As they walked and talked, Zhang Enpu remarked, "Well, you've grasped the most fundamental concepts of Feng Shui, which is good. That family certainly isn't living comfortably. To understand exactly what aspects are amiss, you need to diligently study the theories of the Five Elements, the Eight Trigrams, the Nine Palaces, and the Art of the Heavenly Gates and Hidden Dragons—among others. It runs deep! I followed my father, the previous Celestial Master Zhang, for over twenty years before achieving even minor success. As for Daoist Brother Li Lishan, whom you briefly met, he sequestered himself in the Quanzhen Sect for half his life. So, if you hope to achieve greatness, you have a long way to go!"

Young Master Liu stuck out his tongue in fright. "Alas, forget it. I just wanted to keep you company, wander the mountains, and enjoy the scenery along the way. I never intended to become some Feng Shui Grandmaster. It’s too complicated; I don't like it."

Zhang Enpu raised an eyebrow. "What, do you look down on the practice of Feng Shui?"

Young Master Liu replied, "It’s not looking down on it; I truly dislike complicated things. Feng Shui requires knowledge of the heavens above and the earth below. I simply don't possess that kind of wisdom."

Zhang Enpu smiled faintly. "Heh heh, I admire that carefree attitude of yours. Fine, I won't bring it up again. Let's go, up the mountain."

Unconsciously, seven days had passed.

During these seven days, in his idle moments, Young Master Liu had been continuously pondering the questions of "fate" and "unfairness" that he and Zhang Enpu had touched upon on their return journey. Though he disliked the concept of fate, he believed in it. Because life is full of so much unfairness, Young Master Liu believed in fate.

This "fate," phrased in a non-superstitious way, could be called "opportunity," or perhaps "luck." Luck is accidental; it cannot be obtained solely through effort; it shifts unpredictably, making it inherently unfair. For instance, the single greatest injustice in life is one's "birth."

Every single person living on this earth has no control over the place where they are "born," whether they wish to be male or female, or if they prefer to be an official or a merchant. We are always passively receiving all of it inside our mothers' wombs. If your parents are powerful tycoons, congratulations—you have good opportunity; you met the God of Wealth at birth. From childhood to old age, you can enjoy a superior life without laboring. If your parents are paupers, congratulations also—you have poor opportunity; you are born to be a poet or perhaps a philosopher. Your entire life will be spent contemplating why there is so much sorrow and unhappiness in existence. You will constantly hover on the periphery of life, never grasping the source of your melancholy until the day you die.

After the unfairness of birth comes the unfairness of "circumstance." Back in the day, when Jiang Ziya practiced the Dao, upon learning that cultivation still required sustenance, he went to the street to sell flour. Yet, oddly, while others sold theirs without issue, whenever he appeared on the street, a great wind would rise, rendering his eloquent salesmanship useless. Misfortune piles on misfortune: the roof leaks just as the night brings continuous rain; fishing runs into violent tides; an aimless effort accidentally bears fruit; someone jumping off a building happens to land squarely on the head of the Old Man Under the Moon. You are heartbroken, so you gamble, and you win an entire brothel. You walk cautiously down the main road, avoiding falls and collisions, only to be mistakenly called a tortoise bastard by a drunken passerby.

Tell me, where is the fairness in this life that people speak of? After realizing all this, I reached a somewhat ambivalent conclusion: if you want your life to be happy, if you want to live more freely, then acknowledging this "unfairness of life" is the fundamental prerequisite for your striving. Otherwise, you will spend your entire existence in a state of busyness, confusion, and physical and mental exhaustion.

Young Master Liu himself was a man without much ambition. To outsiders, he appeared to be the standard lowlife, utterly without prospects. Elders, upon seeing him, never offered their daughters in marriage. Because any discerning eye, including his own, could see that any woman who followed him was destined for a lifetime of misfortune.

Since the hasty passing of Granny Fan and the Half-Immortal Wang, Young Master Liu had become even more resolute in his belief in non-action.

Life is too fleeting. You, living today, cannot possibly imagine what tomorrow holds. So, what is the purpose of all our frantic effort?

