Chapter 8: The Child of Destiny Surrounded by a Hundred Demons

In the end, Old Jiang unexpectedly spoke in a Beijing dialect, which shows how deeply engrossed he was

However, at the dining table, no matter how my parents tried to say something, Old Man Jiang would not respond; he would only eat and drink

After completing a lap, Old Jiang shook his head and inexplicably said, "Quite ordinary, not very wealthy"

How is this calculated? My father is somewhat unclear about this. Specifically, how can it be calculated to be born, to show the head and so on? ... The whole body coming out, and so forth ... If it is to be precise, it indeed has a somewhat indescribable flavor to it

Old man Jiang had anticipated this as well. He waved his hand dismissively, ignoring my father, and began to pace back and forth in the room with his hands clasped behind his back

My mother, feeling sorry for my father, quickly prepared hot water for him to wash up. My father was still complaining: "We should have done this before summer; now that it's this late, I need to catch several pounds of eel! Let Master Jiang enjoy it to the fullest!"

My father and mother thought that Old Man Jiang would draw some profound formation, but in just a few strokes, Old Man Jiang completed it. It turned out to be a Tai Chi diagram

On that day, it was only until midnight that my father finally returned, covered in mud, and he actually managed to catch over 20 eels

The words of Old Man Jiang sent a chill down my parents' spines. My mother also recalled how easily she could be captivated during her afternoon nap, realizing that it was all based on such reasoning

Old Man Jiang stood up, turned his back, and began to walk back and forth, muttering to himself phrases that my father could not understand: "In '67, the Tianhe River... the sun is in... at this hour, tsk... what a coincidence?"

He still looked as unkempt as ever, giving off an air of nonchalance. With his hands behind his back, he entered my home with a familiar demeanor. He was greeted by my enthusiastic parents, a large spread of dishes, and my two sisters, who were staring at the table and swallowing hard.

This is the entirety of the process

But in reality, it is not as miraculous as my parents think. After some years, my master told me that his divination skills are far inferior to that of a person. Meeting my father on the mountain was truly a fateful encounter, and although his facial reading skills are not his main expertise, he could still tell at a glance that my father must have had some request.

After nearly an hour, Old Jiang finally finished his meal, put down his chopsticks, set down his cup, and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. Without waiting for my parents to say anything, he directly said: "Bring your son over for me to take a look."

After this effort was completed, he could not take his eyes off me, staring intently for a while before seriously addressing my father: "This child is truly a pure spirit, or perhaps a Taoist child! It is destined that he will not have much connection with his parents; can you bear this?"

What is the problem? Master Jiang, please feel free to ask. Hearing that he is here, I am no longer in danger, and I feel much more at ease, ready to respond to Old Man Jiang's questions.

"Master Jiang, what is this?" my father asked

Before my master could speak, my father, feeling anxious, quickly turned me around and pointed to the birthmark on the back of my head, saying: "Master Jiang, do you see any issues with this?"

To put it specifically, you may not understand, so let me explain it simply. Look at this picture, these two yin-yang fish... Jiang Laotou pointed to the intersection of the yin-yang fish in the Taiji diagram and said that the intersection is precisely at the two sharpest points.

Old man Jiang did not insist that they believe him. He tossed aside a branch and clapped his hands, saying: "Who says that ghosts only appear at night? It is just as easy to encounter them in broad daylight, especially during that time period, which is their only opportunity to be active during the day. They were all human in their lifetime, so of course they prefer a bit of daylight."

He sat down at the front without any pretense, and upon seeing the dishes laid out on the table, he couldn't help but swallow twice.

In the end, he was not at ease, grasping my hand to examine it, and finally, he carefully felt my little arms and calves again

"What are you saying, does it mean my son is going to die?" My father does not understand what fate is, and when he hears that there is not much connection with the parents, he becomes very anxious

The next day, around 11:30 AM, Old Jiang arrived as scheduled

No, with me here, he won't... There are some things I will explain to you later. Now, I want to ask you a question; think carefully before you answer me," said Old Jiang solemnly.

My father smiled awkwardly and did not continue to ask. Questions that Old Jiang is unwilling to answer are generally avoided, and my father is aware of this.

Why is that? My mother also cannot understand this reasoning. In the middle of the day, it just happens to be the time when the阴气 is at its heaviest.

I have provided Old Man Jiang with sufficient and satisfactory conditions regarding my situation. After pondering for a while, he said: "I have deduced that your son was born at the exact right time. The issue lies in the fact that he has a pure destiny, and this is due to his being born at the exact right time."

No, no... that is merely a superficial observation..." In the end, Old Jiang asked my father to bring me over, and he carefully examined my features, paying particular attention to my eyebrows and the bridge of my nose

My father's words seemed to bring Old Man Jiang back to his senses, and he exclaimed, "Nonsense, tell me the child's birth date and time!"

