Zhao Shan was deeply moved, scrambling up from the ground to clutch Zhang Enpu's hand, saying with tears streaming down his face, "Elder Sir, what exactly must I do to break this dreadful curse?"

Zhang Enpu smiled slightly and bowed slightly, "On the night of the Mid-Autumn full moon, when specters and ghosts dare not stir, you only need to fetch a ladle of clear water from the spillway of the Shushan Village dam exactly at the Zi hour and pour it upon your father-in-law's grave to shatter this hex. As you pour that ladle of water onto the mound, a shooting star will appear in the East, and the grave will shimmer with specks of golden light, shining upon the earth like the sun itself."

Zhao Shan was stunned. "It's that simple? Just a ladle of water from the Shushan Village river? Is that water divine?"

Zhang Enpu replied, "The spillway of the river in Shushan Village lies within the 'Big Dipper Seven Star Formation'; it is the crystallized essence of the Big Dipper's spiritual energy, possessing the power to expel evil and demons. Of course, a ladle of water from there will suffice."

Zhao Shan smiled. "Oh, right, I forgot that river flows from the back mountain. Heh heh... Truly magical."

Zhang Enpu continued, "This month is the fifth month; there are still three months until the night of the Mid-Autumn Zi hour on the fifteenth of the eighth month. During these three months, two major events will befall you. The first: next month, the sixth month, your village will suffer a massive flood. The second: the Zhao family downstream in Shushan Village will give birth to a son on the day of Shen-Wu. This child will be born with three arms and will tragically drown in a well three days later. You must remember these two events; they are the omens for you to restore your family's fortunes, and they serve as benchmarks to gauge my abilities."

Zhao Shan nodded. "Yes. I remember."

Zhang Enpu inquired further, "Do you know why these two events will happen?"

Zhao Shan shook his head. "I don't. Is there some profound mystery involved?" Zhang Enpu explained, "That is because these two events are two of the three reactions stemming from the curses set off when your father-in-law's coffin lid was breached."

"And the third one?"

"The third one was foretold the very day the lid was broken: struck down by five thunders from heaven, your father-in-law met his untimely end that day. The remaining two activate on a forty-year cycle, which brings us to this year."

"Sir, you truly are a divine man. I suspect the geomancer who surveyed the land for my father-in-law back then certainly did not grasp all these subtleties; he must have miscalculated many crucial factors, likely believing it to be a genuine auspicious site."

Zhang Enpu sighed. "The details of that past affair are likely lost to everyone now. Let what is past remain past. The important thing is to focus on the future. Very well, I must descend the mountain now. Take good care of yourself. After this matter is resolved, marry a wife, and you are guaranteed to have a son of exceptional noble bearing." With that, he turned and walked away without looking back.

Zhao Shan hurried after him. "Let us descend together, Sir. You have helped me immensely; I must reward you handsomely." "No need, this encounter was purely fate met on the road, not included in my fees; please do not stand on ceremony. Let us part here; we shall meet again."

The sixth month was a season of heavy rain, precisely when the weeds in the fields thrived most vigorously. Thus, the villagers of Shushan were anything but eager for the rain; they perpetually hoped the Sun Father above would linger longer. Otherwise, their crops would suffer, and they would be reduced to eating squash soup. Zhao Shan was the sole exception.

Zhao Shan was not a farmer; he didn't worry about the plumpness or thinness of his crops. At this moment, his sole concern was the "great flood" Zhang Enpu had predicted, and the "drowning incident" slated for the seventh month.

He wished for the moment to arrive swiftly, for his future hinged upon it. Yet, simultaneously, a feeling of self-reproach and guilt pricked at him. These foretold events were not blessings but calamities that drew the world's scorn. He worried if such a yearning for disaster compromised his virtue. He was in a predicament from which there was no easy escape.

But such is the trajectory of life; what is destined to come will inevitably arrive, and what is not meant to happen cannot be pulled back even by steel wire. Just as Zhang Enpu had asserted, a heavy rain fell one night in mid-June. The rain was a once-in-a-century deluge, pouring down as if heaven had opened a well directly over Shushan Village. It rained relentlessly for three full days and nights. Consequently, Shushan Village instantly became a river, vast swathes of farmland completely submerged, nearly necessitating a name change to Shushui Village.

