“I forced him to.”

The old monk showed no shame. “As long as he agreed to take me as his master, I would restore the Geng family burial site to its original state.”

Young Master Pei was furious. “Old thing, you forced someone to become a monk—don’t you feel ashamed?”

“Why should I feel ashamed?”

The old monk looked at Pei Xiao with confusion.

“His fate was altered, so his future destiny was meant to lead him to me, meant for him to enter my sect. Master Pei, this is also cause and effect—you worldly people wouldn’t understand.”

Worldly person?

Young Master Pei was livid.

“Altering Geng Songsheng’s fate also altered the Geng family’s fate.”

Yan Sanhe looked directly at Geng Songsheng. “You took Buddhist vows for the Geng family’s sake?”

“Look, there’s someone sensible here.”

The old monk chuckled, his laugh quite wretched.

“To change the fate chart back also requires bearing the consequences. The Geng family’s thousand-year feng shui changed because of Geng Songsheng, so the result must involve him.”

The old monk pointed at Geng Songsheng, his eyes gleaming.

“Cause and effect, cause and effect—plainly speaking, it’s the price. Him becoming a monk is the price. Otherwise…”

Yan Sanhe: “Otherwise what would happen?”

“Otherwise, not only would the Geng family’s fortune fail to return to its original path, it would get worse and worse.”

The old monk spoke slowly: “This is also a form of heavenly punishment.”

“Let it get worse then.”

Li Buyan slapped her thigh. “The Geng family treated you that way, Geng Songsheng—why should you care if they live or die?”

“There’s still the debt of nurturing and raising me.”

Two puffs of white mist shot from Geng Songsheng’s nose.

“It wasn’t really forcing—I was willing. Besides, I didn’t want my mind to stay muddled forever.”

The old monk smiled like a cunning fox. “Young one, those are your own words—willing.”

“I said it.”

“In the future, you must properly show filial piety to your master and care for me in my old age.”

“Before showing proper filial piety, look at yourself. Do you have the appearance of a high monk?”

Geng Songsheng’s face darkened, his presence intensifying. “Drinking, eating meat aside, your eyes constantly wander toward pretty girls.”

“Namo Amitabha. Wine and meat pass through the intestines, beauty passes before the eyes, but Buddha remains in the heart.”

The old monk showed no shame. “Enlightened people transcend the three realms and exist outside the five elements.”

Young Master Pei: “…” Really wanted to slap him with a shoe.

Li Buyan: “…” Shamelessness reached a new height.

“High master.”

Yan Sanhe: “You can even restore the Geng family burial site’s fate chart, so you must also know what method Zhu Xuanjiu used to resolve the backlash?”

“Little girl, you were quite clever just now. Why are you confused now?”

The old monk shook his head disappointedly.

“Heavenly punishment and karmic backlash—these things cannot be resolved through proper means. To resolve them, one must use unorthodox methods. A high monk like me who appears once every three hundred years, spanning heaven and earth, embodying righteous integrity, dedicated to promoting Buddhist teachings—how could I possibly…”

“High master, please stop.”

Yan Sanhe: “You mean Zhu Xuanjiu used unorthodox methods?”

The old monk spread his hands. “What else?”

That’s exactly what I wanted to hear!

“If—and I’m saying if.”

Yan Sanhe carefully chose her words.

“A noble family’s young master was originally raised to be very proper and obedient, but suddenly became lustful, and no one could persuade him otherwise—was his fate altered?”

Isn’t this my eldest uncle?

Zhu Yuanzhao wanted to jump up and object, but thinking of how Geng Songsheng’s fate had been altered, he could only clench his teeth and continue listening.

The old monk spread his hands again, showing innocent little eyes. “How would I know!”

You definitely know, but you just don’t want to say!

Yan Sanhe laughed coldly. “Some enlightened high monk—bullshit!”

“In other words, just a charlatan.”

Li Buyan snorted: “Master Pei, you should properly regulate this. Clear out the monks in your Bureau of Monks, don’t let these frauds in who just eat state grain without doing proper work.”

“It’s difficult!”

Young Master Pei sighed. “The main problem is these frauds rely on their age, acting superior, sometimes speaking truth, sometimes lies—even ghosts can’t tell the difference.”

Three people, three sentences, made the old monk’s face turn every color.

But Yan Sanhe still wanted to stab his heart.

“Geng Songsheng, you really need to reconsider.”

“You’re becoming a monk either way—find a better master!”

Li Buyan said regretfully: “Don’t let a crooked beam support a crooked house. What a waste.”

Young Master Pei puffed out his chest. “All monks in this nation answer to me. Pick anyone you want. I’m throwing my words here—there’s only people you might not fancy, not things Young Master Pei can’t arrange.”

Ahhh!

Scolding me—I’ll endure!

Trying to steal my disciple—I can’t endure this!

No good, I must show these ignorant youngsters something impressive, or they won’t know how many eyes the Horse King has.

The old monk glanced sideways at Geng Songsheng, who tapped the ash from his pipe.

“Miss Yan, you three go to the main hall, kowtow three times to the Bodhisattva, and each vow to do one thing for the world’s people. Then my master will answer three questions.”

Yan Sanhe: “What kind of rule is this?”

Li Buyan: “Why so complicated?”

Pei Xiao: “Why only three questions?”

I have a belly full of things to ask!

Geng Songsheng looked up at Zhu Yuanzhao. “In Shanxi there’s a place called Yuncheng. North of Yuncheng is Phoenix Valley. In Phoenix Valley lives a clan called ‘Daily Good Deed’—do you know it?”

Daily Good Deed?

Zhu Yuanzhao frowned: “Do you mean the Xing family?”

Geng Songsheng: “I guessed you’d know.”

Young Master Pei couldn’t wait to ask: “What about the Xing family? Why bring this up out of nowhere?”

Though Zhu Yuanzhao didn’t understand why Geng Songsheng mentioned the Xing family, he still patiently explained:

“The Xing family are also experts in fortune-telling and feng shui. Though they call themselves ‘Daily Good Deed,’ they practice unorthodox methods, specializing in shameful activities like defying heaven to alter fate.”

Young Master Pei: “Your profession has orthodox and unorthodox schools?”

Zhu Yuanzhao nodded.

“The Xing family and our Zhu family are complete opposites. The Xing family head is female, fortune-telling and feng shui are done by women, and they only pass knowledge to daughters, not sons.

When Xing family women turn sixteen, they begin seeking husbands, marrying at eighteen.

After marriage, they somehow use mysterious ancient methods to only bear daughters, never sons, and only one child per lifetime.”

The old monk listened with great interest, smiling: “Young one, what else do you know?”

“The Xing family continued this way generation after generation until one family head inexplicably gave birth to a son.”

Zhu Yuanzhao: “Reportedly, they had done too many evil deeds. No ancient method or formation could suppress it—the bloodline was severed, and the Xing family ceased to exist.”

Geng Songsheng glanced at the old monk. “My master is that son.”

Yan Sanhe: “…” As expected.

Li Buyan: “…” Holy crap.

Young Master Pei: “…” I’m shocked to death.

Zhu Yuanzhao suddenly sat bolt upright on his cushion, extremely agitated.

“You’re that one who, upon birth, had to take Buddhist vows or wouldn’t survive three days…”

“Namo Amitabha!”

The old monk smiled at Zhu Yuanzhao.

“Ancestors create karma, descendants repay it—this is also cause and effect.”