That move was quite effective; seeing the man with the gun, everyone quickly scattered in all directions, terrified that a stray bullet might hit them. Once the crowd dispersed, Young Master Liu suddenly realized only his sister-in-law and her older sister remained, along with the corpse of their father still lying in the main hall, and the body of his brother, Wang Xiaoqiang, who had just been hacked to death.
As for the youngest couple, they had somehow slipped away unnoticed to gloat from the sidelines. The maternal relatives who had come with Wang Xiaoqiang's wife to demand justice had also swiftly distanced themselves from their married kin, terrified that the logistics personnel might deem them accessories. At that moment, the sight brought only one phrase to Young Master Liu’s mind: "the chill of human affections."
The outcome was that both sisters-in-law were taken away by the authorities, and Wang Xiaoqiang’s body was also removed by the same personnel for investigation. In the end, only the youngest couple, Wang Cai and his wife, stood alone at the doorway. Before leaving, the (Captain) had sternly warned him: "Bury your own father quickly. If any further trouble arises, we’ll haul you into jail too!"
The situation was abruptly resolved due to the intervention of the logistics team, and everything returned to an unsettling calm. This sudden peace made everyone uneasy. They went back to their routines, partly because the old man’s body was still lying in the hall.
“Hey, this has escalated, hasn't it? Doesn't it remind you a bit of the ‘Xuanwu Gate Incident’ in history?” Zhang Enpu suddenly appeared at Young Master Liu’s side.
Young Master Liu shot him a harsh glare. “Incident? Blast it. What the hell are you up to? I was nearly hacked to death just now.”
Zhang Enpu remarked, “Just as I expected, there’s another life debt to settle.”
Liu sighed, “Yeah, you guessed right again. Looks like this ‘Double Funeral Day’ is quite ominous.”
Zhang Enpu sighed deeply. “Ah, thinking about this family, they’ve had a rough time, digging themselves into such a massive hole. Though they brought it upon themselves through their many wicked deeds, the final scene is still quite tragic.”
“It is,” Liu agreed.
Zhang Enpu then said, “Let’s find a new burial spot for the deceased. Forget that cursed location. The retribution they’ve received and the price they’ve paid is heavy enough; we don’t need to kick them while they’re down.”
Young Master Liu wholeheartedly agreed; he already felt a pang of pity. “That’s right. So, where should we look for a new site?”
Zhang Enpu replied, “I was just walking around the house. There’s a pulse of ‘Prodigal Son’s Return’ energy nearby. One peak in front, one peak behind, forming two auspicious spots. The rear one can accommodate the father and son. After all this happened, I wonder if these two spots were specifically generated for them. In terms of destiny reading, this is what they call a jieshu (calamity or destined trial). The first chapter of Feng Shui mastery says: one’s fate, two one’s luck, three one’s feng shui. It’s truly accurate.”
“That would be excellent,” Liu said. “The vital energy is ‘Prodigal Son’s Return’; I hope, as those four words suggest, their descendants can indeed turn over a new leaf.”
Zhang Enpu went inside and found Wang Cai, who was arranging the funeral rites. He told him, “I just found two auspicious spots beside your house, much better than the one we previously examined. Your father will be buried in the rear spot. The one in front is for your brother. I’ve already made the markers; just follow where I drew the lines when you dig.”
Although shaken by the recent events, Wang Cai hadn't forgotten about money. “How much will the xiangdi (geomantic site consultation fee) cost for my brother’s plot?”
Zhang Enpu gave a cold laugh. “No charge. I’ll provide this service for free.”
A weight lifted from Wang Cai’s heart. “Then thank you so much.”
Zhang Enpu cautioned him, “Don’t be so polite. Remember, do not mix up the front and back order. The elder goes in the back; the son goes in the front. Otherwise, the positions won't match their status, and the earth’s energy will reject them.”
Wang Cai nodded. “I’ve noted that.”
