Go all out

Chapter 28: The Cuckoo in the Magpie’s Nest

Upon hearing Yin Fang’s words, Tian Zhan showed not the slightest hint of surprise—he was clearly used to this. I was speechless inside. While 100,000 might be nothing to someone like Old Master Tang, there was no guarantee he’d actually pay it. However, judging by what Old Master Tang had just said, it seemed his son had been possessed by a rat spirit—which should be right up Tian Zhan’s alley. Did Yin Fang, a feng shui master, actually know about this kind of thing? I found it quite puzzling. Old Master Tang furrowed his brow and glanced at Yin Fang, then looked at me suspiciously and asked, “Master Li, who is this?” “Oh, this is…” Just as I was about to introduce her, Yin Fang stepped forward and introduced herself: “Yin Fang. I can solve your problem—for 100,000!” Yin Fang repeated herself. Old Master Tang glanced at me again. I spread my hands in a shrug, and Old Master Tang had no choice but to agree reluctantly, “Fine, 100,000 it is. Get in the car!” I was taken aback. If I’d heard “100,000,” I probably would’ve been grinning from ear to ear—so why did Yin Fang still look so impassive? Finding it odd, the three of us got into Old Man Tang’s car and didn’t say much along the way. When we reached the outskirts of the city, Old Man Tang drove us to a small hill and pulled over. This “small hill” was actually part of the city’s inner hills—though it wasn’t really a hill at all, just a large earthen slope—and right in front of it stood a villa that had been built not long ago. From the outside, it looked nicely decorated—modern with a touch of European flair—and seemed quite upscale. I just thought it looked pretty nice, with hills and water nearby. But based on what Old Tang had said last time, I’d assumed mice had suddenly appeared in his old house—I never expected it to be a brand-new place he’d just moved into. Of course, I don’t know much about feng shui—okay, I know absolutely nothing about it. My master once said that Qimen Dunjia is divided into nine branches: the first is the Way, the second is Destiny, the third is Feng Shui, the fourth is Craftsmanship, the fifth is the Dead, the sixth is Poisons, the seventh is Humans and Ghosts, the eighth is Yin and Yang, and the ninth determines life and death! We fortune-tellers fall under the second division—the “Destiny Gate”—and use physiognomy to divine the world’s fate, while Yin Fang’s specialty is the third division—Feng Shui. I’ve heard the Master say that Feng Shui is profoundly mysterious; at its simplest, it can determine disasters and turn misfortune into good fortune, while at its most complex, it can disrupt the lifelines of future generations. In ancient times, my master told me that every change of emperor or dynasty was determined by feng shui masters. The emperors of old were all “dragons among men,” and each dynasty had its own “dragon vein.” As long as the dragon vein remained intact, the dynasty would endure; if it was severed, the dynasty would perish. Feng shui masters were responsible for locating this Dragon Vein and then deciding whether to protect or destroy it—all of this rested in their hands. In a sense, feng shui masters were the driving force behind the evolution of China’s dynasties. This shows just how powerful a true feng shui master can be. Tian Zhan didn’t know much about feng shui, but he took a look at Old Tang’s mansion himself. His eyes flickered as if he had spotted something significant. Yin Fang also cast a few glances around, her eyes darting about. Although we were both looking, I could easily tell from the focus of her gaze that our approaches were different. I looked at the big picture—whatever caught my eye—while she examined it piece by piece. Her first glance went to the door; I guessed she was checking its orientation. Her second glance fell on either side of the door. Old Mr. Tang had placed two potted trees on either side of the entrance, which looked quite nice, but Yin Fang furrowed her brow. I was taken aback. Is it really not okay to have plants by the door? Yin Fang’s gaze then swept directly around the surroundings, and her expression turned somewhat grim. I figured that in less than a minute, she’d probably analyzed the feng shui of Old Mr. Tang’s villa pretty thoroughly. She really is a woman of great ability. “So, what do you think? I chose a pretty good location for this house, didn’t I?” Old Mr. Tang said casually. This was a bit of a test for Yin Fang—after all, she’d opened with a demand for 100,000. Old Mr. Tang was surely assessing whether someone asking for that much actually had what it took. If not, he’d have sent her packing on the spot. “So you’re saying someone else has already assessed the feng shui of this site for you?” Yin Fang asked in return. “That’s right. An old friend of mine chose this spot for me. He said it would help me solidify my position and bring good fortune to my descendants,” Old Mr. Tang replied without hesitation. Yin Fang seemed somewhat amused as she said, “Does this friend of yours have a grudge against you?” Old Mr. Tang immediately furrowed his brow. “What do you mean by that, young lady?” Yin Fang shook her head coldly. “Sorry, my name is Yin Fang. And what I mean is quite simple: the spot your friend found for you is indeed quite good, but I don’t know if he considered one thing—this place already had an owner!” “An owner?” Old Mr. Tang let out a cold laugh. “I’ve already bought the property rights back from that person. I’m the owner now!” “Is it really yours? Then why are there mice here that won’t go away?” Yin Fang said coldly. “Well…” Old Mr. Tang suddenly “realized” something. His expression changed, and he hurriedly asked, “Are you saying this place is a rat’s nest?” I, too, stared at Yin Fang in astonishment. How had she figured it