Chapter 003: Physiognomy

You are too young; I cannot teach you deeper concepts yet, for fear of going against the natural order. These are all fundamental principles that must be well established.

At the age of Ye Tian, the old man was still in the private school, shaking his head and reciting the Three Character Classic. Therefore, upon hearing Ye Tian's words, he was immediately taken aback, wondering if this little child was possessed by the ancestral master.

Ye Tian's classmate's uncle returned from the United States to visit family and gifted him an electronic watch, which made that kid so happy that he was bubbling with excitement for an entire week. He even felt the need to wrap a bandage around his hand and hang it in front of his chest while walking.

The founder of our Maiyi lineage is the Maiyi Daoist. By the time it reached me, it has already been the fiftieth generation. Although many aspects of the tradition have been lost, in the fields of physiognomy and feng shui, no one in the country can surpass us

What is this thing

Oh, by the way, Master, I noticed that your forehead seems a bit dark; perhaps you might encounter some misfortune today.

Upon hearing Ye Tian's words, the old Taoist let out a long sigh. If this were truly something Ye Tian had deduced, then he would not merely be a genius, but a prodigy.

However, as the direct descendant of the Maiyi lineage, the old Taoist priest is confident that in the realm of physiognomy, there is absolutely no one in the country who can surpass him. Having lived for over a hundred years, he indeed has not encountered anyone more formidable than himself

What was mentioned earlier was rather vague; Ye Tian spoke more precisely. I want to see the old Daoist's reaction. If what is said this time is correct, it will prove that I am definitely not experiencing an illusion.

The old man turned his head, glanced at Ye Tian with a sidelong look, and said: "You haven't even learned to walk yet, and you're already thinking about running. How do you intend to see? By palmistry or by facial features?"

Find them? Even if I do, I won't go out. The scenery here is beautiful, and I will spend my retirement here in the future

When Ye Tian looked closely, the turtle shell suddenly vanished, and a line of seal script appeared before his eyes. However, this did not pose a challenge for Ye Tian, as he had been learning seal script with the old Daoist since he was five years old

Once these four-character incantations are uttered, combined with the genuine skills of the old Taoist priest, he earns the title of a living immortal in many places

After feeling a wave of dizziness in his mind, Ye Tian discovered that a palm-sized turtle shell seemed to appear in his consciousness, intricately engraved with various patterns.

Just you

Ye Tian took a deep breath, feigning the appearance of a little mystic, and said: "Of course, I can see it, Master. Your eyebrows are long and thin, faint yet unbroken, which signifies the bond of the three sworn brothers in the Peach Garden. There should be three brothers. The two small moles at the corner of your right eye indicate a pair of phoenixes, which means there are four sisters. In total, that makes seven, right?"

The reason why the old master asked this question is that he has only taught Ye Tian some superficial knowledge, such as bones, complexion, and posture, which are somewhat profound and not suitable for Ye Tian's age to learn.

As for "scaring," it involves fabricating some ghostly tales that offend the deities to intimidate the other party. When the other party is in a state of confusion, they will naturally reveal the information they wish to know.

The term "listening" refers to the method of encouraging the seeker to speak up and share more, thereby clarifying their concerns before providing targeted advice. "Probing" involves using ambiguous language to elicit the other party's true situation; once a hint is detected from their words, one should immediately take advantage of the opportunity.

Hey, have you picked up a few tricks, huh

Li Shanyuan, a native of Huayin, Shaanxi, was born in 1880. He had three brothers and four sisters. In 1896, he became a scholar during the late Qing Dynasty and studied under the forty-ninth generation disciple of the renowned fortune teller, Ma Yi.

The old Taoist priest smiled and shook his head upon hearing this. Throughout his life, he had witnessed nearly all the major events in modern Chinese history and had long since seen through the ways of the world. For a centenarian, wealth and glory truly held no allure.

As soon as Ye Tian's words fell, a loud "bang" was heard beside his ear. The old Taoist, who had been comfortably seated on a chair, leaning back on its two rear legs and swaying, suddenly froze at Ye Tian's words, causing both him and the chair to topple backward.

Even if Ye Tian is quite dull, he knows that this information must be related to the old Taoist priest; however, he cannot discern its authenticity.

Young rascal, in our line of work, one should speak less and observe more, being impetuous is not advisable

If a family has overseas connections, it is indeed a matter of great envy

Ye Tian straightened his body, looked at the old Daoist's face, and said: "Master, your forehead (from the hairline to the eyebrows) is high, long, and broad; you must have been exceptionally proud in your youth, right"

Had it not been for the turmoil at the outset, being labeled as one of those who must be decisively overthrown, the old fellow would not have had to hide here; he is likely still enjoying himself somewhere, unaware of the current situation.

The place where the two individuals were seated was indeed at the entrance of the front hall. When the old Taoist priest fell back, it was not a big deal; however, the back of his head struck the threshold of the main hall, which was truly made of a slab of blue stone.

"Master, I already know all of this; please tell me something I don't know." Before the old Daoist could finish speaking, Ye Tian interrupted him. He had heard these self-praising words countless times before.

Forty to fifty years ago, during the Japanese invasion of China, Li Shanyuan sought refuge from the chaos of war by coming to Maoshan. However, he unexpectedly could not escape it and later returned to settle in Shaanxi.

Let's observe the facial features

Seeing the old Taoist in such a state, Ye Tian felt a bit frightened, vaguely sensing that the information displayed in his mind was something extraordinary. He did not know whether it was good or bad, and instinctively refrained from speaking the truth.