“Good, that’s settled. We’re leaving now.” Zhang Enpu pulled a small bag from his pocket—the bribe money Wang Xiaoqiang had given him before his death. Without taking a single bill, he placed the bag on the table in the Wang family’s main hall and then turned to leave.
In the days that followed, Young Master Liu, with nothing much to do, would study the two Daoist texts passed down to him by Granny Fan and Wang Weizhen. Whenever he encountered something he didn't understand, he would ask Zhang Enpu for clarification. As he understood more, he began to discern patterns in some of the content himself.
One day, Young Master Liu and Gou Dan were playing rambunctiously at the edge of the village.
“Da Shao, come and catch me, you little rascal! Haha!” Gou Dan shouted back while running.
“Damn it, give me back my sunflower seeds!” Young Master Liu chased after him, frustrated.
“No way, no way!”
Just then, Young Master Liu saw a group of people walking towards Gou Dan, who was still laughing and looking backward as he ran.
Liu tried to shout a warning, but it was too late. Gou Dan collided head-on with a tall man at the front of the group, bounced backward, and landed hard on the ground, clutching his chest, clearly in pain.
Seeing this, Young Master Liu rushed over to help Gou Dan up.
“Damn it! Where did this blind brat come from!” shouted the tall man Gou Dan had bumped into, then immediately raised his hand as if to strike Gou Dan.
Young Master Liu quickly moved to shield Gou Dan, closing his eyes, waiting for the man’s fist to land. “Hey, hey, hey! How many times have I told you, we’re just gambling money, what’s the point of hitting a child!”
He opened his eyes and saw a thin, dark-skinned middle-aged man step out from the group, pulling the tall man back. The man was decked out in gaudy jewelry that looked utterly absurd on him.
The thin, dark man squatted down and looked at Young Master Liu with a smile. “This kid has some nerve. What’s your name?”
“None of your business!” Young Master Liu replied angrily without looking at him.
The thin man frowned slightly, then immediately smoothed his expression, chuckling, “Heh heh, a spirited little devil. Do you know how to gamble? Uncle wants to play a round with you!”
“We don’t have any money,” Liu answered, inwardly wondering what scheme the man was hatching.
The thin man burst into loud laughter. “Hahahaha, does gambling always have to be over money? We can bet houses! We can bet people! We can bet lives!” The thin middle-aged man suddenly snarled menacingly.
“Like this…” He leaned close to Young Master Liu’s ear and whispered, “Like… I bet that little fatty behind you will break his left arm tonight! Hahahaha!” He then threw his head back and laughed loudly as he led his group into the village.
Gou Dan trembled and asked Young Master Liu, “Is… is what he said… true?”
Young Master Liu was also shaken by the man’s sudden ferocity. “Hmph! He’s just trying to scare us!” Although he said this, he still felt a lingering dread from that moment, especially the intense, suffocating stare the thin man had given him.
“Let’s go back to the village and see what those people are up to!” Saying this, he thoughtfully pulled Gou Dan along and they ran back towards the village center.
Upon reaching the village square, they saw a crowd gathered beneath the large banyan tree. Young Master Liu and Gou Dan squeezed into the throng. The thin, dark man stood in the center, but it wasn’t the unwelcome visitors who drew the villagers’ attention; it was the towering pile of crisp, white ration coupons on the ground beside him—nearly as high as a bench.
Young Master Liu had never seen so much money before. He looked around; everyone else was staring blankly at the coupons.
Seeing that a decent crowd had gathered, the thin man clapped his hands a few times. “I am from Zaozhuang, Hebei. I have no other hobbies in life except a life-long addiction to gambling. I’ve visited several villages, and no one has managed to beat me. Today, in your humble village, I am willing to gamble against your village’s best gamblers. Anything goes. If you win, you take this entire pile of coupons!”
His proclamation elicited gasps from the crowd. Young Master Liu thought the thin man’s confidence was excessive!
