Chapter 004: The Master

A series of changes at home has caused a few strands of white hair to appear on the head of Miao Laoda, this seven-foot-tall man, and at over thirty years of age, his back has surprisingly begun to show signs of stooping.

Just as Ye Tian was searching through a hundred thousand whys in his mind to explain the scene before him, he suddenly felt a tug on his arm. When he came to his senses, he realized he was already standing in the courtyard

"Infinite View, this layperson has shown great courtesy."

After exerting tremendous effort, we finally pulled Ye Tian out of the crowd. The old priest was also panting heavily, irritably pointing ahead and saying: "Hurry up, or we won't have lunch."

Having just gone through that sensitive era, coupled with the fact that the reform and opening-up had only recently begun, most families did not have much spare money, so there was not as much emphasis on such matters. At a young age, Ye Tian naturally was unaware of these things

No, we need to go now, to the hospital

The old Taoist, however, was unaware of Ye Tian's little thoughts and said: "In Maolu Town, walk a bit faster, otherwise we won't reach our destination by noon"

Upon learning the destination, Ye Tian happily responded and quickened his pace. His school was not in Maolu Town, and he did not know anyone there, so naturally, he had no fear of losing face.

Street fortune-telling and divination stalls like this, charging 0.8 to 1 yuan per reading, are considered the lowest in the profession, and most of them lack genuine skills and knowledge; seasoned practitioners disdain such practices.

Ye Tian was aware that there were two pairs of brand new cloth shoes in the package on the back of the old Taoist. He also understood the master's intention of not allowing them to wear shoes. However, he was still quite puzzled by the old Taoist's actions. Dressed so splendidly, could it be that he was going down the mountain to deceive others?

In the private courtyard of this two-story house, there is a mourning hall. A woman in her twenties, holding a sleeping boy of about eight or nine months, has a face full of sorrow.

Unlike in the morning, after the turtle shell spun around in Ye Tian's mind, the lines on its back shone brightly, suddenly transforming into a stream of air that flowed towards Ye Tian's eyes

Perhaps it was the voices of the two that awakened the child in the woman's arms, and the little one opened his eyes and began to cry loudly, causing the woman to shed tears in her heartache

"Performing... performing rituals?" Ye Tian was struck dumb by the old Daoist's words, feeling both bewildered and amused. Isn't this the work of a monk? For a Daoist to engage in such matters, doesn't it seem a bit like a dog meddling in a mouse's affairs?

Miao Laoda felt somewhat depressed. Ever since he started the transportation business two years ago, his life has been improving day by day. Not only has he become a well-known wealthy individual, but more importantly, his second brother's wife gave birth to a healthy baby boy last year

This real person, may I ask... do you have something to discuss

When that current of air filled Ye Tian's eyes, the scene before him seemed somewhat different from before; on the right side of the mourning hall, there was a faint gray mist.

The old master turned pale at Ye Tian's words. As a direct descendant of the esteemed Maiyi lineage, how could he possibly set up a stall by the roadside? Although divination and fortune-telling are the most common practices in the Jianghu, they are still categorized into different ranks.

The old man spoke with his mouth, yet his feet quickened a bit; he was still a little closer to the main peak of Maoshan. If he were to invite the Taoist priests from above, this trip would have been in vain.

In ordinary times, such a household would undoubtedly be envied by many. However, at this moment, the glances from passersby towards this household are mostly filled with pity, and some unkind individuals wear expressions of schadenfreude on their faces.

"Master, where does that family live?" Ye Tian asked again. The child cared about his image; he certainly did not want to be seen by his classmates in this outfit, or he would be laughed at to death.

In their locality, every first and fifteenth day of the lunar month, there is a market in the town, attracting vendors from ten miles around to set up stalls and sell their goods, creating a lively atmosphere. At this moment, the relatively spacious town is already filled to capacity with people

Located within the boundaries of Maoshan, the attire of Ye Tian and the old Daoist does not appear out of place, as there are indeed many Daoists among the surrounding crowd

You little rascal, you have exhausted me completely

After arriving at the foot of the mountain, the old priest and Ye Tian found a stream to wash their feet, changed into their shoes, and headed towards Maolu Town. Although it was only a little over 20 miles, the two did not reach the town until noon.

As one of the first individuals to prosper from the reform and opening-up, Miao Laoda, though anxious in his heart, did not lose his composure. He simultaneously comforted his crying nephew while glancing at the old Taoist priest, completely overlooking Ye Tian, who was beside the old Taoist.

Yesterday, as I descended the mountain, I saw a family with a white banner hanging at their door, indicating that someone had died in the household. I will take you to conduct a ritual for them

Having squeezed from the east end of the town to the west end, the number of people at the market had significantly decreased. Following the direction pointed out by the old man, Ye Tian saw a household with a two-story small building.

A man in his thirties was smoking in silence. After hearing the woman's words, he forcefully extinguished the cigarette butt on the ground, stood up, and said: "Alright, your sister-in-law will take care of this side. After we eat something, we will head to the county hospital..."

