by, I can't capture and bind them, allowing them to spread their poison among the people and wreak havoc in the inner chambers. This is my sin as an old monk. If I can't bind ghosts and subdue demons, what use is this leather sack?" So he took the sack and hung it on the tip of a pine tree outside the main gate. He also carved a small wooden board, wrote a few lines of fine characters on it, and nailed it to the pine tree. It read: "As long as Wei Yangsheng hasn't arrived, the leather sack will not be taken down; as long as the leather sack doesn't rot, the old monk's heart will not die. May I soon take down the leather sack and save people from constantly sitting on the flesh prayer mat."

This thing was quite strange. Since the day Wei Yangsheng left, it had been hanging on the pine tree for three years. Not only did it not rot at all, but it actually felt harder than before it was hung. When Wei Yangsheng arrived, he saw the leather sack hanging from the tip of the pine tree and noticed the small wooden board with a few lines of small characters. After reading it, he couldn't help but burst into tears. He treated the wooden board as if it were Elder Gufeng himself, knelt beside the pine tree, and bowed dozens of times. Then he climbed the tree, took down the leather sack, placed it on his head, and entered the Buddha Hall. When he encountered Elder Gufeng meditating, he knelt before him and kept kowtowing. From the beginning of Elder Gufeng's meditation to the end, which was about three hours, he kowtowed far more than just one hundred and twenty times.

Elder Gufeng stepped down from his meditation cushion, took Wei Yangsheng's arm, and said, "My virtuous layman, your presence alone is enough to show your great kindness. Why are you performing such a heavy ceremony? Please get up quickly." Wei Yangsheng replied, "I am foolish and ignorant. I regret not listening to your teachings earlier, which led me to act recklessly and commit all kinds of deeds that deserve hell. Although I've already suffered the karmic retribution in this life, I haven't yet suffered the afterlife retribution. I beg you, revered teacher, to take pity on me and accept me under your seat so that I can repent my past karma and return to the righteous path. I wonder if you will accept me?" Elder Gufeng said, "Since you've brought back my leather sack, how could I not accept you? But I'm afraid that your resolve for the path isn't firm enough, and you might be lured back into the secular world in the future." Wei Yangsheng said, "It was only through extreme regret that I suddenly awakened. Now I feel like I've escaped from hell. How could I dare to go back? I will definitely not waver. I beg you to accept me." Elder Gufeng said, "Since that's the case, I'll accept you." Wei Yangsheng climbed to his feet and bowed again. Elder Gufeng then chose an auspicious day to shave his head. After informing Elder Gufeng, Wei Yangsheng chose the Dharma name "Wanshi" (顽石, meaning "stubborn stone"). On one hand, he hated that he hadn't awakened earlier, like a stubborn stone; on the other hand, he was grateful that Elder Gufeng was skilled at preaching, making this stubborn stone that hadn't nodded for three years finally nod. From then on, he resolved to meditate and focus wholeheartedly on the path to enlightenment.

However, becoming a monk at a young age still had some inconveniences. No matter how hard he tried to suppress it, his lustful thoughts and desires persisted. During the day, reciting Buddha's name and reading scriptures naturally passed the time, but at midnight, that sinful organ would unconsciously start to trouble him, constantly getting in the way under the blanket. He couldn't suppress it nor make it go away, and had to find a way to settle it. Either using his fingers for relief or seeking a disciple to resolve the conflict—these were the convenient methods for monks. But Wei Yangsheng didn't do this. He believed that monks, regardless of whether they committed adultery or not, should focus on abstaining from desire. Although these two acts didn't violate rules or tarnish reputation, they couldn't eliminate the desire for sex, which was no different from adultery. Moreover, masturbation is the medium for sexual intercourse, and homosexuality is a stepping stone to women. When faced with false substitutes, one thinks of real ones, and from there leads to other things—this is an inevitable trend that must be prevented from the beginning. One night, he dreamed that Huachen and Xiangyun sisters came to the nunnery to worship Buddha, along with Yuxiang and Yanfang. Wei Yangsheng was extremely angry when he saw them, and asked Huachen and Xiangyun to help him take them in. However, in the blink of an eye, Yuxiang and Yanfang disappeared, leaving only the four old acquaintances. They led him into the meditation room, all undressed, and were about to have a sexual encounter. Just as he was about to insert his penis into the vagina, he was suddenly awakened by the barking of dogs from the neighboring woods, and only then realized it was a dream. That erect organ was still drilling around under the blanket, looking for its old entry point. Wanshi (the stubborn stone) grabbed this thing, about to find a way to settle it, when he suddenly stopped and said, "The root of all my past sins lies in this. It is my enemy. How can I indulge it again now?" So he stopped his delusional thoughts and tried to sleep peacefully.

