Master Zhang was the old sage of the tomb-raiding circles in the late Qing Dynasty. Bearing three talismans, he was widely known among the higher-ups as Zhang San Lianzi (Zhang Three-Links); his real name remains unknown. Even when he served in an official capacity in the Kunlun Mountains, operating within the recognized structures, he used only his surname, burying his true given name.

Yet, the true appellation of Master Zhang was unknown even to his disciples and family. Why? Because everything he did in his life was a transgression of taboos. Both the righteous and the criminal worlds were familiar with him, and he even held a significant moniker within the Green Forest brotherhood.

Before the Republican era, China was still imperial. If one committed a crime so heinous it reached the heavens, it could result in the extermination of nine generations. One person's wrongdoing implicated their friends and relatives. Therefore, those in the Green Forest never used their real names, relying only on their literary names or nicknames. Even if some became globally renowned, only their sobriquets remained in history until their deaths.

Though Master Zhang was laden with countless accumulated offenses, he had once received an imperial commendation from Emperor Xianfeng in his youth. Coupled with his deep understanding of worldly affairs, he had used rare antiquities acquired from grave robbing to forge relationships with countless dukes, officials, and constables, none of whom dared to touch him. Consequently, he commanded a vast following of adherents, possessed immeasurable wealth, and was sought after by heroes from all corners of the five lakes and four seas.

At that time, the power of the Xieling band of robbers was declining. Many people did not realize that Master San was the Golden Touch Captain, Zhang San Lianzi. Furthermore, although the incumbent chief of the robbers held a higher rank, his prestige paled in comparison to Master Zhang. Thus, his decision caused a greater stir in the Green Forest than the chief’s own act of disbanding the organization—it became a grand event in the brotherhood.

Which of the younger generation of martial artists would not want to witness such a spectacle? When the fifteenth day of the sixth lunar month arrived, guests indeed flooded the residence, gathering in full force. Every arrival was a notorious bandit or a Green Forest outlaw. Tables and chairs stretched from the main hall to the front gate, and the side corridors and wings were packed. Many of lower seniority had no choice but to stand on the periphery, as there were no seats left.

Once the seating order, based on seniority, was established, the incense ceremony had to commence, paying homage to the Martial Saint True Lord, the Ancestral Master, with the solemn rite of lighting the incense. In essence, this was mere formality, but traditional customs could not be omitted, nor dared they be treated lightly. As the moon above grew round and the stars began to emerge, the Xieling Chief was invited to take his seat beneath the ancestral shrine in the main hall. On either side, attendants presented an incense burner before the hall, containing nineteen large incense sticks arranged in a formation: three in the front, four in the back, five on the left, and six on the right, with a single stick placed precisely in the center.

After a burst of gongs and drums, the moment for salutations arrived. The assembled figures of the underworld fell into absolute silence. At this juncture, Master Zhang emerged and performed a half-kneeling bow before the Chief. In the Green Forest etiquette of that time, joining the ranks was easy, but retiring with the incense was difficult. Ordinary folk dared not light the incense. A common gang member wishing to wash his hands of the business would only dare to mention ‘washing hands in a golden basin’ if a major crisis befell his parents or wife and children, forcing the head of his household to return. Only if the leader’s emissary confirmed this dire necessity would retirement be permitted; otherwise, the penalty was death without pardon. Despite Master Zhang’s unique status, he could not bypass this ritual; he first had to state his reasons for retiring before the Chief.

Master Zhang first explained his reasons for withdrawing from the partnership: mainly that he suffered from old ailments and was burdened by the ties of wife and children, making it difficult to continue deeds of robbery and murder. He petitioned the Ancestral Master and the Chief to show clemency and permit his safe retreat.

The Chief immediately helped Master Zhang rise, smiling solicitously, “Congratulations, Third Brother, on washing your hands clean. It is rare and commendable to achieve such calm release. Both the white path and the black path of the world are deep waters and raging fires; to endure until this day is truly not easy. As the saying goes—winds and clouds always meet, gatherings and partings are never fixed. Withdrawing your incense, may our loyalty remain.”

