Techniques and Dao

Chapter 63 Passionate Brahma
Chengdu, Sichuan, is known as the City of Abundance, and is also called Rongcheng or Jincheng.

Chengdu's average annual temperature is around 16 degrees Celsius, with a pleasant climate and slightly humid conditions. The culinary delights and vibrant spirit of Sichuan cuisine are vividly displayed in Chengdu, featuring dishes like spicy chicken, rattan pepper chicken, bangbang chicken, and braised rabbit heads, not to mention skewers and hot pot. For a relaxing break, a bowl of "sad cold noodles" is guaranteed to leave your taste buds completely mesmerized.

The stunningly beautiful young women on the streets of Chengdu will dazzle your eyes, while the fragrant teahouses in the bamboo groves will immerse you in the elegant and refined atmosphere of the Wei and Jin dynasties, reminiscent of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove.

This city can be described as a heavenly palace and a paradise on earth!
Chengdu has a famous ancient street called Jinli.

Jinli is also known as Jinguan City.

Chang Qu of the Jin Dynasty wrote in the "Chronicles of Huayang: Shu": "The state took over the county's school and made it the state school. The county then built a new school on the east side of the road south of Yili Bridge. There was a parapet wall, and the road was west of the city, which was the former Jin Palace. The brocade weavers would wash their brocade in it and it would be bright and clear, while it would not be good in other rivers. Therefore, it was named Jinli."

You absolutely cannot appreciate the vibrancy of Jinli Ancient Street without visiting it yourself. Especially after sunset, the entire street is illuminated by hundreds of red lanterns, which complement the surrounding ancient buildings, creating a truly breathtaking experience for those who stroll through it.

The idol boy group "BRAVE" and idol girl group "HOPE," which have risen rapidly in the pop culture scene in the past two years, have their management company headquarters located in Jinli. After walking through the bustling Jinli Ancient Street, turn a corner and walk another hundred meters or so, you will reach the entrance of the management company's headquarters.

"Hey boss, wanna team up for a game?"

If it weren't for rehearsals or performances, this boy named Jin Fanyin would receive about fifty such messages every day. His happiest moments of the day were chewing on Zhang Fei beef and engaging in exhilarating battles with his fellow troupe members on their phone screens.

Jin Fanyin is the leader of the boy idol group "BRAVE". He remembers being born in an era when men didn't take many photos, but debuting through a talent show and becoming a member of "BRAVE" in an era when men needed to wear makeup when going out.

Jin Fan is a skilled dancer and proficient in many musical instruments, including the guqin. He is loyal, talented, and highly valued by his agency, as well as supported by the other members of his team.

To be honest, being an entertainer isn't easy. Especially for teenagers, who were considered child stars in the last century, now debuting as idols is a different story. Being called an idol inevitably means most of them will carry the burden of maintaining that image.

But Jin Fanyin didn't seem to care much about his image. Once, he posted a photo on social media of himself with a scruffy beard, shirtless, wearing ripped shorts, and eating a watermelon rind. After receiving 300,000 likes, he was severely reprimanded by his agency.

"You're not just one person; your image represents the entire 'BRAVE.' We're going for an idol boy band image. Your sullen and pretentious behavior will make you lose fans. Why don't you just post a picture of yourself naked?"

The agent pulled him into the office and reprimanded him sternly.

So, Jin Fanyin took another photo from behind, showing himself sitting naked and eating a watermelon rind. It instantly garnered 800,000 likes, and his follower count skyrocketed.

But the photo was quickly taken down. The agency also received a stern warning letter and a fine from a mysterious organization referred to as "related."

As a result, Jin Fan worked for free for a whole year and almost got kicked out of his position as team leader. But during his year of "voluntary labor," he was the hardest working and busiest person in terms of performances and gigs, and he didn't forget to negotiate with the company to get raises for the other members. In addition, 'BRAVE's' popularity skyrocketed, and the team's average income at the end of the year tripled compared to the previous year.

except him.

So the team members adored him. Their way of showing affection was by inviting him to play games together. If you're a man, and another man actively invites you to play games every day, then that man truly loves you. Jin Fan's burden was that too many of his teammates invited him to play games. Just too many.

Fortunately, he is a disciplined young man. Apart from playing video games with others during his holidays, he set a rule for the whole group: when there is a performance, they must work overtime to rehearse, take every performance seriously, and respect every fan.

Jin Fanyin and his team members said, "Although we don't have much money, our fans are far poorer than us. If someone is willing to eat instant noodles for half a month just to see one of your performances, then what does it matter if you sweat a few more drops or sleep a few less hours?"
After a ten-hour rehearsal in the dance studio, when the members are all exhausted and collapsed on the floor, Jin Fanyin, who is also covered in sweat, will come in with dry towels and bottled water, distribute them to everyone, and squat down to wipe the sweat off the wooden floor with a dry cloth.