out? After just a few glances? Yin Fang furrowed her brow and stared at Old Tang as she said coldly, “What? Don’t you know?” “I…” Old Man Tang immediately looked embarrassed, effectively admitting it. It suddenly dawned on me: so Old Man Tang had known all along that this place was a rat’s nest. He’d probably driven them away right then, thinking the matter was settled—but he never expected that the rats would wait until he and his group moved in to strike back! But how did Yin Fang figure it out? She’d been here for less than a minute! Yin Fang continued, “Simply put, this is one of the higher points in your city. To the east, the view stretches unobstructed, and to the west below lies an artificial lake. As far as the eye can see, the surrounding buildings appear tiny. As for feng shui—which means the wind must flow smoothly and the water must be well-arranged—this location just barely meets those criteria. Living here can indeed help boost one’s career and wealth! But your friend forgot one thing!” At this point, Yin Fang suddenly paused and scanned her surroundings. Naturally, I looked over out of curiosity. The area was surrounded by a scattering of trees. These trees weren’t very tall—they couldn’t possibly block the view from the villa or even block the sunlight here—but it still felt cool. It felt cool even under the sun. It was strange. “What did she forget?” Old Tang’s interest was also piqued by Yin Fang’s few words. “The trees around here seem to be camphor trees. Camphor trees attract yin energy, so people living nearby can feel a natural coolness. However, the mice in your house like them too, and they’ve been living there for a long time. If my guess is correct, there must have been an accident when this house was built, right…?” Yin Fang said slowly. “Yes, that’s right. Three people did die…” A look of reverence crossed Old Mr. Tang’s face. I thought to myself that he had been completely won over by Yin Fang. Tian Zhan and I exchanged a glance. Tian Zhan still looked a bit regretful, which I found somewhat amusing. Could it be that Tian Zhan had once pursued Yin Fang, only to be ruthlessly rejected by her? Given Yin Fang’s personality, that’s highly likely. “So, Master, what do you think we should do now?” Old Master Tang asked urgently. Wow—just a moment ago he was calling her “young lady,” and now he’s already addressing her as “Master.” I was a bit speechless. “There are two options. First, you tear down this villa and restore the site to its original state as much as possible. Then set up an altar and offer bull heads, pig heads, chicken heads, and horse heads as sacrificial offerings to apologize sincerely for ten consecutive days.” Before Yin Fang could finish her sentence, Old Tang immediately looked distressed. “Master, is there any other way? I spent a lot of money acquiring this property. If I tear it down now, all the money I spent on building and renovating the villa will go down the drain.” “So you’re saying you’ve chosen the second option?” Yin Fang asked calmly. “Please explain it first,” Old Mr. Tang said after a moment’s thought. The first option was simply unacceptable to anyone—how much would it cost to acquire a plot like this in the city center? Of course, Old Master Tang wasn’t willing to go along with it. “The second option is for you to live your life, and let them live theirs.” “How could that work? With so many rats living in the house, how could my family possibly live there?” Old Mr. Tang immediately shook his head, clearly dissatisfied with this second proposal. As soon as I heard it, I thought it didn’t make sense either. People and rats can coexist peacefully, but with so many rats, how could we possibly get along? But after thinking it over for a moment, it suddenly dawned on me—that’s right, this was actually the best solution! Just as Yin Fang furrowed her brow and was about to speak, a muffled thud suddenly came from inside the house, followed by a man’s agonized scream. “Oh no, that’s my son!” Old Tang’s face turned pale, and he immediately rushed inside. Naturally, I instinctively wanted to rush in to see what was happening. Once the three of us got inside the villa, we were met with a scene of utter chaos. All the furniture in the living room had already been chewed to tatters by the rats. The cabinets and the genuine leather sofa were covered with a dense swarm of rats—some were eating, while others were sleeping, acting as if they truly considered this their home. Even when we walked in, they remained completely unafraid and just went about their business. I found it somewhat amusing—these rats were really brazen. From inside the room came Old Man Tang’s startled cry; he kept calling out, “Son! Son!” The three of us, naturally curious, walked inside and saw Old Man Tang clutching a young man in tattered clothes. The young man had been tied to a chair but was struggling constantly. When I saw the young man’s face, I was also taken aback. The young man’s face had taken on a strange appearance—the skin across his entire face looked as if it were being pulled upward by unseen hands, making his features sharply pointed. His eyes, slightly rolled upward, darted about with remarkable agility, giving him the unmistakable appearance of a rat demon. No wonder that mountain spirit wouldn’t give me any face when I wrote my name—how could I possibly grant it? I simply couldn’t. Setting aside the fact that Old Tang demolished the rats’ home—which is a major grudge in itself; it’s a miracle no one was killed—the key point is that this “young man” glanced at me, then, as if he didn’t recognize me, continued to watch Tian Zhan and Yin Fang. I finally understood: I’d assumed these rats were also under the “Mountain God’s” command, but apparently not. If they don’t recognize me, why would they give me any face?