She thinks she is “the heir to a generations-old fortune-telling scam,” and that all her “skills” are tricks for swindling people, taught by her grandfather. She takes jobs by making things up on the spot and relying on outrageous luck. In reality, her grandfather has subtly taught her Taoist arts since childhood under the guise of “trickery,” and her bloodline naturally carries spiritual energy. Every clumsy move she makes, from trembling while drawing talismans and forgetting incantations to tripping over her shoelaces and blurting out a common name, along with every offhand fabrication, from using a beggar’s chant as a spell to passing plain words off as Taoist maxims, unconsciously activates genuine Taoist arts. Her crooked talismans are simplified versions of real talismanic seals, her rhymes are simplified incantations, and tripping over her shoelaces is an unconscious execution of the steps of the Big Dipper. What seems like one mishap after another is actually the real thing. The public’s overactive interpretations happen to hit the truth, and the face-slapping never waits until tomorrow, making for a thoroughly satisfying ride.