“We’re still not quite there!” Jin Fanyin would say while wiping the floor. “Look at the girls from ‘HOPE’ next door. Many of them are two or three years younger than us. They rehearse harder than us, and injuries are commonplace for them. I’ve never heard them utter a single complaint.”

"Boss, you've got your eye on Sun Xiaoming from 'HOPE', haven't you!" one member mocked him. "Last time when people online were calling them 'green tea' girls, I saw you post on Weibo to defend Sun Xiaoming."

"If you keep talking nonsense, you'll get me fired and forced to retire early! You won't see me as the team leader anymore," Jin Fanyin said with a wry smile.

“That won’t do! Who will bring us water and towels after you leave?” one of the boys said.

Someone else added, "But it doesn't affect team battles."

"Big brother, remember to come visit us!" The members' teasing revealed their brotherly affection.

"If you step on me again, I'm canceling the break, and everyone go back to rehearsals!" Jin Fanyin deliberately put on a poker face.

"Tch..." A chorus of mocking voices echoed from the dance studio.

That evening, when Jin Fanyin was summoned to the big boss's office, he was practicing dance with the other members. Covered in sweat, he was only wearing a Uniqlo T-shirt and a towel around his neck. In the quiet, empty corridor, his mind raced through a slideshow of recent misdeeds that could be categorized as "trouble."

Is there some problem with the tour again? Or has one of the reality show investors withdrawn their funding and the show can't be filmed? That's how it is for artists; trouble never leaves you. Breaking news, bad news, and even blackmail are all commonplace.

The boss's office was huge; it felt like even the entire "BRAVE" team could fit inside. As he reached the door, he saw a figure approaching from the other end of the corridor. He could hear the rhythmic clatter of high heels from afar, like the beating of a young, powerful heart. The sound echoed through the empty corridor, vibrating in Jin Fanyin's ears.

Those footsteps, radiating queenly confidence... Could it be Sun Xiaoming, the leader of the idol girl group "HOPE"?
"BRAVE" and "HOPE" are known as a brother-sister idol group. Jin Fanyin is like a mischievous and unreliable older brother, while Sun Xiaoming is like a thoughtful and mature younger sister. But this younger sister seems to look down on her older brother.

Sure enough, Sun Xiaoming, the leader of "HOPE," walked briskly with her back straight, her hair tied in a ponytail, wearing a light brown thin sweater and a dark plaid skirt. Wasn't this the outfit she wore for their song "Universal War Song," which held the number one spot on the singles chart for seventeen consecutive weeks? She looked like she had just come off stage, her stage makeup still on.

"Hey? You were called here by the boss too?" Jin Fan greeted him.

"Yeah! The performance just ended tonight. I got straight to the car after getting off the stage and rushed here without even taking off my makeup." Sun Xiaoming expressionlessly took out an oil-absorbing sheet and wiped the slight sweat from his forehead. "Usually, our managers contact us, but this time the boss contacted the two team leaders directly. I don't know what urgent matter it is."

"Did your boss notify you via WeChat?"

"Yeah, what?"

"You can only 'believe slightly' what's sent on WeChat, not 'believe completely.' Otherwise, what would be the point of WeChat? If there's a real emergency, you'll call."

Sun Xiaoming rolled her eyes at him: "Hopefully it's something bad."

Jin Fanyin remained calm: "If I've caused trouble, I'll feel relieved to see someone else taking the blame with me."

“Who wants to take the blame with you? We 'HOPE' team members never cause trouble!” Sun Xiaoming said.

"The economic situation is bad lately. Is the company insolvent and we have to break up?"

"Ptooey! Ptooey! Ptooey!" Sun Xiaoming stomped on Jin Fanyin's foot with her high heels. "Get lost!"

Jin Fan, clutching his ankle, exclaimed, "You stepped on me so hard! I wasn't joking!" "Don't block the door. If you're not going in, move aside!"

Sun Xiaoming pushed past Jin Fanyin and knocked on the door.

A man's voice came from inside: "Come in!"

Sun Xiaoming gently pushed open the door, and the two walked into the office together.

The boss's office was huge, and his desk was enormous, almost big enough to be used as a conference table. Leaning against the desk to the left was a young man, a short-haired boy about the same age as the two of them. But this young man was wearing a light blue, ancient-style Taoist robe, as if he had just stepped off a TV drama set.

The large executive chair was facing away from them. When they heard Jin Fanyin and Sun Xiaoming enter, the chair spun around to face them.

The person sitting in the boss's chair wasn't the boss! It was a young man wearing the same light blue martial arts uniform! But this young man had slightly longer hair and wore a silver earring in his left ear.

"Jin Fanyin and Sun Xiaoming, right? Your songs are both pretty good; I have quite a few saved on my phone." The long-haired boy with silver earrings stood up.

"Who are you two?" Sun Xiaoming asked, slightly uneasy. "Where's the boss?"

The boy standing on the left side of the table pointed to the ceiling.

Sun Xiaoming looked up and almost cried out in surprise, covering his mouth with both hands. He saw the over 200-pound fat boss with his back pressed against the ceiling, as if he were glued to it.

