Chapter 31: Accumulating Merit with Pei Heng

His once handsome and clean face was now a patchwork of bruises.

Pei Heng grinned, carrying a large bag in one hand while rubbing the corner of his mouth where he had been injured. The feeling of being cared for was truly wonderful.

"Little Jiang, from today on, I’m going to stick with you! Look..." As he spoke, he pulled a pinch of black ash from his pocket. "I felt a burning sensation in my chest on the way back yesterday, but the talisman you gave me was still intact. Then, on my way here this morning, it burned again. When I checked, the talisman that had been perfectly fine turned into this."

Jiang Zhiyue understood immediately; this meant the talisman had exhausted its energy while shielding him from a serious calamity.

"Then what happened to your face? Were you in a car accident?"

Pei Heng looked a bit embarrassed. "No, it was the old lady next door. She left her trash at your door this morning, and since she’s elderly, I took it down to throw it out for her. But the elevator happened to be broken, so I took the stairs and ended up tripping and hitting my face."

Jiang Zhiyue: "..."

Fine. Bruises were better than broken bones. Still, letting her benefactor get hurt was an insult to her professional capabilities. She pulled Pei Heng into her apartment and locked the door in one swift motion.

By the time she had changed and come out with the peace charm she had carved from lightning-struck wood the previous night, Pei Heng had already filled the dining table with a sumptuous breakfast. Not only that, she noticed he had kindly plugged back in the refrigerator, which she had unplugged to save on electricity.

She walked over and handed him the carved wooden charm. "I made this for you last night. Millennium-old lightning-struck wood carries the power of thunder itself; it’s far more effective than a talisman made of yellow paper. I’ve already drilled the hole for you; just find a cord you like and wear it."

Pei Heng was pleasantly surprised, taking the charm and stroking it with reverence. Little Jiang had actually made him a charm by hand using lightning-struck wood! This was the same wood she hadn’t sold even when someone offered her two hundred million. He hadn't expected her to give him such a large piece. Little Jiang was so good to him!

At this thought, the tips of his ears turned uncontrollably red. "Little Jiang, thank you! I love it. I will definitely wear it 24 hours a day! Are you hungry? I had Wang Ma specially prepare this breakfast for you; try it."

While enjoying the food, Jiang Zhiyue said, "A peace charm is good, but it only treats the symptoms, not the root cause. I’ve analyzed your situation—you still need to solve the lack of merit in your life. Only by possessing the energy of merit can one be protected by the Heavens and enjoy a long and prosperous life."

Pei Heng listened intently. "But I do charity work and donate money every year. Why don't I have any merit?"

Jiang Zhiyue was also puzzled, but after thinking it over, she said, "Is it possible that only a tiny portion of your donations, or perhaps none at all, actually reached the people who truly needed it? If the problem isn't actually solved, you won't receive the feedback of merit from the recipients."

"This..."

Jiang Zhiyue’s eyes darted around. "I have an idea!"

"What is it?"

"Do you know about the power of faith?" Pei Heng listened carefully as she continued, "In the past, high monks in prosperous times would hold dharma assemblies to teach scriptures, while Taoist sects in chaotic times would open their gates to slay demons. As more people learned of their deeds, they began to view Buddhism and Taoism as a form of faith. With enough faith, they achieved enlightenment and became deities. Tell me, should we try to emulate that?"

Pei Heng gulped, his eyebrows twitching. "Little Jiang, is there any other way? I don't want to be a monk, and I don't want to be a Taoist..."

Jiang Zhiyue felt a vein throb in her forehead. "Who told you to be a monk? Besides, what's wrong with being a Taoist? I'm a practitioner of the Tao myself!"

Pei Heng lowered his head, feeling a bit ashamed. It wasn't that he thought there was anything wrong with being a Taoist; he just didn't want to be one himself.

"What I mean is, when you donate, the funds don't necessarily reach the people in need. Or even if the recipients are helped, they don't know that you were the one who actually provided the money! They only thank the staff who handed them the cash. So, you spend the money, but receive very little return. What you need to do now is bravely and boldly let people see the good deeds you do!"

"Ah, is that so?"

Jiang Zhiyue was certain. "Yes! As long as there are enough believers, even demons can become gods. Surely you can manage to earn some merit?"

Pei Heng was suddenly full of energy. "Then I'll have someone go get cash right now. We'll head to a crowded street and hand out cash to those in need!"

"Oh, right, and I'll have someone make a large sign with my personal information to carry around. That way, everyone will know exactly who is giving them the money!"

Jiang Zhiyue nearly choked on her seafood porridge. "Rich boy, there are so many ways to be remembered and thanked. Why do you have to be so fixated on money?"

"Then..." Pei Heng thought for a moment, "You don't mean doing good deeds, do you?"

Jiang Zhiyue nodded in satisfaction. "Exactly! If you just give money, people will only be grateful for a moment. Once the money is gone, they might even complain that you didn't give them enough! But if you can help someone solve a problem they couldn't overcome even after praying to all the gods, their gratitude towards you will be as endless as a surging river!"

Pei Heng looked troubled. "Little Jiang, aren't you overestimating me? Apart from the wealth I have that others couldn't earn in two lifetimes, I don't really have any skills." He couldn't even wash a dish without dropping it! As Wang Ma always said, he should just stick to making money and hiring help rather than ruining the household dishes.

Jiang Zhiyue patted her chest confidently. "That’s what I’m here for! From today on, I’ll lead you in doing good deeds to accumulate merit. We’ll go out later and set up a stall to tell fortunes in a crowded area. If you follow me, the merit I earn can be shared with you."

"Okay!" Pei Heng agreed immediately, though after a moment of hesitation, he asked tentatively, "Kyoto doesn't really allow that kind of thing. If we go out, won't we get arrested for spreading feudal superstition?"

Jiang Zhiyue scratched her head, looking very distressed. Big cities were so strictly regulated, unlike the small county she used to live in. Aside from the business being slow, there hadn't been any major issues there.

"How about you try live-streaming?" Pei Heng suggested. "I see many metaphysics channels online. Little Jiang, you’re beautiful and skilled; you’d definitely go viral! The traffic in a live stream is much higher than on the street."

Jiang Zhiyue shook her head. "No, I’ve tried that before. As soon as I start streaming, the platform claims I’m promoting feudal superstition and bans me. It happens every time I try; it’s impossible to get started!"

"That can't be right. Which platform were you streaming on, Little Jiang?" Pei Heng asked, full of doubt.