Master Zhang, accompanied by the Chief, then came before the incense burner and stood firmly. He recited the Incense Withdrawal Ode:

“The celestial constellations arrayed in the four directions, Mount Changsheng stands firm in the center; Wandering the rivers and lakes for decades, I have greatly benefited from the care of all my brothers; Today, this young brother must depart, I implore all brothers to show great tolerance; I return to tend to my aged mother, Yet my fate remains linked to all my brothers; Should armies or generals approach, I will report, Should there be fire or flood, I will give warning; With yellow earth below and heaven above, My thread is tied to that of all my brothers; Though my iron hammer crushes my teeth, my mouth remains sealed, Though the steel blade carves my gall, my heart does not waver; This humble brother speaks a single false word, May the five thunders strike my head and my household perish; I send distant blessings for the Star of the Chief to gather golden light, May the incense of Changsheng forever cover Kunlun, And the mission of upholding Heaven’s Way be eternally passed down.”

Regardless of who performed the incense withdrawal in the Green Forest, this ode had to be recited. Citing the need to care for an aging mother was based on the maxim, “Filial piety is the first of all virtues.” No matter what reason one gave to stop someone, even the greatest excuse, it was impossible to obstruct the duty of filial piety. Although Master Zhang had been orphaned since childhood, he still had to recite the ode exactly as written, without a single alteration, and he could not pause mid-recitation to search for words. Otherwise, he would be deemed guilty in heart or harboring ill intent, and the surrounding bandits would immediately rush forward with swords, chopping the reciter into meat paste.

The entire ode comprised nineteen lines. With the recitation of each line, one large incense stick was withdrawn. By the time Master Zhang concluded his recitation, all the sticks in the burner would have been extinguished. The Chief immediately cupped his hands in salute and expressed joy: “Third Brother, depart well. Whenever you miss home, return for a cup of watered wine.” With this, the ritual was complete. From that moment onward, Master Zhang severed all ties with the temporal affairs of the Green Forest. Those surrounding him stepped forward to offer congratulations simultaneously. Outside the compound, firecrackers exploded, and drums and music sounded. Servants immediately brought out the feast: a magnificent spread of land and water provisions, cups and plates clinking, hosts and guests thoroughly enjoying themselves.

During the banquet, the outlaws raised their cups in turn. Someone proposed, “Today is Master Zhang’s grand day of retiring his incense. Heroes from all sides have gathered, and the table is laden with fine wine and delicacies—it is exhilarating. Yet, we lack something to accompany the drinks, which dampens the enjoyment and prevents full satisfaction. We in the Green Forest are rough men, hardy husbands; we cannot imitate scholars reciting drinking games. What shall we do? This junior dares to suggest that all the esteemed masters present recount an experience that brought them the greatest pride, be it marvelous, courageous, or something ordinary men could never achieve. We shall each drink a great bowl in their honor.”

The outlaws roared in approval. Master Zhang, being a man of the times, knew perfectly well that the crowd wished to hear tales of his past exploits. Since the occasion was joyous, he could hardly refuse and began to speak during the feast. However, Master Zhang’s duties as a Golden Touch Captain involved clandestine matters, and he was unwilling to divulge them publicly. He merely gave abbreviated versions of several perilous adventures from his life.

Master Zhang was, in fact, descended from a distinguished family. After his family fell, he drifted in the countryside from a young age. In his youth, he helped solve several bizarre cases, gaining fame for quelling rebels in Jiangnan. Later, he became a military officer, fighting against the Taiping Army, suppressing the Nian rebels, and accompanying Lord Zuo in suppressing the Xinjiang unrest. His life was spent long on the battlefield, frequently facing battle formations, filled with countless extraordinary encounters.

Any single incident from Master Zhang’s history was enough to make the moon and stars seem dim when recounted, or to turn rivers backward when fully explained. After he finished speaking, the others, according to seniority and status, were invited in turn to narrate their own histories. These bandits ranged across the north and south, traveling ten thousand li. Beyond arson and robbery, they had accomplished many great feats of Xieling robbing and tomb raiding. Their experiences were often sensational, and the men of the Green Forest loved to boast of such heroic deeds. The speakers were animated, and the listeners were entranced. By the end of the feast, countless empty wine jars had been overturned. The drinking spree was utterly unrestrained, lasting from dusk until the first light of dawn the next day before everyone dispersed, heavily intoxicated.

After settling all affairs concerning both the black and white worlds, more than a month passed before Master Zhang finally brought his relatives back to his ancestral home. He still needed to remove his talismans before the Ancestral Master’s shrine and seal away his golden seal, intending never again to serve as a Golden Touch Captain.

