Apprenticing and Learning Skills

Because I had the Heavenly Fate of Elimination, my parents never let me go out to play since I was a child. I hadn’t even been to the nearby town.

So when I heard my master’s words, my heart instantly soared. I fantasized about becoming a powerful feng shui master one day and traveling to many places.

I formally bowed to my master and began learning feng shui and mysterious arts from him.

My master’s feng shui knowledge was not limited to just the Buyi Sect. He knew the secrets of all the major feng shui schools. It could be said that his knowledge gathered all rivers into the sea, fusing everything together perfectly.

This was exactly why the four great feng shui sects—Zhuge the Half-Immortal of the Shengua Sect, Li Jinsheng of the Xuankong Sect, Yang Lianshui of the Yanggong Sect, and Qin Sizong of the Passing Yin-Yang Sect—had all failed and lost their lives seven years ago, while my master could successfully head up Qinglong Mountain to eliminate the evil.

Apart from feng shui and mysterious arts.

My master also taught me talismans, divination, Qimen Dunjia, folk sorcery, Lu Ban arts, Maoshan arts, and so on. He even taught me the蠱-poison arts of the Miao territory.

I also displayed immense talent, making rapid progress. I absorbed all kinds of mysterious arts like a sponge.

My master often said to my father: “Jianfan is a golden carp in a small pond. Once the wind and clouds change, he will surely fly up into the clouds. In the future, he will definitely bring glory to the Chen family name and inherit the mantle of me, Gai Jiuyou! You two can just sit back and enjoy the blessings.”

My father was so happy his mouth couldn’t close, and he never let my master run out of good cigarettes and fine liquor.

One day, my master specially told me that the true secret manual of the Buyi Sect was hidden inside Qinglong Mountain. Once the time was right, I could obtain that book, the Feng Shui Yin-Yang Scripture. Only with this hidden treasure would it be possible for me to surpass him. In the future, the title of the “God of Feng Shui” would belong to me.

With the rash spirit of a youth, I wanted to head up Qinglong Mountain right then, saying, “Master, I have learned your skills now. Can I go up Qinglong Mountain to search for this hidden treasure? Qinglong Mountain definitely cannot stop me now.”

Hearing this, my master’s face changed violently on the spot. He barked loudly: “I have never seen a one-year-old child sprint. I have never seen a baby bird flap its wings and soar straight into the blue clouds. You haven’t even crossed the basic threshold yet, and you are already thinking of going up Qinglong Mountain to look for the hidden treasure! You are courting death. What immense audacity, why don’t you just open your mouth and swallow the sky whole.”

I was a bit dazed, never expecting my master’s reaction to be so explosive.

My master’s voice calmed down, and he said, “Jianfan. At your young age, do not use feng shui arts recklessly, lest you attract unnecessary karmic retributions. You must know that only after opening the Yin-Yang Eye can you be considered to have crossed the threshold into the realm of yin and yang. You cannot use feng shui arts until you turn eighteen. This is an iron rule. If you dare to break it, then you will no longer be a disciple of me, Gai Jiuyou. Your life and death will have nothing to do with me.”

I quickly said, “I will listen to you. I absolutely won’t use feng shui arts recklessly.”

But I still couldn’t control my curiosity and asked, “Why can’t I use them ahead of time?”

My master said with deep gravity: “Heaven gave you the Fate of Elimination, yet you are fighting back desperately. If heaven finds out, the tribulations will increase in difficulty. Therefore, you must absolutely hide your actions from heaven before you reach adulthood.”

I realized that was the reason, so I asked, “Then when will I be able to open the Yin-Yang Eye?”

My master gave a deliberate smile and said mysteriously, “You will open the Yin-Yang Eye very soon. If your talent isn’t enough, just massage your master’s shoulders for a month, and your master will open that third eye for you.”

My master only stayed for three months every year, never staying a single day extra. Afterward, he would leave Qinglong Mountain to travel outside, moving like a divine dragon whose tail could be seen but not his head. Sometimes he would appear out of nowhere, completely catching me off guard.

I also grew up gradually. With my master’s permission, I was allowed to go to the town to attend middle school. I was willing to spend the effort on my studies, and I didn’t care much for slacking off.