But he tossed and turned, unable to fall back asleep, all because that sinful root was disturbing him under the blanket. He thought to himself, "Carrying this troublesome thing with me will never be good. It's better to cut it off to eliminate future troubles. Moreover, dog meat is the most forbidden thing in Buddhism, and having it attached to my body isn't a good thing either. If I don't cut it off, I'm no different from an animal, not a human. Even if I practice to the utmost, I can only reincarnate as a human, how can I become a Buddha or an ancestor?" With this thought, he didn't wait for dawn. He lit a fire on the oil lamp, took a thin kitchen knife, twisted his penis with one hand, and with the other, he grabbed the knife and cut it off with all his might. It was also because his human fate was about to turn and his animal fate was about to end—when he cut it off, he didn't feel much pain. From then on, his desire for sex completely disappeared, and his good intentions became stronger. He stayed for half a year, still practicing casually without receiving the full ordination. After half a year, about twenty monks gathered—all were determined to receive ordination and had no second thoughts—and invited Elder Gufeng to ascend the altar to preach. When a monk receives ordination, he must first confess every crime he has committed in his life, establish a criminal record, and then kneel before the Buddha, asking the great monk to repent on his behalf. If he hides even one thing, it's deceiving heaven and Buddha, violating the unforgivable clause, and no matter how hard he practices for a lifetime, he can never achieve enlightenment.

After the monks invited Elder Gufeng to ascend the altar and bowed, they determined the order based on the time they entered the monastery. They sat on both sides, and Elder Gufeng explained the rules of ordination, then asked the monks to confess their sins without concealment. Wanshi (the stubborn stone) entered the monastery latest and sat at the last seat. The turn hadn't come to him yet. He heard that among the monks, some had committed murder and arson, some had been thieves and adulterers—all confessing their crimes. Later, it was a monk's turn. He had a rough appearance and sat above Wanshi. He also confessed, "Disciple has not committed any evil deeds in my life, except for selling myself as a servant to someone, having adultery with my master's daughter, abducting her maid, and selling both into prostitution. I truly deserve death for this crime. I beg you, Master, to repent on my behalf." Elder Gufeng said, "Your sin is too great; I'm afraid repentance won't help. As the old saying goes, 'Among all evils, lust comes first.' Just one 'lust' is enough, let alone abduction? And selling her into prostitution? Your sin is so great that you won't be able to ascend for several lifetimes. Even if I repent for you, I'm afraid the Bodhisattva won't approve. What can be done?" The monk said, "Reporting to Master, this was forced upon me by others; I didn't want to do it. It was because that woman's husband first committed adultery with my wife and then forced me to sell myself to him. I had no power to resist him, so I was forced to do this. The situation can be understood; perhaps it can still be repented."

Wanshi (the stubborn stone) was moved upon hearing this and asked the senior brother, "What's the name of the woman you abducted and sold? Whose wife was she? Whose daughter? Where is she now?" The monk said, "She is Wei Yangsheng's wife, the daughter of Iron Door Daoist, named Yuxiang. Her maid is called Ruyi. They are now entertaining guests in the capital." Wei Yangsheng was shocked and said, "If that's the case, you must be Quan Laoshi (Quan Honest)!" The monk said, "Could it be that you are Wei Yangsheng?" Wanshi said, "Exactly." Both of them stepped down from the meditation cushions, apologized to each other, and then faced Elder Gufeng, explaining the original situation and confessing their crimes. Elder Gufeng laughed loudly and said, "Excellent! Even enemies meet someday. Thanks to the Bodhisattva's mercy, this wide path was created for the two enemies to walk on without hindrance. If you had met on another path, you wouldn't be able to resolve it. Your two crimes were originally unforgivable, but fortunately, those two ladies repaid the debt for their husbands, which lightened your crimes a lot. Otherwise, not to mention practicing for one lifetime, even ten lifetimes wouldn't free you from reincarnation or avoid the karmic tribulations. Now I'll repent for you, asking the Bodhisattva to show great mercy and be lenient with you for the sake of those two wives." He then asked both of them to kneel before the Buddha and began reciting scriptures to repent on their behalf.