Only three ancient Golden Touch Talismans existed in the world, passed down through generations. According to established ancient rules, one could not raid a tomb without wearing a talisman. Master Zhang had one son and one daughter, and four disciples. Excluding the daughter, there were five disciples in total, including his son. The Zhang lineage were all masters of Feng Shui. In this era, the only people qualified to wear the talismans were Master Zhang and his group of students and disciples, totaling no more than ten people at most. However, there were only three true talismans. Deciding whom to pass the Golden Touch Talismans to would require considerable thought.

Master Zhang’s four disciples each possessed extraordinary qualities. The first was Elder Liaochen, who would later become a monk at Wuku Temple. At that time, Elder Liaochen had not yet shaved his head; he kept his true name secret in the Green Forest, and no one knew his secular name. From childhood, he was a master thief capable of scaling eaves and leaping walls, earning him the nickname “Flying Swiftness.” He never failed in robbing wealthy households. His mastery of Qinggong (lightness skill) for scaling heights was exceptional, and he had received Master Zhang’s full teachings on the Xunlong Jue (Dragon Seeking Formula) and the art of Fenjin Dingxue (Divining the Coffin Site). He was fervent, always intervening in the world’s injustices, often possessing a heart inclined toward saving people.

The second was Golden Abacus. Hailing from a merchant family, he understood the esoteric art of lock-picking. He was astute and slippery, yet his integrity was rare and genuine. However, he was overly proud and looked down on ordinary people. A pure gold abacus never left his side; the beads and frame were intricately carved with the numbers of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches. He used this abacus not for bookkeeping, but exclusively to calculate numerology based on the Five Elements and divine the orientations of the Eight Gates. He and Master Zhang had known each other early on, sharing a deep bond that was half master-disciple, half friend.

The third was Sun Guofu, the Yin-Yang Eye. He was born into a gentry family but was cast out because, from birth, he possessed the Yin-Yang Eye and could “see ghosts.” He wandered until Master Zhang found him and took him in as a disciple. This man was benevolent and learned, holding a scholarly, Taoist mindset—in short, quite traditional and conservative. Despite mastering numerous skills, he was unwilling to engage in grave robbing for profit, nor did he participate in the Green Forest’s gatherings for dividing spoils. Consequently, he always used his real name, wherever he went.

The last, the youngest, was Master Zhang’s final disciple, nicknamed Iron Millstone. He possessed formidable external martial arts prowess. He had once been an outlaw and later joined the Nian rebels, having killed countless people. However, Master Zhang saw in his temper and nature a strong resemblance to a brother he once had. Recognizing his skill and honesty, Master Zhang accepted him into the fold.

On this day, Master Zhang summoned his son and disciples to the hall, placing the three ancient talismans on a jade plate. He informed them that there was no better day than today to pass on the Golden Touch Talismans. There is no banquet that never ends; regardless of who received a talisman or who did not, from this day forward, they must establish their own careers and venture out based on their own abilities. However, there was one condition: anyone who learned the Golden Touch Captain’s Xunlong Jue and Fenjin Dingxue but dared to rob tombs without wearing the talisman—they might survive one or two times by chance, but violating the ancient precedent would inevitably lead to a fatal catastrophe. If they ignored their master’s words, he warned, they should not blame him for being unclear when death finally arrived.

The disciples, knowing Master Zhang’s unparalleled insight and recognizing that his words were never wrong, dared not disobey. They all stepped forward and bowed, saying in unison, “To whom the three ancient Golden Touch Talismans are passed is entirely up to the Master’s judgment; your disciples have no further objections.”

Master Zhang nodded. Although there were five disciples including his son, he had already decided who would receive the talismans. First, he instructed his son to wait outside the room. The secret arts of the Golden Touch had been passed down for a thousand years, with many internal regulations, one of which was that the true talisman must not be passed to direct descendants.

Unlike disorganized common thieves, this rule stemmed from the understanding that grave robbing for profit severely depletes one's karmic fortune (Yin Fu). Even though the Golden Touch Captains stole rare treasures from ancient tombs, most of these were not ordinary worldly objects. If revealed to the world, they would incite open struggle and in-depth investigation. Ultimately, those who plundered tombs and unearthed treasures accrued considerable sin. Hence the saying, “Serve one generation, rest for three.” Starting from his son’s generation, his great-grandchildren would be forbidden from engaging in talisman-wearing tomb raiding; otherwise, they would surely incur divine retribution, leading to the extinction of their lineage and the ruin of their family.

