Chapter 7: Terrified (Part 2)

You made me memorize the funeral scriptures, you made me study the art of divination, you made me sneak down the mountain to spy on young women bathing, you made me steal chickens and dogs to provide you with offerings, you made me venture into the world. No matter what I did, you always looked down on me, saying I was only a fraction of what you were in your youth.

As they spoke, Lin Bai suddenly burst into tears, his face streaked with tears. Those outside the main hall, hearing the muffled cries and sobs coming from within, could not help but also shed tears in abundance.

Master, rest assured in the underworld, I will certainly fulfill the tasks you entrusted to me. I will also find the reasons why those of us in the art of physiognomy face five deficiencies and three shortcomings. The Tianxiang Sect will continue to be passed down. This is the fine wine I brought back to you this time; please savor it slowly. Lin Bai picked up the wine bottle and poured the liquid over the tombstone, covering his face with both hands, weeping inconsolably

After the deep of night, Lin Bai leaned against the tombstone and looked up at the night sky. Following a night of heavy rain, the stars in the sky shone brighter than ever. The starlight just happened to illuminate the grave of the old Taoist. The longer Lin Bai gazed at the stars above, the more he felt that their arrangement was intriguing, as if they formed a natural divination diagram.

Lin Bai wiped away the tears at the corner of his eyes and looked at Zhang Sanfeng, who was standing to the side, and said softly: "Senior brother, the burial of our master will be entrusted to you here. It is likely that it will be until next year's Qingming Festival before we can meet again."

Disciple, you should return. The wind is strong and the dew is heavy on the mountain at night, making it easy to catch a chill. I will take good care of matters on the mountain, so you can rest assured.

After carefully digesting the words he heard, Lin Bai increasingly felt that the old Taoist, whom he referred to as the old man, was truly a genius. It was remarkable that he could connect the celestial trajectories with the fortune-telling of human life. This skill, indeed, could rival not only eight hundred minor arts but even three thousand great paths.

Old man, come out here! You have given me such a large family business of the Tianxiang Sect, do you not fear that I will ruin it completely?

"Senior Brother, you should head back first. I will stay here with Master for another night. I am young, and the dew on the mountains does not affect me. You, on the other hand, should hurry back. You are older, and the dew here is heavy. If you fall ill, our temple will truly lose its vitality." Lin Bai said softly to Zhang Sanfeng beside him without looking up.

The old Taoist priest had not relied on fortune-telling to make a living over the years, thus leading an exceedingly frugal life. He could only afford the cheapest local cigarettes and liquor. This time, Lin Bai returned to the mountain and brought the old priest a considerable amount of specialty liquor from various places and a few packs of good cigarettes, but unfortunately, the old priest could no longer taste them and could only place them before the grave as offerings

"Old man, how could you just leave like this?" Lin Bai placed the remains in front of the statue of the ancestral master in the main hall, sat down against the wall, and gazed at the urn containing the collected ashes, letting out a bitter smile

There is no greater sorrow than a dead heart; what kind of emotion can cause a person to turn gray-haired in just seven nights. Looking at Lin Bai's appearance, the mountain folk waiting outside the temple remained silent for a long time.

Old man, wait for me, I am about to descend the mountain. My senior brother is unwilling to leave with me; he claims it is because he is not accustomed to life down the mountain, but I know the truth is that he wants to spend more time with you, Master. When I grow old, I will return and build a small thatched hut beside your grave, keeping you company with a green lamp and yellowed scrolls

The fortunes of a person are akin to the orbits of stars in the sky, sometimes bright and sometimes dim, yet with careful inquiry, one can ultimately discern them. All things in the world are likewise; by observing one aspect, one can perceive past and future lives, understand geography, and know the ebb and flow of fortune... A low murmur of voices paid no heed to Lin Bai's astonished question, continuing to manifest in Lin Bai's mind, sentence by sentence.

I, Li Tianyuan, have lived a life of poverty and achieved nothing, yet I never expected that I would have the opportunity to contemplate this starry breath observation technique in the very place I chose for my burial. Thus, I have left this secret art here using a formation, awaiting a fated person to discover it

Li Tianyuan was ultimately buried in a feng shui treasure site on Maoshan that he had long favored. This burial site is referred to in feng shui as "the golden cicada shedding its shell," which offers minimal protection for family members but provides significant blessings for disciples and students. After the master was laid to rest, Zhang Sanfeng, who had a deep understanding of feng shui, reflected for a long time.

Lin Bai locked himself in the main hall for seven days, neither eating nor drinking, ignoring anyone who called out to him.