After repentance, Wanshi (the stubborn stone) asked again, "Master, if a person who has committed adultery has a wife and daughters, and the wife has already repaid the debt, can the young daughters in the cradle be forgiven and not have to repay the debt later?" Elder Gufeng shook his head and said, "No, no. Unless a person who commits adultery doesn't have daughters, if they have daughters, those daughters are seeds of debt repayment. How can they be forgiven?" Wei Yangsheng said, "To be honest with you, Master, I currently have two such debt seeds. They will definitely not be forgiven in the future. I want to bid farewell to you, Master, and go back to use the wisdom sword to eliminate these sinful roots, as if they were drowned in a basin of water at birth and never raised." Elder Gufeng joined his palms and chanted "Amitabha," saying, "Such evil words should not come out of your mouth and enter my ears. How can a monk who has received precepts still think of killing?" Wanshi said, "If I can't kill them, what method should I use to deal with them?" Elder Gufeng said, "Those two children are not your children. They were specially sent by Heaven to repay your debt because you have done too much evil. As the old saying goes, 'One good deed can dissolve a hundred evils.' If you only focus on doing good without any change, perhaps Heaven will change its mind and take them back. Why use any wisdom sword?" Wanshi nodded and said, "Yes." From then on, he dedicated himself to doing good and worshiping Buddha.

Half a year later, while they were talking in the meditation hall, a large man suddenly burst through the door. When Wanshi (the reformed Weiyangsheng) saw him, he recognized Sai Kunlun. Sai Kunlun first paid homage to the Buddha statue, then bowed to Gufeng. Wanshi said to Gufeng: "This is my sworn brother, Sai Kunlun. He is the foremost chivalrous man of our time." Gufeng asked: "Is this the hero of thievery, the man who has five things he will never steal in his lifetime?" Wanshi replied: "Yes." Gufeng said: "Then he is a thief Bodhisattva. Who am I, a humble monk, to receive a bow from a Bodhisattva?" He was about to kneel down and return the bow when Sai Kunlun quickly stopped him, saying: "I came here today to visit an old friend and to pay respects to a living Buddha. If you do not accept my bow, you will be cutting off the path for people to do good and strengthening their resolve to do evil. It seems in this world, people should be secret thieves, not open thieves; they should be thieves in fine clothes, not petty burglars." Gufeng said: "If that's the case, I dare not return your bow." Sai Kunlun then bowed to Wanshi, and they sat down as guests and host. After exchanging pleasantries with Gufeng, Sai Kunlun stood up and wanted to speak with Wanshi in the back. Wanshi said: "I have told the master everything about my past. There's no need to hide anything from him—we can speak openly." Sai Kunlun sat back down and said: "I have been disloyal in my duties. I am not only unworthy of being entrusted with a wife, but also unfit to be trusted with children. I feel ashamed to meet you today." Wanshi asked: "From what you say, I suppose something has happened to the 'karmic obstacles' at home?" Sai Kunlun replied: "Your two daughters were healthy, sleeping peacefully in bed, when they both died suddenly. The night before they died, their wet nurses both dreamed that someone called out to them, saying: 'Your accounts with this family have been settled. You are no longer needed. Follow me back.' When they woke up, they touched the children and found they were already gone. This is truly strange." Wanshi was overjoyed and recounted how he had been afraid his daughters would come to collect his debts, and how the master had taught him that if he sincerely did good, Heaven would take them back. "Now that these karmic obstacles have been removed, it's a great blessing. Why do you speak of failing in your duty?"

Sai Kunlun was deeply disturbed by what he heard. After a moment, he said: "I also have some good news to report to you. That licentious woman Yanfang ran away from you, which is truly hateful. I searched for her every day but couldn't find her. Who would have thought she was abducted by a monk and hidden in a cellar? I happened to see them and took care of them for you." Gufeng asked: "Hiding in a cellar should be extremely secure. How did you manage to see them?" Sai Kunlun replied: "That monk often committed robbery and murder at crossroads. I heard he had a large amount of silver hidden in a cellar. One night, I went to steal from him, but unexpectedly found him in bed talking to a woman. I hid nearby and listened carefully. The woman said: 'My first husband was named Quan Laoshi (Honest Quan). Although he was simple and clumsy, he was faithful to me—there were no other women to share his affection. Who would have thought that Sai Kunlun, working for Weiyangsheng, would seduce me and force me to marry him? He abandoned his own wife and spent all his days going down the wrong path, leaving me to keep an empty room. Eventually, his energy declined and he couldn't satisfy me. Then he went far away to avoid conscription, leaving his family to fend for themselves. Why should I stay with such an unfaithful man?' When I heard this, I knew it was Yanfang. I became furious, drew my sword, lifted the bed curtains, and killed both of them. Then I set a fire and searched for valuables. I found about two thousand taels of silver, which I spent freely, helping countless poor people. Master, please tell me: Should those two people have been killed? Should I have taken that money?"