I balanced my regular school studies and feng shui knowledge very well.

In the blink of an eye, seven years passed.

I was fourteen years old now.

My father and mother began to get nervous all over again.

The crisis at seven years old had been too violent, and they still held lingering fears to this day.

Since I crossed the heavenly tribulation at birth and the earthly tribulation at seven years old, then fourteen years old would be the human tribulation. This was the final tribulation before adulthood. It was also the most difficult one.

In my master’s words, once the human tribulation passed, I could prepare for the adulthood ceremony. If I couldn’t pass the human tribulation, then I would have to wait for the next life to have that ceremony.

Therefore, my father and mother specially instructed me never to cause trouble. If I got into a conflict with someone, no matter who was right or wrong, I should take a few steps back. I had to be careful of vehicles when crossing the road. Even standing under the roof eaves, I had to be careful of bricks falling down. I mustn’t go swimming in the water, to avoid encountering drowning ghosts looking for a substitute life.

They even stopped serving fish entirely, just fearing that I would get a fishbone stuck in my throat.

I kept these words firmly in mind, absolutely not daring to push them to the back of my head.

Fortunately, the entire Chen Village gradually forgot about the incident when I was seven years old, only occasionally treating it as dinner table gossip.

Sometimes when Bai Dabiao saw me, he would even greet me. The other villagers of Chen Village no longer looked at me like a freak, at least not on the surface.

During one school holiday, I spotted Old Madam Ma in the town.

She looked at me with a face full of smiles, wanting to invite me to her house for dinner, and also wanting me to see the deity she worshipped. I never had a good impression of her, so I rejected her directly.

“Jianfan, when is Master Gai coming?” Old Madam Ma asked tirelessly.

I didn’t want to engage with her, so I said, “My master has always been mysterious. As for when he will come, I have no idea at all. If you truly have business with him, after he comes this year, I will let you know. Then you can go pay a visit to my master.”

Old Madam Ma took out a bag of candies to give to me and said, “Jianfan, this old woman has run into a very tricky matter. How about you come help me take a look? Since you are learning skills from your master, you should be able to solve my problem. I will give you a sum of money and won’t tell your parents. You can just save it for yourself. When you hang out with good friends and treat them to restaurants, it will also give you face.”

Remembering my master’s instructions, I refused Old Madam Ma and said, “Aren’t you joking! You are a powerful altar master in the town who worships a deity. How could I surpass you! My master does not allow me to cause trouble recklessly.”

It took me some effort to shake off Old Madam Ma.

I quickened my pace, wanting to return to Chen Village before it got completely dark.

The sky had just darkened, and I was walking very hurriedly.

Suddenly, a motorcycle drove out onto the road from a side path at a very high speed, rushing right in front of me in an instant.

I hurriedly dodged to the side and tumbled onto the ground. My right hand scraped against the gravel, breaking the skin and bleeding. The motorcycle also lost its direction, crashing into the grass by the roadside.

The driver scrambled up, reeking of alcohol, and cursed: “Are you blind! The road is so wide yet you don’t know how to walk it, you just had to block my way to court death. This is a motorcycle I just bought, give me two hundred yuan to repair it!”

Hearing the demand for two hundred yuan, I got a bit anxious right then and quickly defended myself, saying, “I don’t have money. Besides, it was clearly you who rushed out while drunk. What does this have to do with me!”

The driver’s temper flared instantly. Raising his fist to strike my face, he barked, “Whose brat are you? I’ll teach you some manners on behalf of your father.”

As he drew closer, he recognized me and cursed, “So it’s the freak from the Chen family. No wonder I lost money today. Meeting a jinx like you, it would be strange if I didn’t lose money.”

“You lost money first, and met me later. What connection does that have?” I quickly dodged, recognizing this person as Fu Sanqing from Chen Village.

Just then, a flashlight beam shone over. The person coming was precisely my father. My father knew I had a holiday today, and seeing that it was almost dark and I hadn’t returned, he had come with a flashlight to meet me, just happening to witness this scene.

My father let out a loud shout: “Lay a hand o my son and see what happens!”