The God of Feng Shui

Hearing this voice, I poked my head out to look. A man dressed in plain cloth clothes walked into the yard.

My father and mother were overjoyed.

My father said, “Master Gai, we have been longing for you day and night, and you are finally here.”

The massive boulder in my mother’s heart finally fell. She pulled me forward and said, “It has been many years since we last met, Master, yet your appearance hasn’t changed a bit.” She then turned to me and said, “Gousheng, hurry up and greet him. This is your master. He was the one who saved you seven years ago.”

I felt a bit uneasy. Looking at the man in plain clothes before me, I couldn’t open my mouth. I could only force a shy smile.

My master did not put on any grand airs. He said amiably, “Jianfan is not used to it yet. He can call me that later once we get familiar. Seven years have passed, and he has grown into a well-behaved and sensible boy.”

Standing aside, Old Madam Ma sized up my master. Treating him as an ordinary feng shui practitioner, she sneered: “This gentleman speaks in a very frightening way. May I ask your great name? In the territory of Qinglong Mountain, everyone knows the capabilities of me, Ma Jinlian. A single phrase from you cannot decide my life and death. What do you mean by dying without a place for burial seven years from now? If you don’t explain yourself clearly, don’t blame me for being impolite.”

My master put down the cloth banner sign he carried. Meeting Old Madam Ma’s gaze, he said calmly, “My humble name is Gai Jiuyou. A man from Jiangcheng, currently wandering to this place. Are you planning to compete with me in something?”

Hearing this name, Old Madam Ma looked as if she had been struck by lightning. She was too stunned to speak, but there was still a hint of disbelief in her. Her voice began to tremble, yet she still let out a cold laugh: “I have heard that Grandmaster Gai travels all over the world, moving like a divine dragon whose tail can be seen but not his head. You… better report your identity honestly. There is no need to steal his old senior’s identity to swindle people.”

My master was too lazy to explain. Pointing toward the direction of the dragon head of Qinglong Mountain, he said calmly, “Zhuge the Half-Immortal of the Shengua Sect, Li Jinsheng of the Xuankong Sect, and four others hanged themselves right at the dragon head position. Apart from me, who else has the courage to take Chen Jianfan as a disciple?”

Old Madam Ma had also heard about the four great feng shui masters hanging themselves at the dragon head seven years ago. Her face changed completely in an instant. She stood up hurriedly and said, “So you are the God of Feng Shui, the venerable Master Gai. This disciple is Ma Jinlian, an outer disciple of the seventy-two branches of the Lower Maoshan Sect. I… I was worried that Brother Chen and his wife were being deceived, so I asked a few more questions. This junior has long known the great name of the God of Feng Shui, Master Gai. Being fortunate enough to meet you today is truly the luck of three lifetimes.”

I felt quite puzzled in my heart. What kind of title was the “God of Feng Shui,” and was it truly that powerful?

My mother curled her lip and let out a cold laugh: “Beautiful words.”

My master raised an eyebrow and said, “Since you know my name, then answer my question. Why did you wade into these muddy waters?”

Sweat poured down Old Madam Ma’s face. She quickly wiped it with her sleeve, not daring to tell a lie, and said, “When the Chen family’s boy was born, the four great feng shui masters came to Qinglong Mountain to take him as a disciple. I kept an eye on it then, thinking that the Chen family’s boy must have a grand destiny. I worship a wild god. This time the boy encountered a fierce ghost claiming his life, and I thought he would surely die. So, I wanted to… take this chance to use his soul to sacrifice to the wild god. I didn’t know he was your old senior’s disciple. Otherwise, even if you gave me a hundred courages, I wouldn’t dare.”

Fearing she hadn’t explained clearly, she added, “I thought the Chen family’s boy was a goner, so I tried to grab some benefits along the way. I held no malice myself.”

The hearts of humans could sometimes be far more terrifying than ghosts.

Hearing these words, my father glared viciously at Old Madam Ma. He never expected her intentions to be so venomous, and he wished he could give her two slaps. Seeing that my master was present, he managed to endure it without bursting out.

My master let out a light chuckle: “With your mere sorcery and doll-stabbing methods, you couldn’t kill the Azure Dragon’s Son. Do you know what the Chen family ancestors did?”

Shaking with fear, Old Madam Ma shook her head and said, “I am not too sure. Qinglong Mountain is a magical place with many rumors. This junior’s blessings are shallow, so I have no fortune to know. I pray senior will tell me.”

Seeing my eyes wide with curiosity, my master smiled at me and said, “An expert once ascended and turned into a dragon on Qinglong Mountain. At the final moment, when he was supposed to cast off his earthly attachments, he was caught on a tree by a belt. Fortunately, he met the Chen family ancestor, who chopped off the belt. The Azure Dragon finally leaped and ascended into heaven.”

I listened in complete awe. It sounded just like a story. If the Azure Dragon was ascending, how could it be held back by a waist belt? Why would a true deity need help from a mortal?

Old Madam Ma broke out in a cold sweat and said, “I have eyes but failed to recognize precious jade. Please give me a chance to turn over a new leaf, Master Gai. I will thoroughly repent.”

My master shook his head instead: “You don’t need to beg me at all. Even if you did venomous things, what can I do to you? Without evidence, can I kill you? If you truly repent, just build virtue and do good deeds. If you use words to deceive me, I won’t need to act; heaven will claim you instead.”

As if a heavy burden were lifted, Old Madam Ma immediately swore an oath to heaven with an extremely serious expression, saying, “From this day onward, I, Ma Jinlian, will build virtue and do good deeds. I will never do anything that harms heaven or reason. The Jianfan boy and I can be considered to have formed a friendship out of a fight.”

She looked at my master again and said in a soft tone, “I would like to invite him to my altar room to serve as a spiritual child. With day and night care, ordinary evil spirits won’t dare come near him.”

My master glanced at her sideways and said with some impatience, “Does a disciple of me, Gai Jiuyou, need protection from an altar that worships an evil god? If there is nothing else, leave quickly. Do you expect to stay for dinner too?”

My father snorted: “Still wanting to stay for dinner? I think she wants a slap instead.”

Realizing she was making a fool of herself, Old Madam Ma wanted to say something to my parents, but seeing the hatred written all over their faces, she could only leave.

Old Madam Ma walked incredibly fast. When she reached the courtyard entrance, her foot slipped, and she even took a tumble.

My father and mother then told my master everything that had happened over the past few days from start to finish.

After listening, my master burst into laughter and said, “The Hu and Liu families of Qinglong Mountain can be considered dutiful. They have passed my test. In that case, they may continue to stay on Qinglong Mountain. Otherwise, if I came this time, I would have acted on behalf of heaven to head up the mountain and eliminate them.”

My master looked out toward Qinglong Mountain.

I followed his gaze, thinking to myself that the Qinglong Mountain behind us actually held so many bizarre rumors. I wondered if the red and white figures were on the mountain, and whether they would feel afraid upon seeing my master.

My master turned back to look at me and said in an extremely proud tone: “Jianfan, the second tribulation has passed. Learn feng shui arts well from me! Remember your master’s title, the God of Feng Shui.”

Starting from the year I turned seven.

My master would stay at my house for three months every year to teach me his skills.

My master told me that our lineage belonged to the Buyi Sect, and our founding master was the Song Dynasty Grandmaster Lai Buyi, originally named Lai Fenggang. Framed by the treacherous minister Qin Hui, he eventually traveled among the common people, using feng shui to pity the poor and relieve suffering. He possessed rich experiences and saw through yin and yang, making him a rare grandmaster of feng shui in the world.

These words instantly captivated me.