"Master, is this the inheritance you have given me?" As the first light of dawn appeared on the horizon, Lin Bai gazed at the sky, pondered for a moment, and then softly said: "Master, I will descend the mountain now. Next year during the Qingming Festival, I will return to pay my respects at your grave, and I will also strive to bring back a few disciples' wives for you then"

By the following morning, the fire had finally been extinguished. Amidst the pile of ashes, there were actually numerous small particles, resembling the relics of Buddhist masters, shimmering brightly.

Zhang Sanfeng was taken as a disciple by Li Tianyuan only in his later years. At the time of his apprenticeship, Zhang Sanfeng was already in his forties, and now he is nearly in his sixties. Moreover, in his practice of feng shui, he often traverses mountains and rivers, broadening his horizons. After all these years, Zhang Sanfeng's health has indeed deteriorated, so he decided not to persist any longer. After offering a few words of comfort to Lin Bai, he returned to the Taoist temple

Old man, you are not being genuine. You told me that you would wait for me to come down from the mountain and make a great name for myself, and that you would look forward to seeing me marry and have children, enjoying a life surrounded by grandchildren, living a life of joy. I was also thinking that when I come down, if I find a suitable, well-endowed widow for you, who knows, it might just make you bloom like an iron tree, and we could even have a little junior brother to play with. But why did you have to leave like this?

Disciple, from now on you will be the leader of the Tianxiang Sect. All matters concerning the Tianxiang lineage will require your attention. I hope you take care of your health. Zhang Sanfeng, hearing the commotion inside the hall, wept while patting the door panel to comfort Lin Bai.

The flames burned throughout the entire night, and amidst the fire, a faint scent reminiscent of sandalwood and lotus gradually emerged from the ashes of the *book*. The villagers keeping watch were astonished, exclaiming that the old Taoist must have attained immortality, and what was burning now was merely his remnants, while his spirit had long since transformed and ascended.

Lin Bai ignored the intense heat of the embers, picking up each of the shining relics one by one. After gathering all the remaining bones, Lin Bai entered the main hall of the Daoist temple alone, securely locking the door behind him

Seven days later, Lin Bai walked out of the house holding an urn. The originally dark and glossy ponytail that was tied at the back of his head had surprisingly turned completely gray after these seven days

Zhang Sanfeng looked at Lin Bai's appearance and gently patted Lin Bai's shoulder. With a master like this taking on such a disciple, and allowing a person so full of emotion and righteousness to inherit the teachings of the Tianxiang Sect, Zhang Sanfeng felt that the future development of the Tianxiang Sect would undoubtedly be promising.

Lin Bai turned around in astonishment, surveying the surroundings. The wind rustled the trees, and the sand made a sound, yet the forest was completely empty.

Who

The old Taoist priest Li Tianyuan had no particular hobbies throughout his life; the only thing he was reluctant to part with was the liquid in his cup, along with the tobacco that could make wisps of blue smoke rise from his hand

Upon hearing the final words echoing in his mind, Lin Bai was taken aback, standing frozen in place. He truly did not expect that this secret technique was actually created by his master, and that the earlier transmission was also a formation set up by his master.

Lin Bai inserted three incense sticks into the grave of the old Daoist. Unlike the usual offerings of various foods, there were only a few bottles of wine and several packs of already lit cigarettes. The rich aroma of the wine mingled with the scent of burning incense and smoke.

The heavens are dark and mysterious, the earth is solid and thick, the stars in the sky resemble the human body, and fortunes may change from morning to night. Although this is determined by fate, there are still patterns to follow. With eight hundred side paths and three thousand main paths, I alone have created the minor technique of observing the shapes of star energy, which may become one of the eight hundred minor techniques. Just as I sensed the celestial bodies' trajectories in the sky, this phrase suddenly echoed in Lin Bai's mind

Such things indeed exist in reality. By improving the magnetic field in specific locations, it is possible to retain records of sound and shadow. When influenced by certain fixed external forces, it can restore the circumstances or words of that time. The formation set up by Li Tianyuan operates in a similar manner; only the inheritor of the secret treasure of the Tianxiang Sect can activate the grand formation upon arriving at this place and obtain his legacy.

On this night, Lin Bai did not speak a single word to anyone; he merely sat silently in front of the bonfire, watching the raging flames with a heavy expression, repeatedly reciting the "Supreme Jade Blossom Cave Chapter on Transcending Death and Ascending to Immortality."

What is this? Lin Bai felt surprised. Although there have been many so-called formations or techniques in the history of Huaxia, as well as some forms of divination that use the names of celestial bodies, they are merely borrowing the names of the stars in the sky. This is the first time he has seen something like this.

The story between him and Li Tianyuan is extensive, beginning from the time he was a bare-bottomed child, when he was taken in and raised by the old Taoist. As he gradually grew into adulthood, not only did he learn the art of divination, but his perceptions of the world and principles of conduct were also shaped under the old Taoist's influence.