Just then, someone shouted, “Let me try!” and a man stepped forward—it was Zhang Dongwang from next door.
The thin man smiled faintly. “Please, guide me!”
With that, he gestured for Zhang Dongwang to stand opposite him.
“My esteemed fellow, what shall we wager?” the thin man asked.
Zhang Dongwang unclasped the white collar around his neck and placed it on the nearby table. “I want to gamble on high or low. This silver collar is my family heirloom, the most valuable thing I possess. If I win that pile of money…”
“It’s all yours, provided you have the skill to beat me, hehe!” the thin man finished, laughing dismissively. He pulled out a pair of dice and a cup from his person, pushed them towards Uncle Zhang on the table, and said, “You shake first, I’ll put in a little bet!” Uncle Zhang took the cup, dropped the dice in, and announced, “I’ll bet on six!” Then Uncle Zhang shook the cup a few times and slammed it down onto the table, slowly lifting it. The crowd surged forward and saw: a one! The thin middle-aged man had won, though everyone expected it, as his grand declaration suggested he was a master gambler.
Zhang Dongwang walked away from the gambling table dejectedly. The thin man tossed Zhang Dongwang’s silver collar next to the pile of money and announced, “Now the stakes are higher! If you beat me, you get this collar plus all this money!”
At this point, Yan Xiaoliu from the edge of the village stepped up. Yan Xiaoliu was the village loafer, idle and always looking out for selfish gains, which disgusted Young Master Liu.
“Heh heh… anything can be wagered, right?” Yan Xiaoliu asked, rubbing his hands together.
“Yes, anything can be wagered!” The thin man glanced disdainfully at Yan Xiaoliu without looking up.
Yan Xiaoliu said, “I’ll bet my lifespan against you. I say I’ll die at fifty years old, hehe, do you dare to bet?”
Young Master Liu inwardly cheered, thinking, Now let’s see how you gamble, you old cheat! You think you can bully Uncle Zhang? But unexpectedly, the thin man agreed without lifting his head: “Of course, I’ll bet. I bet that when you walk home, you’ll drop dead in the street after passing the second alley entrance!” The thin man fixed his gaze on Yan Xiaoliu.
“Heh heh, if I walk home and come back, this money and the collar are mine. Don’t go back on your word!”
“Heh heh, I never go back on my word!” the thin man sneered coldly at Yan Xiaoliu.
Yan Xiaoliu was overjoyed and started to chuckle, but then his shoulders suddenly jerked. He began to walk out of the crowd stiffly, seemingly heading home.
However, Yan Xiaoliu seemed to move very slowly, his steps awkward. Young Master Liu secretly circled behind the crowd, bit his left middle finger until it bled, and drew the character “” (Gāng—implying stern power or heaven’s protection) on his right palm. He formed a mudra with his left hand and covered his forehead with his right palm facing outward.
This technique was something Liu had seen in the Zhengyi Fu Zuan (The Compendium of True Orthodox Talismans), but the script was archaic, and he only grasped fragments of it.
The book stated: “The human eye connects Yin and Yang. The tianling (crown chakra) possesses Yang fire. Covering the tianling with pure Yang fire allows one to perceive the hidden foulness.” Blood from the middle finger and the tip of the tongue carries pure Yang energy. The character “” signifies Yang, and covering the forehead allows one to see Yin evil.
Young Master Liu opened his eyes and looked toward Yan Xiaoliu. The sight shocked him so much he nearly fell over.
Behind the slowly moving Yan Xiaoliu, he saw a demon clad in black, with long, disheveled hair, clinging to his back. The demon’s tongue hung down long, resting on Yan Xiaoliu’s shoulder. Its face was flat, and its bulging eyes looked back toward the crowd. Yan Xiaoliu walked two steps with a blank expression, then staggered and collapsed onto the ground.
Young Master Liu cried out internally, This is bad, and immediately turned to run home. As he spun around, Young Master Liu was so terrified that he fell right there on the spot.