"Let's go eat." After finishing this, Old Man Jiang headed straight for the dining table

As for during the meal, my master carefully examined the facial features of me and my parents, and he had a clear understanding that the children were not doing well. My two older sisters were at the dining table, and upon close inspection, my master found no issues with them. Therefore, the only problem lay with me

Everything is being prepared for tomorrow

To avoid making Old Man Jiang feel bored, my mother specially prepared a dish of shredded radish and a plate of pickled vegetables

However, fate is such that my master divined where he would find disciples. Coupled with certain special and historical reasons, he specifically came to this area and stayed for several years without deliberately searching. Taoism emphasizes naturalness; if someone is truly meant to be his disciple, they will inevitably cross paths. What is destined cannot be avoided.

What I want to tell you is not about matters of yin and yang, but rather the principle of decline following prosperity. When anything reaches its peak, it will inevitably move in the opposite direction. The yin-yang symbol also embodies this meaning. Twelve o'clock is a peak moment, representing the abrupt transition from the height of daylight to darkness. Would you not consider it dark? There is not even a process; it just changes like that. Those who stand at this turning point are, in essence, standing at the most shadowy moment. Elder Jiang tried to explain this as simply as possible. His explanation was truly astonishing; at least my parents had never heard such a perspective before. There is not even a process; it just changes like that. Those who stand at this turning point are, in essence, standing at the most shadowy moment. Elder Jiang tried to explain this as simply as possible. His explanation was truly astonishing; at least my parents had never heard such a perspective before

The dish in the center is the wild chicken stewed with snake, complemented by the snow-white and crisp winter bamboo shoots. The broth is perfectly cooked, and the fragrant aroma wafting up is irresistible even to the immortals.

My father sensed something was off and directly asked, "Is Master Jiang not from Sichuan?" If he were from Sichuan, the spiciness would indeed be intense, but it wouldn't be enough to make one stick out their tongue

12 o'clock noon? Master Jiang, that is broad daylight, the brightest time of the day. How could one be entangled by such things? My father's thinking is straightforward; he believes that according to popular belief, this is absolutely the most yang time of the day, so how could one possibly attract those things

She has no understanding of the pressures a man bears. These days, my father has been holding onto hope while treating my illness, but he is suffering inside, like a heavy stone pressing down on him. The appearance of Old Man Jiang this time has given my father a sense of relief from that pressure.

In the village, there are only a few households, and my master has been wandering here for many years. Whenever a family has a child, he is aware of it. Moreover, just now, when I was moving around the house, I also saw myself on the large bed.

Old man Jiang said nothing, stepped outside, casually picked up a branch in the yard, and began to draw. Just then, my mother had taken my two sisters out to play, and I happened to witness this scene.

Old man Jiang remained silent, still busy eating

"Yes, it is..." My father quickly recited my birth date and time.

Your son was born at exactly 12 o'clock

"Alright, alright, we have to get up early tomorrow, so you shouldn't be so excited over there," my mother chided, not understanding why my father was so thrilled.

After Old Man Jiang entered the house, he did not pay attention to the table full of dishes, but instead wandered around the various rooms of my home, looking as if he were on a leisurely tour. My parents, not daring to be negligent, closely followed behind him.

My father is not one to ramble, and the finest rice wine has also been presented. This was obtained by exchanging goods with the family in the village that is most skilled at making rice wine

In less than a minute, my father brought me before Old Man Jiang. He scrutinized me carefully, his brows slightly furrowing, and he let out a soft "oh".

After finishing, my father mysteriously added, "I heard that this is a mark targeted by that thing."

Old man Jiang did not elaborate much; how could he explain to my parents at that time that there was no issue with the layout of our home? He just used a pretext and moved on, treating it as a mere formality.

Old man Jiang was quite unceremonious; after my father poured him a drink, he grabbed the chopsticks and began to eat heartily. Before he had even fully swallowed the food, he took another gulp of wine, devouring it as if a storm were sweeping through. However, it was so spicy that he kept sticking out his tongue.

This is authentic Sichuan farmhouse cuisine, prepared in a traditional manner, as fresh as can be. Just look at those spicy dishes; the bright red Erjing Tiao peppers, paired with the vibrant green chopped scallions, are already enough to whet one's appetite

The moment the fetus is born is when the entire body separates from the mother. My master spoke very seriously, and his manner of speaking became quite formal.

The so-called inference of something does not always require divination, much like solving a mathematical problem. Sometimes, having the necessary conditions is sufficient to arrive at a solution, indicating that not every problem will utilize a mathematical formula.

Immortal, truly an immortal, my parents were simply overjoyed, without a second thought, my mother took my two sisters out, and my father went straight to hug me

My parents almost fell over after listening; what does this old man Jiang mean? Could it be that he came to visit my home?

"Noon is the brightest time of day? Who told you that? Noon is actually the moment when the阴气 is at its heaviest! The most yang moment is ironically the darkest time just before dawn, when the rooster crows for the first time," Old Jiang said calmly.

My mother no longer objected, after all, the chicken and the snake were provided by others. It is only right that we should also show sufficient sincerity on our part, so if we are to get some eels, then let it be eels.

"Master Jiang, I really don't know about this. I can't tell if it's exactly on the hour. Is this very important?" My father asked cautiously

Next to it are several large porcelain bowls; one bowl contains glossy, translucent cured pork, another bowl holds twice-cooked pork, and yet another bowl features stir-fried eel. Additionally, there is a basin filled with steaming, spicy broad bean fish.