Gufeng said: "They deserved to be killed, and the money deserved to be taken, but it should not have been you who killed them or took the money. I'm afraid this doesn't quite align with Heavenly principles and the law of the land. You will surely face both karmic retribution and worldly punishment." Sai Kunlun replied: "When people feel justice has been served, that is when Heavenly principles are revealed. What's wrong with that? I've been a thief all my life and have never been caught. Could this small amount of silver really get me in trouble with the law?" Gufeng said: "Don't speak like that, layman. Heavenly principles and human laws are never lax. There is no act that goes unpunished—only a difference in timing. Punishments that come quickly are often lighter, but when retribution is delayed, it hits much harder when it finally arrives. The monk committed adultery, and the woman eloped. Heaven would naturally punish them. Are there not enough thunderbolts from the God of Thunder? Must it borrow human hands to kill them? Even if Heaven wanted someone to act on its behalf, there are countless people in the world. Why not use someone else instead of relying on you? Is yours the only hand that can take lives?The power to judge life and death must not be entrusted to others; such authority must not be usurped. Heaven can handle matters of killing. When guilty people are killed by other guilty people, how can Heaven ignore it? Therefore, you will certainly face karmic retribution, though it may be somewhat lighter than if you had killed innocent people. Since you've been a thief your entire life, I assume your reputation is known to every yamen and every official. Even though you used the stolen silver to help the poor, others won't believe that—they'll think you've hidden it at home. Sooner or later, they'll come looking for you. If you had kept your previous stolen goods at home, you could use them to buy your life, but the money you gave to the poor can't be recovered now. This puts you in great danger. Therefore, you will certainly face worldly punishment, and because it's delayed, the consequences will be more severe than if you had been caught earlier."

Sai Kunlun had always been a fierce and unruly man. Because of his bad temper, everyone feared him, and words of kindness fell on deaf ears. But after hearing these wise words, he couldn't help but feel a desire to repent. Without any coercion, he genuinely wanted to turn from evil to good. He said to Gufeng: "What I have done is not the behavior of an upright gentleman. It's just that rich people in this world are unwilling to spend their money freely, so I took some from them to do good deeds. I only thought of helping others, never of myself. From what you say, Master, I have committed many evils and will certainly face both karmic and worldly punishment. But if I turn over a new leaf now, is it still possible for me to repent?" Gufeng pointed at Wanshi and said: "His sins were much heavier than yours. But because he sincerely devoted himself to doing good, he moved Heaven, which took back his daughters who were meant to collect his debts. You heard this with your own ears; I didn't make it up. From this, you should know whether repentance is possible or not."

Wanshi was overjoyed to see that Sai Kunlun had a desire to do good. He told Sai Kunlun about how three years earlier, he had ignored the master's teachings, acted recklessly, and later suffered retribution that exactly matched what the master had predicted. "You must take me as a warning," he said. Sai Kunlun made up his mind. He bowed to Gufeng as his master, shaved his head, and resolved to practice diligently for twenty years. He eventually achieved enlightenment and passed away alongside Gufeng and Wanshi.

It can be seen that everyone in the world has the potential to become a Buddha, but they are bound by the two words 'wealth' and 'lust', unable to escape the maze of delusion and reach the other shore of enlightenment. Therefore, in Heaven, the land is vast but the people are few; in Hell, the people are crowded but the land is narrow. The Supreme Deity in Heaven can't hear all the complaints; the King of Hell can't handle all the cases. It's all because the ancient sage who created the world was meddlesome—he shouldn't have created women or established money, limiting people to this state. Now, let's use these two lines from the Four Books to pass judgment on him: 'The one who first made the wooden figurines for burial—was it not the sage?'

Commentary: At the beginning, the book expresses gratitude to the sage, but at the end, it complains about him. This puts the sage in an awkward position—unable to be happy, yet also unable to be angry. This is truly a book that mocks the world. Let's use another two lines from the Four Books to help the sage defend himself: 'Those who understand me—are they not The Carnal Prayer Mat? Those who blame me—are they not The Carnal Prayer Mat?'