Fortunately, the flood stopped there and showed no sign of surging into the farmers' homes. Even so, the disaster was immense. Every grain in the fields was lost. Zhao Shan felt both grief and joy, tears welling up in vain. To alleviate the guilt gnawing at his conscience, he offered all his savings to aid the villagers in post-disaster reconstruction. The first prophecy had indeed come true, and with such violence; it seemed certain that the second prophecy—the drowning death of a child with three arms downstream—was also bound to occur.

Downstream from Shushan Village lived a family: the master, Mu Dahua, and his wife, Xiaoyue. Despite being married for three years without using any contraceptive measures, Mu Dahua and Xiaoyue showed no sign of conceiving. They were maddened by their desire for a child. Their parents were even more frantic for grandchildren. They sought every possible means. Yet, after consulting doctors from seven or eight counties, and consuming seventy or eighty traditional remedies, there was still no effect. They were completely bewildered; where lay the problem?

In truth, their issue had an explanation rooted in geomancy. Their residence was known in the discipline as a "Juehu" (Lineage Ender).

Juehu signified the absence of descendants, meaning one dies alone. There were three types of Juehu geomancy. One where the couple is naturally incapable of bearing children. Another where the child born is incapable of thriving, perhaps dying young or succumbing to illness. The third is bearing a deformed child who cannot flourish. The geographical configuration for Juehu feng shui generally falls into these categories: First, a sharp mountain or jagged rock pointing directly at the front door. Second, a pond shaped like the character for "Cry" before the door. Third, a sheer precipice facing the house. Fourth, ancestral graves situated on a severed meridian line. Mu Dahua fell under the second category: two large ponds before his door. Ponds resemble eyes; one serves as the "Mingtang," gathering vital energy. However, two formed the character for "Cry," portending the ruin of descendants. Mu Dahua lived there, unknowingly, and thus suffered its affliction.

Despite the Juehu feng shui, through their efforts, Mu Dahua's wife, Xiaoyue, finally showed progress. As time passed, her belly grew increasingly pronounced; it seemed she was truly pregnant this time. Their joy knew no bounds. They catered to her every need with heightened spirits, believing the Mu line would finally have an heir. However, after the ten-month gestation, when Xiaoyue went into labor, the hopes of the Mu family were dashed by a harsh reality. Juehu feng shui dictates a child cannot thrive. Xiaoyue gave birth to a monster with three arms. This was catastrophic; news immediately spread through the surrounding hamlets.

"The Mu family birthed a monster! What karma from a past life has brought this upon them!" The entire family was heartbroken beyond measure. Heaven seemed to delight in trifling with ordinary people. We can only offer solace to the unfortunate; what else can we do? Jump off a building or hang oneself? Otherwise, we must face life positively.

Though Mu Dahua was poor, he possessed the courage to face this. A tiger does not eat its cubs, and a mother does not despise the ugliness of her child. The couple decided, regardless of public gossip, to raise the child they had labored over. But sometimes, fate proves so heartlessly cruel that it denies people even the chance to console themselves. There was a well at the entrance of the Mu home. On the third day after the child's birth, during the Zi hour—the dominion of the rat, when cats are typically active—perhaps due to faulty vision or scent, a cat mistook the couple's infant for a rat, snatched it up, and dragged it near the well's edge to consume it. After biting twice, it realized its mistake, grew angry, and with one swipe of its paw, pushed the child down into the well...

Thus ended the infant's brief journey on earth, perfectly fulfilling Zhang Enpu's prophecy on Coffin Ridge to Zhao Shan.

When Zhao Shan learned that a newborn with three arms had indeed drowned downstream in Shushan Village, despite being mentally prepared, he was still deeply shocked. Yet, beneath his heavy heart, his belief in geomancy grew stronger. He no longer harbored any doubt regarding Zhang Enpu's words.