Thus, the only ones eligible to wear the talisman were Master Zhang’s four disciples. Among them, Sun Guofu, the “Yin-Yang Eye,” was a scholar who refused to wear the cap of authority; he was completely unwilling to raid tombs, content with an ordinary livelihood, whether teaching in an academy or advising clients on selecting auspicious sites for dwelling or burial (Yin Yang Er Zhai). In any case, he possessed ample skills and had no worries about making a living, so he used his real name everywhere.

Seeing that the “Yin-Yang Eye” had made up his mind, Master Zhang took out a book titled The Sixteen-Character Secret Arts of Yin-Yang Feng Shui. This book meticulously recorded all that Master Zhang had learned and known throughout his life.

The secret arts of the Golden Touch were actually a branch of the I Ching. The ancient Zhou Celestial Trigrams comprised sixteen characters; only the Eight Trigrams survived into later generations, further divided into the Earlier Heaven (Fuxi) and Later Heaven (King Wen of Zhou) arrangements. It was said the Earlier Heaven Trigrams were derived from tortoise shell patterns, and the Later Heaven Trigrams were developed by King Wen. In reality, both were later fabrications, and the difference between them was negligible; both were classified as Heavenly Trigrams symbolized by the "Dragon," hence the Zhou Yi used for interpretation belonged to the Dragon Trigrams. Within these Eight Trigrams, although various symbols of rise and fall existed, close examination revealed they were all counts of resurgence. Therefore, the I Ching, from its opening to its end, spoke only of the Heavenly Way of the Primordial Origin (Qianyuan).

The other eight trigrams, lost since the Western Zhou period, were Yin Trigrams, mostly symbolized by the Phoenix of the Stars. The ancients believed that having the complete set of ancient trigrams—which revealed all the mysteries of creation between heaven and earth—would inevitably incur the jealousy of ghosts and spirits. Keeping them was inauspicious, so half of the sixteen trigrams were destroyed and never again reappeared in the world.

Master Zhang had once plundered a Western Zhou tomb and retrieved the Zhou Celestial Trigrams, lost for thousands of years. He then used these sixteen characters as a foundation to inscribe the arts of Feng Shui and Yin-Yang within them, authoring the Sixteen-Character Secret Arts of Yin-Yang Feng Shui. Here, Yin-Yang and Feng Shui each accounted for half. The Yin-Yang section detailed divination techniques and the principles of creation; the Feng Shui section covered the Way of Azure Crow Dragon Seeking and the Path of Feng Shui. This single volume encompassed the Golden Touch Captains’ Xunlong Jue and Fenjin Dingxue, and served as the culmination of burial customs and rituals from various Chinese dynasties—it could truly be called, “Exhausting the principles of Heaven and Earth, forming a school of one’s own.”

In front of his four disciples, Master Zhang tore half of the Sixteen-Character Secret Arts of Yin-Yang Feng Shui away, keeping only the half section on Feng Shui techniques, and burned the half section on Yin-Yang secret arts to ash in the brazier. Everyone was deeply perplexed and asked the Master why such a heavenly book was being destroyed. Would the Zhou Celestial Trigrams no longer exist in the world?

Master Zhang laughed, “Farming on dry land, sailing boats on water—fruit does not grow on human heads. These are the fundamental laws of Heaven and Earth. The rise and fall of creation in this world always have a set course, but who can pierce the mystery? One might say the Primordial Era perhaps had Immortals, but these are not things our worldly folk should know. Although the secrets of Heaven are profound and subtle, leaving them in the world is bound to bring immense disaster. Only burning them as an offering to Heaven is the proper course.” He then passed the remaining half of the damaged book to Sun Guofu, the Yin-Yang Eye, instructing him, “The Feng Shui secret arts of the Golden Touch Captains are wondrous beyond measure, having explored the three great Dragon Veins of South, North, and Center. Keeping this half volume in the world might prove useful in the future. You must preserve it well and never lose it.”

The Yin-Yang Eye, Sun Guofu, quickly bowed his thanks for the Master’s grace, tearfully accepting the damaged book before taking his leave to travel the world. Finally, Master Zhang told the remaining three—Liaochen, Golden Abacus, and Iron Millstone—that the Golden Touch Talismans would rest with them three. Today was not the auspicious day; only after paying respects to the Ancestral Master at the hour of midnight would the talismans be donned and the gold bestowed.