Upon hearing Ye Tian's words, the old Taoist instinctively extended his right hand, intending to tap Ye Tian on the head. However, upon seeing his injuries, he reluctantly withdrew it.

When the old Taoist roamed the rivers and lakes, he often employed certain techniques of the martial world, which can be summarized by the four-character mantra: "Touch, Listen, Trap, Frighten"

The old man did not pay attention, but the shock in Ye Tian's heart was beyond words. Could it be that this old fellow really passed the scholar examination? Then... all the information that appeared in my mind is also true?

Illusion, it must be an illusion, how could this old fellow resemble someone over one hundred years old?

However, the old man clearly did not take this injury to heart. Instead, he grabbed the astonished Ye Tian, who was sitting beside him, and said: "You little rascal, did you really calculate what you just said by yourself?"

Suddenly recalling something, the old Taoist stood up: "Alright, we will discuss these matters later. It is time for you to come down the mountain and see the world. Go, bring the Daoist robe from the box in the room..."

Seeing Ye Tian so clever at this moment, the old Daoist was indeed moved. He is over a hundred years old, and who knows when he might kick his legs and close his eyes. The legacy of the ancestral master must continue to be passed down.

Upon hearing the old Taoist's words, Ye Tian exclaimed in surprise. Unlike ten years ago, those with overseas connections now go to great lengths to conceal them, fearing the label of being a spy.

At this point, the old Taoist could not help but sigh. Although he had weathered a hundred years of storms and was accustomed to the vicissitudes of life, the two disciples he had personally raised still evoked deep feelings of nostalgia in him.

Although Ye Tian was young, he was quite clever. He did not disclose the information in his mind to the old Daoist but instead said, "Master, I have been learning from you for several years now. How about I help you with a divination today?"

And the book said, "Master, I can see that you are in for a calamity involving bloodshed, but... regarding your siblings, ahem, I gathered that from your sleep talking."

Hmm? Why aren't you reciting anymore?" The old Taoist, who was closing his eyes and swaying his head while listening to Ye Tian recite the scriptures, stopped upon hearing the voice and opened his eyes with dissatisfaction

This last statement was not derived from the information in Ye Tian's mind, but rather he genuinely observed something obscure at the old Daoist's forehead and casually remarked on it

"Dream talk? No wonder, I was just thinking, how could you possibly calculate it so accurately?"

After the old master cleaned the wound on his head, he said: "You have already learned to read people's expressions, which means you have entered the door of this profession. Let me tell you about our lineage of Mayi."

Ye Tian had not yet come to his senses and casually found an excuse to deflect, saying: "Ahem, Master, I have been able to recite these since I was five years old, so let's not recite them anymore"

Although Ye Tian is mischievous, his academic performance is still very good. Naturally, he can handle such simple arithmetic. Born in 1880, wouldn't he be one hundred and six years old now? Ye Tian cannot believe that this old man in front of him is actually that old.

The old master glared at Ye Tian with dissatisfaction and then said: "Excluding you, I have taken in two disciples in total. Your senior brother is named Gou Xinjia, who went to Taiwan with his family in 1949 and has since disappeared without a trace. Your second senior brother is named Zuo Jiajun, who should be around fifty this year. He has been with me the longest, but his family background is not good. Back in 1968, he ran off to Hong Kong. Aside from you, I have not passed on my health-preserving skills to them, but neither of them is a person of shallow fortune, so you may encounter them in the future."

The primary reason the old Taoist took Ye Tian as his disciple was due to the overwhelming boredom in the remote mountains, as he sought someone to converse with and alleviate his monotony. Although he imparted considerable skills to Ye Tian and took him around Maoshan to observe the feng shui and the energy of the land, he did not elaborate much on his own lineage and heritage.

Although the old man felt somewhat puzzled, he did not take it seriously. The Ma Yi physiognomy he learned was indeed a legitimate transmission of this lineage. It was not unusual for Ye Tian to discern some clues from his own "upper stop".

Master, do you still have overseas connections? If you find two senior brothers, won't you be able to enjoy a life of luxury?

It is important to note that although the old Daoist comes from the lineage of Ma Yi and possesses some genuine skills and knowledge, the continuous wars over the past thousand years have reduced the inheritance of the ancestral art of physiognomy to merely three or four parts. However, the techniques for health preservation have been completely preserved.

It is relatively easier to deduce a person's fortune and misfortune, as well as their status and longevity, from their facial features. However, accurately determining the siblings of another person is a task that even an experienced practitioner finds challenging.

To discern the relationships among siblings, the old master can often make accurate judgments based on facial features, but he is a person who has lived for over one hundred years, possessing rich life experiences and expertise in physiognomy

Upon hearing Ye Tian's words, the old man laughed and said, "I became a scholar at the age of sixteen, and who in the surrounding villages doesn't know that? Oh, have I never mentioned this to you? Did you really figure it out on your own?"

"Touching" refers to the process of thoroughly understanding the situation in the area where one intends to set up a fortune-telling stall. It is essential to grasp the basic characteristics of people of different ages and to discern whether the nearby residents are predominantly officials or common folk. This aspect is of utmost importance

After the old Taoist priest got up from the ground, his wooden hairpin had fallen, and his hair was disheveled. His head was covered in fresh blood, looking no better than Ye Tian from yesterday, perfectly echoing Ye Tian's earlier words about the calamity of bloodshed.

Staring at the inexplicable characters that appeared in his mind, Ye Tian was somewhat taken aback. It seemed that after just a glance at the old Daoist, he suddenly understood many things

I can't believe it, is it really true