On the morning of the fifteenth of the eighth month, he immediately set out to execute the "curse-breaking plan" Zhang Enpu had taught him, traveling alone to the headwaters of the protective village river, the spillway of the Big Dipper Seven Star Formation. He intended to gather that clear water to save his ancestral grave and dissolve the curse associated with the broken geomantic site. Speaking of the spillway, it was essentially a large cave nestled in a cliff face. That cliff was on the mountain corresponding to the final star in the Big Dipper, the last point on the ladle's tail. The spring water within flowed ceaselessly year-round, symbolizing endless life and serving as the source for the downstream villagers of Shushan. He reached the location after an hour's trek; it was still early. Zhao Shan stood at the base of the cliff beneath the spillway, looking up. He saw that besides the incessant flow of water from the cave mouth, vast clouds of mist were also emerging, soon enveloping the entire area around him.

Curiosity sparked within him. "This must truly be a mountain range formed by miraculous celestial energy, shrouded in smoke. Let me test just how deep this cave opening is."

Zhao Shan picked up a small pebble and threw it toward the cave mouth. He heard a snap as the stone landed in the surging spring water, only to be washed back down. His strength was insufficient. Zhao Shan ceased his probing, picked up the plastic jug he had brought, collected a bottle of the falling spring water, and turned back. He needed to pour this water onto his father-in-law's grave precisely at nightfall.

But the instant he turned, he heard a sudden roar from the cave mouth, as if a massive amount of water was being forcibly expelled. A colossal surge of water jetted out, rushing rapidly toward Zhao Shan's back.

Hearing the noise, Zhao Shan glanced back, and his blood ran cold. Behind him, a giant wave, five or six meters high, was bearing down upon him like an overwhelming tide. Scared out of his wits, he hung the water jug around his neck and scrambled toward higher ground ahead. Unfortunately, he was a step too slow and was immediately engulfed by the sudden flood within its own powerful surge. Helpless, Zhao Shan was swept out nearly twenty meters by the upward thrust of the sudden jet, landing with a thud in a large pool situated lower down. Fortunately, he fell into the pool rather than onto the rocks outside, or he would surely have perished instantly. He scrambled quickly out of the center of the pool onto the bank and desperately fled forward, fearing a second assault from the water source cave. Thankfully, the situation was not as dire as he imagined; after the initial massive outflow, the spillway showed no further activity, returning to its usual tranquil state.

He walked back quickly, his heart pounding, muttering, "Did my small pebble disturb the spiritual energy gathered inside? Too terrifying; I should leave this place quickly."

Zhao Shan, vibrating with fear and excitement, carried his hard-won "divine water" to his father-in-law's grave on Coffin Ridge. Although it was past ten o'clock at night, there was still about an hour until the Zi hour (11 PM to 1 AM). Beside the Zhao family grave stood a small pine tree; he sat beneath it, leaning against the trunk, nervously awaiting the arrival of that magical moment. The moonlight shone brightly. He looked at his father-in-law's grave and suddenly felt it seemed larger, and vaguely, a damp mist seemed to emanate from it in the darkness.

"No way, I haven't poured the water yet, and spiritual energy is already gathering—or is this the suppressed rage of the evil curse?" He vigorously rubbed his eyes and looked again; the mist remained. Only now, within the mist, he perceived the faint figure of an old man. Zhao Shan didn't recognize the elder, yet he felt profoundly familiar, especially the nose, which was almost identical to his own. "A ghost!" Zhao Shan was about to shout when the old man suddenly flashed forward and clamped a hand over his mouth.

The elder meant no harm; instead, he spoke kindly, "Shan'er, do not fear. I am your father-in-law."

Zhao Shan pulled free of the elder's grasp, stopping his cry, and asked doubtfully, "Father-in-law?" The elder nodded. "Indeed. I am the 'Grave-Guarding Soul,' one of your father-in-law's three hun souls. Fear not; I have come to tell you things about that time which you never knew. I know you have hired an esoteric master and are preparing to break the curse on the geomantic treasure site."

"Is that so? Are you truly my father-in-law's spirit?"

The elder nodded. "Yes. If I wished you harm, do you think you could escape, child?"

"Oh, Father-in-law!" Zhao Shan believed him and called out unnaturally to this ancestor separated from him by half a century. Old Master Zhao said, "I will tell you now how this land was breached."

Zhao Shan nodded. "Yes, please tell me!"