The boss was drenched in sweat, clearly terribly frightened; beads of sweat dripped from his forehead onto the ceiling. He must have been up there for quite some time.

Jin Fan stepped forward, blocking Sun Xiaoming's path: "Who are you people! What do you want?"

The long-haired boy with the silver earring raised his right hand and twitched his fingers. The door behind them slammed shut and then clicked shut. Sun Xiaoming instinctively ran over and tried to turn the doorknob to open the door, but the lock wouldn't budge.

"What do you want to do! Why did you lock the door!" Sun Xiaoming released the doorknob and shouted at the two of them.

“We originally wanted to talk to the company boss, but it seems we encountered some minor issues and couldn’t reach an agreement,” said the boy with the silver earring. “Because we couldn’t reach an agreement, we decided to talk to the two parties involved directly, since this matter doesn’t have much to do with the boss.”

Jin Fanyin asked, "What do you mean?"

“By the way, I think it’s necessary for me to introduce myself first,” said the boy with the silver earring. “My name is Taishang Xiaojun. The person next to me is Huasheng. We both come from a place where mortals, immortals, and spirits live together.”

"Hello! Is this 110? This is..." Sun Xiaoming was shouting into the phone receiver, not having time to listen to what Taishang Xiaojun was saying.

Suddenly, Sun Xiaoming's phone flew out of his hand and out the window, instantly disintegrating into tiny phone parts in mid-air. These parts remained motionless, suspended in mid-air.

Tai Shang Xiao Jun said unhurriedly, "Didn't your parents teach you to look people in the eye when they speak?"

Before he could finish speaking, he saw Jin Fanyin standing beside him also shouting into his phone:

"Hello! Hello! Hello! Is this the police station? There are two lunatics here..."

In an instant, Jin Fanyin's phone suddenly turned bright red, so hot that he couldn't hold it. Then it fell to the ground with a thud, hissing and sparks flying.

Jin Fan glanced out the window at Sun Xiaoming's phone parts, which seemed salvageable, then looked at his own phone on the ground, where a wisp of smoke was rising from it. He immediately looked up and shouted at Tai Shang Xiao Jun and Hua Sheng, "Why are men and women treated differently?"

Hua Sheng replied, "I've heard that Samsung phones are more prone to catching fire?"

It seems these two bastards were behind this! Jin Fan glared angrily at the two of them.

Sun Xiaoming shouted, "You two are just performing shamanistic rituals! What kind of sorcery are you using?!"

Tai Shang Xiao Jun said, "Don't kids these days know how to respect others? Do you believe I can turn you into something like your cell phones?"

Sun Xiaoming was stunned for a moment, then immediately realized what was happening and blushed, covering her shirt with one hand and her skirt with the other.

"Hey! This is obviously unfair!" Jin Fan complained. "She gets to have it. If I become like a cell phone, wouldn't I end up as braised pork?"

"What a load of rubbish!" Sun Xiaoming stomped on Jin Fanyin's foot again. "You deserve to be burned to a pig's head!"

The heeled leather shoe stomped on him again with a loud clang, making Jin Fan see stars in pain. He said, "Sun Xiaoming, you... no, you stomped too hard. I'll be trampled to death if I'm not burned to death!"

"Due to the tight schedule, if you two don't mind, please allow me to explain a few more words," Taishang Xiaojun said in a gentle tone. "In short, we hope that both captains, as well as all members of the group, will now cancel all their engagements. We need the entire 'BRAVE' and 'HOPE' group to go on a business trip with us for a while."

"What?" they both exclaimed in unison. "Impossible! Our schedules are already booked until next year. Do you know how much money the company loses by canceling an event?"

Taishang Xiaojun turned to Huasheng and asked, "Huh? This sentence seems familiar, as if I've heard it somewhere before?"

Hua Sheng nodded thoughtfully and said, "That's right! I remember now, the person who just said that is cooling off on the ceiling."

Jin Fanyin and Sun Xiaoming shut their mouths.

Tai Shang Xiao Jun continued, “As I said, we come from a place where humans, immortals, and spirits coexist, called Sheng Ping Ning. What you have seen is just a small trick. The reason we revealed our identities is because your world is about to face an unprecedented catastrophe. Although we could stand by and let humanity fend for itself, we have chosen to join forces with you to fight this crisis.”

Tai Shang Xiao Jun then briefly explained the possibility of global flooding due to changes in the moon's orbit. He also explained why he chose the groups 'BRAVE' and 'HOPE'.

Upon hearing Tai Shang Xiao Jun's words, Jin Fan Yin, being a boy, was immediately filled with enthusiasm: "Wow! This is saving the world! In my entire life, what could be more meaningful than this? Let's do it!"

Hua Sheng and Tai Shang Xiao Jun were about to nod in satisfaction.

"What are you doing? Go yourself if you want to." Sun Xiaoming glared at Jin Fanyin. "I'm not doing it!"

(End of this chapter)