Miao Laoda threw the freshly lit cigarette onto the ground, and m.hetushu.com reached out to hold the child. Just as they arrived at the entrance of the courtyard, they discovered that two people were standing in front of the door

Master, look, there is a monkey show over there

For the Miao family, this is indeed a remarkable event. It is worth noting that the elder brother of the Miao family has had four children, all of whom are daughters. As soon as the younger brother's son was born, he was immediately cherished by the entire family.

However, upon hearing the old Taoist mention Yin Sha, Ye Tian curiously raised his head and looked towards the courtyard. He had also learned about the knowledge of earth energy and geomancy from the old Taoist, but he had never encountered anything like dragon energy or Yin Sha.

Master, where are we going?

Seemingly perceiving Ye Tian's thoughts, the old Daoist snorted and said: "What’s wrong? The 'Lingbao Wuliang Du Ren Shangpin Miao Jing' that I taught you, abbreviated as 'Du Ren Jing', can guide people through the three paths, the five sufferings, and the eight difficulties, transcending the three realms..."

But who could have anticipated that the moon has its phases of brightness and darkness, and that human fortunes can change from morning to evening? Just as life was getting better, the second son met with a car accident during a drive, leaving even the body unrecognizable.

While Ye Tian was observing the courtyard using the knowledge imparted by the old master, the turtle shell that had appeared in his mind that morning suddenly reappeared, startling Ye Tian to the point where he almost shouted out.

"It's nothing, Master. I am observing the Yin Sha you mentioned." With the old Taoist's interruption, the scene in Ye Tian's eyes returned to its original state, and the faint mist could no longer be seen.

His uncle suggested that they take Xiao Jun to the county hospital for a check-up, as it was not a solution for him to wake up crying like this

Amidst the crowd, Ye Tian was already overwhelmed by the sights before him. At this moment, Ye Tian felt that perhaps this was the liveliest place in the world.

Alas, Xiao Jun has woken up again. What should we do, his uncle?

Although the sun is shining brightly at this moment, this location is obscured by the canvas of the mourning hall. The faint mist still lingers, distinctly contrasting with the sunlight nearby.

Upon hearing Ye Tian's words, Boss Miao looked at the young Taoist with some skepticism. It must be said that the old Taoist indeed exuded an air of a master, but what could this little child possibly understand

Each of the two individuals wore a Taoist crown on their heads, concealing the wounds above. If one were to disregard their feet, the older man would indeed possess a certain ethereal quality reminiscent of a celestial being.

On the descending path of the mountain, two figures, one large and one small, were making their way down. However, what struck one as amusing was that both individuals were dressed in clean, traditional robes, yet neither was wearing shoes, walking barefoot on the muddy path.

The old Taoist's words made Ye Tian secretly roll his eyes, "Looking for someone to resolve it? Then why did you run away as fast as a rabbit? Isn't it just because you're afraid of being outpaced by others?"

The old Daoist glanced at Master Miao, extended his right hand, bent his index finger (implying the meaning of transforming into the Three Pure Ones), raised it to his chest, and spoke: "As I and my disciples were passing through here, we noticed that your residence is heavily afflicted by malevolent energy. This place is situated in a sacred site of Daoism. I wonder why this esteemed practitioner has not sought someone to resolve this issue"

Ah, Master, quickly look, popcorn...

This mist is merely slightly chilly, and it is not the malevolent spirits or ghosts found in "Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio." Rather, it resembles the explanation of the ancient character "侌," which refers to "the mist that is swirling and gathering," embodying coldness, darkness, and convergence

In this era, which is transitioning from a planned economy to a market economy and still using grain coupons, being able to construct such a small building is indeed an extraordinary achievement, at the very least indicating that one is a household with assets worth tens of thousands.

Ah!

The little one has noticed it too? Is there really a problem with my house?

Could this be the ancient explanation of yin and yang?

Hmm? What is going on here?

What is the matter, young man

This is already the fifth day. In the past few days, many people came to pay their respects, leaving little time for reflection. Now that my husband has been buried, those who were meant to come have come, and the courtyard has quieted down. The cries of the little child increasingly sound heart-wrenching.

"Come on, is there any comparison to be made here? Your master used to frequent only the grandest of residences. If things have turned out this way, how can we face the ancestors with any dignity?"

The old man speaks with reason; both monks and Taoist priests are capable of performing rituals. Especially in the Maoshan region, the prevalence of Taoism far surpasses that of Buddhism. When there are funerals in the family, it is more common to invite Taoist priests.

"Cough, Master, isn't that our fellow practitioner? He speaks with such certainty. Master, compared to that old man, who is more skilled?" Ye Tian, with keen eyes, spotted a fortune-telling booth and immediately pulled the old Daoist.

As he gazed at the strange sight before him, Ye Tian harbored this thought: as a Young Pioneer raised under the red flag, he was resolutely unwilling to believe in any supernatural entities.

What is even more distressing is that since the second son had the accident, my little nephew has also fallen ill, crying incessantly and refusing to eat. A visit to the town's hospital, however, yielded no clues.

Looking at the pale-faced child in her arms, the woman felt an overwhelming sense of heartache. With her husband gone, what would she do if anything were to happen to the child?

"Hey, today is the market day!" Upon arriving in town, Ye Tian immediately exclaimed with excitement

... ...

Is this... is this what the master referred to as Yin Sha?