The elder coughed, sighing deeply. "This is truly all my fault, stemming from excessive greed. Back then, I hired a famous geomancer from out of town to survey the land for me. That master found this peerless geomantic treasure site right here on Coffin Ridge. At first, I didn't believe it and insisted on digging to see, but the geomancer refused, saying that digging would unleash three curses upon the breach of the treasure site: the first curse would be 'struck by five thunders from heaven'; the second curse would be 'a great flood in Shushan Village three months hence.' The third curse would be 'a child downstream will drown.' After stating these three curses, that master left in anger, refusing even his payment. When I saw he wouldn't even take money, I was terrified, thinking this must truly be a genuine treasure site, otherwise, he wouldn't refuse compensation. So, I stopped digging, secured the area again, and excitedly and secretly told your grandfather. Wasn't I getting a great bargain? But your grandfather couldn't keep his mouth shut and told your grandmother. Your grandmother couldn't keep hers shut either and told her family. Her relatives then spread the word outside. Eventually, a scoundrel named Youzi learned of it. He secretly came to Coffin Ridge, found this location, and then used it to blackmail me, demanding fifty silver dollars to keep the secret."

"To protect this hard-won treasure site, I agreed. But unexpectedly, Youzi broke his word; after taking the money, he returned and defiled the site with a stream of urine. I remember lightning flashing and thunder roaring over Coffin Ridge that day. I scrambled up the ridge with all my might, but upon arrival, a large tree was split by lightning, and I couldn't escape in time, meeting my end beneath that tree. Alas, thinking back, it was utterly not worth it. This was a natural disaster brought on by one man's poor morality and extreme selfishness. My death was destined to be the bloody lesson paid for the damage to the treasure site. Therefore, people should strive to be virtuous; only then will they receive heaven's blessing. Otherwise, calamity and bloodshed are inevitable."

Zhao Shan said, "Father-in-law, no—it wasn't a natural disaster. Haven't I now encountered an exceptionally insightful esoteric master? He can help us break the curse."

The elder replied, "No, that is not a reward for my own virtue; it is because you have accumulated much hidden virtue in the human world that you were led to meet this noble helper. Therefore, from now on, you must conduct yourself well and not follow the selfish path I, your grandfather, and even your father trod. You see, even the family lineage was nearly wiped out."

Zhao Shan nodded. "Yes, I understand."

The elder continued, "That is good. Now, returning to the topic of the geomantic treasure site. The spot where I rest is merely a coffin lid, not the entire stone sarcophagus. That geomancer, it seems, was not a top master, as he failed to discern that. Most of his assessment was wrong. Thus, only one of the subsequent prophecies was fulfilled. As for the other two, he entirely misjudged the timing."

Zhao Shan nodded. "Indeed, he was half a century off. And the child who drowned had three arms."

The elder said, "When Youzi discovered it, he saw only the lid and assumed it was the whole thing; he didn't dig deeper, leading to the mistake of judging the whole by a small part. After this site was breached, the 'lid' turned from brown to black and became terribly foul-smelling; I can barely remain here. If you do not act soon, my Grave-Guarding Soul will never be reborn and will vanish here forever. Furthermore, this place will have its vital energy dispersed, becoming barren wasteland."

Zhao Shan said, "The esoteric master did mention the lid to me. I only didn't know it smelled so bad."

The elder sighed, "All self-inflicted consequences; enough talk. The time has come; the Zhao family has a new master. I must depart!" With that, he vanished, leaving Zhao Shan alone, sitting in a daze beneath the pine tree.

"Father-in-law, Father-in-law, I still have questions for you!" Zhao Shan shouted twice, then his body involuntarily tilted sideways. His arm struck a stone on the ground, the sharp pain jolting him—it was all just a brief, sweet dream.

The moon was now at the zenith of the heavens, and the crowing of the roosters from Shushan Village could faintly be heard in the distance; it must have been the middle of the night, the Zi hour. Recalling the bizarre dream, Zhao Shan stood up and walked to his father-in-law's grave.

"Father-in-law, you said the Zhao family has a new master. I hope what you said is true. Please bless my descendants." He picked up the jug of spring water collected from the Big Dipper Seven Star Formation spillway and poured it over the head of the ancestral mound.

His heartbeat seemed to freeze. He stared wide-eyed at his father-in-law's grave, awaiting the miraculous phenomena Zhang Enpu had promised.