Young Master Liu could never fathom why heaven so easily negates the fruits of a person’s hard work accumulated over half a lifetime—fruits they haven't even begun to enjoy! One can only say that life is too impermanent. Therefore, rather than passively adapting to societal life, it is better to actively wander according to one's own temperament. Heh, isn't that so?

Despite the melancholy, the sun will not fail to rise and set because of your sadness; life is simply that realistic. Everything must proceed as usual. That day, the event Zhang Enpu had prophesied occurred, not missing a single detail: the branch on the southeast corner of the great pine tree by the gate withered entirely overnight. Young Master Liu stared, then stared again—it was indeed dead.

He rushed into Zhang Enpu's room and shouted loudly at the old man, who was still enjoying his late sleep, "Old man, the big pine tree! It's withered! Get up quickly, it’s dead!"

Zhang Enpu turned over with groans of annoyance at having his sweet dream disturbed. "If it’s withered, it’s withered. Why are you making such a fuss? Confucius taught us: 'When eating, do not speak; when resting, do not speak.' Have you forgotten? I'm already this old; how many more peaceful sleeps do I have left?"

Young Master Liu rolled his eyes. "Tch. The sun is already high enough to warm your backside, and you're still talking about resting! Do you even know what time Confucius woke up? Six o'clock."

Seeing Zhang Enpu remain unresponsive, Young Master Liu reluctantly left the room, went to the meditation area, set up two chairs, draped a green hat over his face, and lay down, contentedly basking in the sun. Ha, you have to admit, with the gentle breeze and fragrant birdsong, it was quite the luxurious experience. Thank heavens the old man didn't wake him up, or he would have missed out on nature's bounty!

Just as he was drifting off, imagining himself transforming into Marshal Tianpeng, a voice suddenly spoke from the corner of the hut: "Excuse me, does Celestial Master Zhang reside here?"

Young Master Liu removed the green hat and irritably faced the source of the sound. "Who are you?" At that moment, he finally understood the profound suffering Zhang Enpu had felt inwardly. That feeling was truly painful, incredibly painful; if you test it yourself, it's even more agonizing.

The stranger said, "I've come to ask the Celestial Master to examine some land. My father has passed away."

"What, examine land?" Young Master Liu shot up from his chair. He saw a middle-aged man, perhaps in his forties, facing him with a slight smile.

The stranger confirmed, "Yes, to examine land."

"It wouldn't be the southeast corner, would it?" Young Master Liu's heart leaped, and he hastily inquired, "Did you come from the southeast direction?"

The stranger smiled. "Yes, my home, based on its position, should be in that direction. I found my way here through the mountain pass below. I heard Celestial Master Zhang is remarkably skilled, so I came specifically to seek him out."

It seemed that was it. Young Master Liu rushed back into Zhang Enpu's room. He found the old man still snoring away. With no time to spare, Young Master Liu pulled down his trousers and jabbed a cold piece of iron resting on the table sharply against his kidney area.

"Ah, my God!" Zhang Enpu's snores instantly morphed into a shriek. "What are you doing? Can't a person live in peace?"

Young Master Liu exclaimed, "Old man, get up! The person from the southeast finally kicked the bucket, and his son is here to ask us to check the land. He's waiting outside right now!"

"Really? So fast? I calculated it should be around noon when I woke up. How did I miscalculate?" Zhang Enpu sprang from the bed, completely forgetting to tie his belt, and rushed outside. "What, has your old man passed on?"

The stranger smiled pleasantly. "Yes. It seems you are Celestial Master Zhang. Do you have time now?"

Zhang Enpu feigned contemplation for a moment. "Well, I'm not exactly free, but since it’s helping others, I can certainly squeeze out some time for you!" Zhang Enpu was already fidgeting with boredom, yet he couldn't resist pasting a strip of gold called 'Face' onto himself. Young Master Liu, standing nearby, truly admired the old man's facade.

The stranger beamed with joy. "That's wonderful! Can we leave immediately?"

Zhang Enpu pretended to ponder for a moment longer before saying, "Alright, wait a moment. Let us go inside to change clothes, grab our things, and we'll be ready to go."