Indeed, after a long moment, the movement began. First, a gust of wind blew from behind Coffin Ridge, circling the Zhao family grave three times. Then, the entire mound slowly turned red, then yellow, and finally, streams of golden light burst forth, scattering in all directions, resembling the legendary descent of the Buddha Sakyamuni. Zhao Shan sharply turned his head to look toward the eastern night sky, where meteors one after another streaked past the vicinity of the Orion constellation, drifting beautifully into the depths of the cosmos...

Zhao Shan was overcome with happiness. His great task was finally complete. His family business would soon have an heir and would flourish more and more. Thrilled, he kowtowed three times to his father-in-law, then returned home, took a bath, and peacefully drifted into slumber. He had been exhausted these past few days and could finally enjoy a proper rest. Indeed, he didn't even dream; he slept soundly until dawn. When he opened his eyes the next morning, the sun was already streaming onto his backside. "Magpie, magpie..." The long-absent chirping of magpies outside his window also reached his ears, seemingly foretelling that good things were truly beginning that day.

He got out of bed and reached for his outer garment, but at that moment, the old steward rushed in from outside, saying excitedly, "Master, hurry up and wake! Granny Chen from the village is here."

"Granny Chen is here? What does she want? We didn't hire her as a matchmaker." Zhao Shan hastily put on his clothes, splashed some water on his face, and entered the main hall. He saw Granny Chen sitting there, her face dusty from travel, yet chatting merrily, treating his Zhao residence as if it were her own home.

"Chen Mama, what gust of wind blew you in today—east wind, or south wind? Certainly not the northwest wind," Zhao Shan asked with a chuckle.

The moment Chen Mama saw Zhao Shan emerge, she quickly rose and grabbed his forearm, teasing, "Ah, Master Zhao, it was the northwest wind that blew me here. Think about it, I’ve been drinking this stuff day in and day out, nearly starving to death. If I don't run to a prosperous place like yours, where else am I supposed to go?"

Zhao Shan chuckled. "Heh heh, come now, Mama Chen, stop beating around the bush. Just tell me what's on your mind." Hearing this, Chen Mama immediately dropped her playful smile and grew serious. "I've come to arrange a match for your Zhao family."

Zhao Shan scoffed. "Our Zhao family? Has some girl gone blind enough to fancy one of my three useless sons?"

Chen Mama retorted, "Who said I was arranging a match for them?"

Zhao Shan was astonished. "If you aren't arranging a match for them, then who are you here to broker a union for?"

Chen Mama declared, "I'm here to find a match for you."

Zhao Shan spoke without conviction. "For me? Heh heh, at my age... wouldn't that just make the villagers laugh? Forget it, forget it, thank you for the kind thought." As he said this, he thought to himself, "I understand now. This is the reaction from the ancestral grave breaking the curse and manifesting its power. I almost forgot. I never expected it to be this fast; I wasn't even mentally prepared."

Chen Mama pressed on. "Age isn't the issue; the important thing is that you're a decent man. Besides, the young lady is quite taken with you. She was the one who actively asked me to propose!"

Zhao Shan nearly swooned from happiness. "What? She asked you actively? Me, me, me... what is there about me to admire? This..."

Chen Mama explained, "It’s all because of your generosity during the great flood back in June that touched her heart."

A week later, Zhao Shan married that young lady, everything going as they wished.

Ten months later, amidst a clap of thunder during the Qingming Festival, she safely delivered a son. The boy proved remarkably bright; rumor had it he could call out his parents' names within three days. Moreover, ever since the breach in the Zhao family’s old patriarch’s grave had its curse lifted, his three elder sons’ bouts of foolishness had gradually subsided, and they started focusing on proper work. As for the Zhao family’s rice business, it flourished even more, opening branches in distant locales—a prospect so bright that the preceding two generations could only dream of it. In middle age, Zhao Shan truly began living the happy life he had envisioned.

However, he later made a point of publicizing the critical figure who had changed his destiny to the villagers of Xiangxiu Mountain Village. His stated purpose was to ensure that Zhang Enpu, that old immortal, would not be forgotten. He even sent over a stack of food and grain ration coupons as a congratulatory gift for Zhang Enpu. But Zhang Enpu, in his simple, clumsy way, refused to accept them. He merely attended the wedding feast at the Zhao residence and then departed in haste.